Blackstone Town Hall
- Wu Hen?
At a desk covered with documents, a middle-aged woman looked at the young man in front of her with a serious expression.
Wu Hen nodded: - Yes!
- Professional necromancer? - the woman frowned slightly, her eyes full of doubt, and without waiting for the interlocutor's answer, she continued: - Although the Kingdom allows the existence of necromancers, no city will welcome the presence of a necromancer in the city.
As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell in the hall.
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of curiosity.
It seemed they did not understand why someone would choose the profession of necromancer at such a time.
However, Wu Hen continued: - Thanks to Lady Myra's reminder, I will abide by the laws and orders of the Kingdom and the city of Blackstone.
The middle-aged woman looked closely at his expression.
However, she said nothing more and, taking out several documents from the drawer, handed them to him with the words: - Read and sign.
Undead Restriction Bill.
Process for reporting undead dependents.
Corpse and Bone Protection Bill.
Application for Black Magic Trials...
Human experimentation...
...
After reading the titles and contents, Wu Hen's eyes widened a few points.
Although the Kingdom of York allowed the existence of necromancers, it increased the number of restrictive clauses and acts against them every year.
These included: a ban on the private transformation of undead creatures such as skeletons and corpses, a ban on corpse experiments, and necromancy experiments.
Theft, corpse experimentation - all of these are criminal offenses.
A necromancer who could not transform undead soldiers and was not allowed to conduct magical research - one could imagine their future.
Not to mention that if he had any future in academic circles, in combat terms he was virtually useless.
Therefore, when those present heard of a Necromancer, they all looked at each other in surprise.
Wu Hen had understood this before, but did not think everything would be stricter than he imagined.
After carefully reading it, he signed his name and handed the document back.
After a thorough check, the middle-aged woman ordered: - Okay, the process is over, remember what is written on these papers, I don't want to see you on the gallows next time.
- Yes! - Wu Hen stood up and saluted, then left.
As he left the hall, whispers could still be heard behind his back.
Everyone was puzzled that the young man with black hair and black pupils had decided to become a necromancer.
...
Leaving the hall, he paid no attention to the whispers behind him.
It was unknown what offensive actions "necromancers" had committed to be treated this way.
So many restrictive clauses had been made for one profession.
This effectively cut off the development of the profession.
As Lady Myra said, by choosing to become a necromancer, one was putting shackles on oneself.
The inability to summon the undead, experiment with magic - in short, no future.
But Wu Hen still chose this profession.
Not only because it was the only legal profession available to him, but more importantly, he believed that in his own hands a necromancer could get better development.
Leaving the town hall, he saw a transparent panel appear in front of him that only he could see.
[Name: Wu Hen].
[Profession: Necromancer].
[Level: 1 (10/300)].
[Attributes: Strength x9, Agility x11, Constitution x12, Intellect x14, Perception x10, Charisma x12].
[Skill: Bone Maintenance Technique].
The profession, attribute, and skill panel was almost no different from that in online games.
One could see one's physical condition more intuitively.
Along the way, he left the central district and entered the blacksmith shop on Merchants Street.
Stepping over the threshold, he smelled the scent of linseed oil.
- Boss, I've come to pick up the weapon I ordered this morning, - said Wu Hen.
The middle-aged man put down the iron sword he was polishing and looked up: - Oh it's you, it's all over there, that'll be 7 silver coins from you.
Iron sword and short spear.
All ordered in the morning.
Taking out 7 silver coins, he placed them on the counter.
- What happened this morning? - the man asked casually, taking the silver coins.
In the morning, Wu Hen had come to buy weapons, and immediately after he selected them, he was taken away by the city guard.
The man thought it was a violation, but he did not expect him to return before noon.
- I just arrived in town, I was told to go to the town hall to register, I just got here and I still don't understand anything myself.
- Registration? Is that something that needs to be registered too? - The man frowned, he had not heard of such a statement.
There could be quite a lot of outsiders in the town of Blackstone, and if they all needed to be registered, there would be more people in the town hall than in the market.
- When they asked for names, how to behave, etc., I was nervous too, - Wu Hen smiled and scratched his head.
- Ha-ha! These guys are just idlers, they have to take care of the useful and the useless, it's good that everything is fine, - the man also laughed and consoled.
Wu Hen smiled and nodded.
Wrapping up the weapons, he said goodbye to the man and immediately left the store.
Without lingering aimlessly, away from the shopping streets and crowds, he headed to the residential area in the northern part of the city.
...
After wandering through dark alleys, he reached the rented accommodation.
The room was small - a living room and bedroom.
Apart from a table, chairs and a wooden bed, there were no other items.
The surroundings were relatively poor.
Putting the weapons in his backpack, he picked up the bread lying on the table and took a bite.
Mentally, he contemplated the attitude of the city of Blackstone towards necromancers.
It seemed as if he was like a criminal out on bail, whose behavior was under scrutiny from all sides.
- It's best to keep a low profile in the city if possible and quietly self-improve.
He rolled the remaining bread into a ball and stuffed it in his mouth.
Getting up, he picked up the iron sword and spear with one hand, and with the other took off the bronze key hanging around his neck and approached the bedroom door, carefully turning the handle.
When the door to the room opened, a light curtain appeared in it.
On the other end instead of the usual bedroom was a screen, as in a mirror.
Wu Hen took a deep breath and stepped confidently across, finding himself on the other side.
At the moment when his senses recovered, the air was filled with a rotten, dense smell.
The familiar table and wooden bed, monitor and stereo system.
From the window came the hissing of beasts.
He went to the window and looked outside.
Below, zombies clustered together, their torn clothes revealing rotting bones and exposed internal organs, bumping and stumbling into each other, wandering aimlessly.