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Chapter 97
Chapter 97: Unsuccessful Operation, Fishing Plan
November 18, 2024, Author: Amnesty L
Inside a two-courtyard-deep residence on the outermost edge of the Central Residential District.
This was a residence combining Byzantine and European architectural styles. The house itself wasn't particularly large, but it boasted a considerably spacious courtyard.
A sense of refinement permeated it, both inside and out.
However, the overgrown weeds in the courtyard and the moss covering the lower parts of the surrounding walls indicated that this yard had been abandoned for some time.
In the Imperial Capital, a house of this style would certainly not have been affordable or habitable for ordinary people in the past, as it was a place reserved for nobles.
Even for the lowest-ranking noble—though that was, of course, before the Blood Emperor ascended to power.
In the spacious courtyard.
"Roaaar!" A piercing roar suddenly echoed, though the sound clearly lacked strength.
It was a troll.
Standing about two and a half meters tall, it was on the shorter side for an adult troll.
At this moment, it was bound to a sturdy stone chair, its head twisting incessantly, but its massive body remained utterly still, only occasionally twitching reflexively.
This peculiar state indicated that the troll had suffered some severe trauma, leaving only its head capable of movement.
"It fell out again. Roaring like that isn't good if people nearby hear."
Tang Zheng sighed softly, emerging from behind the troll. In his hands, he held two fist-sized, blood-covered bones.
By their shape, they were clearly cervical vertebrae, which he had just removed from the back of the troll's neck.
Severe damage to the cervical vertebrae wouldn't kill the troll due to its powerful regenerative abilities, but it would cause its body to lose control and become paralyzed, with only its head remaining active.
*Clack!*
Tang Zheng casually tossed the two cervical vertebrae toward the Lesser Soulhound that had been waiting patiently nearby.
"Awoo."
The Lesser Soulhound excitedly raised its head and snatched both bones in one go.
"Eat slowly. The next one won't be for another five days."
Tang Zheng casually reminded the Lesser Soulhound, then stepped forward, picking up the tattered rag that had fallen to the ground and stuffing it back into the troll's mouth.
The roaring immediately ceased.
The troll's regenerative abilities meant that Tang Zheng had to remove its spinal bones approximately every five days to prevent it from breaking free.
He glanced at the Lesser Soulhound, which was happily grinding its teeth on the troll's spinal bones. Its body was noticeably larger.
With a plentiful supply of food, the monster's growth rate was much faster than Tang Zheng had anticipated.
When he left E-Rantel a month ago, the Lesser Soulhound's head only reached his calf when it looked up; now, its head came past his knee.
Its body length also exceeded eighty centimeters, and it exuded the dangerous aura of a true monster!
That's right!
Tang Zheng had left E-Rantel on July 18th, and more than a month had passed since he entered the Baharuth Empire.
It was now the twentieth of the eighth month, the Month of Mid-Fire.
The operation was not going smoothly!
The Rockbruise family, to which Leinas belonged, had long since driven her out after she was cursed and disfigured.
This matter had some impact within the Empire. Tang Zheng had originally intended to use the Adventurer's Guild's information network to find Leinas's whereabouts.
But!
Even the Adventurer's Guild didn't know where Leinas was; after being expelled from her family, she had vanished as if she'd evaporated into thin air.
Tang Zheng could only rely on the meager clues he had to search, but he still found nothing, not even a trace of her. Instead, he had wasted half a month for nothing.
His purpose in coming to the Baharuth Empire was twofold: first for the "Cursed Knight" class, and second for the "Immortal" class.
Leinas's whereabouts were unknown.
Fluder, however, had a definite location. The problem was, what was Fluder's status?
And what was his own status now?
The disparity between them meant that acquiring his class was out of the question; even meeting him was impossible.
The only person in the entire Empire who could easily meet Fluder was the Blood Emperor Jircniv, and even he couldn't just meet him whenever he wished.
This situation made Tang Zheng realize he had to change his approach.
Therefore, for the latter half of the month, Tang Zheng began producing low-cost alchemy potions and selling them to make a name for himself as quickly as possible.
He also intentionally spread rumors that he could create alchemy potions capable of healing any injury!
However, at present, his "Fishing Plan" had yet to catch any real fish.
Tang Zheng left the struggling troll and walked over to a nearby stone table, where he sat down with a troubled expression. "I've already wasted a month. I wonder if this plan will even work?"
If no fish took the bait, Tang Zheng naturally couldn't stay here waiting indefinitely.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a figure clad in a black robe flipped over the wall from outside and entered the courtyard.
