Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 12 Six-Leaf Woods
During his two months at Black Crow Castle, Chen Mo spent a lot of time gathering information about the surrounding area, and the nearest escape point in the Six-Leaf Woods was naturally of paramount importance.

He heard from some of the guards that this stronghold, guarded by the powerful six-leaf centaur tribe, had an unwritten rule: newcomers had to hire a local "guide" for a small fee. This job was basically done by young boys like Kaga in the centaur tribe, both as training and to earn some pocket money.

You need at least five copper coins, which is why Chen Mo worked himself to the bone to save up five copper coins.

However, now that they've made a little money, it's only fair that, as the guards say, each silver coin they pay is well worth it.

The Six-Leaf Centaur tribe is a very powerful tribe; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to defend this valuable stronghold. The centaurs' friendliness will save you a lot of unnecessary trouble.

For example, reminders about camp rules.

"The camp has its rules!" Kaga carefully put away the silver coins, immediately got into character, and walked around explaining in a serious manner: "First of all, keep an eye on your bone buddy!"

He pointed to the little white dog that was quietly following behind, "If it causes trouble in the camp, you'll be held responsible! Fighting? Murder? Absolutely not! If you do, our chief is very fierce!"

The centaur gave an exaggerated shudder, stomped its forelegs heavily, kicking up a small cloud of dust, and said, "A very, very severe punishment! Remember that!"

"Once you're outside the camp gates, it's up to you, we don't care."

"And then, see those shops with this six-leaf sign?" He pointed to a wooden sign hanging at the entrance of a nearby tent. "These are all under the protection of our centaur tribe! If you eat, drink, or buy something inside, you have to pay honestly. Want to renege on your debt? Hehe..." He stomped his hoof again, a longing expression on his face.

It seems the centaur race is really looking forward to this scene, perhaps because their camp has been too comfortable for too long.

“Finally,” Kaga leaned closer, lowering his voice, his face bearing a “big secret you need to hear” expression, “you absolutely, absolutely must keep a close eye on your purse! There are plenty of cunning human pickpockets here, like rats in their burrows! If they steal it,” he spread his hands, shaking his head vigorously, his braided mane swaying, “that has absolutely nothing to do with us! Kaga won’t be responsible!”

“However,” the centaur changed the subject, “if you stay at the ‘Hero’s Inn’ tonight—the one with the shield hanging at the door—Kaga can guarantee you with his own hands! As long as you’re inside the inn, no one can take a single copper coin from you before you walk out the door!”

“The hostel owner is Kaga’s uncle, he’s absolutely trustworthy!” He emphasized the last sentence.

Chen Mo forced a smile onto his tired face and nodded: "Understood, thank you. I'll stay at the Hero's Inn tonight."

The centaur stomped its feet happily and called for the camp guards to open the small gate.

A robust, half-grown centaur, a staggering, disheveled human, and a skeleton wrapped in strips of cloth slowly entered the camp, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun.

From a distance, the thick earthen walls and sturdy wooden fences completely enclose the six-leaf forest, resembling a large fortress.

However, when Chen Mo passed through the door made of giant logs, the scene before him suddenly opened up.

A central dirt road, more than five meters wide, stretches straight ahead from the gate. On both sides of the road, simple shacks are crammed together, as if they are vying with each other. The dim yellow lamps hanging high in front of the doors cast long shadows on the dirt ground, making the footsteps of pedestrians appear and disappear.

It was dinnertime at the camp, and the rising white smoke, carrying a strong smell of livestock and earth, wafted over, instantly enveloping Chen Mo.

After passing through this somewhat crowded shantytown, which is also the front corridor of the camp, a spacious central square comes into view.

At the edge of the square, a variety of stalls lined up, their cries of vendors, haggling, and the clatter of pots and pans blending together, giving Chen Mo a fleeting illusion that he had been transported back to a bustling park under the night sky in the Eastern Xia Kingdom. A burly man wearing a leather apron was shirtless, a bloody animal leg hanging from an iron hook in front of him, drops of crimson blood falling onto the gray chopping board.

