Volume 6: Fighting for the World Chapter 197 Taboo Mage
Since the sensational transaction of the first "Prince Order" in "Tianxia" was not conducted through an open auction, but was carried out at an agreed price that was most likely to conceal a trick, it inevitably attracted official scrutiny. However, under the planning of the professionals invited by Longxing Tianxia, all links were done very cleanly, and the transaction process was open and transparent. Except for the relatively low selling price, other aspects were blameless. Whether it was cash payment or the rewards distributed internally, they were all carried out through extremely secret channels and methods, leaving no handle for accusing us. Even if there was a traitor, he could only expose it with empty words and could not provide conclusive evidence. Therefore, although some people with ulterior motives secretly provoked incidents and pointed the spearhead at our Tongxin League and Longteng, implying that there must be violations in this transaction, they were unable to find substantial evidence to prove our guilt. After a lot of trouble, the official investigation finally concluded that "there is no evidence" and acknowledged the legality of the transaction. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief. The two major mercenary groups each got what they wanted, and it was a happy ending for everyone. Long Teng can go to the Mercenary Union to apply to complete the task of upgrading to a super mercenary group, and I can rest assured to enjoy the huge sum of money.
I did not participate in the specific transaction process. When Xue Wuxia and others were negotiating with Long Xingtianxia and others, as the double champion of the "World Hero Conference" and the "World's No. 1 Master" and "World's No. 1 Undead Wizard", I received a system notification that I needed to complete a task to have a chance to get another additional reward. However, it was a bit strange that this specific type of task did not follow the usual practice, where officials came forward or asked the mercenary union to do it for me. I was asked to rush to the "Undead Castle", the place where undead wizards were promoted, and the reward task would be received there. And Afeng, who had the same qualifications, had to withdraw from the transaction negotiations halfway and set off to complete the reward tasks of winning both the "Top Ten" and the first in the profession.
I went deep into the sphere of influence of the Church of Light. I no longer had to hide like I did before or like other undead wizards and dark camp players. I could ride on Tao Tao and walk sideways with a swagger. I had taken many "Thousand Miles Alone" actions and killed countless people. The "Devil King Dai" was notorious and spread far and wide. Ordinary light players did not dare to provoke me, especially those with a small team. When they saw me from afar, they either fled or logged off immediately, fearing that they would be killed by me. This further made me famous. I traveled all the way without any obstacles and successfully arrived at the "Castle of the Dead".
It was not the usual Undead Holy Mage, and I did not alarm the dead old man. What was waiting for me in the "Undead Castle" was actually a rare level 10 professional Undead Holy Mage. I couldn't help but feel uneasy. It seemed that even if it was not a very difficult and abnormal task, it would definitely not be ordinary.
"You must be Ah Dai, the most outstanding rising star among the necromancers. I am glad to see you here. You have lived up to the expectations of the Lord Death. I am the Undead Holy Spirit Mage Kreta, your instructor for this winning reward mission."
I didn't dare to neglect it either, and bowed slightly, "I am Ah Dai, and I am very happy to accept your guidance, respected Kreta Holy Spirit Mage."
"I have been appointed by Lord Death to manage and coordinate some internal affairs of the Undead Wizard clan and do my best to safeguard the interests of the Undead Wizards. This time, an important task is assigned to you to complete. Originally, this was within my authority. I should have carried out it myself, but now it is transferred to you as a reward task, which is a test for you. The task is carried out in the 'Dead Space' and is very dangerous. If you are not careful, your life will be in danger. It will permanently damage your basic mental strength, so don't be careless. Of course, the reward for successfully completing the task is also very generous. I believe it will give you an unexpected surprise." Kreta nodded slightly as a response to my greeting. He didn't say any more nonsense like the old man, and went straight to the point.
It seems to be a targeted professional task. No wonder I have to rush to the "Castle of the Dead" to take it. It is also contrary to the norm and requires me to complete it in the "Dead Space". Except for the task of unlocking the "Dead Scepter", this is probably the first time. Knowing that I have a large number of undead subordinates to call on, they still remind me that it is very dangerous. It seems that this must be another big trouble. "Thank you, Holy Spirit Mage Creta, I will do my best. I wonder what the specific task is?"
"You have traveled to many places in the 'Dead Space' and seen many undead races. Do you know that there is a type of undead called forbidden wizards?" It seems that NPCs generally don't like to answer questions directly. They always talk about other things and ask me some indirect questions first.
Taboo Mage? What a strange name. I thought about it carefully for a while, but still shook my head . "I've never seen it, let alone heard of it."
