Catherine carefully explained to Anbaixiu what a beast companion was, which felt exceedingly foreign to Anbaixiu, accustomed as he was to eternal servitude.
Taken literally, a beast companion was an equal partner—one needed to communicate, cultivate feelings, and foster mutual understanding and mutual support.
It was completely different with the undead. Among the undead, whoever was the master called the shots, and anyone disobedient was simply dismantled and rebuilt.
With a beast companion, however, one needed tolerance, understanding, and patience... much like being in a romantic relationship. That made choosing the right partner crucial.
If you picked one that was overly dramatic and difficult, your life would be pure misery.
The best choice, naturally, was something like Catherine's situation: saving the beast companion's life and raising it from youth to nurture a deep bond.
The mercury soul puppet met every one of these criteria, yet Anbaixiu and the mercury soul puppet were truly incompatible.
According to Catherine, Anbaixiu and the mercury soul puppet had already long passed the bond-nurturing stage. If they were genuinely compatible, both sides would have felt a mutual resonance; there would be no need to even ask, as following their hearts would have sealed the pact.
Yet now, as Anbaixiu held the mercury soul puppet, there was not the slightest reaction, confirming that the two were an ill fit.
Helpless, Anbaixiu set the mercury soul puppet down and asked Catherine, "Then where do I go to find a beast companion?"
"If the Silvermoon High Court hadn't closed off, I could have brought you back to look around; it should have been very easy to find a suitable beast companion there. But now, we'll probably have to rely on luck. If we can find a druid tribe, maybe we could ask them for help."
In this world, none knew animals better than druids.
A ranger merely formed a pact with a beast companion and still had to communicate with animals from the perspective of a person. If a druid chose to let loose, marrying a beast was no problem at all—and those bolder still could establish a massive harem like a zoo.
With that advantage, turning to druids when looking for animals was undoubtedly the right move.
But where could they find a druid? Every druid Anbaixiu had ever crossed paths with was either dead or held a grudge against him.
Catherine could guess Anbaixiu's predicament; the relationship between the undead and druids was bound to be terrible, but she was powerless to help. While there were plenty of druid tribes within the Silvermoon High Court, Catherine had hardly interacted with any druids beyond its borders.
Examining herself now, Catherine realized she truly was a homebody—perhaps a bit too much of one.
"How about we put up a bounty to try our luck? There must be druids working as adventurers. We could just pay to hire one," Catherine suggested.
"Wait, let me ask around first."
Anbaixiu took out the Necrotic Codex and posted in the group: [Friends, does anyone know a reliable druid? Please introduce one if you can.]
Anbaixiu had developed the habit of asking his group members whenever he hit a wall. Legends were well-traveled and knowledgeable; an exceptionally gifted homebody like Catherine was a rare anomaly among anomalies.
Sure enough, the almighty group members were always the most dependable. The chat group replied in no time.
[Rose of Decay: I do know a few druids, but what are you looking for them for?]
[Dislikes Humans: What's the deal with looking for druids? Are you playing some special game with the Elven Queen?]
[Pale Little Skeleton: What Elven Queen?]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: What Elven Queen?]
[Pale Little Skeleton: What business is it of yours?!]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: Pure curiosity!]
...
While the group members were all-powerful, they were also hedonistic pranksters who would do anything for a laugh.
Heji Stone's sour jealousy practically reeked from the pages of the Necrotic Codex, leaving Anbaixiu rather speechless. This vampire retired king was truly petty.
[Tiga Ultraman: Don't misunderstand. I'm not a vampire; I don't get turned on by drumsticks.]
[Dislikes Humans: I xxxxxxx]
[Dislikes Humans: xxx, does this Necrotic Codex really censor swearing?!]
Just as Anbaixiu was about to mock him, he saw someone he had never seen before speak in the group chat.
[Mourner: Maintain reason and restraint. Respect one another, keep each other's secrets. These are the rules of the Elegy Poetry Society.]
Anbaixiu blinked, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him.
Mourner?
Wasn't this the president of the Elegy Poetry Society?!
Anbaixiu had never seen this mysterious president. He had only encountered this Necrotic Codex upon his rebirth as a lich, which recorded much foundational undead knowledge as well as basic introductory details about the Elegy Poetry Society.
One of the rules stipulated that group chat content could not be disclosed without the permission of the members involved, on pain of expulsion from the Elegy Poetry Society and punishment by the president.
Anbaixiu had understood the gravity of the Necrotic Codex right from the start, because it had appeared at his side immediately after his rebirth. Prior to turning into a lich, he had made countless preparations, believing he had pushed his magical wards to the absolute limit before beginning the ritual.
Yet when the ceremony concluded, the Necrotic Codex was resting quietly right beside him, without triggering any of the magical defenses he had laid down.
Even now, Anbaixiu could not comprehend how the president had managed it. He only knew that the president's power was beyond imagination, quite possibly an earthly avatar of some deity. But since joining the Elegy Poetry Society, this was the first time he had ever seen the president speak in the group chat.
Before Anbaixiu could say anything, the other group members greeted the president in unison.
[Rose of Decay: President, it has been a long time.]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: President?! You're the president of the Elegy Poetry Society?! This is the first time I've ever seen you.]
[Pale Little Skeleton: Hello, President. It really has been a long time.]
