Upon stepping through the portal of space, the skeletal figure of the Bone appeared just outside Green City in an instant.
"Viscount Bernard, you are truly audacious," he remarked, a hint of morbid amusement lacing his words. "I never imagined you would dare to covet extraordinary power. Your boldness astounds me. I sincerely hope you can escape the pursuit of those extraordinary beings."
The Bone's tone, despite being addressed through the blocking gun, held no trace of resentment. Instead, he spoke as though he harbored a hidden sense of schadenfreude.
When the aura of Viscount Bernard manifested within the City Lord's Manor, the Bone, as an undead entity with countless years of existence, instantly comprehended the underlying motives at play. He had long since grown familiar with such conspiracies and machinations.
Initially, he sensed a sense of unease regarding this operation. His calculations had led him to believe that Viscount Bernard might harbor ulterior motives. However, he could never have anticipated that the Viscount would be so brazen as to launch an attack on the City Lord's Manor with the intent of plundering the extraordinary treasures held within.
"The Dark Covenant shall be no more, beginning today," the Bone proclaimed, his voice carrying a hint of regret.
With the offense against the extraordinary beings, the Dark Covenant had lost its foothold for survival within Green City.
"It is indeed dull to lose such a plaything. I have heard tales of the royal capital of the Nolan Empire being rife with clandestine forces. Perhaps I shall venture there and explore those depths."
The Bone, an undead mage with an endless lifespan, found solace in joining various dark factions. Unfortunately, fate seemed to conspire against him, as the organizations he affiliated himself with rarely outlived his own enduring existence. Thus, he had witnessed the demise of countless underground forces.
Yet, this did not dampen his spirit. It appeared that only among humans could he truly perceive the meaning of life. His existence had stretched on for far too long, rendering time itself devoid of significance.
"Your Excellency Bone, I implore you to stay. I believe the Dark Covenant need not meet its end."
Just as the Bone prepared to depart, a voice from below interrupted his movements. He turned his head slightly to behold a tall, strikingly handsome figure emerging from the woods, his voice resonating with authority.
His elegant aristocratic demeanor shone like a radiant moon amidst the darkness, leaving all who beheld him in awe.
"Are you the vampire servant accompanying Amy?" the Bone inquired, his eyes glinting as he recognized the figure. His tone carried a hint of distaste.
"A level beta minus vampire? Who bestowed upon you the audacity to address the great Bone in such a manner? Are you unaware that the esteemed Lord Bone holds the position of Vice President within the Dark Covenant, a rank superior to that of your mistress, Amy? Lowly servant, fall to your knees and beg for mercy from the great Lord Bone. Should you fail to comply, I shall not hesitate to grind your skull into dust and utilize it as alchemical material."
Before Morgen could utter a single word, his countenance contorted in disbelief. "Can you not allow me to speak?" he protested.
"Well then, insignificant vampire, it is far too late for pleas. I shall bestow upon you a lesson in respecting the great Lord Bone."
"You..."
"Cease your pitiful attempts at begging. I shall grant you death and oblivion."
Morgen, unable to bear the sight of the Bone hovering mid-air, turned his gaze away.
"Are you prepared? Execute the plan!!"
The Bone was momentarily stunned. Before he could react, a figure on the ground suddenly propelled itself skyward with incredible speed, reaching a velocity of 100 meters per second.
Instinctively, he attempted to employ space magic, but the surrounding space instantaneously solidified, entrapping him.
The Bone's position was a mere 100 meters away, and the figure covered that distance in a single second. Only then did he clearly discern the attacker - a woman clad in a miniskirt and a provocative top, her eyes ablaze with ferocity.
Mage shield, mage shield.
Despite being only at level beta minus, the Bone possessed the unique talent of a caster who could wield level beta magic - dual casting. He swiftly conjured two shields to protect himself.
But alas, it was too late.
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Betty, at level beta plus, wielded a faintly shimmering giant sword that proved an insurmountable obstacle for the level beta minus Bone.
With a resounding clash, the two-layered mage shield shattered like fragile glass. The giant sword's edge swiveled slightly, and Betty struck the Bone's body with her weapon, sending him hurtling through the air like a baseball. His cloaked form plummeted wildly from the sky.
At that moment, another burly figure soared into the sky.
Son of the North, Grot.
With powerful bat wings propelling him, the muscular warrior intercepted the falling Bone at the apex of his descent. The massive sword in Grot's grasp collided with the Bone's waist, propelling him upward once more, as if he were a home run.
Betty's figure, having just descended, happened to encounter the ascending Bone. A flicker of wildness ignited in her eyes as she brought her sword down once again.
The Bone's lifeless body, akin to a baseball, was effortlessly struck back and forth between Grot and Betty with their massive swords, each hit occurring within mere seconds.
Finally, the game concluded as Betty descended from the sky.
The Bone plummeted at an alarming rate, the wind causing his wide black cloak to billow wildly.
