Chapter 174: Keep Your Distance

Chapter 174: Keep Your Distance

Wu Heng looked up, a bit surprised.

He saw her beautiful eyes seriously gazing at him.

Lacea continued, "Captain Wu Heng, I'm serious. I may not be able to solve everything for you, but getting you out of Rentam City is no problem."

Wu Heng smiled, "Thank you, Miss Lacea, I appreciate your kindness. If you ever need my help, I'll do my best."

A promise from someone in charge of a local consortium carried weight.

Her offer wasn't just idle talk.

Wu Heng's relationship with the consortium was mostly business, yet it seemed she valued him quite highly.

He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened.

But it seemed his relationships with women had improved.

"Really?" Lacea asked.

"Of course."

"I'm a bit short on my annual targets. Can you help me meet them?"

Damn.

He fell for it.

"Uh, what targets? You have targets in a consortium?" Wu Heng asked curiously.

A consortium with performance targets?

"I'm short on gold exchange quotas. You said you'd help me before, right? You weren't lying, were you?" Lacea pressed.

Wu Heng cleared his throat, "I remember. I'll let you know when I'm ready to help you meet that target."

"Great, thanks."

The two chatted for a while longer.

Then Wu Heng got up, intending to leave.

Lacea saw him to the door and said, "I meant what I said earlier. If you're in danger, remember to come here. The consortium has enough influence in Rentam City and even the surrounding areas."

"I know, if I'm in trouble, I'll seek help from Miss Lacea."

"Alright, stay safe."

They said their goodbyes, and Wu Heng left the consortium building, heading back to his residence.

......

Upon returning home.

"Master, you're back...!" Minnie, who had been training, immediately rushed over and clung to his neck, her face full of joy.

Wu Heng wrapped an arm around her waist and glanced into the living room.

Andviel, also dressed in training clothes, respectfully bowed in greeting.

With the shop on pause, the two of them had been staying at home training.

After closing the door, Minnie slid down from him and asked, "Master, should I prepare dinner?"

Wu Heng glanced at the time, "Wait a bit. Wen Mansa is coming over later, so make an extra portion."

"Okay, Master." Minnie agreed.

"I'll be in the study for a while. Don't overexert yourselves—take a break after some training." Wu Heng said.

"Got it!"

Wu Heng had Minnie brew him a cup of coffee, then he headed to the third-floor study.

He took out the two skill books he had acquired today and placed them on the desk.

The first book was [Bone Armament].

From the contents of the book, the inspiration for Bone Armament magic came from the defensive branches of the mage system.

This type of spell could create physical or magical barriers.

It could absorb incoming damage or even dispel negative statuses or expel abnormal lifeforms from the body.

Wu Heng understood these abnormal lifeforms to be more like parasites, rather than bacteria or viruses.

More like the cursed insects often mentioned in novels.

Of course, defensive spells varied, with higher-tier ones providing better effects.

Not just any skill could achieve all those benefits.

Bone Armament created a protective bone armor using necromancy, which didn't interfere with physical armor like leather or iron.

It provided two layers of protection.

This significantly enhanced one's safety.

As he turned to the last page of the book.

A system prompt immediately appeared.

[Skill Unlocked: Bone Armament]

He successfully unlocked the skill.

Wu Heng stood up and moved to the center of the study.

With a thought.

Necromantic magic spread from his body, wrapping around him like vines, forming a suit of bone armor.

It covered every part of his body.

The only exposed areas were his eyes, nose, and mouth under the helmet.

The armor was similar to a fully enclosed iron-plated suit.

He took out a mirror and examined himself. The bone-stitched appearance was a bit menacing, but overall, it looked pretty good.

"Not bad."

He looked like a boss character from a game, radiating the aura of a powerful figure.

After striking a couple of poses in front of the mirror.

He dismissed the magic, and the bone armor gradually disappeared.

Sitting back at the desk, he flipped open the second book, [Corpse Cage].

The second skill leaned more toward an evocation-type spell.

It used necromancy to create a bone cage to trap or imprison enemies.

The magic had two forms of manifestation.

One was if there were enough bones in the area; the cage could be maintained for a long time, only costing mental energy during the initial casting.

The second form was a necromantic cage created from scratch. It could temporarily hold enemies but wouldn't last long.

Once the magic supporting the cage was cut off, it would collapse.

For Wu Heng, this wasn't much of a problem.

In a world full of zombies, there was no shortage of corpses and bones.

This skill would serve as one of his control abilities.

He finished reading the entire book.

But no skill unlock prompt appeared.

Wu Heng furrowed his brow, glancing at the book in his hand, then at his skill panel.

"What's going on?"

He flipped back to the first page and re-read the book from start to finish.

After reading it three times.

The prompt finally appeared.

