Spellcasting Gods

"It depends on the market! Especially for pickpockets, if they're lucky, they can steal hundreds of gold coins, but if they're unlucky, they won't get a single one. But overall, they can still make three or four hundred gold coins a month," Tifflin, who called himself Jesse, quickly gave the answer.

Those who are unaware of the situation might think that a thirteen-year-old child wouldn't know anything about managing a gang.

Having witnessed the soul-devouring scene firsthand, she knew very well that the seemingly frail body did not contain the soul of a boy, but rather the soul of a monster with unimaginable power.

"Three or four hundred gold coins a month? That's too little!" Zhang Cheng frowned subconsciously.

"Ben...Bennie! Three or four hundred gold coins is the limit we can manage! Any more and we'll probably starve to death," a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy finally pleaded.

It's obvious without asking that he knew the original boy, which is why he mustered up the courage to try to bargain. If it were the orc warrior from before, he wouldn't even dare to raise his head.

"Shut up! Do you have the right to interrupt when the boss is talking? If you're not happy, I don't mind giving you a lesson you won't forget." Without saying another word, Jesse swung his whip and left a bloody welt on the other man's body.

"Ah!" The boy couldn't help but let out a scream, his whole body trembling violently, whether from internal pain or fear, it was hard to tell.

Just as Tiftlin was about to deliver the second lash, Zhang Cheng suddenly raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Enough! Stealing, begging, and collecting protection money are all too low-level methods. No matter how much you increase the lashes, you won't make much money. We need to change our way of thinking and break away from the traditional gangster world."

“You mean…” Jesse’s eyes lit up, and he cautiously probed.

“Use the gold coins in your inventory to purchase some materials. I can teach you how to concoct several potions, and then sell them to those adventurers, mercenaries, and pirates.” Zhang Cheng pursed his lips and revealed a meaningful smile.

As a master alchemist, he possessed thousands of recipes in his mind, most of which required alchemical stones and magical power, but there were always a few low-level potions that could be mass-produced without complicated spells.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the continent of Faerûn has a very rich supply of magical energy and a wide variety of special materials that can be utilized.

“Understood! Please give me a list, and I will personally handle the purchasing.” Jesse agreed without any further ado, without even asking why.

Similarly, the boy who was whipped for talking too much secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that the proportion of taxes to be handed over would not be increased.

In a place like a beggar's den, survival is never an easy thing.

As for the idea that life is precious and priceless, that's a complete joke.

Any gang leader can easily decide a person's life or death in their own territory.

This is why the residents of Beggar's Nest would rather submit to the gang than listen to the nonsense spouted by those self-proclaimed righteous and kind guards and temple paladins.

The reason is simple: you don't encounter guards and temple paladins every day, but gang members are based here and can be seen almost every day.

If anyone dares to act impulsively and call upon the guards and paladins to uphold justice, then after these guys leave, the rest of the gang members will collectively mobilize and kidnap the informant's entire family.

All men had their tongues cut out and their eyes gouged out, then were thrown into the sewers to be eaten by rats until they died.

Women suffer even worse fates, not only being raped but also being sold into prostitution until they grow old and lose their beauty, or commit suicide because they can no longer bear the humiliation.

Life is so cheap here that most people are destined to suffer from the moment they are born.

Sensing the aura of despair emanating from the entire Beggar's Nest, Zhang Cheng immediately narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself, "Countless numb souls! Struggling souls! This is simply my ideal testing ground! Now, let me see what the difference is between a god and a Titan..."

The words had barely left his mouth!

He went straight back to his room on the second floor, closed the door, picked up a quill pen, and began writing down the names of materials on parchment, names that even the most learned mages probably wouldn't know the purpose of.

Meanwhile, Jesse was downstairs waving a whip, loudly threatening and intimidating the thieves, beggars, and thugs who had been summoned, warning everyone not to have any wicked thoughts.

Unfortunately, greed and desire often cause people to lose their reason and composure.

……

After the group dispersed, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties sneaked quickly through the dirty alley and arrived at the dilapidated house at the other end of the beggar's den.

As soon as he entered, the one-eyed man sitting in the chair immediately asked, "Well! Have you found out everything? Is Okocha really dead? Who killed him? Who controls the northwest corner now?"

“Boss Angus, I’ve found out. Benny killed Okocha, and the devil Jesse is helping him take over the territory,” the young man replied quickly.

“Benny? That little pickpocket! How is this possible!” The one-eyed man called Angus suddenly stood up, an expression of disbelief on his face.

“I also think there’s a problem! But now that Okocha is dead, we can take this opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the inside. Once Benny is dead, given Jesse’s personality, he will definitely choose to surrender rather than put up a stubborn resistance,” the young man suggested excitedly.

"A surprise attack? That sounds like a good option. When do you think would be a good time?" Angus's only intact eye gleamed with a burning ambition.

"Tonight is the best opportunity! Don't forget, Benny is just a thirteen-year-old boy, and a former pickpocket at that. Most people don't think he can be a good gang leader. You just need to pay me some money, and I can recruit some people and keep them at home tonight."

"Alright! Here are two hundred gold coins. Take them and use them to your advantage. After tonight, I'm going to become the leader of the largest guild in the entire Beggar's Nest territory."

Chapter 0907 A Feast Delivered to Your Door

"Mo Wen! Here are five gold coins! Promise me, if you stay home tonight, they are yours."

"Old friend, with your keen insight, I'm sure you sensed a terrible storm brewing tonight. Here, take these ten gold coins. Go to the tavern for a drink, and while you're at it, find a couple of pretty girls. I guarantee that by tomorrow morning, the entire Beggar's Nest will be entering a new era."

