Forging materials cost 2.5 silver lun coins, processing fee was 1 gold cogwheel, and the cracked rune stone was 3 gold cogwheels... This money really didn't last long. Durin's current total assets were 3 gold cogwheels, 7 silver lun coins, and 16 copper circle coins, directly shrinking by more than half.
Durin calculated as he walked towards Vocal Avenue in the Harbor District. He had originally thought that having so many gold cogwheels in his hand was already a huge sum of money.
But now, after buying a rune stone and forging materials, and excluding the unpaid processing fee, he had less than half of his money left.
Durin could only constantly complain that enchanted weapons were simply too expensive; a small rune stone was worth 3 gold cogwheels. He had thought the money he had would last for a while, but it seemed he still needed to find a way to earn more!
The prices in Piltover were truly exorbitant. Due to the six major families of the Council forming a financial conglomerate, they monopolized all sectors. For example, each crossing of the Sun Gates cost 1 coin made of pure gold; silver coins were not accepted at all.
When Durin exited the black market, he looked up to see a moon, clear as a mirror, hanging in the sky. Around it was an unusually hazy glow, with countless stars, spilling their clear, flowing light onto Piltover, the City of Progress.
Breathing in the fresh air again made Durin feel much more pleasant, finally reaching a level he could accept.
Durin walked through the Fish Market District. There were many homeless people gathered in the streets and alleys. Along the walls were rows of small cubicles, slightly larger than telephone booths, no more than five square meters. These were rental rooms for entertainment, and in some, the windows were fogged up, with indistinct figures moving within—people were 'consuming' inside.
Hmm?
Wait, something's not right...
Durin scanned his surroundings. He kept feeling like someone was following him.
This feeling was faint, an instinctive perception of danger. Like the saying, 'the cicada senses the wind before it stirs,' a strong sensory ability.
Someone is following me?
Durin's expression instantly darkened, but he didn't panic. Instead, he calmly considered who his enemy, who was tracking him, might be. After reaching this conclusion, his peripheral vision constantly darted towards the crowds on the street, and he quickly locked onto two dark-skinned, strong men with cold eyes.
They wore dusty white robes, turbans, and black masks, their attire distinctly Shuriman.
Beneath their seemingly simple white robes, they wore high-quality cowhide armor, with grayish-white bone plates protecting their joints.
Durin naturally deduced this through observation.
One of them wore a Nomad's Medallion, had a scimitar-like weapon at his waist, and carried a rawhide round shield on his back.
The other had a flanged mace for close combat and an extremely crude and low-quality pistol hanging from his lower back.
The Shuriman carrying the scimitar and round shield had a striking scar running across his entire face from left to right, and a thick black beard.
He had a thick leather pad on his shoulder, somewhat resembling a shoulder plate.
Mercenaries?
Judging by their walking posture, sturdy physiques, and equipment, these two were likely hardened individuals who constantly flirted with death, earning money by undertaking dangerous missions.
Durin felt some doubt. Their equipment was very good. He had initially thought they were just like him, coming to the black market for a transaction. But when he left the black market and even took several turns through the streets and alleys of the Fish Market District, he still felt a sense of being relentlessly pursued.
These two were after him!
Durin immediately made this judgment and instantly thought of Silco from Zaun. He now had a grudge with Silco and Singed, and only they would likely hire mercenaries to cause him trouble.
The reason these two mercenaries appeared in the Fish Market District instead of other districts was likely because the Piltover Guard presence in other districts was too strong, while the Fish Market District was much weaker, offering an opportunity.
Thinking of this, Durin immediately understood the situation, but aside from a slight nervousness, he wasn't overly panicked.
Firstly, Piltover's security was indeed astonishing; truly heinous criminals simply couldn't get in. Those who could enter from outside had limited strength. And for Silco to try and bribe powerful individuals within Piltover to deal with Durin was even more impossible—they were noble Piltover citizens; who would pay attention to a gang leader?
