Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 581 - 534 First Encounter with Zhiyan

"I will return for sure!"

Giant Dragon stretched out a finger to touch the Emo Rune that signified "return." The black font was stirred by the pale deathly force emanating from the Giant Dragon’s fingertip, growing thread-like magic tentacles from the edges of the character. They writhed in the air before collectively pointing in one direction.

"The only magic Mr. Zhiyan is good at, Rune Study, he likes to set up little mechanisms in inconspicuous places. Much like clever people enjoy playing with words to show off their literary talent. Would you like to try this guiding rune, Plague Doctor? It’s quite simple; you only need to master a tiny bit of magic control techniques."

Mr. Giant Dragon entered teaching mode, but Lyle declined the offer to try. His last attempt at Rune Study had resurrected the Blood Angel Gallaron, and his knees were still aching. Although this simple rune was unlikely to be as dangerous as the meticulously prepared rune arrays of the Loshutar Blood Clan, having lost the novelty of first impressions, Lyle was uninterested in this little magic, simpler even than the Spiritual Ritual.

Following the direction indicated by the rune, the two men proceeded through the seldom-traveled deep forest. Before long, they had passed a second, third, fourth tomb...

"Tomb contents included countless gold and silver treasures, a painting in the style of Feyrel was found, seemingly a portrait that the tomb’s owner had of someone dear. The style was exaggerated and unrealistic, as I’ve seen the bones of the person in the portrait before in another prince’s tomb. Judging by the pelvis, the individual’s buttocks were certainly not as plump, and there was a slight deformity in the right hand’s phalanges..."

"Tomb contents also included over twenty pieces of ancient magic parchment written in Latin by Voodoo Cult mages, mixed with three contracts in Demon’s script that are trap documents. The skeletal remains were charred, with a sulfuric odor..."

"Encountered a sleeping Lich, whose formidable presence led us to temporarily abandon further investigation. Known tomb contents... several large ancient canine skeletons..."

Mr. Giant Dragon flexed his fingers and stooped, preparing to venture deeper into the half-open tomb chamber.

"Wait for me outside, Plague Doctor."

Lyle felt that this wasn’t the right thing to do. In his desperate urgency, Nia grabbed the big tail of Mr. Giant Dragon’s doll costume, dragging on the ground.

"Giant Dragon tutor, perhaps this isn’t quite proper. Look, Mr. Zhiyan has hinted that the tomb’s occupant might be very powerful... See, let’s not conflict with a potential future companion, and focus on finding Mr. Zhiyan," Lyle expressed his meaning subtly.

"You speak wisely, my student." The Lich Giant Dragon stopped in front of the tomb’s entrance, and before Lyle could even breathe a sigh of relief, he pulled out a two-meter-long Bone Scythe from his carrying pouch, its boned blade gleaming coldly. Mr. Giant Dragon casually swung it, smoothing off a corner of the tomb’s stone material. Mr. Giant Dragon erupted with fierce intimidation, like a demon thirsting for blood. His eyes, filled with murderous intent, glared at Lyle, causing both Lyle and Nia to tremble together with all their hairs standing on end.

"I’m ready, then I go now. Wait here, my student."

Lyle sadly realized that he didn’t have the courage to stop Mr. Giant Dragon in that state.

Lyle stood forlornly at the entrance, feeling the tomb emit five rumbling sounds that came with tremors.

After a quarter of an hour, Mr. Giant Dragon emerged, laughing heartily like the morning sun. He cheerfully patted Nia on the head, then raised the Bone Scythe, making a mark over the character that signified "Lich" in Mr. Zhiyan’s notes. The cold scratch split the word "Lich" in two, leaving Lyle to imagine the gruesome reality implied by the elegant character.

"I have said my hellos. Let’s go, Plague Doctor."

"Hmm."

"That fervent gentleman even presented his pet hound’s skeleton to me, oh."

"Hmm."

Searching for Mr. Zhiyan took two days, marking every tomb he visited with a detailed account, the interesting stories hidden behind death, ancient and strange magical traps, powerful curses or punishments imposed by the Liches, and treasures that Mr. Giant Dragon couldn’t help but take action on personally.

Finally, Lyle and Mr. Giant Dragon came to a tomb without Emo runes on the exterior. Without further ado, they stepped into it, then and there.

In the dim and profound tomb, some faintly glowing runes were added to the walls where no murals were painted. Although Liches did not require illumination, certain ancient burial objects would react under light, thus lighting was necessary for research.

Mr. Zhiyan stood in such a dim space that radiated a faint light, the air filled with dust and the smell of mildew. Had it not been for Mr. Giant Dragon’s instruction, Lyle might even have mistaken the rigid skeleton, whose surface was coated with dust, for part of the burial goods. Mr. Zhiyan, bare of any garment, leaned against the wall, facing an ancient, aged, and fragmented mural.

"Was Mr. Zhiyan also a member of the Primitive sect like Mr. Crimson?"

"No, he simply forgot to change his clothes, and the original garments have weathered away over time," said the Giant Dragon, approaching the stiff skeleton and plucking its skull from the spine, holding it in his hand.

With a poof, two faint flames ignited inside the skull. The Soul Fire flickered for a while before finally settling on the towering Giant Dragon.

"It’s been... a long time, Giant Dragon," said the mandible, opening and closing as if slightly dislocated from extended disuse. Fortunately, a Lich’s speech did not rely on the skull.

"The exact time is thirty years, my friend," said Zhiyan as his skull was placed back atop his skeleton.

He cradled his head in his hands, adjusted the connection, and responded nonchalantly.

"Thirty years? Three days? Three hours? What difference does that make to us? Time hasn’t left many marks on you or me."

"But time brings new vitality. Come, meet my student, Mr. Plague Doctor."

Only then did Zhiyan notice another person standing by the ventilation shaft. As he appraised Lyle while pinching his chin, he traced new magic lines on a damaged piece of the mural with his other hand. Zhiyan casually restored the mostly destroyed mural with magic, his gaze fixed on Lyle throughout.

"This mask and robe ensemble, is he a tribal chief from some crow-worshipping tribe? Fortunate to survive the hands of the Holy Light," remarked Zhiyan.

"The Crusaders’ War ended fifty years ago, Zhiyan, your memory is confused again."

"Is that so?" Zhiyan, maintaining a skeletal form, approached Lyle to give him a closer look.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Plague Doctor, but I must say, your attire is a bit... peculiar. What’s with the muck on your shoulders? It looks like... white bones on top! It’s moving! Holy...!!!" The entity disparagingly referred to as muck was Nia, who hoisted Zhiyan upside down in mid-air, engaging in the savage behaviors of tribes from Zhiyan’s memories.

The Giant Dragon laughed heartily on the side.

"Times have changed, you antique. What used to be bizarre has now become fashionable."

"But Nia’s existence remains eternal. Say hello to the juvenile Evil God, Mr. Zhiyan."

Zhiyan swayed his hands in the air, muttering obscure and gloomy spells.

Nia listened to those chant-like sounds and gradually calmed down.

Mr. Zhiyan’s excited cheers echoed in the tomb.

"Part of that Fallen Prayer is actually true. This is a significant discovery!"