Chapter 171: Building A City Wall With The Body Of A Golem
[Congratulations, Master, for successfully fusing more than ten manors and more than 500 meteorites of peak gold-tier strength. The damaged silver-tier Blackmoon Castle has been upgraded to a platinum-tier city in the sky.]
[Platinum-tier city in the sky]
[Attributes: eight kilometers in length, five kilometers in width, and three kilometers in height. There are more than 1,000 residences with courtyards. The rest of the rooms include bathrooms, utility rooms, kitchens, and others. There are more than 500 rooms and countless flowerbeds and trees.]
[Effects: air movement (created by a platinum-tier meteorite, thus having the effect of floating and flying), accelerated training (increases training speed by 100%), indestructible (elites below platinum-tier would not be able to cause any damage to the buildings), and domain (suppresses hostile creatures within a 10-kilometer radius of the castle).]
[Additional skill: earth-shattering meteorite cannon (a thick barrel extends from the edge of the sky city and fires a meteorite-like cannonball to attack the enemy to cause an attack comparable to that of a platinum tier elite. However, the city in the sky cannot be moved when the attack is released).]
“Just as I thought, the meteorite came from the sky, and Blackmoon Castle has fused with the meteorite, which had the ability to levitate. It also comes with offensive magic.”
Watson looked up at the sky; he was happy.
If he had only fused with peak gold-tier meteorites, Blackmoon Castle would still not be able to float in the air. Watson needed a way to get the astrologer to engrave flying spells on it. He did say that the Giant Rock Golem Summon was the last spell he would learn that day. It was not a lie. He could ask the astrologer to do it without any spell.
If the astrologer knew what he had planned, he would be so angry that his beard would tremble.
The massive mansion in the sky could no longer be described as a simple mansion. It was a small city that stretched for nearly ten kilometers. The city’s foundation was a meteorite base with dark red patterns; it flickered bright and dark alternately. The meteorite was the base of the city in the sky, and the main building was a gorgeous castle made from more than ten manors.
The castle was divided into three levels. The first level was the courtyard, and there were many flower beds and trees. Tall statues and fountains could be seen everywhere, and birds and butterflies fluttered around the area. The second level was surrounded by many independent rooms, which could be used for the subordinates, relatives, and friends. The highest level was the main body of the castle, and the towering spire pierced through the clouds.
The entire sky city was solemn—it looked like a giant as it stood in the sky and looked downward with its cold eyes.
“Really? Is that city floating in the sky?” A Blackmoon Castle servant stood beside the tent as she looked at the bare ground in front of her and the massive shadow above her head. Her voice trembled.
She had never seen a castle that could fly. She had never even heard of it, let alone seen it. It was truly a wonder.
“After Young Master Watson became the astrologer’s disciple, he could even make buildings fly in the sky! However, I have a question. If that castle flies into the sky, how do those who are not at silver tier go up?” A servant asked; he was shocked, and doubts arose in his heart.
“You want to go up if you are not silver-tier?”
The one who spoke was Martin, the former Mage Guild elder. He had a disdainful look on his face. “What can you do with that bit of strength? Enjoy the scenery?”
He was also looking at the sky but with a glint in his eyes. It was true that he hated Watson because of Audrey, but at the same time, he had to admit that Watson was too outstanding. If only he were the one who had created the city where he could stand and order people around; he could only wonder.
Every man wanted to be a hero. The city that Watson created had fulfilled all of his fantasies.
“The castle has been fused. Now it’s time for the wall.”
Watson had no idea what the others were thinking; he stretched his right hand outward. A World Tree brand spread from his palm, and he used it as a staff.
“The seven stars of the Pleiades that illuminate the east, the giant star that guides the west, the platinum star that runs through the north, the life star that blesses the south, and the stars that shine with history, please listen to my call and descend at this moment. Earth-elemental platinum-tier spell, descend from the heavens, Giant Lava Golem, activate!”
As he chanted, the clouds in the sky were dyed red. Huge meteorites burned with a terrifying might as they descended and caused the earth to tremble even before they dropped.
The falling meteors twitched in mid-air as they changed their forms. Thick arms grew from the raging flames, and it caused the rocks’ outer shell to turn into fragments and peeled off. Next, there were two huge feet. The Lava Golem’s body twisted 180 degrees—a head with two horns and one eye and a thick and long tail grew out, respectively.
There were hundreds of meteorites, each of which turned into a lava golem. The lava golems were elemental giants. Their appearance was like a magnified demon god, and their bodies were wrapped in lava. Some people said that the elemental giants were not weaker than dragons during ancient times. However, the elemental giants’ fertility was too low, so there were relatively few of them.
As for the summoning spell that humans used, it was passed down from ancient times. Even though it could not allow the elemental giants to transform fully, it was enough to use a part of their power.
For example, hundreds of lava golems had landed on the ground at that moment, and each step left a deep pit with green smoke and black soil. The sound of their footsteps was like gongs and drums that resounded in people’s hearts.
There were thousands of people in the city in the sky, including the Blackmoon Knights, who had transported the meteorites from the broken manors. None of them dared to breathe in front of those lava golems. They could only watch as the hundred-meter-long lava giants walked out in an orderly manner. When they reached a place about ten kilometers away from the city in the sky, they laid on the ground quietly, one by one, closed their eyes and fell into silence.
Like dominoes, the lava golems laid down one after another.
Soon, all the golems disappeared. A circle of high walls that stretched over ten kilometers appeared on the ground in their place. It was similar to the previous Blackmoon Town walls, but they were taller and looked even more majestic. The walls were more than ten meters tall. Boiling lava flowed from above and melted into a red river outside the city wall to form a natural moat.
