Another World: When a Necromancer Possesses the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls

"You must have been quite exhausted after the morning's competition, right?" Lin Wei picked up the silver knife and fork with natural and elegant movements, and extended her hand to invite, "The rhinoceros steak here is very well prepared, the meat is tender, and the meat itself is also very nutritious."

"Try it." Her introduction was brief and subtle, her thoughtfulness imperceptible, as if it were just a host's ordinary concern for a guest.

"Thank you." Li Xingyao didn't mince words or feign reluctance. The immense exhaustion from the battle left his body like a parched sponge, desperately needing to replenish its energy. The food before him, so appealing in color, aroma, and taste, and clearly of considerable value, exuded an irresistible allure. He picked up his utensils and first scooped a spoonful of clear broth into his mouth.

The warm liquid, carrying the unique umami flavor of mushrooms, slid down my throat, instantly soothing my slightly dry throat.

Next, he cut off a small piece of rhinoceros steak. The outer skin was slightly charred and crispy, while the inside was tender and juicy, melting in the mouth, with the natural flavor of the meat unfolding as you chew. The vegetable and fruit salad was refreshing, crisp, and sweet, its unique flavor bringing a novel experience to the taste buds. The rice was distinct, each grain carrying a natural sweetness.

He ate with focused concentration. Although his movements weren't as deliberately elegant as Lin Wei's, they were steady and measured, at a moderate pace, as he enjoyed the most direct comfort that food brought him.

Lin Wei's dining posture was composed and pleasing to the eye, chewing slowly and deliberately. Occasionally, she would glance at Li Xingyao across from her, and seeing him eating so intently, a barely perceptible smile would flash in her eyes.

She didn't try to find topics to talk about, and the two maintained a tacit silence between them, with only the slight crisp sound of cutlery clinking against bone china and the occasional melodious birdsong coming from the garden outside the window.

This quietness wasn't awkward; on the contrary, it had a strange sense of comfort.

Li Xingyao didn't observe the other person too much, only occasionally glancing at Lin Wei during the meal. After realizing that the other person had no intention of speaking, he quietly enjoyed the food in front of him.

After the meal, the waiter reappeared and silently and efficiently cleared away all the cutlery, restoring the table to its spotless state. Then, two cups of steaming herbal tea were gently placed in front of the two of them.

The tea was a pale amber color, exuding a unique fragrance that blended some kind of herb with calming floral notes. The waiter quietly left again, closing the hidden door behind him. The private room returned to utter silence, with only the lingering aroma of tea and the rustling of plants in the breeze outside the window.

Li Xingyao let out a soft breath; the meal had been a very pleasant experience for him. The delicious food he rarely got to eat, the elegant atmosphere, the soothing music, and the radiant young woman across from him—it all gave him a sudden, surreal feeling.

Lin Wei picked up her cup of warm herbal tea, gently blew away the steam, and took a small sip. When she put the cup down, her gaze refocused on Li Xingyao's face, her expression slightly serious, giving the impression that she was starting to get serious. Her aura changed, instantly replacing the gentle and beautiful demeanor she had during the meal.

"Alright, let's get down to business." She got straight to the point, leaning slightly forward, her hands clasped on the smooth armrest, her gaze clear and direct. "I've recently been conducting some research and application of magic." Her words were clear and her pace steady. "The core objectives are energy compression, form stabilization, and enhanced penetrability. I've already completed the initial theoretical model and the basic stellar energy guidance path."

She lightly tapped her finger in the air, and her watch projected a small dynamic light screen displaying a complex model of flame energy flow and star energy circuit nodes, which flashed by in an instant. Once the display was complete, the light screen disappeared, and her gaze became even sharper as she locked onto Li Xingyao.

"But the real bottleneck lies in real-world testing."

Lin Wei's tone carried a hint of calm analysis. "Simply releasing skills can only increase casting speed. The situation in actual combat is very changeable, so I need to practice with different professions." She paused, looking directly at Li Xingyao. "I need a sparring partner who can truly simulate high-intensity combat, provide continuous high pressure, withstand repeated piercing impacts, and provide effective defense and evasion interference."

Her gaze fell on Li Xingyao: "Your skeleton warriors, based on your previous combat performance, far surpass the standard undead of the same level. They possess outstanding flexibility and coordination, and can cooperate with each other."

Shifting her tone, her gaze refocused on Li Xingyao's eyes. "And you yourself," she emphasized, "the mental strength, spellcasting accuracy, and defensive resilience of your instant-cast 'Arrow of Death' perfectly simulate the control and disruption capabilities of an experienced, highly skilled, and equally adept at ranged spells and defense in the rhythm of attack and defense during combat."

