That'll Cost Extra

Modifications to undead units were naturally of greatest interest to undead lords. The members of the Elegy Poetry Society were legendary figures at the very least. Someone like Headless Bro, a matrilocal son-in-law to a bone dragon clan, was a legend among legends. Advertising to them was definitely the right move. Yet after waiting a moment, the first to reply was not the wealthy Headless Bro, but the Rose of Decay. [Rose of Decay: A very creative design. I now believe your paper was genuinely rejected because of an under-the-table conspiracy.] So she had just been being polite earlier. This lady really had a way with words. [Rose of Decay: But custom-ordering low-end skeletons seems rather pointless. The teleportation fees far exceed the manufacturing cost.] Very good. Only a discerning customer picks flaws. Anbaixiu quickly replied: [Ultraman Tiga: Skeletons, of course, rely on bulk volume. If you are interested in placing a large order, Lady Rose, we can agree on a delivery location.] [Rose of Decay: Can you do high-tier undead? I happen to need a few enhanced Death Knights.] [Ultraman Tiga: Lady Rose, you're one of our own, so I will be frank: after Legendary Spells rejected my manuscript, I barely have any materials left for experiments. I have never tested high-tier undead before, and the risk of failure is very high. The price will certainly be exorbitant—starting at three hundred thousand gold coins at the bare minimum—and the cost-effectiveness won't be great.] The members of the Elegy Poetry Society were all regional powerhouses of the undead world. Anbaixiu wanted a long-term business, not a one-and-done deal, so he did not hide the risks. [Rose of Decay: Money is not an issue. No matter how many low-tier skeletons there are, they are of no use to me. I only need high-tier undead like Death Knights. Or, an undead unit that can breach the capital gates of the Ryan Empire in a frontal assault.] When Anbaixiu saw this line of text, his fingers paused. The Ryan Empire, the mightiest human empire among the Nine Kingdoms, with a population of hundreds of millions and over a hundred major cities. Seventeen hundred years ago, the paladin Arthur Ryan overthrew the tyrannical rule of the Demonic Dragon Tyrant and founded the Ryan Empire, achieving the magnificent feat of expelling all dragons from the continent. The capital of the Ryan Empire was built atop the carcass of the Demonic Dragon Tyrant—a mighty empire founded upon valor and martial prowess. Over the millennia, countless layers of magical defenses had been added to the imperial capital of Ryan, and the remains of the Demonic Dragon Tyrant had been crafted by the Ryan people into the immensely powerful Dragon Tyrant Armament. Through continuous enchantment and enhancement over the years, even a mortal could gain power equivalent to a legendary dragon simply by obtaining a single piece of the Dragon Tyrant Armament. Legend held that only the bloodline of Arthur Ryan could unleash the full power of the Dragon Tyrant Armament—a strategic weapon potent enough to reshape the continent's topography. Even without deploying that terrifying artifact, the Imperial Court Mages and the Lionheart Paladin Legion stationed in the capital alone were enough to obliterate any enemy. Taken all together, attempting to breach the imperial capital of the Ryan Empire was no different from committing suicide. It would take at least thirty legendary mages working together to cast a spell beyond the legendary tier just to have a chance of destroying this imperial capital. Just what was this Rose of Decay trying to do? Such an objective was truly terrifying. After thinking for a moment, Anbaixiu replied: "If it's the Ryan Empire, that'll cost extra." No matter how powerful the Ryan Empire was, Anbaixiu was currently desperate for money. As long as the Rose of Decay could truly afford it, he would exhaust every bit of his ingenuity to work for her. It was merely breaching a gate, not destroying the entire city. Anbaixiu believed that every defensive spell had a weakness; so long as the weakness was found and countered, breaching the gate in a short burst was entirely feasible. As for how many seconds the breach could be held against the auto-repair enchantments, that would depend on Lady Rose's other preparations. He trusted that she hadn't lived as an undead for so long only to commit spectacular suicide; she surely had other plans. Anbaixiu only needed to do his part well and disregard the rest. As for whether the Ryan Empire would hold a grudge against him—who cared? The City of Alchemy was thousands of miles away from the Ryan Empire. Besides, when was an arms dealer ever held accountable in war? Worst-case scenario, if the Ryan Empire came looking for him, Anbaixiu could just offer them a discount to develop a counter-unit for them! The Rose of Decay was also very straightforward, promptly replying: "Money is not an issue. I'll give you a thirty-thousand-gold deposit along with intelligence on the imperial capital of Ryan. Produce a blueprint first." Sure enough, the Rose of Decay was well prepared. Who knew where she had obtained intelligence on the Ryan capital; she was truly an immensely well-connected figure. [Ultraman Tiga: It is my honor to be of service, Lady Rose. I will deliver the initial blueprint within three months at most.] Three months was not particularly generous, in truth. High-tier undead units required more materials and far more complex structural designs; it was not a matter of simply scaling down a skeleton and modifying its form. Because high-tier undead all involved a critical issue—magic. Even a substandard legendary lich like Anbaixiu possessed enough magical knowledge to fill over a dozen tomes. High-tier undead were bound to wield formidable spellcasting abilities, so Anbaixiu had to make trade-offs, redesign structural forms, and devise soul-modification schemes. Magical experiments were extraordinarily complex and precise, requiring vast amounts of time for verification. Still, she was a major client, so Anbaixiu planned to put in some overtime to get the first draft ready. "Fortunately, I am a lich now, free from mundane desires like eating, sleeping, or using the bathroom." Anbaixiu felt very pleased with his choice, pulling out a stack of parchment scrolls and concentrating on his calculations. Isabel quickly finished brewing the Tranquility Potions, but she dared not stop, terrified that Anbaixiu might have another order for her. Pretending to stay busy, Isabel observed her surroundings, searching for a way to escape. The laboratory door was right before her eyes. Perhaps she could dash through it while Anbaixiu wasn't paying attention? No, no. This castle was definitely riddled with magical traps; one might trigger the instant she opened the door, turning her to stone. There were plenty of magical ingredients on the shelves. Perhaps she could secretly brew a few potions to deal with this lich? Still no good. Isabel was a mere alchemy apprentice and lacked the skill to brew potions of such high caliber; even her teacher likely couldn't pull it off. As her thoughts swirled in turmoil, Anbaixiu suddenly spoke up: "If your emotions are unstable, drink one yourself. These potion ingredients are expensive; if you waste them, you won't be able to pay for the loss." His words gave Isabel a fright, nearly making her believe she had been hit with a mind-reading spell. Isabel dared not continue pretending to be busy. Following Anbaixiu's order, she drank a bottle of Tranquility Potion. It carried a faint bitter taste, but was not unpleasant. After draining it in a single gulp, Isabel felt her racing heart settle, and her hands stopped trembling. Now calm, Isabel suddenly looked down at the empty vial in her hands. Of these twelve bottles of Tranquility Potion, she had drunk one. Who were the remaining eleven meant for? Could it be that her brother really went out to capture living people as test subjects for this lich? No, that wasn't right. If they were to be used as experimental materials, there was no need to prepare Tranquility Potions at all—he could just kill them directly. Unless... this lich genuinely had no intention of killing anyone. Isabel looked at Anbaixiu with a strange expression. Could it be that she had encountered the legendary good lich?