A sulfur-smelling fountain had penetrated the ground inside the wall, and a few hot springs appeared there.
The astrologer’s body was soaked as he crept out from one of the hot springs; he brushed away the beard on his face. He grumbled gently, “I have fallen into a pit for no apparent reason; such bad luck! Watson may be right; it might not be a good idea to go out today.”
The astrologer calculated for a while, and his attention was attracted by the wall made of lava golems.
“Watson is such a prodigy. Each lava golems is comparable to a platinum-tier elite and can play a significant role on the battlefield. However, he used them as a wall? Furthermore, he improved the summoning spell that I taught him. Every time I taught him a spell, he improved it. It’s simply too unbearable.”
“No, even if it’s not suitable for me to go out today, I still have to leave. My heart can’t take it if I were to stay here.”
Then, the astrologer climbed out of the hot spring and used a fire-elemental spell to dry the water on his body. A magical array appeared by his feet and made him disappear.
The people in Blackmoon Castle were even more shocked than the astrologer.
The Blackmoon Knights looked at the city walls with shocked expressions on their faces. It was no wonder Young Master Watson had only allowed them to collect meteorites for the past two days; he told them not to clean up the broken walls of those ruined manors. It turned out that he had already thought of that.
Even though Blackmoon Town only had one Sky City and a circuit of walls, it was already more magnificent than it had ever been. After all, there was only one person in the entire kingdom who could make a castle fly into the sky and use a platinum-tier spell to summon lava golems to act as walls. Perhaps even the king could not do the same thing.
Thousands of servants widened their eyes and opened their mouths as they felt the temperature around them rise. They subconsciously wiped the sweat on their foreheads—they were both hot and scared.
Blackmoon Town had been destroyed in the battle. They thought that it would take a few months to repair it. They did not expect Watson to fix it in a day. They only needed to add more buildings within the wall. They were proud; the floating city in the sky was like a god’s residence. The lava at the bottom of the wall was like hell.
Gods and demons, heaven and hell—they had them all in one place. It was such a spectacle. They believed that everyone would envy them when they told people that they lived there. They feel honored to work for such a powerful young master.
“Let’s rebuild Blackmoon Town. I will summon enough rock golems for you to use. You will need to tame them and use their bodies as the foundation for your manor. You will get ten points for every golem you tame; you will also get the right to choose your living space. Please work hard to tame more golems, everyone! I shall look forward to your performance.”
Watson raised his hands toward the ground on both sides. One by one, giant rock golems dug through the soil and drilled out from the ground. Their huge bodies were up to 100 meters tall; they made the humans around them look so small.
The rock and lava golems that he summoned were made of magic, after all. They needed him to cast spells to maintain them continuously. He would not be able to handle the transfer of magic every day. At that moment, he was a little exhausted. However, as long as those elemental golems fell into a deep sleep, it would not matter. The sleeping elemental golems would not consume any energy.
He had a very simple idea. In the past, he thought that if he built an adequately formidable city wall, he would be able to defend against external enemies. He had changed his mind. No matter how tough the city wall was, it was still lifeless. Those elemental golems were alive. The next time someone wanted to invade them, he would let the Blackmoon Knights awaken the golems to fight against the enemy together.
If someone tried to destroy their city walls, they would awaken the sleeping golems instead. Perhaps they could ask those invaders how they would feel about it. Would they be scared out of their wits? Watson smiled as he thought about that.
Chapter 172: Welcome to New Blackmoon Town
The weather was gray as if there were signs of snow.
A group of people walked to Blackmoon Town; they were led by Christine, Morgan, and Jack. They were dressed in impressive clothes, followed by a group of guards and other manor owners.
“Christine, why do you think the master of Blackmoon Castle would summon us for a meeting?”
Morgan turned to look at Christine as he walked, and he saw the gorgeous golden armor she wore. His eyes were full of envy.
“What else can we do about it? A week ago, Blackmoon Castle was in a battle with the Mage Guild from Monte Town, and most parts of the town were destroyed. He must have called us to ask for money to help rebuild it,” Christine said.
“We have to pay him again. They had asked for things from us last time; when would they give us benefits?”
Morgan was a little dissatisfied.
More than a week had passed since the battle between Blackmoon Castle and the Mage Guild. The news of Blackmoon Castle’s victory had reached the manor owners; they were relieved. If Blackmoon Castle were defeated, they would not remain as allies.
He did not know why Blackmoon Castle was always involved in fights with the other powerful opponents. Morgan knew of two recent battles—one was with the Demoness Bandit Gang. Previously, he was threatened by the bandit gangs. He wanted to build a good relationship with Blackmoon Castle, so he always brought precious drinks with him during his visits.
They also heard that the Mage Guild had invited the most knowledgeable mage in the kingdom—the astrologer. However, the man became Watson’s master, and it meant that they would need to curry more favors with him.
Since the astrologer was Watson’s master, perhaps the battle was only an act to harm the other manor owners like them. Otherwise, why would they be fine every time a fight broke out in Blackmoon Castle? They even made them pay for things. He had reasons to be suspicious.
“Morgan, if you’re unhappy, you don’t have to come. I can see that you’re unwilling, but you’ve brought quite a lot of things with you! Did you say that so that we would bring fewer things with us? And so that you can keep the benefits for yourself?”
Christine seemed to be hinting at something as she looked behind Morgan. A few guards were carrying huge boxes in their hands. Inside those boxes were bottles of exquisite wine, and each bottle was worth more than a silver coin; hundreds of bottles of wine were worth dozens of gold coins.
