"Leveling up?"
"Yes, just one second before Jianglu appeared, I suddenly leveled up, and my perception increased just enough to unlock the Wanderer's passive 'Cheat Death', which allowed me to block in advance."
"It seems we're still lacking in anti-submarine measures."
"Are you questioning my ability as a Wanderer to fight in a civil war? The core issue is that so far, I haven't learned how to stealth. Don't you think that's strange?"
Zhuo Yang fell silent for a few seconds.
"Indeed... So far, we've only mastered basic skills that don't involve the use of any special energy."
"So, I have a hypothesis."
"What?"
"You think we might have to find a mentor to learn skills?"
"...That would be too difficult for two skeletons who can't speak. Besides, where would I go to learn skills? I admit Gao is one of the few knights in Eternal Dawn with whom I can communicate, but if I go to him like that, wouldn't that be the same as delivering virtue to his doorstep?"
"That's why I let Jianglu go on purpose just now, and even revealed that I was undead."
"Ha?" Zhuo Yang exclaimed in surprise: "You nincompoop!"
"No, no, no, think about it. She would think it's a friendly gesture from Heine. Coupled with Heine trying to guess my identity, he would definitely want to contact her when he has the chance. This way, wouldn't I have the chance to learn skills?"
"Fuck, you really are something. How do you even make such connections? But what about that guy?"
"Why don't you switch to a warrior?"
"... I'd better think about how to deliver virtue."
Listening to their conversation, Heine also had a new idea.
Even though he had never played virtual online games, he had read a great many novels, and skills that you could learn with a click in those games obviously wouldn't work the same way here.
Unless the game also taught everything step by step, but how hardcore would such a game have to be?
So, without a mysterious "System," his undead would have to learn everything from scratch like natives.
For example, it took him nearly half a year to learn Necromancy, and that was the result of an adult's comprehension ability combined with the memory of a youth. Their learning process was probably not going to be easy either.
As for leveling up, he knew even less than Teacher Xia.
It seems he needed to acquire more knowledge about Spirit Communicators.
With this thought in mind, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to the surname "Gittiler."
...
Returning to the Silver Market deep into the night, only two houses on the entire street had lights still on.
Poison Spider's Kiss.
Heine poured half of the Soluble Blood Grass on the table, and Rowen's eyes nearly popped out!
"This much? I remember there were just a few scattered there..."
"You must be misremembering," Heine shook his head as he spread out the map and pointed to the upper right corner: "The area you circled is all like this, and I also encountered a Tree Herder."
"Tree... Tree Herder?"
Rowen's mouth fell open, momentarily lost for words.
He had been about to say that the map was accurate and it was Heine who went to the wrong place, but when he heard "Tree Herder," he remembered the frightening legend of the farm.
It was said that in the forbidden area in the northeast corner, any serfs who wandered in were turned into fertilizer to nourish the ground.
Yet the man before him not only went there and encountered a Tree Herder but also came back alive...
His gaze toward Heine quickly became reverential.
"Please, please wait a moment."
Even his address had changed.
Rowen scurried back into the house and swiftly emerged with a wooden box in his arms, hurrying back out.
"I can't possibly repay your kindness, but please, you must accept this."
Opening the box, inside lay a pitch-black hand crossbow.
The grip was shaped like a pistol, with a strong keratin feel to it, and the mechanism for drawing the bowstring was designed in the shape of a scorpion's tail, with a pale purple transparent crossbow bolt resting on the crossbow arm.
Heine once again felt Teacher Xia "holding his breath" behind him.
"What's this?" he asked.
"This is a masterpiece of Mr. Matte Gittler, which I stole when fleeing the Gittler Manor..."
Heine gave a wry smile: "Are you trying to kill me or thank me?"
Rowen's expression instantly froze; fearfully, he reached to close the lid, but found nothing.
"I've taken the item, now hurry up and prepare the potions. I will come to collect them tomorrow."
"Yes, yes, sir!"
When Heine left the potion shop, he heard the two inside talking in astonishment.
"Can tasks really be done like this? Posting this is going to drop jaws all over!"
