"Oh? Is this the new event?"
Upon receiving the news, Singo immediately rushed over on his wyvern.
"Land right here."
"Tsk, still a step too late. Why didn't the devs leak any news beforehand?"
Flapping its wings, the wyvern beneath him circled slowly before finally touching down in the wyvern parking lot near Cinder Emperor Square.
Traffic control in Isdalia had grown increasingly strict lately, with tiefling guards from the Urban Appearance Administration Bureau patrolling the streets constantly.
Even with Singo's noble status as an Imperial viscount, parking a wyvern improperly would earn him a ticket.
It was said that Chief Minister Langpu had once led by example, personally paying a fine—and ever since, not a single dragonblood noble had dared flout traffic regulations, while even the most ferocious, brutal ogres waited obediently.
"Still... no need to squeeze in with this crowd."
Singo pulled a fine spyglass inlaid with gold thread from his backpack and peered at the distant bulletin board.
This was the "Wyvern's Eye," special gear issued by the Garrison Post exclusively to the Redscale Conquerors. It did not merely magnify distant objects through optics; it was also imbued with an all-seeing spell capable of detecting magical fluctuations.
With the aid of the Wyvern's Eye, Singo was able to clearly read the distant notice, though screenshots were already circulating on the forums.
[Cinder Empire Faction New Event Location—]
[The Undead Research Institute officially opens on October 11, Year 1786 of the New Calendar!]
[Overview: Deep within the Kolmi Mountains in the west of the Kingdom of Carter lies the horrifying Valley of Bewilderment. Chilling wails constantly echo from its depths, and it is said that all who enter become lost within, turning into restless spirits doomed never to find release...]
[According to the writings of long-deceased bards, a terrifying lich dwells in seclusion within this valley. Known as the "Soul Chanter," it is the nightmare of all the living, a shepherd of spirits, and an emissary of Myrkul...]
"Wait, this description..."
"Why does it sound like some horror dungeon?"
Singo frowned slightly. Having traded experience points for lore from the Empire's necromantic encyclopedia, he knew about liches—every single lich was a sinister, lunatic immortal.
At the same time, they were formidable spellcasters rivaling legendary necromancers, by no means opponents the current players could handle.
"Are we supposed to go slay a lich?" he wondered aloud.
However, the bulletin board took a sharp turn, pivoting back to that familiar tone brimming with "loyalty" that players had come to know so well.
[But now, under the glory of the invincible His Majesty Cassius, the Great Anzetta Waste is ruled by the great Cinder Empire, and the lich, awestruck by His Majesty's power and noble character, has willingly submitted to become a loyal subject of the Empire!]
[The Valley of Bewilderment, once a forbidden zone for the living, has been completely revitalized into the Empire's Undead Research Institute. We are dedicated to ensuring that all undead contribute to the development of the Empire!]
Event Coordinator: Soul Chanter - Orestes
Event Details:
Starfallen are requested to bring intact corpses and skeletons to the Undead Research Institute and report to the coordinator, Soul Chanter - Orestes.
By presenting corpses and skeletons to the institute and expending a certain amount of experience and gold coins with the lich, you will receive a special item: the Undead Retainer Lease Contract.
(Note: This item is permanently valid. You will have three opportunities each day to summon your converted undead retainer, with each summon lasting up to fifteen minutes.)
(The strength of an undead retainer is determined by the remains' strength in life and the type of conversion.)
"A... permanent minion?"
Singo's pupils constricted. He realized the significance of this event in an instant—it meant he could dig up bosses he had slain in the past and turn them into his own retainers!
On top of that, the Undead Retainer Lease Contract was permanent, granting up to three summons every single day!
"This new event from the devs... it's practically a gift from the heavens!" he couldn't help exclaiming.
At the current stage of the game, even necromancer players could raise only the lowest tier of skeletons.
What was more, without an artifact like the Scepter of Myrkul's Bones, the undead they created would collapse back into ordinary bones before long, rendering them virtually useless to high-level players like him!
The Undead Retainer Lease Contract was completely different—he could even convert past bosses into retainers!
"'Corpse-summoning builds' are about to become a thing!"
"I have to seize the initiative right away, or the giant guilds with their numerical advantage will snatch up all the boss corpses!"
Singo's gaze sharpened. Untying the tether before him, he swung smoothly onto his wyvern's back.
"Wyvern, move out immediately!"
"Awoooo—!"
The wyvern let out a roar and beat its wings, flying toward the southwestern outskirts of the city, where Singo had previously cleared a bandit lair solo.
Inside rested the corpse of a bandit leader boss of half-giant blood, standing thirteen feet tall with a Challenge Rating of 9. Singo had poisoned and killed him through careful planning, and now that body would serve perfectly.
At the same time, he sent the news to the other three in their group chat.
Singo: Hurry and go loot corpses!
Mantou: ?
Mantou: Have you lost your mind?
Tiansheng Zhankuang: Mantou, check the forums. It's the latest event.
Tiansheng Zhankuang: Word is the top guild leaders have gone completely crazy over it. They're each bringing hundreds of people and duking it out over control of the frost giant battlefields. Man, what a spectacle.
Tiansheng Zhankuang: [Screenshot]
Mantou: That's really a thing?
Xiaye Qiuyu: I'm crying... Every boss I ever fought got burned to ash (T⌓T)
"Roar—"
The wyvern let out a long cry before circling down to land on the hills beside a well-hidden cave.
Singo moved swiftly, quickly making his way into the bandit hideout.
"Awesome!"
"No one's discovered this place yet!"
Without the slightest hint of revulsion, he began wrapping up the half-giant leader's corpse, which was swarming with flies and reeking of rot.
After several days of fermentation, the body—already massive due to its giant bloodline—had rotted and bloated into a full-blown "giant corpse" state.
Yet Singo couldn't care less. In fact, he was rather thrilled. After laboriously finishing the "packaging," he yelled aloud:
"Wyvern, to the Principality of Carter!"
"Awo?"
Even the scavenger wyvern tilted its head in bewilderment, covering its nostrils with a forelimb.
"Don't worry about it. Pick up this body, we need to hurry."
"Awoo..."
Under its master's orders, the wyvern had no choice but to begrudgingly lift the cloth-wrapped yet intensely foul corpse and flap its wings toward the horizon.
Fortunately, the atavistic wyvern was strong and reasonably fast.
Before long, they crossed nearly half of Anzeta and arrived at the Valley of Bewilderment in the western Principality of Carter—the location of the Undead Research Institute.
"Phew, didn't arrive too late after all."
Perched atop the wyvern, Singo wiped the sweat from his forehead.
A dozen or so players were already lined up before the institute's entrance, mostly dragging along corpses and skeletons—some had even strapped a whole coffin to their backs.
Chapter 408