It seemed like Christine had exposed Morgan’s intention; he fell into silence.
During the Demoness Bandit Gang incident, Watson had summoned them, and he had given them gold-tier armor as compensation. Perhaps he would give them something better at the next meeting.
He hoped that it would cause dissatisfaction among the other manor owners. Watson would reward him if the others did not have similar-quality items.
He also wished for gold-tier armor. He was extremely envious of the armor on Christine’s body.
“Morgan, if you want to use that method to sow discord between us and cause us to be displeased with Blackmoon Castle, then forget it.”
Jack stroked his thick black beard, and he smiled. “I’ve also brought a lot of things with me. The main ones are medicinal herbs and equipment that can be used to equip monsters. I believe that Young Master Watson will be satisfied.”
“Hmm, who wants to sow discord between you two? I’m just saying what I’m thinking.”
Morgan snorted coldly. He was thinking about the more than ten manor owners who had been invited to the castle the last time. They were one-third of the manor owners who had signed a contract with Blackmoon Castle. Each of them had brought a lot of things. Some of them brought rare food and meat, and some of them had brought armor and knives. One even brought more than 20 beautiful young girls for Watson.
Those people were his competitors.
Just as he was considering whether to send someone back to the manor to fetch some precious wine, a manor owner who was traveling with him suddenly pointed into the distance and exclaimed, “Look, Blackmoon Town’s wall looks different now!”
What nonsense! The walls must have crumbled after the battle, so of course, it was different from the past!
Morgan wanted to say that, but when he looked in that direction, he saw an endless wall of lava that flowed in the distance. He widened his eyes; he was unable to say another word.
Green smoke curled upward from the dark red wall. Outside, there was a river of lava that was several meters wide. Before he could get close, a surging heatwave hit him.
“Perhaps the walls were destroyed by fire magic?” Christine also muttered in surprise; she felt that something was not right. The lava had not damaged the walls. Instead, the lava looked like a defensive measure. Did Blackmoon Castle design that wall?
As she thought about that, she saw a crack on the wall closest to her; it revealed a huge ruby-like pupil. The wall moved forward, and a bulge appeared.
Argh!
The sudden change made Christine scream. “It’s moving! The wall is moving!”
“Christine, what are you talking about?”
Jack looked at Christine suspiciously, and then he looked into the distance. “The wall is perfectly fine. Nothing happened.”
Christine focused her eyes and saw that the tremble and the huge eyes in the distance had disappeared. It was as if everything she had seen was an illusion. She muttered, “That is strange.” She followed the other manor owners and walked to the front of Blackmoon Town.
As they got closer, the city wall that was more than ten meters high and burning with lava appeared even taller. They felt like tiny ants beneath the city wall, and they could not help but feel respect in their hearts.
“That lava river is so wide. How are we going to cross it?”
The lava had blocked their path, so someone asked that question.
The others looked at each other; they had the same doubt. At that moment, the towering wall in front of them suddenly rose higher with a loud rumble. They stood up. The wall grew four limbs, and a head popped out as a huge vertical pupil split open in the middle.
“It moved! I told you that the wall moved!”
Christine screamed shrilly. The manor owner and the guards beside her were all in shock. They muttered, “What kind of monster is that?” Their bodies trembled.
“Welcome, manor owners, to the new Blackmoon Town.”
After he moved the wall, Watson led 65 Blackmoon Knights and walked out slowly. He waved his hand, and a long blade condensed from thousands of ice crystals appeared. It turned into a bridge that stretched more than ten meters long and several meters wide on top of the lava river.
That move was a battle technique that he had previously fused with the Northern Wind mercenary group leader, Ron. It was called the Thousand Blade Ice Soul Blade. The blade could be assembled freely, and it could be formed into a sword. Naturally, it could also become a bridge.
At that moment, the bridge formed by the ice blade spanned across the river of lava. Green smoke rose from it, and it was melting. However, it melted very slowly, so the manor owners had time to walk on it.
“Welcome, manor owners.”
Dozens of Blackmoon Knights stood behind Watson; they shouted in unison to greet the manor owners. Their voices shook the sky.
“Young Master Watson, what exactly are those—”
Christine’s face was pale.
“Come in, and let’s talk first.”
Watson made a gesture of invitation. The group of manor owners stepped on the ice bridge and entered the castle. After they entered the castle, they saw a majestic shadow that streaked across the ground. They raised their heads and realized that it was a fortress that looked like a small hill flying across the sky. On the ground, there were buildings that looked like temples. Flowers and trees were planted outside those buildings.
Occasionally, a temple would grow two legs and climb out from the ground. They would become giants that were 100 meters tall. They would change to another place and lie down again.
The ground was full of such monsters.
The manor owners realized that Blackmoon Town was well-maintained; they did not see a single dilapidated scene. It seemed like the town was even more luxurious than before, and they were stunned.
They thought that Watson had called for them to help with construction, but it did not seem like they needed their help. So, why were they there? Was it to show them the terrifying monsters? Did they want to scare them?
Chapter 173: Your Life Is Even More Exciting Than A Story
“Young Master Watson, is it convenient for you to tell me how Blackmoon Castle became like this?”
Christine swallowed her saliva and suppressed her fear as she asked that question. At that moment, one of the temples had transformed into a hundred-meter-tall giant that walked past her head with its thick legs. Its huge rock-made feet touched the ground and left a huge pit. Her body trembled as the temple moved.
