Chapter 56: The pain that accompanies the happy fate of a man
Steep hills bordered the sides of the large canyon with a passage that was five meters wide, right down the middle. This kind of location was the best for laying a trap for the wolf riders.
Since everyone had agreed with Han Shuo’s plans, they all started busying themselves. Han Shuo didn’t know much about how to set traps up himself. A group of people first used tough and tensile ropes to set up tripwires and snares along the passageway. Fanny and Gene then used advanced necromancy magics to release an acid bog behind the tripwires.
The acid bog spell was an advanced necromancy spell. It could transform a large area of land into a muddy and miry bog. When the acid bog was formed, it would immediately eat away anyone who ventured within, leaving behind only a pile of bones. This was one of the more diabolic advanced magics of the necromancy major.
However, a great deal of mental strength was needed in order to successfully cast the acid bog magic. The acid bog’s range would differ according to each necromancer’s mental strength. Fanny and Gene had teamed up, but only created a bog that measured five meters by five meters. Judging from how the two of them looked, they were already at their limit.
A few large boulders were placed on the top of the hills on both sides, ready to crash down on the arriving orc wolf riders. The bodies of the students and teachers of the necromancy major were all extremely frail and delicate, therefore it was naturally Han Shuo who completed the mission of moving the large boulders by himself.
After making these preparations, Gene, Bella, Bach, and a few others took cover and laid in wait on one side of the passageway. Han Shuo, Fanny, Lisa, and a few others were in charge of the other hill.
“You’ve changed a great deal now. If we make it back alive to the Academy, your contribution will be the greatest. I’ll be sure to report this to the school authorities and obtain some rewards for you!” Fanny’s body was crouched behind a large boulder and patrolled her eyes over Han Shuo’s body, whispering as she did so.
Han Shuo was in the middle, with Lisa on his left and Fanny on his right. The three were very close together and when Fanny spoke in a low voice, her breath smelled like the fragrance of orchids and directly breathed onto Han Shuo’s right cheek. The faint perfume made Han Shuo’s heart caper like a monkey and mind gallop like a horse. He suddenly felt that this time’s danger was also full of gentle charm.
He scratched his head out of habit and smiled honestly. Turning his head to boldly stare at Fanny’s charming features. Fanny’s hair was tousled and messy at this moment, and her face was a bit pale after expending quite a bit of mental strength to cast the acid bog. This was in stark contrast to her usual alluring beauty and overbearing air, bringing out another type of beauty for Han Shuo to see.
“Damnit, I’m talking to you, stop staring at me!” Fanny grew angry when she saw that Han Shuo was staring at her, mesmerized and not paying any attention to her. This fellow is becoming even more bold… he even dares stare so insolently at me now.
“Heh heh, Master Fanny, you’re so beautiful. It won’t cost you anything if I stare at you, so why must you be so stingy?” Han Shuo flirted with a light laugh.
A sudden wave of pain travelled from Han Shuo’s left arm. His face turned wry and he turned his head to cast a glance at Lisa. Upon seeing that Lisa was staring at him viciously, he hastily squeezed out a smile and said, “Of course, Lisa you’re also very beautiful, heh heh.”
Holding her head high with a light snort, Lisa glared at Han Shuo and said huffily. “Don’t think that I can’t take you down a notch now that you’re stronger. Humph. Since we have some free time now, hurry and tell me how you came to have mental strength and even mastered the bone arrow magic. How many secrets have you not told me?”
“Eh, what secrets? I could master the bone arrow magic thanks to you. If it wasn’t for you using the Agony of the Soul and torturing me half to death, I would definitely still be as useless as before. Thanks to you!”
Her face saddening, Lisa suddenly hung her head and sighed lightly. She said in a low voice, “You still haven’t forgiven me. I know you’ve always hated me for using the Agony of the Soul on you, but I didn’t mean anything by it originally. I didn’t know either that it would almost kill you!”
“No, I really don’t blame you. Stop thinking crazy thoughts Lisa. It’s not like you don’t know my feelings towards you. How could I hold a grudge against you?” Han Shuo started and suddenly remembered his role and hastened to speak words of comfort to Lisa.
Just at this moment, Han Shuo’s right arm also felt the same pain and he turned his head to see Fanny’s slender jade fingers were also forcefully pinching him. A wave of wryness rose from his heart as he sighed silently, thinking that the happy fate of a man was indeed something that couldn’t be enjoyed. He asked wryly, “Master Fanny, what’s wrong now?”
Fanny also started slightly upon hearing Han Shuo’s words and thought, what’s wrong with me? What do the two of them talking have to do with me? How come I also couldn’t resist the urge to pinch him? She flung her head slightly and also snorted, then pasted a faint smile on her face and raised her voice slightly. “Lisa, what did he mean by the bit about his feelings towards you just now?”
