Chapter 5

Riding in a carriage, it takes about a day and a half to travel from Raven Ridge to Morning Mist Town. It is said that ten thousand years ago, it was the royal burial ground of a certain kingdom.

This rumor attracted a large number of adventurers, but none of them found the treasure and became rich overnight. Instead, they became the lunch of the ghouls.

Two thousand years ago, the Southern Legion of the Beastmen and the Troll Tribes from the Dragon Hills joined forces to invade Frankfurt. However, they were defeated by the wise and ambitious King Frankfurt VI in the Western Border.

In this battle, the total number of soldiers killed on both sides exceeded one million. The bodies covered the Redwood County, and the flowing blood turned the land into a swamp.

The spirits of the dead did not dissipate and hovered in the sky for months. The residents of the Western Border did not see the sun for months.

To prevent an epidemic after the war, King VI ordered the soldiers to collect the bodies and throw them all into Raven Ridge. Initially, they were burned, but with the large number of bodies and the departure of the king, the generals in charge of the aftermath began to handle the situation negligently, disposing of the bodies hastily.

So many people died that some of the spirits did not perish. Over the endless years, they gradually absorbed magical energy and naturally evolved into undead creatures.

To ensure the safety of the border residents, the king once sent holy knights and priests to raid Raven Ridge until it no longer posed a threat. However, even so, people still avoided Raven Ridge like the plague and never set foot there.

"Kerosene lamp, candles, fishing line, five days' worth of food, clear water..." Danton checked the items needed for the expedition, confirmed they were correct, and packed them into a leather backpack.

"I also need first-aid potions, high-quality weapons, and it would be even better if I had a magic accessory for protection!"

Although he had prepared carefully, Danton still sighed when he saw his meager and shabby equipment. He was too poor to afford them.

"Perhaps this expedition is a wrong decision."

Danton sat at the round table by the window, using the dim light of the kerosene lamp, he picked up a quill pen, dipped it in ink, and listed the precautions for the journey. No matter how he calculated, the danger was over 60%.

The moonlight was like water, cool on the skin.

"I should quit!"

This thought just entered his mind and was immediately shaken off by Danton. Without the postman job, he needed a new source of income, or he wouldn't be able to pay for his sister's tuition.

To clear his mind, Danton opened the new law code he had bought. The beautiful words and the sonnets about legal stories were pleasing, and his fluctuating emotions gradually calmed down.

"If I become a mana user, the risk factor would be much smaller!"

Danton's elbow rested on the round table, his chin in his hand, gazing at the starry sky, filled with hope for the future.

If he reached the Soul Stage, regardless of his innate abilities, he could practice powerful martial arts and magic, significantly enhancing his strength to the point of being able to cut down ten or a hundred people.

Looking at the twinkling stars and enjoying the warm, water-like moonlight, Danton's mind became peaceful, and he unconsciously entered a meditative state.

To absorb mana, one must enter a meditative state. Most people are restless and cannot calm down, and even if they occasionally enter it, the amount of mana needed for advancement is so vast that these few times are like a drop in the bucket.

The depth of the meditative state determines the speed of mana absorption. Danton was now practicing the vortex meditation technique taught by his sister.

Usually, Danton could only enter a shallow meditative state, but now, he had broken through the boundary and entered a medium-depth meditative state.

Under the bright moonlight, the magical energy in the room gathered like a stream in the forest, increasingly faster, seeping into Danton's body.

The concentration of mana increased, and occasionally, spots of light like stars would flash.

Danton was like a vortex, greedily absorbing mana.

Danton, in his meditative state, did not notice that the law code was resonating with his soul, and three speckled light spots overflowed from the pages, like fireflies, emitting a warm glow. They were like magnets, drawing more mana from the surroundings.

Bang, bang, bang! A sudden loud knocking on the door startled Danton, and he exited the meditative state. His right hand trembled, and the quill pen he held left a streak of ink on the page.

"What is it?"

Seeing the ink streak cutting through the sonnet, like an ugly scar on a beautiful face, Danton was heartbroken.

"What are you doing? You're half an hour late. If I hadn't pleaded, Robinson would have already set off." Duran was puzzled; Danton was always punctual and would never make such a mistake.

"What?" Danton looked at the old mechanical clock on the table. He remembered finishing the preparations at around nine, but now it was already 12:30 AM.

"It's impossible, I meditated for over three hours?"

Danton was shocked, even forgetting to open the door for Duran. In the past, he could only meditate for up to forty minutes before his mind became restless and he had to exit. This was already among the top ten in Morning Mist Town, but now, it had extended nearly eight times.

Extending the meditation time is not a simple addition. Mana users, through meditation, cause mana to resonate and gather from the surroundings, which takes time. As the meditation time extends, the amount of mana absorbed per unit of time increases.

Of course, there is a concentration limit, and once it reaches saturation, it will not change.

