This Lich Requests More Remuneration

Chapter 77 - 77 77 The Most Important Sacrifice

?Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Most Important Sacrifice Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Most Important Sacrifice Amberser extricated himself from the state of time suspension, his head cradled in the hands of this alabaster-carved beauty, exactly as depicted in the prophecy.

Gazing at this noblewoman before him, then at the formidable Death Knights flanking her, Amberser had already guessed her identity.

“You are… Lady Rose?”

Amberser’s tone was somewhat awkward, as he had never imagined he would meet this esteemed patron under such circumstances.

Apparently, the part about having his head plucked off did not mean it was actually removed, but that it had grown back, leaving him with just a head.

Withered Rose smiled as she placed Amberser’s head on a table to the side, then extended a finger, touching one of the Death Knights nearby.

Between the fingers of Withered Rose appeared to be a black hole, sucking in the Death Knight, whether it was flesh and blood or armor; everything was crushed and turned into pure dark magic power.

Subsequently, Withered Rose touched Amberser’s head with her finger.

That dark magic power transformed into millions of silken threads, starting from Amberser’s neck and continuously intertwining and assembling. Amberser could only feel a tickling sensation in his bones as they quickly grew back under the influence of this power, restoring him to the frame of a skeleton. Although he could not fully return to his peak condition, he was able to muster about a third or a quarter of his original strength.

As Amberser moved his newly formed body, he remarked with a sense of wonder, “Lady Rose, compared to you, my control over dark magic power is like that of a child.”

The feat demonstrated by Withered Rose astounded Amberser. This was not a matter of strength, but of control over dark magic power. Indeed, she was the Undead Queen of Gloomyland, and in the realm of necromancy spells, Amberser could not catch up with her even if he rode a Bone Dragon.

With a smile, Withered Rose said, “It’s just a different specialization. I cannot decipher the secrets of Alchemy City, while you managed to find the truth with just a glimpse of an incomplete map.”

Withered Rose’s words were not mere pleasantries. In her eyes, although Amberser might be a legendary figure of questionable caliber, he was truly erudite. It was probably because of his extensive knowledge that he had managed to create something as unique as the Mercury Avatars.

“However, the fact that you indeed entrusted the Life Casket to me for safekeeping was beyond my expectations,” she said.

Feeling incredibly embarrassed inside, Amberser knew it wasn’t appropriate to admit it was random now.

Curse fate, for it leaves no room for maneuver. Still, it was better to have Withered Rose holding his head than to have it cradled in the palms of a Paladin.

Amberser could only muster the courage to say, “We are partners, so of course I choose to trust you. Besides, even if you thought the Life Casket was fake, you still took care to protect it, didn’t you? The Magic Scroll of time stasis, your generosity makes my soul tremble.”

That last remark was Amberser’s heartfelt truth. Lady Rose was indeed not short on money.

Withered Rose offered no explanations or courtesies; she did indeed hold Amberser in high regard and enjoyed collaborating with him. One had money, the other skill; it was a match made in heaven.

Over the years, Withered Rose had only met one Undead like Amberser who could improve Spirit Puppets.

It didn’t matter whether the core technology was obtained from someone else; research in magic is built upon the achievements of predecessors. Amberser’s ability to combine the technology of Alchemy City with Spirit Puppets was an accomplishment all his own.

Her teacher, Morgan, would have been delighted to know this.

For this reason, Withered Rose hesitated for a while, debating whether she should take this opportunity to enslave Amberser, with his Life Casket right before her eyes.

But to enslave an Undead, one must tamper with the victim’s soul, much like brain surgery on humans—it wasn’t guaranteed to be risk-free.

If Amberser were to resist, his soul could be severely damaged, resulting in him becoming a true puppet, completely devoid of his own will.

Withered Rose valued his intelligence, not strength; turning him into a fool would be a significant loss.

There was an 80% chance of reducing him to idiocy, a 10% chance of completely destroying his soul, and only a 10% chance of perfect control.

If Amberser were a blunt Undead like Gareth, Withered Rose might have been tempted to give it a try. But because Amberser relied on his wits for work, the risks far outweighed the potential gains.

Indeed, it seemed better to try and bind him with feelings.

After all, he had already delivered the Life Casket to her without her having to do anything; Withered Rose felt she might have already mastered a way to move an Undead’s heart, even if she hadn’t realized it just yet. Maybe after the next exchange with Miss Bone Dragon, it would all come together.

Amberser had no idea what Withered Rose was thinking. After all, unless an Undead deliberately made a face, it could maintain a blank expression indefinitely, making the reading of human micro-expressions meaningless to the Undead. This almost-human beauty before him maintained nothing but a polite smile, giving away no hints of her thoughts.

The two exchanged pleasantries while harboring their own thoughts, after which Withered Rose inquired about the plans for Alchemy City.

Withered Rose asked enthusiastically, “Your disheveled appearance here suggests that your plan ran into some unexpected trouble. Do you require my assistance?”

Upon hearing this, Amberser felt somewhat tempted, but he shook his head and said, “Lady Rose, if you were to help, I could not provide adequate compensation. I cannot pass the opportunity of the Wishing Spell to you.”

He had not previously considered asking for Withered Rose’s help, only passively accepting her intelligence.

The main reason was the Wishing Spell, which could benefit only one person.

