"Lich? With a soul or without?" exclaimed Horkim, his eyes full of astonishment, recalling that creating a lich for a necromancer was quite a complex art. Especially if the lich was devoid of a soul, which served as a catalyst, facilitating the creation process.

"Of course, with a soul. But purified!" decisively responded Vallynor, pulling out a small sphere with a soul from the folds of his clothing.

"Purified? That's quite ambitious, it seems?"

"Yes. I am close to being able to create liches without souls. But for now, my creations possess this nobility," said Vallynor enthusiastically, noticing the bones in the old lady's treasure trove. He extracted several of them, as well as some rare resources such as mithril and orichalcum. The magical stone, which would serve as a phylactery for the soul, also did not go unnoticed.

Vallynor began the process of creating the Lich, using bones and the soul as a catalyst. Lessons in necromancy resurfaced in his memory, where he was thoroughly briefed on the difference between creating undead with a soul and without. It turned out that creating undead with a soul was easier because the soul acted as a catalyst, simplifying calculations. It served as a processor, taking on part of the creator's workload. Additionally, the soul served as a buffer, preserving the undead from destruction, as it could independently gather energy. This, in turn, saved the necromancer's strength. But there was a downside – consciousness. Some necromancers, forgetting to cleanse the soul's memory, creating undead with a soul, could encounter the problem of uprising and the killing of their master.

Creating undead without a soul is more difficult, especially if you want it to be powerful. Nevertheless, even in this case, it is destined to be a temporary creature, existing only until its creator or someone else fills it with energy. There are methods that allow undead to replenish themselves, for example, through the absorption of living beings, causing them suffering and cries of pain. Their grievances, hatred, and fear pollute the mana, nourishing the undead.

Almost completing the creation of the Lich, Vallynor smiled, remembering how he managed to create undead without souls. As it turned out, this was possible because of their weakness and temporariness, created using runes. They were the works of fanatic blacksmiths, striving to create their own undead – cheap imitations of true necromancy.

Only after some time did Vallynor realize what true necromancy entailed. It was a love for the magic, born in the first world, diminished but never disappearing. Bones gathered, taking the shape of a human, a hand enveloped in blue necrotic energy raised upwards, followed by the bone body itself, floating. The naked bone body glowed with a blue hue, surrounded by necrotic energy. Then all fell silent, and in its place came a robe, shrouded in a black-and-blue aura.

The newborn Lich looked around, observing other undead going about their tasks, collecting coins or sorting ore. A dwarf with an open mouth stared at the process of creating the Lich, then glanced at his creator. Seeing Vallynor, the Lich was engulfed by an indistinct feeling – fear. Could undead feel fear? Before his eyes was a creature, half alive, half dead, cloaked in a black aura like a protective garment. He felt that if he were to ever attack his creator, this aura would thwart all his attempts.

The Lich immediately knelt before his master and creator, seeking to express his loyalty. However, opening his jaw, he couldn't utter a word. His thoughts became a jumble, and he felt lost.

Vallynor, in turn, rejoiced at the successful creation of the Lich using the Duke of Graves' method, using the soul as a catalyst. For the first time, he had succeeded in creating a Lich using a soul, and it was a remarkable success. In this method, the Lich's phylactery became its very body. Liches were physically weak, but if their bones were reinforced with mithril and orichalcum, they became strong, nourished by mana. The main weakness became the phylactery if separated. But this method solved that problem, turning the magical stone into dust and merging it with the bones.

"Marvelous!" exclaimed Vallynor, gazing at his first sentient Lich, which, like a delicate thread connecting it to him, vaguely felt admiration for its creator.

"My first command: go and destroy everything hidden in the traps. My servants have already begun this task, and it's up to you to verify everything. Go!"

Seeing the Lich bow and head inside the box, Vallynor was impressed by the undead's resourcefulness. At that moment, he pondered whether he had made a mistake using a weak soul. Perhaps he should have used a more powerful one right away. But if he had used a stronger soul, he couldn't be sure of success, as the process becomes more complicated.