"So it's still the wisdom of the natives, huh."
"Why do I feel like he's kind of terrifying? We're not helping a tyrant, are we?"
"Is it possible that this is the respect a strong person should receive? Rather than 'the toilet at the village head's is blocked, please, great adventurer, go and unblock it' sort of thing."
"You make sense..."
...
Heine didn't rush back but went to the only other place that was still lit.
Lion King Trading Company.
The large orders from Bone Burial Ground were all related to this trading company, whose emblem resembled the MGM logo.
For example, the bulk purchase price for a set of headless plate armor at 60 silver coins actually came from the Lion King, which included a commission of over 20 silver.
Over the past three years, Heine had often dreamt—his little sideline of making soap, perfume, and MSG caught the eye of someone from the Lion King, then he would become rich overnight, financially free, and could leisurely resolve the problem of not being able to summon the undead.
Later he realized he was thinking too much.
In this world, people either become strong to survive or survive to become strong.
His clever tricks could only make him a jesting companion alongside a strong person, but without enough strength, he didn't even have the opportunity to approach those people.
So it was better to just work hard and become stronger.
Heine bought two Charging Stones that could be used three times each, prepared for the electric shock Magic Wand and the hand crossbow "Scorpion Tail Needle."
Although the latter was self-charging, it also required Charging Stones as a standby.
The two thumbnail-sized pure white crystals together cost 12 Gold Coins, leaving Heine practically broke.
He suddenly understood why the original owner's father resolutely embarked on a journey to explore ruins.
Magic Equipment and items were really profitable...
Standing in front of Lion King, Heine suddenly looked embarrassed.
He hesitantly took out the willow leaf-shaped dagger from Jianglu.
Teacher Xia immediately exclaimed in surprise, "He's not expecting me to use this, is he?"
"What's wrong, is the dagger's attribute not good?"
"It's good, but it enhances skills, and I don't know any yet..."
"Why don't you take the initiative for once?"
"I..."
Heine actually had an answer in mind; he had been wondering why Teacher Xia wasn't drooling over this dagger—it turns out it was of little use to him now.
He needed money for emergencies, and it would be perfect if he could sell off unnecessary trophies.
Without giving Teacher Xia a chance to take the initiative, he sighed and looked at him apologetically.
"Sorry, I'm going to have to inconvenience you."
Then he turned and headed straight for the valuation counter.
Teacher Xia was startled, "What's going on? Why apologize? Hey, why do I suddenly feel guilty about something..."
"That's the price of not taking initiative."
"Alright, shut up, you Shield Warrior."
"Who are you calling a warrior? You're the Dagger Warrior."
Heine was extremely baffled inside, wondering why these two kept having daily quarrels as warriors. Just how weak are the warriors in AGE...
The dagger from Jianglu was eventually marked with a starting bid of 10 Gold Coins and a buy-it-now price of 30 Gold Coins, for a duration of one week.
The auction fee was a whopping 1 Gold Coin, and this time Heine was truly drained.
He had thought the item would at least take a few days to sell, but to his surprise, he found out the next day that the dagger had been snapped up at the buy-it-now price the previous night.
He received 27 Gold Coins in hand; Lion King Trade was really ripping him off.
Arriving at the potion shop, Rowen looked like he had pulled an all-nighter, his eyes bloodshot, but he was full of vigor.
He handed over the antidote he had prepared to Heine; Soluble Blood Grass was kept only a single plant for personal use, with the rest returned to Heine.
"Does this herb have any other uses?" Heine asked.
Rowen thought for a moment, "It can be used to make Boiling Blood Sword Oil, which is effective against Blood Beasts."
Heine pushed the Soluble Blood Grass back and added a small bag of silver coins.
"This is your reward."
He himself had often worked part-time in alchemy at the Bone Burial Ground and knew the fees for the industry.
Rowen accepted the payment with surprise and caution.
...
Two days later, Heine, fully armed, arrived at the hunting grounds with his equally fully equipped servant.
As soon as they arrived, he saw an unexpected character.
"It's you?"
Jianglu looked astonished.