Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 199 Lich Skull
Servo skull?

The lich Kangus reacted quickly, immediately saying, "Your Majesty intends to disguise my skull as a wonder of the Mechanicus?"

"can."

As soon as it finished speaking, it removed its skull and respectfully presented it to Duncan. The lich's existence is very special; even without a skull, it can still control its headless corpse, and even if its body is completely destroyed, it doesn't matter, since it still has a hidden phylactery.

This is a human skull with a smooth, standard outer shell.

Duncan reached out and took it, stroking it in his palm as if Illidan, the Demon Hunter, were holding the Skull of Gul'dan. He thought for a moment and said, "The servo skull needs to be drilled to modify and implant some mechanical devices."

"You have no objection?"

The lich Kangus shook his head, only his cervical vertebrae moving, because his skull was in Duncan's hands, and replied, "Your Majesty. I only need to store a portion of my soul in my skull."

"As long as the life box is still there, the body is just a tool."

That's it.

By disguising himself as a mechanical skull with a lich's head and then finding a way to activate a bit of the mechanical soul, it's unlikely that anyone would discover Kangus's lich identity unless he encountered an angel of insight descending into reality.

With this powerful enforcer around, Duncan can do anything much more easily.

In the future, the servo skull could even be directly modified onto his shoulder armor, making it a piece of equipment for Duncan and even less likely to be detected.

From beginning to end.

Duncan didn't even ask the lich Congus where its life box was!
Even if you ask it, it might not hand it over. Moreover, truly powerful beings don't care whether a lich has a life box or not, because even with a life box, it can still die.

At this point, Duncan was the only one left in the entire excavation camp.

From the lich Kangus, Duncan learned many secrets about this underground ruin, which had actually been buried and abandoned for thousands of years. When it first came here, it was also looking for the Soul Forge of the Dwarfs' legend, but it found no clues. In the end, because of the presence of ley line energy here, it decided to hibernate here for a period of time.

They continued until the sleeping Kangus was awakened.

In addition, the dwarven underground ruins do indeed contain many valuable items, including a vast amount of gold and silver treasures, as well as relics from the mythological era.

But none of this held much appeal for the lich Kangus.

It has been dead for so many years.

Nowadays, only things related to the soul have any value to it.

"His Majesty."

At this point, the lich Kangus had abandoned its original body; only its skull remained, hanging on Duncan's right shoulder and connected to a servo-driven mechanical arm. The mechanical arm used by the Cult of Machines resembled Doctor Octopus's mechanical tentacles, linked via mechanical neural bundles, and was quite flexible in use.

This lich concealed its soul fire and looked like an ordinary skull, at most with a smooth surface, as if it had been polished. It respectfully said, "This is the temple area."

"They are worshipping the six gods of the dwarves."

"There is a passage past the collapsed area on the right that leads to the forging area of ​​the dwarven ruins, where there are many wonders from the mythical era."

"The place where those mortals just died is one of the dwarves' treasure troves."

"But it's already cursed."

With the lich Kangus as his guide, Duncan marked most of the ancient ruins in front of him.

However, he didn't rush to dig. Instead, he took out an electric drill and started drilling holes in the lich's skull. Since it was a servo skull of the Cult of Mechanics, it naturally needed some mechanical modifications to make it look more authentic.

Duncan drilled a hole on the right side of the lich's skull, then implanted a signal receiver through a robotic arm, followed by linking a processor inscribed with mechanical prayers. In the future, an image recorder will be implanted in the eye socket, a projector will be placed in the right eye, a powerful light can be considered on the forehead, and a speaker will be embedded below the mouth.

If combat assistance is needed, a mechanical arm can be added to the area connecting the cervical vertebrae, along with some light weapons.

The crucial anti-gravity engine is missing here.

In the mystical age, wizards typically used anti-gravity runes, which the Mechanicus improved upon, transforming them into a mass-produced turbine engine.

In the end, it took Duncan a whole day to drill all five holes in the lich's skull.

To make it look more like a Machinarium style, Duncan attached a mechanical tube to the lich's skull, extending it all the way down to the frontal bone, and then welded a gear emblem onto its forehead, so that no one could tell there was anything wrong with it.

As for the soul of machines, Duncan discovered that the machines in this world all have souls, or rather, they possess a kind of spirituality.

In an Eastern way of speaking, even a stone can become a spirit or a demon, possessing spirituality. So why can't a piece of metal, a piece of steel, or a machine possess spirituality and a soul?

They've all been enlightened and become spirits!
The so-called "soul of a machine" is actually the spirituality of a machine, especially those weapons that have followed their masters in battles, which are more likely to develop a trace of spirituality.

There are many mechanical marvels in this world that need to be bound to a master.

The process is about taming the soul of the machine.

After Duncan inscribed the mechanical incantation, a faint mechanical spirituality also emerged within the lich's skull. Then, that wisp of spirituality began to tremble, because the lich's soul was simply too powerful for it.

"Don't scare it."

Duncan stroked the skull in his hand, soldered the last bit of the mechanical emblem's border, and whispered, "I'll tame it."

