Witch Troupe and the Undead

Hearthstone City, Ironforge Street. Both sides are lined with shops selling all kinds of weapons and iron products. Behind the low shops are rows of iron workshops and forges, where metal refining, steel smelting, gold smelting, casting, forging and processing are all available. The entire street is enveloped in the clanging and banging of hammers and the roar of arcane furnaces.

Aside from adventurers, knights, and mercenaries, there are generally no other residents coming and going here, and magical tools and spells are not sold here. Alchemists don't really like this noisy environment.

"Master Roach, what are we doing here?" Vivi observed both sides of the street, where mercenaries and knights' squires carrying weapons and shields were coming and going. They were buying and repairing equipment for the upcoming battle.

"Setting up a stall," Luo Qi said succinctly. The repeated explosions had shrunk his money extremely quickly, so he needed to sell some of his items to make money, not to mention that the things Livia bought didn't seem cheap either.

Gold coins are a large denomination of currency for ordinary people, even mercenaries and knights. Hiring a well-trained mercenary to fight only costs one gold coin a month, while daily patrol and guard work only pays a few silver coins a month.

A knight manor owner who earns fifty gold coins a year is considered quite wealthy. However, both Livia and Roach are "spellcasters," and nothing they consume is cheap. Even the ingredients Livia buys are relatively expensive.

A pound of sawdust-free black bread costs about 2 copper coins, while a pound of finely sifted, bran-free flour that Livia buys costs 1 silver coin. Sugar is slightly cheaper because this world has mature sugar-making technology and sugar crops, costing about 2 silver coins per pound. Honey can only be obtained in the wild and costs 6 silver coins per pound.

"So, we're out of money right now." Roach briefly explained the team's current financial situation to Vivi. The little witch doesn't handle money; Roach was afraid she would abscond with the funds. And the fairy's not-so-bright appearance made Roach afraid that the money would be swindled away. Now, he was in charge of managing the money.

"Of course, another reason is that the journey is very long and there are no spare carriages, so we have to bring our own."

Although there were supply wagons for Roach and the other spellcasters to ride in, these wagons were different from the ones they had arrived in, as the Little Witch required a comfortable resting environment. They were filled with cured meat, arrows, and various alchemical supplies, making them not only crowded but also quite smelly.

"And horses and carriages are both very expensive!" Luo Qi felt this deeply. An ordinary packhorse costs a huge sum of 20 gold coins, including rent and deposit. An ordinary warhorse costs three digits of gold coins. Among the configurations of horse-drawn carriages, the carriage itself is relatively cheaper.

Fortunately, Roach and his companions had horses, so they only needed to buy a carriage. A carriage that was spacious enough and suitable for the spellcasters' status and rest needs was available for purchase at the "Tower of Truth" in the Arcane Twin Towers. It was the ultimate dream of alchemists, a mobile alchemy workshop plus a residence, crafted by professional creators and magical artisans (artisans who knew a little about alchemy, equivalent to skilled workers). The official price was 150 gold coins.

For someone like Roach, who is one of their own, the cost price is 85 gold coins. A strong and handsome horse like Black Horse is usually priced at 200-300 gold coins in the livestock market. If it has been trained as a warhorse, it can easily fetch over a thousand gold coins.

(In ancient China, even a poor horse could cost tens of thousands of coins. One tael of gold weighed 37 grams, which was about 3500 to 5000 coins. That would be about 15 to 20 gold coins weighing 5 grams each. The fact that strangers had to pay a 20 gold coin deposit to rent a horse reflects the real price of the time.)

"So how much is our funding gap?" Weiwei patted her pocket. Paying out of her own pocket was normal for an apprentice like her who was just trying to get credits from her mentor. At least her mentor wasn't after her body. As for why she was so sure?

Just look at Livia's face after she takes off her cloak, then at Leslie's androgynous, handsome face like an ancient sculpture, and finally at Titania, who could be considered a beauty even among fairies. You'll know that in this team, it's not her turn to be subjected to unspoken rules.

