Rose of Decay said he was trying his best to find a solution to the problem, and the group members offered their comfort one after another, promising their full support.
Yet everyone soon discovered that the lich wasn't trying to save himself at all. He seemed entirely unconcerned with death, throwing himself whole-heartedly into business instead.
The date for the World Peace Conference had already been set for two months later.
The timing was impeccably planned. Because Ryan's winter was exceptionally bitter this year, the Emerald River had frozen over ahead of schedule, and the two-month window fell right before the river thawed.
In other words, if these peace talks collapsed, the orcs would have only one last chance to mount an offensive.
As long as the Ryanites could hold off this attack, they could once again rely on the great river's barrier to settle the orc threat. Normally, the orcs would have objected to such terms, but in reality they did not. Straining the resources of their entire realm, they could afford to fight only one more battle. If they failed to break through the blockade of the Emerald River in this engagement, they would not have enough grain to sustain the war.
No matter when this battle occurred, both sides would have only one shot.
Therefore, the orcs did not refuse in the end, only reiterating that the Emperor of Ryan had to attend the conference in person.
This was naturally not an issue; the Ryanites had already issued an official response confirming their Emperor would be present in person.
Things were proceeding normally up to this point, but then matters took an odd turn.
Before the conference had even begun, the lich used the pretext of a "security check" to invite high-ranking figures from various nations to the island in advance.
Then, after returning to their respective countries, these dignitaries frantically began auditing their accounts, desperate to scrape together a fortune from their national treasuries.
There was no helping it; the wares the lich showcased were simply too extraordinary.
The entire series of magical equipment crafted from dragon scales, dragon claws, and dragon blood was so dazzling that anyone who knew their craft could not overlook it.
Among them, a two-handed axe with five enchantment effects nearly drove the attending orc envoys into a berserk frenzy on the spot.
A simple comparison made it obvious why the orcs were losing their minds: Ryan's Blood of Lathander had only two enchantment effects, both specifically tailored against the undead.
Yet this two-handed axe boasted Spellbreaking as its very first enchantment. Before this axe, magical shields were as flimsy as paper. Including but not limited to divine clerical spells like Shield of Protection and Warding Bond, a single swing was all it took to shatter them completely.
The second enchantment was "Blood Vigour." As long as the axe blade came into contact with blood, it could dispel the wielder's fatigue and lightly heal their wounds. In the hands of a legend, this weapon would practically become a perpetual motion machine—no amount of ordinary troops could stand in the way of a powerhouse slaughtering their way through armies.
Compared to the first two, the third enchantment was slightly inferior since only orcs could use it. It amplified an orc's frenzy, though working exclusively for orcs technically diminished its versatility.
The fourth enchantment was far more conventional. It bolstered the wielder's physical stability with a "Resilient" effect, reducing the impact of concussive force. Spells like Thunderwave that blasted enemies backward had a high chance of being completely useless against this stability.
The fifth enchantment was not the common Keen effect found on most weapons, but rather "Power of Thunder." The axe could summon lightning to crackle around its blade and unleash Chain Lightning, with potency far exceeding an ordinary Chain Lightning scroll.
Watching the demonstration of this axe, the orc envoy nearly went mad with excitement.
What kind of god-given artifact was this? It was practically tailored specifically for the Orc King!
Beyond this, there were complete sets of enchanted armor, long and short weapons, and more... These high-grade magical items shared a common trait: an extraordinary number of enchantments, with not a single one being mere filler.
As was common knowledge, adding enchantments to magical weapons was exceedingly difficult. At market prices, a longsword with a single enchantment was worth anywhere between five thousand and ten thousand gold coins, but a weapon with two enchantments would see its price increase tenfold.
The longsword Anbaixiu gave Alan possessed both Spellbreaking and Keen effects. Because Spellbreaking was exceptionally rare, its market price stood at three hundred thousand gold coins.
What about three enchantments?
The Blood of Lathander belonged to that tier: sensory deprivation for undead, Resurrection, and a modest boost to Holy Light power. Setting aside its special symbolic significance, putting such a weapon on the open market would fetch at least five million gold coins.
Five enchantments?
Pardon the ignorance, but no one had ever heard of such a thing.
Not even the most famous artifacts in history had ever possessed five enchantment effects. Among the high-grade equipment currently circulating across the continent, three enchantments was already the absolute limit. This wasn't due to poor craftsmanship, but limitations in materials.
One of the most vital materials for enchanting equipment was dragon scales or dragon blood.
Ordinary metals lacked the capacity to withstand higher thresholds of magical power. Only by incorporating dragon scales and dragon blood—even a minuscule amount—could the upper limit of the equipment be dramatically elevated.
Anbaixiu had materials harvested from dragons, high-grade metals supplied by the entire Underdark, skilled artisans from the Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn, and a massive private demiplane where he could manipulate the flow of time... All of this combined yielded vast quantities of high-grade magical gear.
Yet even with all that, Anbaixiu could not have forged this two-handed axe on his own.
Because it was a true artifact blessed by a deity.
That final Power of Thunder had been personally bestowed by Talos, which was why its might was so terrifying.
The artifact Bloody Wedding was not just intended for auction; it was a symbol.
After Anbaixiu demonstrated the artifact's incredible might, the orc envoy practically draped himself over it, looking as though he wouldn't let go even if he were beaten to death—until Anbaixiu revealed the greataxe's name: Bloody Wedding.
"Bloody Wedding? That's an awful name."
The orc envoy had barely spoken the words, and before he could suggest a different name, a bolt of lightning blasted from the axe, reducing him to charred cinders.
Anbaixiu helplessly explained to the orcs, who were on the verge of berserking, that this was an artifact crafted by the great Talos. For that idiot to claim its name sounded awful was blasphemy against a deity—his death was entirely of his own making.
Naturally, Anbaixiu didn't put it so bluntly. Instead, he tactfully noted that the envoy had offended Talos's dignity and received divine punishment, suggesting the orcs rush the charcoal back for treatment before it finished cooking through, as a Resurrection spell might still manage to save him.
While the crowd was still paralyzed by shock, Anbaixiu dropped his next bombshell.
The day the conference convened would also mark the wedding of Talos and the Kuo-toa Goddess.
When the time came, Talos and the Kuo-toa Goddess would project avatars to hold their ceremony on this very island. The kings and dignitaries of every nation would serve as witnesses to this grand union.
Once this news was cast out, aside from the Elegy Poetry Society who had already known, every nation was dumbfounded.
Especially the elves. An envoy from the Silvermoon High Court hurried over in the dead of night, and the moment the hood was tossed back, it revealed the face of the Elven King, Aldarian. The young Elven King abandoned all trace of poise, grabbing Anbaixiu by the neck and shaking him frantically as if trying to wrench his head clean off.
"You mad lich!" Aldarian's face twisted as he roared in fury. "What kind of plot are you playing at?! Do you have any idea what Talos is like?! How dare you drag Him into this?!"
Chapter 501