After mastering the resurrection technique, they begged me to extend their lives.

An Xiao lay in the luxurious double room.

They were treated to fine tea and water.

There were also some exquisite pastries on the table.

Amber Honey Wine, Tide-Style Iced Soda, Golden Scale Honey Cookies, Sea Salt Crepe Rolls...

I have to say, sitting in this little prison cell is quite an experience.

"Master, Master! There's a saying in Tianhua Ling Kingdom: 'Unsolicited kindness is either a trick or a theft!'"

"And another thing, 'suddenly offering benefits is a pretext to kill the bird!'"

Little An on the bedside table picked up a honey cookie, chewing it with relish while muttering, "You know (chewing), they're giving us money and food (chewing), aren't they trying to fatten us up to kill us?! (chewing...)"

"..."

An Xiao, rather speechless, extended her index finger and tapped the wise crow's forehead, saying dismissively, "You know quite a lot."

"That's right! Before I was captured in the hunters' net and sold to the contracted beast pen, then transported to the magical messenger shop in Terraria to become a commodity, I was a free spirit bird! I've been to so many countries! I've seen everything!"

Xiao An puffed out her chest, quite proud.

"……Good."

An Xiao stroked her little head and said calmly, "Having experience is a good thing, but you should keep a low profile."

Lying on the sofa bed, I glanced at the entrance outside the door, my emotions churning.

Although the main gate was closed, there were two elite guards with gold badges on both sides of the gate at all times. Their combat level was around fifty, so it was impossible for them to slip out.

To be honest, the reason I was "invited" here by the inspector general is quite simple.

I just want to figure out my identity and background before I can think about how to handle the situation.

In the lore, goblins are rarely fools. Even the wild goblins, who live in the wild and have a very low level of civilization, know how to stick together for warmth, form settlements, and hunt and rob.

They might even use magical weapons.

Therefore, as one of the official leaders of Stardust Harbor, Old Glen must have felt that his situation was too special and that he needed to take the time to discuss and weigh the pros and cons with someone of a higher level.

Staying here indefinitely is not a long-term solution.

"Brother."

Sitting beside him, Ai Li seemed to sense something as well. She used her fork to pick up a piece of star-shaped orange and fed it to him, asking softly:

"Do you think they might have sensed something special about your magic, and that's why they're using this method to stall us and prevent us from leaving?"

"Spells."

"Yes. My brother's resurrection spell is completely incompatible with the existing magic system of summoners on the continent."

Airi lowered her voice and said, "In class, my teacher Margaret told me that among professionals, there are only a few main categories of people who can successfully summon followers. For example, elements, beasts, demon minions, plants, or even more powerful spirit beasts."

Hearing this, An Xiao became somewhat concerned. "Aren't there any humanoid creatures?"

"Yes, but like the people who hunt us down, most humanoid creatures are made into puppets, and their lifespan is extremely limited. They are either covered in rotten flesh, like a stitched monster, and their appearance is disgusting."

"I see."

An Xiao recalled the details of her previous clash with Lilia, pondering:

"Indeed, although her corpse puppet is dressed in heavy armor and leather armor, the exposed parts seem to be mostly bones with little flesh. In terms of storage method and preservation time, it may be more demanding than my spell requirements."

"Species limitations and piecemeal approaches are destined to be less effective than restoring the very soul of creation itself."

Currently, the two corpses of the killed zombies have been recovered by the Golden Scale Guard.

They said they were conducting an "autopsy"...

To put it bluntly, it means confiscating without leaving a trace.

An Xiao was too familiar with this system, so it was hard not to suspect that Lilia might also have some connection with the people involved.

"The problem now is, if her background is stronger, then Miss Hela's status as a Planeswalker alone is unlikely to protect us. Moreover, although Miss Gray Mist is renowned, she has no direct connection with me and is unlikely to help me for the sake of her apprentice..."

He was quite clear-headed about this.

"Mute! Master, Master! I've met Lady Gray Mist before! She especially likes 'good boys' like you with delicate skin!"

"?"

"Especially those 'outstanding students' who can unleash high-level magic!"

The crow flapped its wings and chirped in.

"..."

"When I returned to Terraria to deliver the message last time, Lady Graymist was worried about the fact that 'most of the newborns are children of low intelligence.' These are her exact words!"

So I think, if you could meet her just once, and simply demonstrate your divine powers to her—oh, just enough to extend my life in front of her—I reckon she would definitely extend an invitation to you to become her disciple without reservation! Really! (Sigh!)

"..."

An Xiao's lips twitched slightly.

I thought to myself, what a dishonest crow.

He turned his gaze away from the crow and back to Airi, choosing to obtain information through another means:

"So, have you heard of this person before within the Empire?"

"Ah... my mentor did mention Miss Gray Mist," Airi pondered.

"They once fought a peaceful and amicable duel within the barrier at the highest level of the Mage Tower... It was to compete for a place in the Archmage rankings in front of other old monsters, and then be publicly ranked based on the number of wins and losses and their performance..."

"…ah."

"My mentor, Lady Margaret, is here to challenge the dojo; she's an expert in fire magic. She starts with the seventh-circle spell, Meteor Shower... but Lady Gray Mist is an expert in potions and alchemy, and the official rules don't say she can't use potions before the match..."

"...?"

"So she went on stage with more than twenty kinds of buffs, and she already had an advantage over my teacher in terms of attributes with her mist magic, which caused my teacher to be beaten by her by a narrow margin, with a score of 60 to 40."

"hiss."

"I don't know what happened after that. After all, the mentor only failed once, and I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Okay. I understand now."

An Xiao felt that a Grand Magus of that level was probably still quite far beyond her reach.

Moreover, we can't count on it in the short term.

"I've noted down Xiao An's suggestion, but I'm not considering being taken on as an apprentice for now. My priority is to get some Mana back and then make a safe exit from here. You see, my things are still in the basement of the inn."

This is what he is most worried about.

Because the Iron Maiden is too conspicuous, I didn't carry it when I went to the fountain square before.

Even though the Stardust Hotel's basement was safe, the fact that it had been left there for three days still made An Xiao feel uneasy.

It is now the first night.

An Xiao had absolutely no idea whether her creation, which was to be resurrected, was healthy at this moment.

The two people and the bird continued their private conversation for a long time, and before they knew it, it was late at night.

As the anxiety grew, a few heavy knocks suddenly came from outside the door—

Bang bang bang.

Click—

The gate was opened by a stern-faced guard with a golden scale.

An Xiao immediately sat up, focusing her gaze on the elite unit clad in full golden armor.

"Don't be nervous, my friend."

"?"

"Just now, Ms. Xingmi, the acting vice president of the Stardust Chamber of Commerce, personally came to bail you out with all sorts of credentials."

"what?"

The guard, his previous indifferent expression gone, forced a smile and raised his head seriously, saying, "She has vouched for you and acknowledged you as a resident of Stardust Harbor. From this day forward, you are a citizen of this port. Our Golden Scales Guard will be obligated to protect the personal safety of you and your family within the port and to handle all cases related to you."

……

……