Chapter 116: Actually, I Am a Necromancer!

"Kill that madman, quickly!" the other fallen swordsman shouted sharply.

"Shut your mouth!" The swordsman walking toward Han Shuo suddenly turned his head, glared coldly at the man behind him, and said with a stiff voice, "If you dare to spout any more nonsense, I will kill you along with him!"

At these words, the man froze, staring at him with a look of complete confusion. "Felance, what has gotten into you?" he asked, his voice thick with bewilderment.

Felance, who was walking toward Han Shuo with his sword drawn, was filled with excitement and greed. His gaze remained locked solely on Han Shuo as he said excitedly, "I am about to make a huge fortune. You had better not stand in my way, or I will make sure you die right alongside him."

By now, the man finally understood what was happening. Felance had been consumed by greed; his mind no longer held any trace of his comrades, only a burning obsession with striking it rich.

Stung by a sharp pain in his mind, Han Shuo gradually awakened from his demonic state. After a brief moment of disorientation, he recalled everything that had just happened and immediately realized the urgency of the situation.

"The loot from the Gorgon and the Dagma fruits—they will all be mine soon! Die, you evil madman!" Felance fixed his eyes greedily on the space ring on Han Shuo’s finger, his face twisted in a dark, excited grin.

As soon as he finished speaking, Felance raised his longsword and thrust it toward Han Shuo’s chest. It was clear he intended to end Han Shuo’s life first before claiming the ring to examine its contents.

A necromantic incantation was rapidly chanted by Han Shuo. Just as Felance’s sword reached his chest, it was blocked by a bone blade that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Actually, I am a necromancer," Han Shuo said coldly, watching the horrified Felance with a strange expression.

To Felance’s terror, the Little Skeleton pushed forward, forcing him to stumble back. Then, the little skeleton—its eye covered by a large patch—closed in rapidly, bone blade in hand. Amidst the clashing of steel, the heroic little skeleton struck down the already-injured Felance.

Han Shuo showed no mercy to the other heavily wounded swordsman who had been shouting for his death. With a simple command, the Little Skeleton dispatched him as well.

This group had used despicable tactics from the moment they appeared, never showing a shred of kindness. Han Shuo was no innocent; he understood that blood for blood was the only fitting conclusion for them.

The appearance of the skeleton had saved Han Shuo just as he was about to be killed, completely reversing the situation. The Little Skeleton expertly rifled through the corpses, gathering every item of value for Han Shuo to store in his space ring.

Of the three, only the high-level electric mage had any real belongings—a valuable magic staff, several hundred gold coins, and two or three third- or fourth-tier magic beast cores. Aside from their low-quality swords and a few scattered coins, the two swordsmen had nothing else.

Lying on the ground, Han Shuo understood that once he entered the demonic state, his mind became trapped in a murderous frenzy, and he would not wake until his demonic energy and physical strength were completely exhausted. This time, not only were his reserves drained, but the repeated blows he had suffered made this the most severe injury of his life—worse even than the wounds inflicted by the Manticore on Odyssey.

Fortunately, Han Shuo’s body was far more resilient than Odyssey’s. Although he looked like a ghastly demon and was too weak to even stand, he knew his own condition; he would recover in a short time, even without the aid of medicine.

Han Shuo had always kept his identity as a necromancer hidden, as harboring secrets could save his life in a critical moment. Had he not been able to use his mental energy, he surely would have died today. If these people had known his true nature beforehand, the outcome might have been very different.

With a series of incantations, several zombie warriors and skeleton warriors appeared around Han Shuo, surrounding him with weapons drawn to handle any unexpected developments.

Once awake, Han Shuo immediately re-established contact with his Demon General. Through its eyes, he saw that Trance and the others had reunited and were searching the area for him.

Though physically weak and unable to move or speak loudly, Han Shuo had plenty of dark creatures at his disposal. Upon his command, the Little Skeleton caused a massive commotion, sending brushwood flying everywhere.

"There's movement over there! Let's go check it out!" Trance, with his sharp hearing, immediately sensed the disturbance and led the group toward Han Shuo’s location.

Han Shuo quickly sent the summoned dark creatures back to the netherworld. Before long, the group led by Trance finally arrived at his side.

"What happened?" Trance exclaimed, rushing toward Han Shuo.

