Some of his bones had been broken, and the little skeleton suddenly seemed at a loss as he slowly stopped waving the bone dagger around. Han Shuo hadn't treated the little skeleton like an ordinary dark creature from the very beginning.
From the moment he started practising necromancy and summoned this little skeleton, it had become Han Shuo's indispensable companion. Even before he'd learned how to fight, the little skeleton had freed Han Shuo from the drudgery of daily chores, helping him take out the garbage and clean up after himself.
When Han Shuo had used magical yuan to refine him, the little skeleton had been even less of an ordinary summoned creature to him. In the future, whenever Han Shuo was in danger, the little skeleton would play an important role in helping him escape.
But now, Han Shuo discovered that the little skeleton had a wonderful bond with him, much like he had with it. Han Shuo had never thought of or attempted to discover the Little Skeleton's business or methods in the other dimension. If he hadn't focused his attention this time, he might have missed the little skeleton's cry for help, and the little skeleton might not even exist now.
A few traces of guilt grew in Han Shuo's heart as his thoughts travelled down this path. His necromancy magic would have to reach new heights before he would be able to understand what had happened to the little skeleton in the other dimension, and whether there were any other existences in that world apart from the regularly summoned dark creatures.
It was even more impossible for him to communicate with the other beings in the other dimension for the time being.
As Han Shuo closed his eyes and tried to communicate with the little skeleton, he discovered that the little skeleton seemed to have realised that it was in a different environment. Its wildly flailing arms and legs slowed down as its empty eye sockets looked around in confusion, only to suddenly calm down as it looked in Han Shuo's direction.
Han Shuo could clearly feel the little skeleton's chaotic presence calming down.
It was as if the little skeleton realised that the danger was gone with Han Shuo's appearance, that he was truly safe!
It was a speechless kind of trust, an innate dependence, similar to how a naughty child would sob endlessly in front of a ferocious beast, thinking that its parents would protect it, whether or not its parents could actually do so.
An inexplicable feeling suddenly surged into Han Shuo's heart, making his emotions complex. An extremely complicated emotion wrapped around his heart, giving him the illusion for a second that this little skeleton of bones was like his child. It was a feeling he never wanted to be separated from the little skeleton.
"Alright, it's alright now!" Han Shuo walked over to the little skeleton very naturally and reached out a hand to stroke the little skeleton's skull, speaking softly in comfort.
Han Shuo could clearly feel that this simple word of comfort brought immediate comfort to the little skeleton.
"Who are you talking to?" Emily and Phoebe came out of the tree hole at the same time, with Phoebe leading the way. She was a bit jealous when she heard Han Shuo's tender voice, thinking that Han Shuo was talking to another woman, so she asked before she could even see who it was.
But when she saw Han Shuo patting the little skeleton's head gently and his tone of soft tenderness that she hadn't heard before, she immediately lost her jealousy and looked at Han Shuo a little strangely.
Since the beginning of history, the necromancers of the Profound Continent had regarded their summoned dark creatures as nothing more than tools. Phoebe had never heard of a necromancer treating a dark creature as kindly as Han Shuo.
So when she saw his actions, her heart was immediately filled with shock. Her thoughts raced as she thought that this little skeleton was probably so amazing because his master treated him differently as well. It seemed that Han Shuo's secrets were not due to his miraculous martial arts techniques, but his methods were indeed a bit different from others.
He turned his head to look at Phoebe and Emily with a smile, glancing at one stunningly beautiful face and another quietly beautiful face. He noticed that they seemed to be in good spirits and asked with a smile, "Have you had a good rest?"
"Yes, we can continue if that's all right with you?" Emily felt that she could levitate again for a while after some meditation, so she made the suggestion.
The leaders of the Dark Mantle needed to know about the information she had in her hand as soon as possible. They needed to carry out their plan against Bob Ascher as soon as possible. As a member of the Dark Mantle, Emily knew that timing was of the essence and that time could make a world of difference to the outcome. That was why she was in such a hurry.
"Alright, let's go then." Han Shuo didn't say anything as he grabbed the little skeleton's waist and flashed to where Phoebe was. He reached out another hand and grabbed her soft, fat-free waist, sending her flying through the air.
The sun was rising again, its rays tinting everything a faint red, adding some colour to the silver world below. It was like a fair-skinned girl suddenly blushing from shyness.
A towering mountain and valley stretched out below them. Some magical creatures, unafraid of the cold, emerged from cover and probed with their sharp claws. In the warmth of the winter sun, life began to appear in the mountain valley.
Last night's chill was driven from Emily's body by the sun's rays. Her beautiful face was turned towards the warm light as she revealed a sweet smile. She gazed with interest at the scene below, seeming to want to imprint the view into her heart.
"It's so beautiful!" Phoebe said softly in Han Shuo's embrace as her eyes sparkled.
Han Shuo also took a quick look around at her words, grunted in agreement and then flew forward in silence. Speaking eloquently in front of a beautiful scene was something women liked to do. He just wanted to get to the stronghold and complete his mission as quickly as possible.
