Chapter 406: Ghost Upgrade Method
"Are they going?"
Andviel said softly, "I heard they don't plan to."
Not going seems normal.
Imiro was assigned to Golden-Silver Island because the guild doesn't trust this pardoned island master.
There's a role of monitoring and deterrence.
The two are unlikely to grow too close.
And Sheila Grey's personality makes it even less likely for her to attend such a ball.
Minnie poured him a cup of fruit tea, curiously asking, "Master, are you going?"
Wu Heng took a sip from the cup and said, "If they're not going, we're not going either."
He had no interest in getting too close to them, especially with a bounty of 1,000 gold hanging over his head.
Minnie nodded, glanced at Andviel opposite her, and said, "Right, what's the point of their ball? Later, let Sister Andviel dance for you—without clothes."
"Really? Andviel knows how to dance?"
Andviel wanted to rebut Minnie, but seeing Wu Heng's interest, her face flushed, and she nodded slightly, "I know a little. If Master wishes, I'll dance for you."
"Hmm, Andviel truly knows so much."
...…
The next morning.
Shanaila came over early to mooch breakfast.
While eating breakfast, she spoke about the ball at the island master's manor last night.
Wu Heng didn't attend, but Shanaila, as a trade guild leader remaining on the island, did.
"Most of those attending were representatives of the trade guilds stationed on the island."
While eating, Wu Heng curiously asked, "What was his aim?"
"Occam used the ball to signal the other trade guilds that he plans to clean up the pirates on the sea routes, ensuring the trade guilds can conduct business through Golden-Silver Island," Shanaila explained.
Cleaning up the sea routes' pirates…
That's making his mark by turning against his former kind.
Minnie asked, "So, does that make the island master a good person?"
Shanaila shook her head, "Hard to say. But for now, his actions are beneficial to the trade guilds. At the ball, many promised their support. When I came here, I saw several carriages heading toward the manor, likely delivering money."
"Wow, being an island master sure is easy money. Just say a few words, and people start sending cash," Minnie marveled.
Shanaila smiled but didn't comment, her gaze settling on Wu Heng, who leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "The goods you ordered arrived last night. Let's head to the port later to sign for them. If there's more you need, write it down so I can arrange the purchases."
"Alright."
The goods had finally arrived.
Due to issues with the sea route, this shipment had taken longer than expected.
Fortunately, it had made it.
After breakfast, Wu Heng and Shanaila took a carriage to the port.
They unloaded the goods and placed a new order for a large amount of food, weapons, and armor.
For weapons and armor, they switched to refined iron.
Although pricier, the quality was better and more durable.
This time, the order quantity had doubled compared to last time.
"You're now our biggest client on Golden-Silver Island," Shanaila remarked, looking at the order quantities in awe.
Initially, she thought she'd found a small lover.
Now, it seemed she'd found a major benefactor.
Wu Heng paid the deposit, a thought crossing his mind, "Can I order a train from you?"
"A railway train?"
"Yes, can it be custom-made?"
Shanaila frowned, "Why do you need a train?"
"A friend of mine has a city. A train would make things more convenient."
"This 'friend' wouldn't happen to be you, right?"
"Can it be done?"
Shanaila handed the order form to her butler, continuing, "I can help you contact the appropriate machinist guild. But it'll take time, likely a year or two, assuming no prior orders, which could delay it further."
Machinists…
A profession akin to modern mechanical engineers.
"Then forget it, that's too long." Wu Heng abandoned the idea.
It'd be easier and cheaper to modify a modern train in his other world.
Shanaila rolled her eyes at him, "Take it slow."
"Got it."
"I'll check on the trade guild. Let's talk tonight."
"Alright." Shanaila left with her butler.
Wu Heng returned to his ship.
Opening the dimensional gate, he transported the purchased goods to the other world.
The spatial pouch couldn't hold everything, even with its 100 cubic meter capacity.
The transportation process sped up significantly.
Large groups of skeletons weren't needed.
Wu Heng alone made three or four trips to move everything.
Saving a great deal of time.
After unloading the ship, he hired a carriage to head to the guild.
...…
Sheila Grey's office.
"Looking for me?" Sheila Grey glanced over curiously.
"Just came to see you," Wu Heng said, closing the door and taking a seat.
Sheila set down the documents she was reviewing and poured him a cup of fruit tea, "Go ahead."
Wu Heng took a sip, "Do you know much about ghosts?"
"Aren't you the necromancer?"
Wu Heng explained, "I'm self-taught and figuring things out as I go. There's still a lot I don't understand."
The Book of Necromancy had some records.
Upon successfully contracting a ghost, the necromancer's necrotic energy nourishes it.
This makes the ghost less likely to dissipate and allows it to persist longer in the world.
However, relying solely on necrotic energy for nourishment makes growth slow, with no change in abilities.
Currently, Xiaoxiao and Glenda were in such a state.
Glenda had even learned some language and text from the other world, yet her level hadn't changed.
The same was true for Xiaoxiao, who struggled against ranger-trained pets.
The Book of Necromancy only documented methods for contracting and commanding ghosts, not for upgrading them.
Elves had long lifespans and extensive knowledge, so Sheila Grey might know more.
Wu Heng sought her out for advice.
Stirring her tea with a silver spoon, Sheila Grey pondered, "I recall that areas dense in necrotic energy tend to generate ghosts, though most lack high intelligence. You could look in such places for potential contracts."
She didn't know Wu Heng already had ghosts.
He hadn't mentioned it to anyone here.
"How do you upgrade a ghost after obtaining one?" Wu Heng pressed on.
"I've heard of two methods, though I'm not certain of their accuracy. I'll share them, and you can decide for yourself."
"Please do."
Sheila Grey took a sip of tea, "One method involves soul-to-soul devouring, absorbing energy from other spirits to enhance one's own. The second involves sacrificial offerings of materials to the contracted ghost, boosting its level or unlocking new abilities."
Glancing at Wu Heng, she added, "Few necromancers lack the knowledge of rituals or experimental magic."
That much was true.
"Alright, I guess I'm one of the few."
Sheila Grey chuckled, "You really ought to contract a ghost. It'll help you a lot."
"Yeah, seems difficult to find one."
"Take your time; you'll find one eventually," Sheila Grey reassured him.
Wu Heng nodded, indicating he'd keep it in mind.
Sheila Grey set her cup down and remarked, "While we were away, Golden-Silver Island saw quite some commotion."
Leaning back on the couch, Wu Heng asked, "What happened?"
Sheila Grey leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice, "You've heard of Old Barrel Tavern, right?"
"Yes."
Sheila Grey continued, "Word is that one day, during a port riot, Old Barrel's McIntosh stepped in to mediate. While mourning the chaos' victims, a black snake erupted from a corpse's stomach, biting McIntosh several times. He fell unconscious immediately. His current state—alive or dead—is unknown."