Chapter 48: The allure of gold coins (1/2)

Chapter 48: The allure of gold coins

After departing from Fabian, Han Shuo’s path took him straight to the outskirts of the Dark Forest. He took paths that their group had all taken before.

During his journey, Han Shuo continued to practice magic. Having gone through the reforging of the “solid realm”, it was as if Han Shuo had been reborn. Now that his magical training had bore fruit, the magical yuan could travel to all parts of his body according to his will.

There were nine levels in the world of demonic magic, and Han Shuo had now reached the “open passages realm”. The training for the “open passages” and “solid” realms differed slightly. This was a realm that primarily focused on the expansion of the body’s meridians, greatly increasing the width and durability of the meridians. In every instance of training, the process of “opening passages” filled his body with splitting agony, as if there were insects biting and gnawing within the meridians.

The first three levels of demonic magic of solid, open passages, and molded spirit were the most foundational realms. Training became increasingly difficult as one progressed, but with the experience of training in the “solid realm”, Han Shuo already understand that agony and inhumane torture accompanied his magical training. The inhumane pain of the “open passages” realm was also within his expectations. He used magical yuan to repeatedly expand his meridians without letting up for a second, basing it purely on indomitable will.

After twelve days of training and traveling, Han Shuo still hadn’t run into Fanny and the others along the way. He finally made it out of the Dark Forest alone and made it to the town of Drol again when dusk fell.

Compared to a month ago, Han Shuo had weathered through the trials of the Dark Forest, and since then his strength, mindset, and appearance had all undergone drastic changes. Han Shuo was now over 170 cm, and although his body wasn’t too muscular, he was no longer thin and scrawny.

After baptism by fresh blood, Han Shuo had greatly improved both his pluck and knowledge. His entire aura was also undergoing mysterious changes. He was slowly changing under circumstances that even Han Shuo himself wasn’t even aware of.

At dusk, the town of Drol was enclosed in a happy, carefree atmosphere. Many adventurers had returned from the Dark Forest. Some wore expressions of sorrow, having lost companions, while others had satisfied smiles on their faces due to obtaining rich rewards, and they planned on a thorough night of depravity within the town of Drol.

When it was dusk, Han Shuo first came to the place where Gene and the others had borrowed and stabled their battlesteeds. He observed the place from a distance and noticed that the battlesteeds that they had spent money to borrow were still present. He immediately understood that Fanny and everyone else probably hadn’t returned to Drol yet.

Although they had spent money on the battlesteeds, the necromancy teachers and students only had the rights to use them. When they returned to Zajoski, they would have to return the battlesteeds to the Zajoski guards in precisely the same condition that they had received them. Since the battlesteeds were still here, that meant Fanny and them had definitely yet to leave.

Han Shuo naturally knew that traveling with such haste by himself, he was sure to return much more quickly than Fanny’s slowly plodding group. Perhaps Fanny and the others had been delayed by magical creatures along the way, so it was within his expectations that Fanny and the others hadn’t returned yet.

He went to the small hotel that everyone had stayed in previously, walked to the main counter, and said with a smile, “I need a room.”

The owner was eating fruit with his eyes almost shut. He raised his head to flick a glance at Han Shuo and said lazily, “Oh, it’s you. Give me ten bronze coins. That warehouse is always empty… you can go there now.”

The last time Han Shuo had come with the others, Gene had especially rented out a warehouse for Han Shuo, and Han Shuo had been scorned by the owner because of this. Therefore, when the owner saw that it was Han Shuo, he naturally assumed that with Han Shuo’s status, he could only rent the warehouse.

He didn’t become angry, but rather smiled and took out the money bag at his waist. He clinked and poured out one gold coin from it, dumping it onto the round wooden table. He looked sideways at the owner and said, “I don’t want to stay in the warehouse.”

The owner had been lazing about when he suddenly sat up, swiping the gold coin off the round table. A professional smile swiftly pasted itself to his face and he raised his voice, “Of course, of course. How would a warehouse be worthy of one gold coin. Cute little fellow, tell me whatever kind of room you want to stay in. A gold coin will be more than enough.”

His treatment was drastically different from last time’s with the presence of gold coins. Han Shuo smiled faintly and nodded, “I want the room the female teacher was in last time. Arrange it for me.”

“No problem, not a problem at all. This is the key. One gold coin is enough for up to five nights there. Do you have any other desires, young man?” The owner asked further with a toadying expression. The owner’s face was wreathed in smiles as he merrily took out a key from a drawer behind him and handed it to Han Shuo.

“Nothing else, just go about your own business!” Han Shuo walked directly towards the room that Fanny had occupied before after receiving the key, thinking that money had the same miraculous power no matter what world one was in. It would seem that in order to gain one’s footing in this world, gold coins were a requisite item.

Han Shuo unloaded his belongings after arriving at the room Fanny had stayed in before, leisurely taking a hot bath in the tub. Recalling the pleasant affair that had taken here last time, Han Shuo felt a burst of flames erupt from him and his lower body bore certain uncontrollable, strong signs.