Chapter 1: Pale Thighs And Little Tea
The spring breeze of the Starlight Continent could not melt the snow piled up in the Gloomy Forest.
The slanting sunset over Black Raven Castle could not dispel the gloom in the depths underground.
As a transmigrator, Chen Mo was hunching his back in the cellar of this dark castle, diligently rubbing that pair of snow-white slender thighs.
He rubbed so softly and gently, as if what his hands were caressing was the lover who haunted his soul.
After finishing one side, Chen Mo lightly patted the perky pelvis. Its owner cooperatively turned over, presenting the white, gleaming shinbones to Chen Mo.
All right, the owner of those snow-white slender thighs was a skeleton.
Say it yourself: snow-white or not, slender or not!
But seriously, what kind of Summoner Mage spends every day doing cleaning services for skeletons?
This absurd Otherworld!
As a young and promising, though not obviously promising, university student from modern Xia Country, Chen Mo used the money he earned from tutoring to reward himself with a trip, only to run into a Child who, due to parental negligence, had wandered into the waves and been swept away at the Beach.
Several people around were shouting “save them, save them,” rushing into the water. His head got hot, and he charged in as well.
The problem was, those people had grown up by the sea and were strong swimmers, while he had only trained in a swimming pool, the kind where his one-way limit was less than twenty-five meters.
On a shore where one wave chased another, they saved the Child, then came to save him.
They failed!
When he opened his eyes again, washed up on a riverbank, Chen Mo saw a skull pressed right against his face.
White Teeth were bared, as if squeezing out a smile at him.
Chen Mo fainted again.
The ones who fished him up were the castle Guards under the master of Black Raven, the Necromancer Archmage.
And just like that, Chen Mo inexplicably became a Servant in the castle.
This place was Black Raven Castle at the edge of the Gloomy Forest on the Starlight Continent, a private Territory of Archmage Black Raven, home to the Necromancer Archmage and his three Vassal Mages, dozens of Guards, and hundreds of Servants.
Fortunately, thanks to his education in his previous life, Chen Mo possessed decent cultural literacy and quickly stood out from among the Servants, becoming one of the Archmage’s Probationary Apprentices.
The first time he discovered he could use Magic Materials to Summon Undead from the Altar, Chen Mo was so excited that he could not sleep all night.
Mage, Summoning, skeleton army, Death Knights!
The dream of so many boys and men!
Then reality gave him a vicious beating.
Archmage Black Raven’s Assistant, Mage Jiuwei, who was responsible for teaching Magic, coldly reminded all the little ones, “You are nothing but Garbage.”
There were twelve Official Apprentices in the castle, and sixty-six Probationary Apprentices. The unit used for Probationary Apprentices was the same as for skeletons: “pieces.”
At this level, every year several, even a dozen “pieces” would die in the castle.
The status of a Probationary Apprentice in the castle was slightly higher than that of a Skeleton Spearman, but lower than that of the dumb Zombie axemen.
Chen Mo calmed down and began to cultivate diligently.
At dawn, each would receive a lump of Food so hard it could fracture his own skeleton’s bones; this was a Probationary Apprentice’s ration for the day in the castle.
He had to rely on his own skeleton to slowly chip off some Powder with its spear tip, then force it down with cold water from the pit.
In the morning, he would, dusty and grimy, clean the castle.
In the afternoon, he would clean his own Summoned skeleton.
At night, he would scrub the Summoned Creatures belonging to the senior Probationary Apprentices and Official Apprentices.
There were no days off; it was even more miserable than a Beast of Burden Worker working nine-nine-six in Xia Country.
Worse yet, there was no Reward.
Probationary Apprentices and summoned skeletons: a pair of predestined workers.
Most of Chen Mo’s daily Time was spent doing hygiene for the Undead. This was not because Archmage Black Raven had some sort of cleanliness obsession, but because the laws of this world were overly realistic.
Why were most beginners’ Summoned Creatures Undead?
Because the greatest advantage of those from the Netherworld line was that they did not need to eat, drink, or relieve themselves. No extra food Fees were needed, and their logistics did not have to be considered when out on Missions.
They were the destined partners of poor Mages, and the excellent transition choice for the wealthy.
But there were issues; the Intelligence of low-level Undead was generally very poor.
They had no idea how to take care of themselves; skeletons were the typical example.
If a Necromancer did not promptly maintain them, the grit, stones, Garbage fragments, and other hard objects stuck on them during Combat could easily jam joints lacking flesh and skin, causing rapid wear at the connections and resulting in damage.