From hundreds of meters away, Morgen could hear the thunderous sound of the Bone's final impact with the ground.
Meanwhile, Amy, who had concealed herself within the shadows, materialized beside Morgen within two seconds of the Bone's downfall.
With her anti-magic stone shackles firmly clasped in her hands, Amy swiftly shackled the Bone, thereby dispersing the magic surrounding him. Her hands moved with practiced precision as she swiftly stripped the Bone of all his possessions, leaving him completely devoid of any belongings.
When Morgen approached Amy, he finally laid eyes upon the true form of the undead mage.
Bone, the genuine bone.
There, upon the grass, lay a conspicuous skeleton composed entirely of white bones. Within the skull, a blue soul fire flickered erratically, seemingly affected by the excessive trauma. The soul fire fluctuated wildly, as if on the verge of extinguishing.
Betty and Grot, the tacit Northmen warriors, also joined Morgen's side, their gazes filled with curiosity as they observed the undead mage on the ground. It was their first encounter with such a being.
"Legend holds that undead mages originate from corpses, and as long as the fire of their souls remains unextinguished, they shall never truly perish," Amy remarked, a hint of emotion coloring her voice. "These creatures have no concept of time. Bone existed long before I joined the Dark Covenant. No one knows the extent of his existence."
Morgen stroked his chin thoughtfully. The life of a level beta minus undead, coupled with the possession of a bone dragon, undoubtedly represented a trove of valuable loot. However, an undead mage was not human, and thus, Morgen could not transform him into a member of the blood clan. Therefore, the pressing question at hand was how to deal with this peculiar entity.
"Emmy, do you possess knowledge regarding the handling of necromancers? Or, is there a method to control them?"
Amy pondered for a moment before offering a wry smile.
"Ancestor, undead mages are enigmatic creatures. No one truly understands the secrets concealed within the fire of their souls. Consequently, conventional methods of control, such as soul contracts, are rendered ineffective against them, as they possess the ability to relinquish portions of their divided soul fire at will."
Morgen glanced at the two Northmen soldiers. Betty shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of helplessness, indicating her prowess in combat but her lack of expertise in controlling undead mages. Grot, the former Son of the North, likewise shook his head, signaling his unfamiliarity with such matters.
"Is there a way to obtain his bone dragon?"
The fate of the Bone mattered little to Morgen. His eyes, however, glistened with avarice as he contemplated the formidable bone dragon, the true treasure he sought.
A level beta minus necromancer could engage in combat with five level beta top-tier combatants, solely due to the might of his bone dragon.
"Foolish vampire, it is a futile endeavor to covet my precious creation," the restrained Bone suddenly spoke.
Morgen turned his attention to the Bone curiously. The white bones of his jaw moved, producing a peculiar sound that seemed to originate from the direct vibration of air, rather than the vocal cords used by humans.
"Oh," Morgen replied inquisitively, genuinely perplexed about the proper course of action.
At that moment, the Bone lay firmly trapped by the chains crafted from anti-magic stones, unable to mobilize any magic whatsoever.
The Bone's skull swiveled, and a faint blue light flickered within his empty eye sockets. Morgen's lack of inquiry appeared to irk him.
"Ignorant vampire, my precious creation is fused with the fire of my soul. As long as I perish, you shall never obtain the mighty bone dragon!!"
"Oh," Morgen responded indifferently, seemingly accepting the Bone's assertion.
The soul fire within the Bone's skull fluctuated wildly, causing Amy to wonder if the skull might ignite in flames.
"Take him to the City of Dawn and lock him up. It might be beneficial to display him in the square for all residents to witness the root of our existence. Perhaps the townsfolk will find this tiny skeleton entertaining," Morgen instructed, refraining from uttering any foolish words about coercing the Bone to surrender his bone dragon. Threatening the life of an undead creature was undoubtedly a reckless act, as such beings held no regard for death after enduring countless years of existence.
Even within the life philosophy of the undead, the concept of death held no significance, serving merely as a state of slumber.
Truly, they were strange creatures, no longer resembling life as most knew it.
Therefore, Morgen preferred to task his mages with studying methods to forcibly extract the Bone dragon from the undead mage, rather than resorting to threats.
The Bone's fury erupted upon hearing these words.
"Damned vampire, I am a mighty necromancer, not a tiny skeleton, no!!"
"The great Bone shall bestow upon you a taste of being incinerated by dragon's breath, I swear..."
Morgen refrained from engaging in a meaningless verbal duel with the volatile necromancer. While he had captured the Bone, he still needed to devise a strategy to transform this entity into a valuable asset for the City of Breaking Dawn.
"Amy, once the Dawn Mage Tower is constructed, establish a research branch dedicated to undead magic. I desire a thorough understanding of these undead creatures."
With that, he cast a glance at the Bone, who continued to rant and rave. "As for this fellow, let us display him in the Dawn Square until our studies commence. The residents should witness the life of the undead."
It was truly frustrating to capture prey yet lack the knowledge to utilize it effectively.