Chapter 29: A Ghost General as My Backer!

Chen Mu understood the principle of reciprocity. Since the Duke was generous enough to gift him the Heavy Armor of Death, he certainly had to return the gesture.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu reached into his spatial ring and pulled out ten million nether coins.

"Duke, the Heavy Armor of Death is far too precious; I cannot accept it for nothing. Please take these ten million nether coins as payment for the armor."

This action stunned the Duke once again. The ten million nether coins, stacked neatly, covered more than half the wall. Watching Chen Mu’s generous act, the Duke couldn't help but sigh: Chen Mu was a true friend!

He knew that even if Chen Mu hadn't paid, he could have still walked away with the armor. Yet, to ensure the Duke didn't suffer a loss (at least, that was how the Duke perceived it), Chen Mu had splashed out ten million nether coins! In the Duke's heart, his estimation of Chen Mu climbed to a new level—he was a man who didn't covet small gains and refused to let his friends be short-changed. Chen Mu was worth befriending deeply!

These ten million nether coins solved the Duke’s pressing financial troubles, filling the void in his coffers. Out of gratitude, the Duke produced a token and handed it to Chen Mu.

"Chen Mu, you are a good brother to me. Take this token. If you ever run into trouble, just crush it. I will know your location and arrive immediately to assist you."

Accepting the token, Chen Mu’s face lit up with pleasant surprise. He had secured the Heavy Armor of Death—an item worth billions—for a few million in gifts plus ten million in nether coins. It was an absolute steal. And as an unexpected bonus, he had gained the Duke's token!

Chen Mu knew exactly how much the Duke's token was worth. In truth, it was an item comparable to a "Ghost General-level" asset. Though the Duke was short on cash, his strength was formidable. The Duke was a Ghost General-level entity. Such beings were often the supreme bosses of entire cities. For instance, the幕后 boss of the Fallen Mall—who possessed countless industries and controlled a top-tier supernatural scene—was only of Ghost General-level strength. This illustrated just how powerful that rank was. Across the entire supernatural apocalypse, there were only a handful of Ghost Kings stronger than a Ghost General. It was fair to say that a Ghost General represented the near-pinnacle of power in this world.

Possessing this token meant that in a moment of crisis, he could summon a Ghost General-level entity to his side! Who in the supernatural apocalypse would dare provoke him now? If nether coins couldn't solve a problem, he would simply have the Duke step in and wipe the opposition out in a few swift moves. He had a Ghost General as his backer!

Chen Mu had made an absolute killing in the Fog Museum instance. He had profited immensely.

For the next half hour, Chen Mu and the Duke conversed happily. During their talk, the Duke grew even more impressed with Chen Mu. This young man was remarkably well-informed, speaking of things the Duke himself didn't know. For example, the Netherworld Bank—a top-tier supernatural site accessible only to Ghost Kings—was something Chen Mu discussed with such expertise that it felt as if he had seen it with his own eyes. In reality, Chen Mu had not only seen it, but the Netherworld Bank was currently sitting right inside his spatial ring! If he had revealed that, the Duke’s jaw would have hit the floor. Still, Chen Mu had his limits; he wouldn't share such core secrets. Even so, the Duke continued to praise Chen Mu’s knowledge. He became even more convinced that Chen Mu was a man of significant, high-level background.

Finally, when the conversation turned to the supernatural apocalypse, Chen Mu shared his plans.

"I intend to purchase more properties in the supernatural apocalypse. It’s just that I have so many nether coins on hand, I’m not sure which ones are the most suitable to buy first."

Having so much money that one didn't know how to spend it—it was a blatant display of wealth! If anyone else had heard this, they would have exploded with envy. But Chen Mu was innocent; he wasn't trying to show off; this was a genuine concern. Ah, perhaps these were the troubles of the wealthy. Quality resources were always scarce, and while Chen Mu had plenty of coins, his time was limited! He could only participate in one supernatural scene at a time, so he had to acquire them one by one. Which scenes were worth the investment? Otherwise, in a year or two, when the value of these scenes spiked or some were no longer for sale, he would miss his chance.

In this regard, as a denizen of the supernatural world, the Duke surely knew more than him. After a moment of thought, the Duke said:

"I believe a school is a worthy supernatural scene to purchase. In the supernatural apocalypse, those powerful entities generally have offspring. Those children need to attend school, don't they? Just like you humans scramble to get into good schools, with powerful and influential people breaking their necks to send their children to the best institutions, it is the same for us! A good school is a scarce resource for high-level entities. They are willing to pay a huge price for their descendants. If you buy a good school and become its principal, those high-level entities’ children will need your help to get in, won't they?"

The Duke’s words were a revelation to Chen Mu. Right! He had plenty of nether coins, but to put it bluntly, he was still using them to beg for favors and leniency. But if he bought a school, as the Duke suggested, it would be the supernatural entities begging him for favors! One was begging them, the other was them begging him—the difference was night and day!

Like humans, high-level entities valued their offspring and wanted to provide them with good resources and education. If he held their descendants in his grasp, wouldn't he be able to walk freely throughout the entire supernatural apocalypse? In fact, in Chen Mu’s memory, those famous supernatural schools were all powerful factions that shook the world. For instance, the high school he was currently attending would transform into a supernatural scene—the Dark Night High School—about a month into the apocalypse. It had developed rapidly, and within half a year, it became a dominant force. Looking at the dozens of cities in the surrounding area, the Dark Night High School was the best of them all.

Seeing Chen Mu’s sudden realization, the Duke continued to guide him:

"Then there are hospitals; they are also scarce resources. Which entity doesn't get injured? And when they do, don't they need to go to a supernatural hospital for treatment? If you become the dean of such a hospital, those injured entities will all be begging you for help, and you will harvest a mountain of favors. In this way, who would dare to offend you in the supernatural apocalypse? Wouldn't they fear being denied treatment?"

Chen Mu felt his pulse race, deeply impressed by the Duke’s shrewdness. He had pointed out the path perfectly. It seemed his trip to the Fog Museum had been far more fruitful than he had imagined.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Duke."

Chen Mu thanked him sincerely. His path was now clear: he would return to his high school first. In a day or two, it would become the Dark Night High School, and he would be able to join the supernatural mission and purchase it. The Midnight Canteen was also located at his school. He had picked up dozens of shopping cards at the Fallen Mall and hadn't yet distributed them to his employees. He wondered how they were doing; giving out those cards would certainly shock them. Surely, there weren't many bosses in the supernatural apocalypse willing to give their employees shopping cards. Once he bought the Dark Night High School, he would start looking for a supernatural hospital next.