Secondly, through his efforts during this period, Durin had not only improved his close combat abilities but had also mastered the first-ring Summon Skeleton spell and the first-ring Fire Tongue spell. His overall combat strength was several times stronger than when he fought the three assassins previously.
Facing enemies with limited threats, Durin also wanted to test his current strength.
So, let's find a place to deal with them. He also needed money.
Thinking this, Durin began to walk towards a less populated area.
Since he had made a decision, he would choose a suitable battlefield for himself to maximize his advantages.
In a situation where he was outnumbered, it was best to initiate an attack, using the Summon Skeleton spell to create a one-on-one scenario. With his excellent individual combat ability, he would definitely be able to inflict casualties on the enemy, thereby weakening their effective strength, until the balance of power between them gradually narrowed or even reversed, and then kill them to decide the outcome.
Durin turned a street corner and came to a secluded, relatively enclosed dirt road overgrown with weeds, next to a stinking ditch with trash and green duckweed floating on it.
Then, he swiftly hid behind the wall of a dilapidated house, listening to the approaching footsteps, while his chanting grew faster and faster: "Lebata, Sobinayafe, Omlarin Sissou… Kutma Siss, Sanounxi Kat."
After he finished the first recitation of the incantation, he immediately felt a faint voice responding to him. But he did not stop, instead, he quickened his pace and repeated the incantation.
Dense negative energy converged from all directions with Durin's low chant. In a mixed area like the Fish Market District, people might not die every moment like in Zaun, but someone dying every two or three days was not a big deal.
A thick, misty aura immediately enveloped this secluded dirt road. If viewed from above, it would appear like the eye of a typhoon, with the surrounding negative energy converging here like clouds stirred by a typhoon.
The dense negative energy, due to its convergence, gradually solidified into a grayish-black substance, enveloping Durin. From the outside, these grayish-black mists continuously churned around Durin like boiling water.
Summoning multiple skeletons at once made Durin's pronunciation and intonation lean towards Ochen, as if praising death and resonating with the underworld. When the resonance reached a certain level, he would use magic to open a large rift, connecting to the underworld dimension.
When Durin finished the last word of the incantation, after a flash, a circular gate appeared.
The necromantic power from the underworld dimension was not something ordinary people could withstand; only true undead beings could endure and welcome it. The power of death was a slow-acting poison to any living creature, and even necromancers would suffer severe damage.
One, two, three.
When the last skeleton emerged from the circular gate, it completely closed.
Among the three skeletons, one was somewhat unusual. It was wrapped in numerous strips of cloth, wore a leather felt hat, held a rusty shovel, and its head, burning with a faint green flame, rattled with clicking sounds.
Durin's ears were filled with a piercing buzzing sound, and the incessant and noisy wails of the dead also rang out.
Intense dizziness and nausea instantly struck him as the buzzing sound began. His legs went weak, and he nearly lost his balance, almost falling to the side.
This feeling was like the severe motion sickness brought on by speeding on a winding mountain road.
But Durin endured this physical discomfort, knowing that the enemies were coming soon. He had to be prepared; with limited time, he could only manage to summon three skeletons.
Durin hid behind two load-bearing walls forming a 90-degree angle. This was a blind spot, directly facing the edge of the floor slab, with an open space behind the wall. To catch him, the two Shurima Mercenary enemies would have to gather in this open space.
Durin waited quietly for a while. As the footsteps grew closer, his left fingertips quickly traced and outlined the magical circuit formed by the Light spell rune. With a thought, and by increasing the infusion of magic, he could create a flash effect.
"Where is he?"
"I just saw him walk this way. How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"
"Let's look around."
Durin heard two different voices communicating in Shuriman, which he didn't understand, and knew that the two were not far from him.
Just then, a large rat scurried out of the ruined house, followed by a black and white cat. The two creatures disappeared in a flash.
The sudden situation momentarily diverted the attention of the two mercenaries.
"Good opportunity!"
Durin, who had been hiding and observing, immediately seized this excellent opportunity.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"