Besides, the team's head mentor is still that blonde pink dumpling. When Vivi first saw the witch's undisguised face, she very impolitely tried to go up and rub it hard, but Leslie stopped her in her tracks—just kidding, hell is ahead, sister!

“Okay, this is it.” Roach found a good spot to set up his stall at the intersection of Ironforge Street and Flower Crown Street, at the junction of the Lower City and the Upper City. Flower Crown Street is a place where gambling dens, taverns and inns gather, connecting the markets and merchant warehouses in the outer city of Hearthstone, and also connecting to the main road out of the city. You can even walk all the way to the mule and horse market.

“There’s a lot of foot traffic here, mostly mercenaries and adventurers. Most importantly, it’s a spacious area because it’s needed for the merchant guild’s carriages to come and go and turn around,” Roach said, setting up his stall on the edge of the small circular square.

“But, Master Roach…” Vivi looked at the flamboyant young ladies at the entrance of Flower Crown Street, who were dressed in rags despite their poverty, “This doesn’t look like a respectable place!”

"Nonsense!" Roach slapped the girl on the back of the head. "Respectable people go to the proper shops on Knowledge Street to buy things. Only shady people come to our kind of street stalls to buy alchemical items."

"..." Miss Vilan, living in her ivory tower, felt she had gained a lot of useful but wonderful knowledge. On the dirty red cloth were the alchemical equipment that Roach was preparing to sell. They were all normal alchemical tools and equipment, but the arcane weapons made by arcane sorcerers using the magical paradigm could only be used by them.

Signs like "Alchemy Grenade Launcher 17 Silver Coins" and "Alchemy Grenade 5 Silver Coins Each, Buy 15 and Get a Launcher Free" were propped up by Roach and placed to the side.

Besides the alchemical grenades and launchers, there were also some exquisite alchemical bombs, bottled secret essence, and some products made by secret sorcerers that could be used by ordinary people. In addition, there were three gleaming longswords, which were made by the little witch. Besides researching magical desserts, she was also researching the creation of weapons and armor. Unfortunately, her research direction was to make them as beautiful and gorgeous as possible.

"Buy 10 gold coins or more and get a box of wondrous magical treats for free!" Roach put down the last wooden sign and prepared to wait for customers to come in. The so-called wondrous magical treats were just those candies that were loudly protesting inside the box.

When they were created, they were just translucent hard candy structures made of gelatin, sugar, juice, and flower petals, which were then shaped into animal figures. Now they are a group of translucent gummy creatures.

Not only do they make sounds, they also fight each other and even deliberately frame other candies. For example, the orange candy insists that the pink-bodied, gorgeous rose candy's fragrance is alchemically synthesized, not a natural fragrance extracted from rose petals.

What's even more bizarre is that they even gang up on a few light pink dumplings in the box because they are a dessert made from a grain similar to glutinous rice, not sugar and gelatin, so they are being ostracized and bullied.

But it doesn't matter, Roach and Leslie are used to it now. If they really can't stand it, they just cut down the structure and there's no sound.

“Master Roach, I don’t think they’ll buy anything from your stall.” Vivi felt like a clown on a stage, with everyone who passed by turning their heads to look at her.

After all, the sight of a beautiful woman in an alchemist's robe and a man with a scarred face setting up a stall together could inspire many imaginative individuals to conjure up a novel plot of tens of thousands of words.

The price list that Roach wrote on the signboard made many mercenaries look at him with "How dare you?" expressions. It wasn't that there weren't alchemy apprentices who secretly took things out to sell, but they were too old to even put up a signboard, let alone hang such outrageous prices.

"Is this thing genuine?" An adventurer looked down at the items on the stall. He had been watching the two men for quite some time, and after confirming that they were truly fearless, he became interested as well.

"Guaranteed Authentic" Roach glanced at him, finding the conversation a bit strange. Was he going to pull out his sword and slash himself a few times later? Thinking this, he touched the adamantite guardian at his waist, then handed a new one to Vivi beside him. This one was made by the Little Witch; ordinary people could use it too.

"How do you use this thing?"