Don’t think about listing a long series of desires and then wishing, “My wish is to fulfill everything written on this paper.”

Don’t play such tricks—one wish is one wish; otherwise, the World Laws will teach you a very serious lesson.

Withered Rose said, “The Wishing Spell means nothing to me. You should already understand my determination; I intend to destroy Laine, and the Wishing Spell cannot do that.”

After pondering for a moment, Amberser nodded and said, “That’s correct. Lord of the Dawn would not allow the Wishing Spell to destroy Laine.”

Lord of the Dawn was an extremely powerful deity, and the essence of the Wishing Spell was to change reality through the power of the World Laws, which for a deity was but a simple gesture.

All it would take was a slight effort from Lord of the Dawn, and the effect of the Wishing Spell would completely dissipate.

That’s the benefit of faith. When you believe in a generous and mighty deity, you truly can receive protection. Of course, the prerequisite is that you must live according to the deity’s teachings, otherwise the backlash can also be quite terrifying.

“Even if you don’t need the Wishing Spell, I don’t have anything of equal value to offer in return,” Amberser hesitated, then said, “Or perhaps, for the subsequent payment, I could give you a discount?”

Withered Rose laughed heartily, then told Amberser, “Consider it an early investment. Who knows, you might become a deity through this Wishing Spell.”

Amberser shook his head and said, “I won’t make such a greedy wish, and besides, you could wish to become a deity yourself, couldn’t you? Your chances of success are higher than mine.”

“But then I wouldn’t be able to destroy Laine with my own hands. There are rules for deities; otherwise, why couldn’t the deities of those nations invaded by the Laine Empire take action? I am still in the material plane, facing the Laine Empire directly. Once I become a deity, I’d be dealing with direct intervention from Lord of the Dawn, and my chances of winning would be even slimmer.”

So alert and aware in the ways of the world, the Undead Queen had truly done a lot of research and preparation for the sake of vengeance, considering every aspect.

“So, you really are willing to help?” Amberser asked with a hint of expectation.

“Of course. You’ve entrusted the Life Casket to me for safekeeping, I must repay this trust. Besides, it seems you had already planned everything thoroughly. The only reason there was an incident is that you were too weak,” she said.

Amberser: …

Though Withered Rose’s comment was a bit of a blow to his pride, Amberser knew it was the truth. If it weren’t for forcibly using the School of Prophecy’s power, he would have been easily overpowered by the alchemist riding the magic avatar. Without the power of a demigod, knowing more is pointless.

Amberser said very solemnly to Withered Rose, “In that case, I’m in your hands. Lady Rose, please help me again. If there’s ever anything you need, I will give it my all.”

“For free?” Withered Rose inquired.

Amberser was silent for a long time before squeezing out from between clenched teeth, “Consultation is free of charge, everything else… I can give a discount, a real discount.”

Withered Rose’s laughter shook like flowers in the breeze as her long hair cascaded down, a different kind of beauty.

But this did not shake Amberser’s resolve; no matter how beautiful, it wasn’t as good-looking as gold coins.

After laughing freely for a while, Withered Rose regained her dignified demeanor and said to Amberser, “Then let’s begin. What do you need me to do for you now?”

“First I need to know where I am. This must be your palace, right? Have you already returned to Gloomyland?” Amberser asked.

“Not yet. We are still within Alchemy City, just hidden for the moment.”

Amberser was startled by Withered Rose’s response. Hadn’t Alchemy City banished this queen? How had she managed to deceive everyone?

Sensing Amberser’s confusion, Withered Rose explained, “Those alchemists who were in charge of sending me away have been turned into undead puppets by my creation. So, the reports received by Alchemy City are false, and then I just hid myself.”

After hearing this, Amberser could only comment that it was impressive.

The time between the order to send her out of the city and the report to the higher-ups should have been very short. How could she have turned those Governing Officers into undead puppets in such a short time without attracting anyone’s attention? How powerful must her necromancy spells be?

He could only think, as expected of a legend; he couldn’t compare with such inferiority.

With that thought, Amberser’s desire for the Wishing Ritual grew even stronger.

Amberser continued, “Since we’re still in the city, that’s even more convenient for us. The Wishing Ritual still lacks two key components. One is a legendary offering—they originally wanted to sacrifice me, and although I escaped, they surely have a contingency plan. But the second key, they probably don’t have a replacement, so we need to find this second key first and secure it ahead of time.”

“Oh, what’s the second key?” Withered Rose asked with interest.

“A Druid girl named Naomi Watts. She should currently be detained somewhere in Alchemy City. We need to find her. If I’m not mistaken, she’s likely being held in Alchemy City’s most renowned Hall of Wisdom.”

Withered Rose repeated with curiosity, “A Druid? She’s a key to the Wishing Ritual?”

“It seems far-fetched, but I believe my deduction is correct.”

This was not entirely deduced; from the beginning, that Druid girl appeared conspicuously in the prophecy. Amberser could not understand how this girl could have anything to do with the destruction of Alchemy City.

It wasn’t until he saw the map drawn by Withered Rose and the true and false documents atop the tower that he pieced everything together.

“What’s so special about this Druid girl?” Withered Rose asked.

Amberser did not withhold information and shared his greatest suspicion, “She is very likely a blood relative of the Chairman of the Alchemist Council and also the most indispensable offering.”