"You've become quite the necromancer in just two weeks, managing to create your own Lich. This is a great achievement. I never thought that someone would actually set traps in these boxes. Maybe it's not even worth hoping to find something valuable there anymore," chuckled Horkim, as if on the verge of tears.

"You mean bottles of alcohol?" asked Vallynor, expecting a positive response.

"Of course, I mean booze! What did you think?" retorted Horkim angrily to Vallynor's question.

"Let's go in," said Vallynor, heading straight into the box.

Vallynor didn't know what was inside the box because he hadn't yet mastered enough power and skill to see through the eyes and hear through the ears of his servants. He could only roughly understand where he was and what his servants were feeling. And also send and receive messages from his servants. Although, apart from a few words, they couldn't say anything. Hopefully, at least the Lich would be better.

Upon entering, he saw a huge room with shelves, almost empty, with occasional small bottles visible, housed in glass boxes.

"Potions?" asked Horkim with disgust, realizing he wouldn't find booze here. Damn.

"So, they're all potions? Strange. Why couldn't I understand that these were potions?"

"Because such potions have long been used up and essentially depleted. And in alchemy classes, they couldn't show you a sample. They only talked about them. These are high-grade potions, otherwise known as legendary or world-class. You should know more about this, so I won't delve into details."

"Ah, I see! That's why I didn't immediately realize they were potions!" Taking the potion box in hand, Vallynor examined it briefly before stowing it in his inventory.

Approaching Vallynor, the Lich bowed before him, then gestured with a hand towards the depths of the room. Understanding that the Lich wanted to lead him there, Vallynor nodded and proceeded deeper into the chamber. Along the way, he encountered many empty broken bottles, both shattered and intact but empty. He collected these vessels because he considered them rare and valuable, especially if they contained high-grade potions. Sometimes he was lucky enough to find whole and untouched potions in the boxes.

Horkim silently mourned his tragedy, finding bottles of wine and other beverages on the floor. One could even see spilled liquid of various colors. Vallynor couldn't determine whether they were potions or alcoholic beverages spilled on the floor.

Entering deeper into the room, Vallynor and Horkim saw tunnels. Horkim quickly calmed down and stared at the tunnel with a serious look.

"Forceful space expansion," said Horkim, approaching the entrance and feeling it with his hands.

"I've heard briefly about it from Caesar, but it's not dangerous for the space tool itself, like this box."

"Very dangerous. That's why I'm surprised it's still holding up. Are your servants inside?"

"Yes, they're waiting inside now."

"So, the space inside is relatively stable. I wonder who needed to create such a space and for what purpose."

Vallynor nodded and, entering together with Horkim, followed him inside. The Lich followed behind them, slightly lowering its head. Inside, Vallynor saw half of his servants, some of whom were wounded or had lost limbs.

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This moment didn't particularly bother him. All these undead creatures seemed weak and temporary to him. However, what was inside caught his attention. The space turned out to be vast, exceeding even the dimensions of the box room. It was filled with bodies hanging on chains.

"Dragon corpses?... So, this is where many of them disappeared," exclaimed Horkim in astonishment, gazing at the countless corpses, most of which were once dragons.

Vallynor looked around grimly, not understanding what was happening here. What scene was unfolding before his eyes? However, recalling fragments of memories from Ego, the son of the Queen of the Forest, it wasn't difficult for him to surmise that all these corpses were the result of his activities.

While Horkim looked around sadly, pausing to glance at a few corpses, Vallynor pondered with sparkling eyes the possibility of turning these corpses into undead. But not now; now, it could only spoil good material.

Vallynor began to slowly transform into a true necromancer, not only in his abilities but also in his thinking. Before, he even liked necromancy, honestly admitting that he didn't like to touch dead bodies. He didn't even want to touch the bodies of his own relatives. But now he could touch even a rotten corpse with his hand without feeling disgust. On the contrary, he enjoyed seeing bodies, imagining what could be done with them, dreaming of creating his own kind of undead, like all necromancers.

"Let's go back," said Horkim, turning sadly and leaving. Seeing him leave, Vallynor followed him. The Lich followed behind them along with the undead.