"Kid! Here's a gold coin! Take it and get as far away as you can. Don't let me see you tonight, or you'll know what happens."

……

With his familiarity with the entire gang, the young man quickly dealt with most of the threatening targets before dark. As for the beggars and pickpockets, they were no threat at all, and even if they had overheard something, they certainly wouldn't dare to get involved.

In this dark land that can never be illuminated by light, everyone has become accustomed to selfishness, and if anyone is found to be in danger, there will never be any instances of people stepping forward to help others.

On the contrary, the cruel reality is to hide on the sidelines and observe silently, waiting for the perpetrator to leave so you can take advantage of the situation.

As night fell, the guards patrolling the main road quickly returned to their barracks.

Even they dared not remain in the most dangerous place in Neverwinter in the dead of night.

After all, the Beggars' Nest was home to too many vicious criminals who didn't care about the city's laws. As long as there was enough profit, they would even kill priests who served God, and countless guards died on patrol.

As a result, the city government has dispatched large forces on more than one occasion to crack down on gang forces entrenched in the area.

Unfortunately, whenever the army arrived, the gang leaders would hide in the sewers or simply leave Neverwinter to avoid trouble elsewhere.

Once the army leaves, they will return to fight for territory again.

Left with no other option, the nobles of Neverwinter reached a secret agreement with the gang leaders: no one was allowed to provoke or kill guards on the streets during the day; anyone who did it would be arrested and imprisoned.

In return, the guards would not interfere with anything that happened at the Beggar's Nest after dark.

Feeling the restless night air, Jesse took a deep breath and said to Zhang Cheng, who was sitting in a chair fiddling with something, "Something's not right tonight! Almost all the gang's thugs have mysteriously left!"

"Hmph! What does it matter? They're just cannon fodder anyway. Even if something really happens, they can't help." Zhang Cheng curled his lip in disdain.

"Oh? You know that!" A hint of surprise appeared on Tiflin's face.

“Of course I know! Think about it, if you were the leader of another gang, and you suddenly heard that the most threatening orc, Okocha, was dead, and his successor was a thirteen-year-old boy who started out as a pickpocket, wouldn’t you think this was a great opportunity to expand your territory?” Zhang Cheng asked in a completely emotionless tone.

"Now that you know, what do you plan to do?" Jesse leaned down and lay on the table, his eyes flashing red, his tail slightly raised, exuding an exotic charm.

It must be said that she, who inherited the bloodline of Purgatory, is not ugly at all, and is quite in line with human aesthetics. No wonder she can survive in such a complex environment.

"I'm waiting! Waiting for those filthy little rats to arrive. You know what? Souls are one of the most peculiar substances in the world. They're not only an important magical ingredient, but also a form of energy. And right now, I need a lot of souls. Ordinary snacks can't satisfy my appetite anymore. I need more, much more..."

As he spoke these words, Zhang Cheng's left eye, which had been replaced by the shattered magic crystal, emitted a dazzling light.

Even though Jesse knew nothing, he could still feel a chilling thirst, a thirst for his soul.

Before she could recover from the panic, the tightly closed door behind her was kicked open with a bang, and more than twenty men carrying various weapons rushed in.

The leader was none other than the boss of another gang, known as the Demon Eye – Angus.

Of course, this "magic eye" doesn't refer to any magical power his prosthetic eyeballs possess, but rather to his forbearance and ruthlessness.

Looking at this group of vicious scum, Zhang Cheng immediately stood up, opened his arms, and cheered loudly: "Ah! Tonight's feast has finally arrived! Welcome! Welcome to those who have gone to great lengths to deliver this delicious soul. You know, hunger is no fun. If no one comes tonight, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist coming to their door first thing tomorrow morning."

"Then I wish you a pleasant meal in advance?" Jesse casually pulled out the dagger and short sword fixed to his thigh and winked playfully.

"Stop putting on airs! Benny! We all know who you are, a lowly pickpocket." The young man, who had been busy all afternoon, was the first to stand up and shout.

"Pretending to be something you're not, you poor thing. You don't even know who you're up against, do you? But it doesn't matter. I don't mind having some dessert before we start the main course."

The words had barely left his mouth!

Zhang Cheng suddenly transformed the soul energy he had recently absorbed into a mental blast and released it towards the crowd.

boom!

A visible surge of energy resonated through the souls of everyone present!

moment!

These guys, who were so aggressive just a second ago, have all turned into wooden figures.

Not to mention moving, I can't even blink.

panic!

fear!

despair!

They finally discovered that the thirteen-year-old boy they had initially thought was an easy target was actually an extremely terrifying spellcaster.

In the world of Faerûn, anyone with the ability to cast spells, whether a mage, warlock, bard, priest, or druid, is not someone to be trifled with. Often, a simple control spell can render even the most powerful warrior powerless, turning them into lambs to the slaughter.

"Heh, what a vibrant soul, a hundred times more delicious than the dead ones. Bear with it, it might hurt a bit now..."

As Zhang Cheng uttered a devilish whisper, he extended his right index finger and gently pressed it against the young man's forehead, pulling out a large, milky-white, silk-like substance.

It goes without saying that these white threads are part of the soul.

"Aa ...

No one can withstand the excruciating pain of having their soul torn apart!

The poor young man even broke free from the paralysis caused by the mental shockwave, opening his mouth wide and letting out a horrifying scream!

Eye!

nose!

ear!

mouth!

All of these organs are oozing black blood!

Chapter 0908 A Night of Madness

"call……"

"This feels amazing!"

Just as the residents around the house were terrified by the agonizing screams, Zhang Cheng finally drained another person's soul, and the light from the shattered magic crystal in his left eye grew even brighter.

It goes without saying that those unfortunate souls who have become complete zombies have lost their precious souls.