"Alchemy bomb, how do you use it?" The adventurer, who was about to pick it up to take a look, suddenly froze. The way he held the hollowed-out sphere made of brass was very strange, even more so than when he held his newborn son.

"Walker, what are you doing?" His companion, carrying a short hardwood bow, walked over and patted him. "Don't, don't move." The brass sphere in his hand wobbled slightly, and the crystal core inside made a clinking sound.

"Master, is this really an alchemical bomb?" Alchemical bombs are not rare, but alchemical bombs sold by alchemists all have obvious trigger crystals, while those without crystals are for personal use. Alchemical bombs for personal use are all triggered remotely. Although there is only one way to trigger them, the effect is not much different when you are holding the bomb yourself, even if the trigger is delayed by 1 second (the minimum delay).

"Yes"

"But I didn't see the triggered crystal..."

"Oh, this one explodes when touched. It will explode as soon as you touch it." Roach didn't think anything was wrong, then he saw his adventurer companion turn into a phantom at an astonishing speed, disappearing across the street using the [Transcendent Martial Skill - Shadow Step].

“Oh, don’t be afraid. As long as this safety pin isn’t removed, it won’t explode,” Roach pointed to a ring on the sphere. “Pull it out and throw it. This thing is a bit heavy, so don’t let it fall on your feet.”

This is the "plasma bomb" made by Roach. Once activated, it will form a volatile ball of lightning that strikes out a large number of electric arcs in the surrounding area. In addition to the plasma bomb, there are several other types, such as holy bombs, acid bombs, and force field bombs, all of which are advanced alchemical bombs.

"This is an alchemical grenade. You just need to load it in and then trigger the crystal on top to fire the grenade. However, only alchemists can use it."

"..." The adventurer nervously put the sphere down and carefully secured it, afraid that it would explode at any moment. His gaze then turned to the three longswords.

"These three swords?"

"One gold coin each, no bargaining. Don't look at me, I didn't make these, my mentor did." The adventurer was immediately filled with respect. Roach could make such complex alchemical bombs, so he must not be an ordinary alchemist. And his mentor must not be an ordinary person either. So these three swords must have some special purpose.

Upon closer inspection, each of the three longswords has a blade as white as frost. The center of the spine of the sword has been transformed from emerald dust into a striking emerald green stripe using some unknown technique. The end of the sword is a guard that resembles countless blooming roses, with vines intertwined to form the hilt, and the counterweight is a bronze flower bud.

The vines and petals are so lifelike that holding them in your hand feels like holding a long sword made of roses, with the stems and leaves forming the blade.

Moreover, the leaf-shaped blade is clearly in the style of the Elven race, so it seems that the master's mentor should be an Elf or a half-elf.

The most prominent characteristic of half-elves and elves is their longevity. In terms of skill, few can match their craftsmanship, which takes hundreds of years to refine. Of course, on the battlefield, the martial arts skills honed by elves over decades or even centuries, along with their meticulously crafted equipment, are no match for the torrent of infantry that humans can train in three months or the hundreds of fine steel longswords produced in factories every month.

You can break a human sword, two swords, ten swords, but when a group of human infantrymen charge at you wielding heavy axes and broadswords, it's only a matter of time before your weapon is completely destroyed.

The most terrifying thing is that no matter how many humans you kill, at most 10 years later, a huge group of the same people will come up again. This time, they will not only have more advanced weapons, but also more people and be more well-trained. Meanwhile, the new batch of elves has not yet come out of the recruit camp.

Later, these elves stopped playing war games with humans. They began to use economic and political means to control humans, and in this respect... it has to be said that those old guys who have been playing tricks for hundreds of years are really amazing.

The adventurers didn't care about such things; if the alchemist's teacher was an elf or half-elf, then the quality of the products would be absolutely guaranteed.

"Three gold coins, I'll take them!" The adventurer picked up the three longswords, then carefully took out three shiny gold coins from a hidden pocket in his boot. Roach disdainfully took out a small coin box and tossed the three coins in, thus completing his first transaction.

"Ron, look what I bought!"

