Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 756 - 698 A Great Step in Spirit Summoning Studies
The literary society’s laissez-faire approach was evident for all members of Andrey to see, leaving an impression like the tip of an iceberg, concealing the icy depths below. The Warrior of Light harbored many intelligent characters from Lyle’s "memories"; with the addition of so many wise minds, they had long since abandoned their formerly reckless behavior.
The destroyed societies appeared in every area of the Andrey Castle. On the broken floor covered by rubble and dust, there were nodes of the Alchemy Array left by the gentleman (now alchemist Edward). If someone could stand atop the spire of Andrey Tower and look down through the layers of buildings, they would realize that the locations of the societies destroyed by the Warrior of Light formed a perfect circle.
"With the power bestowed by the God of Light, the entire castle, including all matters contained within, will be alchemized into one ’entity’."
Edward’s skull cracked as the Law Enforcer’s iron grip tightened, a sign that the enforcer seemed quite angry.
"You are a steel-like enforcer, the rule of Andrey..." A loud voice cut through the crowd of Liches. The Dean, holding a long staff and dressed in a classic wizard’s robe, looked on with warmth in his eyes, cooling the agitated enforcer. A distinguished elderly figure, his bushy beard emitted a hum, and the comical sound dispersed the tense atmosphere, "I do not insist that our dear enforcer needs an absolute bottom line, but I do hope that his bottom line isn’t too lively."
The rage on the enforcer seemed to flame up with light and heat just before being extinguished.
"I crossed the line... but since I’ve already crossed it, taking one step further can’t be that bad, right?" The enforcer could use force on lawbreakers but only when apprehending them. All penalties had to wait until after the trial by the executive committee, a rule the Law Enforcer himself set. Having broken the rules, he was somewhat resigned, wanting to crush the reporter’s skull and impose some less than honorable punishment on the captured soul.
The Dean stopped him, for his sake.
"When have you become so petty, Mr. Law Enforcer? You’ve witnessed the drama of the literary society plenty of times, haven’t you...?"
"But this is different! Sir! They plan to destroy Andrey..." The Law Enforcer stared at the Dean’s aged face, the affectionate smile barely visible behind the beard, and beyond him, Andrey Castle under the blood moon. His homeland stood unmovable, as if frozen in time.
The national Alchemy Array hadn’t succeeded. The Law Enforcer’s badly frustrated rant had lost its reason to erupt.
"I was too impatient, sir. I thought the Lich crisis would pose a threat..."
The Dean accepted the Law Enforcer’s apology, and also the skull that narrowly avoided disaster in his hands. He stared at the alchemist’s head, its flesh void of magical power, shedding like melting wax. The Dean extended a bony finger and tapped the gentleman’s head.
"Even if you invoked Raymond’s justice, you need to know that all ancient paths of alchemy are interconnected. Alchemy Array? It’s an obsolete failure. You’re not that lucky, dear. Your Dean is an Enchantment Master, and he also has extensive knowledge of Alchemy and Spirit Summoning Studies. Different paths lead to the same truth," he said.
"In the twentieth year after my death, I transformed my castle into an ’entity’. Andrey Castle is an ’entity’; it cannot be changed into another form by any type of magic, meaning it cannot be destroyed, alchemized, or transformed. Of course, to meet your research needs, I have granted some permissions, but this does not mean you can surpass its limits."
"Competing with me in alchemy, my boy, you’re still too green."
"If I were you, I would use the basic framework of the Alchemy Array, discard any excess materials, and focus on conquering something less complicated by concentrating magical power. Material alchemy is a delicate task. At your current level, attempting such a vast range of alchemy would only produce some indescribable ’dead object’. To create a new substance recognized by the world, you need to understand the actual rules and accumulate more knowledge."
Dean entered his tireless teaching mode, boasting of his peerless achievements, and even from the standpoint of a predecessor, he addressed and solved the doubts of an Edward who, for the moment, was an enemy.
The Dean’s serene reaction was the ultimate irony for Edward’s prized final move. The national alchemy that used himself as the cost didn’t even make the big-bearded man frown. Before Edward’s lips fell off, they turned downwards.
It seemed the overall situation was determined. After the Dean arrived, led by the literary society, the Liches regained their dispassionate and composed attitudes towards all living beings under the leader’s example. By contrast, the Warriors of Light now seemed more like defeated fighters bereft of spirit.