A panicked expression suddenly appeared on Lisa’s face as she hurriedly waved her hands in concealment. “Nothing, nothing. Master Fanny, you must have misheard. Haha, isn’t that so Bryan?” She didn’t forget to throw a threatening glance at Han Shuo in warning after she spoke, indicating that you’re dead meat if you dare speak of it!
Nodding his head wryly, Han Shou glossed over the matter. He smiled, “Yes, Master Fanny must have expended too much mental strength and something must have developed, causing interference with your hearing?”
“Is that so?” Fanny looked suspiciously at Han Shuo and asked with an odd tone.
“Of course, of course. Oh right Master Fanny, when we return to the Academy, I’d like to remove my status as a slave. I’ve earned enough gold coins in the Dark Forest this time and don’t want to bear the status of a slave forever!”
“Don’t worry, if we can really safely return to the Academy this time, I will contact the authorities on your behalf. Not only will we remove your status as a slave, but I’m going to remove your status as an errand boy as well. You’ll be a student in the necromancy major in the future and I will personally teach you more advanced necromancy magics. With your potential, I think your future accomplishments will definitely surpass that of all the current students in the necromancy major!”
Fanny looked at Han Shuo with gratification and gave him a resolute promise. She thought privately, when he becomes a necromancy major student and if his magic increases rapidly, then he’ll be able to truly throw off his current shackles. At that time, maybe… eh. What am I think about? Looks like I’ve truly expended too much mental strength. Otherwise, why would I be thinking such crazy thoughts.
Han Shuo had had an overjoyed expression on his face, but at this moment his brow suddenly furrowed and he closed his eyes, concentrating silently for a moment. He suddenly called out to the other side, “Master Gene, be careful, I can already hear dull footsteps. I think the orcs’ wolf riders will be arriving soon.”
“Understood, you guys need to be careful as well. Bryan, Master Fanny and I have just expanded a lot of mental strength, so you’ll have to protect Master Fanny well!”
“Don’t worry, since Master Fanny is by my side, unless I die first, Master Fanny won’t suffer a bit of harm!”
Han Shuo felt more pain on his left arm as soon as he’d finished speaking. He knew immediately that Lisa must have taken action in her anger. He hastily turned his head to the left and explained to Lisa. However, he didn’t notice that on his right, Fanny’s gaze at him at this moment had subtly gained a few hints of complicated emotions.
Finally, the dull footfalls slowly traveled in from the distance. Even the ordinary students and teachers of the necromancy major had heard those repressed, dull sounds and all involuntarily concentrated their attention, fully focused on how to spring the sudden attack afterwards.
“Damnit, why is it Beacher and the others from the light major?!”
Just as everyone was holding their breath in concentration and were about to roll the giant boulders down the hills, Han Shuo’s sharp eyes suddenly realized that the incoming people weren’t the orc wolf riders, but rather Beacher, Irene, and the others from the Academy’s light major, who happened to be fleeing in stricken, bedraggled panic. A few unfamiliar mages were mixed in, and then all rode shrilly whinnying battlesteeds that looked like they were about to collapse. Expressions of extreme weariness were on all their faces.
Fanny frowned and suddenly poked her head out from behind the giant boulder. Her slender neck stretched out as she yelled loudly, “Master Beacher, stop immediately. There are traps here that we’ve laid down to deal specifically with the wolf riders.”
Beacher and the others hurtling towards the tripwires hastened to stop themselves in that crucial moment after hearing Fanny’s words. Beacher lifted his head to look at the necromancy students and teachers on the two sides of the hill and immediately understood the situation. He shouted out, “The orcs’ wolf riders are right behind us. What should we do?”
“Give up the horses and make them continue running. Then walk quickly across, we’ll tell you where the traps are. Otherwise if you stay where you are, only death awaits you!” Han Shuo stuck out his head and called back calmly.
Beacher and the others only hesitated momentarily upon hearing Han Shuo’s words and then all moved according to his instructions. They dismounted, used daggers to prick the battlesteeds’ behinds and rushed them onwards after the horses’ had been pricked. Following that, their crew frantically traversed the tripwires and acid bog under Fanny’s voiced reminders and swiftly climbed up the hills on the two sides.
Another wave of dull footfalls once again traveled into everyone’s ears. This time, everyone knew that it was sure to be the orc wolf riders chasing in hot pursuit.
“Conceal yourself well and prepare to fight!” Han Shuo called out loudly as everyone carefully hid themselves, planning on giving these orc wolf riders, who were used to pillaging, killing, raiding and looting, a lesson in blood.