A few servants trailed behind the giant, and they carried tables, chairs, benches, and other furniture as they chased after it. As they ran, they shouted, “That rock golem is serial number 002. According to the plan, we should make it stop 1,000 meters south of Blackmoon Castle; be careful when you control it. Don’t let it go too far.”
Because Blackmoon Castle had become a city in the sky and flew into the sky, the original location of Blackmoon Castle was vacant. Watson was going to build a new manor and distribute it to the Blackmoon Iron Knights.
Blackmoon Castle’s original location was vacant because it had become a city in the sky—it had flown into the sky. Watson intended to construct new houses and distribute them to the Blackmoon Knights.
The manors were arranged according to serial numbers, from 001 to 002, and so on. According to the plan, Blackmoon Castle had set up 100 serial numbers. Watson’s goal was to build 100 manors in the town. Even though there were only 65 Blackmoon Iron Knights, they would recruit more in the future, so he wanted to prepare for that.
The group of manor owners felt the giants pass over their heads, and their hair stood on end. Someone followed up with Christine’s words and asked, “Young Master Watson, please give us an explanation.”
“What explanation do you want?”
Watson opened his arms and introduced the surroundings enthusiastically. “As you can see, Blackmoon Town has been transformed into this current appearance after all my hard work. All the houses are mobile! They are made of super-large rock golems; they are not only extremely sturdy, but they can also change into any shape according to the owner’s wishes. We’ll add some furniture to it, and it’ll become a good house. Don’t you think so?
“This is the first time we have mobile houses in the kingdom. Think about it; with a house like this, you can go wherever you want. Merchants can enjoy the warmth of their home while they’re on the road too. Don’t you think it’s great? We can also use these houses in the winter; the houses at the border are not sturdy enough, and that’s why we suffer heavy losses during the season. These mobile homes will help you escape when there is danger, and they can also help defend you against your enemies. It can kill any magical beasts below platinum-tier with just one punch.”
Watson spoke with assurance as he pointed at a few huge rock golems that went past them. “I name these houses made of rock golems as mobile fortresses. They are priced at 1,000 gold coins each. I am selling items made of platinum-tier summoned creatures for only 1,000 gold coins, aren’t I conscientious?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The manor owners nodded subconsciously, but they cursed inwardly. Why was there a need to be conscientious? Why would anyone spend 1,000 gold coins to live in the bodies of those monsters? Was that not only to suffer? What if those giant rock golems turned over and crushed them to death?
However, when they thought of what Watson had described, they were tempted, indeed.
At least the bandits and magical beasts would not dare to attack them if they traveled in the rock golem. Who would not run away when they saw a giant rock golem that was close to a hundred meters tall?
Furthermore, they could load all the goods and things they needed for their journey onto the rock golem. They would even save money on extra guards and workers. That way, they might even earn 1,000 gold coins.
As he sold his points, Watson paid attention to the manor owners’ facial expressions.
He wanted them there for one simple reason—he wanted to start a business. He had exhausted Blackmoon Castle’s resources after the battle with the astrologer. He had already set up a points system for the Blackmoon Knights to help collect the resources. However, it was not enough.
Since the astrologer had gone to visit the border count a week ago, he had yet to return. Watson did not know if the astrologer had encountered any situation during his journey, but he knew that he could not count on the old man. He could only rely on those manor owners who had signed a contract with him. They were Blackmoon Castle’s loyal allies. How could they not help when Blackmoon Castle was in danger?
Watson wanted to sell two main products. The first was Emperor Cluck’s Phoenix eggs—they had accumulated about 650 Phoenix eggs. Watson decided to wait until they had more eggs before he would sell them. The second product was the rock golem houses.
The giant rock golem that he summoned would not consume any magical power as long as it fell into a deep sleep. Even if it had to face an enemy, the golem would be able to maintain its vitality if he injected some energy into it in advance. The people who bought the mobile homes would have to go to him regularly to maintain them. If he did not have enough magic to do it, then he would leave it to his master.
Watson smiled as he rubbed his chin; he had a plan. He could tell that the manor owners in front of him were very eager for the giant rock golem house. After all, one could walk unhindered at the border with that. Therefore, he decided to throw them a bone.
“Actually, these mobile houses can also be rented. The price for a month is relatively low—only ten gold coins. This is a special price for my allies, like you.”
They could rent one?
The manor owners’ eyes lit up when they heard that.
“I want to rent one, Young Master Watson. I’ll rent for a year.” Morgan was the first to speak. The rental for a year was only one hundred gold coins; he would save more than that for transportation and guard fees. He had been too slow to speak the last time, and Christine had robbed him of those benefits. He had already learned his lesson. If there were benefits, he would be the first to speak up.
“Young Master Watson, I want one too.”
“My family runs a lot of businesses. Can I rent two rock golems?”
After Morgan had spoken, the other manor owners were unwilling to be outdone, so they began to fight over it.
“There’s no need to fight; there are enough rock golems to go around. I will allocate them to you after we have signed the contract.” Watson waved his hand. “Other than the giant rock golems, I also need you to help me sell some Phoenix eggs. It’s also worth 1,000 gold coins each! You can’t rent it, but you can pay in installments. You only need 120 gold coins as down payment, and then 120 gold coins per month for the rest of the year.”
He had such a good deal for them?
The manor owners knew what the Phoenix Egg meant. It was a treasure that worthed more than 1000 gold coins. However, they needed 120 gold coins to get it, and they still had to continue to pay for it monthly. However, they were tempted, even though more than 100 gold coins were not a drop in the ocean for them.