Everything was as the Dean said; it was merely a prank, even if it was a Lich crisis, still just a prank by members of the Salvation Association.
"...Dean, you said that Andrey Castle is an ’entity’ that can’t be alchemized, right?" Edward spoke again, as the Dean observed the soul fire within the skull, a gold tinge within the azure flame.
"Yes, Mr. Edward, whom I meet by chance."
"What about this barrier that protects Andrey then...?"
The Dean stroked his beard and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Andrey’s defense mechanism isn’t my work. It’s a collective creation of the various societies of Andrey. It can be alchemized. Your observation is meticulous, child. What is it, do you still have a trick up your sleeve?"
The skull cracked twice.
"Of course."
"Mickey!"
Not far away, within the throng of Warriors of Light, the body from which the Law Enforcer had taken the head stood up. The colorful garb was marred with the red of blood and the black of dirt, and from the blurry, fleshy stump of its neck emerged shadowy tentacles, with a large rat’s head growing out, it took control of Edward’s body and continued the mission.
The rat’s head let out a piercing screech.
"I told you! I don’t come from Disney! I’m Avonreiter, the Shadow Rat King!!"
The Homeland Alchemy Array activated once again, and Andrey’s barrier finally shattered. The surging magic power turned into a vortex storm, rushing into the ranks of the Warrior of Light. A meteor burst forth, and the dazzling Holy Light turned Andrey into daylight. The screams of the Liches rose, and panic was once again incited.
"My Spine Wheel is out of control!"
"My Wall of Flesh is shattered!"
The defensive lines on the scene revealed gaps, and all the Summoned Beings produced by the figure society were shattered, turning into a filthy flood that poured into the magic storm eye radiating Holy Light.
Shining opened its jaw wide, and Manipulation and Adaptation looked at each other in bewilderment.
"That one, it’s that one, isn’t it..."
"Yes, it’s our Necro-Gundam..."
"It’s flying..."
"Why is it flying, though? We didn’t install any flight devices on it at all..."
Within the flying body of the Giant of Light, a man’s roar erupted.
"Rushio’s plan, Edward’s sacrifice! I, Shumoku Seiryu, swear, their efforts will not be in vain!!!"
"You abomination who loathes life, undead creatures! Turn to ashes before my Lancelot Alubion!" The giant body composed of skeletons and flesh turned golden under the Holy Light, and four wings of magic power unfolded behind it, hovering as if the Gundam was a celestial judge.
Law, with a figure society member in each hand, roared amid the terrifying barrage of fire.
"Why have all your Spirit Summoning equipment failed!"
The shiny scales were illuminated by the gunfire of the summoned.
"It’s the Death Lord system, the operating system that the plague doctor boss loaded into the Necro-Gundam. Hmm... owing to the boss’s amazing talent in Spirit Summoning Studies, all the command sets of the Summoned Beings produced by the figure society are sub-bodies of the Death Lord system. Hence, the Gundam has the ability to control all Summoned Beings made by the figure society, just like a lord commanding all deaths. Cool, isn’t it?"
"All of them? Every Summoned Being will be dominated by that Necro-Bing?"
Manipulation nodded, with the Spirit Summoning Studies prowess of Lyle-level Gundams having absolute dominion before Andrey’s.
"Not only that, but it will also extract materials from nearby Summoned Beings to reconfigure its body and compensate for consumption. Based on our previous use of Spirit Summoning equipment, its weapon system should be able to go on an unrestricted rampage for one hour."
As is widely known, the Lich’s true form is far more fragile than Summoned Beings.
Adaptation broke through the fireline and dashed to the front of the two, namely Law.
"I’ve brought good news from the Spirit Summoning Professorial Board."
Law breathed a sigh of relief.
"Have they found a way to destroy the plague doctor junior’s most prized creation?"
Adaptation shook his head.
"The professors have deemed Lancelot Alubion to be of a sixth-tier level, a super Summoned Being created by the plague doctor boss who transcended two ranks. Therefore, they decided to grade the plague doctor sir’s final exam with an ’Exceeds Standards’ rating."
"The number of Liches damaged by the Necro-Gundam will now serve as the plague doctor boss’s extra points beyond full marks."
"’Exceeds Standards’ Summoned Being individual Lancelot Alubion has been recorded."
"Creator: Plague Doctor."
"User: Delusion."
