The creation of the Ritual candle took Chen Yu quite a bit of time, and by the time he finished making this Ritual candle, it was already past midnight.
After placing the finished Ritual candle into a box specifically for holding these candles and counting out the quantity along with the ones he had made previously, Chen Yu couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. "After more than two months, I've finally gathered the thirteen Ritual candles needed for the ceremony! Now all that's missing is a skeleton of a horse to summon the Undead Warhorse!"
Thinking this, Chen Yu tidied up all the materials and molds and then took a shower to wash off various scents clinging to his body.
As a Necromancer who frequently dealt with materials related to corpses, it was inevitable that he would have the smell of the dead on him, and this stench of decay was among the most difficult to remove.
Although he had mentally prepared himself when he first became a Necromancer, if possible, Chen Yu did not wish to always be shrouded in the stench of death. After all, any sane living person wouldn't want to be engulfed in a foul odor.
After cleaning his body, Chen Yu lit a stick of incense and then sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning his daily routine of meditation.
Seeing that Chen Yu had entered a meditative state, Audis, who had finished his own dinner, approached him, tilted his head to examine Chen Yu for a moment, and then gently jumped onto his lap. Audis curled up in Chen Yu's arms and closed his eyes as well.
Invisible glimmers in the air began to slowly gather towards Chen Yu as he meditated, and gradually enveloped both him and Audis, silently permeating their bodies like spring rain moistening parched earth...
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As the sun gradually rose and its rays shone on Chen Yu, who had meditated through the night, the faint glow formed by Negative Energy around him began to fade away like ice and snow under the sunlight, and Chen Yu awoke from his meditation.
After running his hand a few times over Audis' sleek fur that felt like the finest fur coat, Chen Yu picked up the still drowsy black cat and put him back in his nest. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, took care of his personal hygiene, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and got ready to go to work.
But before leaving, Chen Yu first needed to prepare Audis' lunch. Even though the cat had been transformed into a Necromancer's Familiar, he still needed to eat. Fortunately, Audis usually slept until noon, so Chen Yu just needed to prepare his lunch and then bring dinner for him after getting off work.
After placing the prepared cat food next to Audis' nest and petting him a few more times, Chen Yu then turned to leave the house.
Since Chen Yu's home was right next door to a graveyard, it was quite deserted around the area. Naturally, there were no public transport facilities to speak of, and it took Chen Yu a fifteen-minute walk just to reach the nearest subway station. The only bus stop had just one bus line passing through, which hadn't been canceled simply to accommodate those coming to pay their respects.
Of course, for Chen Yu, this bus line was his only means of transportation when leaving home, as hailing a taxi near the graveyard was practically impossible, and he hadn't bought a car either due to the high expenses of researching necromancy.
Taking the bus to the subway station and then transferring to the subway to get close to his workplace, Chen Yu needed to spend at least an hour each morning to travel from his home to where he worked, but in a large metropolis like Tokyo, an hour's commute in the morning was not considered long.
The place where Chen Yu worked was a hospital that had a cooperation with the University of Tokyo Medical Department. After he completed his studies, his professor, who was Kube Rokuro's father, had recommended him here, and he successfully obtained a position as a thoracic surgeon.
Although he had just started working less than a year ago, thanks to his exquisite skills and superb "healing arts", Chen Yu had already gained wide recognition in the hospital and could even take on the role of the lead surgeon in an operation.
The medical system in Japan is different from that in China. The tiered medical model means that large hospitals usually only treat various serious and complicated diseases. Minor ailments like colds and fevers are mainly treated by community hospitals or private clinics. Only serious conditions requiring hospitalization or surgery are referred to large hospitals. For example, the hospital where Chen Yu worked mainly treated patients who required surgical healing, so he almost had surgeries to perform every day.
Of course, for a Necromancer and a graduate of the University of Tokyo Medical Department, this was nothing extraordinary. On the contrary, Chen Yu was actually pleased that he had more opportunities to put into practice what he had learned from textbooks.
After changing into his clothes in the locker room and arriving at his office, he greeted his colleagues and then the first thing Chen Yu opened up was his work schedule for the day.
"Chen-san, how many surgeries do you have this morning?" the colleague sitting next to Chen Yu suddenly looked up at him and asked.
The one who shared an office with Chen Yu was an old-timer at the hospital, Jounouchi Hiromi, a doctor who had been working there for ten years, and was skilled in medicine and also very kind. When Chen Yu first came to the hospital, he was assigned to work under Jounouchi Hiromi, who had always taken good care of him in both his work and life.
"I have two surgeries this morning, but they are just minor surgeries, so I should be done with them quickly," Chen Yu looked up at Jounouchi Hiromi, answering his senior's question, "Jounouchi-senpai, is there something you need?"
"I've told you many times, just call me Hiromi. I'm only thirty-three years old this year; do you want to make me feel old by always calling me senpai?" Jounouchi Hiromi glared at Chen Yu with a slightly annoyed look and then said to him, "Come find me after you're done with the surgeries, I have something to tell you."
Jounouchi Hiromi's words left Chen Yu somewhat confused. It took him a moment to respond before he asked her, "Sen... Hiromi-san, what is it? Is it work-related?"
Chen Yu had assumed it was about work when Jounouchi Hiromi said she wanted to talk to him, but when he asked, her expression turned a bit bashful, and she shook her head at him, speaking with a hint of mystery, "You'll know when you come later, it's not about work, it's some... personal matters."
"Oh, I see." Chen Yu nodded, and although Jounouchi Hiromi's demeanor was quite suspicious, he still agreed.
Seeing that Chen Yu had agreed, Jounouchi Hiromi smiled, her eyes filled with a different sparkle, and she placed a delicately small lunchbox in front of Chen Yu, "Here, I know you probably haven't had breakfast this morning. I made this myself, try it."
"Ah, thank you, Sen... Hiromi-san." Chen Yu quickly thanked Jounouchi Hiromi, took the lunchbox, and upon opening it, found two fragrant and delicately made rice balls inside.