Dark Magician Isekai: Return and make Fantasy World into a VR Game

It was 3:30 p.m. on Earth, but it was six in the early morning in-game. The original leader of the Sacred Crows bandit gang, "Razor" Hal Maxwell, emerged from his tent and surveyed his surroundings expressionlessly.

The designated construction site for the Adventurer's Guild had transformed from an abandoned block into a bustling construction site. The guild's hall, still under construction, was surrounded by iron pipes and a net made of an unknown material (it was actually just scaffolding). 

Half-meter-deep foundations had also been dug out for the living area meant for job instructors.

Given the enthusiasm these eerie undead had for "work," Hal reckoned that he might be able to move out of his cramped tent in another half month or so.

However, he didn't feel the least bit happy about such a thing.

On the contrary, as construction progressed, Hal's heart got colder. He was in his thirties and had no intention of sacrificing his whole life in this godforsaken wasteland, surrounded by a bunch of skeletons, zombies, and an evil black mage!

A few skeletons with strange squarish characters floating above their heads passed by, and one of them glanced at Hal who was standing before his tent.

Hal remained motionless, his hand slowly inching toward the hilt of his trusty longsword.

The player lowered his head, glanced at the game time displayed by the system, and, realizing it was not yet time to disturb Hal, continued to chat with his companions as they walked away.

A disappointed Hal released his grip on the sword hilt…

These strange undead were indeed becoming smarter, making it increasingly difficult for him to find "legitimate" opportunities to strike them down.

Sighing, Hal picked up some breakfast ingredients and headed to Tuttle's tent.

Tuttle Joe, who was born into a good family, was the most meticulous among them when it came to the finer details of life. With the same ingredients, Tuttle always managed to create more delicious dishes than anyone else. It had become a habit for Hal and the treasure expert, Finley, who was also situated at this construction site, to gather at Tuttle's place for meals.

"Morning, Hal."

Finley, who stayed nearer to Tuttle, was already there with a carton of milk in his hand and casually greeted Hal when the latter arrived.

"Morning, Finley. Tuttle, this is for you," Hal placed his paper bag of ingredients beside Tuttle, who was busy preparing breakfast, then sat down on a stool next to Finley.

"Want some milk? There's still some left." Finley took out another carton.

"Thanks." Hal accepted it briskly.

"Our dark mage sure has quite some connections, huh? Even in this godforsaken place, he manages to find all sorts of supplies," Finley insinuated, "though the things he brings back are kinda strange, like this milk packaged in paper that seems to be loaded with sugar."

"Indeed, you can't really taste much of the milk." Hal's eyes narrowed. "The biscuits he distributed to us were coated with a layer of sugar icing… Even the renowned biscuit shops in the Rhine Kingdom's capital aren't so generous."

"So, you guys are saying…" Tuttle approached with a pot of stew. He placed it on the campfire where the two of them were seated and wiped his hands. As he sat down, he continued, "that there's an external force supporting this guy?"

"The largest sugar-producing region is on another continent," Finley stated concisely. "As far as I know, the Rhine Kingdom's disputes with the Kenyan Empire prevented them from having easy access to trading and resources from beyond the continent."

Tuttle shrugged. "Alright then. A wicked black mage backed by the evil Kenyan Empire infiltrates deep into the eastern region of Navalon with sinister intentions. It sounds plausible… But in these past few days, we've taken turns keeping watch, and we haven't seen any strangers enter here to deliver supplies to this black mage."

"If it's about supplying the 18 of us and meeting the needs of that Rex guy, all it would take is for a highly skilled stealth expert with a spatial ring." Tuttle pointed to the heaps of bricks and cement at the nearby construction site. "These things would require at least two medium-sized airships to transport. And airships are so conspicuous that only the blind won't see them coming."

Hal and Finley fell silent.

Large quantities of construction materials appearing overnight weren't particularly strange for players since it was just a game after all. Whatever the development team wanted to "refresh" could be refreshed.

But it was frustrating for these natives—they couldn't comprehend how the black mage, Yang, who camped with them in this godforsaken wilderness filled with monsters and beasts, managed to accomplish it!

Transporting such an amount of heavy objects was indeed a very troublesome task. Yang Qiu would have to make several dozen trips using his spatial ring to accomplish it.

As for the source… Just like the provision of living necessities, Yang Qiu didn't explain anything to his subordinates because there really wasn't a way of explaining it.

"Tuttle, what are your thoughts?" Hal sighed and mustered his spirits to ask.

Tuttle remained silent for a moment before saying, "…Perhaps, accepting this reality for the time being isn't a bad idea for us."

Hal's face turned dark, and he stood up abruptly.

"Hal." Finley got up quickly and held onto Hal's arm while giving Tuttle a worried glance.

