Chapter 97: The Death of Ladek

Chapter 97: The Death of Ladek

Ladek saw that Lynn remained motionless, thinking that faced with this bloody and mangled corpse, he didn't know where to begin. So, he spoke up, offering some advice.

"Let's start with the organs, cut away the useless rotten flesh..."

Lynn finally snapped back to reality and began dissecting Ralph's body with a blank expression. The skin was ice-cold to the touch, with some frozen crystals still clinging to it, likely due to previous preservation in ice. It explained how the body had remained well-preserved until now.

Ladek closely watched Lynn's every move with the knife, offering occasional reminders and instructing him to remove certain organs that wouldn't preserve well, placing them in a greenish liquid.

Lynn vaguely realized that what he was doing might be more than just dissecting a corpse.

The dissection in the secret chamber continued until five in the morning. Lynn had to stay vigilant to guard against the possibility of Ladek turning hostile. It was only when they finally left Ladek's estate that he could relax.

The experiments with shape-shifting elixirs, the Faceless One, Ralph... Lynn contemplated everything he had seen in the mansion. He could confirm that "Doctor Dark" Ladek was indeed associated with the "Faceless Ones" and likely a core member of the "Blood Thorn" as Ladek had suspected.

However, Lynn didn't rush into action. Despite the soundproofing in the secret room and its secrecy, something about the situation didn't sit right with him.

The only good news was that he had smoothly assumed the role of Ladek's assistant, which would provide him with convenience in his future actions.

Over the next two days, Lynn continued his daytime duties as a professor of arcane mathematics. In the evenings, he acted as Ladek's assistant under the guise of Timis, gathering more information.

The remaining time was spent delving into shape-shifting magic at the library.

On the third day, Lynn finally made up his mind. He realized he couldn't wait any longer because tomorrow would be the day of the Faceless Ones' gathering.

...

At night, inside Ladek's castle, Lynn, as usual, made his way to the secret chamber deep within the castle.

However, there was a change in the secret chamber today, the most noticeable being the addition of a short, chubby figure.

It was the apprentice who had been beaten because of the elixir incident. He was now bound above an alchemical array, with snot and tears streaming down his face. When he saw Lynn, he cried out desperately.

"Please, please, Timis... help me plead for mercy. I can't die like this... Do you remember? I was the one who recommended you to become Lord Ladek's apprentice..."

The chubby wizard's apprentice begged with tears, but when he realized that Lynn wasn't paying any attention to him, he resorted to bitter curses, his words growing more venomous. If not for Lynn, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

Lynn merely gave him a cold glance and shifted his attention to Ladek.

Over the past few days, he had noticed that, unless necessary, this Black Doctor hardly ever left his underground fortress.

"Feed it to him," Ladek took out a bottle of green elixir and handed it to Lynn. Then, he began engraving the remaining alchemical runes.

Lynn glanced at the alchemical array beneath his feet, memorized it in silence, and then firmly grasped the chubby apprentice's neck and forced the elixir down his throat.

In just a few seconds, the elixir's effects began to manifest. The grotesque, twisted expression on the apprentice's face gradually softened, and he even cracked a faint smile before slipping into a deep slumber.

Seeing this eerie sight, Lynn couldn't help but feel a chill. He quickly stepped out of the alchemical array's range.

Meanwhile, Ladek had just completed the last rune and, with an ominous smile, chanted a complicated incantation.

The chubby apprentice's body quickly floated into the air, mouth gaping, his body trembling continuously. Then, a faint, translucent, and watery-blue figure gradually emerged.

No, Lynn soon realized it wasn't light; it was a translucent, ethereal figure that undulated like water...

This is... a soul?

Lynn was witnessing a scene he had never encountered before. He immediately understood why Ladek had constructed such a secretive laboratory. If the previous experiments with shape-shifting elixirs had been pushing the boundaries, this exploration of spirit magic was outright forbidden in the realm of wizards.

