Over the past two years, Triss had spent every afternoon with Norton, probably spending more time with him than his own sister and mother. She prided herself on knowing Norton best but was astonished by his recent accomplishments. Her surprise echoed throughout the alchemical laboratories and the armory where other vampires—most educated in necromancy—learned of it. Many had dedicated their work lives to crafting tomb guardians, understanding the time required to master such skills. Yet, they’d never heard of anyone learning to craft a tomb guardian perfectly after just one demonstration.
What kind of genius must you be to achieve this? At first, the vampires couldn’t believe it, but the record crystals in each lab confirmed it wasn't a hoax. In celebration, the vampires lifted Norton high, tossing him into the air in cheer. They finally set him down reluctantly.
After the commotion, it was six o'clock. Triss's instruction time was over, and the vampires working there were done for the day. As they left Drakenhof Castle, they continued praising Norton, and Triss was escorted away by him.
After bidding farewell to Triss, Norton reviewed the day's gains. Despite some risk and revealing one of his trump cards, the results were favorable.
Having mastered the necromancy needed to make tomb guardians, Norton could now transform the thousands of high-quality skeletons he possessed into formidable combat forces. His assets had significantly increased, making him feel content. The joy lingered through dinner, as he grew increasingly excited, thinking:
"Hmm... if I use the 'Code of Knights,' I can transform them into Black Knights. Add the family's Blood Chalice to elevate them to Blood Knights, and I'll really be in business! Thousands of Blood Knights—a feat surpassing even Sylvannia's peak!"
Norton couldn't help but laugh at his thoughts.
"What are you laughing about so foolishly?"
Seeing Norton laugh, Juana couldn't help but remark.
"Oh, nothing, just remembering something funny," Norton replied, shifting his focus back to dinner.
After dinner, Norton didn’t head to the library or his study as usual. Instead, he returned to the alchemical lab, intending to practice and create more tomb guardians.
As he walked, he mused, "These days, geniuses like me, who are not only insanely talented but also diligent, seem rare. If I can't succeed, who will?" Continuing his soliloquy, Norton entered the dark basement, quickly activating his sorcery vision.
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The underground armory, bustling by day, was eerily quiet at night. Unfazed, Norton went straight to the lab he and Triss had used earlier, recalling the three skeletons left there: a dwarf and a greenskin orc among them, different from humanoid bones—perfect for broadened learning.
Triss hadn’t taught him dwarf and orc bone handling yet. Confident though he was, Norton didn’t expect instant success, so he decided to hone his skills on the human skeleton first. Familiarity with this would allow him to gradually work his way up to the dwarf, closer to human form, and finally the greenskin, resembling large beasts more.
Only a few hours since his first guardian work, Norton's proficiency had improved. In just under three hours, he completed another tomb guardian.
Watching its phosphorescent eyes ignite, it saluted him, filling Norton with pride. He commanded the new guardian to stand beside the guardians made with Triss earlier, then turned to study the dwarf’s skeleton.
Dwarves were called so not just for their short stature, usually around 1.2 to 1.3 meters tall, maybe 1.4 for a few. Despite their height, dwarves were robust, all muscle, with arms as thick as a human thigh and a waist like a barrel, resembling sturdy cylinders.
Their compact muscles granted dwarves seemingly endless strength. A dwarf child could rival a human adult. Ordinary dwarf soldiers outpowered trained human knights.
Older dwarves, some thousands of years old, with beards twice their height, could wrestle ogres or trolls without losing, like creatures themselves. Immortal beings like elves, vampires, and dragons, dwarves also lived indefinitely, growing stronger with age.
After death, their bones retained significant weight. In earlier lessons, Triss mentioned dwarven bones' high density, increasing with age. A vampire once killed a dwarf elder, over 6,000 years old, and the skeleton left behind was stronger than adamantine.
Before Norton was a typical dwarf warrior’s skeleton, aged 200-300, not as extreme but still more durable than granite. Picking up the dwarf's skull, two sizes larger than a human's, he marveled at its weight, akin to a hefty rock.
“Shame, dwarves are few, unable to ride horses, hence no knights to make undead knights,” Norton lamented, then set to study the remains.
A dwarf resembled a compressed human, and their bones reflected that. Thus, magical runes and arrays had to be stretched and flattened. Otherwise, handling them was similar to human bones. However, the armory didn’t produce matching armor or weapons for dwarf or orc bones, and Norton couldn’t make them himself, omitting this step.
Skipping this step, even without a reference, and on his first try, Norton completed the dwarf's tomb guardian in just two hours, satisfied with his work.
Once imbued with enough necromantic gray magic wind, a plump, amusingly squat tomb guardian emerged. Unlike normal tomb guardians, its comical appearance invited laughter, its stature glaringly mismatched in formation—a clear weak point.
Norton shook his head, knowing this dwarf guardian’s life would end by morning. After showing it to Triss, he’d dismantle it, grind it into bone powder, and reform it into standard bones. Despite differing dimensions, dwarven bone volume matched humans.
However, as Norton directed the dwarf guardian to stand by the wall, he noticed something amiss—three guardians were made, yet eight phosphorescent lights flickered by the wall!