Not only these familiar faces, but the Necrotic Codex suddenly became lively as several people he had never seen before emerged.
[Poet: You're awake, President? Truly many years since we last spoke.]
[Mute: Was the last time the president appeared one thousand or two thousand years ago? Don't tell me another major event is about to happen?]
[Non-Vegetarian: Really? Then I'm looking forward to it. I've been hungry for a long time.]
[Mourner: No need to be alarmed. I merely woke from sleep. Carry on chatting; I will not participate.]
...
The president of the Elegy Poetry Society vanished once more, offering no reply even when Anbaixiu sent a private message.
And the other three members he had never seen before disappeared along with the president, seemingly having surfaced solely to make their presence known before him.
Anbaixiu could only send a private message to Rose of Decay: [Lady Rose, have you met the president?]
[Rose of Decay: I have not. I merely received the president's help in the past. Establishing a kingdom in the Underdark was no easy task; I ran into many troubles at the start, and the president helped me greatly.]
Rose of Decay did not mention any specifics, and Anbaixiu tactfully refrained from probing further. Instead, he asked about the other unfamiliar members: [Who are the other three? Poet, Mute, Non-Vegetarian... They must all be legendary-tier undead, right?]
[Rose of Decay: I only know about Poet. He is the vice president. The name 'Elegy Poetry Society' is actually a combination of their two titles. But beyond his name, I know nothing about him either. As for the other two, to be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen them as well.]
Anbaixiu was speechless. Did all the members of the Elegy Poetry Society have such distinct personalities?
Had the president really spoken up only because Heji Stone violated the rules? And when Mute mentioned another major event about to happen, what had happened before?
For something to be called a "major event" by members of the Elegy Poetry Society, its scale would probably dwarf a war between two nations.
Each of them was truly more mysterious than the last.
Still, Anbaixiu was not troubled by this. There were too many mysterious things in the world, and if the president was indeed an earthly avatar of some god, it made even more sense. When gods were involved, no absurdity was cause for surprise.
In this little interlude, the only one affected was Heji Stone.
The vampire was trembling. He hadn't expected that typing a few undead curse words in a fit of agitation would earn him a warning from the president. Like Anbaixiu, he had also witnessed the terror of the Necrotic Codex appearing without a sound.
[Dislikes Humans: It's over. I've been warned by the president. Am I going to face some horrifying punishment?]
[Tiga Ultraman: If the president wanted to punish you, would he bother warning you?]
[Dislikes Humans: Is that supposed to be comforting?]
[Tiga Ultraman: I never said it was comforting.]
[Dislikes Humans: xxxxxxx!]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: No way, bro, you dare do it again? Are you really not afraid to die?!]
[Dislikes Humans: I didn't! I literally typed 'xxxxxxx'. Fill in the blanks yourselves.]
This vampire... was truly something else.
Anbaixiu stopped bickering with Heji Stone and resumed asking Rose of Decay about druids. However, the druids Rose of Decay knew were all ancient recluses who had withdrawn from the world, making it impossible to pinpoint their locations. Rose of Decay could only offer to send a message their way and see if they replied.
Anbaixiu was resigned; it seemed he would have to pay to hire someone after all.
Closing the Necrotic Codex, Anbaixiu said to Catherine, "Let's go. We're hiring a druid."
"You spent all that time reading your book, only to listen to me in the end?" Catherine giggled softly, then asked, "Are we going back to the City of Alchemy to find a druid?"
Anbaixiu shook his head. "The City of Alchemy was never on good terms with druids to begin with, and the druids within its borders were few and far between. Add to that the fact that Shadow Druids took part in the City of Alchemy's destruction—if they have any sense, the surviving druids will have fled long ago. Rather than posting a bounty back home, doing it here in the desert probably gives us a better chance of finding one."
Anbaixiu cast Polymorph, shifting into a human form, and then said to Catherine, "You need to change your appearance too. Going out like this is far too conspicuous."
Catherine's innate charm was enough to stir even a lich's heart. Walking down the street looking like that would trigger tired novel tropes within two minutes—noble scions throwing bags of gold, underworld bosses attempting to abduct the beauty... Moving a single step would be impossible.
Obediently, Catherine cast Polymorph on herself as well, turning into an "ordinary-looking" female elf, and donned a mask. However, the effect was barely better than nothing. The girl radiated ultimate allure from head to toe; she was wrapped up nowhere near tightly enough.
After thinking for a moment, Anbaixiu said to Catherine, "Turn into an orc."
"Huh?" Catherine had never heard of such a request.
Anbaixiu said, "Otherwise we can't step foot outside. We're just ordinary adventurers right now. You wouldn't want a crowd of men swarming around you every two steps, would you?"
Catherine hesitated briefly before deciding to follow Anbaixiu's suggestion, polymorphing into a burly, thickset orc.
Dressed in heavy, full-body leather armor, with a green face, tusks, and a large bald head, her gender was practically indiscernible.
Yet after Anbaixiu observed her carefully, he actually started to find this orc somewhat cute.
This damn charm... No wonder the elves wouldn't let her leave home.
"Forget it, this will have to do. Try to act as crude as possible, or people will see through it," Anbaixiu reminded her.
Catherine nodded with a touch of excitement. This was her first time going out in disguise, and it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun.
Chapter 147