Tuttle stood up as well and met Hal's angry gaze head-on while saying firmly, "Believe me, Hal. I have never forgotten our initial oath. We will always be on the same path."

Hal took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said through gritted teeth, "And what do you mean by that?"

Even though there were no noisy undead wandering nearby, Tuttle cautiously leaned closer to Hal's ear and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was thinking, perhaps we can consider using these peculiar undead… and Yang."

Hal stared at him in shock.

"Yang proclaims himself as Lord of Taranthan. At first, we thought he was insane and babbling nonsense… But evidently, Yang is serious and truly intends to turn this wasteland into his territory, perhaps having spent many years accumulating resources preparing. And these undead, which can't be killed no matter how hard we try, are his subjects."

Tuttle continued to whisper, "Summoning undead isn't really an extraordinary act. But this is different. If he can establish a foothold in Taranthan, then there's no harm in following him as long as there are enough benefits for us.

"And if he can't…" Tuttle lowered his voice to a level that even Finley, who was sitting close by, could barely hear, "the bounty on the 'Nightmare Butcher' is as high as 90,000 gold coins."

Finley's and Hal's eyes instantly gleamed with excitement.

"…Wait, what if he realizes he can't succeed and chooses to flee? If a black mage wishes to escape, holding him back wouldn't be easy," Hal grabbed Tuttle's hand and asked anxiously.

Tuttle motioned for Hal and Finley to sit back down before he leaned in close to his eager compatriots and said coolly, "That's why we have to prepare early. First, we'll have to rope in some undead allies. As you guys may have noticed, these undead are crazy and extremely arrogant. Even when Yang passes by, none of them show him any respect. I believe these undead may not consider Yang as their master."

Hal slapped his thigh excitedly and exclaimed, "You're right! Yang would be wary of us, but he might not be wary of those undead."

"But when we interact with those undead, Yang still monitors us through the matrix," Finley said, frowning.

The whole gang knew that despite his hot-tempered nature, Finley was rather wise. Tuttle nodded in agreement. "Indeed, we can only communicate with those undead through the matrix, and our words and actions are monitored by Yang. However, this surveillance is to ensure we comply with instructions when making the undead work and doesn't prevent us from establishing other connections with these undead. For example, when we kill certain annoying undead, as long as our behavior isn't out of line, Yang won't take notice."

Finley's eyes lit up. "Are you saying… we can seek out opportunities to give these crazy undead some hints?"

"That's right." Tuttle nodded decisively. "I believe you guys have also noticed that almost all the undead have been going on about 'hidden quests' these past few days. It seems like they are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to receive undisclosed, special secret quests. Although we can't create tasks beyond the specified rules, we can make them believe that we can provide what they desire."

Finley and Hal both nodded vigorously. Hal got especially worked up and said, "That's right! These noisy bastards have been even more restless than before. Some troublemakers who took on my tasks weren't satisfied and kept pestering me, asking if there were any other quests. I killed quite a few of such bastards!"

"…" Tuttle wiped the sweat off his forehead. "There's no need to kill all of them next time. We can consider selecting a few less crazy… no, a few that we are able to differentiate, spare them selectively, and observe their subsequent reactions to see if they become friendlier toward us.

"We mustn't rush things. We've got to slowly bide our time and patiently select undead that are willing to get close to us. Then, we should gradually provide them with the benefits we can offer without getting too close that it will raise Yang's suspicions. And when the time is right, we can give them some insinuations…"

As the food simmered, Tuttle divided it into portions for his two companions while saying, "A secret ceases to be a secret when too many people are in on it. I suggest that it's best only the three of us handle this matter. What do you guys think?"

"Right, it isn't about distrusting others, but the fewer who know this secret, the better," Finley agreed right away.

Hal had no objections either. Hal believed that there wouldn't be any traitors among the 17 remaining of the former Sacred Crows bandit gang that followed him. However, there were indeed some idiots in their group who lacked brains and caused more trouble than they were worth.

With their plan settled, Hal, who was usually annoyed to death by players, displayed an unprecedented sense of dedication during the day's work shift. He attentively observed the undead performing tasks under his supervision with a sharp and focused gaze.

"When will these laborious days of bricklaying end!"

"Damn it! My last bit of Potential won't increase no matter what!"

"Who mixed this batch of cement? It's so watery that it won't stick. Why wasn't it rejected?"

"I used the money earned from manual labor to buy lipstick for my wife. She said she won't forcefully take off my helmet next time she's bored…"

"Are we going to the Spider Cave tonight?"

"You still intend to go? Haven't you lost enough equipment?"

