Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 475 - 437: The Power of Kings - Flesh Savior
In the City of Wandering, Andrey, the Lich, busily arranged his own garden like a diligent little bee. Thanks to Andrey’s universal education and the emotional vacuum caused by death, the majority of Liches had experiences of using study and research to numb themselves.
Even though they were not as proficient in Spirit Summoning Studies as the Necromancer Figure Club, inscribing Runes at the indicated spots was a piece of cake for the Liches.
Despite encountering a bit of trouble during the process, the Liches managed to overcome it with their nature.
"There’s a serious lack of materials for setting up the ritual," one complained.
The blood and flesh pigments required for the ritual, since they belonged to the cycle of life transformation and were the subject of the ritual itself, could not be used as materials. The Liches could only use those leftover flesh pieces that had been transformed from other substances due to the plague, leading to the current shortage of ritual materials.
When a Lich made such a complaint, his colleague looked at him as if he was an idiot.
"Aren’t you the material?"
After speaking, the comrade tore off a piece of flesh from the Lich’s blood and flesh disguise and filled it into the gap in the Array.
The Lich, with blood streaming down his face, was stunned. By the time he regained his senses, his head had already been covered by a glass dome placed by his colleague.
"Conserve it, your blood is also an important material. Don’t waste it."
The Lich responded to his comrade’s action.
"You’re a genius, why didn’t I think of that?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"That’s because you haven’t seen through the Plague Doctor’s arrangement. Promoting flesh disguise, allowing us to resist corruption, and now using our own flesh as material for the ritual. You still can’t see the big game the Plague Doctor is playing, it’s hopeless."
The Lich fell silent for a moment; everything seemed to be linked in a chain.
"The Plague Doctor, how terrifying!"
"Nonsense, Andrey, the strongest newcomer—do you think that’s an empty title? Or did you choose to turn a blind eye after all we’ve been through?"
"I thought those things were the professors helping the Plague Doctor in secret."
"Superficial! You’ve only noticed the superficial aspects of the events, completely missing how the Plague Doctor has been concealing his skills. He wants to operate from behind the scenes, just like the most cunning of Liches, but alas, his brilliance forced him to step to the forefront."
"And you, the idiot, were actually fooled by the Plague Doctor’s acting."
Under such self-persuasion, a legend that "the Plague Doctor harbors deep and unfathomable skills" spread among the younger generation of Andrey’s Liches. This rumor corroborated with the propaganda of the Demon Race and the narratives of the literary societies, constructing a new reality.
Thanks to Lyle’s previously zealous grandstanding, the God Descending Ritual Array was quickly arranged. A bunch of bones stripped bare by themselves heaved themselves back to the central plaza.
Everything was ready, and Lyle stood at the center of the Array, William connected to the magic web node, Raymond stood upon the high platform.
Everyone was waiting, waiting for someone from the Advanced Magic Research Society to gaze into the void once more.
In the Nameless simulated galaxy, celestial bodies were rotating slowly until a slight change in the gravitational field occurred, like the first domino being pushed over.
"Heavenly Movement All Phenomena!"
"Mr. Raymond!!!"
High above, the Light Angel raised the long spear in his hands. The burning Holy Flame seemed capable of igniting the void itself, and as his ten unfolded wings shook free of their chains, they attached to the tail of the Holy Spear. "I see it!"
"Pierce through it! Anginus!!"
It was a beam of light that had passed by the City of Wandering’s nearby void in mere milliseconds. Without a medium, there was no reflection, making it difficult for the average person to even notice that fleeting glimmer of light. But Raymond was the leader of the Crusaders, the Angel of Light, whose keen battle instincts captured that tiny glint.
The Holy Spear, with its chains, pierced through the void, blasting toward the distance in the opposite direction of the light’s movement.
Nameless roared, "Show some mercy, Mr. Raymond!!!"
Raymond replied, "I know what I’m doing, don’t worry, no one will die."
In another corner of the world.
