Chapter 464, Skeleton Prophet
Milisen's tavern was actually doing quite well.
Although it hadn't been open for long, it had provided several pieces of useful intelligence.
For instance, the last time the puppeteer impersonated Wu Heng to commit murder, as well as various chaotic intelligence about the Gold-Silver Island incident afterward.
Taverns are always great places to gather information.
However, things are a bit different now.
There were basically no pirates left on the island, and Milisen and Philipa had been living at Wu Heng's place for some time.
If they wanted to gather intelligence again, it would be nearly impossible to collect anything worthwhile.
Looking up at Milisen, her cautious yet expectant gaze was evident.
To Wu Heng, the tavern was simply a tool for intelligence gathering.
But to Milisen, it might have been more about proving her worth.
"It's fine if you want to go back," Wu Heng said.
Milisen's expression instantly brightened.
Wu Heng added, "Run it for a while first. If the guild makes any moves later, we'll discuss it then."
"Thank you, my lord," Milisen said with a bow.
Wu Heng headed outside, saying, "Come on, I'll arrange two guards to ensure your safety."
Milisen followed behind. "The island's so safe; is that really necessary?"
"It's always better to be cautious."
"Thank you, my lord."
The two of them walked to the courtyard together.
Wu Heng selected two skeletons, a Level 15 Warrior and a Level 12 Swordsman.
On the island, they were more than enough to protect them.
Even if a threat exceeding their level emerged, the skeletons could at least buy time for Milisen and Philipa to escape.
After everything was settled...
Milisen and Philipa came downstairs carrying some luggage.
"Milisen isn't used to living here, so we'll head back first. Come visit me if you get the chance," Philipa said straightforwardly.
Wu Heng reminded her, "Don't cause trouble at the tavern. You're a guild member now; be mindful of your identity."
"Relax. I'm still a captain—how could I take these island yokels seriously?" Philipa said with arms crossed.
As they spoke, a carriage slowly pulled up to the door.
The mother and daughter got on, ready to leave.
Lifting the curtain, Philipa stuck her head out and said, "Don't forget to visit me!"
"It's not far. Come back if you're bored," Wu Heng replied.
Philipa nodded, waved goodbye, and the carriage slowly drove away.
After seeing them off...
Wu Heng took Minnie and returned home.
Upstairs, he opened the realm gate in his study and headed to the zombie world.
...…
On the other side of the realm gate, it was still the same room as before.
Wu Heng glanced out the window. The snow had stopped, but thick layers of it still blanketed the roads and rooftops.
For the survivors of this world...
This kind of weather further increased the difficulty of survival.
Wu Heng draped a down jacket over his shoulders and stepped out of the room.
He went downstairs and stood in the hall.
Outside, he could see skeletons and survivors clearing snow.
It seemed like they were trying to carve out a pathway.
Seeing Wu Heng emerge, Qi Hancai, dressed in a black down jacket, walked over directly.
"It's hard to say if it'll snow again. If it doesn't, there's a snowplow in the back garage—looks like a bulldozer—that could clear a path."
They were currently at the military warehouse.
Specialized vehicles were plentiful here.
"Start by connecting to the station," Wu Heng said.
"Understood," Qi Hancai replied, adding, "Recently, our radio channel has been flooded with people from other regions trying to trade food with us."
"Other regions? How did they find out?"
"Probably word got out about our food-for-gold exchange. Some northern cities even volunteered to lower prices, hoping we'd set up trade points there," Qi Hancai explained.
Radio channels can switch frequencies, making it easy to reach other regions.
It wasn't surprising that the news had spread.
Moreover, for Wu Heng, this wasn't necessarily bad; food supplies could be purchased anytime once the Gold-Silver Island routes reopened.
However, establishing trade points in various cities required preparation.
Especially in this heavy snow, travel would be extremely difficult.
"It won't be easy to get there," Wu Heng said.
Qi Hancai nodded. "If you're considering it, I'll start preparations—gathering information and getting ready to follow the railways to the next city once the weather improves."
Establishing trade points in each city along the way was a definite plan.
Gold remained critically important.
"Alright, start preparing ahead of time."
"Got it!"
Wu Heng thought for a moment and added, "You and Li Yanhong should recruit reliable bases to join us. Expanding the population will also help with establishing trade points later."
Qi Hancai frowned in thought. "We have a good reputation in our hometown; it's easier to recruit there."
"Have Li Yanhong focus on that."
"Understood."
The two chatted at the entrance for a while.
Qi Hancai went to the radio room to contact Li Yanhong, while Wu Heng headed to the backyard.
