Chapter 28: The City of Zacchaeus

A flash of white light streaked across the air, and Han Shuo, together with a group of students from the Necromancy discipline, materialized out of thin air within a circular magic array etched with arcane symbols.

Last night, Han Shuo had experimented three times, discovering he could truly send his little skeleton to another dimension and then summon it back again. Overjoyed, he went home, retrieved the purse hidden beneath his bed, and prepared for the coming trial outside the academy.

Now, Han Shuo’s face was awash with astonishment. His eyes darted ceaselessly as he carefully examined the magic array in which he stood. The array was circular, a vast hexagram inscribed upon the stone below his feet, its perimeter marked by pillars engraved with intricate magical motifs. A faint magical aura emanated from the entire formation.

Moments ago, Han Shuo had been at the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts, standing upon a similar teleportation array. When it activated, he felt a surge of powerful magic all around him, and after a flash of white light, he found himself here.

From the chatter of his fellow students, Han Shuo understood this was a magical teleportation array—an exceedingly precious and complex piece of magic. Even the most skilled magicians required numerous magical materials to construct such an array.

“Stop gawking. The magic teleportation array is indeed wondrous, but there’s no need to act so surprised,” Lisa, standing beside Han Shuo, remarked upon seeing him stare about in bewilderment.

Magic truly was miraculous. Though Han Shuo had heard of such teleportation arrays before, this was his first experience, and it felt utterly unbelievable. After scrutinizing the array and its surroundings, he finally ceased his inspection.

Han Shuo knew well that with his meager grasp of magical theory, he could neither construct such an array nor even comprehend its principles if explained to him. The materials required for such an array were immense; even the empire could not install these arrays in every city. The energy needed to operate them was vast, beyond the means of ordinary nobles.

If not for the Babylon Academy’s teleportation array, Han Shuo—thanks to the company of these students—would likely never have set foot upon one in his lifetime.

This place was Zakyas City on the border of the Lancelot Empire, the largest city in the southwest. To its west lay the Korlan Valley; beyond that, was the land of the beastmen. To the south stretched the Shadowy Forest, home to powerful magical beasts and nature-worshipping elves.

Zakyas was rarely peaceful. The empire stationed numerous troops here to defend against barbarian invasions. It was said the beastmen’s lands were barren, and so they coveted Lancelot’s fertile soil. Zakyas, as the empire’s largest defensive stronghold in the southwest, was frequently targeted by beastmen.

The Shadowy Forest was hardly tranquil either. Though the elves, who worshipped peace and nature, maintained amicable relations with the empire, magical beasts often emerged from the forest, disturbing nearby villages and making the region restless.

Perhaps it was this constant unrest that compelled the empire to invest heavily in building the teleportation array within the city—to facilitate communication with Zakyas. But the energy cost was so great, and the capacity so limited, that large-scale military deployments were impossible.

Zakyas’s unique position made it a paradise for adventurers. Merchants and explorers of every stripe flocked here, eager to strike it rich.

The crystal cores, bones, and hides of magical beasts from the Shadowy Forest, priceless magical equipment forged by elves, rare gems produced by the beastmen, and countless other lucrative items—all these were the targets of fortune-seekers.

“Honored magicians, welcome to Zakyas City. I hope you enjoy your stay and find what you seek,” said an official in charge of the teleportation array, bowing respectfully to Han Shuo and his companions.

“Thank you for your kind words. I’m certain we will reap ample rewards,” Fanny responded with a smile, glanced at the necromancy students, and cautioned softly, “This is no peaceful place. Everyone, be careful—let’s avoid any mishaps. Come, let’s go.”

With that, Fanny led the way down the main street, and the students, like Han Shuo, looked around curiously, taking in the sights and sounds.

There were twelve in total: Fanny and Gene, both senior magicians of the Necromancy discipline, and nine students plus Han Shuo. Fitch, another teacher, was absent, busy with his own advancement to senior magician.

Among the nine students, only Derek was an intermediate magician; the rest were junior magicians and apprentices, their abilities varied.

The buildings lining the street were constructed from sturdy stone—less ornate than those elsewhere in the empire, but more austere and robust. In Zakyas, under constant threat of beastman attacks, not only were the city walls built to be impregnable, but even the buildings prioritized resilience.

Along the way, Han Shuo noticed countless shops: for weapons, potions, magical items, food and provisions, as well as taverns, slave auction houses, and markets for trading materials.

Clearly, the merchants understood what goods were most profitable given the region’s unique geography. Frequenting these establishments were warriors, knights, magicians from various disciplines, thieves, archers, merchants, bards, and even slender, sharp-eared, strikingly handsome elves from the Shadowy Forest.

The shouts of vendors, the lilting verses of poets, the neighing of knights’ steeds, and the clashing of weapons during occasional skirmishes formed a cacophony. The scenes before him far surpassed Han Shuo’s imagination, giving him a clearer understanding of this chaotic city.

“There’s nothing worth gawking at. We need to leave the city before nightfall—this is not a place for us to linger. Our next destination is Doro Town. If we don’t arrive before dark, we’ll be sleeping under the stars tonight,” Gene called out, urging the students to quicken their pace.

“They’re all hothouse flowers. For some, this is their first visit to Zakyas, no wonder they’re so curious. They’ll get used to it eventually,” Fanny remarked, her bright eyes scanning the newcomers, who were brimming with excitement.

“Brian, are you alright carrying so much?” Lisa frowned at Han Shuo, voicing her concern.

“Oh? Lisa, since when do you care so much about Brian? That’s not like you!” Bella, a junior magician, looked at Lisa with surprise, her tone teasing.

Han Shuo had come with them not only to handle miscellaneous tasks but also to serve as the group’s pack mule. Though there were wondrous spatial rings in this world, they were prohibitively expensive—even most nobles could not acquire one.

Neither the necromancy teachers nor their students owned a spatial ring, and with the many items needed for their journey, Han Shuo, as a servant, naturally took on the burden.

His back, shoulders, wrists, and even legs were loaded with goods. At first, few believed he could manage so much, but when they piled it all upon him and saw he could still walk with ease, they added even more in astonishment.

Han Shuo could have feigned weakness to shirk some of the burden, but wishing to strengthen himself, he readily accepted the task. Now, his entire body was laden with goods—even his neck hung with several pouches, leaving only a dusty face exposed.

“I’m fine,” Han Shuo replied to Lisa with a relaxed smile. Since his “sincere and passionate” confession in the trap last time, Lisa’s attitude toward him had changed markedly, her words now hinting at concern.

Seeing Han Shuo dismiss her good intentions so easily, Lisa snorted and muttered, “Ungrateful fool, truly an idiot.”

“This is all thanks to you! Without your soul torment, Brian wouldn’t be so foolish. But it’s strange—since then, he’s grown taller and sturdier, and now his endurance has improved too. Lisa, you’re remarkable!” Bella exclaimed, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“Bella, mind your own business. There’s no need for your chatter,” Lisa shot Bella a cold glance.

“Hmph, who cares about your affairs? I was just curious,” Bella retorted.

“All right, enough. Settle down and hurry up—if we don’t reach Doro Town before nightfall, you delicate souls will suffer,” Fanny chided, then glanced at Han Shuo and said gently, “Brian, are you truly okay?”

Han Shuo nodded with a smile. “I’m fine. Eating well has improved my strength.”

At his words, Fanny laughed and said, “It seems my request to the academy for better meals for you has paid off.”

After that, the group ceased their chatter, the students refrained from further sightseeing, and everyone hurried toward the city gates.