After several more hours and travelling over two small mountain valleys, Han Shuo looked ahead again. The sun was high in the sky at this point, and the mountain valley was no longer covered in snow. The ground was clean and tidy, and the small mountain valley was littered with short buildings of various architectural styles.
Different looking humans, orcs and elves came out of their houses onto the clean and tidy streets, bundled up in a variety of interesting clothing styles.
"We're almost there, let's walk the rest of the way!" Emily could see this easily from afar, thanks to the bright sunlight. She called out in obvious joy.
This place was similar to the city of Drol, only a bit more complex. Although there were hotels and places to enjoy oneself, the adventurers and merchants in Drol were all basically from the Lancelot Empire and were ruled by the soldiers of the Empire.
The adventurers and merchants here, on the other hand, were from the Lancelot and Kasi Empires, as well as the Orc tribes. There were also those from further afield, or minorities who called the Kerlan Grand Canyon their home. Naturally, such a diverse place was not under the jurisdiction of any single country.
"The one who maintains order is the greatest power in the Valley of Sunshine. They are responsible for protecting everyone's interests in transactions and preventing the infiltration of thieves. All three countries have their own spheres of influence here. When one side is strong enough that the other two have no objections, that sphere will take over, maintaining order and charging the merchants and adventurers high fees to run the city.
"However, this status quo is not set in stone. If another side can prove that they are stronger than the other two, then the one who maintains order will change. Right now, the one who maintains order is the Cairo mercenary band from the Kasi Empire!" Emily explained to the other two as they landed and walked to the Valley of Sunshine.
"If those who uphold the order are acting on behalf of their country, isn't that infringing on the rights and profits of adventurers and merchants from other countries?" Han Shuo asked after thinking about it for a moment.
"Don't worry, no matter what country they are originally from, they would never act on behalf of their own country if they became the power that maintains the order. Otherwise, they will be ostracised by all adventurers and merchants and will never have the right to regain power again. " There are no nationalities in the Valley of the Sunshine. Not to get involved in conflicts between countries is the first rule they must follow!" Emily smiled faintly as she explained this to Han Shuo.
He nodded in understanding and privately thought that this was an interesting place. All sorts of people were here for their own interests. The fees from the transactions between the three countries must be quite a sum indeed.
Of course, Han Shuo wasn't too familiar with these common sense rules, so Emily and Phoebe took turns explaining them to him on the way. Han Shuo listened attentively until they reached the border control office of the Valley of Sunshine. Tall metal fences had been erected here, with knights in grey armour patrolling behind them with distant expressions.
Han Shuo could tell from Emily and Phoebe's conversation that these were the members of the Kasi Empire's Cairo Mercenary Band. It was quite astonishing that there were two to three thousand people in this mercenary band!
They were experts in all kinds of professions, and they practised diligently day and night. Their fighting power was even stronger than the standing armies of other countries. They had a strict code of conduct and a proper division of labour. In the year they'd been assigned to guard the Valley of Sunshine, they'd fought off several robber raids, demonstrating a level of competence that the merchants and adventurers in the valley were quite satisfied with.
"Where have you three come from? Do you have passage tokens, or do you have to apply for them now?" A tall, somewhat handsome knight came over from the metal fences and was quite polite when he saw Phoebe and Emily coming over. A trace of a mesmerising smile played across his lips as he asked gently.
"I'm from the Boozt Merchant Guild and they're with me. This is my token!" Phoebe's expression was coldly distant as she took a token from her space ring and coolly handed it to him.
The mature knight reached out respectfully to take Phoebe's token and looked at it closely. He handed it back with a smile and said urbanely, "No problem, the Valley of Sunshine welcomes your arrival. Our Cairo mercenary band will ensure your safety and the security of your belongings."
Phoebe took out a bag of gold coins and threw it on a table near the fence with a thump. She had her usual distant and reserved manner when dealing with outsiders. "Our fees!"
Phoebe then turned to Han Shuo and reached out with her slender jade hands to wrap them around Han Shuo's arm. The proud arrogance faded from her face as she smiled, "Let's go, we can go in now!"
To see such a stunning beauty like Phoebe pay no attention to the men around her, even giving off an aura that repelled all attempts to approach her, then suddenly make such a drastic change in attitude to wait on Han Shuo, immediately drew looks of admiration and envy from the mercenaries.
However, their expressions changed to one of strange confusion when they saw Han Shuo dragging the little skeleton in his wake. They didn't say anything though, as they seemed to be used to seeing a lot of strange characters. It didn't seem too unusual for an adventurer to have a dark creature in his wake.
Everyone was a bit vain at heart. When he saw the others looking at him with such admiration, Han Shuo also felt quite proud. Phoebe is really showing me some face here!
"Come on, let's go you!" When Emily saw Han Shuo stop where he stood with a smile on his face, she knew exactly what he was thinking and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. She snorted with laughter and shoved him from behind.
Han Shuo laughed heartily as he walked through the fence under the endless looks of envy and into the Valley of Sunshine.