Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“It’s hard not to be influenced by people like that, Lyle.”

"To become a dragon is my obsession. Once I've found my obsession, I will do anything to achieve it."

"This is the meaning, this is the ideal that transcends life and death."

The deathly cold magic at Mr. Dragon's fingertips touched Lyle's Ring of Andrei, outlining a pale thread that intertwined with the scholar's magic mark and Mr. Raymond's holy light mark.

"Given time, you too will find your ideal."

"At that time, I will stand by your side like everyone else, becoming the strength you need to realize your dreams."

"Just as you are supporting me now."

"The dragon will be your eternal ally, Lyle."

Chapter 572 Farewell to the Lich Crown

"Oh, right, there's one last thing I need to give you, Lyle." Mr. Dragon stood up, waved his finger to disperse the skeletal creatures that were entangled in the rock, revealing the tall experimental platform that had been prepared beforehand. "That's the key material for your dragonification experiment."

At the center of the relatively neatly arranged experimental platform, pieced together from countless intersecting skeletons, ten pairs of skeletal hands loosened their grip on each other, lifting what was protected beneath them like a human elevator. A three-meter-tall skeletal totem rose from the center of the platform, as if dozens of skeletons had been compressed into a three-cubic-meter space. Looking at the bones with open mouths and outstretched claws on the surface of the totem pole, one could tell how sinister the previous seal had been.

It's like a prison cell, or some kind of sealing device.

The totem pole had three layers. As each layer of skeletons broke free of their shackles and scattered across the ground, Lyle gradually saw the magical radiance within. That thing seemed familiar. The second layer fell away, leaving only the next layer—a cage forged from the power of death by three complete, tall skeletons—to contend with the user of the deep blue magical radiance. Those three skeletons were avatars of Mr. Dragon, desperately controlling the creature at the center that was trying to break free of the cage.

It has a body shaped by magic, like a giant starfish, with each tentacle pressing firmly against the skeletal cage, and a dense magical light bursting from its center transforming into sharp blades to cut through the cage that seals it.

Lyle knew it, or at least part of it.

"Andrei, the Lich King?"

Confined in the cage was none other than the Crown of Knowledge, the very artifact of Andrei, crafted by the Dean, ready to be reborn and given to the Holy Light. However, it was now more vibrant, or rather, more frenzied, than Lyle had ever seen. Lyle could feel the sharp, piercing magical spikes leaking from the cage, its tentacles shaped by magic. It was utterly impossible to reconcile this with the image of the crowned figure, so submissive and docile before Mr. Raymond.

Is this the true form of the Lich's Crown, a violent and twisted magical creation?

"Roar!!!" The entire cage shook violently, seemingly on the verge of collapse, but in reality, it was as solid as a rock. It was precisely because there was no hope of escape that the Lich Crown let out a ferocious roar. It was truly a pity that it had to sculpt a dog's head to express its anger.

“You’ve used it once already, Lyle. I’ve already submitted the experimental application for the Dragon Creation Project to the Dean along with the scholars, and he approved it quickly and temporarily lent us the Lich Crown. You should know how powerful it is, and you should also understand how troublesome it is to control it.”

Is it too much trouble? Just use Raymond.

Lyle was utterly astonished to see the Lich King, which looked like a little monster in the cage.

"Mr. Dragon, is this the norm for the Lich King?"

"Yes, when you take it from the Dean's office, it will appear as an ordinary crown. But that's just a disguise. It will vanish without a trace the moment you're not looking. You won't find it, and after a while, the Lich Crown will reappear in the Dean's hands. We all believe that the Dean giving away the Lich Crown was a test. You couldn't control it, so you're not qualified to proceed with the next plan; you're eliminated." The dragon master, with the air of an elder imparting experience, earnestly instructed Lyle. "Professors like us who frequently deal with the Lich Crown have found a simple trick: seal it immediately upon obtaining it, then continuously deplete its magic until it's unable to escape and obediently provides knowledge bonuses. Don't worry about damaging it, Lyle. The Lich Crown is the crown of Andrei's clan; you can break it dozens of times and it will still be as good as new."

“This time, I’ve already exhausted most of the Lich Crown’s power, but in this experiment, you are the protagonist, Lyle. You have to find a way to subdue it. I’m also curious how you managed to do it last time. Did Crimson help you?”

So that's how it is. Every time Andrei conducts a major research project, the Lich's Crown is tormented half to death by the various professors, shamefully becoming a tool crown. It's considered merciful of the Lich's Crown not to cause them any trouble. Yet, despite all this, Andrei's major projects have never failed. Although some face-saving individuals might have distorted the experimental results, the Lich's Crown… truly lives up to its reputation as a divine artifact. Lyle is actually quite unsure about modifying Mr. Dragon. If he could get the Lich's Crown in its full state to help him, the chances would definitely increase significantly.

