Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 599 - 552: Inducement

Mr. Scholar called out to Lyle many times with his particularly steady voice, but this time, it made Lyle feel it was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He even took out his Holy Light Wand from his backpack and, under the glow of his own Illumination Technique, carefully observed Mr. Scholar’s mask.

It truly wasn’t a joke, the scholar wasn’t having some "elder’s humor" as Lyle had thought.

"Mr. Scholar, Kolosis is a Dragon Priest, just like you. Do you think I could sneak into your Mage Tower?"

"The City of Wandering is my Mage Tower, Lyle, semi-open. And I believe in your potential, Kolosis isn’t as powerful, he doesn’t delve into magic as much as I do. Besides, he has now gone mad, and calmness is a prerequisite for a mage to exert full power..." Mr. Scholar’s steady voice alleviated some of Lyle’s frustration, and under his analysis, a small sense of feasibility formed in Lyle’s heart.

"Mr. Scholar, is Kolosis really that weak? What is his strength, Five Locks? Or Six Locks?"

Morocoy was silent, the indifferent expression carved on the mask of the Dragon Priest was quite fitting at that moment.

"Kolosis is a fairly weak Dragon Priest, but he is still a qualified Dragon Priest. Even though he has fallen into madness, his power has reached Seven Locks, the king of the Manu... He is very weak, compared to me and the Giant Gemstone Dragon."

That was Seven Locks, even if I harnessed the power of the Evil God to walk the path of the Rule Breaker, I wouldn’t be able to match him, let alone, a Dragon Priest is one who suppresses the Evil God. Lyle couldn’t face such an existence; it was more like a challenge, a deadly trial.

"This is a trial." Mr. Scholar voiced Lyle’s thoughts as if reading his mind; he looked up at the dragon for a moment, then both shifted their gaze to Lyle. "The dragon and I have talked it over, with your current reserves of knowledge and mana techniques, Kolosis is unbeatable for you. The dragon and I will be the main fighters, but we have another identity in common, we are both your teachers. So, we’ve decided to let you push your limits. A student’s progress is always our delight, if you can’t do it... don’t worry, child. We will bring you back to life, in the way of the Liches."

Lyle’s heart wavered, and his most trusted mentors were cheering him on, especially the Giant Dragon Sir. "Remember our previous jokes about who would face off against a giant dragon? My dear apprentice, when you think a false joke comes to life, it too becomes a joke."

"We’re doing this for your own good~" Mr. Scholar added gravely, Lyle forgot that the seemingly stable professors were quite strict in teaching, especially with their students.

This was an extracurricular activity that, in terms of danger, was in keeping with Andrey’s style.

Since the trial was unavoidable, Lyle could only give it his all. First, he sought help from Gem Sage Destan and, according to his memory, drew a rough map of Ashpurin. The Underground City was a dwelling of the Manu People, and also the nest of the Giant Gemstone Dragon Korlanak. Therefore, the only place that could accommodate the Giant Gemstone Dragon had to be within its Dragon’s Nest. Where the Giant Gemstone Dragon was, the Dragon Crown forged there would be there, and so would the Dragon Priest. Destan also understood the dangers of Lyle’s infiltration; in the process of describing Ashpurin, he spared no detail, not even the murals left by the Manu jewellers on the walls.

"Giant Dragon Korlanak is a wise and merciful dragon, and his Dragon’s Nest is inscribed with a great deal of dragon language. That’s what makes him special; he documents the history that our Manu People share." Indeed, quite special, normal dragons don’t keep diaries.

Dragon language? History? Lyle was stunned for a moment, turned his head, and looked towards the archaeologist digging in the ground. Zhiyan Mr.’s perception was very keen; he seemed to tremble under Lyle’s gaze, then jumped to his feet, his beautiful face looking like the visage of someone on their deathbed, his defensive look meeting the strangeness in Lyle’s eyes.

"Mr. Zhiyan, my old friend."

"I am not familiar with you, Plague Doctor sir, please behave yourself. Don’t even think about having me accompany you to our deaths. Although I am not afraid of dying, I fear pain and detest sacrifices without value."

"Mr. Zhiyan, with your vast knowledge, how can your vision be so narrow? Have you not yet discerned my true purpose?"

"If you are referring to the objective of using me as dragon bait during the theft to buy time, then yes, I’ve seen through it."

Lyle’s face did not show the slightest hint of panic upon being exposed. Instead, he looked at Mr. Zhiyan with a playful and slightly disdainful gaze, like a cunning swindler who had set his sights on his prey. Lyle’s eyes narrowed slightly, pushing the malice rolling in his eye sockets back into his body; he didn’t need to portend doom to deal with Zhiyan.

"You missed a great opportunity, Mr. Zhiyan. Don’t you understand what lies within Ashpurin?"

Zhiyan had intended to mock Lyle’s clumsy tactics, but faced with that pair of eyes exuding a mocking expression, a retort became the next step into the trap.

"What lies within?"

"Ashpurin is a vast crypt, a grand tomb filled with the skeletons of dragons and Dragon Priests, although... and they can still move. Think about it, what ancient knowledge might those rocks conceal? Have you heard? The secrets written in the Dragon’s language—how enticing is that knowledge? Which archaeologist would miss such a wonder?"

Ashpurin was a City of the Dead, but its residents were not exactly inert, hardly qualifying as a crypt. However, Lyle had already seized upon Mr. Zhiyan’s weakness; his obsession with the term "crypt" was notable. Moreover, the knowledge he spoke of was real and could indeed bring surprises to Zhiyan. Emphasizing the trivial at the expense of the important, that was the art of persuasion.

"Maybe Ashpurin is, as you say, the tomb of Dragon Priests, and perhaps the knowledge there is enticing. But that Giant Gemstone Dragon can still move, and the Dragon Priest is still alive. I was once compelled by a Dragon Priest to ’cool’ my mind, so my overly chilled brain tells me, if I agree to you, my bones may well suffer once more."

"Is that so? But what if you already knew that Princess was within the Dragon Priest’s tomb, would you not have visited? Are all the truly interesting crypts ownerless? You and I both understand the risks, but Mr. Scholar and the great dragon both need to set the stage. Mr. Zhiyan, am I not the only ally you can recruit? Mr. Zhiyan, another thrilling ’visit’..."

"You are right, I’m in!" Lyle could see the shining stars in Mr. Zhiyan’s eyes, his desire just as pale as his power, a few provocative words could change Zhiyan’s choice. In reality, this choice was exactly what Zhiyan subconsciously favored the most; he was a typical Andrey Lich, with an intense thirst for knowledge and disregard for death, perhaps also mixed with a literary society’s penchant for courting disaster.

Lyle smiled contentedly. I haven’t twisted Zhiyan; I am helping him find his true self.

His appraisal abilities and knowledge were what Lyle needed, yet he still quietly kept the cannon fodder plan close to his chest.

Mr. Zhiyan, welcome to the thieves’ crew.