"Open the door, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Danton got up, took a few steps, and found his body full of energy and his mind clear, as if he had endless strength.

He opened the door, letting Duran in, and then turned, deep in thought, heading towards the window. He wanted to grasp this strange feeling and figure out why his meditation time had extended.

Duran was about to complain but closed his mouth when he saw Danton's expression. He knew his friend was thinking about something important.

"What's the reason? Appreciating poetry, looking at the stars..." Danton recalled the details before his meditation, looking at the law code. There was no trace of mana on it, so it was not a magic item.

"Are you ready? Robinson must be waiting!" Duran looked at the clock, unable to hold back.

"Sorry, let's go." Danton put the quill pen back in the ink bottle and was about to close the law code when he suddenly froze. The ugly ink streak he had accidentally drawn had disappeared, as if it had never been there.

"What's wrong?" Duran picked up Danton's backpack, "Hurry up, Robinson will be impatient."

"Okay!" Danton picked up his dagger, tucked it into his boot, and walked out of the room. But when he was locking the door, he couldn't help but look at the law code again.

"I have to figure this out quickly!" Danton ran back, stuffed the law code and the ink bottle into his backpack.

Danton and Duran ran to the south street of Morning Mist Town. Before they could apologize, a pimply young man started berating them.

"Do you think you're the boss, making us wait so long?"

"Sorry, it's my fault." Danton did not argue.

"Forget it, it's not early. Everyone, get in the carriage, let's go!" Robinson stopped Tony, who was about to continue scolding, and urged everyone.

Next to them was a carriage pulled by two Oléron Highland horses, with supplies piled on the roof and tied down with thick ropes.

"Master, get in the carriage!" Kil opened the door, bowed slightly, and respectfully invited Robinson to board.

This slightly hunched middle-aged man was Robinson's servant and carriage driver. There was also a tall, muscular man named Pierre, carrying a Viking greatsword, exuding a tough and rugged aura.

"Why are you here?" Danton was surprised to see Will.

"I want to earn some extra money!"

According to Ballmer's character, Will knew he would be fired, so he thought about it all afternoon and, in the evening, found Robinson and asked to join the group.

If he performed well, he might be able to continue working with Robinson. After all, Robinson was a well-known young merchant in Morning Mist Town, and many young people aspired to be like him.

"Stop talking nonsense, get in the carriage!" Tony, picking his nose, pushed Will.

The night wind blew, and the crisp sound of hooves echoed as the carriage left the town, heading towards Raven Ridge.

"Robinson, you're really risking your life for wealth, daring to go to Raven Ridge!" Tony, a chatterbox, chewed on a sausage and teased Robinson in a muffled voice.

"There's no free lunch in this world. If you want to get rich, you have to take risks!" Robinson closed his eyes to rest.

Over a million bodies and ten thousand years have turned Raven Ridge into a dead land, suitable for the habitation of undead creatures and plants. Some of these plants and animals are materials for various magic potions, which can be sold to alchemists for a large profit.

Every year, some fearless adventurers enter Raven Ridge, but most of them have bad luck and become the lunch of ghouls.

"Why bring these two non-mana users as a burden?" Thor mocked Danton, his mouth full of meat.

"We have to give young people with dreams a chance!" Robinson smiled, revealing his white teeth, looking very sunny and likable.

"Thank you, boss!" Will was extremely grateful and started to change his tone.

Robinson nodded but sighed inwardly. Bringing these two was actually to use them as bait.

Even a first-stage Soul mana user has better physical attributes than well-trained ordinary soldiers. So, if they encounter danger and need to escape, these two young men will inevitably fall behind and attract the attention of the pursuing ghouls.

Danton did not hastily observe his companions in the carriage. There was still a day's journey, and there was plenty of time. After all, they had just met, and everyone was still observing each other, maintaining high vigilance. Scrutinizing them might cause discomfort and even conflict. Besides, Danton had more important things to do.

After lighting a candle, Danton took out the law code and started flipping through it.

Robinson glanced at it and lost interest. As an experienced merchant, his eyes were sharp, and the book had no mana fluctuations, making it very ordinary.

After carefully flipping through it and finding nothing unusual, Danton hesitated for a moment, then took out a quill pen, dipped it in ink, and drew a line on the blank space at the top of the page.

For ten minutes, nothing changed!

Danton frowned and this time wrote a few random words.

An hour passed, and still, nothing changed. Danton began to doubt his judgment.

"Did I make a mistake?" Danton wanted to give up but was not willing. If he found a way to extend his meditation time, he could quickly reach the Soul Stage.

"Try again!"

Danton was determined and decided to write more words, starting with a Shakespearean sonnet.

"Commoner, that's enough! If you write any more, I'll get angry!"

On the page, a row of elegant and free-flowing characters suddenly appeared, catching Danton's eye.