Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

After putting away all the materials, Lynn turned and left the shop, intending to take another stroll around the market to see if there were any good deals.

The Ghost Market remains bustling.

Negative energy mist slowly flowed over the streets, blurring the flickering soul fire on the shop signs into a hazy sea of ​​light.

The sounds of hawking, haggling, and the painful screams of experimental subjects intertwined to create the unique background noise of this dark wizard trading district.

Lynn strolled down the street, her eyes scanning the dazzling array of stalls and shops on both sides.

He is now a formal wizard, and the black wizard's robe with its flowing dark patterns and the soul crystal nameplate hanging at his waist cause all the apprentices who pass by to subconsciously give way and bow.

He had once cautiously explored this world of professional wizards, just like these apprentices, but now he could finally step into this area with confidence.

Lynn originally planned to quickly browse around, hoping to find something of value, and if not, return to the laboratory to develop his own "Myriad Phenomena Meditation Method".

However, as he passed a familiar shop, he couldn't help but pause.

"Harold's Gears and Bones".

The shop sign is still an eyeball that never stops turning, and a model of a hammer and anvil hangs at the entrance.

It still looks like a combination of a blacksmith shop and a machine shop...

However, several new exhibits were displayed in the shop window.

Two cool mechanical wings, a half-mechanical, half-skeleton construct hound, a silver robot resembling the Terminator, and a telescopic bone saw inlaid with energy crystals.

The shopkeeper, Harold—the short, stocky second-circle wizard with a tangled beard and always wearing an oil-stained leather apron—still disguised himself as a salesman.

He was standing at the shop entrance, spitting as he enthusiastically promoted his latest product to several apprentices who were watching.

"...Look at this 'Gale Steel Wing'! It has three built-in miniature wind element rune arrays, increasing its flight time by 40% compared to the previous generation! And it only costs 300 magic stones! The king of cost-effectiveness among flying equipment!"

The apprentices' eyes lit up at the news, but after touching their empty money pouches, they shook their heads and prepared to leave.

Harold was about to push himself harder when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a black figure on the street corner out of the corner of his eye.

He was taken aback at first, then his small eyes, hidden under his thick eyebrows, suddenly lit up!

"Lynn?!"

Harold shoved aside the apprentice in front of him, took a few steps to the middle of the street, and blocked Lynn's way with an exaggeratedly enthusiastic smile.

"Oh my! Isn't this our newly crowned 'Lord of All Things'? What brings you to my humble little shop?"

Lynn stopped and nodded politely. "Master Harold, I was just passing by."

"Passing by is fate!"

Harold rubbed his hands together, his beard twitching with his smile.

"Come in, come in and have a seat! We've known each other for ages! You used to be the one giving me pointers in this shop..."

Lynn frowned slightly.

I did come here once when I participated in the "Three Trials of Life and Death," but Harold looked down on me and didn't even give me a second glance...

As for giving pointers... I think I only pointed out a few minor issues to Thomas, right?

That thing is the lowest level of undead modification, it's not very valuable, and it doesn't qualify as "giving directions" at all.

What's this old guy up to now? Even though I've been promoted to a full-fledged wizard, I don't need a veteran second-ring wizard to fawn over me like this.

There's hardly any "old friendship" between them, is there? The last time they met, Harold even looked down on him...

"Excuse me, Master Harold, I have other matters to attend to." Lynn declined and turned to leave.

"Don't rush off!" Harold raised his voice, shouting into the shop. "Thomas! Come out here! See who's here!"

The shop curtain was lifted, and a figure in an apprentice's robe stained with oil strode out—it was Thomas.

Thomas has changed quite a bit in the past two years. He has a scruffy beard and looks much more weathered, but he has become more muscular.

He does bear some resemblance to Harold.

The moment he saw Lynn, his face lit up with joy, and he opened his mouth as if to call out that familiar name.

But when his gaze fell upon Lynn's magically patterned robe, a symbol of a formal wizard, and the soul crystal token at his waist, his expression froze instantly.

The joy quickly faded, replaced by awe, unease, and a hint of barely concealed gloom.

Thomas strode forward, stopping three steps away from Lynn, and bowed deeply: "Lynn... sir."

His voice was soft and noticeably reserved.

Harold patted Thomas on the shoulder and smiled at Lynn:

"Look, Thomas's an old friend of yours! Come in, have a seat, and have a cup of tea, please? My 'Rotten Soul Moss Tea' is a must-try at Ghost Market!"

"Trust me, there's absolutely no harm in going in..."

Lynn looked at Thomas's cautious demeanor, then at Harold's calculating smile, and sighed inwardly.

Although he didn't know Harold's purpose, he didn't sense any malice.

Moreover, with his current strength, even if Harold is a second-circle wizard, it would be impossible for him to harm him in this shop.

No matter how strong the shop's protective array was, it couldn't stop tens of thousands of undead soldiers, nor could it stop him from tearing through space and escaping at any moment.

"Then... I'll bother you for a moment." Lynn said calmly, wanting to know what Harold was really up to.

"That's more like it!" Harold was overjoyed and quickly stepped aside to lead the way.

"Please, please, please!"

Thomas quickly stepped aside, lowered his head, and dared not meet Lynn's gaze.

The three entered the shop, which was still filled with the mixed smell of engine oil, preservatives and metal dust.

The workbench was piled high with semi-finished parts and design drawings, and the walls were covered with various equipment, tools, and strangely shaped mechanical debris.

Harold gestured for Lynn to sit down in a reasonably clean bone-backed chair, then turned to Thomas and said:

"Go, bring out that jar of 'Premium Corrupting Soul Moss' that I've been keeping for a while, and brew some for Lord Lynn!"

"Yes," Thomas replied in a low voice, and quickly walked into the inner room.

Harold plopped down opposite Lynn, and without saying a word, took out two items from his spatial equipment and placed them on the worktable between them with a "thud".

Those were two complex metal-bone composite devices.

The first item was a fist-sized spherical core, its surface covered with fine gears and runes, with a constantly pulsating dark red crystal embedded in its center.

The second item is a prototype of a robotic arm, made entirely of ghost iron. It features a multi-axis linkage design at the joints, retractable bone blades embedded in the fingertips, and three energy return ports on the arm.

"Master Lynn".

Harold changed his address, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his small eyes.

"These two are new gadgets I've been working on lately—the 'Adaptive Soul Energy Stabilizer' and the 'Multi-functional Ghost Iron Combat Arm.' But... they both have some minor issues."

He rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "You know, I'm good with my hands, but when it comes to theoretical optimization and energy coordination... hehe, I'm always a bit lacking."

"You have a keen eye, could you... take a look and offer some pointers?"

Lynn frowned slightly. How did Harold know about his special abilities?

Did Thomas tell him that?