After the rock golem rental idea, Watson proposed the installment system, which made the manor owners even more excited. All of them expressed their interest in buying it. Watson smiled and clapped his hands; three people appeared from behind him.
“My name is Zeke.”
“My Name is Zenoah.”
The first two men were Watson’s third brother and fourth brother. They looked proud as they said, “We’re in charge of Blackmoon Castle’s business trades. If there’s anything you need, just let us know! I’m sure that many of you know us by now. So, let me introduce you to the person behind us. He’s our fifth brother, Peter. He had been in poor health, and he was bedridden; he couldn’t even walk upright. However, thanks to the Phoenix egg, he can now walk, run and fly!”
“Hello, everyone. My name is Peter.”
Peter blushed when his two older brothers referred to him as the Phoenix Egg’s wonderful proof of effect. He introduced himself in a low voice.
The manor owners clicked their tongues in amazement when they saw Peter’s rosy complexion; he did not look like a patient at all. They became more expectant of the Phoenix egg.
After Watson introduced his older brothers to the manor owners, he retreated to the side. He believed that with the modern ideas he had proposed, his two older brothers, who were proficient in business trades, would do better than him. He felt happy. Suddenly, something rustled from his side and interrupted his thoughts.
He turned his head around and saw his sixth sister, Margaret. She would not usually leave her room, but she had gone to him. She was in her nightgown, and she also had a quill pen in her hand as she wrote something in her manuscript. She looked at him strangely.
“Sister Margaret, what are you doing?” Watson was not familiar with that sister, but he tried to be reasonable.
“You’ll know when you see it. I’m writing a novel.”
“Writing a book in the castle would have been fine. Why did you come to me?”
Was it because his sister could not go up to the castle after it had evolved into a city in the sky?
Watson thought to himself, ‘But I gave her a Phoenix Egg. She should have mastered the ability to fly.’
He could not figure it out. Suddenly, Margaret put down the quill pen and rolled her eyes. “Do you think I want to be here? It’s all your fault! I had a peaceful life, just writing my stories at home. It’s all because of that dragon’s roar! Do you know what it means to see a real dragon when you’re sitting at home?”
When Margaret spoke, she widened her eyes in anger. “It’s not just the dragons. You’ve even taken our home to the sky. In addition, we have giants that are 100 meters tall. It makes me feel like I’m living in another world! That is really, really—”
Watson interrupted her when he realized that she was too excited to speak. “I’m sorry, Sister. It’s all my fault. I’ve made you scared.”
His actions must have shocked his sister, who spent all her time at home. However, Margaret’s next sentence made him freeze on the spot. “That is great!”
“Great?”
“Of course, isn’t that great?”
Margaret held a pen and paper in her hands, and her eyes twinkled like stars. “Everything that you’ve experienced feels even more wonderful than the content in my book. I never thought that reality is even more wonderful than fantasy! If I write those into a book, it would definitely sell well.”
Margaret retracted her excitement as she stretched out a finger and poked his chest gently. “As the main culprit who brought me out of the room, you must be the one to make my book popular. Now, I have the material for the novel, but the only drawback is your name! Watson is just too ordinary. I’ve thought of two new names—Mordecai Caesar and Arthur. Which of these two names do you prefer? Hey, I’m talking to you!”
Watson looked at the sky speechlessly. He did not expect his sister to come out because of that. She was also a chatterbox. He had a feeling that the future would be very troublesome for him.
Chapter 174: Winter Is Here
At the Fairy Castle, the border count’s mansion.
“Master Antonio, I’ve prepared the equipment and tools that you wanted—50 gold-tier weapons and armor, 500 silver-tier equipment, ten gold-tier recovery potions, and 100 silver-tier potions, a total of 710 items, which are worth more than 200,000 gold coins.
They were in a pavilion; the border count clapped his hands and said, “Nightingale, bring the things for Antonio here.”
“Yes, Lord Sylvan!”
The petite girl with black hair and blue eyes behind Sylvan answered respectfully. She teleported and disappeared from view. When she reappeared, there were many golden treasure chests at her feet. There were seven chests, each half the height of a man.
“Master Antonio, these things are equivalent to half of my family’s property. Do you want to count them?” Sylvan’s platinum hair fluttered in the wind as he looked at the flower bed not far from the pavilion.
An old man stood in front of the flower bed; he seemed to admire the flowers that had bloomed.
It was winter, but the flowers were still in full bloom. When he heard Sylvan’s words, the old man reached out and picked the most vibrant flower from the flower bed. He turned around and said, “Sylvan, I’m not worried about your work. There’s no need to check it. It looks like most of the flowers in your garden are Celias that are unique to the Southern Elves Forest, and they grow near the Spring of Life. Can you give me some to make the life potion?”
“Of course,” Sylvan replied politely.
No one knew what was in his mind, but his eyes flashed. “Why do you need a life potion? Is it for your new disciple? I heard that you took Blackmoon Castle’s eighth child, Watson, as your disciple.”
The life potion was a silver-tier potion that could replenish one’s lost vitality. The astrologer planned to take it back and make some potions to help Watson practice the Time Stripping spell. He nodded when he heard Sylvan’s words. “I did not expect you to hear about this already. Yes, that’s right; Watson is my disciple.”
It seemed like Watson had told people to spread the news about their master-apprentice relationship.
Watson would not have been idle for the past week, and Sylvan controlled the border, so of course, he would have heard of that news.
“Sylvan, Watson is your junior brother, which means your family is my disciple; such fate! Don’t you have more things to give me?”
“Family? Are you talking about Watson and me?”