"I feel that there's no point in farming monsters at the Spider Cave. Just picking up equipment would probably make us a fortune…"

Although there were only about a dozen or so undead, the noise made by these bunch created a bustling vibe resembling that of a marketplace. On top of that, the noise from Tuttle's and Finley's sites added on to the background sound. Hal's temples were throbbing, and he had the urge to draw his longsword and go on a rampage…

Hal exerted utmost self-control to suppress his irritation. Just then, an undead ran over, screaming and shouting.

"Hey, hey, have you heard? Ou Huang has already gone for job advancement. The first mage in the game has appeared!"

"Whoa, f*ck! Is that true?"

"That guy was level 1 the moment he logged in and could change jobs once he ground enough reputation. That's why he's faster than others."

"That's so unfair! My Potential is only 32!"

"Who told the damn developers to make Potential random? Even if you are unlucky, all you can do is accept it."

"How about we go and kill Lord Yang? Everyone would be on equal footing if we all can't change jobs!"

Hal's entire body trembled.

Players, who were used to the incessant chatter while laboring away, didn't find anything wrong with these exchanges, and they continued to chat.

"Dream on. Even Wife Vanilla and the gang are screaming for mercy and begging for their lives when dealing with level 1 spiders. A level-3 giant rat has the achievement of mass slaughtering players. And you even dream of challenging Lord Yang, whose information can't even be seen with 'Identify'? Wake up, brother!" Another player diligently slogging away said mockingly.

"Yeah, it's more feasible to kill advanced NPCs that exploit us using reputation," another player chimed in while pointing at Hal. "This NPC is level 5 and probably easier to kill than Lord Yang. Brother, how about you practice your skills on this one?"

The string known as rationality in Hal's mind snapped. Face darkened, he drew his longsword and charged at the skeleton that was pointing its dirty bony finger at him.

"What the heck? Just a couple of words and an NPC will attack?!" Fortunately, that player wasn't too near Hal and immediately sprinted away.

"Waahaha!"

"Hahahaha! I'm dying of laughter!"

"Run quick! Once you are out of range, the NPC won't chase you anymore!"

"This Hal is even quicker than Tuttle next door… What the hell! Why is he charging at me!" The next player that caught Hal's attention jumped up and ran away, shouting as he fled, "Calm down, Hal-san, I was just kidding! I'm your undead friend~"

"F*ck, hahahaha!"

"Enough, you guys! Can't you all stop teasing the NPC?"

"Sooner or later, I'm gonna die from laughing thanks to you guys!"

"Give the NPC back quickly! I need to submit a quest!"

Tuttle, hearing all the laughter and excitement coming from Hal's end, was surprised at how quickly the latter changed and immediately bonded with those undead he had always been complaining about…

Turning over to look, Tuttle then realized that Hal was maniacally chasing after and trying to cut down a skeleton that was jumping and hopping all over the place.

Tuttle. "…"

The player that was interacting with Tuttle noticed that the NPC was no longer paying attention and stepped forward, blocking Tuttle's line of sight, and shoved the muddy quest item in front of the NPC's face. "Tuttle Joe, I want to complete the quest. Got it? Hey? Hello?"

After enduring another day of work, the former bandit trio gathered for dinner.

"I don't think it's possible," Hal said with a grim expression. "It's too difficult to find undead that are rational among these lunatics."

Tuttle and Finley. "…"

While they both felt Hal's lack of patience was an issue, these undead were indeed a big issue as well. No matter how many times they had witnessed it before, both of them found it difficult to get used to the gleeful and mocking laughter of the undead when their own comrades were being attacked.

"Haa…" The three sighed simultaneously.

"It's too early to give up. This is only the first day," said Tuttle in a bid to boost his compatriots' spirits. "These undead are quite… individualistic. From their conversations, I firmly believe that we can at least communicate successfully with some of them. As long as we have enough patience, surely some undead that are willing to assist us in assassinating Yang at the crucial moment can be found."

Hal was silent for a bit, then said, "You misunderstood me, Tuttle. It isn't difficult to send an undead to assassinate Yang. These illogical lunatics have no reverence for Yang, who summoned them, nor do they consider him their master. The challenge lies in how to communicate with these undead in a normal manner in the first place."

Tuttle and Finley. "…"

"The worst part is that in the eyes of these undead, the difference between Lord Yang and us may simply be whether we are easier to assassinate," Hal said in frustration. "There's no guarantee that these undead won't target us. Don't forget, Yang initially said that these unruly undead will kill any target they can, regardless of the cost."

Tuttle's face immediately became rigid.

Truth be told, due to the ease at which these undead could be killed, he had long forgotten Yang's warning…

But at the thought of how these undead, undeterred by defeat, had been relentlessly rushing into the Spider Cave that Yang had made a path to, Tuttle couldn't help but shudder.

Finley's face was even darker than Tuttle's.

