The Necromancer is amassing troops like crazy in the apocalypse

Within the VIP room, the scent of tea wafted gently.

The person in charge laid out five special items, each exuding a strange aura.

[Rusty Dining Knife] [Silent Bell] [Hungry Wallet] [Fragrant Picture Frame] [Nightmare Lantern].

Wu Heng glanced at the five special items briefly.

It seemed only the last lantern might have some use.

Placed by the bedside, it could cause the sleeper to have endless nightmares.

If you dislike someone, you could give it to them to use.

"These are like tasteless leftovers that are hard to throw away." The person in charge rubbed his hands with a smile, "40 Gold Coin each, but if you want all of them, I'll give both of you a total of 180 Gold Coin."

Sweeping his gaze over the two, he continued, "At this price, you can ask around outside; you won't find this price anywhere in Deep Furnace Castle."

Items like these, which have no practical value and don't look particularly appealing,

definitely wouldn't sell for such high prices outside, but there's no choice. Buying special items in Deep Furnace Castle signifies a lack of materials for using the Heart of Molten Fire.

Who could travel far, gather special items, and then come back?

Moreover, using the Heart of Molten Fire must follow the rules of the short people.

Wu Heng casually flipped his hand, and a leather pouch appeared in his palm. He counted 180 coins and handed them over, "I'll take them."

The person in charge smiled broadly, "I'll have someone wrap them up for you!"

"No need!" Wu Heng casually stored all five special items in the Space Ring, then asked, "Don't you have any broken special items?"

"You can check out the special item market in the West City Area. Broken special items are generally priced lower," the person in charge said calmly.

"Alright!" Wu Heng nodded, with no further intention of staying, "Thank you for your help; we won't disturb you any longer."

The person in charge nodded, then looked at Miss Redi Li and said, "Miss Redi Li, are you free? I'd like to host a banquet tonight and invite you to taste the special cuisine of the short people."

Retili's expression remained calm, smiling as she responded, "Thank you for the invitation. I'm still busy with the Heart of Molten Fire matters for the next few days. Once I'm free, I'll host a banquet to thank you."

The person in charge showed a wide smile, "Then I'll wait for your message."

"Alright! We'll take our leave." Retili smiled again, and followed Wu Heng out of the Snake Badge Consortium.

Walking on the way back.

Retili narrowed her eyes, smiling as she asked, "My lord, do you think he invited me to dinner alone for a particular reason?"

"What could it be? Just a man's usual thoughts." Wu Heng replied nonchalantly.

Retili's eyes sparkled, "Perhaps... should we try the short people's cuisine tonight?"

"After the Heart of Molten Fire is done!"

"Hmph!" Retili edged a little closer, "I was being dismissive; I don't fancy him at all!"

...

At two in the afternoon.

Wu Heng was in his dorm room, having just hung up the phone with Lilith, when there was a knock on the door.

As the door opened, Xiao Xiao rushed in first, "Uncle! The market is so fun!"

Behind her, Bella, Glenda, and Lady entered one after another, followed lastly by a short people attendant carrying two large packages with his sturdy arms on either side.

Thump!

The packages landed heavily on the table, causing the tea cups to clink and clatter.

Glenda handed two silver coins to the attendant, who immediately beamed and bowed repeatedly as he exited the room.

"That street was bustling!" Xiao Xiao jumped around, gesturing with her hands, "The whole street was filled with stalls selling all sorts of fun things."

Bella covered her mouth with a light chuckle, "It's completely different from the market on Gold and Silver Island, with mystical items, tools, and mechanical curiosities everywhere. It seems the short people are quite adept at mechanical wonders too."

"Yeah! Uncle, you didn't go; it was really fun," Xiao Xiao agreed.

Wu Heng smiled, ruffling her hair, "Take me out to explore in a couple of days?"

"Sure, I've memorized the best stalls!" Xiao Xiao tugged at his arm, shaking it playfully.

At the wooden table, Glenda unwrapped the packages, revealing a dazzling array of finds. "Complete items: 7; damaged items: 15, and the prices weren't as cheap as we thought, with full items at 50 to 70 Gold Coin each and damaged ones at 2 Gold Coin."

Wu Heng remarked, "Looking at this, the Snake Badge Consortium offered a slightly better deal at 40 Gold Coin per item."

"Indeed, the ones you bought were cheaper, probably due to the internal pricing Miss Redi Li mentioned." Glenda started arranging the special items one by one.

Wu Heng glanced over all the items, confirming they each had a panel displayed, indicating they hadn't been deceived.

Then, his gaze shifted to the second package, "What did you buy from there?"

"Things us women like. Want to take a look?" Glenda asked with a smile.

"No, I think I'll pass!" Wu Heng continued, "Do you have anything else to do? If not, let's head over to the Heart of Molten Fire."

"We have nothing else planned, so it's better to go earlier than risk the lava solidifying," Lady spoke up from the side.

"Alright, let's go now." Wu Heng began packing up the items on the table.

The four ghosts separated from the puppet, and Wu Heng stored them too in the Space Ring.

Thinking for a moment, he said, "Xiao Xiao, go and tell Retili we're heading to the Heart of Molten Fire, but she should stay here and not wander off."

"Okay!" Xiao Xiao agreed cheerfully, passing through the wall.

As Wu Heng left the room, Retili's door also opened, her gaze meeting his, "My lord, are we heading over now?"

"Stay here and don't wander off; it's safer." Wu Heng advised.

Retili nodded with a smile, "Understood, I'll wait for your return."

Wu Heng smiled and nodded back, leaving with the ghosts.

...

Returning to the mountain cave.

The Heart of Molten Fire was churning fiercely within the lava pool, its crimson flames twisting and dancing like living creatures, casting the entire cavern in alternating light and shadow.

Wu Heng looked at the Heart of Molten Fire's progress, [Melting (87.7%)].

It was exactly the same as when he left last time, with no change at all.

This meant that during his absence, the progress would not change.