Finding a secluded spot...
He took out the corpse of the Level 18 former Island Lord.
...…
The body was in a gruesome state.
The head was sewn back onto the body, and the eyes and organs had been removed.
It looked quite horrifying.
Wu Heng had already confirmed with Yimiro that the guild wouldn't need this corpse anymore. For further investigations, he could interrogate the ghost.
The body was entirely his to deal with.
Honestly, he was still curious about what advantages a Level 18 professional had.
To make both the guild and nations pardon such individuals.
Directly casting [Raise Skeleton] on the corpse...
[Summoned entity exceeds caster's ability range; instability increases...]
The familiar instability warning appeared again.
It had been a while since he'd seen this message.
As necromantic energy poured in, the flesh on the corpse began to peel away, and a pale skeleton rose from the ground.
It shook off the scraps of meat clinging to it.
Watching closely, its hollow eye sockets turned toward Wu Heng.
The soul flames in its eyes were unusually deep and bright.
"Your name is 'Occom.' Gather all this debris and dispose of it outside," Wu Heng commanded.
The skeleton wrapped the rotting flesh in a straw mat and walked out.
Wu Heng began examining the skeleton's attributes.
[Skeleton Prophet (Level 18)]
[Attributes: Constitution 35, Strength 30, Agility 38, Intelligence 42, Perception 47, Charisma 25.]
[Traits: Hollow Frame, Advanced Soul, Prophet's Enlightenment.]
[Proficiencies: Leather Armor Specialization (Advanced), Medium Armor Specialization (Advanced), Staff Specialization (Master)...]
[Abilities: Divine Source Insight, Spirit Sense, Scrying Block, Domain Foresight.]
[Prophet's Enlightenment]: Able to explore certain world secrets and glean useful intelligence.
[Divine Source Insight]: Focuses on divine sources for hidden knowledge, collecting necessary information from scattered clues (requires related items as a medium).
[Spirit Sense]: Attuned to this world, able to faintly perceive things unseen by ordinary people.
[Scrying Block]: Blocks most scrying, divination, and predictive abilities below hero level.
[Domain Foresight]: Achieves exalted prescience, forming a personal domain that predicts imminent danger.
Wu Heng frowned slightly at the attributes.
Perception, reaching 47 points, was an extraordinary number even among professionals.
However, for a prophet's class, known for intelligence gathering, high Perception made sense.
The second-highest attribute, Intelligence, was 42 points—also impressive.
Clearly, after Level 18, there was a noticeable attribute boost.
Otherwise, the normal level progression wouldn't reach such high values.
Four abilities had been retained.
[Divine Source Insight] was an evident prophet's ability, used for investigating hidden matters.
[Spirit Sense] allowed faint detection of unseen entities, likely referring to ghosts or void creatures.
With 47 Perception, it would be odd not to sense anything.
[Scrying Block] could block scrying or divination attempts.
It seemed decent, though Wu Heng wondered if it blocked scrying on the skeleton or the caster himself.
The last ability was [Domain Foresight].
This formed a personal domain, predicting imminent threats.
Wu Heng recalled this ability from their battle.
When the two skeletons fought Occom, he could always dodge an attack just in time.
These weren't quick reactions but precognition—dodging before the attack even came.
Now it seemed this was indeed an ability.
Footsteps echoed.
Skeleton Occom returned after disposing of the debris. Wu Heng handed it a set of clothes, and together they returned to the room.
Opening the realm gate, they returned to Gold-Silver Island.
...…
In the bathroom...
Wu Heng lay in the tub, enjoying the service of two maids.
After soaking for a while, and once everyone was clean...
Wu Heng stood up, lifting the little fox nearby. He patted her waist and hips. "Climb onto me."
Andviel blushed, softly humming as she clung to him.
Minnie giggled at the side.
"Let's go. Time to discipline the little fox," Wu Heng said, pulling Minnie along.
"Yay! I get to tease Sister Veil again!" Minnie cheered.
Leaving the bathroom...
Wu Heng held Minnie with one hand and Andviel in his arms as they ascended the stairs.
With each step...
The little fox let out coquettish hums.
...…
At Coastal Town, the Snake Emblem Consortium...
Viola, a guardian of the Divine Punishment Sect, entered a private room wearing a long cloak and mask.
Presenting a consortium receipt...
The staff brought over a wooden ornate box.
Viola removed her hood, revealing a mature but pale face, and took a deep breath.
Opening the ornate box, she took out a shriveled head.
As soon as the box was opened, the head's eyes snapped open.
"Bishop," Viola greeted respectfully.