"..." Roach shook his head. These three swords were crafted by the little witch in 10 minutes, mainly to practice her skills. They had no alchemical or enchanting effects; they were just for show. He hoped that these three idiots wouldn't actually take them to the battlefield. Even the fairy Titania said that these things would shatter if hit by heavy swords on the battlefield.

In this world of extraordinary power, even mercenaries and warriors on the battlefield, though not possessing extraordinary martial arts skills and physiques, are far stronger than the ancient warriors of Earth that Roach remembered.

At the very least, there are no monsters on Earth capable of wielding a heavy steel sword at least 30 centimeters wide with one hand. In this world, such a monster is the kind that even a knight's squire could do, and there are mercenaries with even more exaggerated arm strength and endurance.

The elven swords were able to cut through human heavy swords because they were alchemical weapons, not ordinary metal weapons, while these three swords were just ordinary steel swords.

Meanwhile, the adventurers who had acquired good equipment were ready to set off. Roach hadn't sold any grenades, but he had sold several alchemical bombs. Although dangerous, they were very powerful.

As for those magical desserts… “Do you want some?” Roach handed the box to Vivi, who immediately turned pale. “No, no, no, I’m not hungry right now.”

"Oh~" Roach grabbed a screaming, translucent gummy creature and threw it into his mouth. It immediately fell silent. If you ignore the creature's grotesque behavior, it just tastes like candy.

When the little witch made these simple recipes, she finally didn't create any truly awful dishes. After all, it's hard to make something as sweet as sugar taste particularly bad.

"How about some glutinous rice balls?" These things turn a sticky, dark yellow color when cooked, so Rod calls them "golden glutinous rice." Anyway, they look pretty much the same, but they come from the club-shaped stamens of a tree, which, strictly speaking, are pollen grains.

These dumplings are coated with a thin layer of sugar, with distinct, raised muscles and a resolute face on the front, looking like a warrior about to bravely sacrifice himself.

"If you want to eat, eat me first!" Tuanzi jumped towards Weiwei and grabbed her fingers tightly with both arms.

"...Can I not eat?" Weiwei's voice was already trembling with tears.

Fortunately, apart from looking strange, this thing still tastes normal; it's just the taste of a glutinous rice ball, with a slightly sweet taste and a faint floral aroma.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: To Pass on the Flame? (The Girl)

Mountainwood Village, a village near the Black Forest about 20 miles from Ballista Town, makes a living by logging and planting trees. It provides high-quality mountainwood for ballista manufacturing. This wood is tough and inexpensive, and is usually used as the crossbow arm for ballistas, and is also used to make weapons such as crossbows.

Now, only decaying houses and piles of bones remain in the village. The bodies buried in the cemetery outside the village are piled up in the square in the center of the village where water is drawn. Bones and flesh are entwined on a slender, smoky gray crystal, within which dark shadows surge.

Several robust living warriors were bound to a platform made of human bones on the edge of the square. Their bodies were wrapped in layers of bloody human skin covered with runes. As the crystal gradually flowed with a dark, decaying gray-white light, these human bodies struggled frantically. As the light gradually flowed in, the struggles gradually subsided.

"Rip~" The human skin was violently torn open, and a pale, bluish arm, like that of a corpse, broke free of the cocoon of skin, tearing it open to reveal the figure inside.

Long, greyish-white hair cascaded down her face, her eyes reflecting shimmering greyish-white light. "Ah~ finally... I feel that familiar wind again~" Her large foot, encased in bone-hard boots, crushed a human skull on the ground, picking up a broken leaf-shaped sword from the remains. "Sniff~ such a familiar scent~ yet somehow strange~"

“My lord…” The sorcerer, shrouded in a black robe, bowed slightly. “You have done well. Resurrect the warriors one by one.”

"My lord... we haven't captured enough prototypes."

"What?" A black, ghostly wind swept in like a wave, engulfing the black-robed sorcerer. "M-My lord, please, please let me explain... Our plan to attack Hearth City... cough cough, failed."

"Hmph!" The winds of the netherworld dispersed. "Incompetent!"

