Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

It seems everything was already destined.

Those staff members were Andrei's executive committee, who were involved in maintaining order during the Wandering Championship.

The one leading the group was the judge.

"Mr. Plague Doctor, there should have been a vehicle inspection process here, but Mr. Law, who is in charge of this, has already started preparing for the competition as a participant in the Magic Research Club. So we will skip this process and please come with us to the competition area to prepare."

"Ok."

Lyle walked through the stands to the keratinous staircase, taking one last look at his lich companions.

The eight men were staring intently at him.

"May you have great military success and a victorious start."

With a reluctant nod, Lyle tucked Nia, who was unusually excited about the race, back into his collar and resignedly walked down the steps.

"We succeeded?"

"We succeeded."

"Mr. Raymond has been dealt with."

"The dragon mentor was persuaded."

“Arrange for a green dragon sacrifice to entangle the scholar mentor.”

"Mr. Law's safety inspection of the spine giant wheel has been removed..."

"We finally got Mr. Plague Doctor to participate in the competition."

This plan, which spanned three clubs—the Magic Research Club, the Literature Club, and the Necromancer Figurine Club—and was filled with lies and schemes, was finally completed.

The Plague Doctor, along with their collaborative creation, the Spinal Wheel, participated in the Hellfire Invitational.

Chapter 390 The Caregiver's Tip

Lyle arrived at the private room where the invited guests were resting. This room seemed to have originally been the rest area for the team of gladiators; the interior space was even larger than the Necromancer's Figure Company's laboratory. The pillars supporting the enormous space were black stone pillars adorned with red magic runes, and some blackish-red cracks were exposed in the gaps between the pillars and the ground. Those were likely part of the stabilizing barrier array in the center of the Black Abyss Arena, and the active magic runes proved that it was still functioning.

Lyle thought about the fierce battle that had taken place in the arena and found it hard to imagine how the arena, which could withstand even Mr. Raymond's attacks, maintained its stability.

"Where does the immense magical power that maintains stability come from?"

"The answer is, from hell." A female demon approached from outside the room, followed closely by two solemn-looking fear guards, testifying to her extraordinary status.

She wore simple and neat clothes, with meticulously folded collars and cuffs, exuding an air of competence that was completely different from the manic nature of the demon race. Her gaze towards Lyle was closer to the coldness of a lich.

“Peace and comfort, Plague Doctor.” The female demon bowed respectfully. “I am your caretaker in this competition. I am responsible for informing you of the rules of the Hellfire Invitational Tournament and the construction of the Gates of Hell. My name is Femma Black Abyss.”

"Black Abyss?"

Miss Ferma's expression was indifferent, and her demon tail lashed through the air like a whip.

“By bloodline, my family is indeed the master of this arena, but at this moment, I am merely an ordinary caretaker. Plague Doctor.”

“Yes, Miss Ferma.” Lyle noticed that Ferma emphasized the word “family” in her pronunciation, and there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes, combined with her neat attire and her meticulously styled hair, which was held in place by seven or eight hair clips.

Ferma Black Abyss is clearly a rebellious young lady who goes against the nature of demons, although she is not unpleasant in this respect.

Ferma clapped his hands lightly. "Alright, Mr. Plague Doctor, please deploy your vehicle. You can test it for a moment. After we set up the portal, this will be the starting point for your race."

Lyle summoned the Spinal Wheel, a colossal bone wheel ten meters tall, its jagged bone spikes slightly scraping the ceiling, leaving a crack. The demons were momentarily astonished by its immense size, for this Spinal Wheel was already three times the size of its normal counterpart.

Miss Ferma merely raised an eyebrow at the mention of such a vehicle. "Big doesn't mean good, just like my compatriots' mindset."

Without emphasizing his personal opinion again, Ferma approached a black pillar, pressed his palm against it, and after a moment, a ball of bright red magic was drawn out and condensed in Ferma's hand.

"Use local materials."

The red magic twisted and deformed in the demon's hands, stretched and extended into a piece of undulating cloth. Lyle realized that it seemed to be a topographical map.

"Hell Plane Six, the competition venue for this race. All participants will first be teleported to the edge of the map. Your only condition for victory is to reach the finish line, which is the central Hell Volcano. We have set up a portal in the crater to teleport the winner back."

It sounds very simple.

Ferma crossed his arms, his fingers tapping lightly. "You are a lich, a race with a chaotic nature, just like the demons. But out of my personal duty, I must remind you."

"The only condition for victory is reaching the finish line, which means that participants can win by any means."

"Destroy the opponent's vehicle, or destroy the opponent themselves."

"Mr. Plague Doctor, you should understand now, right?"

Lyle now wants to sacrifice those Andrei bastards to Raymond.

Just as the demons had suspected, this wasn't a race; it was a battle royale. However, it was indeed a race, a race against death.

Since things have come to this, the only thing to do is accept it and adjust ourselves.

"I understand."

Ferma nodded, turned around and began constructing the portal. As a demon with a unique personality, Miss Ferma Black Abyss also had enough insight to distract herself from work by chatting with Lyle, explaining some knowledge about demons, and passing the time.

“These stone pillars are what we call Hell Nails. They are anchor points used to fix the world and the hell plane, and they are also devices by which our demon race draws power from hell. We also need these Hell Nails if we want to build a portal that leads directly to hell.”

"What is the origin of these special devices?"

"They were made from the corpses of defeated soldiers and rebels. Both types of people are extremely common resources among demons, so don't worry, feel free to consume them as you please."

Are you asking about the location of hell?

"Actually, we ourselves are not sure where the Hell Plane is. It's just that the Hell Plane has no sun, and the claims that the Hell Plane is located underground or in another world have not been confirmed yet."

