Ralph’s matter had come to an end.

Lyle was very happy to have seen what he wanted and said his goodbyes to the Night Owl Squad. Returning to Andrey, he had no other intentions; next, he would double his efforts in his studies.

He trained in martial arts during Mr. Dragon’s classes, studying the bone quality analysis and mutation crafting of white bone.

This was also the fundamental reason for the separation between Liches and the human species. Although Liches originated from human bones that had died, the structure of human bones and Lich bones had essentially become different.

Death had altered the ordinary flesh, and the bones of Liches were constantly changing internally. Bone density, magical conductivity, and toughness all evolved gradually with death.

The role of White Bone Spirit Summoning Studies was to accelerate this process and to subjectively guide this random process.

Mutations were random, but the needs of the Liches were not. When Mr. Dragon referred to an exploded White Bone Missile as a "Thrown Spear," Lyle removed White Bone Spirit Summoning Studies from the scope of "Melee Combat with Cold Weapons."

"Excellent! My student, Plague Doctor. After your third lock, your understanding of white bone has deepened," said Mr. Dragon, his voice filled with joy as his paw in the costume of a dragon puppet tapped on the bone, translucent as jade.

"The hardness of rock, the magical conductivity of brass, and this..."

"The nearly perfectly preserved mutation resistance." Mutation resistance is the material’s capacity to withstand mutations; the bone’s own properties and the Spirit Summoner’s abilities could change this value.

Normally, the mutation resistance would continuously decrease until it reached zero, signifying that the material could no longer withstand any modification and could only shatter.

Mutation resistance was probably the only resistance in the Skeletal Mutation Ritual.

Yet, Lyle was hardly affected by this sole resistance. The power of the third lock and heretical growth made the bones he handled always retain virgin sprout-like vitality and endless possibilities.

He had not yet realized what kind of talent this was. Mr. Dragon watched his student in front of him, who was fumbling while awaiting the final assessment from his mentor.

"I will rate your Skeletal Mutation process as ’Excellent,’ Plague Doctor. But soon, in my personal classes, I’ll establish a ’Perfect’ grade," Mr. Dragon thought, with a brand-new, wild speculation about the Plague Doctor and himself forming in his heart.

"It’s not yet time; the Plague Doctor’s abilities are still too weak. Flesh Chaos corresponds to Flesh Summoning Studies, Heretical Growth ties to White Bone Spirit Summoning Studies."

"If the knowledge of flesh allowed the Plague Doctor to create Hunger Disguise, then what would the power of the third lock bring?"

"It is not yet time... He still has much to learn." For some reason, Lyle’s coursework had increased substantially, but the heavy workload also distracted him from noticing the fact that his progress in White Bone Studies was far ahead. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The advent of Hunger Disguise doubled the number of apprentices in Flesh Summoning Studies, which in turn revitalized the field.

Lyle, dragging his exhausted body, took the scroll handed over by the assistant and headed toward the Blood Nest Great Tree.

"’Spirit and Flesh’?"

"Mr. Crimson asked me to pass it to you. It is his latest published academic paper. It touches upon the connection between emotions and flesh tissues. In the paper, Mr. Crimson defines emotions as a kind of neural reflex effect generated by substances secreted by flesh tissues."

"He has materialized emotions, and this offensive doctrine has provoked dissatisfaction among all the staff of Soulology, and there may soon be a rare large-scale ’academic debate battle,’" Shiny added with a hint of gleeful anticipation of disorder.

"Plague Doctor boss, Mr. Crimson wants to invite you to be an assistant for the experiment because the Hunger Disguise, which possesses a sense of hunger, is exactly the key to determining whether this proposition is valid or not."

"Various indications show that hunger flesh does not just experience the feelings of hunger and the happiness after feeding."

Listening to his companion’s analysis, Lyle stood on a tendril hanging down from the Blood Nest Great Tree. The tendril slowly lifted, taking them to their Hive Laboratory.

"But during the making process of Hunger Disguise, I didn’t collect emotions from outside."

Lyle pinched the tip of the bird-beak mask, murmuring softly.

"Obviously, my excellent student, your creations are mending their broken emotions. No, not mending, but reshaping them."

Blood loomed above Lyle’s head, and the familiar form of Mr. Crimson formed before him, no different from before, except for that smiling face.

That unhealthy, overly excited smile that wouldn’t let one sleep.

"Plague Doctor, how are you considering it? Becoming the assistant for my new research. Think about it, what kind of spectacle we could create!"

Lyle was not moved by Mr. Crimson’s zealous speech and scratched his cheek.

"Hmm... Twenty Soulology mentors screaming Soul Scream around me for twenty-four hours? Plus, they’re sinister spirits with faces as shocking as Mr. Astonishment’s?"

Please allow me to refuse, Lyle thought to himself, I’m still an apprentice of Soulology, offend the Soul Tower all you want, you might survive, but I’d be finished.

"No, no, no, Plague Doctor, you still don’t understand how great this research is. Do you remember the greatest joy of mankind? Use your empty Lich skull to think hard! What is the most primal joy of humanity!"

Lyle pondered for a moment. Mr. Crimson was not only a senior professor of Flesh Summoning Studies, but he was also a supporter of the Primitive sect. He longed for Liches to return to their wild ways, to return to nature, but not the environmentally friendly kind.

"A hint for you, Plague Doctor."

"I’ve heard you’ve entered into a bond called marriage with Lady Alianna?"

Although it wasn’t yet time for a wedding, it was only a matter of time, Lyle looked at Mr. Crimson, who suddenly brought it up, and his face beneath the mask flushed red; he seemed to understand Mr. Crimson’s point.

"Love. The ability to love and be loved, mankind’s additional byproduct of reproduction, a crystallization that transcends the very meaning of life itself."

"Just the slight touch of skin can produce an incredible sense of happiness."

"Don’t you long for it?"

Of course Lyle longed for it, but in fact, he didn’t have such emotional recognition issues himself; he was human and could naturally feel happiness.

As for Alianna... from all her actions in the past, Lyle could infer that her emotions were already intertwined with the desires etched into her soul; her feelings were above flesh and blood.

In other words, Lyle didn’t need this research outcome to enjoy emotions without any barriers.

As a living person, he certainly didn’t want his cherished feelings laid out on the Liches’ experiment table.

Mr. Crimson, rejected, lost all color in his face and started teaching mechanically, like a robot.

Variation patted Lyle on the shoulder.

"You made the right decision, boss. The emergence of Hunger Disguise has driven Mr. Crimson into a frenzied state of madness."

"Can you believe it? Last week he bewitched a group of apprentices to attend class wearing nothing but flesh disguises."

"Good heavens, my Phantom Eye seems to be hurting again."

"That ghastly sight of bare flesh is even more unbearable than watching a troop of White Bone Missiles!"

"It was also that day that Andrey the Lich discovered he still had such a thing as a sense of shame."

"And he reaffirmed the fact that Mr. Crimson is a pervert."