Chapter 336 - 126: I’m Lynch, and I’ve Gotten Stronger

Chapter 336: Chapter 126: I’m Lynch, and I’ve Gotten Stronger

...

About an hour later, the door to the reception room opened again.

Senior Brother Raymond walked out.

The eyes of this frontier general were slightly red. He looked for all the world as if he’d just been mugged by a pack of Gnolls and had a good cry about it afterward.

Seeing Lynch waiting outside, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just clapped Lynch hard on the shoulder. His voice was hoarse. "Junior Brother... the contract is signed. The rent... it’s a little steep. I can’t stay. I have to get back... and figure out how to raise the funds."

He muttered, as if psyching himself up, "Damn those Blue Scarves, damn the Black Rock Beastman Tribe, damn the wandering evil centaurs, and damn those filthy nobles who take money and do nothing... That’s all money! That’s all resources! I’m going to turn them all into military honors and spoils of war!"

Amidst his desperate muttering, Raymond didn’t even stop for a drink of water, rushing toward the dungeons as if a debt collector was hot on his heels.

He had to find the "newly freed" Undead Demoness to complete the contract and secure the expensive rental before he could return to "making money" with peace of mind.

No matter how you looked at it, his retreating back had the bleak air of a hero marching off to a grim fate.

Lynch: "..."

Lynch wiped the cold sweat from his brow and followed after him. He first had the guards let Senior Brother Raymond pass, allowing him to go and make a pact with the Undead Demoness, before returning to the reception room.

Mentor Annabella was there, elegantly sipping from a freshly brewed cup of tea. Her expression was serene, as if the intense negotiation that had just taken place had never happened at all.

"Mentor... just how much did you manage to squeeze out of Senior Brother Raymond?" Lynch couldn’t resist asking in a hushed voice.

Annabella set down her teacup and said nonchalantly, "Not much. The monthly rent is two standard-quality, medium-grade Negative Energy Crystals. The lease is for three years, with the first year’s rent—twenty-four crystals—paid upfront. Payment must be made in full within one month."

"The rent for the remaining two years will be paid at the end of each year for the one to follow. As for collateral..." A smile played on her lips. "He mortgaged his family estate and the ownership rights to a small Magic Crystal Ore mine to you. The contract is witnessed by both the North Wind Legion and the academy. There’s no way he can default."

Lynch gasped. "’Whoa...’"

’Two medium-grade Negative Energy Crystals a month!’

’The current market price for a medium-grade Negative Energy Crystal is nothing to sneeze at, generally stable at around a thousand Gold Coins, and even then, they’re often unavailable for purchase.’

’Twenty-four medium-grade Negative Energy Crystals a year is twenty-four thousand Gold Coins. Over three years, that adds up to seventy-two thousand Gold Coins.’

’Mentor... your blade is sharp indeed...!’

Seeing Lynch’s shocked and speechless gaze, Annabella raised an eyebrow and said righteously, "It might be a little expensive, but you need to look at it from another perspective. With this Tier Six Undead Demoness, think how many casualties that fellow Raymond can avoid in his upcoming campaigns to clear out rebels and Beastman Tribes, and to expand the safe zones. Think of how much more territory and resources he can conquer. You have to spend money to make money! It’s a strategic investment! I’m helping him firm up his resolve, unlocking his potential!"

She paused, glancing at Lynch with a tone that implied, ’You’d better appreciate this.’ "Besides, I’m the one playing the bad guy for your sake, securing a tangible profit for you. Now you just have to wait for the money to roll in within a month."

"As for the academy and the legion, I’ll have a word with them and make sure all this rental income goes directly to you. No one will dare to lay a single finger on it."

Upon hearing this, what little sympathy Lynch had for his senior brother was instantly washed away by the tide of immense profit.

He quickly plastered on an expression of tearful gratitude. "Mentor, you’ve gone to so much trouble! I understand, you did all of this for my own good! I am eternally grateful!"

Annabella huffed and waved her hand. "Spare me the act. Remember, strength is fundamental; money and resources are merely supplementary. Use this income to accelerate the development of Lakefront Town and your own growth. As for Raymond... if he’s truly crushed by a little rent, then he isn’t worthy of his post at Red Ridge Castle."

Lynch nodded in agreement, feeling quite emotional.

He had witnessed his mentor’s methods and the lengths she would go to protect her own. ’Having a mentor like her watching my back... it’s so reassuring.’

However, Lynch’s feeling of "reassurance" didn’t last long.

The very next morning, as the first rays of dawn illuminated Lakefront Town, Mentor Annabella’s "special care" officially began.

Her idle mentor declared that since she was here, she might as well make herself useful. She had to seize the opportunity to give her prized student some "special tutoring" and "catch-up lessons."

On the first day, Lynch was quite happy.

The cultivation insights of a Tier Eight Archmage were an invaluable treasure for a Low Tier Mage. Whether it was her understanding of the Death Law or her experience optimizing Magic Models, he benefited immensely, feeling as if his mind had been thrown wide open.

Under his mentor’s direct guidance, he absorbed knowledge like a man starved, thinking that she was truly the best mentor in the world.

On the second day, the "special tutoring" leveled up.

Annabella began to specifically "temper" his Spiritual Power control and his practical combat reflexes.

Countless high-intensity spiritual micromanagement exercises, simulated combat, and tests involving all sorts of bizarre "sudden emergencies" kept Lynch on high alert from morning till night. His Mana was drained dry again and again, forcing him to rely on Awakening Potions just to recover.