This Treasure Expert was the most reliable strategist apart from Tuttle during the era of the Sacred Crows. When Hal and Tuttle felt discouraged by the setback of the plan, he had already delved deeper into the matter. "Hey, guys, I have an unpleasant speculation… Could it be that these crazed skeletons summoned by Yang aren't ordinary undead?"

Tuttle asked at once, "What's your take, Finley?"

"While Yang claims that he never accepted it, he is known on the Navalon wanted list as 'Nightmare Butcher.'"

Taking a deep breath, Finley continued, "These skeletons that he summoned as subjects may indeed be different from the typical undead army of a black mage. They are far from sluggish, highly agile, and possess considerable intelligence while being downright crazy. This level of intelligence is not something ordinary summoned creatures would possess."

As Tuttle and Hal heard this, their entire bodies bristled with unease.

Finley's tone got increasingly worked up. "Could it be that these undead aren't the undead we thought they were but rather beings from a higher dimension that transcend our understanding?

"The reason they appear in the fragile form of skeletons is either because their true forms cannot enter the material plane or because Yang has temporarily restricted their power in order to 'tame' them and make them appear weak, as we see them now.

"The evidence is what Hal has mentioned; these undead aren't bound by summoning contracts and are actually capable of harboring murderous intent toward Yang! I can't even imagine what level of terrifying creatures their true forms might be!"

Finley's conjecture left Hal dumbfounded, while Tuttle found himself speechless.

As if the fog that had been obscuring his vision was suddenly blown away, Hal instantly recalled his numerous doubts and his voice trembled. "Yes, yes… Yang himself said that these undead would keep getting stronger. But if they were just ordinary skeletons, how could they possibly grow stronger? Damn it, we shouldn't have come here in the first place. We were deceived by that evil bastard pretending to be friendly, and we were fooled by the supplies he generously offered us!"

"Someone like the 'Nightmare Butcher' is perfectly capable of doing such things! Goddamn it! Is this fella trying to cause a calamity?!" Tuttle exclaimed as well, his forehead completely covered in a cold sweat.

"It's time to make a decision, guys." Finley exhaled sharply. "We have to take a gamble: either slink away in the night and hope he won't chase after us, knowing that we possess his secret… or kill him! We have to do it before these dangerous and terrifying creatures are successfully 'tamed' and reveal their true power!"

The atmosphere among the three had become extremely tense.

They didn't believe for a moment that the evil black mage would spare them. It was a childish view to hold. After all, that devious man had purposely gone all the way to the Sorensen Mountains to deceive them and bring them here!

"Let's do it!" Hal gritted his teeth determinedly. "Regardless of what madness this black mage is scheming, there's no need for us to go along with his madness."

Having been bandits for several years, these guys could indeed be daring when they needed to. The trio immediately dug into their meal, filling their stomachs before scattering to contact the others…

———

Tang Jia, Zheng Qingyue, Yang Ying, Jia Luo, and Ji Tang gathered at the spawn point and formed a team, heading toward the northeast corner of the town.

"In the game, one hour is equivalent to half an hour in real life. NPCs that grant reputation for job advancements only give out quests during specific time slots: from 4:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. As for zombie NPCs' quests, they are available at all times."

While moving, Zheng Qingyue enthusiastically introduced the game to the new friend they had made. "You can only stay logged in for 12 hours a day, which means 24 hours of game time. Since your initial Potential is quite high, you should calculate the best times to log in and try to maximize the time periods where you can gain reputation each day."

"Understood. I'll calculate my login time carefully from now on." Ji Tang nodded.

"It's your first day playing, so just use up your login time today." Tang Jia confidently waved her hand. "Today, while I was with the big group to farm monsters, I found a place where even a small team can farm safely. Let's go and test it out. If it works, we'll gather materials to exchange for reputation points for Qingyue. Once she changes her job to a support class, our squad will become stronger!"

Regardless of whether Ji Tang understood or not, he nodded repeatedly.

In any game, female players were more willing to play with newcomers, and this full-immersive game was no exception.

Zheng Qingyue helplessly stared at Tang Jia, then turned to their new teammate and added, "Don't listen to her nonsense all the time. She's completely unreliable at times. Anyway, let's treat this trip as sightseeing and be prepared to be kicked offline…"

"Ah, it's Boss Unceasing Entropy!"

Two players running toward them spotted Unceasing Entropy's ID and stopped while waving and greeting her.

"Hello," Zheng Qingyue politely nodded to the two players.

"Boss, do you want to join us for a hidden quest?" The two players didn't view themselves as outsiders and ran over excitedly. "It seems like we've stumbled upon a major quest—a quest to assassinate Lord Yang!"

"So exciting?!" Tang Jia remarked gleefully.