After confirming Tang Zheng's location, the figure strode over.
As they walked, the black robe parted slightly, revealing brown high boots and the slender figure of a skirmisher dressed in light leather armor.
The figure's head was hidden beneath a black cloak, obscuring their face.
"Living in such a large courtyard all by yourself. What a luxury," a cold, clear voice emerged from the slender figure.
"Grrrrowl."
The Lesser Soulhound, sprawled at Tang Zheng's feet, released the bones from its mouth, scrambled to its feet, and glared fiercely at the slender figure.
"I'm renting this for fifty gold coins a month, you know."
"It's a noble's residence—quiet, well-located, and even has patrolling soldiers."
Tang Zheng glanced at the arriving figure and spoke with a calm smile. "By the way, could you perhaps use the front door?"
Ever since the Blood Emperor Jircniv ascended to the throne and began purging "useless" nobles, many residences had been abandoned. Not only minor nobles but even some top-tier nobles had been cleared out.
Furthermore, due to severe cuts in income, some minor nobles couldn't even afford their basic daily expenses, incurring debts just to maintain appearances.
This led to a situation where, although some noble mansions officially remained under the nobles' names, they had actually fallen into the hands of merchants.
"Don't you know that many people are watching you right now?"
The slender figure retorted rudely. From beneath the cloak, a pair of eyes glared at the Lesser Soulhound. Though naturally soft, their narrow shape made them look fierce.
"What's wrong with this Xiao Hei of yours? This isn't the first time I've been here."
Tang Zheng shrugged, watching with a smile. "Perhaps it dislikes others calling its name. Or perhaps it just genuinely dislikes you."
"Hmph."
The slender figure let out a soft snort, retorting without hesitation, "I dislike it too."
With that, she glared at the Lesser Soulhound once more, causing it to bare its teeth.
Hearing this, Tang Zheng's mouth twitched. A personality that would argue even with a Lesser Soulhound would definitely have been labeled "oppositional" in his past life.
As the slender figure approached, she pulled off the black robe wrapped around her body.
A cold-faced woman with long, purple hair tied in pigtails appeared before Tang Zheng. The most conspicuous feature was her pointed ears, a clear sign she was not human, but a half-elf.
Imina.
(end of chapter)
November 18, 2024, Author: Amnesty L
Inside a two-courtyard-deep residence on the outermost edge of the Central Residential District.
This was a residence combining Byzantine and European architectural styles. The house itself wasn't particularly large, but it boasted a considerably spacious courtyard.
A sense of refinement permeated it, both inside and out.
However, the overgrown weeds in the courtyard and the moss covering the lower parts of the surrounding walls indicated that this yard had been abandoned for some time.
In the Imperial Capital, a house of this style would certainly not have been affordable or habitable for ordinary people in the past, as it was a place reserved for nobles.
Even for the lowest-ranking noble—though that was, of course, before the Blood Emperor ascended to power.
In the spacious courtyard.
"Roaaar!" A piercing roar suddenly echoed, though the sound clearly lacked strength.
It was a troll.
Standing about two and a half meters tall, it was on the shorter side for an adult troll.
At this moment, it was bound to a sturdy stone chair, its head twisting incessantly, but its massive body remained utterly still, only occasionally twitching reflexively.
This peculiar state indicated that the troll had suffered some severe trauma, leaving only its head capable of movement.
"It fell out again. Roaring like that isn't good if people nearby hear."
Tang Zheng sighed softly, emerging from behind the troll. In his hands, he held two fist-sized, blood-covered bones.
By their shape, they were clearly cervical vertebrae, which he had just removed from the back of the troll's neck.
Severe damage to the cervical vertebrae wouldn't kill the troll due to its powerful regenerative abilities, but it would cause its body to lose control and become paralyzed, with only its head remaining active.
*Clack!*
Tang Zheng casually tossed the two cervical vertebrae toward the Lesser Soulhound that had been waiting patiently nearby.
"Awoo."
The Lesser Soulhound excitedly raised its head and snatched both bones in one go.
"Eat slowly. The next one won't be for another five days."
Tang Zheng casually reminded the Lesser Soulhound, then stepped forward, picking up the tattered rag that had fallen to the ground and stuffing it back into the troll's mouth.
The roaring immediately ceased.
The troll's regenerative abilities meant that Tang Zheng had to remove its spinal bones approximately every five days to prevent it from breaking free.
