This Lich Requests More Remuneration

Chapter 86 - 86 85 The Battle Ends A Joyous Reunion_2

?Chapter 86: Chapter 85: The Battle Ends, A Joyous Reunion_2 Chapter 86: Chapter 85: The Battle Ends, A Joyous Reunion_2 Things weren’t supposed to go this way, damn prophecy!

It all started about half an hour ago. The soul transformation surgery ultimately succeeded, although it consumed all of Amberser’s Dice of Destiny, but Garey Woz’s soul finally reached what he considered a “divine” realm.

A soul that had completely lost its human form, a monster woven from millions of filamentous tentacles.

Feeling quite pleased with himself, Garey Woz brought Amberser to the core of the ritual magic array, and then, to the shocked eyes of Flint and Diper, he melded directly into his own body.

When the tentacle monster entered a human body, the result was that the body began to mutate too.

What had been a body entwined in black threads and hunched over in agony, now peeled away flesh and bone, its body mutating towards the tentacle monster’s likeness, eventually becoming a twisted being connected by tentacles and black threads, with a sole eye at the center.

“What have you done?!”

On the verge of a mental breakdown, Diper summoned his personal vehicle, a towering Magipuppet Automaton that charged towards Amberser, as if to crush every bone in his body.

But Amberser was not the least bit flustered and simply said, “I’ve solved your biggest problem, you no longer need sacrifices. Also, don’t try to lay a finger on me, you’ll regret it.”

Diper, unwilling to believe Amberser’s words, watched as the Magipuppet Automaton raised its arm—the cannon already glowing red. But just as it was about to fire, the automaton’s arm suddenly exploded, blasting Diper away.

Diper was both heartbroken and shocked; how could his meticulously crafted Magipuppet Automaton suddenly explode?

“The power of prophecy again? No, that’s not right!”

Turning his head, Diper looked to the chairman who had become a tentacle monster, and sure enough, that enormous central eye was staring at him, uttering a commanding voice.

“Diper, step back, I have ascended to godhood, all is proceeding according to the original plan.”

After the tentacle monster finished speaking, Diper saw his Magipuppet Automaton crumble into parts before his eyes. He tried to use his repair ability to reassemble it, but found it completely ineffective, as this automaton was no longer a whole entity. The power of the rules had disassembled it into mere parts.

Diper’s ability allowed him to repair his constructs, but now this thing had been stripped of its definition as a construct and labeled merely as parts. To activate his repair ability, he would have to reassemble it from scratch.

“Chairman, have you gone mad? Look at what you have become! Why are you helping this Lich?!” Diper said angrily.

The tentacle monster chairman replied, “Because I have a deal with him, he aids me in my ascent to godhood, and I will fulfill his wishes.”

“You’ve already ascended to godhood, so why keep your promise? Chairman, aren’t we the true allies here? Shouldn’t the chance to make a wish belong to us Alchemists?” Diper said excitedly.

Diper had thought that the chairman, now a tentacle monster, would explain his reasons, but to his surprise, the tentacle monster chairman simply said coldly, “Indeed, I have ascended to godhood, so if I wish to keep a promise, I shall, and if I do not wish to, I shall not. Insignificant being, do not try to fathom the divine with your mortal thoughts.”

Amberser stood by with his arms folded, leisurely enjoying the spectacle.

Garey Woz stood on his side for a simple reason; Amberser had tampered with his soul.

All of the Pseudo-Souls Amberser created, no matter their function or strength, had one core setting—they would absolutely obey Amberser’s commands.

Only a fool wouldn’t create a backdoor in their own program.

The same went for when he modified Garey Woz’s soul, except Amberser discussed openly with Garey Woz, telling him exactly what modifications he would make. After all, Garey Woz’s soul was so powerful, Amberser couldn’t have done it without his cooperation.

The old man, eager to ascend to godhood, didn’t refuse Amberser, but the requirements for soul ascension were too high. For Garey Woz, his humanity was an obstacle to becoming a deity, and the backdoor designed by Amberser was no different.

It was similar to the feeling of “being preoccupied and unable to transcend,” whether it was the concern for his own bloodline or submission to Amberser, the Lich, the effect was the same.

So, in a compromise, Garey Woz wouldn’t become a slave to Amberser; instead, in most situations, he would stand by Amberser’s side.

Now, having completely merged with the Wishing Ritual, Garey Woz had reached the threshold of a deity in power, capable of modifying the related laws, and with just a thought, he erased the “construct” concept from the Magipuppet Automatons, rendering Diper’s abilities utterly ineffective.

As Diper howled in despair, Amberser turned to the silent Gustavo Flint and asked, “Flint, my old friend, what do you think?”

Gustavo Flint didn’t show anger or madness; instead, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and said to Amberser, “We’ve lost. I contemplated countless possibilities for failure, but I never thought I’d lose because of you.”

“Don’t be like that, didn’t you outshine me slightly in our debate all those years ago? Let me win this one back,”
Gustavo Flint gave a bitter smile, then said, “I concede. Let me go, and I hope to see you again after you achieve godhood.”

This great alchemist produced a Magic Scroll, summoned a huge space gate, and without looking back, he walked through, vanishing into the sewers.

Amberser didn’t stop him. Gustavo Flint was different from Diper; he wasn’t specialized in Magic Construct Studies. Flint’s Alchemy was more unorthodox but also had stronger destructive power. Better to let him leave on his terms; a pyrrhic victory would benefit no one.

With Diper out of the way and Gustavo Flint gone, there should be no one left to obstruct.

Amberser looked to the monstrous guild president and said, “I’m going to start making my wish.”

But just as Amberser thought everything was prepared, eerie clapping broke the silence. A young alchemist appeared before Amberser, the very same Gold Coin who was previously intended as a sacrifice.

“It’s just like you, Amberser, still as clever as ever, always the last one laughing.”

Hearing his name uttered by someone else sent a shiver through Amberser’s soul. Over the centuries, Amberser had used many pseudonyms. Diga Ultraman, King of Alden, Arthas, Grasping Treasure… there were so many he couldn’t even count them.

Only a few knew his real name, Amberser, and they should have all been dead.

Amberser looked at the young alchemist with utmost caution and asked, “Which old friend are you, joking with me here?”

Gold Coin smiled as his appearance began to undergo drastic changes. The young, handsome blonde transformed into an old man with blind eyes, wispy white hair, and flaky skin. He even had an arm missing, appearing disabled and feeble, as if he didn’t have long to live.

Long-buried memories resurfaced, from when he first crossed over, memories he thought he had forgotten, but were, in fact, deeply etched.

Amberser’s voice trembled as he managed to say, “You… You are…”

Finally, through clenched teeth, Amberser uttered, “It’s been a long time, teacher.”