Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 324: The Lich's Plague
"Lich Transformation Ritual?"

Harvey's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked in disbelief, "Lambert, are you kidding me? The lich transformation ritual has been lost since the Age of Dragons."

Lambert smiled wryly and shook his head, explaining, "Yes, the traditional rituals have long been lost, but the Esoteric Cult has recreated a completely new method of transformation... and has proven successful on several Speakers."

Harvey narrowed his eyes and carefully recalled some secret historical anecdotes he had learned during his time at the School of the Undead.

If a high-level undead or shadow caster has no hope of becoming a legend, he or she can seek to transform into an undead creature to prolong himself or herself before his or her lifespan is about to end, but this is only a possible attempt.

Because the lich's transformation ritual is, in a sense, no less difficult and risky than the legendary spellcaster's promotion ritual.

Extracting life essence, creating soul containers, mixing in the blood of ancient divine creatures... and finally, through a complex dark ritual, sacrificing all of one's soul and flesh, completing the twisted cycle from life to death and then resurrection from the dead.

"So... you came to this secluded place in order to complete the lich's transformation ritual?"

Harvey said to Lambert with a serious expression, "This is simply insane. Regardless of whether the transformation is successful or not, it will definitely cause abnormal fluctuations in the magic network space. After all, this is a twisted ritual that forcibly rewrites the rules of magic."

At least the demon slayers of the Church of Light who were closely monitoring the magic network space would immediately move in response to the sound, and rush towards the location of the Lambert family like a school of sharks smelling blood in the sea.

Not to mention that the Federation also has three legendary spellcasters who are good at magic web roaming. These orthodox spellcasters will definitely not sit idly by and watch the birth of an undead monster that has completely lost its humanity and been corroded by evil will.

Lambert was stunned and said, "God bless you! Harvey, when did you learn so much profound and esoteric magical knowledge? When we last communicated, you were still only a beginner spellcaster."

"I'm already at the intermediate level!" Harvey didn't bother to waste time talking to him. He stood up and urged, "Lambert, why don't you come with me? The Southern Continent isn't without a foothold for necromancers. I run a large spellcasting territory in the deserted borderlands in the central part of the continent. There, you can study magic in peace and conduct magical research freely."

Although this guy seems to have a noble status in the family and is the legitimate son of the patriarch, it is obvious that his ability and talent are too poor. He has not been trained as a successor at all. Even his two brothers, White and Black, seem to be much stronger than him.

While the Harro Chamber of Commerce's ship still needed to stay in the dark sea for three days to replenish supplies, Harvey felt that he could take Lambert, the "useless young master" who was not valued and paid attention to, and quietly run away. The Undead Cult Organization and Lambert's family who stayed here must be fully devoted to the preparations for the ceremony and would not pay extra attention to monitor them.

Lambert nodded, half understanding, then said anxiously, "Run away secretly? But what about these antique collections I brought with me? This is the wealth I've accumulated over ten years! Every piece is a treasure I can't part with!"

The greatest hobby of this "second-generation mage" in his life is not to study magical knowledge, but to collect rare antiques from the ancient dragon era to the Betrayal War period. The rarer and more interesting the things are, the more willing he is to spend a lot of money to buy and collect them.

Harvey rolled his eyes speechlessly as he looked at the collections in the felt tent, which were stored in four or five exquisite boxes without any magical fluctuations.

"I really don't know how to say hello! Don't worry, I have a way to move your treasures away in advance, and I guarantee that nothing will be lost..."

Lambert finally felt relieved and asked in a low voice with a look of joy, "Great! I don't want to stay in this damp and dark place any longer. When are we going to run away?"

Harvey pondered for a moment. "I've only just arrived, so I'm sure your people are still watching me. Three days from now, on the eve of the Harlo Chamber of Commerce's ship's return, you can use this as an excuse to take me on a tour of the coastline..."

……

For the next two days, Harvey stayed in the spellcaster camp very obediently, either reading in Lambert's felt tent or occasionally having academic exchanges with some necromancers who arrived here earlier than him. These people were not members of the Esoteric Sect or the Lambert family. Most of them were persecuted due to the plague incident in the central part of the continent and were forced to move here for refuge.

Harvey keenly discovered that the members of the Lambert family who were suspected to be cultists were not often active in the spellcaster camp. Even White and Black, who had brought him here before, had disappeared from the camp since yesterday and no one knew where they were.

Harvey was of course aware that these people were in a secret place nearby, preparing for the so-called lich transformation ritual, but he had no intention of getting involved in this matter, so naturally he didn't care much about their sneaky behavior.

"Harvey, I'm going to see my father, and then I'll come back to pack up and run away with you!" Near dusk, Lambert returned to the camp and made an appointment with Harvey that they would set off at midnight. Before that, he decided to go see his father first, even if it was just to say a brief farewell.

