Chapter 47: All the wealth that was enough to rival a country is gone!

This world has never been peaceful.

Between rampant dangerous beasts, hostile races, and even scheming among humans, I know the dangers and the treachery of hearts all too well. That’s why I’ve been so cautious lately.

Though I’m much stronger than two months ago, war is still something I dread.

In the face of armies and warfare, no one escapes unscathed, and I’m only slightly stronger than an average person.

“…Are the other races really about to attack?”

Staring at the rising black smoke, I stood frozen.

Should I run now? Damn it, Gu Xuanyun won’t be back for six days to pay me… Without his payment, I can’t afford to leave.

Silent for a moment, I turned back inside.

There was nothing worth watching outside—I’m not here for pointless chaos.

Right now, I need to prepare.

The city’s not safe, and who knows if the other races will hit Black Obsidian…

I have to be ready, so if they do attack, I can escape with my egg babies.

Focusing on my assets, my eyes landed on my crystals.

Including the one Gu Xuanyun gave me, I have four crystals.

They were meant for the egg babies, but… not anymore.

For safety, I need to use at least one for its true potential.

Crystals, the core of magical beasts, are like a human heart—worth a gold coin for good reason. They’re not just for feeding my kids.

Their primary use? Weapons, or rather, the core power for weapons.

Golems, magic arrays, rune formations, magical devices… countless tools requiring significant energy rely on crystals—especially for warriors without magic or mental energy, who need them for combat support.

Using crystals to feed my kids? Others would call it a waste. A crystal worth one gold coin can power a Gold-rank magical shield for half a year—yet my egg babies burn through one in less than half a day…

It shows how immense the energy they need to grow is.

But what can I do? Neither I nor my egg babies are normal. High-tier bloodlines… ones that produce a new heir only every few centuries. Good thing it’s me—anyone else, and these eggs would’ve starved to death.

…Back to business.

Taking one of my four crystals isn’t about skimping on the kids’ food—it’s for safety. I need to prepare.

“Hm… this one’s an earth-element crystal. Perfect.”

Eyeing the golden-yellow crystal, I nodded, ready to boost my combat power.

What for? To power a magical puppet, of course.

I can barely handle ten Bronze warriors, but a Silver-rank fighter? I’d be too slow to react.

Raising my strength drastically in a short time isn’t realistic, so I’ll use another method—magical puppets.

I’m broke, so buying materials for a crafted puppet isn’t an option. Instead, I’ll summon one.

In my past life, I had many professions. Black mage was my main gig, but I was also a golem-crafter, rune master, summoner, alchemist—you name it, I learned it. I was filthy rich.

…Thinking about it pisses me off. I had mage towers, a golem army, and more! No maintenance for centuries—probably all ruined… My vast wealth? Gone!!!

Worst of all, after waking up, I found my hard-earned contracts with powerful summoned creatures… poof, gone. Likely lost with parts of my memory and soul.

I’ve noticed my memories are incomplete, meaning my soul is too—or at least, very different.

The current me is a fusion of my fragmented soul and Su Mengmeng’s near-dead one.

Her soul was so weak it nearly dissipated upon leaving her body, letting my consciousness dominate, though her personality and habits influence me a bit.

Still, everything I had is gone—my biggest regret. But my knowledge and magical expertise remain. With my barely-above-apprentice mental energy, I can still pull off feats only a master mage could.