“This is the general’s will,” the black-robed sorcerer said, rubbing his throat. This silenced the gray-haired man in front of him for a few seconds. “Hmph, since it is the general’s will, then so be it.” The man looked at his companions who had emerged from the other cocoons. They all had the same gray-haired hair, but their appearances were all different.

"Prepare enough bodies for us. These rotten skeletons won't do anything!" As he spoke, he saw several large pits in the village, with smoky gray crystals scattered around. The charred bones were no longer of any use for resurrection.

"What's going on?" "The intruders are carrying a very powerful alchemical bomb."

"Those alchemists again!" the man roared, but quickly regained his composure. "Fine, get my weapon ready." A heavy blade was presented to the man, its surface inlaid with tiny runes. The moment he grasped it, it ignited with illusory ghostly fire, and the death crystals embedded in the hilt shimmered.

These gray-haired monsters, transformed from living people, donned prepared armor made of skeletons and metal, transforming into figures identical to the Death Knights, only taller and more robust.

"Whoosh!" A bright green arrow flew straight toward the head. "Clang!" The arrow struck the broadsword, sending bright green sparks flying everywhere. The zombie servant that was hit by the sparks was instantly burned, leaving a large patch of flesh burned and emitting a foul stench.

The knight turned his head and looked around. Only the shadows of the trees swayed gently in the woods. "An elf..." As expected, unfortunately, it was just an ordinary ranger. Moreover, he knew the elves' nature better than anyone else.

Although they have good looks and a love for nature, it doesn't mean they are kind. On the contrary, procrastination and treachery are the hallmarks of these guys. It's almost impossible to expect those high-ranking elven nobles to come up with a solution within a year or two.

This also means that in most stories, these elves are the last to arrive. However, this is just a story. In reality, elves are late most of the time, making it hard to believe whether this is due to their protracted political games or a deliberate tactic to wear down others.

Unlike the fantasy stories Roach was familiar with, in this world, elves did not have a good reputation among most non-elf races. Their exquisite craftsmanship and beauty were as famous as their insidious, cunning, and unethical nature. And because they had done so many troublesome things, they naturally earned the same reputation and word of mouth as the British Empire.

Even fairies, who are known for their mischievousness and are often confused with ordinary people, have a better reputation than them. At least fairies truly keep their promises and don't cause trouble in serious matters. Of course, this only refers to the characteristics of the entire race. Individually speaking, there are elves who are true to their word and willing to sacrifice their lives, as well as cunning, treacherous, and clever orcs, and in considerable numbers.

These "rangers," who were exiled or exiled themselves for various reasons, are the positive figures among the elves, and also the most hated and familiar opponents for the resurrected knights.

A few days later, on the outskirts of Hearth City.

"Let me tell you, golden honey flowers are only at their best when they're in this season," Titania chattered, flitting around Livia and occasionally landing on her cloak, the girl's light golden hair swaying slightly with her movements.

The light white silk skirt brushed against the wild grass on the ground, and the gold rune embroidery on the hem was not stained by a single blade of grass. All the thorns and clods of earth avoided those little feet as much as possible.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the treetops, and the girl tilted her head back slightly, her emerald eyes sparkling. As she raised her hand, the wind swirled through the woods, carrying countless petals that gently lifted her golden hair. Golden petals gathered in her palm, and specks of nectar fell into the small bowl formed by the overlapping petals, quickly accumulating into a shallow layer.

"Sniff sniff~" The fairy suddenly stopped and lightly landed on the girl's shoulder. "There's a smell of blood." As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of fighting came.

The serpentine dagger made of spirit steel pierced the flesh with a soft thud. The young ranger was certain he had severed the monster's muscles and tendons, while the monster merely switched hands and clumsily swung its longsword, exposing its vital heart.

The ranger gripped his other dagger. "Very well, now comes the final blow." He activated [Transcendent Combat Skill - Shadow Step], transforming into a shadow as he approached the strange man. However, the next second, dozens of golden, illusory thorns shot out from the shadow, entangled with the elf's position.

He instinctively twisted his body to avoid the thorns with his extraordinary agility, but in the next instant, the thorns exploded, and countless energy arrows with tracking capabilities spread in all directions.