[Skill Unlocked: Corpse Cage]

It seemed the skill level was too high, and his intelligence attribute couldn't immediately process it.

Only after reading it multiple times did it unlock in his attribute panel.

He placed the two books on the bookshelf.

Soon, voices could be heard downstairs, followed by Minnie calling, "Master, Sister Wen Mansa is here."

Wu Heng opened the study door, "Bring her to the third floor."

Tap tap tap~!

Crisp footsteps echoed as Wen Mansa, dressed in a luxurious blue gown with a beautiful shawl, ascended the stairs.

She entered the study, carefully closing the door behind her.

With a seductive glance, she softly called, "Master~!"

"Have a seat," Wu Heng said.

Wen Mansa removed her shawl and draped it over a chair.

Swaying her hips, she walked over and sat directly on his lap.

Wen Mansa's body was naturally curvaceous, her round hips wrapping around his legs like cotton candy.

She placed one arm around his neck and played with her hair, speaking softly, "I thought you didn't like me. Every time, it's me coming to you. I felt strange, but I was so happy when I got your message today."

As she spoke, she rested her chin on his shoulder, gently nibbling on his earlobe with her tongue.

At noon, Wu Heng had sent her a message.

The content was simple—she was invited to dinner that evening.

He didn't specify who the invite was from, but Wen Mansa certainly knew.

Of course, his main purpose was to inquire about the tasks he had assigned her and future missions.

Wu Heng caressed her waist, gently rubbing her back. "What's with this? We just saw each other two days ago."

"I missed you!" Wen Mansa teased, leaning in for another kiss.

They embraced for a while.

Then slowly separated.

Wen Mansa remained draped over him.

Wu Heng gently stroked the silk of her long dress and asked, "Any results from the person I asked you to investigate?"

Wen Mansa softly replied, "It's clear now. Jianluan is a wealthy merchant in this city. The tavern you mentioned in the outer district is just one of his minor businesses. According to my investigation, his enterprises include weapon shops, jewelry stores, mercenary groups, and ties to local gangs. He's a major figure."

For Wen Mansa, who led a small gang.

A wealthy merchant like Jianluan was the ultimate benefactor.

If she ever gained his support or approval, she might not soar to great heights, but she'd certainly escape the small gang life.

It would elevate her several levels.

"So, he's pretty powerful."

"In the city, he's one of the top. His wealth is undeniable, and he's backed by a mercenary group and local gangs. He's a formidable figure." Wen Mansa swayed her hips and continued explaining.

Wu Heng nodded.

It seemed this "Tianyan Secret Cult" wasn't simple at all.

Perhaps he was underestimating the amount of gold he needed.

"Are you in conflict with him?" Wen Mansa asked.

"Yes, but you don't need to worry about that. I have another task for you." Wu Heng continued.

Wen Mansa leaned back slightly and asked, "What's the task?"

Wu Heng explained, "We've found some clues about the person who tried to assassinate me. The Scorpion Claw Gang and the guild are both looking for him. I want you to find him first—either kill him or bring me detailed information."

Wen Mansa frowned. The investigation had produced results.

Her people had also been looking into it, but it seemed they weren't as fast as the others.

"Who is he?"

"He used to be a squad leader in the guild. He's not part of the guild anymore, but we had conflicts in the past. The Scorpion Claw Gang identified him through a portrait. It's most likely him." Wu Heng said directly.

Since this involved the guild, it was more complicated than he initially thought.

Wen Mansa thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have the portrait?"

"I do." Wu Heng pulled out a photo of the portrait from his tablet and showed it to her.

"What's his level?"

"Probably Level 9 or Level 10 warrior. He's an experienced fighter, so be careful if you go after him." Wu Heng said.

"Alright, I'll have my people look into it immediately. My intelligence network is quite efficient." Wen Mansa replied softly.

Wu Heng nodded, "I'll count on you."

"Don't worry, Master. He dared to attack you, we'll drag him out." Wen Mansa said firmly.

"Good."

The two of them chatted for a while in the study.

Then they heard Minnie's voice calling them for dinner.

They straightened their clothes and headed downstairs to the dining table.

......

The next day, Wu Heng went to the guild.

At the front desk, he received several reply letters.

He headed to the lounge.

Wu Heng opened the first letter from Slater.

As expected, it contained information about the Secret Cult.

According to Slater's understanding.

The Tianyan Secret Cult was a mysterious organization composed of the wealthy and powerful. In the past, it remained hidden from the public, operating behind the scenes.

But in recent years, it had begun recruiting members and becoming more active.

Recently, there had been signs of the cult attempting to infiltrate guilds in various places, and the headquarters was investigating the matter strictly.

From the tone, it was clear Slater was quite wary of them.

His final warning to Wu Heng was.

"Don't believe anything they say. Keep your distance."