Chapter 129: The Beast Tide

Chapter 129: The Beast Tide



Time passed.

More than two months had gone by since the group from the Black Swamp arrived at the Magic Forest. After initial confusion, they gradually adapted to their new surroundings.

Under the arrangement of the Tower, everyone had found their own tasks.

Work and cultivation were now on the right track.

Oma, the most talented among them, officially took Bella as her master and stayed in the Wizard Tower to cultivate under the guise of working.

Karl had secured his position at the Apothecary and was recently busy recruiting an assistant.

Hodgson and Nancy...

They took over the management of the shop.

"Bang!"

Fireworks bloomed, and a halo formed in mid-air, transforming into the seven large characters of the Orchid Magic Item Shop.

The orchid was the flower symbolizing love in the Kingdom of Gando, and naming the shop after it indicated that the owners were a couple.

Hodgson, with a radiant appearance, donned an exquisite wizard's robe and a tall hat. He shouted to the crowd:

"The shop is officially open! For the first three days, all magical artifacts are 20% off, and we also have two high-grade magical artifacts for sale!"

"Welcome, customers!"

"Wow..."

"Clap! Clap!"

First, there was a buzz in the crowd, followed by applause. Regardless of their thoughts, everyone came forward to offer their congratulations.

"Congratulations!"

"Best wishes for a successful opening and prosperous business!"

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Hodgson smiled and returned the greetings, but his smile faded slightly when he saw Karl.

Hmph! He scoffed inwardly, his eyes revealing a hint of disdain. Even without your magic stone, I can still open this shop.

However, he casually replied, "Karl, you're here too. Later, let's go to the tavern for a drink. I've finally managed to open this shop."

"Congratulations."

Karl smiled and presented a gift, saying, "Wishing you a prosperous business."

"Thanks," Hodgson took the gift and casually handed it to the employee behind him. Then, he gestured inside, "Please, come in."

After taking only a few steps, Oma, who had taken time off to come, approached and asked, "The atmosphere seemed a bit off earlier. When did you offend him?"

"Hmm..." Karl stroked his chin, "Maybe it's because I didn't lend him my magic stone when he asked."

"I didn't lend him mine either," Oma smiled, "But I truly didn't have the money. The expenses here are high, and I estimate that among us, only you have some savings."

"My expenses aren't low either," Karl explained, "My wizard talent isn't high, so I rely on potions to keep up. That consumes a lot of magic stones."

"By the way, where's Nancy today?"

As one of the shop's owners, Nancy should have been present on such an important day.

"She was taken back to the Wizard Tower by Marianne," Oma replied.

"And she got scolded. Marianne said she needed to focus on her cultivation, so she probably won't be able to come out for a few months."

"Oh!" Karl raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"I heard, but it's just hearsay," Oma said, "To raise funds for taking over the shop, Nancy privately borrowed money in her name, and she borrowed a whopping five thousand magic stones."

"Five thousand magic stones? How dare she?" Karl's face turned pale.

Loans between wizards required a contract, which not only had legal power but also imposed strong restrictions.

If the loan wasn't repaid, it wasn't as simple as defaulting.

During his research on the Divine Realm Fragment, Karl had gained an understanding of various runes and their implications.

Certain entities' titles inherently represented power.

If a contract was signed and the loan wasn't repaid, the lender could potentially control the borrower's soul.

In that case,

the loan contract would become a selling contract!

"Sigh..."

Oma sighed,

"Blinded by love, I heard Marianne was furious. Taking over the shop alone requires two thousand magic stones, and there are also expenses for inventory, hiring staff, and various other preparations. Without a few thousand magic stones, it's challenging to manage. I hope Hodgson can keep the business afloat..."

"Sigh..."

She sighed again.

Karl shook his head.

Five thousand magic stones!

Nancy had essentially sold herself. Her feelings for Hodgson must be deep-rooted.

Although Karl didn't have much experience in business, he could still identify several issues with the shop.

However, when it came to business...

Luck sometimes played an even more significant role.

...

A few days later...

"Mr. Karl,"

Cecily, the salesperson, came to the backyard and requested, "There's a physician who wants to use our shop to treat patients, offering us 30% of his earnings."

"A physician?" Karl folded his arms and headed towards the front of the shop, "What's their cultivation level?"

"He's an advanced wizard apprentice from Mulan Market, and he claims to be a well-known physician there," Cecily explained, "Recently, there have been signs of a beast tide, and Mulan Market is too close to the forest, so he came here seeking a way out."

As they spoke, they reached the shop.

A white-haired, wrinkled old man in a tattered wizard's robe was sitting in the resting area, waiting.

Upon seeing them, the old man quickly stood up,

"Mr. Karl?"

"Yes, it's me," Karl nodded and gestured for him to sit, "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Mike Donner, but those who know me usually call me Mike," the old man stroked his beard and smiled, "Mr. Karl, you're too modest. This apothecary of yours is undoubtedly one of the best in the market."

"It's just luck. I stumbled upon a new formula, but now there are already imitations in the market," Karl sighed, "I guess the good times won't last."

"Nonsense!" Mike Donner shook his head, "Mr. Karl is being too humble. For an apothecary, the good times should just be beginning."

"Never mind that," Karl waved his hand, "Sir, do you wish to set up a clinic here?"

"Yes, I do," Mike Donner nodded seriously, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out as he spoke, "I only need a small corner with a table. For each patient, 30% of the consultation fee will go to the shop, and if they need medicine, I'll prioritize recommending the shop's products."

He clearly had his eyes on the shop's foot traffic, knowing that setting up here would bring him more customers.

Similarly, having a skilled physician would attract more business for the apothecary.

