Chapter 80
Chapter 80: A magical cemetery
Han Shuo fell onto solid ground, regained his footing, and took his bearings. He was in a large laboratory. All sorts of containers and large bones were placed everywhere. Several gloomy lights, like green will-o’-wisps, were placed on the walls on the side, lighting up the interior, making it slightly brighter.
There were also a few rooms in the four corners. Han Shuo went into each of the rooms and discovered that two of them were filled with all sorts of books having to do with necromancy magic, and included a few books on dark magic as well. The books in here were obviously all very old. There was a lot of dust on them, and the number of books greatly exceeded the number of books in the dark studies section of the library in the Academy. Many of them were also books that Han Shuo had never heard of.
Magical supplies were stored in the other four rooms. Each of the containers were sealed tightly and were filled with colorful liquid, with some holding strange bones and teeth of vicious beasts that sparkled with light.
Just as Han Shuo was taking measure of his surroundings, the round, green ball in his hand suddenly sent out an eye-dazzling flash of green splendor. The light encompassed the entire laboratory as a black, shadow-like a ghost suddenly materialized in one of the circular magical symbols within the laboratory.
“My child, when you arrive here and see this mirror image, I will have already returned to dust. If you seek to understand everything about the cemetery of death, then you must pay attention and listen to all that I have to say.”
The black shadow was a concentrated mass, whether it was his eyes or the light from the round, green ball, Han Shuo was unable to see its original form. An unpracticed voice slowly formed each word with a bit of difficulty.
Han Shuo was shocked and then immediately realized that this was a way that mages left messages – mirror images. According to the meaning of the words, Han Shuo hastily focused his concentration and listened to every sentence he was saying.
“First, you must know that the cemetery of death was the sacred ground of necromancers during my time. It represents the peak of necromancy magic. The cemetery of death can move. When you finally grasp all that is present here, you will find that you own a frightening city…”
The wispy voice explained ceaselessly. Han Shuo concentrated and listened to the voice’s slow descriptions. When the voice said, “You will still be able to see me on the next level”, the black shadow suddenly disappeared as well.
After calculating the time, it was about time that the Demonslayer Edge was complete. Han Shuo thought for a bit and left the cemetery of death with the small skeleton, carefully evading a few level 3 and above magical creatures. He hunted a few low level monsters and took them with him, once again walking to the dwarves’ village.
Midway there, just when Han Shuo was about to enter the dwarves’ village, he heard the sound of weapons clashing. Han Shuo was greatly shocked and picked up his speed, threading through the trees and bushes with the little skeleton and rushing towards the source of the sounds.
A couple dozen man-eating monsters and almost a hundred goblins were wielding weapons and besieging the dwarves. The dwarves held brand new weapons in their hands, and were so much sharper compared to the ones that the man-eating monsters and goblins were using. The goblins in particular were using a few crude blades and wooden sticks, breaking into many pieces whenever they clashed with the dwarves.
It was the superiority of their weapons that had enabled the vastly outnumbered dwarves to defend until now. The dwarf village was behind them not too far away, and women and children with no fighting ability were there. For the safety of the village, they couldn’t even retreat into the village in case they exposed the village and endangered the women and children.
Han Shuo took in this scene and immediately became enraged. His crossbow had already appeared in his hand as he ran and several crossbow bolts broke through the air with a whistling sound, shooting down a man-eating monster and two goblins. The little skeleton seemed to sense Han Shuo’s anger from the depths of his heart and flew towards the front. The seven bone spurs on its back shot in all directions and lines of blood appeared on the bodies of these man-eating monsters and goblins after ear-piercing sounds rang out.
“Oh, it’s Han! He’s here!” Bennett, who was hoisting up an iron club and surrounded by five or six goblins, when he suddenly saw Han Shuo’s figure and exclaimed in surprise.
Like a wolf entering a herd of sheep, the arrival of Han Shuo and the little skeleton immediately heralded a slaughter. The little skeleton was particularly fierce. Its seven bone spurs danced amongst the crowd of man-eating monsters and goblins, causing injuries and fatalities to them.