"That's no wonder. After all, you've only been in the industry for a short time and are only an eighth-level professional. You don't have enough experience, so it's normal that you don't know. Taboo mages are a very special type of undead race in the 'Dead Space'. They are transformed from some powerful undead wizards who have completely died but whose souls have not completely dissipated and who still retain some consciousness. There are relatively few of them, and they like to live in small groups. They are proficient in hiding and their hiding places are very secret. It is usually difficult to find them."
"Are these forbidden mages very powerful?" For every unknown person, whether they are enemies or not, what I am most concerned about is their strength.
"Not necessarily. It mainly depends on the strength of the necromancer who transforms into a forbidden wizard, as well as his qualifications and development after the transformation. He can be a weak guy at level six or seven, or he may become a powerful existence that can rival me. The difference will be huge."
"Then what is my mission? To find them?" Perhaps there is still a chance to subdue them and add a new type of soldier to my command.
"I will give you a rough range. Some forbidden mages are hiding in it. You need to search carefully. Not only do you need to find them, but you also need to completely destroy them. Only when none of them are left alive can you complete the task successfully."
"Why?" This task request was somewhat unexpected to Wei An. After all, the Taboo Mage was transformed from a Necromancer, and he has some connection with us. It is too ruthless to kill them all so cruelly. Even the Destruction Knight, who is the "public enemy of the undead", is only hated and hunted by the undead. We Necromancers will not participate, and we can even subdue them. Could it be that the Taboo Mage is more evil than the Destruction Knight? This treatment is too unfair.
Kreta glanced at me who was very surprised, as if he saw through the doubts in my heart. "Although the Taboo Mage is transformed from the Undead Wizard and has a similar form, he has violated the laws of the Undead Wizard and acted against the will of Heaven. He has transformed his body in a special way. When facing complete destruction, he tried to continue his life in another form. This is absolutely not allowed. The Taboo Mage thus transformed has essentially become a low-level undead creature driven and summoned by the Undead Wizard. He has lost his humanity and no longer has the human way of thinking. He is no longer related to the Undead Wizard in the slightest. They belong to two completely different life forms. Don't associate them with the noble us."
"Do we have to exterminate all the Forbidden Mages just because of this? Why don't we try to subdue them and use them for our own benefit like we did with other undead creatures? According to what you said, they should also be a powerful fighting force."
"The Forbidden Mage is transformed from a powerful Undead wizard. Unlike ordinary Undead, he still retains a kind of magic that is crucial to us Undead wizards. Can you guess what it is?"
"Could it be 'Summon the Dead'?" Although this should be an obvious answer, I still hesitated for a while and answered with an uncertain tone. The following thought kept churning in my mind: Oh my god, can an undead creature that can use "Summon the Dead" still be called an undead creature? Isn't it almost the same as us undead wizards?
Creta nodded, "Yes, it is 'Summoning the Dead'. Among us necromancers, we also call forbidden wizards 'God-breakers', not only because they chose the wrong way to prolong their lives, but also because the transformed undead form still retains the 'Summoning the Dead' magic. Although the function is compromised and not complete, it can still subdue and summon other undead creatures for its own use. 'Summoning the Dead' is a power that the God of Death has specially bestowed on the necromancer clan. It must not be mastered by anyone other than us, especially the undead creatures that were originally in a driven position. They must not be allowed to learn it, which subverts the normal order and rules."
That makes sense. As a member of the Undead Wizard, I can understand it. However, as a player, I am not as arrogant as these Undead Wizard NPCs. I don't want to maintain some illusory dignity and honor. I judge things mainly by whether they can bring me due or even greater benefits. I don't consider their positions or good and evil. Undead creatures with such characteristics as the Taboo Wizard may be a special existence that is not weaker than the Destruction Knight. If I can subdue them, it may be of great help to me.
After a brief pause, the expression on Creta's face became even more gloomy. "What is even more intolerable to us is that these fallen forbidden wizards are not satisfied with the ordinary 'Undead Summoning' ability. For thousands of years, they have been tirelessly pursuing and researching the highest level of summoning magic - 'Death's Dinner', trying to enjoy the glory of God with the bodies of the dead and share the rights that belong to us necromancers. Humph, humble life forms, how can they be qualified to bathe in God's grace like us? These 'God-rebels' are the public enemies of us necromancers and must be punished as they deserve, especially the forbidden wizards who dare to get involved in the 'Death's Dinner', they must be hunted down and killed, not a single one can be spared."
"So, are these forbidden mages that the reward mission requires me to kill sure that they are researching the 'Death God's Dinner'?"
"Of course, if it weren't for the forbidden wizards who were researching and implementing it to try to master the 'Death God's Dinner' and trigger the divine power, we would be able to sense it. Otherwise, they would hide in the dark under normal circumstances. The 'Dead Space' is so large that it would be difficult for us to find them even if we wanted to. Moreover, the Lord of Death showed mercy and gave them a glimmer of hope because they were once necromancers and made some contributions in their lifetime. He did not allow us to actively search for and kill them. Otherwise, how could they survive until now? We would have slaughtered them almost all. However, they think their lives are too comfortable, and they are looking for trouble to get involved in the 'Death God's Dinner'. We sensed them, which is a way to their own death. They can't blame us for being cruel."
