Combat Test

Chapter 36: Practical Test

Amber Xiu had always been a pure undead.

Whether it was taking in refugees, helping Druids, making enemies with Paladins, or going to war with nearby Lords.

The ultimate goal was simply to make money.

It was the same now. As a Legendary Lich with Simulated Soul technology, his need for human souls was very low. This war was almost a pure loss for him, as the Ancient Castle's magical defense system burned Gold Coins every second it operated.

Simply killing this small number of people had no cost-effectiveness at all.

Therefore, Amber Xiu had to at least collect some interest.

These three people in front of him could serve as free test subjects to test the combat power of this newly created Grave Golem.

Harvey felt it was time to give up on being a Mage. What kind of School of Prophecy was this? It was all a trap. He clearly felt that charging forward was the right move, but he ended up falling into a trap.

He had seen traps before, but who would dig a pit dozens of meters deep right in front of their own home? What an enormous amount of work! And what was the point of a pit dozens of meters deep? If they added some spears at the bottom, a few meters would be enough to kill enemies. What use was such a depth?

This question was soon answered, because during the fall, the deep pit narrowed like a funnel, eventually turning into a slide.

The three of them slid into it one after another, feeling like some kind of flushed-out excrement. Just as Harvey thought he was about to fall into some unspeakable place, he suddenly felt something hook his back, and then he slid into another passage.

By the time his backside was scraped raw, Harvey found himself in a metal cage. With a clang, the cage automatically locked.

Harvey had no time to wail about his sore backside, because standing outside the cage was that terrifying Lich—Master Ultraman.

Harvey looked at the eyes burning with Soul Fire and could only force a smile. "Master Ultraman... would you believe me if I said I was forced into this?"

Amber Xiu chuckled and said to Harvey, "Does it matter to me if you were forced into it?"

Harvey fell silent. This Lich was too blunt, leaving no room for negotiation.

However, Harvey was also a Mage who had put all his points into Intelligence. He quickly thought of something. "Since I didn't fall directly into a bladed trap and get impaled, it means I still have value in being alive, right? Master Ultraman, why don't you tell me why you want me alive? Perhaps I can help you achieve your goals."

Amber Xiu didn't hide anything and said very frankly, "It's simple. I'm keeping you alive to collect a ransom."

Harvey's mouth dropped open in surprise. He never expected that to be the reason. Thinking about how he had used human refugees as bargaining chips to extort money from Lords like the Porcupine Knight, Harvey suddenly felt a strange sensation. Why did this Lich seem so short of money?

"Then... Master Ultraman, how much are you planning to ask for?"

"At least ten thousand Gold Coins. After all, he's a Mage," Amber Xiu said.

Harvey gave a wry smile. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. My employer can't afford that much."

"Really? An army of thousands, and they can't afford ten thousand Gold Coins?"

Amber Xiu was a little disbelieving. They might not have the cash, but they certainly had things worth ten thousand Gold Coins, considering he was a Lord.

Harvey explained helplessly to Amber Xiu, "Master Ultraman, don't you know the situation in Alchemy City right now? If they weren't desperate, they wouldn't have united to attack your castle."

"That serious?"

Amber Xiu originally wanted to ask a few more questions, but with another clang, the light cleric fell into another cage. Amber Xiu immediately cast an Immobilization Spell on him, and then a group of Skeletons swarmed forward, stripping the light cleric bare.

When the Immobilization Spell wore off, the light cleric had already been force-fed several bottles of sleeping potions and had lost consciousness.

"Alright, we'll talk about your business later."

Amber Xiu left Harvey with these words and then floated away from the prison.

Watching the Mutated Skeletons pacing outside the cage, Harvey retracted the small wire from his sleeve. Even if he could open the cage, he, an Apprentice Mage, couldn't defeat so many Skeletons. Escaping now would be suicide.

"Sigh."

Harvey sighed heavily. The people of the Lyne Empire were all just braggarts. They said Paladins were the bane of undead, but he was completely toyed with by this Lich.

Amber Xiu arrived at another sealed prison cell. The Paladin had already fallen in successfully and was now banging around the room, trying to find an escape route.

But doing so was futile. The four walls of this secret room were made of thick earth and rock. The only openings were the entrance to the slide above and a heavy iron door.

Perhaps due to the psychological trauma from the traps at the castle gate, the Paladin didn't dare to use Supreme Holy Slash on the iron door.

Amber Xiu brought the Living Mercury to the front of the prison. Without even opening the door, he commanded, "There's a Paladin inside. Teach him a profound lesson."

After speaking, Amber Xiu placed the Living Mercury in front of the iron door.

This newborn little guy understood Amber Xiu's command. Its body writhed, and it quickly seeped through the gaps in the iron door.

The Paladin in the prison had very keen senses and discovered the Living Mercury as soon as it seeped in.

However, he had never seen Living Mercury before and thought Amber Xiu was using some new wicked method to deal with him.

He tightly gripped the long sword in his hand and watched the iron door warily.

But what happened next far exceeded the Paladin's expectations.

The mass of mercury writhed as if it had a life of its own and crawled towards him.

"Slime? No, what is this thing?!"

The Paladin was considered a well-traveled adventurer, but he had truly never seen such a strange creature as Living Mercury.

Could this be another special Undead creation by that strange Lich?

However, it's not a big problem. No matter what Undead it is, one Supreme Holy Slash will solve it. If one isn't enough, then another.

Holy light condensed on the Paladin's longsword, and the sword, imbued with radiant power, slashed down at the wriggling mercury.

Wherever the sword light passed, even the air was cut into layers of ripples.

Amber Xiu watched this scene through the monitoring crystal, feeling his bones tremble. If this sword had landed on him, he would have likely lost more than half his bones.

The Paladin's Supreme Holy Slash was that domineering, and the Lyne Empire had several legions of such Paladins.

The Supreme Holy Slash was about to fall upon the Living Mercury, but at this very moment, the Living Mercury, which had been acting sluggish and slow, began to expand as if boiling.

Clang, the sound of metal striking metal rang out.

The Paladin's Supreme Holy Slash did not strike the Living Mercury itself, but rather another longsword.

Perhaps this description is not entirely accurate, because it was merely a silver-white blade that grew from the Living Mercury's body, steadily parrying the Paladin's terrifying attack.

Although the silver longsword formed by the Living Mercury was cleaved with a deep notch, the holy light contained within the Supreme Holy Slash dissipated along with it, causing little damage.

"How is this possible? Not only is this monster not Undead, but it also has Magic Resistance?!"

The Paladin was knowledgeable and understood the Living Mercury's power with just one strike.

Before he could calm down, the silver longsword continued to extend. From the blade to the hilt, and then to the arm gripping the hilt... a heavily armored warrior, entirely forged from mercury, appeared before the Paladin. Upon closer inspection, the two bore a slight resemblance.

The Living Mercury used a Transformation Spell to mimic the Paladin's appearance and, adopting the same posture as the Paladin had just used, swung a sword at him. Silver light poured down, more ferocious than the previous Supreme Holy Slash.