My approach to dealing with the Lich King must be far more effective than these professors who use force to suppress him. No wonder the Lich King coveted Mr. Raymond's head; not only was Mr. Raymond incredibly powerful, but he was also the only one who treated him kindly (they never held any academic gatherings with him, while the other professors had tormented the Lich King several times over, and the hatred was even greater than that for the murder of his father).

“Mr. Dragon, I need to speak with the Lich King.”

"It communicates, but its power has not yet dissipated..."

"No need, teacher, I have a more effective way than you."

The dragon nodded, and on the skeletal cage, a pair of crossed hand bones opened, leaving a palm-sized gap in magical energy. The next second, the Lich Crown's true form crashed into this gap, then got stuck inside, letting out a furious roar.

Lyle stepped forward, and the Lich Crown's magical whip entangled with Nia's tentacles, barely managing to subdue the rampaging crown.

"Do you remember me, the noble Lich Crown?"

"Roar!!!" Magical energy condensed on the crown, like a prelude to casting some powerful spell.

“I am a descendant of Mr. Raymond the Pure One, the Plague Doctor of the Pure One.”

"Meow meow meow?" Upon hearing the name Raymond, the Lich Crown's condensed light disappeared, its body froze, and a small string of magical characters appeared at its center: [You].

Lyle smiled wryly. It was human language, not Amor. Had the Lich King switched its official language to Raymond's native tongue recently? Although learned liches should all be able to understand it.

Yes, do you remember me?

The Lich Crown flickered twice, and a wisp of magic drew in the air, creating a black monster—an ominous sign. Then, realizing this was inappropriate, it edged the monster with gold, making it shimmer with light. This was probably intended to represent the relationship between Lyle and Raymond.

"I need your help with this experiment. After it's done, as usual, I'll meet with Raymond to finalize the deal."

A skeletal hand pattern appeared in the air, then the skeletal hand swung and gave a thumbs-up. [Approx.]

The Lich Crown retracted its magical tentacles, becoming serene, and hovered in the center of the cage. Lyle opened the cage, took the Lich Crown in his hand, and in the next instant, Nia put the crown in her mouth, licking the magical aura it emitted.

Wang Guan endured it.

Looking at the Lich King in Lyle's hand and Nia's mouth, Mr. Dragon remained silent for a moment.

"You always surprise me, my student."

Chapter 573 Crown Charging

"So, the secret to taming it is 'Raymond'?" The dragon began setting up the area, the Lich Crown already covered in Nia's saliva.

"Yes, Mr. Raymond is the king recognized by the Lich King and the most suitable wearer."

"...As a lich, I can always sense this race's self-destructive tendencies..." The dragon acknowledged Lyle's meticulousness. "Although a shortcut has been found, only you can use it. Liches would much rather weaken the Lich Crown's power than visit Raymond and be ravaged. You certainly haven't disappointed me, child. However, with such favorable conditions, let's make every detail perfect."

"To achieve perfection?"

"Hasn't the power of the Lich Crown been depleted by me? Since you can guarantee it will always be docile, it would be best to enhance the power of this clan crown to the highest level. We need to replenish its mana."

"Replenish mana?" Lyle asked, somewhat puzzled. The Lich Crown in his hand seemed a little excited upon hearing this, and immediately drew a detailed portrait of the man in the air.

Mr. Raymond, the Lich King wants Raymond to charge him with holy light.

"No, setting aside whether you, as a magical artifact, can withstand the ravages of holy light, holy light itself is dangerous to our experiments." The dragon immediately objected. This power would affect his own body, and if he were to be destroyed by Raymond's holy light, the dragon felt he would be on the list of the lich's dumbest ways to die. "Moreover, the Lich Crown, as the crown of the race, contains extremely powerful and pure energy, comparable to the power of the race. There aren't many choices like that—a powerful spellcaster..."

Seeing that Mr. Dragon had fallen silent, Lyle asked, "Mentor, doesn't Andrei have a suitable candidate?"

“No, Andre has a suitable candidate. Rather, his ‘omnipotence’ is the optimal solution in any situation. It’s just that we feel a little bad about troubling him.” Mr. Dragon compromised, spreading his hands and holding his Andre Ring.

"My old friend, I need your help!"

A deep blue portal opened before Lyle, revealing floating silver chains beneath an exquisite mage's robe and a bronze mask on his face. The scholar was as reliable as ever.

The Blue Dragon Priest, the Humanoid Demon King, the King of Magic, and the strongest 'universal charger', stepped out of the portal.

The scholar first looked around, his finger sliding across the ripples of time and space, muttering to himself, "An unfamiliar node. There are actually places in this world that feel unfamiliar to me..."

Mr. Dragon opened his arms wide, warmly welcoming his old friend.

"Welcome to my home, scholar."

"Your home..." The scholar put his doubts aside. This was the home of a dragon, the base of a master of spirit possession, so the complex restrictions were understandable. "How do you need my help... I understand."

The scholar's gaze fell on the crown in Lyle's hand.

"Andrei - Crown of the Lich King".