He glanced at the Lesser Soulhound, which was happily grinding its teeth on the troll's spinal bones. Its body was noticeably larger.
With a plentiful supply of food, the monster's growth rate was much faster than Tang Zheng had anticipated.
When he left E-Rantel a month ago, the Lesser Soulhound's head only reached his calf when it looked up; now, its head came past his knee.
Its body length also exceeded eighty centimeters, and it exuded the dangerous aura of a true monster!
That's right!
Tang Zheng had left E-Rantel on July 18th, and more than a month had passed since he entered the Baharuth Empire.
It was now the twentieth of the eighth month, the Month of Mid-Fire.
The operation was not going smoothly!
The Rockbruise family, to which Leinas belonged, had long since driven her out after she was cursed and disfigured.
This matter had some impact within the Empire. Tang Zheng had originally intended to use the Adventurer's Guild's information network to find Leinas's whereabouts.
But!
Even the Adventurer's Guild didn't know where Leinas was; after being expelled from her family, she had vanished as if she'd evaporated into thin air.
Tang Zheng could only rely on the meager clues he had to search, but he still found nothing, not even a trace of her. Instead, he had wasted half a month for nothing.
His purpose in coming to the Baharuth Empire was twofold: first for the "Cursed Knight" class, and second for the "Immortal" class.
Leinas's whereabouts were unknown.
Fluder, however, had a definite location. The problem was, what was Fluder's status?
And what was his own status now?
The disparity between them meant that acquiring his class was out of the question; even meeting him was impossible.
The only person in the entire Empire who could easily meet Fluder was the Blood Emperor Jircniv, and even he couldn't just meet him whenever he wished.
This situation made Tang Zheng realize he had to change his approach.
Therefore, for the latter half of the month, Tang Zheng began producing low-cost alchemy potions and selling them to make a name for himself as quickly as possible.
He also intentionally spread rumors that he could create alchemy potions capable of healing any injury!
However, at present, his "Fishing Plan" had yet to catch any real fish.
Tang Zheng left the struggling troll and walked over to a nearby stone table, where he sat down with a troubled expression. "I've already wasted a month. I wonder if this plan will even work?"
If no fish took the bait, Tang Zheng naturally couldn't stay here waiting indefinitely.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a figure clad in a black robe flipped over the wall from outside and entered the courtyard.
After confirming Tang Zheng's location, the figure strode over.
As they walked, the black robe parted slightly, revealing brown high boots and the slender figure of a skirmisher dressed in light leather armor.
The figure's head was hidden beneath a black cloak, obscuring their face.
"Living in such a large courtyard all by yourself. What a luxury," a cold, clear voice emerged from the slender figure.
"Grrrrowl."
The Lesser Soulhound, sprawled at Tang Zheng's feet, released the bones from its mouth, scrambled to its feet, and glared fiercely at the slender figure.
"I'm renting this for fifty gold coins a month, you know."
"It's a noble's residence—quiet, well-located, and even has patrolling soldiers."
Tang Zheng glanced at the arriving figure and spoke with a calm smile. "By the way, could you perhaps use the front door?"
Ever since the Blood Emperor Jircniv ascended to the throne and began purging "useless" nobles, many residences had been abandoned. Not only minor nobles but even some top-tier nobles had been cleared out.
Furthermore, due to severe cuts in income, some minor nobles couldn't even afford their basic daily expenses, incurring debts just to maintain appearances.
This led to a situation where, although some noble mansions officially remained under the nobles' names, they had actually fallen into the hands of merchants.
"Don't you know that many people are watching you right now?"
The slender figure retorted rudely. From beneath the cloak, a pair of eyes glared at the Lesser Soulhound. Though naturally soft, their narrow shape made them look fierce.
"What's wrong with this Xiao Hei of yours? This isn't the first time I've been here."
Tang Zheng shrugged, watching with a smile. "Perhaps it dislikes others calling its name. Or perhaps it just genuinely dislikes you."
"Hmph."
The slender figure let out a soft snort, retorting without hesitation, "I dislike it too."
With that, she glared at the Lesser Soulhound once more, causing it to bare its teeth.
Hearing this, Tang Zheng's mouth twitched. A personality that would argue even with a Lesser Soulhound would definitely have been labeled "oppositional" in his past life.
As the slender figure approached, she pulled off the black robe wrapped around her body.
A cold-faced woman with long, purple hair tied in pigtails appeared before Tang Zheng. The most conspicuous feature was her pointed ears, a clear sign she was not human, but a half-elf.
Imina.
(end of chapter)