Han Shuo looked wretched—his body was scorched and blackened by fire, his face so charred he was nearly unrecognizable. It was a testament to Trance’s keen eyes that he could identify him at all.

"I'm fine. I didn't expect to run into this bunch," Han Shuo said, his voice weak as he managed a bitter smile.

"It was my negligence. I was so surprised by your unconventional methods that I let my guard down, leading to this situation. But it's nothing major; things like this happen every day in the Dark Forest. I’m already used to it," Trance said, shrugging with relief that Han Shuo was still alive.

Afra, Nia, and Gordon came over to check on Han Shuo one by one. Afra remarked with a touch of emotion, "It seems Caspian was right; Trance really is a decent person. At the very least, he only wanted the loot from the two-headed dragon last time, didn't ambush us, didn't try to kill us, and didn't harbor any lecherous thoughts. Compared to these people, I finally understand what Caspian meant. I actually thought he was joking."

Hearing Afra, the group recalled their encounter with Trance and then thought of the actions of the men just now. Suddenly, Trance seemed quite benevolent by comparison.

"Actually, I’m not as good as you think, and I’m constantly changing," Trance explained with a casual shrug. "When I first came to the Dark Forest, I was just as naive as you, and I trusted my companions completely. But after act after act, I realized that in this place, you can trust no one but yourself. The omnipresent danger forces you to harden your heart; otherwise, any hint of kindness or weakness could cost you your life."

"Just now, what was that?" Nia asked, hesitating, still shaken as she looked at Han Shuo.

At her question, all eyes turned to Han Shuo, waiting for a reasonable explanation. After all, his methods had been brutal, and his expression entirely unlike his usual self.

"The martial arts I practice are incomplete. If I am subjected to extreme stimulation, it can force me into a terrifying state that I cannot control. I apologize for the confusion my anger caused; I didn't want this to happen, but it’s beyond my control," Han Shuo explained, unable to tell them the truth about his demonic arts.

"I see. You were truly terrifying just now. If this technique is uncontrollable, you really should give it up, or it might lead to unpredictable consequences," Afra said sincerely.

Han Shuo didn't take her advice to heart. If the demonic state could be easily controlled, it wouldn't be "demonic." It only occurred when his cultivation reached a certain stage and his state of mind was compromised. For him, it was a matter of caution and vigilance, not a reason to abandon his cultivation.

"Alright, let's get Han out of here. We can talk about everything else once we’ve reunited with Odyssey," Trance said, eyeing Han Shuo with a hint of curiosity before turning to Afra.

The group agreed. Gordon and another swordsman fashioned a makeshift stretcher, loaded Han Shuo onto it, and began moving toward where Odyssey was hiding.

Along the way, Han Shuo learned from Trance that the group they had fought were private guards of the Medivh Trading Company. Trance had pursued them and killed several, but retreated once he realized they were regrouping with a larger force, fearing for Han Shuo’s safety.

Han Shuo had heard of the Medivh Trading Company; it was a massive merchant guild like Buster, which Phoebe had been troubled by recently. It was rumored to specialize in smuggling contraband between nations and held tight ties to powerful officials. The company belonged to the Bart Merchant Alliance, not the Lancelot Empire, and its recent frequent appearances in Lancelot had caused significant losses to Phoebe's business.

Han Shuo’s injuries were ghastly. Under normal circumstances, any person would be screaming in agony from the jolting journey, yet for the half-hour trek, Han Shuo—whose wounds had only been briefly tended to—never uttered a single sound of pain. The group was left in awe of his extraordinary endurance.

Not only that, he had the energy to keep talking to Trance, asking about the Medivh Trading Company as if the gruesome wounds covering his body belonged to someone else.

When they arrived at the cave they had dug and saw Odyssey emerge, grimacing in pain, Gordon finally couldn't hold back anymore. Looking at Han Shuo, he voiced everyone’s thoughts: "Han, what kind of monster are you?"

Han Shuo just chuckled. His pain tolerance had reached such a monstrous level that he didn't know how to answer. He simply shook his head and said, "I just have a slightly thicker skin than the rest of you."

After Nia explained what had happened, a recovering Odyssey was left stunned by the ordeal.

