Chapter 292
Chapter 292
Chapter 292
"Oh, are you talking about Undead?"
"Yes. I was thinking that if one becomes an Undead mage, they might be able to use Ice attribute magic."
Zeke spoke, and Richmond pondered before nodding.
"It seems possible. However, it would be a general Undead mage, not a Lich, so you won't be able to use high-level magic. It would be Black magic with similar effects, not Elemental magic."
"Anyway, it would still have an Ice attribute, right?"
"Yes, but the efficiency would be lower compared to pure Elemental magic. You also won't be able to use that staff."
"Hmm, I see. If using magic, up to what circle would be possible?"
"Around 3rd to 4th circle would be possible."
"It's lacking, but better than nothing. Ice attribute mages are quite rare, after all."
Richmond nodded, then reached out towards the mummified mage.
WHOOOOOOSH!
Soon, black energy flowed from Richmond's body.
It was when he was trying to raise the dead mage as an Undead.
Suddenly, Richmond was startled and stepped back.
"What's wrong, Richmond?"
Richmond looked bewildered as he spoke to Zeke.
"Doesn't this mage's spirit seem to prefer becoming a Lich rather than an ordinary Undead?"
"What? A Lich?"
Zeke also looked perplexed by Richmond's words.
"Wasn't this mage already dead?"
"He is dead, but it seems his lingering spirit remains in this body, possibly feeling wronged by his inglorious death."
"Dying from an illness in front of an 8th circle Master, leaving behind regrets..."
"What shall we do, master?"
"Well, if he wants it, we can make him a Lich."
"It will require some preparation."
"No problem. Tell me what materials are needed. I'll get them."
Richmond first examined the materials in the mage's laboratory, then told Zeke about the additional materials he needed.
Zeke retrieved items from his inventory, buying or crafting what was missing.
He spent about 500 Karma points, but obtaining a high-level Lich summon was worth the cost.
As preparations were almost complete and Richmond was about to transform the mage's body into a Lich, he scratched his cheek and spoke to Zeke.
"Master, this spirit is saying something rather strange."
"What is he saying?"
"When turning him into a Lich, he wants a drop of Elixir to be dripped onto the Fairy Stone, and then wants it replaced with a Life Vessel."
Zeke tilted his head.
"Is that how Liches are usually made?"
"I'm hearing this method for the first time too."
"Hmm, it seems similar to how you replaced the Life Vessel with a Blood Stone."
"According to this spirit, doing this would allow him to use Elemental magic he used in life, not just Black magic, even in his Lich body."
"Ah? Then he could use that staff too?"
"Yes. He claims he might even be able to use 6th or 7th circle magic, though we'll only know for sure by trying."
"Hmm, a Fairy Stone and a drop of Elixir."
Though Elixir was an extremely rare reagent and somewhat painful to use, if they could obtain a 7th circle summon, using a drop seemed acceptable.
Zeke took out a Fairy Stone and Elixir from his inventory and handed them to Richmond.
"Be careful not to spill it."
Richmond received the Fairy Stone and Elixir from Zeke and carefully went to the experiment table to create a Life Vessel with the Fairy Stone as the spirit suggested.
After about an hour, light began to emanate from the experiment table.
"OHHHH?"
The Fairy Stone Richmond combined emitted a brilliant five-colored light.
Zeke also stared in wonder at the color-changed stone.
"The black Fairy Stone has changed like this... is it the Elixir's influence?"
"The spirit says it's an adaptation of the method for creating the Philosopher's Stone."
"Philosopher's Stone? Does he know how to make it?"
"Not entirely. He accidentally knew part of its manufacturing method and applied it."
"He knows quite a lot."
Richmond watched the experiment table, and after a while, brought the manufactured five-colored Fairy Stone to the dead mage's mummy, placing it on his heart.
Then he drew a magic circle on the floor around the mummy using prepared reagents.
After about two hours, the magic circle was complete, and Richmond drew back after finishing.
"PHEW, then let's begin."
Richmond began chanting the spell and started the ritual.
BOOM! BOOM!
Light rose from the magic circle and began to react with the five-colored Fairy Stone placed on the mummy's heart.
Behind him, Zeke felt mana draining from his middle diantan.
'Is this because Richmond and I are connected?'
The magic circle's light was sucked into the mummy's body.
SCREEEEEECH!
A wailing sound of a lingering spirit was heard.
Soon the light completely seeped in, and the mummy began to float in mid-air.
BOOM! BOOM!
The Fairy Stone penetrated his forehead, emitting light, and blue gemstones appeared in his sunken eyes.
TSSS! TSSS!
Black energy coiled around the mummy, gradually transforming him into a Lich form.
Because of the Elixir and Fairy Stone used to create the Life Vessel, he looked different from a typical Lich.
Mysterious energy patterns were etched on the bone surface, and instead of dark energy, a cold energy flowed out, causing frost to settle around him.
[Successfully created an Elemental Lich with Ice attributes.]
'An Elemental Lich? Does this mean he can use Elemental magic unlike a regular Lich?'
The ritual suddenly ended, and the Lich landed on the ground.
A light flickered in the Lich's gem-like eyes.
Richmond looked proud of the new Lich he had created.
At that moment, the Elemental Lich approached them.
Richmond thought the Lich was about to swear loyalty to him and puffed out his chest, wondering what cool words to say.
But the Elemental Lich knelt before Zeke, not Richmond.
"Greetings to my master."
