This Lich Requests More Remuneration

Chapter 114 - 114 107 The Love of Rowetta

?Chapter 114: Chapter 107: The Love of Rowetta Chapter 114: Chapter 107: The Love of Rowetta Bella Tricks now hugely regretted her actions.

She knew that prophecies from Deities were often accurate, unless they were deliberately lying to toy with mortals.

But she hadn’t expected the prophecy to come true so quickly. She was still observing the situation, hoping to take advantage without selling herself out.

Yet, the Godfavored had come knocking on her door, and without even taking personal action, his various Undead Creatures had already overwhelmed her.

When Bella Tricks saw Amberser appear, she thought it was punishment from the Deity, a punishment for her disdain for the oracle and her opportunistic mindset.

Thus, Bella Tricks decided to seize this last chance, following the Deity’s indications with all her heart, fully dedicating herself to this Godfavored.

Amberser, however, knitted his brows tightly; something about this situation was amiss.

“I remember that the Goddess of Pain’s doctrine does not prohibit lying,”
As soon as she heard this, Bella Tricks became somewhat panicked.

Previously, she had only thought about how to take advantage and had never considered this problem.

If she offered allegiance, would the other party simply accept it?

Here stood a Lich, the natural adversary of the living; how could such a racial disparity be reconciled with mere words of surrender? Bella Tricks understood she had to show her sincerity to Amberser; otherwise, she might die here, and dying without heeding the Goddess’s indication, she feared she would plunge directly into Hell to suffer eternal torment.

Amberser did indeed suspect that Bella Tricks was lying.

This sudden submission, with an appearance of absolute obedience, might be believable if it were from a Paladin of the Laine Empire, but Lovieta’s followers surely didn’t have a good reputation for honesty and fidelity.

Just as Amberser was pondering whether it would be more prudent to just kill her, Bella Tricks hurriedly said, “It is indeed an oracle from the Goddess of Pain that you are a great man, destined to bring boundless pain to the people. As a follower of the Goddess, I must dedicate everything to the revered Godfavored.”

Amberser quickly retorted, “Don’t spread rumors! I am a scholar, at most a businessman, I am not like you perverts.”

Although a Lich also belonged to the evil alignment, they were not the same as the twisted followers of the Goddess of Pain. Liches were rational, capable of communication, and could strike deals.

Followers of Lovieta, however, were sadistic and brutal, their level of depravity intolerable for most races.

What gave Lovieta the right to say that he brought pain to the world? As a Lich, he even made Souls by hand; he was practically a good Samaritan among the Undead. Could a Deity just spout nonsense?

This identity as Lovieta’s Godfavored, he could not accept it staunchly.

But intuition told Amberser that the woman’s words might actually be true. Could it be that the Goddess of Pain had indeed sent her an oracle? This concept made Amberser somewhat uncomfortable; being noticed by this Goddess didn’t seem to bode well.

“You just said you’re willing to dedicate everything to me? Can you make the decisions for all of the Trix family possessions?” Amberser asked.

As soon as Bella Tricks heard Amberser’s words, she knew there was a turning point and promptly said, “I am the daughter of Duke Trix, his only child, the sole heiress to this territory.”

“Only child?”

It was rare for nobles to have only one child. Any accident could pose problems for the family’s legacy, and the more bloodlines, the stronger the family would be. Duke Peel had significant influence; having just one daughter seemed very unreasonable.

Nonetheless, Bella Tricks said with great pride, “I was the only one who survived the past rituals; I am the only child.”

That reason was somewhat persuasive.

“Fine, since you say you can dedicate everything to me, then take me to your gold vault,”
No matter what the Goddess of Pain had in mind, securing any available benefits was certainly the right choice.

Bella Tricks seemed a bit surprised. What was the matter with this Lich? He had earned the allegiance of a noble and gained such a vast territory, yet his first request was to see the gold vault?

But Bella Tricks dared not refuse, for she understood very well that this was her pledge of loyalty. If she could not satisfy him, her death would be most gruesome.

Therefore, Bella Tricks could only take Amberser and leave the mining area, heading toward the direction of the main city.

The domain of Duke Peel was somewhat desolate in comparison with the Leiteman Family. Both Lord of the Storm and Goddess of Pain were considered insane deities, but Viscount Leiteman could at least be a normal person when not angry, and his management of the territory was fairly regular. But Duke Peel was different; in order to please this twisted Goddess, the entire territory was indeed full of torment.

Crucifixes with segments of blood, and some bodies already rotted, yet still hanging there, were visible all along the road, reminiscent of the practices of the old-fashioned Vampire stake lords.

The people of the territory held great awe for Bella Tricks, prostrating themselves from afar and not daring to make the slightest sound.

Seeing this situation, Amberser was very pleased.

The more brutal and violent the lord, the more wealth he was likely to have amassed, which meant the forthcoming loot would be tremendous.

Bella Tricks led Amberser forward without much delay and soon they arrived at a castle.

Great Lords generally have their own castles, which are the core of the family, the last stronghold, and the most carefully constructed refuge.

Amberser only took one glance and already detected several traces of Magic Traps.

With Bella Tricks leading the way, Amberser naturally encountered no obstructions and soon met the flayed Duke Peel, who had hastened to the scene upon hearing the news.

