Chapter 5

As one of the underground gathering places in the northern lands, Brandon Stone City is a source of pride for the gray dwarves. It is more of a massive cave than a city. Countless gray dwarves have used their blood and lives to carve out this vast space and build a bustling and lively city within it. Naturally, this place has also attracted countless intelligent races, who gather here from all over to take a brief rest, conduct trade, or settle down.

For the gray dwarves of Brandon Stone City, travelers are the least noteworthy things they see in their long lives.

So when the guards at the city gate saw a thin figure in a black robe approaching, they did not feel anything different.

"Stop! Traveler! This is Brandon Stone City. What are you here for?!"

The gray dwarf guard strode forward, frowned, and carefully examined the group in front of him.

The one at the front was clearly a mage. The gray dwarves did not have much good will toward these spellcasters, but they were not as afraid of them as others were. Although the gray dwarves' bloodline naturally restricted them from becoming mages, it also granted them extraordinary resistance to magic. Ordinary mages were not taken seriously by these gray dwarves.

Following the black-robed mage was a girl in a bright red dress, with a head of dazzling golden hair that made her stand out. She was currently hugging her arms, squinting her eyes, and looking at the guard with a haughty gaze.

There were no strong guards, nor anything outstanding about them. Just one glance was enough to make one doubt how they had managed to survive the endless darkness of the dark passage and reach Brandon Stone City.

"Answer my question, traveler! Take out your luggage and weapons for inspection!"

Perhaps because he thought he could get some extra money, a gray dwarf loudly shouted, raising his spear and pointing it at the black-robed mage.

But soon, he regretted his actions.

"Scram."

A cold, deep voice came from the black-robed mage. Along with this voice, a translucent ghost suddenly appeared between the two. She was completely transparent, wearing tattered robes, and her emerald green hair spread out in all directions as if immersed in water.

Then, the banshee suddenly reached out and grabbed the spear the gray dwarf was holding. Before the gray dwarf could react, bone-chilling cold, capable of freezing the soul, surged through the spear and rushed into the gray dwarf's body without stopping.

Although gray dwarves had strong resistance to magic, no living being could withstand the strike of death. The unfortunate guard let out a scream and was thrown backward, crashing heavily into the thick stone wall. His face turned blue, and a large patch of white frost had formed on his beard. His short body trembled uncontrollably from the cold.

Seeing this, the other two guards, who had originally intended to come to the rescue, stopped in their tracks, their faces pale as they looked at the black-robed mage. Although they did not know who the mage was, the appearance of the banshee and the terrifying aura of death had already revealed his true identity.

A necromancer!

"Hmph..."

Glancing at the gray dwarves who had stopped in their tracks, Zane snorted coldly and then walked toward the city. This time, no one dared to block his path. Even the others who planned to enter the city held their breath, watching the three with fear and dread.

Only after they disappeared did the air, which had seemed frozen, begin to flow again. Soon, one of the gray dwarf guards ran into the city and vanished in the blink of an eye.

"It seems those gray dwarves have already started to act, Master."

Narrowing her eyes and smiling elegantly, Enya turned her gaze from the depths of the alley and then looked at Zane.

"What are your plans?"

In response to Enya's question, Zane first habitually pushed up his glasses and then spoke.

"Gray dwarves are cautious and greedy creatures. I can guarantee that the arrival of a necromancer is enough to make the city's ruler lose sleep. If he doesn't want his city to become a feast for ghouls, he will certainly come to me... When that time comes, they will try to lure me with generous rewards to serve them or help them solve problems that the gray dwarves themselves dare not risk. All we need to do is wait quietly until that moment arrives."

Saying this, Zane paused for a moment, but soon a strange smile appeared on his face, hidden by his cloak.

"I believe they won't make me wait too long."

Rumors always spread the fastest and widest in any era. By the time Zane entered the inn and even before he had a chance to close the door to his room, the news of a necromancer appearing in Brandon Stone City had already spread throughout the city.

And the undercurrents began to stir.

However, Zane did not care about these trivial matters at all. In fact, while the outside world was bustling for him, Zane himself was nestled in his room, smiling as he examined the information that appeared before him.