Richmond stared at the Arch Lich kneeling before Zeke in disbelief.
"You ungrateful Lich... after I performed the ritual!"
Ignoring Richmond's words, the Elemental Lich continued speaking to Zeke in a respectful manner.
"I swear eternal allegiance to you, my great master, and pledge to faithfully fulfill my duties as a guardian."
Zeke felt something was strange upon hearing the Lich's words.
'Did he mistake me for a dragon?'
Because the Lich was created in response to the Bahamut's heart in Zeke's mid-dantian, he seemed to have misunderstood that a dragon had summoned him as a guardian.
Zeke pondered for a moment while looking at the Elemental Lich, then nodded.
"Very well. I will make you my guardian."
Simultaneously, Zeke's shadow flickered.
[Using the Shadow Dominion ability and Skill Absorption, you can turn the Elemental Lich into a Shadow Spirit.]
Since the Elemental Lich was closer to a spirit like a Jini, it seemed possible to transform him into a Shadow Spirit.
'It'll be easier to manage him as a Shadow Spirit.'
As Zeke permitted, the flickering shadow began to wrap around the Arch Lich.
The Arch Lich was startled as the shadow suddenly seeped into his body.
"ACK! Great being, what is this…?!"
Zeke said to the Elemental Lich.
"Unfortunately, I am not a dragon."
"That's impossible..."
The Elemental Lich was almost completely engulfed by Zeke's shadow.
[Absorbed the Elemental Lich.] [The absorbed Elemental Lich transforms into a Shadow Spirit due to Shadow dominion.]
TSSS! TSSS!
The Elemental Lich, unable to understand the situation, looked at his body back and forth and made a puzzled expression.
"What... what's happening?"
A message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[You can register the Shadow Spirit as a summon.] [Would you like to register as a summon and give a name?]
It was time to name a new summon again.
Zeke pondered how to name him and asked the Elemental Lich.
"What was your original name?"
The Arch Lich, now the spirit's master, quickly responded.
"Liberto, my master."
"Then I'll call you Bane."
The Elemental Lich was curious why Zeke asked about his original name if he was going to give a completely different one, but kept silent.
[Obtained summon Bane.]
Bane's eyes flickered blue.
He bowed his head towards Zeke and said.
"I offer eternal loyalty through my pledge to the master who gave me new life."
Zeke nodded in response to Bane's greeting.
He said to Bane,
"Change your appearance like Richmond did."
Richmond had transformed to look similar to Nava due to his dragon-type characteristics. Since he had changed to his current form, Zeke naturally thought it would be possible.
Bane responded in surprise,
"Master, that is beyond my capabilities."
Richmond beside him spoke up,
"Master, that might have been possible because I became a Lich using a Blood Stone and was half-human, half-Lich."
Zeke nodded at Richmond's explanation.
"Hmm, that could be the case. Wouldn't it be possible with the Elixir?"
Bane responded with a flustered voice,
"That function was only to allow me to use Elemental magic even in a Lich's body..."
Zeke pondered while looking at Bane, who appeared insignificant.
'I can't openly carry him around like Richmond.'
Zeke asked Bane,
"By the way, why did you want to become a Lich? From what I know, non-Necromancer mages rarely choose to become Liches."
Bane spoke in a gloomy voice,
"It was too unfair, master."
"What could be unfair about dying from an illness?"
"If I had simply died from an illness, it wouldn't have been this unfair."
"Weren't you dying from an illness?"
"I did have an illness. That's why I was trying to create an Elixir. But when I realized the Elixir couldn't cure my illness, I was prepared to quietly accept my death. I was planning to settle my affairs and donate all my research to Nirvana. But..."
Bane trembled as he continued,
"I never imagined I would be poisoned to death."
"Poisoned?"
Bane nodded,
"Yes, I was poisoned."
Zeke tilted his head and asked,
"Who would bother poisoning an 8th circle mage on the brink of death?"
Bane ground his teeth,
"There's only one group on the continent who would do such a thing!"
White cold air erupted from Bane's mouth.
"Those wretched Drakers! It must have been them who poisoned me!"
The atmosphere suddenly felt as if the air had frozen.
Richmond, standing behind, nervously shifted his eyes and slowly stepped back.
Bane continued exhaling white breath, still seething with anger.
Zeke nodded,
"Hmm, so you have a deep grudge against the Drakers."
"I will freeze their entire bloodline to death, down to their bones!"
Richmond, standing behind, turned pale and shook his head.
Unfortunately, his signal didn't reach Bane.
Zeke asked,
"Do you have any evidence that the Drakers poisoned you?"
Bane ground his teeth,
"No, but who else on the continent would poison a Nirvana mage?"
"Ishtar could have."
"I've never had any particular grudge with Ishtar's elves."
Bane knew Ishtar was an elven house.
Zeke carefully considered Bane's claim about Draker poisoning.
'Poisoning. If Drakers wanted to kill a mage, they wouldn't have chosen poisoning.'
Moreover, even if they had poisoned him, they wouldn't have left such traces.
Closing the research lab and cleanly disposing of Bane's body would have been the Draker method.
Zeke asked Bane again,
"Have you had any conflicts with the Drakers?"
"Not a conflict, but there was an incident during a commission."
"Commission? What kind of commission?"
As Zeke meticulously inquired about matters related to the Drakers, Bane sensed something was off.
With less excitement than before, he said,
"It was a commission from Arthur Draker..."