Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Seeing that Lynn had subdued Cross, old Corey breathed a sigh of relief and began to urge everyone to drink.

Master Todd leaned over and whispered to Lynn if she was free recently, as he had a few new works he wanted Lynn to critique.

The deacon of the Soul-Binding Bell Tower also came over and said that next time there are good soul materials, Lynn should be the first one saved.

Lynn was very polite to these clients and had pleasant conversations with them.

Harold sat down next to Lynn and asked in a low voice, "Sir, what are your plans for the future? Will you stay at the academy or...?"

He always felt resentful that Lynn, such a talented person, couldn't stay at the academy to open a shop, feeling it was a huge waste.

Lynn shook her head: "I'll be going out again in a while."

"Where to?"

"It's not decided yet." Lynn picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

"The garrison missions take too long. I'm planning to take on a few more missions and travel around."

He didn't say much; after all, there were many people here, and some things didn't need to be said too explicitly.

Harold sighed and raised his glass to toast Lynn again.

Over the past decade, he has truly witnessed Lynn's abilities; it seems there is nothing in this world that can stump Lynn.

His old friends were all convinced, which built a strong reputation for Lynn, and his "business" got better and better.

The entire banquet lasted for more than an hourglass.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they gradually got up to say goodbye.

Klose was the first to walk up to Lynn, took out a recording crystal from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands.

"This is my communication frequency. Once the plan is finalized, contact me anytime. I mean the two thousand magic stones."

Lynn took it and nodded.

His original intention was to draw it on the spot after the drinking session, but Kroos thought his rune array was extremely complicated and difficult to draw in a short time.

Moreover, a drawing done in a short time can't compare to a drawing that has been carefully considered and perfected after going back.

Lynn gave up, deciding to wait until he finished drawing it before deciding.

Klose turned and left, but after a few steps he turned back and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to him.

Old Curry and Master Todd also came to say goodbye, both saying they would trouble Lynn again if they needed anything next time.

The deacon of the Soul-Binding Bell Tower walked at the back and whispered, "Sir, if you ever need soul materials in the future, please come to the shop anytime. The price is negotiable."

Lynn agreed, agreeing to feed the "substitute soul," which would inevitably require purchasing a large number of souls.

After the banquet, Harold escorted him to the manor gate, then suddenly lowered his voice:

"Sir, that Kross... is an old man from the Rune Workshop. He has a bit of a temper, but he keeps his word. Since he said he would add two thousand, he won't go back on his word."

Lynn waved his hand to indicate that it was alright.

Defaulting on a debt? Would a third-ring wizard default on a debt of two thousand magic stones?

Moreover, the people attending today's banquet are all "experts" from various fields. If he really reneges on his debt, his reputation will be ruined.

Harold personally saw Lynn to the door, with Thomas accompanying him, and then went to see off the other guests.

Thomas followed behind, carrying the food box containing several jugs of fine wines served at the banquet, a small token of Harold's appreciation.

The two remained silent the entire way, with Thomas appearing somewhat uneasy.

After walking some distance from the manor, Lynn spoke first.

"Thomas, that's enough for now. Go back and thank Harold for me."

Thomas was slightly taken aback, then quickly nodded, "You're too kind, sir! It's nothing! Please accept these wines."

Lynn accepted the food box without ceremony and turned to leave.

Thomas stared intently at Lynn's retreating figure until it disappeared, then sighed deeply and turned to leave as well.

...

Lynn pushed open the laboratory door, but it was still empty.

The Soul Furnace slowly rotated in the center of the room, with golden dragon souls churning within it, and the dragon-shaped phantom at the center becoming even more solid than in the morning.

With sufficient soul nurturing, the dragon soul will improve very quickly.

Lynn walked to the furnace, took out the pure soul he had just bought, and threw it into it.

The dragon soul absorbed the energy greedily, causing the soul mist to churn even more violently, and its body to become increasingly solid.

For the next few days, Lynn's life was simple and regular.

Every morning, he would first go to the Soul Forge to check the condition of the Dragon Soul.

The golden soul mist was several times denser than when it was first acquired, and the dragon-shaped phantom at the center could now be clearly distinguished by its scales, claws, and ferocious head.

It hovered in the center of the furnace, each tumble carrying a faint dragon's might.

On the third day, when the last bottle of pure souls was thrown into the furnace, the dragon soul began to churn violently.

Golden light illuminated the entire laboratory, and the dragon-shaped phantom roared silently as it roamed wildly within the furnace.

This madness is not a breakthrough, but a yearning.

A longing for more souls!

Lynn stared at it, his brows furrowed slightly.

not enough.

Almost there.

He calculated that, at the current pace, at least three more bottles of high-quality pure souls would be needed to complete the final sprint.

Without further hesitation, Lynn returned to the Soul-Binding Bell Tower and bought three more bottles, which he then threw into the Soul Furnace.

The golden soul mist instantly boiled.

The dragon-shaped phantom frantically absorbed the pure energy, its body solidifying, expanding, and transforming at a visible speed.

The temperature inside the furnace rose sharply, and the surrounding air began to distort.

Lynn took a step back and watched quietly.

This process lasted for a full two hourglasses.

When the light inside the furnace finally subsided, the golden soul mist had completely condensed.

A miniature dragon with golden scales swam in the furnace, each tail sway creating subtle ripples in the space.

It sensed Lynn's gaze, raised its head, and nodded at him.

Golden Dragon Soul, Level 6 (Beginner).

Become!

This was his first Nightmare-level undead, and also his last resort to save his life. Lynn directly absorbed it into his body and nurtured it.

Morpheus was the same before; his two main souls were also inside his body.

However, his main soul had a bad temper and would occasionally lash out, causing him great suffering.

After the dragon soul was formed, his magic stones were almost gone. Fortunately, there were still a few deals to be completed, so he could still make a small profit.

He drew out the rune array of Kross, creating a detailed blueprint, and repeatedly verified it using [Analysis] as he drew it.

Three days later, a complete alternative was released—a multi-layered nested structure, three layers of buffer runes, seven node adjustments, plus a list of materials and an operating guide.

He contacted Kross through the communication stone and sent the blueprints over.

Before a cup of tea had been brewed, Klose's reply arrived: "Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! I'll try it right away!"

Half a day later, Klose's second message arrived, his tone clearly excited:

"It works! It's stable! Lord Lynn, the two thousand magic stones will be delivered tomorrow!"

Lynn replied with "okay" and didn't continue the conversation.

At the same time, he also took advantage of the few days he had free time to deal with the questions and concerns of his old clients.

For each one solved, hundreds or thousands of magic stones would be earned.

After a few days, most of the expenses for advancing the Dragon Soul level have been recovered.