After Han Shuo had arrived, he first summoned a few skeletal warriors and they all wielded bone daggers as they dashed towards these villains. Han Shuo himself rather held his ground and targeted the man-eating monster and goblins who had died, beginning to release the spell of “Corpse Reanimation”.
After failing a few times, Han Shuo still continued to remain where he stood and repeatedly chanted the incantation, under the surprised looks of the dwarves, attempting to make the bodies, who had just lost their lives, rise again.
Finally, an ugly goblin with a crossbow bolt still sticking out of its chest suddenly stood up after Han Shuo cast his spell. It grabbed a metal club and tottered over, starting to attack the goblin next to him that was still alive. With one success under his belt, Han Shuo calmly recalled the steps he had just taken when casting and once again cast a “Corpse Reanimation” spell.
He succeeded once again, it was a man-eating monster this time. Under the release of Han Shuo’s “Corpse Reanimation” spell, another five or six man-eating monsters and goblins stood up, raising their weapons in accordance with Han Shuo’s commands and starting to attack the living man-eating monsters and goblins.
When the man-eating monsters and goblins discovered this phenomenon, this immediately caused a strong wave of terror and panic to spread amongst them. These man-eating monsters and goblins were shocked out of their wits seeing their dead companions stand up vacantly and attack them. Saying a few sentences in their own language and pointing at Han Shuo in fright, all of them scattered like the four winds as they fled for their lives.
Even the dwarves on the side felt a bit of fear. They all looked at Han Shuo with exceedingly odd looks, different from those they looked at him usually. Han Shuo blanked and then immediately reacted. He dissolved his spell and the dead man-eating monsters and goblins fell down once again.
“Han, this magic of yours is too evil. Even we are a bit afraid.” Bennett walked towards Han Shuo and spoke haltingly.
Han Shuo knew that the spell of “Corpse Reanimation” was indeed quite evil, and ordinary people would be unable to accept it. He thought for a moment and nodded, saying, “Bennett, I understand what you mean, but I’ve done so in order to save all of you.”
“We understand, thank you Han. However, this kind of magic is truly hard to accept. Even the villainous man-eating monsters and goblins were scared witless by you. Heh heh, let’s go. Your weapon is ready and we’ll give it to you when we arrive at the village.”
“You guys have finished it!” Han Shuo was truly astonished upon hearing that the Demonslayer Edge was ready. He brought up the rear and walked towards the dwarf village.
The little skeleton’s seven bone spurs reattached to its spine and didn’t head for the dwarf village along with Han Shuo. Rather, it followed Han Shuo’s orders and looted the bodies of the dead with a practiced air.
Following Calvin, Han Shuo came to the dwarf village and arrived at the site where the Demonslayer Edge was crafted.
“Han, this is the weapon that we’ve forged according to your requirements. Are you satisfied with it?” Bennett pointed with the hammer in his hand at a weapon on the side as he spoke to Han Shuo.
The Demonslayer Edge was two feet long, and a cold light sparkled along its keen edge. The body was dark brown with three raised thorns at the spiky tip. It was heavy in his hand.
Han Shuo held the Demonslayer Edge and carefully observed it, suddenly stabbing the whetstone beneath it. The Demonslayer Edge sank into the whetstone.
Nodding, Han Shuo looked at the somewhat uneasy Calvin in satisfaction. He smiled, “Elder, thank you for your crafting. I really like this weapon.”
“Heh heh, as long as you like it. This weapon has black iron and black gold mixed in as well as more than ten rare metals. I’m also very satisfied with this weapon.” Calvin breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the Demonslayer Edge as he spoke.
“Be on the alert, man-eating monster and goblins may appear again during this period of time. I will leave for a while and will bring your winter rations with me next time I visit. Make sure to take care.”
After reminding these dwarves, Han Shuo eagerly returned to the cemetery of death, circulating the magic within his body. He used the essence of his blood as a circuit to the Demonslayer Edge, refining the weapon for the next three days and three nights according to the memories left behind by Chu Cang Lan. Han Shuo’s blood was intermixed with magical yuan as it slowly flowed into the Demonslayer Edge.