Sylvaine raised his eyebrows at the astrologer’s inquiry. He did not know why he said that. Watson and him—they had used each other. Watson was almost destroyed because of his battle with the manor owners’ allied forces. It would be good enough if he did not hate the border count, let alone be his family.
Subconsciously, Sylvan looked at Nightingale, who was beside him. Did something happen between Nightingale and Watson? Was that why the astrologer said that?
Nightingale, who had served as his personal bodyguard for many years, quickly grasped what he meant. She shook her head, indicating that she had nothing to do with the situation. Sylvan was about to inquire again when she heard the astrologer say, “Sylvan, you don’t have to act. I already know that Watson is your illegitimate child! Tell me, who did you have Watson with?”
An illegitimate child?
“Why aren’t you saying anything, Sylvan? Is Watson the son that you secretly had with Edward’s wife? I can’t control your private affairs, but if you did cuckold another man, then you have gone too far. After all, Edward is a member of the Saint Laurent family. Even if he isn’t, it’s not right for you to mess with another man’s wife. Anyway, I have bothered you for a week now, I think it’s time for me to head home. Will you tell me the truth before I go?”
The astrologer had spent a long time in the border count’s mansion. On the one hand, he was hiding from Watson, afraid that he would be pestered to teach the boy magic again. On the other hand, he wanted to learn more about Sylvan and Watson’s relationship. When he arrived, he discovered that Sylvan had not married anyone. The maids had no idea if Sylvan even had a lover.
He was not surprised. After all, Watson was an illegitimate child. If everyone knew about Watson and Sylvan’s relationship, he would not be an illegitimate child. He had initially intended to let Sylvan confess to him. Unfortunately, he did not say anything, so the astrologer took the initiative to inquire about it.
“Master, did Watson say that to you?”
Sylvan had a strange look on his face. He thought that Watson was very bold. He had been filled with rage because of his sister. How could he marry before exacting his revenge on the king? How could he even consider marrying, let alone having children?
The astrologer was his most respected teacher; he had taught him most of his magic. When he and his sister, Avril, first arrived at the Holy Dragon Kingdom, many people discriminated against them because of their elven ancestry. Only the astrologer valued his talent, and he even took him as his disciple and eventually made him the strongest mage in the kingdom.
He would not be who he is now if it were not for the astrologer.
He was confident that his teacher would not deceive him. Watson must have made that up. Perhaps Watson was unsatisfied with how he orchestrated the conflict between Blackmoon Castle and the manor owners’ allied forces, so he invented such a tale to brand him as a villain.
“Was he not afraid that I would punish him since I am the border count?”
No, from all the rumors, he knew Watson was an intelligent person who would not have done such a thing to incite enmity for no reason.
Sylvan pondered about that as he glanced at the astrologer. Perhaps Watson knew that the astrologer would be so brazen.
Watson’s claim to be his illegitimate kid was not entirely detrimental to him. He had always suspected that Blackmoon Castle was the king’s spy. Watson would be bound to his favor if he became his illegitimate kid. He would not only be able to interact with the king, and he would also be regarded as an adversary by the king.
After careful consideration, allowing Watson to become his child might not have been such a bad idea.
During that week, he learned that Watson had become the astrologer’s disciple and that Blackmoon Castle had a real dragon, despite the fact that he had not been able to handle such a formidable beast.
Nightingale had wanted him to compensate and apologize to Watson for manipulating the Blackmoon Castle into a battle with the manor owners’ allied forces. He had declined because of his pride, but he regretted that decision.
Blackmoon Castle had developed much faster than he had anticipated. It would have been preferable if he agreed to that request back then. Of course, it was already too late. Watson’s rumor was a gesture of goodwill toward him. The boy was still young, but it seemed like he was very adept at scheming that it might affect his cause of vengeance.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Watson was exceptional. Sylvan nodded. “I have nothing to hide because you have already uncovered it, Master. Watson is my child, indeed! I did not wrong anyone, but Watson’s mother’s identity was a unique one. Please accept my apologies as I can’t tell you right now.”
Watson’s mother’s identity was unique, of course, because she did not exist at all.
“You finally admitted it.”
The astrologer looked like he did not think it was a bad thing.
It seemed like Blackmoon Castle’s progress was very smooth, and it had a lot to do with Sylvan. The border count might have given him 700 items and said that those were half of his assets, but the astrologer was not a fool. He knew that Sylvan must have had a plan.
Sylvan smiled and waved his hand. “Nightingale, get another 500 pieces of silver-tier equipment for Master Antonio.” He cursed inwardly. Watson must have received the astrologer’s tacit approval when he said that he was the border count’s illegitimate son. Otherwise, why would his master come to him for an explanation?
He might as well go along with it. Why did he have to figure that out by himself? Why did he have to go through so much trouble?
Sylvan turned his head, a little disgruntled, and saw that Nightingale was still in a stupor. He frowned and said, “Nightingale, I told you to get the armor. Why are you still here?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Lord Sylvan!”
Nightingale snapped back to her senses as if she had just woken up from a dream.
Sylvan’s words had shocked her. She had been in Fairy Castle for many years, and that was the first time she had heard that Lord Sylvan had a child. Perhaps she was not sent to Blackmoon Castle to test Watson but to protect him.
She had misunderstood Lord Sylvan. She blushed when she recalled how she had advised Lord Sylvan to treat Blackmoon Castle better. They were father and son, so they must have a close relationship. They did not need an outsider like her to get involved in that matter. It was no wonder Lord Sylvan had ignored her suggestions at that time.