Compared to Bella Tricks, Duke Peel, despite the numerous scars on his face, did not seem to engage in self-mutilation with the same ferocity as his daughter; the duke still retained a human semblance.

As soon as the Duke Peel opened his mouth, he said, “Great Godfavored…”

Amberser quickly silenced him, “Before I understand the situation, mention the oracle again and I’ll turn you into experimental materials.”

Duke Peel glanced at his daughter in surprise. Something was amiss; why would the Deity have them follow this Lich, only to be dismissed with disdain?

Under Amberser’s insistent demand, the doors to the treasury arrived.

Upon opening, chests neatly filled with Gold Coins brought him great satisfaction.

Indeed, there were seven to eight hundred thousand mere gold coins alone, along with some precious utensils whose value was hard to measure; but what most attracted Amberser’s attention was the statue in the center of the treasury, enshrouded in a reddish mist.

This wasn’t some decorative Divine Idol to be placed at the entrance; Amberser could feel the powerful force wrapped around it.

Bella Tricks quickly explained, “This Divine Artifact was brought from the old country. By offering up pain, one can communicate directly with the Deity.”

Amberser said nothing because the moment he locked eyes with the Divine Idol, he felt as though he had entered a mysterious space.

His Soul was utterly separated from his body, and even the Lich’s Life Casket lost its effect.

There was no doubt; this was the power of a Deity.

All around was Chaos, with piercing wails incessant in his ears.

A bewitching beauty appeared before Amberser; clad in skimpy, tight-fitting leather, the exposed skin adorned with iron spikes and rings of various shapes, the mere sight of which could induce phantom pains.

Yet her visage was stunningly beautiful and even her wicked sneer seemed to be brimming with allure.

Without a doubt, this was Goddess Lovieta. Perhaps it was only a part of her, but Amberser’s Soul still felt immense pressure.

Lovieta approached the Soul Fire of Amberser, extending a finger to touch the burning flame.

“We finally meet, intriguing Lich,” she said.

The Goddess’s fingertips seemed to carry a potent toxin; a simple touch caused Amberser to experience acute pain deep within his Soul.

Liches feel no pain, and this long-forgotten sensation made Amberser tremble, nearly robbing him of his ability to speak.

But, moments later, Amberser felt a different, special sensation, as if enduring this intense pain ushered his Soul to transcendence.

Amberser recalled Lovieta’s doctrine: Pain is sacred. Endure pain, take pleasure in pain, and your life shall ascend to another plane.

Bella Lovieta, who knew Amberser’s feelings like the back of her hand, withdrew her finger and said, “You’re more gifted than I imagined, faithless one. Become my Chosen of God, how about it? I will bestow upon you greater power and help you ascend to true divinity.”

Did the Goddess of Pain truly mean this? His skeletal frame lacked even the sensation of pain—why would she be interested in him?

Amberser had barely recovered from the extremes of agony and ecstasy when he heard Lovieta’s offer. He candidly replied, “No, Goddess, your teachings are somewhat radical.”

Amberser’s Soul was fully at Lovieta’s mercy. Lying and pretending were pointless, so frankness seemed the best policy. He gambled that Lovieta wouldn’t dare defy the rules of Aeo and pull him into this space, akin to a divine realm, merely to “negotiate” rather than threaten.

Lovieta clearly saw Amberser’s thoughts. The Queen of Pain was unsatisfied with his refusal, but as Amberser had surmised, she couldn’t actually do much to him.

For a Deity to strike at a mortal, there were severe restraints.

A saying was common across the continent: the faithless endure the wrath of the gods less often than the devout believers. Deities cannot bind those who don’t worship them with dogma, whereas they have slightly fewer restrictions when dealing with their own followers.

Even the God of Alchemy, despite being desecrated, couldn’t directly intervene until the Lord of Knowledge, displeased, allowed him to strip the Alchemists of their creativity by leveraging his formidable power.

So, in Amberser’s view, declining Lovieta’s “invitation” was the wise choice. By being a nonbeliever, he was not subject to the Goddess of Pain’s jurisdiction. Should Amberser agree, Lovieta could use the excuse of “violating the teachings” to punish him.

Annoyed, Lovieta said, “You’re a bit too clever for your own good, Lich.”

Unperturbed, Amberser replied, “As a nonbeliever, I naturally need to be cleverer, or else I’d be in Hell already. Most exalted Goddess, sustaining this space must deplete the Divine Idol’s Power of Faith. By my estimate, it shouldn’t last much longer. So, if there’s something you wish to say to me, I suggest you make it quick.”

Lovieta snorted coldly, then spoke, “I had hoped for a simpler way to bend you to my will. It seems there are no shortcuts now.”

Amberser felt something amiss. Did Lovieta’s tone imply she would force her hand? That fierce? Bold enough to violate Aeo’s rules, risking demotion from divinity to mortality?

“Wait, honored Goddess of Pain, everything is negotiable. I’m just a humble Lich, surely I’m not worth such a great sacrifice,” Amberser said.

Lovieta revealed a brutal smile, telling Amberser, “Heh, don’t worry, how could I possibly violate Aeo’s rules and punish a mortal at whim? But while a Deity may not punish a mortal, it doesn’t mean they can’t bestow blessings. I know you once abandoned a great power. Now, let me help you reclaim it, accept the love expressed by pain.”

Lovieta drew the whip at her waist and lashed viciously at Amberser’s Soul Fire.