Refining a Death Knight

The next morning, Lynn arrived at Gregor's laboratory looking as composed as ever, as though nothing had happened the night before.

He found Gregor pulling at his hair over a pile of data bone plates and spoke calmly.

"Mentor, I was attacked last night."

Gregor did not even look up, responding vaguely, "Mm... attacked? Fights and brawls are normal in the Academy. As long as nobody died, it's fine..."

"It was Mentor Murphy the Soul Ripper. Through my roommate Kevin, he placed a Flesh-Soul Stone beneath my bed, intending to extract my soul."

"Kevin was killed by me in self-defense, and his soul was transmitted away by that stone."

Gregor's hand froze mid-tug. He finally raised his head, and a trace of sharpness flashed through his murky eyes.

"Murphy? That guy who loves stitching souls into monsters? He set his sights on your exceptional soul?"

He looked Lynn over from head to toe.

"You're all right?"

"I discovered it in time and dealt with it." Lynn's tone remained calm.

Gregor clicked his tongue, annoyance appearing on his face.

"Trouble... what a pain."

"That Murphy is like a Carrion Beetle lurking in the shadows—disgusting and hard to shake off."

He stood and paced twice through the cluttered laboratory.

"I'll 'report' this to the Academy's disciplinary department." Gregor placed deliberate emphasis on the word "report."

Clearly, he would merely report it to the Academy.

"But don't get your hopes up. Without direct evidence, and with only your side of the story, the Academy will never move against a Third-Ring Wizard for an Apprentice—especially when Murphy is still somewhat useful in soul research."

Lynn had expected this outcome, so he nodded.

Gregor stopped and looked at Lynn, still somewhat concerned.

"Don't go back to that lousy dormitory for now. There's a small room behind the laboratory. You can stay there from now on."

"I set up a protective Wizard Array here, and the Soul Hunters conduct focused patrols here as well. No matter how bold Murphy is, he won't dare make a move here."

"Thank you, Mentor." This time, Lynn's thanks carried a hint of sincerity.

His dormitory had no defensive measures whatsoever and was completely unsafe. His mentor's arrangement had indeed resolved his most urgent problem.

"Focus on your research from now on. Just don't cause me trouble. Cultivate diligently—strength is the foundation. Once you become a Formal Wizard, you'll have far fewer troubles."

With that, Gregor waved over a translucent Wraith servant.

"Go, bring him a set of bedding and daily necessities." He then looked at Lynn. "Anything else you need?"

Lynn immediately said, "Mentor, I need the Basic Death Knight Refinement Guide, one Resilient Wraith, and the accompanying materials: Black-Iron Wood Powder, Soulbinding Thread, and Rotblood Ink."

Gregor raised an eyebrow. "You want to use Kevin's corpse to refine a Death Knight? Tsk, I suppose that counts as making the most of it."

"But refining a Death Knight isn't easy. Kevin hadn't successfully condensed a Mental Core, had he? Without being washed by negative energy, the finished product probably won't be of very high quality."

"Fine, consider it practice. I have all that stuff ready in the laboratory. None of it is particularly valuable. Go take it yourself from the third materials rack on the east side."

He pointed in that direction, then added,

"I'll give you a better-quality Combat Remnant Soul. It's tougher than an ordinary wandering soul."

"Great, thank you, Mentor!"

This was what a truly good mentor was like—considerate and generous, providing everything you needed.

Far better than those mentors who spent all day coveting your body!

Before long, Lynn settled into the dusty little room in the corner of the laboratory. Though cramped, it was at least safe.

The only concern was whether Gregor's tireless daily research experiments would disturb his meditation.

Once he had finished tidying up, Lynn wasted no time. He selected the needed materials from the rack and immediately began refining the Death Knight.

He first took out Kevin's stiff, folded corpse, softened it with Magic Trick, and laid it flat.

Following the refinement guide, he began the formal procedure.

It was his first time personally refining an Undead creature, so he was inevitably somewhat inexperienced.

Lynn first used his own negative energy to carefully wash the corpse, strengthening its bones and muscle fibers while preserving the talents it had possessed in life.

If Kevin had been able to condense a Mental Core while alive, the negative-energy washing his body received during advancement would have made it much more suitable "material."

At this point, Lynn could only do his best to make up for that deficiency.

Once the washing was complete, Lynn carefully used Soulbinding Thread, like silver spider silk, to weave a complex binding network through the corpse's limbs, body, and core regions.

This was meant to better conduct Death Energy and control the Undead's movements.

Finally, using the foul-smelling Rotblood Ink, he carved a primary control rune onto the corpse's forehead and an energy hub rune over its heart.

The entire process was tedious and precise. Lynn had to remain completely focused, or the Death Knight he refined would be severely compromised.

For several days, the laboratory was filled with the strange mixed odor of negative energy, preservatives, and Rotblood Ink.

Lynn gradually grew accustomed to the smell.

Sometimes, when he was busy, he did not even have time to eat Wizard meals. Instead, he simply plucked a Butt Cheek from the Satiety Mushroom in the room and ate it.

One day, while Lynn was carefully tracing an auxiliary rune, the laboratory door was pushed open.

A young Apprentice in a gaudy Wizard robe, with slicked-back hair, walked in humming a tune.

He was Field, one of Gregor's other three Apprentices.

He was the fellow Gregor had mentioned—the one who neglected his proper work and spent all day trying to flirt with the female Apprentices under Soulweaver Marfa.

"Yo! A new face!"

Field spotted the busy Lynn at once, his eyes lighting up as he hurried over.

"You're the new junior brother Mentor took in? I'm Field. I arrived two years before you."

Lynn did not stop working, merely replying flatly, "Lynn."

He had little interest in his mentor's other Apprentices and had no intention of building any rapport with them.

Still, for this senior brother to live so freely and happily for two years in this Dark Wizard Academy, he must have had some ability.

Field did not mind Lynn's coldness at all. He simply examined the corpse and materials on the workbench.

"Tsk, tsk, a Death Knight? Going for this as a beginner? You've got guts, junior brother!"

"But your technique... hmm, it's a little rough. You need to be gentler when wrapping the Soulbinding Thread around the soul core, or it'll affect its later flexibility..."

While commenting, Field naturally picked up some extra Black-Iron Wood Powder nearby and casually helped Lynn sprinkle it over several joint connections.

"This stuff can add a bit of hardness."

Lynn glanced at him but did not stop him.

This guy looked unreliable, but his technique was indeed seasoned.