As if he noticed that I was not convinced, Kreta added, "This is the unwritten rule among the Undead wizards. In particular, you must never use the 'Soul Contract' to subdue Forbidden Mages to become your subordinates. Every Undead wizard must abide by this, including you, the new generation of Undead wizards. Otherwise, you will be punished accordingly. You must remember, don't lose the big picture for the sake of penny wise and make mistakes that you shouldn't make. It will be too late to regret when you face our punishment." At the end, Kreta's tone could almost be described as stern, and it was clear that he was giving me a serious warning to dispel my selfish thoughts.
The stubborn conservative forces are really everywhere. These old guys who have lived for a long time in power use some rules and regulations to influence the development of our new generation. Even if they are dissatisfied in their hearts, they dare not show it on the surface. The county magistrate is worse than the current one. If I offend these powerful people, I can't guarantee that they will make things difficult for me behind my back. With my current strength, I am not enough to compete with the tenth-level professional Holy Spirit Mage. I quickly put on a submissive expression and agreed timidly, "I will definitely remember your teachings, Holy Spirit Mage Creta."
Kreta's expression eased a little. "Yes. It is undeniable that the power of the taboo wizard is indeed a great temptation for the necromancers. They want to use them for their own benefit and enhance their own strength. Especially for the newly promoted necromancers like you, you have not yet established the proper sense of mission and responsibility, your will is relatively weak, and you are most likely to make mistakes. There are too many similar lessons in history. I have personally participated in the action of punishing violators. Alas, such an excellent person ended up like that... I am so strict with you because I am afraid that you will make a mistake and suffer eternal regret. At this critical period of the struggle between light and darkness, the strength of our necromancer clan will be weakened. It is not because I have any prejudice against you. I hope you can understand."
Huh, I wonder if the level 10 professional NPC has a particularly strange temper, sometimes soft and sometimes hard, which is really hard to figure out. It's a pity for such a unique forbidden wizard. I can only kill them but not subdue them. It's really heartbreaking !
"This mission requires me to deal with several forbidden mages. What specific abilities do they have?" Not wanting to be taught any more, I quickly changed the subject and asked about the most important matter.
"I only sensed their presence, and I don't know the exact number. However, to produce a taboo mage who can master the 'Death's Banquet', it is not possible with just one or two taboo mages. A magic circle must be set up, and at least six taboo mages above level nine are needed to drive it. You must be prepared for a hard battle. As for their abilities, they are basically the same as those of necromancers. The abilities of the necromancers who transformed into them determine the necromancer magic they master. However, as real undead, their basic mental power is at the same level. "It is above the level of the Undead Wizard, which means that they can sign a 'Soul Contract' with higher-level Undead creatures. Fortunately, although their 'Undead Summoning' magic has been preserved, it is subject to certain restrictions and cannot sign 'Soul Contracts' with too many Undead creatures. Depending on the level, even a Level 10 Holy Spirit Mage who has transformed into a Taboo Mage can only subdue twelve Undead subordinates at most, and cannot rush into battle at the same time. You can only control one to participate in the battle at a time. This should be good news for you, so that you will not be defeated by those Taboo Mages all at once."
There are at least six forbidden mages that must be killed, and they are all above level nine. In other words, the possibility of a level ten forbidden mage cannot be ruled out. They are all made up of mental power. Kreta specifically pointed out that their basic mental power is relatively high. The effect of signing a "soul contract" may not be inferior to us who use equipment. God knows what level of undead minions they may subdue, bone dragons, giant mages, or undead ghost phoenixes? It is obvious that it will be a fierce battle. Poor those minions that I have worked so hard to subdue, it is likely that many will be sacrificed for this.
"If I complete the mission, what kind of reward will I get?" The enemy is so powerful that I need to pay a high price. I must exchange it for equal benefits. Otherwise, I will not be able to conquer him and there will be no extra advantage to be gained. I might as well give up directly.
"The mission will start at midnight tomorrow and will be completed within 24 hours. If you fail to kill all the forbidden mages participating in the ceremony within the time limit, the mission will be deemed a failure and you will not receive any reward. I will take over and continue to punish the forbidden mages. The specific reward has not been determined, but it will be based on the time you take to complete the mission. The shorter the time, the richer the reward you will receive. If you can complete the mission within twelve hours, Lord Death will personally give you a reward. I believe it will definitely not be an ordinary reward. Everything depends on your own efforts."