She wanted to know when Sylvan had a child, but the astrologer was still there. She could not ask the question because it was inappropriate, so she had to depart quietly.
His right hand was encrusted with rings. He removed the rings from his index and middle fingers and set them on the table in front of him. “These are my platinum-tier tools, the Song of the Nibelungs; there are ten of them. They can use a magical effect to trigger the heroic epic skill and temporarily improve one’s combat aura. You gave them to me, Master, and now, I will give Watson two of them. What do you think, Master?”
Sylvan knew that Watson’s value was not only in himself but also in the astrologer. He wanted to express his goodwill toward the astrologer; he was willing to share his platinum-tier equipment.
The astrologer curled his lips when he heard those words.
“Two is too little. The Song of the Nibelungs is only equivalent to an ordinary gold-tier item. If you want to give them, then hand over all the rings.”
The astrologer’s thoughts were very simple. He had given his platinum-tier item, the Sun and Moon Divine Staff, to Watson. He had even imparted many precious spells. One could say that he had spent a lot on Watson. As his father, Sylvan would have to give more to Watson so that the astrologer would feel better about it.
“But, Master, the rings are a bit—” Sylvan was dumbfounded. He thought he had acted very generously, but why did he seem like a miser in front of the astrologer. One should know that it pained him to part with those two rings.
However, the two did not realize that they were not even on the same page since the start of the conversation. Watson would grin from ear to ear if he knew that the two had fought and schemed because of a beautiful misunderstanding that caused them to argue about what they should give to Blackmoon Castle.
Just as Sylvan was ready to bargain, Nightingale, who had just left, returned with a worried expression on her face. She did not have a box on her person. Instead, she yelled, “Oh, no! Lord Sylvan, the sky has changed. It is now snowing heavily, and there’s a group of magical beasts! It looked like they had run out of the Misty Forest and are now attacking our walls. Is it winter already?”
What?
As he stared up at the sky, the astrologer’s face became solemn. Sylvan had lost interest in the rings. He rose from his seat abruptly and glanced upward. The sun in the sky had turned blood-red as it lost its color. The sky was engulfed in falling snow.
Chapter 175: Fuse The Magical Beasts For Fear Of Trouble
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Snowflakes began to fall from the dark sky in Blackmoon Town. The snow was falling heavily, and soon, the ground was blanketed in a layer of silver-white dust. Even the color of the lava at the walls was dimmed.
That was the border’s second snowfall, and it arrived later than expected.
“Thank you, manor lords, for your visit to Blackmoon Castle today. You are welcome to come again next time.”
Watson stood outside the lava golem wall; he flicked the snowflakes that had covered his shoulders as he waved at the manor owners.
There were dozens of manor owners and guards; their faces were red, and their bodies reeked of alcohol. After they were done with their discussion with Watson’s brothers, Watson had brought them to the city in the sky for a feast.
The Golden Flash had been tasked with taking the manor owners to the castle. When the manor owners saw the more-than-a-hundred meter long dragon spread its wings, their knees nearly buckled. They could not even stand steadily. Watson had to reassure them that they would be fine before they dared to climb onto the Golden Flash’s body.
They were genuinely terrified at first, but they were no longer terrified when the Golden Flash flew upward. Instead, they grew ecstatic. “I can tell everyone that I have ridden a dragon,” they said. They felt fantastic after the dragon ride. The platinum-tier magical beast was a legendary dragon; they might only get that one chance to ride it in their lifetime.
After that, things became much simpler.
The manor owners, who were still in the mood to enjoy the show, were given a tour of the city in the sky by Watson. They erupted in exclamations. That was the first time they had seen a city floating in the sky, especially when they stood near the city’s edge. They could also see clusters of flowers, plants, and trees. A white cloud was drifting in the snow right in front of them. They were able to reach out and touch the snow.
When they looked down, everything on the ground had turned into microscopic black specks. It was as if they had evolved into gods that looked down on other gods. Some manor owners even inquired if they could remain there for two days; they were willing to pay for it.
Compared to that kind of scenery, the other beautiful mountains and rivers in the kingdom appeared dull and uninteresting.
Watson had agreed to those manor owners’ suggestions. After he discussed it with his brothers, he decided to set the price of a one-day stay in the city in the sky at one gold coin.
The manor owners drank a lot of wine at the feast and signed a new trade deal with Zeke and Zenoah. They would transfer resources to Blackmoon Castle so that Watson would fuse them to increase the quality. They would divide it as per the agreed 3:7 dividend ratio, and they wanted to start the implementation right away.
Watson had wanted to wait until winter before he would start the trade. However, he decided not to wait. Those people would not need the rock golems if they did not need to be afraid of the magical beasts. It was better to tell them that they could use it to avoid the magical beasts during the winter. Since they lacked resources, they could raise their prices appropriately, which would allow them to earn more.
So, Watson was sent the manor owners to the nearest town, Monte Town, to stock up on supplies. Zeke, Zenoah, and Peter accompanied them. They would make sure that the manor owners did not pocket any of their own money during the transaction.
Almost all of the manor owners had rented the giant rock golem to escort them to Monte Town. Each of them also bought 15 Phoenix eggs, and they would pay for them in installments. They also brought 35 Phoenix eggs with them to Monte Town so that they could spread the message. There were only 600 Phoenix eggs left in Blackmoon Castle.
On that day, Blackmoon Castle gained a few thousand gold coins from the rental and the gifts presented by the manor owners. Watson did not appear to be overjoyed because that amount was too insignificant to him. When the foreign trade had stabilized, he would make tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of gold coins per day. What were a few thousand gold coins?