Exiting the box, Horkim closed it and handed it to Vallynor, saying:

"Take it. I know how valuable corpses can be for a necromancer. Especially dragon corpses. Even losing most of their energy, they are still very valuable for necromancers like you."

"Alright, then shall we continue?" Vallynor asked, seeing a slightly sad expression on Horkim's face.

"Yes, let's continue," he replied with a smile that was not joyful.

After they left the box, Vallynor and Horkim continued sorting. The Lich didn't stop begging his master. In response, Horkim instructed him to take care of the corpses, giving him a pouch of coins and ordering him to collect coins found in armor and clothing, even in book pages ignored by the undead.

"Vallynor, deal with the dragon eggshells. They are very rare and valuable in alchemy and blacksmithing. Better hide them in a safe place... What's this?" Horkim, sorting weapons and armor into categories, found numerous eggshells. When he found something special, he stopped.

"What's wrong?" asked Vallynor, leaving the armor, which he would never wear, in the recycling ring.

Approaching him, Horkim raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What is this? How could you miss it?" he asked, almost shouting.

"What are you talking about? When I collected the items, I didn't check each one," replied Vallynor, approaching him. Horkim's gaze made Vallynor notice the same thing as his companion. In the pile of shells, he saw a whole dragon egg. However, the necromancer's senses told him that the egg was dead. And the fact that it was in the ring confirmed this fact.

"You must keep this egg secret and not tell anyone. It shouldn't get into the city. Even if the soul that died unborn is pitiful. The egg, even after losing its value due to death, remains valuable. Hide it and don't tell anyone. For this, I'll take a bottle of vodka," Horkim suggested.

"Clever! I accept your offer," replied Vallynor and instantly sent the egg to his inner dimension, obtained from the soul of the Queen of the Forest, just like the box.

Horkim quickly grabbed a bottle of the largest and most expensive vodka. Then he promptly helped to sort out all the items. Eventually, approaching Vallynor, he handed him two thick business cards and said:

"Here, take these. These are business cards of trading houses not registered to anyone. They also include a tariff for concealing personal data. One is mine, and I found the other next to one of the bottles. They are useless to me."

"How do you use them?" Vallynor took both business cards in his hands and examined them, trying to figure out how to use them.

"The mechanism is very simple. You'll figure it out yourself... Now it's time for you to leave. And I'll check these exquisite drinks."

"Alright. Then until... the day after tomorrow," Vallynor, before leaving, hid his undead inside his possession and finally the Lich himself. The Lich, in turn, bowed his head before him.

Horkim saw Vallynor leave and hurried to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he rummaged through its contents. Opening the secret compartment where the spatial ring was stored, Horkim moved all the alcohol, leaving only three bottles, and pulled out some exquisite snacks. Then he hid the ring back. Taking the bottles, he placed them in another ring and headed home to his friend and his woman, who was free today and indulging in some small pleasures.

***

After changing clothes, Vallynor entered the library where Caesar awaited him. Vallynor's gaze became curious, as usually Caesar was writing something, sitting at the table. This time he was just sitting and drinking tea.

"Hello, Vallynor. Finished distributing the treasures from your mother? Don't look at me like that. I managed to create something that will help me and all of us, thanks to you."

"I see... How did you know about the treasure? Ah, right, you can see the future."

"You guessed quickly. That's good; a mage should think quickly. Before we begin the lesson, let me tell you: never retrieve the Queen of the Forest's egg until you become strong enough and it is needed. Understand?"

"Why?"

"The egg is dead, but the genes, resources, and energy inside are not fully destroyed yet. We have the creatures of this world's impurities to thank for that; they bring so many problems and troubles, but, as it turns out, they are the best insulators and can preserve things better than any magical artifacts. And the principle of its operation is simple and clear. You've already had several lessons with special types of bodies and their mutations that can be obtained at birth or created artificially."

"I understand. I promise not to touch it."

"Excellent. Now, sit down. I won't say we don't have classes tomorrow, because you already know that. So, let's begin the lesson. Today's topic is very useful for necromancers: how to summon the souls of the deceased if they end up in the river of rebirth. As I've explained in previous lessons, after death, the soul is reborn, purifying itself from everything. It starts a new life."

