Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“My obsession, my desire, is for all the Andrei liches. Plague Doctor, I hope they can find what they want in the academy and enjoy their second life after death.”

"Emotions and desires are really important to us."

"This is why the Cup of Extravagance exists."

To Lyle's surprise, the Dean looked at him with a serious expression.

“I created the Cup of Extravagance, and I have been watching it closely.”

“So, I’m happy to approve your experimental application, Mr. Epidemic Doctor.” The Dean patted his head. “You old codger really likes to waste time. Look where I’ve gone off on a tangent. Now, I’ll start signing your project form immediately.”

"Please give me some time. Although these are all outdated terms and contracts, old things still have their value."

"During my writing, Mr. Epidemic Doctor, you are welcome to visit my exhibits around."

"Please do not touch them, some of them are dangerous. Damn it, I forgot to put up the warning signs again."

After saying that, the Dean began to write rustlingly, completely ignoring Lyle's presence. With nothing else to do, Lyle naturally accepted his suggestion and led the excited Nia to tour the exhibits on the Dean's side.

Most of the exhibits are the Dean's own enchanted works, some of which are glittering in appearance. The Dean had traveled extensively, so his works have a mixed style of multiple races.

A longsword with a blade shaped like a howling whirlwind, crackling with lightning that sparked in the air. But its rampage didn't last long; beside the wind sword, several suits of armor gleaming with light completely devoured the fleeing lightning.

Some objects that might be hailed as masterpieces elsewhere are as common as cabbages here. Lyle couldn't judge their quality and could only let the brilliance draw his gaze.

He was naturally drawn to the dazzling light.

It was a display case on the edge of the exhibition area, but the object itself was so radiant that it would become the focus of attention no matter where it was, and Lyle could even guess its name by chance.

"Seven-Colored... Space-Tearing Divine Light Staff."

Lyle remembered the story, the one about the gentleman's friend being sent into outer space; this must be the protagonist of that story. It was so dazzling, radiating light even through a black cloth.

“That was a failure, at least in my opinion.” The dean’s voice came over, as if he was still paying attention to this side. “Anything that gets hit by this stick will be randomly teleported to an unknown corner of this world.”

"It sounds somewhat useful; it can resolve conflicts." Of course, your enemy has disappeared out of your sight and may never return in their lifetime.

“But that’s not why I created it. This former Raymond Killer…”

"Raymond the Slayer?"

"Yes, this cane was created for only one purpose: to remove Raymond's protective light shell. So that my stick can hit him squarely on the head. That kid deserves to be taught a lesson long ago."

"Is it impossible for this weapon to do that?" It turned an Andrei into a global satellite.

"I went to Raymond the moment I created this weapon. When the seven-colored light came into contact with the holy light, it actually disappeared, because of the holy light. The holy light is a special kind of energy. The holy light has a certain repulsiveness, or rather, a dominating power. Strong holy light can dispel other forces that come near. I discovered this secret, but I haven't told that kid Raymond yet. The holy light will nullify other forces weaker than itself, and the stronger the holy light, the more obvious this power will be."

“However, Mr. Raymond is a level ten lock... which means... he can suppress all forces below his level... he, he can suppress all of Andrei’s men.”

The dean scoffed, "He already has it. If I tell him about this ability, he'll become even more unscrupulous in Andrei!"

Mr. Raymond worked hard to improve himself because he was worried about Andrei's other forces. As it turns out, those incredible powers of other groups might actually be... no match for him.

Chapter 300 Andrei - The Lich's Crown

Upon hearing such shocking news, Lyle felt... well, actually Lyle didn't feel anything, it was just the feeling of being the epitome of Andrei, and the real boss behind him.

On another note, those guys in the literary society who were always jumping around in front of death were also very strong.

The literary society is all about risking our lives; we're professionals at it.

Banishing the amusing thought from his mind, Lyle continued his museum tour.

The Dean must have been a very meticulous nobleman in his lifetime; the environment and layout here reveal the sophistication of an old aristocrat. Lyle even found a bottle of refined rose oil in the exhibition area, giving the place a faint fragrance, though the lich probably couldn't detect it.

The sesame oil block was an oval-shaped solid, like a golden egg. Nia was probably already drooling; she had absolutely no resistance to fragrant food.

"You can't eat that, Nia... Nia?"

Where did Nia run off to again?!

"Medusa, have you seen Nia?" A small pink paw emerged from Lyle's neck and pointed to a spot.

Lyle saw it; Nia was quite large now. Excluding her human-like upper limbs, her slender, grid-like tentacles, when fully extended, reached about four meters, spreading across the ground like a thick fungal carpet. This was what she looked like after completely emerging from Lyle's body.

Turning past the display case, Lyle saw Nia. She was completely sprawled on one of the cases, her active tentacles already taking root around her, as if she were building a nest there. The outstretched tentacles were licking the Dean's exhibit in the center like a puppy.

"Nia, what are you doing!"

“Nia likes this!” She made a small opening, revealing the jewel-encrusted crown behind her that shone brightly.

"Has this guy developed dragon syndrome?!" Lyle angrily walked up, ready to drag Nia down. This was someone else's office, the lich's treasure vault. Asking for this in front of someone's face in their own home—was he some kind of robber god?!

Medusa's voice whispered in Lyle's ear, "Lyle, that's..."

"That is?"

"nothing……"

Lyle seemed to suddenly realize something. "Oh right, the director said that the exhibits are dangerous and shouldn't be touched."