"The only certainty is that hell is definitely not a suitable place to live. It was only after I came to this world that I learned that there are other colors in the world besides the red of lava and the black of rocks."

"The reason why the demons arrived in this world is said to be due to an accidental summoning by some demonologists. Later, they invaded the real world in large numbers, only to be met by the Crusader army that had just returned from slaying dragons. Many demon races were destroyed at that time. Sustainable development really is a required course."

As they chatted about demons, Lyle felt he had become much more familiar with Hell, and his fear of that taboo word had lessened somewhat.

A massive portal with a black background and red rings formed between the two Hell Spikes. Ferma Black Abyss moved his wrist and told Lyle the good news that the portal was complete.

"Mr. Plague Doctor, you may now ascend your spinal wheel. When the war drums sound for the thirteenth time, that will be the official start of the Hellfire Tournament. Don't worry, I will inform you."

“Thank you, Miss Ferma.” Lyle took a deep breath and prepared to move himself inside the spinal giant wheel.

"Please wait a moment, Doctor of Plague."

Behind Lyle, Femma Black Abyss strode up, grabbed Lyle by the collar, and began to straighten his clothes. The crooked hat, the tightness of the bird-beak mask belt, the wrinkles in the leather coat—Femma meticulously smoothed them all out.

He was so serious, he didn't seem like a demon at all.

Lyle asked the question he had always wanted to know.

"Miss Ferma, why did you become my patron?"

It seems impossible for the manager of the Black Abyss Arena to become a caretaker, a profession that serves gladiators, unless she does so voluntarily. For example, if she wants to see the fallen angel's son up close, it's not impossible for a star-struck demon.

But for Ferma Black Abyss, this seems impossible.

Ferma looked at Lyle with no fervor whatsoever; in fact, his gaze was excessively cold.

"Becoming the manager of the Plague Doctor was indeed something I applied for voluntarily. I am very curious about the other Prince of the Abyss."

"As for now, I'm certain."

"The plague doctor will absolutely not return intact."

"So, please allow me to prepare your remains."

Lyle was speechless, but his ugly desire to show off in front of pretty girls still led him to retort.

How can you be so sure I won't win the match?

Ferma's eyes were clear.

"Because in my eyes, the Plague Doctor is nothing special. I trust my own eyes more than rumors. Perhaps you are hiding something, but my judgment will not take into account unfounded instability. If the Plague Doctor can really surprise me, then go ahead and do it."

"The Plague Doctor cannot defeat the demons in hell."

"Demons are chaotic warriors who spread fear and create destruction. Even holy light will not shine in hell. Although this view cannot be proven, I firmly believe in the abilities of our demon race."

"Moreover, the plague doctor himself is already in the midst of the malice of others."

Ferma Black Abyss leaned close to Lyle's ear.

"The power of hell comes from the fear of not being able to see its source. I hope the Plague Doctor can remember this and live well in hell."

This was definitely not an overreaction, but rather a wariness of unwarranted friendliness. With this in mind, Lyle asked his final question.

"Miss Ferma, why are you telling me so much? Is it just out of curiosity?" If it was just out of curiosity, there would have been no need for the warnings and hints that followed.

The war drums of the Black Abyss began to beat, and Lyle entered the giant spinal wheel to wait.

Ferma Black Abyss reached out and pinched his chin, looking up at the ceiling in thought. After a while, his ruby-like, clear eyes looked at the giant spinal wheel, as if looking directly at Lyle through the framework of flesh and bones, and gave his answer.

"Because the plague doctor is small and very polite, which are qualities I like."

"I have to do something to make up for my guilt."

Chapter 391 The Lich's True Intentions

As a high-level creation made with all its might by the Necromancer Figure Company, Lyle felt its superior performance the first time its magic was connected to the spinal giant wheel through Nia's transformed flesh and blood.

It's as if you've suddenly taken control of a stronger, younger, and more robust body. The tough bone spurs, the power lurking within the flesh, and the blood vessels beating in sync with Lyle's heart all bring a sense of exhilaration.

Hard bone spurs and bloated, powerful flesh were fixed inside the massive vertebrae that formed the ring. This spinal construct had two heart engines, and the sound produced by each squeeze of magical blood was like the roar of a wild beast beside Lyle.

The neural network is hidden within flesh and blood, and the ends of these intricate bundles of nerves are connected to Lyle's magic. Most of the ends.

Through self-examination, Lyle discovered clumps of flesh embedded in it, like seashells on a beach. These clumps, like parasites, had taken over the nerves of the surrounding flesh and blood, making them uncontrollable by Lyle's will, even with active obstruction in those specific areas.

That must be what Shining and the others called the mechanized soul center, the extra brain of the spinal creation. Although Lyle wasn't sure what kind of creature's brain would grow all over its body, he remained silent, considering the bizarre and unpredictable nature of the world and the lich's boundless creativity.

What truly concerned Lyle were the Villimurro Claws, whose craftsmanship far surpassed that of the Spine Wheel. The true weapon, in fact, was inspired by Nia. Its shape-shifting flesh and blood interior, its hard exoskeleton, and especially after its entire interior was filled with Nia's flesh, somehow, it unexpectedly possessed a certain degree of soul conductivity.

It was an unexpected surprise.

What Lyle really cares about right now is its shapeshifting ability. It's like having an extra limb. Lyle controls its two bone claws to swing and transform into a series of huge weapons.

It even transformed into two enormous syringes shaped like bones, perhaps capable of complementing my plague abilities. Lyle dismissed the absurd idea in his mind. With syringes this big, what need was there for injecting plague? They could just poke someone to death.