Death Knight!

"Oh, right!"

Field suddenly lowered his voice, with a hint of gloating.

"Have you heard what happened to Mentor Morpheus, the 'Soul Flayer'?"

"Apparently, a few days ago, he somehow offended Vice Tower Master Cersei. Then an important 'Primary Soul' test subject in his lab suddenly suffered Backlash."

"He wasn't hurt, but a good part of the laboratory was wrecked. The losses were severe! He's cleaning up the mess now, looking completely miserable..."

"Morpheus seems convinced Cersei was behind it. He's been saying he'll lodge a serious complaint against her with the Academy higher-ups."

Lynn's hand paused slightly as he inscribed the rune.

Vice Tower Master Cersei was dealing with Morpheus?

Was it a coincidence? Or had... Mentor Gregor's "response" worked?

Were his mentor's words really that effective? Or was there something going on between him and Cersei?

Hmm... he'd seen Cersei before when choosing a mentor. She didn't look like someone easy to provoke. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risen to Vice Tower Master, on top of being responsible for maintaining stability within the Academy.

Lynn calmly continued his work, but inwardly, he reassessed his seemingly trouble-averse mentor.

He's got some tricks up his sleeve!

With this, Morpheus should rein himself in a little... right?

Field was still chattering away.

From whichever female Apprentice he'd recently hooked up with, to which mentor was the stingiest, to the latest fashionable styles of Wizard robes at the market...

Most of the time, Lynn merely listened, occasionally responding with a quiet "Mm."

Though noisy, it gave him a more intuitive understanding of the Academy's various factions and recent developments.

When Gregor finally returned to the laboratory, Field finally settled down and put on a solemn expression.

Clearly, his frivolous nature had earned him plenty of scoldings from his mentor.

Gregor shot him a sidelong glance and ignored him.

Rubbing his hands together, Field approached with a fawning smile plastered across his face.

"Mentor~ You're busy?" Field's voice was sickeningly sweet.

Gregor snorted irritably and ignored him, continuing to write and draw on a bone plate.

Field wasn't discouraged in the slightest. He stuck beside him like chewing gum and continued, "Mentor, that bottle of Soul-Eroding Grass Extract in the cabinet on the east side of your lab has been sitting there for ages, hasn't it? Its effectiveness is probably fading. Could you lend me some? Just a little!"

"I took on a side job repairing a Cursed Doll, and the reward is a full fifty Magic Stones! I'm only missing this one crucial material! I swear by the River Styx, once I get the Magic Stones, I'll immediately buy twice as much to repay you!"

Field's noise drove Gregor to distraction. His bone pen slammed down heavily, leaving an ugly streak across the plate.

"Get lost! Are lab materials for you to use on side jobs? Solve your own problems!"

"Mentor, please! Just this once!" Field clasped his hands together in supplication.

"You know how hard it is for us Apprentices to earn a few Magic Stones. If this job fails, I'll lose everything, down to my underwear..."

"Please help me out. Once I've got some money, I'll definitely show you proper respect!"

"Shut up! Keep making noise, and I'll throw you to the Stitched Monster!"

Field's endless nagging made the veins on Gregor's forehead throb. He felt as though his train of thought was about to be completely interrupted.

Looking at Field's shameless, clingy expression, he knew he wouldn't get any peace today unless he agreed.

"Enough!" Gregor slammed a hand onto the table and pointed at Lynn, who was quietly processing materials nearby.

"You want to borrow materials? Fine! Go help Lynn finish refining that Death Knight. If you succeed, you can use a little of the materials as you please!"

Field's eyes lit up. He immediately patted his chest and promised, "No problem! Leave it to me! Junior Brother Lynn's business is my business!"

In an instant, he tossed his promise to show proper respect for his mentor to the back of his mind and eagerly ran toward Lynn.

"Junior Brother Lynn! Mentor gave the word. I'm here to help you handle this big guy!" Field announced smugly.

Lynn glanced at him, then at Gregor deep within the laboratory, whose face was full of relief. He immediately understood.

He nodded and stepped aside. "Perfect. I've run into a slight blockage with synchronizing the energy between the soul and the body."

"Small problem! Watch me!"

Field rolled up his sleeves and took over without ceremony. He looked unreliable, but his technique was genuinely seasoned.

Over the following days, Field's voice often rang through the laboratory:

"Hey, Junior Brother, that's not how you wrap Soulbinding Thread. Follow the muscle grain, or it'll affect explosive force..."

"Pay attention to the stability of the negative energy output. Like this—wash it through in waves, imitating a heartbeat rhythm. That'll improve the soul's compatibility..."

"Add a little more Soul-Condensing Sand to the Rotblood Ink here. Yes, that one. It stabilizes the soul and prevents it from developing self-awareness and causing Backlash later..."

Lynn silently observed and learned at the side, noting down every practical trick Field had accumulated through experience, then using the panel to Record and Optimize them.

Even though he had his "cheat" to assist him, actual hands-on work still differed from theory.

He had to admit that Field truly had unique insights when it came to the practical construction of Necromantic Constructs.

With the two working together, the Death Knight's refinement progressed much faster.

Several days later, the final rune was activated.

The creation on the workbench, fused from Kevin's corpse and a battle remnant soul, suddenly shuddered. Its eyes snapped open, and deep soul fire burned steadily within them.

It slowly rose to its feet, standing nearly two meters tall.

Its bones were abnormally thick, radiating a cold aura of death.

Though it couldn't compare to a true Death Knight, it already possessed considerable intimidation.

Lynn immediately used Analysis on it:

[Target: Death Knight (Inferior)]

[Rank: lv1 (Standard Grade) Peak]

[Composition: Death Affinity body (good foundation), battle remnant soul (obedience: high), simple reinforced skeleton, basic soul-energy circuits]

[Abilities]:

Cleave: Uses a standard weapon to launch a powerful, heavy attack.

Undead Intimidation: Possesses a certain intimidating effect on low-level Undead (lv0-lv1), weakening their combat ability.

Toughness: High physical defense and strong resistance to low-circle negative mental states.

[Potential: Medium (limited by current materials and the refiner's rank; can grow to a maximum of lv2 Elite-tier)]

"Getting it to this point is already pretty good!"

Field patted the Death Knight's hard arm, producing a series of thudding sounds.

"It's just right for you at your current stage. Once you advance to a Second-Class or Third-Class Apprentice and gather better materials, you can throw it back into the furnace and upgrade it. It still has potential."

"It's practically a beginner's divine weapon. Much better than those skeletons that fall apart at the slightest touch!"

Lynn looked at the silent Death Knight before him and nodded.

What a pity. Its grade was too low, so the Death Knight's signature abilities, Blood Strike and Death Grip, hadn't awakened.

Though it was only a low-spec version, it was the first Undead creature he had personally created. It was already quite good.

Besides, as Field had said, it was more than enough for the current stage.