The Lich's Fiery Ambition
Pa ulon lay bound and sprawled across a marble slab.
He thrashed wildly, screaming at the top of his lungs.
A pair of white-robed priests circled him like vultures.
“What do you think?” one asked.
“Holy power won’t touch him. What else is there to think about?”
“Correct. Our holy power comes straight from the God of Light. Only the qi of demonkin can resist it.”
“They dared insult the brilliant Lady Calia. That proves they are servants of the demons.”
The oldest senior priest slowly nodded.
“Blasphemy against the deity is the gravest crime. Do you all agree?”
“Of course. If we cannot punish them, we smear the Lady’s name.”
“Have you heard? Most of these bandits we call outlaws have black hair! That is proof, and soon evidence.”
“The ancient purge of the demon traces left by our order! It is no longer a worry—it is a proven fact!”
The high priests’ resolve burned iron.
They spoke of demons only because what they truly wanted was one thing.
The survival of the temple.
To achieve that, the ones who made Pa ulon like this had to be executed.
A satisfied smile curved the senior priest’s lips.
“Peace has lasted long, but that only means such people reappear.”
“We must warn others. Tell them how great and lofty the God of Light is.”
“Lady Calia surely wants us to act. She wishes the whole world to shine under her name.”
“This incident will awaken many. They will learn Lady Calia is the one the world should cherish most.”
The high priests spoke of the god, yet their eyes burned with greed.
The senior priest spoke with the same eyes.
“Of course it will happen. But there is one concern. Their strength is not ordinary. They are servants of the demons.”
“Mm, honestly I cannot dismiss the temple knights’ words, but we should verify rather than blindly trust.”
“Agreed. Even ordinary sword masters are believable; grand sword masters riding sabre tigers? Hahaha, how absurd.”
“Bandits at intermediate sword expert level is possible through contracts with demons, but the rest strains credulity.”
Pressured to strengthen their standing, the words from the holy knights troubled the high priests.
If their claims were true, the temple would suffer grave damage.
When the atmosphere finally softened, the senior priest smiled mysteriously.
“As you say, let us first verify.”
“You have a clever plan, I see.”
“We need only issue a warning to the places most desperate for our aid.”
“You mean to reveal our involvement?”
“Of course not. There is nothing good in being discovered. We have no need to announce it ourselves.”
The high priests looked puzzled.
“We simply need to spread this message: dragons in the Dragon Mountain Range are growing more dangerous. It will be hard for people to travel to Lady Calia.”
“Oh? A method like that exists.”
“Indeed, we have no choice but to move.”
“Magnificent. As expected of the Archbishop.”
The senior priest continued, listening to the priests’ admiration.
“Then let us decide to proceed this way.”
“Understood.”
“And just in case, prepare warnings to every temple. If the bandits’ strength is real… we must move first, leading other temples. Only then will our temple’s name be spread the farthest and strongest.”
The high priests’ eyes gleamed with greed.
Greed alone, nothing more.
No sincere worry for the continent.
Kuaaahaaak!
No trace of pity crossed even one priest’s face at Pa ulon’s scream.
***
A vast hall filled with countless ancient tomes.
Amid scrolls that seemed to age from time itself, the Grand Elder of the Dark Elves sat.
Reading with a grave face, he spoke in a low voice.
“Using the blood of pure other races can triple the production of jiangshi. But……”
His expression showed no hope of relief.
The greatest unsolved problem remained.
“The most fatal weakness. We cannot solve that.”
It was not an obvious flaw.
Only once known would it become lethal, and perfect secrecy was required.
Thus the Grand Elder had pored over ancient texts, yet found no solution.
Because jiangshi were not of this world.
Still, he did not stop reading.
In hopes of finding even the smallest clue.
“If the weakness is kept secret, no one can stop us!”
Muttering that, he returned his eyes to the book.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Grand Elder, Nox has arrived.”
The subordinate’s words cooled the Grand Elder’s gaze.
“He finally came.”
Rising, the Grand Elder opened the door.
Outside stood a subordinate and Nox, still wrapped in his deep black robe.
“The goods?”
Nox handed over the item in his hand without hesitation.
A large sack large enough for one person to fit inside.
“To the laboratory at once.”
Leaving the room with Nox, the Grand Elder headed for the lab.
“You obtained everything without missing?”
“High elves taken alive, along with elves, dwarves, and beastkin—blood collected.”
“Was there any problem?”
“Yes. I heard black-haired humans came after us.”
“Even after moving in secret, they noticed?”
Nox nodded heavily.
“I divided the slave hunters I managed long ago into minimal units. Each unit was given its own meeting point.”
“Yet they still noticed?”
“Not only that. They even came straight to the dwarf village after I used plague to divert attention.”
“Is there a chance one of the slave hunters betrayed us?”
“Impossible. The ones I personally spirit-possessed.”
The Grand Elder narrowed his brows.
Nox was a genius who had learned every dark magic on the continent without limit.
Moreover, he had become a lich himself to climb higher.
A man like that had personally spirit-possessed someone?
No doubt.
Even a dragon would struggle to unravel it easily.
“Then how do you think they knew and came?”
“My guess is their eyes have already spread across the entire Dragon Mountain Range.”
“I heard the force was only around two hundred….”
The Grand Elder trailed off and lit cold eyes.
“The Lord of the Gold Dragon. If he raised that force to find us, it must be Goldmoon.”
“Exactly. Their eyes have been on the Dragon Mountain Range for a long time.”
“Outside, Goldmoon; inside, the bandits. Our plans tied to the Dragon Mountain Range must be abandoned.”
“What does it matter? We have all the necessary materials.”
“Correct. All materials needed now are gathered. What else will be required later is unknown.”
“What do you mean? You say more materials may be needed?”
Nox’s voice grew sharp.
The Grand Elder opened the lab door and answered.
“Don’t worry. It will be complete soon. With his flesh dwelling within.”
Nox looked inside the open lab through the doorway.
His eyes gleamed at the test tube in the center.
“I look forward to it. How powerful will it show itself!”
“I feel the same. With these materials and that man’s soul, it can perfectly dwell within his flesh.”
“Then we must step up the rest.”
“Indeed. We need to make that man a tool that obeys our word.”
“For now I will stay here and finish the work.”
“That is wise. Capturing the high elves means the man will settle in quickly.”
Nox, nodding, suddenly asked in a strange voice.
“But what did you mean earlier? More materials may be needed?”
“Because of the test subjects.”
“Is it because of that?”
“Yes. The fatal weakness. That alone must be compensated somehow.”
“I will look for a way too.”
The Grand Elder nodded and entered the lab.
Nox set the sack he carried on the floor.
The dark elves in the room rushed forward and opened it.
Inside lay one high elf collapsed unconscious.
Arwen, Grand Elder of the Blue Leaf Tribe.
The Grand Elder slowly turned his gaze from him to the test tube.
“Wait for it. You will have the strongest flesh!”
Bubble. Bubble.
As if answering, the green liquid in the test tube began to boil violently.
The Grand Elder and Nox exchanged cold smiles at the sight.