Chapter 5: Family Arrangements

After roughly understanding the situation, Liu Zhi was no fool who would say, “I’m a time traveler and have no relation to your family.” With a powerful ally to lean on, if not now, then when?

Soon, Liu Zhi found an elder brother at the Bonewind Academy, who was also a prominent figure of the Eid family within the academy.

This man, named Aiden Eid, was a necromancer of the same generation as Shandru, but he was more than ten years older and currently served as an assistant instructor at Bonewind.

He was also a prodigy that the Eid family had painstakingly nurtured over the past fifty years, likely to become the next head of the family.

Upon seeing Shandru, Aiden immediately stepped forward. “Cousin Shandru, your choice has made us all very pleased. Had you chosen this path earlier, none of the later troubles would have occurred.”

“This wasn’t really my choice. This appointment was filled with unexpected turns,” Liu Zhi hinted at the circumstances, leaving it to Aiden whether he could understand or not.

To his surprise, Aiden understood perfectly. “I know—the kid from the Owen family, right? We won’t let this loss go unpaid. The family will make sure to reclaim the situation for you. Also, your method of retaliation was quite impressive. The family is very satisfied. Consider this a gift.”

While speaking, Aiden placed a blue-covered spellbook in front of Liu Zhi.

Liu Zhi was momentarily stunned but took the book. Expecting it to be about necromancy, he was surprised to see a golden magnifying glass symbol embossed on the cover.

[Book of Appraisal: Can store up to 100 Appraisal Magnifiers (20/100)]

“Good stuff, thanks,” Liu Zhi said. After some thought, he decided to keep the appraisal book. It was a useful tool; at the very least, it could appraise any equipment he obtained from monsters.

“No need to be polite. This is a small gift to celebrate your appointment. I just became an assistant instructor, so I don’t have much to offer. Just accept it. The family knows about your appointment now. Around three this afternoon, a special team will come to escort you back. By the way, have you considered where you want to be stationed?”

“Not yet. Do you have any recommendations?”

“If possible, it’s best to stay in Sulk City, where the family is based. But most positions there are nearly full, so good spots are scarce. If you’re willing to pioneer, you could go to a secondary town or a tertiary village. They’re not exactly remote and have other mortuary officers around. If you want to play games, someone can cover for you. But definitely avoid primary towns or villages—they’re too isolated, and you’d be the only one there, meaning you’d only get to play games during holidays.”

Aiden shared his experience with Liu Zhi. “Don’t worry, our family is well-regarded in the nearby cities. As long as it’s not a highly sought-after position, you can usually secure it.”

At that moment, a voice came from outside. “His destination has been decided: Adal-Malik.”

“Ah?” Aiden turned to see a man enter. The man wore a black linen robe, dusty and gray, stirring up clouds of dust as he moved, as if shrouded in a layer of grime.

“How could it be? Adal-Malik is a metropolitan city of parliamentary level. Shandru just got appointed—why would he go there now?”

“It’s the Elders’ council’s decision. Shandru’s family line originally followed the path of the fallen service masters, little known outside. This is perfect—we want to establish a foothold in Adal-Malik, and he fits the bill.”

Aiden was about to say more when Liu Zhi asked, “Um, what exactly is Adal-Malik?”

Aiden glanced at Liu Zhi before explaining, “Adal-Malik is one of the three major metropolitan clusters in the entire realm. The city has reached parliamentary status, with a minimum population of 300 million. It’s a level our family currently cannot access. Whether this is good or bad for you, you’ll have to decide.”

“Three major metropolitan clusters?”

Liu Zhi’s interest was piqued in a different way. Aiden sighed but continued. “Yes, three major metropolitan clusters: Adal-Malik, the Western center of technology and arts; Huangquan-Nightwalk, the Eastern economic hub; and Edland-Einfast, the central administrative capital. These three are all formidable, home to thousands of mortuary officers and even legendary figures.”

“Legendary figures?” Liu Zhi was momentarily stunned. Having read some books before, he understood the game-like hierarchy of levels: after appointment, one becomes a supernatural being, further divided into ranks—Levels 1 to 5 are professional, 6 to 10 legendary, 11 to 15 legendary, and beyond 15 mythic.

At Liu Zhi’s current level and clearance, he could only observe some details about the professional ranks; how to ascend from professional to legendary was still a mystery to him, let alone the legendary ranks above.

“Yes, these cities definitely have legendary-level beings, and more than one. Unlike our small city, where having a few legendary-level officers is impressive enough.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhi felt a flicker of excitement.

Noticing Liu Zhi’s changing expression, Aiden sighed. Honestly, he had high hopes for this young man. He hadn’t expected the Elders’ council to make such a decision, and Shandru seemed somewhat tempted by it.

At that moment, the man who had entered earlier smiled. “Excellent. This is the kind of son the Eid family needs. Now, I’ll take you back to handle some matters, and then we’ll arrange your departure.”

“Arrange my departure?” The phrase sounded oddly unsettling to Liu Zhi.

He was at a loss, but the man didn’t notice his awkwardness. He took Liu Zhi’s hand. “Put away your undead servants. We need to use a special travel method, and I can’t bring your undead along.”

Liu Zhi nodded toward Vednina, who was standing nearby. She quietly retreated into his Nether Palace.

Then the man, named Victor, held Liu Zhi’s hand and said, “If you feel unwell at any time, just call my name—though I might not stop immediately.”

Before Liu Zhi could grasp the meaning of those words, Victor stepped back, and both of them suddenly transformed into swirling grains of sand. Twisting and spinning, they vanished from Aiden’s sight in moments.