"Poor Headless Bro. What has marriage ever brought to a man?"
Anbaixiu sighed in sympathy, feeling deeply fortunate in his decision to remain single ever since transmigrating into this world.
That bone dragon sister was actually a member of the Elegy Poetry Society as well, which was genuinely shocking. Anbaixiu had never once seen her speak in the group chat.
The chat group within the Necrotic Codex had no member roster either; if someone never spoke up, truly no one would know they were there. Anbaixiu had joined only recently and had seen just four or five names, with no idea how many members the Elegy Poetry Society actually had.
Without a single moment spent mourning Headless Bro's plight, Anbaixiu immediately plunged back into his experimentation.
Per Rose of Decay's request, Anbaixiu needed to design an undead unit capable of breaching the imperial capital of the Ryan Empire in a frontal assault. It was an exceptionally difficult undertaking.
The Ryan Empire was the strongest human empire, boasting the continent's largest numbers of radiant priests and paladins, as well as the most legendary-rank powerhouses.
The imperial capital's walls were fortified with countless defensive enchantments specifically tailored to counter the undead.
Even though Anbaixiu was a legendary lich, if he dared show his face within range of the Ryan imperial capital, there wouldn't even be any need for those legendary experts to intervene—the anti-undead spells layered across the walls alone would blast him to dust. The title of the continent's strongest empire was no empty boast; it had been forged through countless glorious military triumphs.
Ordinary undead units would be reduced to ash merely by drawing close.
Anbaixiu had originally planned to use some sort of construct to solve the issue of undead being countered.
Among undead units, soul puppets were the most peculiar. It was not that they were exceptionally powerful, but rather that, to a certain degree, soul puppets could hardly even be considered undead.
They were a unique kind of magical construct creature, created by the great legendary lich Master Morgan. The renowned *Research on Wraith Reproduction* was his masterwork.
Whether a soul and another soul could produce offspring had once been an academic conundrum in the necromantic world, provoking fierce debates among countless necromancers year after year.
It was not until Master Morgan published *Research on Wraith Reproduction* that the issue was finally settled once and for all: wraiths, too, could reproduce.
Although the requirements were extraordinarily harsh and the success rate dismal, testing by countless necromancers proved the results replicable. Furthermore, newborn souls produced through wraith reproduction appeared to develop into a race entirely separate from the undead.
Their most prominent trait was immunity to radiant magic's counters—it seemed the laws of the world did not recognize them as undead.
And soul puppets forged from these special souls became the most unique class of undead unit: they possessed virtually no necrotic aura and were impervious to the suppressive effects of radiant magic.
Unfortunately, not long after Master Morgan created the soul puppet, this senior necromancer had his phylactery shattered by the Ryan Empire. The empire had even ordered *Legendary Spells* to revoke the honors bestowed upon Master Morgan and demanded the destruction of all research materials concerning soul puppets.
Thanks to the sheer backbone of the chief editor of *Legendary Spells* at the time, who held the scholarly line against the pressure of the Ryan Empire, the craft of soul puppets gained enough time to circulate. Although Master Morgan's original manuscripts were destroyed and many details had to be puzzled out individually, the technology of soul puppets was spared from being lost to history.
Anbaixiu naturally knew of the techniques for crafting soul puppets, but he had never studied them in depth before. The subject was simply too advanced; as a newly minted lich, his grasp of necromancy was still developing, and forcing research into it would have been a waste of time.
Now, however, Anbaixiu fished that dust-covered copy of *Research on Wraith Reproduction* from his bookshelf. This was the foundational cornerstone of creating soul puppets, and today he had to master the book inside and out.
"Oho, it actually begins with living reproduction? That really is... *Hiss*, these illustrations are remarkably detailed..." Anbaixiu became thoroughly absorbed in his studies. Researching new techniques was his second greatest hobby after making money.
He had turned only a few pages when Isabel appeared timidly in his study.
"Lord Lich, the stone-softening potions for clearing the land have all been brewed. Over the past few days, my brother has brought back a total of one hundred and twenty-three people. The rooms in the castle are completely full, and food is running a bit short..."
Isabel cautiously reported her recent work.
Anbaixiu set down the grimoire and said, "Moving pretty fast, aren't you? Brought back over a hundred people in just a few days?"
Over the past few days, Isabel's brother, Raul, had been helping Anbaixiu gather runaway freemen. Although he could only deploy the aberrant skeleton under cover of night, so many people were fleeing due to the recent tax crisis that casually promoting Anbaixiu's "preferential policies" naturally drew a substantial number of desperate freemen seeking refuge.
Returning meant death anyway, and being caught by their lords also meant death, so what harm was there in trying their luck in a lich's domain?
Beholding the vast expanse of wasteland behind the ancient castle and hearing the promise that everyone would receive land, these freemen could not help praising the benevolent Lord Lich, considering him far kinder than the Radiant God.
Yet after staying for a few days, their patience was wearing thin.
Crammed all day into this gloomy castle while the legendary Lord Lich never once showed his face, they began to harbor growing worries. Would the promised land truly be granted? How would they eat and drink while clearing the fields? And without tools, seeds, or livestock, how were they supposed to cultivate anything at all?
These questions steadily gnawed away at their reason, making them restless and anxious, spreading like a contagion through the crowd to amplify the unease.
Things had reached the point where the tension could hardly be suppressed any longer, which was why Isabel had gathered her courage to report to Anbaixiu.
"Mm, excellent progress. Since the potions are ready, land clearing can officially begin today. Draw up a roster of their names, separating the able-bodied adults from the women and children. Among these freemen, there should be blacksmiths, carpenters, and other tradesmen—catalog them all thoroughly. Then divide the land and allocate the potions accordingly, but make sure they cooperate during reclamation. If anyone shows selfish behavior, such as fighting over plots, falsifying headcounts, hoarding potions, or fabricating trade skills, don't waste time—kick them straight out..."
Anbaixiu spoke without pause, and Isabel hurriedly retrieved a notebook, jotting down everything at top speed. It was a good habit of an alchemy apprentice: every word from a mentor might be an opportunity for advancement, so one had to be prepared to take notes at a moment's notice.
Isabel wrote with lightning speed, transcribing Anbaixiu's instructions word for word.
Only after filling several sheets of parchment did she realize that Anbaixiu possessed a meticulous, crystal-clear plan for resettling the populace. Was this something a lich regularly studied?
Isabel began to feel curious about this benevolent Lord Lich. To humans, undead creatures were typically described with words like foul, despicable, and evil. Yet after spending these past few days around him, aside from appearing aloof and strict, he didn't seem particularly evil at all.
Furthermore, speaking without prejudice, Anbaixiu was the most learned and wise scholar Isabel had ever encountered; even her former teacher could not compare to his attainments in alchemy.
*Could it be that the world has misunderstood liches all along?*
Driven by curiosity, Isabel glanced at what was on Anbaixiu's desk, wanting to see what kind of magic this benevolent Lord Lich usually researched.
With just a single glance, however, Isabel's pretty eyes went wide as saucers. In that instant, it felt as though a gateway to an entirely new world had been flung open for the innocent, uninitiated girl.
Chapter 14