Perhaps the goddess of misfortune had taken a rest, or maybe she had found a new target. Rody and his mother safely made their way out of the Kolo mountain range and entered the territory of Doha. Concerned that the lord of Doha, allied with Kolo, might issue a warrant for his arrest, Rody insisted on leading his mother through the wilderness. Occasionally passing small villages, they disguised themselves as wanderers, exchanging silver coins and animal skins for food and clothing from the villagers.
Before fleeing Kolo, Rody had prepared enough food. With wild fruits not being scarce and his rich hunting experience, he often added meat and fish to their diet. During the half-month journey, food was not their primary concern.
Rody's greatest worry was whether his mother's health could endure the journey and the threat of wild beast attacks. At night, his necromancy spells offered some protection, but without Marcus and Emma, encountering large carnivorous beasts or terrifying magical beasts during the day would be extremely dangerous. Rody and his mother traveled as much as possible through forests and along streams, as these environments offered escape routes in case of danger. His mother was strong, never complaining throughout the journey, walking alongside Rody during the day and only allowing her beloved son to carry her at night. She insisted on preparing simple but tasty meals whenever they stopped to rest.
At midnight, Rody would hold his mother as they rested in trees, but they traveled as much as possible during the day. They crossed mountains, trekked through forests, forded streams, and passed countless villages and rugged paths.
Relying on each other for survival, Rody and his mother supported and encouraged each other. After a month, having circumnavigated much of Doha, they arrived at the distant port of Asu.
"Why do you want to buy a rabbit, son?" Rody's mother, unaware that her son was a necromancer, did not know that he planned to use the rabbit as a dark servant, a bone pet among animals. With this tireless and inconspicuous rabbit, Rody could have an extra set of eyes to observe their surroundings. He had a natural distrust of people and, for safety, would not easily trust any stranger.
"Maybe our journey needs a little animal to add some liveliness," Rody vaguely explained, and his mother did not inquire further.
Controlling a rabbit was much easier than controlling a human. Apart from the difference in size, there was a special feeling that gave Rody an insight: the lower the level of the animal, the easier it was to control with mental power.
Moreover, after the previous battle where he had overexerted and multitasked, Rody felt his mental power had been trained and sublimated. Now, when he meditated, he discovered that his previously thread-like mental power had grown much thicker, like a small necklace. It not only spiraled and extended but also cooperated more adeptly with Rody's will. He even accidentally discovered that his mental power could weave a web-like pattern of ripples, spreading far and wide, although these ripples were very fine, much thinner than a hair, and not as powerful as a concentrated force.
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But these fine ripples could spread farther and radiate around his body, allowing Rody to control multiple dark servants within range simultaneously.
Rody captured two small mantises and turned them into dark servants, trying to teach them to jump and then to fly, despite their initial struggles. Gradually, he could control their ascent and descent more smoothly.
Training mental power needed more time, and Rody was not in a hurry. He wanted to find a large ship to leave and then settle down in a remote place to slowly enhance his mental power and practice higher-level necromancy. Nicholas knew four-star necromancy, which wasn't much on the continent, but if Rody mastered four-star or higher necromancy and had dark servants skilled in fighting energy and magic to protect him, he need not fear terralizards and night wolves. He believed that even against warriors below five-star great swordsmen, he would have a fighting chance.
"Madam, young master, it's at least a five-day sea journey to Zambirus. You two need to pay three gold coins, and additionally, you need to pay five silver coins for meals. Food and water are scarce at sea, understand?" When Rody, with his veiled mother, went to the port to board a ship, a stinky-bearded captain said he was willing to take them but demanded an exorbitant price.
"We will bring our own food and water. As for the fare, we can hire a bigger ship with two gold coins. There are more than just your ship here." Rody sneered and turned to leave with his mother.
"Wait a minute. Although my ship is not big, it is the fastest in Asu port. Who would set sail with just two passengers? The big ships usually carry goods too, which not only delays time but also makes the journey slow. And if a storm hits, they can't evade it in time... Young master, three gold coins is not a lot, as I have no returning customers in Zambirus." The bearded captain hurriedly stopped Rody and his mother.
"We'll pay the remaining two gold coins when we're close to the port of Zambirus." Rody, understanding the importance of not flaunting wealth, certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to pay the fare in advance.
"This can't be..." Seeing Rody about to leave again, the bearded captain reluctantly agreed. Once they were on his ship, he wasn't worried about Rody, a child, and a woman escaping his fare. He glanced at Rody's mother's attractive figure under her robe and swallowed hard.
Rody saw everything, but he was using the captain's greed to escape from Doha. Travelling with others could expose their whereabouts, which he did not want. Although the bearded captain seemed strong, Rody felt he was easier to handle than Marcus.
Two flying mantises and a rabbit that slept all day took turns monitoring the surroundings, while Rody and his mother stayed in the cabin, rarely coming out.
Three days later, the bearded captain, seeing the vast sea and feeling in control of his domain, grew bolder. He felt Rody didn't look like a poor kid, and his veiled mother, still stunning, was a top-tier woman. After drinking some alcohol, the captain courageously went to knock on Rody's cabin door, using the excuse of an upcoming storm to ask for help with the sails.
"Captain Cozmo, we'll come out right away!" Rody answered in a panic from inside, then opened the cabin door.
"Madam, come help quickly..." The bearded captain was overjoyed, planning to knock Rody unconscious and then force himself on his mother. But he was hit hard in the face with a bone staff, and as he reeled in pain, his vision darkened.
Before he could understand what was happening, he felt a dagger pierce his abdomen. He yelled, grabbing the wrist, only to realize it was a cold, fleshless bone arm.
Something seemed to bite his face, and a hot sensation rolled down his face. The bearded captain covered his face, trying to use his familiarity with the ship to escape the cabin amidst the attacks. But the attacks were relentless, with the bone arm stabbing his back and more biting teeth flying towards him.
In a panic and fearing death, the captain stumbled away. Finally, he rushed to the deck, unaware that he was near the edge, and fell into the sea with a crash.
Rody, along with Nicholas, chased after him, intending to turn the lustful man into another dark servant. But seeing the intense smell of blood attracting numerous carnivorous fish, crazily tearing at the struggling, dying captain, and even the appearance of sharks in the distance, he quickly pulled the ropes, raised the sails, and sped away from the dangerous area.