After three days, Han Shuo was drained and worn out and felt that his magical yuan was a running dry. The originally dark-brown Demonslayer Edge had turned dark red. After Han Shuo’s magical yuan recovered over the next couple of days, he started practicing the “Law of Activating Magic” with the Demonslayer Edge, attempting to manipulate the weapon with his mind.
During this process, the meridians of Han Shuo’s body would occasionally swell painfully. Han Shuo still gritted his teeth against the enormous impact of the waterfall on this day, continuously using magical yuan to refine the meridians in his body. He suddenly sank into a mental state.
Under unbeknownst circumstances, Han Shuo slowly woke up. He discovered that at some unknown time, he had already fallen into the deep pool. When he emerged from the frigid waters of the deep pool, he suddenly discovered that the Demonslayer Edge had disappeared. Startled, he wanted to quickly find the Demonslayer Edge again.
At this moment, a dark-red light suddenly shot out from the waters and flew towards Han Shuo. Han Shuo had thought danger had found him and was planning on evading it when he realized that a bizarre feeling had risen in his heart. It was as if the dark red light shooting towards him had some sort of connection to him.
He first blanked, and then a thought flashed through his mind. Suddenly enlightened, Han Shuo’s thoughts moved. The dark red light shooting towards him suddenly started dancing in mid air. Han Shuo then sensed a fish in the waters of the pool and a thought bubbled up in his mind. The fish was instantaneously pierced through by the Demonslayer Edge.
“It looks like I’ve succeeded.” Han Shuo’s left hand reached out and the Demonslayer Edge shot out from the waters, landing in Han Shuo’s palm.
Circulating his magical yuan, the speed of the “Mystical Glacial Spellfire” was many times faster than usual. Han Shuo was shocked again, and then suddenly discovered that traces of frosty air was leaking out from the Demonslayer Edge, held in his left hand with the mystical glacial air being infused into it. Because the Demonslayer Edge was pointed at the deep pool, a layer of ice had already formed on the surface of the pool as the waters gave off frigid air.
He knew that these were the signs of having broken through the “open passages” and reaching the “molded spirit realm”. Han Shuo was gratified to know that after a few life and death struggles and several sleepless nights of magic training, he had finally once again achieved a breakthrough.
Han Shuo’s magic had once again improved now, and a most excellent Demonslayer Edge was now in his hands. Han Shuo felt that it was time to leave the cemetery of death and thoroughly eliminate the threat known as Grover.
Walking out from the tombs in the mountains behind the Academy, Han Shuo didn’t immediately find Phoebe. Han Shuo harbored feelings of affection towards Fanny. He had planned on asking her a few questions on magical knowledge after their last meeting, but it was a pity that he had received the black gold ore from Phoebe and had eagerly returned to the cemetery of death.
The upper scroll of “Necromancy Magic” contained much knowledge that Han Shuo did not fully understand. This scroll didn’t have many notes. As an adept mage, Fanny was bound to have a more in-depth understanding. Therefore, Han Shuo had long since noted the topics he didn’t understand and wanted to find a chance to ask Fanny again.
The Babylon Academy of Magic and Force had an exalted position within the Empire. Although Grover hated Han Shuo’s guts, he wouldn’t dare brazenly make a move against Han Shuo on school grounds. The teachers of various majors were all quite strong, apart from the necromancy major, the other majors had even more stronger characters acting as overseers. Even if the killers of ‘Shadow Ghost’ came looking for him, it was impossible for them to leave alive once they had been discovered.
It was now dusk and the students were now relaxing or eating meals after a day of learning. Han Shuo didn’t directly go look for Fanny at her lab, afraid that this would attract the attention of others. He waited a while until the sky had completely darkened, before walking to the small building that Fanny lived in without anyone knowing.
Han Shuo had stayed in the necromancy major for so long and had long since learned of where Fanny lived because of his feelings for her. He skillfully deciphered the appropriate direction under the cover of the night, walking to the teacher dormitory building in which Fanny resided.