The Undead felt no pain; that was an advantage, but also a drawback. They themselves did not know where something had gone wrong.
Chen Mo had once personally seen a Skeleton Spearman suddenly buckle at the knee while Charging, fly head over heels, and then be easily dismantled into seventeen or eighteen pieces by the opponent.
Afterward, the Mage in charge checked and said there had been a pebble wedged between the kneecap bones.
Truly—somehow they had started talking Science in a Fantasy World!
So, Chen Mo could only dutifully show up for work every day, scrubbing the skeletons belonging to himself and the Senior Apprentices, oiling and lubricating the bone frames.
In the gaps between labor, he squeezed out a bit of Time to train his own feeble Spiritual Power and Magic Power.
If his Days went on like this, in another three, five, seven, or eight years, perhaps Chen Mo could grind his way into becoming an Official Undead Summoner Mage. But reality did not seem inclined to give him that chance.
Two days later would be Archmage Black Raven’s annual birthday celebration, and every Apprentice had to present a Gift to their honored Mentor.
Five years as an Apprentice, four years of service, three festivals and two birthdays with offerings never missing; that was roughly the idea.
As for the type of Gift, wealthy Apprentices could improvise freely; penniless Apprentices, sorry, a Mission had already been assigned from above.
The order Chen Mo received was to follow a Squad into the depths of the Gloomy Forest and eliminate a Dark Demon Tree.
The Young Master, a Senior Apprentice leading the team, was very strong, so the Dark Demon Tree was as good as dead.
Chen Mo was as good as dead too.
The Captain looked at him as if he were already a corpse.
Deep in Chen Mo’s Soul, he was still a modern person who had struggled through the small society of school; he could read the malice in that guy’s eyes.
Chen Mo carefully observed and realized this was a tragedy triggered by a girl.
The girl’s name was Aili, a Probationary Apprentice from a Merchant family. She was quite pretty, especially her big eyes, which rippled like clear water when she looked at people, delicate and moving.
In Black Raven Castle, a dark, oppressive place with many men and few women, she had become the brightest white moonlight in the hearts of the boys.
Besides, Aili was very good at “pulling strings.”
Some pretty girls were simply born with a certain Talent: they knew how to move among men, making every admirer willingly give for her.
Maybe it was a bit of labor, maybe some materials, or perhaps a universal Silver Coin.
Being allowed to do a maintenance session for the goddess’s Summoned Creature was enough to make this group of boys so excited they refused to wash their hands for days.
Chen Mo’s looks were decent, his presence eye-catching. Within just one month he had distinguished himself among the Servants and had Summoned his first Skeleton Spearman.
His level might not have been top-tier, but his Potential was obvious.
Therefore, Aili’s tone was always especially gentle when she spoke to Chen Mo.
Among dozens of Apprentices, only a few boys enjoyed such special treatment. The clever part was that Aili could make each of them feel that her attitude toward him was different from toward the others, that he alone was the unique one.
A true Talent for being a “teasing little sister.”
With the Soul of a modern man, Chen Mo was naturally not that shy; at first, he would occasionally tease her, making the girl’s face flush bright red.
Having had a relationship before, Chen Mo felt that Aili probably regarded him as a decent Backup Partner.
She longed to climb upward, but she clearly knew the chance of a Noble Family heir marrying her was vanishingly small.
So she shyly faced the Aristocratic Heirs while, at the same time, keeping possibilities open with Potential stocks like Chen Mo.
She might not have harbored any great malice; she simply wanted to live a little better in this environment.
Besides, once you were mixed into the Necromancer camp, who was really that much better than anyone else?
However, Aili’s neither-distant-nor-close positioning was unbearable for certain Noble Young Masters who saw her as their exclusive property.
Not long ago, during a sparring session, two Probationary Apprentices died. That Official Apprentice Young Master was fined a tidy sum.
Four Gold Coins, three reprimands, and two lives, written off in one stroke!
Chen Mo was stunned. Having been overly sheltered in modern times, he was still not fully adapted to this man-eating world.
Not wanting to be killed over such an absurd reason, Chen Mo tried to save himself.
He deliberately approached Aili in front of several Apprentices and tactfully expressed his resolve.
Study well, improve every day; during cultivation, no dating!
Aili’s big, glistening eyes fluttered as she spoke in a soft, gentle tone, “Brother, you are amazing. Come on, I believe you will become the best Summoner Mage in the future!”
Chen Mo felt chills running down his back. Without even turning around, he could sense that bastard’s gaze stabbing like knives.
A long sigh echoed in his heart.
He could not live like this anymore!
Then he would stop living like this!