Electromagnetic was observing the void with his Laser; the weather was nice today, with the atmosphere causing minimal interference in their observations. They had just launched a ray of light, and Electromagnetic, along with his apprentice, was anticipating the return data. Since the light would pass through dimensional rifts, they could observe distances spanning several light-years—an impressive feat.
With that sentiment, Electromagnetic awaited.
What he awaited was a radiant streak from the heavens that shattered the chaotic temporal rifts outside of Andrey, broke through the defense arrays set up by the Advanced Magic Research Society, and descended upon his instruments, causing a terrifying explosion.
Electromagnetic and Laser could only stare blankly as fragments of dark matter from their instruments rolled to their feet.
Bending down, gazing, they watched a small piece of debris crumble to dust under their very eyes, obliterated by the power of the Holy Light.
"Aaaahhhhhh!!!!!"
"My radio telescope!"
"The funding I advanced! Damn it all, you bastard! Why didn’t you just kill me!"
Kneeling on the ground, Electromagnetic could only see that the object plunged into the earth was connected to the sky by a single golden chain, and his grief was overwhelming and unceasing.
Elsewhere, in the City of Wandering.
Scholars noticed that the golden chain had become completely taut.
"William!"
William, with a key made of gold coins in hand, guided the magic power of two grand magical network nodes, driving the entire city.
The tide of magic power washed over Prince Dolgitte’s body, and William’s face twisted in agony under the intense pressure of the magic.
"Get the hell closer!"
Finally, the City of Wandering, its acceleration complete, entered a spatial rift, beginning a long-distance teleportation.
Atop this swiftly moving ark, a grand Spirit Summoning Studies ritual was underway.
"Increase the flesh supply at the original Dark Three position!"
"Light Five zone has too much bone content! Immediately inject blood to dilute it!"
Under the command of the Necromancer Figure Club, Andrey the Lich patched things up here and there, monitoring the Array’s liches reporting data one after another, striving to maintain the stability of the ritual. At the center, where Lyle originally stood, a twisted mass of flesh was continuously changing shape, forming into a humanoid about twenty meters tall.
But now, the entire ritual was on the verge of collapse.
After yet another overload destruction during the transformation process, the grown Flesh Giant fell.
Blood seeped from the ground engraved with Runes, and the patterns of flesh rotted into a disgusting sludge.
Members of the Necromancer Figure Club had been anticipating this, watching the fallen giant figure before them.
The manipulator sighed.
"We failed, it seems there are still many aspects of the ’Gundam’ ritual that need improvement."
Shining rubbed his sore joints from the ordeal.
"Our abilities are ultimately lacking a little, in both knowledge reserve and spellcrafting skills."
Hearing the two’s assessment, the busy lich underlings looked at each other.
"We failed? Is the City of Wandering doomed?"
Nameless cocked his head, the soul fire in his skull burning sinisterly.
"We have failed, but the Plague Doctor has not."
"Didn’t you hear? Flesh descended god."
"The so-called God Descending Ritual. Which means."
"The Plague Doctor just needed a powerful corpse."
Before the words even faded, the Flesh Giant began to twist, its enormous body spiraling and standing up like a twisted breadstick. Gradually, the muscles made a grating sound that set one’s teeth on edge. The color of the flesh grew darker, turning into a fuzzy black mist that epitomized death. From the shadows, prominent limbs grew out, composed of twisted branches with ugly and grotesque nodes accumulating at the joints. The slender fingers, like five spears, let the giant move its arms, making a creaking noise as if opening an old wooden door.
The Omen Giant descended upon reality.
Amidst its ghastly laughter, Lyle’s voice echoed from within the giant’s body.
"I am the Fallen Star."
"I am the omen of fear, and also the merciful savior."
"Return to your pitiful, fragile shells and sing my name in the nightmare."
In the Giant of Omen’s chant-like proclamation, black and red tentacles pierced the Earth of the City of Wandering, dancing wildly in the air. The flowers of flesh bloomed throughout the City of Wandering.
The swept-up flesh and bones collided in a frenzy under the glow of the divine light.
This time, it was no longer just a nightmare.