"Sister Nia, I think I should go back. My grandfather must be worried," Angelica said, feeling a bit bored after being ignored.

Nia slapped her forehead. "I almost forgot! Let's go. I’ll take you to him immediately. It’s too dangerous here; don't go wandering off again."

Angelica nodded, said her goodbyes with a sweet smile, and as she reached Han Shuo, she waved and said, "Goodbye, bad man!"

"Nia, will you be alright on your own? Gordon, go with her," Odyssey suggested, frowning.

Nia shook her head with a smile. "No need, Captain. Her grandfather is nearby. I’ll shout if there’s any trouble."

With that, Nia took Angelica and disappeared into the distance.

"I believe I have fulfilled my promise. It’s time for me to leave," Trance said, looking at Han Shuo.

After spending this time together, Han Shuo realized Trance wasn't as bad as the rumors suggested. He had even subconsciously begun to view Trance as a companion, and hearing him leave felt strange.

"Can't you see it through to the end? I'm so heavily injured; you should stay and look after me for a while longer. It won't be too late to leave once we’re out of this dangerous area," Han Shuo said with a cheeky grin.

"That wasn't part of our deal. My promise was fulfilled the moment we got the fruits. Helping you with those enemies was already extra. Don't be too greedy!"

"Look at me—I'm injured, and Odyssey can't fight either. It won't be easy for the rest of us to get out of here in one piece. Surely you aren't heartless enough to abandon us?"

Trance was silent for a moment before saying, "Fine. Han, promise me one thing, and I will protect you until you reach a relatively safe area."

"What thing?" Han Shuo asked, taken aback.

"I won't say for now. Just remember that you owe me."

"Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word? Heh, I'm not exactly known for my integrity!"

"I trust you," Trance said, staring deep into Han Shuo’s eyes.

Han Shuo fell silent, meeting his gaze. Then, he smiled his usual cheeky grin and nodded. "Fine, I promise!"

Odyssey watched them with a look of relief, suddenly feeling that the two were much alike—both mysterious, both powerful, both resilient, and both cold and decisive when the situation demanded it.

As Odyssey stared at him, Han Shuo turned to him and said seriously, "Your purpose in coming to the Dark Forest was the Dagma fruits. I know you didn't have high hopes, and it seems you didn't value them as much as I thought. As a friend, I have to ask: do you really need them?"

"Not really. Our main goal was to train. Getting anything of value was just luck. We never truly expected to find the fruits, and since they make normal people go mad, we have no use for them. We only agreed to look for them as a favor to someone else," Odyssey explained earnestly. "Why do you ask, Han?"

Han Shuo exhaled and smiled. "Because I want to keep them all. The martial arts I practice cause a loss of sanity, just like they mentioned earlier. If I have the Dagma fruits, I can mitigate that. If you don't need them, I’d like to take all three, and I can compensate you with gold coins!"

"Just take them then! We've already gained too much. You gave us all the magic beast cores from the two-headed dragon and the Gorgon, which is more than enough for a fortune. If you need them, take them all. Don't mention compensation; that would be insulting," Odyssey said with a carefree laugh.

Afra and Gordon agreed, telling Han Shuo not to be so formal.

"Very well, I won't be polite then." Han Shuo truly needed the fruits for his current stage of cultivation, so he accepted without further hesitation.

In the following days, with the Demon General scouting and Trance providing protection, the group made their way back, hoping to leave the depths of the Dark Forest as soon as possible.

Within a few days, Han Shuo, who had previously been too weak to move, was walking on his own. The scorched skin on his arms and face peeled away, revealing smooth, fair skin without a single trace of burns.

The charred hair and skin had returned to normal, leaving Odyssey and the others wondering once again what kind of monster he was.

His demonic energy was also recovering rapidly. He carefully stored the Dagma fruits, planning to consume them only when he was back at the Death Graveyard and entirely alone.

One day, the Demon General spotted a large party traveling with earth dragons. Han Shuo recognized the high-level mage Rian among them and realized they must be from the Medivh Trading Company.

Calculating the distance, he realized they were nearing the dwelling of the Forest Trolls. He remembered those notorious bandits were still waiting for instructions from their "Great God Dadala," and thinking of the despicable things the Medivh guards had done to him, a cold, vicious smile curled across Han Shuo’s lips.