The old woman, dressed in a tattered gray shirt, had a broad smile on her face, revealing broken teeth in her withered lips. The earthenware pot in front of her was being stirred with a wooden spoon, and a brown soup of some unknown material was bubbling away.

The strong atmosphere of everyday life hit him, and his nerves, which had been rotting away in the Black Crow Castle, suddenly woke up. Chen Mo felt as if he had suddenly returned to the human world.

It's clear that Kaga is quite popular here—or rather, quite popular with centaurs. Along the way, all sorts of strange creatures greeted the little centaur warmly.

"Hey, little Kaga! Come have some hot soup when you're done!" The old woman squinting at the soup simmered the soup called out. "I really went all out today, putting in lots of fresh mushrooms! Don't worry, don't worry, I guarantee there won't be those yellow mushrooms that made your eyes light up like last time. This time they're all top-quality, bright red ones!"

"Kaga, won't you bring your distinguished guest to my stall?" A young, lean vendor waved a small trinkets in his hand. "I just got a batch of novelties from the south, guaranteed to be a hit, a huge hit!"

"Ha! Little guy, where did you pick up this skeleton again?" A centaur passing by, carrying a pickaxe, laughed and teased.

Chen Mo: "..."

Skeleton buddies? Are you really going to insult necromancers, um... necromancer apprentices, um... necromancer prospective apprentices like this?
Of course, not all creatures liked Kaga. A centaur youth with dreadlocks tied around the back of his neck and a somewhat unruly look in his eyes caught sight of Kaga from afar. He immediately used his four long legs to hop over with exaggerated steps that were almost like fancy leaps, his hooves clattering on the hard ground.

"Pah! What bad luck!" The dreadlocked centaur complained as soon as he opened his mouth, his voice sharp and fast, and he gave Chen Mo a disrespectful look. "Today I ran into a customer who's dirt poor. Besides the meager tip for leading the way, he can't even afford the cheapest sesame seed cake! What a terrible stroke of bad luck!"

He abruptly changed the subject, yelling at Kaja, "Hey Kaja, you can't expect me to come home empty-handed every time, can you? My dad'll kill me! Be smart and 'give' this guest to me!"

Kagana's sturdy body stepped forward, blocking Chen Mo's path. His thick neck muscles tensed, and he glared at Chen Mo defiantly: "Get lost! If you utter another word, believe me, I'll beat you to death even before your father does!"

The little braided boy was intimidated by Kaga's imposing manner, snorted angrily, and turned away dejectedly.

Kaja spat at the dreadlocked man's retreating figure: "That guy is so ruthless! He always leads customers to those black-hearted, unscrupulous merchants' dens, specifically targeting newcomers. Last time, a customer of some standing suffered a huge loss and complained to the chieftain. As a result, he was punished by having to clean the livestock shed for an entire rainy season. The smell... tsk tsk."

"If these kinds of guys approach you and offer to take you shopping, you absolutely must hold onto your money tightly and don't believe a single penny!"

Chen Mo had a good impression of this straightforward centaur and sincerely flattered him, saying, "Yes, I can tell. You must be the best guide. Everyone likes you so much, it can't be wrong."

Upon hearing this, Kaga immediately wagged its tail proudly and clapped its hooves on the ground with a series of crisp drumbeats: "Of course, of course! Kaga would never cheat anyone, I only recommend the most reliable ones!"

However, reality soon gave the enthusiastic little centaurs a resounding slap in the face.

After listening to Kaga's introduction of the camp, Chen Mo put forward his three requests.

Find a reliable doctor to treat his injuries; find a safe hostel to spend the night in; and buy a ticket for a floating spaceship that can take him away from this hellhole, so he can be free to roam the world.

But to everyone's surprise, the first step of this plan was dealt a heavy blow by the "doctor".

(End of this chapter)