Modifying undead troops was, naturally, a subject of great interest to undead lords.
The members of The Elegy Society were all Legendary-tier at a minimum. Someone like the Headless Knight, who had married into the powerful Bone Dragon family, was a legend among legends. Advertising to them was definitely the right move.
But after waiting for a moment, the first reply came not from the Headless Knight, who wasn't short on cash, but from Withered Rose.
[Withered Rose: A very creative design. I'm now inclined to believe your manuscript rejection was rigged.]
So she was just being polite before. This lady really had a way with words.
[Withered Rose: But there's no point in customizing low-level skeletons, is there? The teleportation fees would far exceed their cost.]
Excellent. A discerning customer was a real buyer. Ambrose quickly replied.
[Tiga Ultraman: Skeletons are a numbers game, of course. If you're interested in a bulk order, Lady Rose, we can arrange a delivery point.]
[Withered Rose: Can you work on high-level undead? I happen to need a few enhanced Death Knights.]
[Tiga Ultraman: You're one of us, Lady Rose, so I'll be honest. Since Legendary Incantations rejected my work, I've barely had any materials for experiments. I haven't tested this on high-level undead yet. The risk of failure is high, so the price will be steep—starting at three hundred thousand gold coins, minimum. And the cost-effectiveness isn't great.]
The Elegy Society was full of the undead world's power players. Ambrose wanted long-term business, not a one-time deal, so he didn't hide the risks.
[Withered Rose: Money is not an issue. Low-level skeletons, no matter how numerous, are useless to me. I only need high-tier undead like Death Knights. Or, an undead unit that can breach the capital city gates of the Ryan Empire head-on.]
Ambrose’s fingers paused over his keyboard when he saw that line.
The Ryan Empire. The most powerful human empire among the Nine Great Kingdoms, with a population in the hundreds of millions and over a hundred capital cities.
Seventeen hundred years ago, the paladin Arthur Ryan overthrew the brutal rule of the Demon Dragon Tyrant, founded the Ryan Empire, and accomplished the legendary feat of driving all dragons from the continent.
The capital of the Ryan Empire was built upon the very bones of the Demon Dragon Tyrant. It was a mighty empire founded on martial prowess.
Over the millennia, countless layers of magical defenses had been layered onto the Ryan capital. The remains of the Demon Dragon Tyrant itself had been forged by the Ryan people into the powerful Demon Dragon Armaments.
After years of continuous enchantment and reinforcement, even a mortal, upon acquiring any single piece of the Demon Dragon Armaments, could gain power equivalent to a Legendary dragon.
Legend held that only those of Arthur Ryan's bloodline could unleash the full power of the Demon Dragon Armaments—a strategic weapon capable of reshaping the continent's geography.
Even without deploying this terrifying artifact, the Court Mage Corps and the Lionheart Paladin Legion within the capital were enough to annihilate any foe.
All things considered, trying to breach the capital of the Ryan Empire was no different from a suicide mission. It would take at least thirty Legendary mages working in concert, casting a spell beyond the Legendary tier, to even have a chance of destroying the city.
What in the world was this Withered Rose planning? Her goal was terrifying.
After a moment's thought, Ambrose replied: "For the Ryan Empire, that'll cost extra."
He didn't care how strong the Ryan Empire was. Ambrose was desperately broke right now. As long as Withered Rose could actually pay up, he'd pour every ounce of his being into the job for her.
It was just breaching the city gates, not destroying the entire city. Ambrose believed every magical defense had a weakness. If he could find that weakness and counter it, a short-term breach was possible.
As for how many seconds that breach would last against the city's self-repairing magic, that would depend on Lady Rose's other preparations. He trusted she hadn't been undead for so long that she was just looking for a glorious suicide. She must have another plan.
Ambrose just needed to do his part. The rest wasn't his problem.
And if the Ryan Empire had a problem with him? Who cared? The City of Alchemy was a world away from the Ryan Empire.
Besides, who starts a war by picking a fight with the arms dealer?
Worst case, if the Ryan Empire came knocking, Ambrose could just offer them a discount on researching counter-units.
Withered Rose was refreshingly direct. She replied almost immediately: "Money is not an issue. Here's a thirty-thousand-coin deposit, along with intelligence on the Ryan capital. Start with a design blueprint."
Just as he thought, Withered Rose was already prepared. He had no idea where she'd gotten intel on the Ryan capital. She was a real big shot with eyes and ears everywhere.
[Tiga Ultraman: It is my honor to serve you, Lady Rose. I will have the initial design for you in three months at most.]
Three months wasn't exactly a generous timeline.
High-tier undead units required more materials and far more complex structural designs. It wasn't as simple as shrinking a skeleton and changing its shape.
This was because high-tier undead involved a critical element—magic.
Take Ambrose, this counterfeit legendary lich, for example. The spells he himself had mastered could fill a dozen books. High-tier undead were bound to possess powerful spellcasting abilities. Ambrose would have to make choices, redesigning their physical structure and their corresponding soul modifications.
Magical experimentation was incredibly complex and precise, requiring vast amounts of time for verification.
But she was a major client. Ambrose prepared to work some overtime to get the first draft done.
"Good thing I'm a lich now. No worldly desires like eating, sleeping, or using the restroom."
Ambrose was grateful for his choice. He pulled out a stack of parchment and began his calculations with intense focus.
Isabel quickly finished brewing the Calming Draughts, but she didn't dare stop, afraid Ambrose would have another order for her. While pretending to be busy, she scanned her surroundings, searching for a means of escape.
The laboratory door was right there. Maybe she could make a run for it when Ambrose wasn't looking?
No, no, that wouldn't work. This old castle was surely littered with magical traps. The moment she opened the door, a trap might trigger and turn her to stone.
There were still plenty of magical ingredients on the shelves. Perhaps she could secretly concoct a few potions to use against the lich?
That wouldn't work either. Isabel was a mere alchemist's apprentice. She had no hope of brewing such high-level potions. Even her own master probably couldn't do it.
As her mind raced in turmoil, she suddenly heard Ambrose speak. "If you're feeling unstable, drink one yourself. These potion ingredients are expensive. You can't afford to waste them."
His words made Isabel jump, almost believing he had cast a mind-reading spell on her.
Isabel didn't dare pretend to be busy any longer. She followed Ambrose's command and drank a bottle of the Calming Draught. It had a faint, bitter taste but wasn't unpleasant.
After downing it in one gulp, Isabel felt her racing heart slow down, and her hands stopped trembling. As she calmed down, she suddenly looked at the empty vial in her hand.
She had drunk one of the twelve Calming Draughts. Who were the other eleven for? Could it be? Was her brother really out there capturing living people to bring back as test subjects for this lich?
No, that couldn't be right. If they were just test subjects, there would be no need for Calming Draughts. He could just kill them.
Unless... this lich truly had no intention of killing anyone.
Isabel looked at Ambrose strangely. Could it be that she had encountered a legendary kind lich?