"Hmm..." Karl was unsure about this proposal and asked, "What medical skills is the old gentleman proficient in?

"I'm more skilled in diagnishing andness and diagnosing poison spirit injuries, though I believe I have a certain level of understanding concerning abyssal Bloodline."

Mr. Donner said:

"Mr. Karl, if you are not reassured, you can ask any questions, or let me try it for a while."

."

""

" I see that the Divine Realm fragment has summoned a simple body to pay homage to the Jade Emperor of the Divine Realm."

(End)

Although Connie was clever, he didn't experiment on himself. Instead, he 'accidentally' lost several books about evil deities.

A few individuals who 'coincidentally' obtained the books attempted to contact the evil deities on their own.

Unfortunately, Connie wasn't aware that sincerely reciting the title of a 'deity' meant exposing everything to the deity's gaze.

The memories of those who knelt before the deity were laid bare, including the process of stealing the books.

Of course, this included Connie's intentional negligence.

"It seems that after Quincy stole the books from me, he consulted Connie, so he must have that book too," Karl mused.

"That's normal."

"Connie is the legendary captain of the Endless Sea, and his understanding of mystical knowledge surpasses that of others."

"Hmm..."

"If I hadn't been worried about him seeing through my plan, I probably would have chosen him for the experiment first."

"But..."

"The theft of the books was my doing!"

Karl shook his head, feeling speechless.

Before thoroughly researching the divine realm fragments, he didn't intend to contact other 'believers'.

However, someone kept buzzing in his ear, disturbing his peace.

"Connie!"

Karl narrowed his eyes and hummed coldly, "If you want to play, I'll play along!"

...

The City of Rapids

Umon was a pirate with over a dozen lives on his hands. He had played with other men's women and killed children.

He was an unapologetic villain who didn't believe in the idea of good deeds being rewarded and evil deeds punished.

However, he feared death. When faced with a serious illness, he was determined to do everything possible to save himself.

By 'chance', he obtained an ancient book that described a deity titled "The Jade Emperor of the Great Void."

An evil deity!

As a literate pirate, Umon had some common sense.

Aside from the well-known few righteous deities, any other being with the title 'god' was considered evil.

But as someone facing death, even an evil deity could be a righteous god if it could save his life.

As for selling his soul...

What was there to fear?

If selling one's soul could bring powerful strength and endless treasures, it was hard to believe anyone could resist such temptation.

According to the book's records, he drew the deity's symbol on the ground, placed a divine coin on it, and dripped his blood.

Kneeling in the center, he cleared his mind and silently recited the deity's title:

"Lord of Talent!"

"Master of All Appearances!"

"Ruler of Fear!"

"The Jade Emperor of the Great Void!"

"..."

Time passed.

"It's useless!"

Umon opened his eyes, his face filled with despair.

He had known the chances of success were slim, especially since even the righteous gods weren't responding these days.

What about an evil deity?

Shaking his head, he pushed open the door and stepped out of the room.

Before him was a bustling port. Crew members with bare upper bodies and workers were busy on the docks.

Watching the young, vibrant figures, Umon's Crew'

He clenched his fists, his expression darkening.

Why should these inferior, worthless people live while he, a knight, was facing imminent death?

Damn it! He clenched his teeth, a surge of malevolence rising in his heart.

'Before I die, I'll have my revenge. I'll kill at least ten people to take with me!'

'And women...'

His thoughts turned, and he fastened the purse at his waist and strode towards the bustling center of the city.

Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well spend all his money now. He didn't know who would benefit from it later.

As he walked through the streets, watching the bustling crowd, a nameless killing intent rose within Umon once more.

He felt an urge to draw his sword and start slashing.

If I die,

You won't live happily either! This malevolence had been swirling in his heart for days, and when it erupted, he knew he would become insane.

"Huff..."

He took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and headed towards the nearby famous tavern.

He'd eat and drink his fill before anything else.

"The ship has returned from the voyage, and there's news of a water monkey on board. Elder Karl will be delighted to hear this."

"That's right!"

"Let's go see it."

"After so long, finally a ship has returned from the open sea. We can hunt for fish again."

A strange voice made Umon stop in his tracks and turn to face the two speakers.

"Huh?"

Susan looked at the man before her with a puzzled expression.

"Do you know him, Connie?"

"No," Connie narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"I don't know him."

He did know him.

One of his 'pawns', but he was certain the man didn't know him, or at least not well.

Facing the two, Umon's eyes were blank, his mouth twitched, and he forced a strange expression.

"Connie!"

"Connie!"

His voice was low and raspy, like it came from the depths of a sewer. Strange, cold, and nauseating...

Connie's face changed, and he instinctively pulled Susan behind him.

"Come find me."

Umon's body shook, and blood oozed from his eyes. A twisted smile appeared on his face, and his voice distorted:

"Hurry and find me!"

"Quickly, I can't wait any longer!"

"Boom!"

Before he finished speaking, his entire body exploded, as if a powerful bomb had been hidden within him.

Blood, flesh, and shattered bones filled the air, covering the street. They fell like heavy rain, and the blood and flesh on the ground seemed to have a life of their own, wriggling like maggots towards Connie and Susan.

"Plop, plop..."

The severed limbs and flesh fell to the ground, and the blood and flesh seemed to crawl like maggots towards Connie.

Two eyeballs floated in the bloody water, their mouths opening and closing. A strange voice echoed in Connie's ears.

"Come!"

"Aren't you coming to find me?"

"Come!"

"Come!"

Connie's face paled, and he backed away, his body trembling uncontrollably. Suddenly, his stomach churned, and he vomited uncontrollably.

Worm-like maggots writhed in the filth, causing Susan to scream.

"Ah!"

Please collect!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end