"Girl, let go of me right now!"

Lyle grabbed Nia's tentacles, trying to pull her off. He expected a tug-of-war, but Nia readily cooperated.

The flowing flesh and blood transformed into shadows, returning to his body, and finally, the crown fell into his own hands.

Damn, Nia pulled the crown off!

"Damn it, wouldn't that make me the one taking the crown?"

The crown in his hand was made of mithril and an unknown gemstone. It was a magical artifact, and the magic flowing from it had a strange attraction for Lyle.

But he didn't take it to heart.

"Put it back right now! This isn't something I can touch!"

"No need. Other things may not be suitable, but you can touch this, Mr. Plague Doctor."

The dean's voice suddenly came from behind. Lyle turned around and saw that he was already standing behind him with a written document, like a homeroom teacher making a surprise inspection during evening self-study. Lyle, on the other hand, had been caught using his phone.

"Huh? Can I... can I touch this?" Lyle subconsciously touched the exquisite surface of the crown, feeling the surging, cold magic.

"Of course, it's more accurate to say that it was only a matter of time before you touched this crown; you've just accelerated the process."

"Grandpa Dean, can I give this crown to Nia?" Nia shouted from behind Lyle, waving her tentacles.

Hey, you're pushing your luck!

The dean looked at Lyle calmly and said, "Sure, you can borrow it to help with your newly applied experimental project."

Lyle then realized, "Dean, you mean, this crown is exactly the prop I applied for in my experiment?"

"Yes, Doctor of Plague."

Does this crown have a name?

“Yes,” the Dean said contentedly, stroking his fake beard. “This is the Crown of Andrei the Lich, the crown of the Andrei Lich clan.”

Clan? Crown? Lyle's eyes widened, his hands feeling the heavy weight of the Lich Crown. "I remember, the Clan Crown was something like a power, an invisible form of energy."

It's only natural that the massive lich group of Andrei has its own crown, but is Andrei's crown a physical entity, or is it just a name for the same thing?

The dean seemed very pleased with Lyle's surprise.

"Mr. Plague Doctor, I am an enchanter. I can give things value beyond imagination, so why can't I materialize intangible power and authority into an object?"

The Dean turned the clan crown into a prop.

Lyle stared blankly at the crown in his hand. In his eyes, it suddenly became incredibly attractive, making him the king of Andrei...

"Dean, what is the power of the crown?"

"What do you think the power of the Crown is? What is a king? A king is a ruler, a supreme master. Wear it, and you can control everything in Andre. What are you still hesitating for, Plague Doctor? Wear it, and you will become the Lord of Andre, the master of all liches and all knowledge. The Lich King of Andre..."

The dean's deep voice echoed in Lyle's ears.

Become the master? Rule over big shots like Mr. Dragon, Mr. Scholar, and Mr. Raymond... Lyle felt the crown getting closer and closer to his head. Yes, maybe he was very suitable.

There will also be gentlemen, journalists, delusional people, miracles, inspirations, darkness, and so on, who will become his subordinates, and he will need to manage them... and pay the price for their actions.

Lyle let it go; being a useless person is fine.

"Indeed, it's best if the Dean keeps this crown."

The dean was very dissatisfied with Lyle's performance. "You're such a coward, Doctor of Plague."

"There's no such thing as a free lunch, Dean. And I believe the Andrei Lich isn't something a mere materialized symbol of royal power can control." How could that be? Do those bastards look like they'd obey orders? If this crown truly possessed such power, would the academy be in so much chaos?

The dean was disappointed; his trick had failed. He had originally intended to give the crown a good laugh, but he continued explaining its true abilities.

“Andrei is an academy. Academies don’t need kings, only teachers and principals. This crown, at most, will give you a sense of control over everything. I believe that’s a side effect of the crown. As for its true function…”

"Mr. Plague Doctor, do you remember how many times your experiments have failed?"

“Countless times, sir, success is built upon failures.”

"Andre has zero failures in the course of large-scale experimental projects."

"...because of the crown."

"Yes, the Lich Crown of Andre is a crown of knowledge I forged. The power of the clan crown is to grant the king a certain amount of miraculous power, and I have transformed this unpredictable process into the accumulation of academic knowledge. This crown can make research progress twice as efficient, which is why Andre's technological development has been so rapid. Every initiator of a large project will receive the blessing of the Lich Crown after applying, and will conduct research as a king of knowledge."

"The power of the crown may be lost, but the knowledge and experience gained from the crown will forge strong individuals."

The dean looked at Lyle with pride.

"This is my masterpiece. I have created a world of powerful warriors in Andrei."

"So, Mr. Raymond..."

The dean was like a deflated balloon.

"No, Merlock has never worn a crown. What academic research application do you expect him to submit? His only application was over a decade ago when he wanted to do a large-scale Holy Light sermon in Andre. Good heavens, his last sermon almost knocked half of Andre's people out of bed."

"That's all. For the time being, you will have the right to use Andrei's Lich Crown until I approve the next major experimental project application. After the experiment is completed, return the crown to me; it needs to be properly sealed away."

"Sealed off?"

"Yes, although the Lich Crown is a physical object, it also carries some characteristics of the clan's crown authority. This crown can be stolen and transferred to someone more qualified to become king."

"Personally, I would be very happy to see someone more outstanding inherit the crown."

"Until I discovered that this Lich Crown was left unchecked and frequently appeared on the doorknobs of the Chapel of Holy Light."