[Banshee Guard (Silver Elite)]

[Number: Ten]

[Level: 1]

[Attack: 3]

[Defense: 10 (Ethereal)]

[Special Ability: Soul Penetration (No physical obstacle exists for them; nothing can resist the caress from the depths of the soul—Penetration +15, Damage x3)]

[Special Ability: Soul Devour (Despair is a fragrant wine, pain is a delicious steak, fear is a fine dessert, and death is the main course—Devouring the soul of a defeated enemy restores health and mana)]

[Special Ability: Undead Transformation (Death is not the end but the beginning. Only by giving up the desire for life can one fall into this eternal cold world—Has a chance to transform the opponent into an undead creature)]

Three special abilities!

Although he had expected it, Zane still smiled with joy. Special abilities were unique to rare elites, and the number of them was entirely random. A fully upgraded, highest-level rare unit had five special skills, and now his summoned Banshee Guard had three, which was already excellent!

Moreover, the Banshee Guard had a defense of ten points, plus resistance to physical attacks due to their ethereal form, and the ability to transform into undead creatures, making them the best summoning units in the early stages.

Most importantly, as undead, they did not need to eat. At most, they would consume the soul fragments of enemies to recover. Even without soul fragments, they could exist by relying on the magic provided by Zane's dungeon, without competing with Zane for food.

Zane was not a necromancer. As previously mentioned, although he had learned a lot of knowledge in the demon library, he could not use these spells due to his own limitations. Therefore, necromancy was the same. Until now, as the dungeon lord, Zane could only cast the two basic spells, "Thunderclap" and "Flame Serpent," which were system-provided.

The reason he could pretend to be a necromancer was thanks to his Banshee Guard. As long as these ghostly banshees were by his side, even if Zane said he was not a necromancer, no one would believe him.

In fact, the reason Zane chose to disguise himself and come here was not just to show off. A dungeon needed many resources to develop, but Zane did not have many resources himself. If he could let the goblins mine minerals like ores and crystals, building materials and food could only be obtained through purchase and trade.

Especially wood, which was invaluable in the dark underground. Many of Zane's dungeon's later buildings required wood to construct—Zane could not expect to grow trees himself, let alone in a world without sunlight, where obtaining seedlings was a big problem.

If it were his siblings, they could simply send a large army to force these cities to submit and pay tribute. However, Zane did not have such overwhelming power. Therefore, to ensure the stable and long-term development of his dungeon, he had to take the lead.

That was why Zane chose to appear in Brandon Stone City as a necromancer, a figure both respected and feared. He believed the gray dwarves would not ignore him, this ticking time bomb. As long as they sent someone to find him, Zane could take the opportunity to make demands. At that time, he could obtain the resources he needed without arousing anyone's suspicion.

And the facts proved that Zane's thinking was correct.

On the second morning after they arrived, five gray dwarves in luxurious clothing knocked on the door of Zane's room.

"Hello, honored mage."

The lead gray dwarf, wearing a half-armor adorned with intricate and exquisite patterns, smiled warmly, almost excessively, and looked at Zane with enthusiasm.

"To be honest, Brandon Stone City has not seen a mage in a long time. They are the greatest and most powerful beings in this world, and I think you can understand how we felt when we learned that a mage had deigned to visit us. As the governor, I represent the entire population of Brandon Stone City in extending the warmest welcome to you."

Governor Kadec, excitedly rubbing his hands, looked more like a hotel manager welcoming guests than the governor of a city.

"My name is Zane."

Still hiding his true face under his cloak, Zane sat in his chair and nodded at the gray dwarf governor.

"You don't need to be too nervous. In fact, I came to Brandon Stone City just to find a relatively quiet place, free from the disturbances of those foolish underground monsters, to conduct experiments. If you don't bother me, then nothing will happen."

"Th-this..."

Hearing this, Kadec's chubby cheeks twitched. By the stone, a necromancer wanted to conduct experiments in his city?

Kadec could almost envision the festive scene of plagues, ghouls, and undead creatures celebrating Halloween in the city!

However, as one of the most cunning and deceitful races in the underground, Kadec was not as foolish as his distant cousins, the dwarves. After hearing Zane's words, he only showed a slight look of panic, then again displayed an extremely warm smile.

"This is wonderful! We never thought that such a powerful mage like you would come to our city. I can assure you, honored mage, that Brandon Stone City welcomes your arrival. How about this? We will provide you with a building for your experiments free of charge, and we guarantee that no one will disturb your work. However..."

Saying this, Kadec rubbed his hands, looked up at Zane almost imperceptibly, and then lowered his head again.

"...If possible, I would boldly ask the honored mage to help us solve a small problem..."

Hearing this, Zane and Enya exchanged glances, both seeing the hidden smiles in each other's eyes.

Indeed, the main event had arrived.