The Lich Crown actually responded to the scholar's greeting, creating a magical tentacle that waved in the air as if to greet him. Unlike the other professors, it didn't show the same annoyance. Just moments before, when the dragon attempted to approach, the Lich Crown had nearly been released and was about to launch a self-sacrificing attack.

"Scholar teacher, could it be that you were once favored by the Lich King?" My ex-boyfriend has reappeared?!

The scholar shook his head slightly. "We are merely aware of each other's existence. After all, I almost wore the crown of the era. As an embodiment of the power of the race, I might be considered a rather special person. But that's why the Lich's Crown won't approach me. After all, I am not only a lich, but also a dragon priest."

"I understand. The scholar is a suitable married man for the Lich King, but even so, he's no match for Mr. Raymond, this eligible bachelor." Lyle pondered this, and then noticed a suspicious point.

"But isn't Mr. Raymond a pioneer of the Holy Light Era? That means the crown of this era belongs to him, and he is the king of the races of this era. So why is the Lich Crown able to accept Mr. Raymond?"

The scholar pondered for a moment, gazing at the towering mountain cliffs in the distance, the peaks of which were nowhere to be seen.

"Perhaps Raymond still doesn't consider himself a 'king,' even though he has the crown in his hand, he hasn't put it on."

He had long foreseen the king's demise, and thus rejected that aloofness. Or perhaps, he simply disdained that aloofness altogether.

“Although the Lich Crown will not accept me, it will not resist my magic.” The scholar approached Lyle, stretched out his hands, and abundant magical threads entangled around the Lich Crown, which was then swallowed by the crown.

A magical storm swept around Lyle, an overflow of magic generated as the scholar slowly lifted the Lich Crown. The magic network nodes connecting the planet poured boundless magical power into the ever-growing Lich Crown.

The crown grew increasingly ornate, its light becoming ever more dazzling. It slowly rose before Lyle, like a fireball. The magical storm reached a critical point and quietly dissipated. Lyle straightened his clothes, which had been blown about by the wind, and looked at the divine artifact before him, its light now subdued.

Andrei's Lich Crown didn't change in appearance, and in the scholar's hands, it wasn't even as dazzling as before. But when Lyle used his magical perception, he saw that the Lich Crown had become a magical eye of the storm, becoming the sole controller of magic in this world.

The scholar gently placed the crown on Lyle's head. He pinched the dragon priest mask under his chin and examined it repeatedly. He then made slight adjustments to the lich crown on Lyle's head before finally nodding in satisfaction.

"You're getting into the swing of things, Lyle." The scholar patted Lyle on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Then our future is in your hands. Good luck, kid." He opened another portal and the scholar, acting as a mere tool, prepared to leave.

Mr. Dragon called out to him.

“I thought you would naturally join our plan. Although Zhiyan has obtained information about the Dragon's eldest son's body, he certainly doesn't know as much as you do, who have been with the dragon day and night. Moreover, as the most powerful mage, your existence will definitely be of great benefit to Lyle.”

“But not this time, my old friend.” The scholar bluntly rejected the dragon’s invitation. “I understand how important your experiments are, but I also have very important work to do right now. We need to gather the power of our own kind to prepare for forging your [Dragon Crown].

"A coronation ceremony? But we haven't even finished the dragon-making plan yet. If we fail, won't the five of you be wasting your time?"

“That’s right, so please avoid that situation and don’t let our efforts be in vain.” The scholar’s ​​body disappeared halfway into the portal. “I have given you all I can offer: information about the dragons, the creator powers of the evil god, and the support of the five great dragon-follower races. Compared to these, my existence is insignificant.”

"There's only one thing you need to pay attention to."

"Trust in the power of the evil god, Lyle, trust your own judgment."

The scholar disappeared into the portal with a meaningful air.

"This statement can sometimes be equated with the truth..."

"Existence is necessity."

Chapter 574 Dragon Transformation

Despite the time constraints, Mr. Dragon gave Lyle an hour to adjust to the new power granted by the Lich Crown. The knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, and power boosts bestowed by the Lich Crown were among the few fulfilling experiences a lich could feel; for a human, it was an absolute authority capable of igniting any desire. That sense of satisfaction wasn't just an illusion of instant power; the ominous sign in Lyle's soul had transformed into a colossal, overwhelming force, a corrupting desire tempting Lyle to devour the Lich Crown was quietly spreading. Then Lyle extinguished it; the Dean's expectant gaze flashed through his mind. Taking over the Lich Crown was tantamount to taking over Andrei, and that unspeakable fear constantly pounded at Lyle's nerves.

The spellcaster needs to keep a clear head at all times, especially during experiments.

Lyle spread his hands, and the Lich Crown flashed, revealing magical threads hidden within his black gloves. These threads could control every subtle movement of his bones and muscles, and could allocate every bit of magic power precisely. These hands seemed capable of accomplishing anything.

“It looks really good.” Mr. Zhiyan stood to the side with an envious look in his eyes. He had prepared dozens of stone tablets, which were covered with information written in tiny runes that only the writer could understand.