Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 157 - 150 Necromancer Figure Club

The next day, the sun cast its final rays as it dipped into the forest yonder.

Lyle sat on the balcony of the Cup of Extravagance, watching the light of the Goddess of the Moon take over the world, with only contentment and comfort in his heart.

"Earl’s Black Tea! Fresh cheese! Nia loves you!" Her black tentacles had almost crawled across the entire table, the gooey slime wetting the mountainous pile of cheese like drool. Nia wasn’t just indulging herself; she had learned to share. She held a dozen Light Bats in her tentacles, singing a resounding song to their dance. It was like a small revelry, and Nia was the merry little drunkard intoxicated by the atmosphere. She hummed along with the loud song of the Light Bats and, when her mood peaked, she plunged her little friends into the cheese mountain like planting seedlings, leaving only the tiny claws of the Light Bats peeking out amidst the faintly sour scent of the cheese. The distinguished gentlemen and ladies left on the cheese began to feast on the spot, their incessant munching and occasional sighs of satisfaction making it clear they were quite pleased with Nia’s invitation. Soon, Nia joined the scramble for food until the delicious morsels visibly vanished.

She flopped onto the tabletop like a splatter of mud, spreading out limply. Her companions poked their heads out from the slowly moving tentacles, their faces still etched with satisfaction, basking in slime and comfortably resting on her tentacles.

"Gurgle! Nia wants another portion!" She stretched out a tentacle to express her desire to Lyle.

"Nia, you’ve already had ten portions today," Lyle said as he watched Nia’s tentacle fall, as if struck by a great blow. "But go ahead, have more, today is an exception!" His right hand emerged from a pocket at his feet, clutching a hefty handful of gold Aureus, scattering them towards Nia.

The scene that followed was a familiar one: the Light Bats, who had been lazing just moments ago, soared up, catching the falling gold coins in their claws.

"Big sister Nia!" The Light Bats shouted excitedly.

"Cheese Expedition Team, Captain Nia, let’s move out!" She bounced to the floor, her tentacles wrapping around her form into a circle, and rolled out of the Cup of Extravagance’s room - the Light Bats bidding farewell to Lyle before following close behind.

At the Basic Spirit Summoning Studies final exam, Lyle had ranked first, earning a substantial prize and truly becoming an overnight sensation. He ran his palm through his coin purse, the clinking sound of coins touching each other adding another measure of satisfaction to Lyle’s expression.

"Nia’s run off again," Mr. Dragon said as he walked in through the doorway, holding a white envelope and handing it to Lyle.

"Flexibility Mr. and Spirit Summoning Studies Mr. sent this for you. I hope you haven’t forgotten the names of your classmates."

"What’s this?" Lyle examined the envelope in his hands, the seal with the Andrey crest as conspicuous as his own. "A challenge? Surely it’s not an invitation to the Black Abyss Arena?"

"Why not open it and see?"

A piece of sleek parchment unfolded by Lyle, on which black text began to appear automatically.

"...Application for the establishment of a club? Teacher, what... what does this mean? Does Andrey have some secret code I’m not aware of?"

Mr. Dragon looked at his student, who had become the leading newcomer in the Andrey Spirit Summoning Studies, yet the cautious skepticism of the Plague Doctor still lingered. He didn’t know whether to be happy or disheartened.

"Why don’t you go ask them directly? They are right over there."

Following Mr. Dragon’s pointing finger, Lyle saw the three guys on the lawn outside the Andrey castle.

Flexibility Mr., Spirit Summoning Studies Mr., and Shiny Mr.; the two brothers must have been wheedled by Shiny, their bodies entirely covered in illuminating scales, shining like torches in the night.

"Plague Doctor, they’ve chosen to pursue Spirit Summoning Studies further, just like you. I think you should exchange words, as friends you’ll be for a good while to come."

......

"Plague Doctor, Sir." The night breeze caught on the fluttering hems, as Spirit Summoning Studies Mr. held a Magic Wand, with ice crystals forming at its tip, spreading chill in the air.

Shiny and Flexibility pinned him to the ground.

"He’s a bit agitated, Plague Doctor sir, please forgive him. My foolish brother doesn’t represent our attitude,"

The struggling Mr. Manipulator, true to his word, had remained calm, but the eye holes on his mask still stared fixedly at Lyle.

"So, Mr. Flexibility, what did you want to see me about?"

"How are you considering it, Mr. Plague Doctor?"

"What?"

"About starting a new club. Didn’t we agree to revive Spirit Summoning Studies together and take it to new heights? Let’s establish a new club."

I don’t recall agreeing with you; the one who made bold declarations was just me, and although it’s embarrassing to think about now, perhaps having more companions wouldn’t be so bad.

"You want to create a new club?"

"Yes, a club dedicated to the great revival of Spirit Summoning Studies. Yesterday, after witnessing your creation, Mr. Plague Doctor, we realized that we might really be able to do it. Mr. Plague Doctor, you could not imagine the impact your creation had on us. Our understanding of Spirit Summoning Studies from ancient times might have been one-sided. Our creations are not limited to powerful destructive force or a shield to protect ourselves. They can be non-humanoid, and their uses can extend to many fields. Just like your Spine Wheel, its speed marks the dawn of a new era for transportation, our modes of moving no longer bound by those teleportation gates. The giant wheels, the whirlwind of dust, the thunderous noise like roars, I don’t know why, but these elements excite me, like... hmm... the sensation of pea and potato mash dancing on the taste buds, how nostalgic,"

"Because we saw your creation, we’ve had new ideas, new innovations. We want to create more epoch-making necromantic entities. We need more knowledge and brains as excellent and imaginative as yours, Mr. Plague Doctor."

Mr. Flexibility handed over a piece of sheepskin paper with a design sketch drawn on it. It was clear that the creation on the paper was a combination of the three thinkers’ ideas, a humanoid creation adorned with massive exoskeletal armor.

It was like the assembly diagrams of mecha figures Lyle had seen in his previous life, only this one was much more detailed.

The design included extensive explanations for the humanoid body parts, possible reference plans, and dozens of alternative options. Due to the lack of knowledge, these plans were still drafts, a long way from being realized.

Lyle noticed an inconspicuous reference comparison, an adult’s bones on the paper, which were only the size of the palm of the humanoid creation.

With a sinking feeling in his heart and a tremor in his voice, Lyle asked Mr. Flexibility.

"How large approximately would the actual size of this creation be?"

"Thirty to forty meters, I guess."

Good grief, Lyle thought as he looked at the three geniuses in front of him. You are planning to build a Gundam, a Necromancy Gundam.

"Have you thought of a name for the club?"

"No, we planned to wait until we brought you onboard before considering it seriously."

"The Necromancer Figure Club, how about that?"