The azure spiritual form floated in the center of the alchemical array, casting a gaze filled with hatred and resentment toward them. It let out a strange, piercing screech and charged at them.

The last figure transformed into a fierce bear and lunged at Lynn.

Lynn took a step back, and dozens of Magic Missiles materialized around him. They clashed with the incoming fireballs, causing violent explosions that echoed through the chamber. The rest of the Magic Missiles, hidden by the smoke, rushed towards the other two figures behind him.

"Minor - Magic Barrier."

Two wizards in black robes immediately cast protective spells. Several magical barriers formed in front of them. However, the remaining Magic Missiles were all enhanced, exploding in mid-air, with numerous drops of orange-yellow liquid raining down.

This was a high-level second-circle magic—High-Temperature Steam Kill.

The difference was that the interior of these Magic Missiles contained not chlorine but a more corrosive substance: aqua regia!

Numerous "raindrops" fell on their robes and exposed skin, but the long-deceased wizards were oblivious to the corrosive liquid eating away at their bodies, revealing stark white bones underneath. As they moved, they looked like a puddle of mud collapsing to the ground.

At the same time, the ferocious bear had reached Lynn's front. Its sharp claws swiped viciously at his face. Another step closer, and it would have torn off his head!

Lynn took another step back, narrowly avoiding the attack. His right hand had already gripped the short sword concealed in his sleeve.

Cellular Transmutation.

Lynn used the techniques of the Transmutation school for the first time. A surge of magical power entered his right arm. Just as the bear's attack was about to conclude, the sharp blade was drawn from its sheath, slicing through its massive neck, nearly severing half its head.

Blood sprayed, staining the ground red. The bear let out a final roar before its colossal body crashed to the ground.

Lynn's right hand trembled, and the short burst of magical power took a toll on his body. Though it granted him extraordinary strength for a short time, it was also a considerable strain on his body.

However, a quick victory was the only choice because five coffins had been opened.

In light of Lynn's formidable melee capabilities displayed earlier, none of the adversaries opted for close combat this time. Instead, they all unleashed their sorcery.

Faced with several attackers, Lynn's response was to create more and stronger white phosphorus flames.

In this moment, most of the magical power within him was depleted, and the energy reserves in his intellect decreased by five percent. He then condensed the surging inferno into a magical arm, encompassing all the explosive spells, ice arrows, and even the rows of coffins behind him.

With this one strike, a large part of the chamber turned into a sea of flames.

Lynn didn't intend to engage in an endless back-and-forth. Before the remaining coffins could open, several white phosphorus fireballs reappeared in the void and shot in all directions, ready to obliterate all the coffins around him.

Invisible magical barriers rose from all sides, blocking some of the incoming fireballs.

Lynn also noticed that the unoccupied experiment table had erected a sturdy barrier.

It was a third-circle protective spell - Magic Ward!

Prioritizing the protection of this particular area made Lynn wonder if there was something crucial here. Vague thoughts about previous experiments surfaced in his mind.

"What kind of fire is this?" At the same time, Ladek's voice echoed once more, but this time, it no longer held anger, rather a tinge of panic.

Most of the fireballs were blocked by the magical barriers, but the flames did not extinguish. They adhered to the barriers, even showing signs of expansion.

The remaining coffins in the chamber finally ceased to open. Ladek concentrated all his power in one place. The enormous silver statue erected in the chamber, an impervious golem, began moving. It swung a long sword and a massive shield towards Lynn.

Faced with such a colossal adversary, Lynn knew that both flames and ice were unlikely to be effective. His response remained the same: Magic Barrage.

Dozens of Magic Missiles rained down like a deluge of arrows, continuously striking the golem's body, but it was like waves breaking against a rocky shore, unable to make even the slightest dent.

Just as the golem's sword descended, Lynn's finger moved slightly, altering the trajectory of one Magic Missile. It accurately pierced through the void left by the incineration caused by white phosphorus fire, heading directly for the palm-sized azure gem above the experiment table.

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