"Even though you have the disguise of a mechanical soul, don't expose yourself too easily."

"Without my summons, just consider yourself an ordinary servo skull."

The lich Kangus's voice, transmitted directly through the mind link, respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

This is just an external body of its.

The lich's soul resides in the casket. If the body is destroyed, it can be resurrected through the casket and then rebuilt using bones.

"Everyone is dead."

"It won't be easy to explain when they come back."

Duncan's mechanical monk attire had been redesigned, with a mechanical pipe extending from his right shoulder, directly connecting to the lich's skull. When activated, the skull even emitted a faint blue light.

Several days passed quickly.

The first person to return with people was surprisingly Bert, a member of the Secret Society. When he saw the extra Servant skull on Duncan's shoulder, he looked extremely disappointed.

Because Duncan is starting to look more and more like a mechanical monk.

He still hoped Duncan would join the cult. The next morning, Tasia also secretly returned with a group of people.

—Mechanical Tribunal Priest (3-star silver-gray).

Duncan spotted a cold-looking man with a completely mechanized right arm in the crowd. Among a bunch of 'Rebel' markings, the markings of this mechanical Inquisition priest were far too conspicuous.

"Did members of the Cult of Machines infiltrate the resistance?"

"Infernal Affairs?"

After learning of the deaths of the others, Tasia couldn't help but take a deep look at Duncan. Accompanying her was a high-ranking rebel leader named Diamond, who stared at Duncan with his gaze fixed on the servo skull on his shoulder, his expression full of distrust.

"The rebels don't seem to have much strength!"

In this team, the mechanical tribunal priest was actually one of the high-ranking members, even higher than Tasia's.

Diamond took command of the entire excavation camp as soon as he arrived.

He even sent people to secretly monitor Duncan's presence.

This is starting to look like they're abandoning their benefactors after they've served their purpose!

Tasia seemed to have noticed this as well, and looked at Duncan with a hint of guilt. She went into the tent and seemed to have had an argument with Diamond. Not long after, she came out angrily and was immediately relieved of her duties.

This woman with the oily engine is an apostate, and she is not fully trusted by the rebel leadership.

"His Majesty."

"These people seem to be rebels!..."

At that moment, the lich Kangus whispered in his mind: "Among them, there is another member of the Inquisition of the Cult of Mechanism."

Kangus possessed a sliver of insight into the soul.

It wasn't surprising that he could spot the members of the Mechanicus. Duncan remained calm and slowly said, "I know."

The lich Kangus asked cautiously, "Should I dispose of him secretly?"

With the strength of a six-star silver-gray lich, it wouldn't be difficult to kill a mechanical priest silently.

Duncan rejected the idea, saying, "No need."

"Since the Cult of Machines has already followed us here, then this place has undoubtedly been exposed."

The resistance was utterly ineffective.

Duncan already had other ideas. He was originally a member of the Cult of the Machines, and if this ancient ruin had been exposed, he would naturally want to distance himself from it first.

At this moment, the lich Kangus continued, "Your Majesty."

"I am skilled in control-type spells."

"Although the mechanical monk in the Inquisition is protected by a mechanized mind, I still have a chance to control him if I use advanced suggestion and spells to control humans."

Huh?
Do you still have this ability?
Upon hearing this, Duncan seemed to ponder for a moment, then slowly asked, "How confident are you?"

The lich Kangus said, "At least ninety percent."

“If he has completely turned into a mechanical construct, it will be a little troublesome, since I am not good at controlling constructs.”

"But as long as his brain is still human biomass."

"Then I can penetrate his spell resistance."

Ninety percent certainty?

This lich is quite humble.

Duncan already had a general idea in mind, and slowly said, "Then follow my orders."

The first step is to clear your name.

Duncan glanced at the rebel members who were secretly monitoring him from behind, and then quietly approached the Inquisition monk. The monk noticed the Servant Skull on Duncan's shoulder and looked slightly surprised.

"Master Qiao sends his greetings."

Duncan's voice was barely audible, but the Inquisition monk clearly heard it.

He glanced at the person secretly watching him, then left without making a sound.

Duncan waited for a while.

He also seized an opportunity to go to a secluded corner of the camp, where it was dark all around, and the two rebels who were watching him immediately followed.

Click!

A mechanical arm emerged from the darkness and snapped one of the men's necks. Duncan retaliated instantly, smashing the other man's head with a hammer.

really.

The Inquisition monk followed.

He held a modified gun, aimed it at Duncan's head, and said coldly, "Why are you with the rebels?"

"Whom do you take orders from? Master Joe? Or the bishop of District F46?"

But that's it.

Suddenly, a deep, dark light burst forth from the hollow mechanical skull on Duncan's right shoulder. The next second, the expression of the Inquisition monk in front of him gradually became blank, as if his mind had been completely controlled.

"His Majesty."

The lich Kangus said humbly, "Your lowly servant has carried out your command."

“You can make him do anything now.”

………………

(End of this chapter)