"Don't let him see that you are trying to escape... otherwise, we might both be unable to leave!" Harvey frowned and reminded.

Lambert chuckled and said, "Don't worry! I won't say I'm leaving openly... Besides, my father won't care much. After all, I'm not his only son..."

After saying that, Lambert hurriedly left the spellcaster camp. Harvey stayed in his felt tent, took out the magic solvent and feather pen to draw a temporary teleportation array, and quickly painted on the expensive handmade carpet that Lambert had laid on the ground.

With the magic network teleportation array, Lambert's pile of "expensive junk" can be instantly teleported back to the wasteland territory and directly arrive at the underground laboratory of Harvey Castle. Asdalen and Reiner, who are on duty 24 hours a day, are responsible for receiving it.

As for their escape route, they naturally returned the same way they had come—after arriving at Erisburg via the Harro Chamber of Commerce, they used the Union branch's continental teleportation array there to reach the Wizarding Kingdom of Daeus, and then teleported again to Jackdaw Town. After packing up and taking care of everything, Harvey leisurely sat in his tent, reading a book, waiting for Lambert's return and the approach of midnight.

……

Two hours have passed...

Three hours have passed...

When the silvery-white moon wrapped in thick fog rose into the sky, the curtain of the felt tent was suddenly pulled open by someone.

The people who came were White and Black who had disappeared for two days. Lambert did not come back, and Harvey had a vague feeling that something might have happened.

"Sir Harvey..." White's face looked a little strange, and he seemed to be still hesitating whether to speak. But Blake interrupted him and said bluntly, "Sir, I'm afraid Lambert is in trouble!"

"What's wrong?" Harvey frowned and stood up.

"That guy... probably couldn't help but tell you about a certain ritual we're currently conducting, right?" Blake's expression was solemn. "The ritual had already been going on for over ten days, but something unexpected happened at noon today. The elders and... the council members believe something went wrong with the sacrifices and offerings required for the ritual..."

Harvey narrowed his eyes, suppressed his anger, and interrupted the other party's explanation. "What does Lambert have to do with the problem? You even got the blood of a divine creature. You don't need the help of a mid-level necromancer to complete a lich's transformation ritual, do you?"

He paused, then gritted his teeth and asked, "Or, because the ritual showed signs of failure, some foolish individuals attempted to reverse the failed transformation of the cult leader, who was transforming into a monster, by sacrificing a relative?"

White took a few steps back, his voice trembling, "How...how do you know all this? Even Lambert doesn't know the secrets of these rituals!"

We should thank the Magic Encyclopedia of the Spellcaster Forum... Harvey complained silently in his heart.

"Stop talking nonsense. Since you've come to me, it means you don't want Lambert to die in vain, right?" Harvey said as he bent down, lifted up the thick velvet blanket under his feet and turned it over. He took the magic solvent thrown aside and began to draw the formation diagram.

"Yes, we do want to save Lambert..." Blake muttered softly, "That damn secret religion and ritual, it disgusts us both like a rotten corpse buried in the ground for hundreds of years..."

The new generation of undead spellcasters like them are not willing to pursue those decadent undead traditions, but because of their spellcasting faction, they have to endure the oppression of secular concepts and discrimination from orthodox spellcasters. This is a typical dilemma.

"When are they going to start the blood sacrifice?"

"Midnight... that's the only time that's right..."

White watched Harvey concentrate on drawing the formation diagram and asked in confusion, "What are you doing? Don't we need to go to the ceremony site immediately and find a way to rescue Lambert?"

Harvey rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Just the three of us? Facing a group of Necromancers and your family's mid- to high-level Undead spellcasters? You two haven't forgotten that I'm just a puppet with a body that contains consciousness and spiritual power, right?"

He stuffed the magic solvent and quill in the stunned White's hands and ordered decisively: "If you want to save people, do as I say."

"Blake, go to the cave next to the camp where the zombies and corpse puppets are sleeping and pull them all out of control. Don't try to control them, just let them run wild in the camp... It's best to attract everyone's attention!"

A blush crept onto Blake's pale face, and he mumbled, "I... I don't have enough magic power to awaken all the zombies. I've only just reached the intermediate level..."

"The zombies must have eaten your brains..." Harvey said speechlessly, "I gave each of you a bag of Shadow Magic Stones. Activate them with magic power and throw them into the pile of corpses. They'll instantly become more lively than when they were alive!"

Blake immediately understood and hurriedly opened the tent and left.

White held the solvent and quill in a daze, "Sir Harvey, what about me?"

"Assist me in drawing a demon summoning array... I need to perform a ritual to summon a demon from another dimension."

Of course, the three of them alone could not rescue Lambert, so the only thing Harvey could think of now was to call for help.

(End of this chapter)