She leaned back slightly, drawing her conclusion with an undeniable confidence: "Your overall abilities make you the most suitable and efficient sparring partner I can find right now." Her reasons were clear, her needs were specific, and she even pinpointed the core value Li Xingyao displayed on the stage—the flexibility and synergy of his summoned creatures, as well as his own precision and control as a spellcaster.

Li Xingyao listened quietly, his heart slightly stirred. He hadn't expected Lin Wei to grasp his current characteristics based solely on his first two battles and then match them with her own needs.

"Of course," Lin Wei seemed to see through his unspoken thoughts, changing the subject with confidence and an undeniable generosity, "As for compensation, you won't have wasted your precious time." Her fingertips slid gracefully and quickly across her watch, projecting a larger, clearer virtual screen onto the table between them, displaying concise, powerful, and well-organized content:

1. Credit Points Payment:

Payment per session: 1000 Federal Credits for each valid training session (duration not less than 1 hour).

Monthly Package (Recommended): Includes 2 training sessions per week (8 sessions in total), with a one-time payment of 10000 Federal Credits.

2. Basic equipment/Cultivation potions (choose one):

Lightweight Mage-Specific Leather Armor: Tanned from exotic beast hide, offering superior defense compared to alloy-threaded soft armor. Features an embedded microstellar energy circuit, providing a 15% stamina bonus and a slight increase in mental energy concentration speed. Market price: approximately 5000 credits.

Basic Spirit Amplification Ring: Crafted from Star Silver, known for its excellent spiritual conductivity, and inlaid with tiny spiritual amplification circuits, it can subtly enhance the wearer's spiritual attributes. Market price: approximately 5000 credits.

Meditation Potion: Standard dosage. Increases meditation efficiency by approximately 20% after ingestion, with effects lasting 4 hours. Market price: approximately 1500 credits per bottle.

Star Energy Recovery Potion: Quickly restores a small amount of Star Energy (approximately 10%), suitable for emergency replenishment during combat breaks. Market price: approximately 2000 Credits/bottle.

Li Xingyao's eyes flashed slightly. The price was incredibly generous! Looking at the equipment information for 10000 credit points, and considering that he had only earned 20 points (equivalent to 200 credit points) from a hard-fought battle, as well as the pitiful balance in his account, and then thinking about the Ghost Bone Amulet worth 850 credit points, Li Xingyao's concerns instantly vanished without a trace due to the huge price!

This is equivalent to my sister's current salary for two months.

Without any hesitation, he shifted his gaze from the tempting options on the screen to meet Lin Wei's beautiful, smiling eyes, and nodded decisively: "Okay, I accept, boss!" His voice was steady and strong, carrying an undeniable certainty.

Lin Wei smiled at his decisive and almost non-negotiable agreement. Then a hint of surprise flashed across her bright face. She thought he would at least hesitate or try to negotiate, since he had always appeared calm and composed.

A bright smile then spread across her face like ripples, tinged with a hint of teasing: "Seeing how indifferent you usually are, I thought it would take some effort to convince you, I even prepared several sets of arguments..." She paused deliberately, her eyes sparkling with intelligence and a touch of mischief, "So, it's just a matter of the reward being substantial enough?"

Li Xingyao didn't feel embarrassed or awkward at all, having his thoughts so directly exposed by this campus goddess.

He simply disliked pointless socializing, which is why he rarely interacted with his classmates. His aloofness was merely to avoid being dragged into strange topics. He met her scrutinizing gaze with a smile, and a rare smile curved his lips as he said, "The conditions offered by Lin are extremely sincere, far exceeding my current efficiency in acquiring resources."

Moreover, he shifted his tone, cleverly transforming the simple "good price" into a more respectable reason: "This kind of high-intensity, highly realistic combat training is an extremely valuable opportunity for me to improve my own combat abilities, especially to accumulate experience in fighting high-level fire spells. A mutually beneficial choice is naturally without hesitation."

He frankly acknowledged the allure of the benefits while also pointing out his own needs, expressing himself in a tactful and pragmatic manner.

Lin Wei's smile deepened, as if her opinion of Li Xingyao had changed.

She said no more, her fingertips moving rapidly across the screen to bring up an electronic contract template: "Okay. Let's sign a monthly package then, it'll save time and effort. We'll meet every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon after class in the exclusive premium area of ​​Training Ground One, where the force field barrier is at its highest level, ensuring safety and allowing for full-force attacks."

The duration of each training session depends on the specific training content and results, but will be no less than one hour. Compensation will increase proportionally with the duration. If there are any last-minute adjustments to the course or other arrangements, you must notify the other party at least half a day in advance. Is everything clear? The terms are clear and the arrangements are reasonable.

"No problem." Li Xingyao nodded in confirmation.

"Okay." Lin Wei deftly filled in the agreed terms into the electronic contract, generating a legally binding agreement. She carefully checked it, then turned the screen towards Li Xingyao. "The details are all here. Take a look, and if you're sure everything is correct, sign to confirm."