Then, the abundant life-giving magic in the forest was violently detonated, coating the energy arrow with a layer of emerald green light patterns, causing the arrow to transform into countless emerald green vines that entwine around it.

"Hmm?" The elven ranger stepped on a vine, flipped over and landed on his body, which had several wounds and was bleeding.

"Ah, it's the entanglement effect..." If there's any flaw in the Elemental Ritual, it's that the environmental source effect of the detonation is unpredictable. In other words, Roach has no control over what will happen after you detonate it.

"Huff~ Huff~" Elf Game adjusted his breathing, his only intact left hand gripping the dagger in reverse and holding it in front of him, his expression firm and resolute.

"Hey buddy, what's our deep-seated grudge?" Roach pulled the blade out of his arm, completely ignoring the dripping blood. Anyway, the little witch was nearby, so as long as it didn't kill him on the spot, he could just pretend it didn't exist.

Just as Luo Qi thought of the little witch, he felt a series of subtle tingling sensations in the flesh and blood on his arm. The splattered blood and the severed tendons curled up and straightened back together, and even the scattered pieces of flesh flew back and healed.

The elven ranger was dumbfounded by this scene, fearing that the guy might suddenly say, "Let's end this riddle," and then reveal his true form as a demon king.

Before the ranger could react, the soil, tree roots, surrounding vines, and even the sunlight itself seemed to twist and turn towards him, transforming into countless chains that pinned him to the ground. His hands were bound by golden chains of light, his neck was choked by a semi-transparent wind, and vines wrapped around his legs, fixing him firmly in place.

"..." An emotion that Luo Qi had never seen before flowed in her emerald eyes. In the shadow cast by her light golden bangs, the emerald light in her eyes was like a leaping ghost fire. The girl slowly walked closer, raised her palm to the sky, and the sunlight gathered in her palm, turning into a golden spear like lightning.

"Holy crap, a Sunlight Lightning Spear!?" Roach almost blurted out the soul-searching question: "Torch-linking, girl!" His second reaction was, "Coach, I want to learn this!!!" Damn, that's fucking cool!

The crackling spear of light pressed down on the elven ranger's shoulder, instantly turning his leather armor to ashes. His flesh was scorched black and curled up. The ranger gritted his teeth, enduring this terrible torment.

The girl's voice was devoid of any emotion, only endless indifference, devoid even of murderous intent, as if the person before her was merely a lifeless plaything. Just as the elven ranger was preparing to bravely sacrifice himself, she cried out, "Why did you attack my guards and pets!"

"Huh!?" The ranger glanced at the monster whose soul was bound to its body, then looked at the girl in front of him who moved with the world's underlying energy as naturally as training a dog. "A pet?" You keep a necromancer as a pet?

However, looking at the lightning spear formed by the gathering sunlight on his shoulder, he remained silent. The Sunlight Spear was an absolute killing spell for those undead. With just one strike, those soul-bound corpses would turn to ashes. With such power, he could indeed keep anything as a pet.

"This is a soul-bound corpse."

"A soul-bound corpse?" The girl shook her head. "Rocky isn't a soul-bound corpse."

How could Livia not know if it was a Soul-Binding Corpse? Soul-Binding Corpses are undead monsters created by sacrificing living people and locking their souls into their bodies. The teacher's magic book recorded a relatively complete ritual process. Due to the mismatch between the soul and the body, most Soul-Binding Corpses have disordered minds and crazy personalities.

Furthermore, because the soul is protected by the body of a living person, most measures to counter the undead are not very effective against the soul-bound corpse, and it is also difficult to kill the body. It is a kind of undead monster that combines the characteristics of the undead and the living, and is the biggest historical crime and black mark of the psychic.

At the same time, the Soul-Binding Corpse possesses all the memories and skills of a soul. However, the Soul-Binding Corpse's soul is also complete. Once it is broken to a certain extent, it will vanish into thin air, and its body will also collapse and disintegrate. But Roach is different; his soul and body are two sides of the same coin.