Caesar visualized with his power the moments of people's and other creatures' deaths, the lifting and disappearance of souls, and then their appearance in some river.

"Before the soul washes in the river of rebirth, it must spend some time in paradise or hell for its deeds. So, from there, you can summon them. However, some time passes, and the soul still rebirths. But when that happens, the sons forget about it."

Vallynor imagined this in his mind, nodding, understanding that the creator of the cycle rewards or punishes souls for their actions.

***

"Today we have a lesson on creating talismans. And it's in the Tower of Mages, right?"

"Yes, she spends a lot of time there. If you want to find your mentor on talismans, you should go there," confirmed Caesar, finishing the lesson and heading towards the exit.

***

Entering his room, Vallynor sighed with exhaustion. Mental exhaustion, of course, as being undead, he couldn't tire physically.

Recalling the lessons on creating seals and talismans, he realized how intricate and nuanced they were. He pondered on how much he surpassed those who studied in the university. Fortunately, he was no longer an ordinary person, but, let's say, not quite an ordinary undead. It was fortunate that the development of all three paths - body, mind, and soul - had made him stronger. Now, learning was easier for him, and remembering was easier than for an ordinary person.

And after the magic theory and the fight with Rick, six hours had passed, but not for Vallynor. With the time artifact capable of accelerating him fourfold, and, as it was heard, potentially fivefold improvement, time flowed differently.

Gathering his thoughts, Vallynor closed his eyes and teleported to the grimoire, where Duke Mogil and several other necromancers awaited him. These necromancers quickly surrounded the puzzled Vallynor and began to measure him, using various items for control. Duke Mogil, slightly amused by Vallynor's reaction, said:

"Don't worry. They're setting up a stage for you, where tomorrow you'll showcase your skills."

"So, tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow you'll show everything you're capable of. And you'll make those necromancers who just sit and don't want to teach you see what stuff you're made of."

"Alright. So, what are we doing today?"

"You'll be preparing for tomorrow, so think carefully about what you want to show."

Vallynor nodded, then looked at the necromancers circling around him. Duke Mogil left Vallynor and ordered all necromancers to leave him alone. To let him prepare without any outside help, with Eksperavit growing into the role of an observer.

After the necromancers measured Vallynor and made all the necessary marks, everyone left, leaving him alone. Vallynor, summoning a chair, sat on it and contemplated his next steps. What to showcase tomorrow?

Vallynor, spending ten minutes in contemplation, stood up and summoned his sentient Lich. The Lich, looking around, felt the grace of the world in which his master summoned him. A world he could only dream of, being such an undead.

"Help me create undead. I need a strong one, but without a soul."

The Lich thought, raised his hand to his chin, and began to nod. Extending his hand forward, a bony staff emerged from the ground. Taking it in his hands, the Lich began to draw magical runes on the ground.

Vallynor joyfully remembered that through the bond with the master, the Lich could extract necessary knowledge from the sea of knowledge of his master. Essentially, everything Vallynor knew became known to the Lich.

After pulling out items and corpses, Vallynor prepared materials while the Lich drew magical runes on the ground.

After some time, Vallynor exited the grimoire world and began training, using new methods of development, mining, and for the expansion of the chamber.

Early in the morning, Vallynor sighed, preparing to go for training with Alexander. But remembering that today was his day off, he headed to the tower. Infusing his mana into the bracelet, he transformed it into a pan flute. Seating himself on a summoned chair, he began to play classical music. As he played, Vallynor tried to turn the classical song into a magical spell, invoking rain, lightning, wind, and so on. Transforming music into spells, he created magic in the sounds.

Many creatures came out to listen to Vallynor play. Others read books written by him. Sometimes Vallynor was inspired to think and develop his imagination, and he began writing novels. Many wanted him to publish various works from his world; sometimes he found himself in the library all night, transferring his memories from soul to paper.

Sitting on one of the benches was a man in a suit, holding a cane in one hand and a book about a lad battling madness in the other.