“Young Master Watson, please rest assured. We will protect the other young masters on this trip.” Martin, the former Mage Guild elder, was covered in snow. He did not even have time to wipe it off. Instead, he put on a flattering smile in front of Watson. The few remaining elders stood beside him. Anna was also there. She muttered softly, “He made me the new Mage Guild President; am I really qualified for the job?”
They were also traveling to Monte Town. Since they had defeated the Mage Guild, Watson was willing to give Anna the opportunity to be the new president and take over the Mage Guild. Ron, the North Wind mercenary group leader, was there as well.
Those two factions were the most significant forces in Monte Town. If Blackmoon Castle took control of them, then half of Monte Town would be in Watson’s pocket. He was not content with simply rebuilding Blackmoon Castle. He wanted to merge with Monte Town and build the largest and most luxurious city at the border.
At that moment, Ron stood beside Peter; he had a smile on his face. “Young Master Peter, I heard that you were not in good health just recently. Why don’t you ride with me? It’s snowing, and my Ice Field Wolf form excels in traveling in such weather. I can run faster and steadier than a rock golem.” That made Peter feel very awkward.
Shameless!
The few Mage Guild elders glanced at Ron and snorted coldly. The dignified North Wind mercenary group leader had become so subservient. Did he have any backbone?
With that thought in their mind, they did not want to be outdone. They used even more flattering smiles to face Watson’s brothers.
“I’m a silver-tier mage. I can use magic to bring you flying, Young Masters.”
“Choose me; I’m the most powerful in flying spells in the entire Mage Guild.”
They continued to flatter him because Watson had agreed to free them from their slave status if they performed well during that trip. They could be part of Blackmoon Castle, and they might even get to control Monte Town as they did in the past. They had no choice but to compromise for the sake of those benefits.
“We’re leaving now, Watson. Take good care of our family while you’re in Blackmoon Castle.”
Before they left, the three brothers hugged Watson reluctantly as they bade him goodbye.
Watson was the youngest in the family, but they treated him as their core after they had been through so many experiences. The boy was even more trustworthy than their father, who was unreliable most of the time.
“Don’t worry; I will take good care of our family. My brothers, be careful while you’re on the road.”
Watson waved his hand reluctantly as he watched his brothers and the rest of the men leave Blackmoon Town with more than ten giant rock golems as their escort.
A reunion was always shorter than the period of separation.
Watson took a deep breath; his brothers had gone to fulfill their tasks. He would have to continue with his plans for Blackmoon Castle’s future development.
“Maybe I should give the remaining Phoenix eggs to my outstanding subordinates.”
There were thousands of workers in Blackmoon Castle; he would have to choose a few for some preferential treatment. Since the city hovered in the sky, it would not be easy for those people to get up to the castle. Of course, unless they took Phoenix eggs and grew wings.
Just as he thought about how to distribute those eggs, his sixth sister, Margaret, appeared beside him.
“Watson wept as he bid farewell to his family because he knew that his family was about to embark on a journey filled with thorns and hardships! There were bandits and magical beasts along the way, but they would not back down. The bandit gangs had killed tens of thousands of people, and then there was also the magical dragon. Their blood-stained journey must be continued for a brighter future. Oh, the next chapter is out, and it’s more interesting than I thought. However, the name Watson is too boring. Might as well call him Arthur or Mordecai Caesar.”
Margaret stood next to Watson as she wrote rapidly; it left him dumbfounded.
“Thorns and hardships? Bandit gangs that killed more than ten thousand people? Magical dragon? None of those are true! Our brothers are ordinary businessmen. Sister Margaret, even if you want to make up a story, you should at least follow some logic, right?”
“Since you already know that it’s a story, of course, it should be filled with some drama. What’s wrong with some exaggeration?”
Margaret shook the snow-soaked manuscript, puffed out her chest, and pointed into the distance. “And who says there aren’t magical beasts? It’s almost winter. Look at the heavy snow; perhaps the magical beasts from the Misty Forest will appear soon!”
Roar!
A series of beastly roars erupted from a distance as if echoing Margaret’s comments.
Watson looked over with a shocked expression. A layer of black lines had appeared in the distance, connecting to the horizon, and it rushed toward them. There were tens of thousands of roaring magical beasts, and their bodies were covered in snow. Some were trampled to their deaths by other larger magical beasts before they could reach them.
Fresh blood dyed the ground red.
Those magical beasts had escaped from the Misty Forest. When they appeared, the sun in the sky also changed color. It went from incandescent white to a devilish dark red, and the buildings on the ground were pulled into longer silhouettes. The wind and snow appeared to have intensified.
The sun had turned red, and the snow continued to fall. That was the sign of winter; at least that was what Watson remembered.
“Has winter finally come? Sixth Sister, you’ve jinxed us.”
Watson frowned. He glanced at Margaret, who was also a little surprised, and spread the golden combat aura wings on his back as he flew into the sky. “Looks like winter is here; what a coincidence! I had just replenished those giant rock golems’ magic, and it would have lasted them a month. If they exhausted their power in fighting those magical beasts, then I would have to replenish them again. That’s too troublesome. I might as well fuse those magical beasts.”
“System, activate fusion!”
Watson was like a god as he activated the system to fuse those magical beasts within Blackmoon Castle’s vicinity.
Waves of light flickered as tens of thousands of rays fused. In just an instant, the number of magical beasts had been reduced by half. The remaining ones became larger and more ferocious. However, those stronger magical beasts no longer roared. Instead, they knelt on the ground and bowed their heads toward Watson as if they were paying respects to their emperor.