Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"Took a look?"

"...We let him touch it."

"You touched it?"

"...We let him tour the cockpit."

"Ok?"

"...We also replenished and activated the backup power supply, and explained the operation panel buttons. A complete user manual is included..."

Mr. Law was almost driven mad by his own people. He barely suppressed the urge to crush these bastards and sent the necromancer support lich to the front line. Although these lackeys of the plague doctor were truly deserving of death, their necromancer creations were indeed useful.

"Where are the support personnel from the large organizations?! Where are the people from the Advanced Magic Research Society?! Where is the Witch of Death?! What are the Summoning Professors doing?! Where is the Soul Singer?!" The roar of the law transformed into large, gilded characters that slammed onto the support staff.

"The advanced magical research professors are waiting in the shadows; they are their trump card against the two archangels. They are negotiating with the witch's cat, the witch of death; you know her only family member is on the enemy's side. The Soul Singer... went to the City of Wanderers for a tour three days ago. The necromancy professors are watching the show, stating that teachers will not get involved in student conflicts, and demanding that we objectively accept Andrei's lich species diversity. They seem to have no intention of interfering with the Plague Doctor's lich calamity."

The lawyer took two steps back, his hands trembling.

In the vast Andrei, there wasn't a single person who was willing to work diligently.

The law beckoned, calling back the members of the Magic Research Society who were engaged in fierce conflict in the first camp.

"I really am... After this Lich Bane ends, I'm going to improve the Andrei Labor Law and torture those bastards who openly slack off."

"Maintain the situation and wait for the Dean to arrive before making a decision."

Chapter 702 Forbidden Challenger

The nights in Andrei are chaotic and desolate. For liches who never close their eyes, the moonlight is like a flickering candle. Time slips through their fingers like quicksand, but liches don't care about such meaningless things; after all, they have no deadline.

With the disguise of flesh and blood, the lich developed a new expectation for the sun. The sunlight that once irritated the dead became the most exquisite dining bell, giving it a different definition from the ever-present moonlight. But this only allowed the lich to distinguish between day and night. The beautiful moments and true indifference brought the lich temporary satisfaction, just as the sweetness of food only lingered briefly on the taste buds before quietly slipping away in the cracks of the bones.

But tonight, not only the law, but all liches, whether oppressors or rebels, have experienced pressure and torment for a long time.

If punishing evil is the greatest achievement of every paladin, then tonight Lyle has once again proven the worth of the Pure One.

The Warriors of Light gritted their teeth and persevered, while the Enforcers were also troubled by the resistance. All methods to undermine the morale of the Literary Society had failed; those spineless cowards had been brainwashed by the Plague Doctor into resolute warriors with their own determination and obsession. Unfortunately, the Law Society, which wanted to see Andrei improve, was not happy at all.

"Give up resistance! Haven't you noticed anything amiss with yourselves?! We are correcting your mistakes! This is comradeship!"

Along with the voices, the liches from the literary society, undergoing rehabilitation, were brought to the front. They had secretly made a dark deal with the enforcers: if they could trick the Warriors of Light into surrendering, the enforcers would consider reducing their sentences. As one of the key figures to be "saved," the reporter nodded vigorously.

"I'm a negotiation expert!" one of Andre's Three Musketeers confidently declared, though he was more of a blackmailer who was adept at uncovering other people's secrets.

The reporter went up.

He waved his hands, grinning broadly, his clothes unchanged, clad in a humanoid flesh disguise. He looked just like a seemingly unharmed Lu Xiuxiu. Then he tripped and fell, his outer skin sliding five meters across the ground, his bones cracking as they hit the earth. Sensing his embarrassment, the flesh disguise raised its tentacles and nimbly darted back onto the reporter's skeleton.

He did indeed succeed in bringing the struggle to a standstill.

Two minutes later, the Law rescued his skull from an even more ferocious barrage of holy light.

The law emitted an abnormal laugh.

"You're wondering why I'm happy? It's simple, I now have a legitimate reason to torment you even more, journalist. Before this, I've been torn between the bigger picture and personal grudges."

"Thank you for your professionalism, reporter."

"You helped me get rid of the dilemma."

The law secured the skull containing the journalist's soul firmly with runic devices, as if it were its most precious treasure. He leaned out from the skeletal barrier, his sinister gaze sweeping over the hero of light.

"Go ahead and make a scene~ Go ahead and make a scene~ You'll all end up like him soon."

The intimidating Lawyer further provoked the resistance of the Heroes of Light. Under this stinging gaze, the heroes misunderstood the lich's words as meaning something else entirely.

They shared a common hatred for the enemy and were united as one. Even the hero of light, who was originally somewhat unsociable due to his own personality, did his best to help his companions.

"If we fail, they'll turn us into those same skeletal monsters! We'll be controlled! We'll become toys, our bones gnawed by fleshy worms! We can't lose!"

Having been tricked once again by the Literature Club, Mr. Law's mind was blank except for the idea of ​​a direct assault. Perhaps sensing the commander's rage, the stalemate began to loosen, and Andrei's forces were further squeezing the Hero of Light's living space.

Behind them stood the solid Andrei Barrier, a sturdy cage constructed of death energy, like a giant coffin. It was Andrei's protective umbrella, but it could also be an iron cage filled with despair.

Frost covered the barrier. In just a few seconds of contact, the fingers and palms of several Light Warriors were permanently embedded in it, their flesh and bones frozen and detached, yet they felt no pain.

They are warriors of light, but their bodies are not made of holy light.

The despair before him was like a towering mountain, like a dark night. Andrei, no, the malice of this world seemed to have gathered into a ferocious beast, gripping the throat of the hero of light.

"Edward!" the excited young people shouted his name, and the Executor Lich, who followed closely behind, also noticed the key figure as the crowd parted.

The dust kicked up by the battle adorned his tattered robes with a mature air, and the composure of a young man seemed like a chronic illness. His body appeared somewhat small among his companions, and his steps were unsteady.

This brave warrior was one of the first to come into contact with Andrei's barrier. He had lost a leg and could only kneel on the ground near the barrier. The broken surface was frozen, but his shattered body only amplified his aura.

The severed leg was right in front of him, like a failed sculpture embedded in the wall, yet he remained calm and simply turned around to stare directly at the lich's ghostly figure.

“It seems we’ve made a mistake, just as Lu Xiuxiu predicted…” He opened his palm, holding the withered rosebud in his hand, subconsciously and carefully preserving it.

“…Gentleman.” Every step the law took caused the earth to groan. Pale flames of power ignited on his body, those fireballs enveloping the law, which the law could use extreme events to drive into the skull of the slumped boy. “Sit there obediently and wait to die, don’t try anything funny.”

Edward Alphonse hung his head, as if resigned to his fate. Meanwhile, heroes of light continued to charge towards the law, attempting to control the slowly approaching lich with the magical power bestowed upon them by the god of light.

The attempt failed. The existence of the Law, its magical aura, remained undetectable. The Law was like a vivid shadow, a tangible presence yet untouchable, a phantom in the sunlight, a wanderer of another dimension.

As one of the two leaders of the Andrei Enforcers, the vice president of the Magic Research Society, and the compiler of Andrei's code, Law is naturally a high-level combatant, but he doesn't usually take it seriously.

The shadow beneath the light can also be described as the self-awareness of law enforcers and the talent for embezzlement.

Law spent his life striving for better governance, but just as he broke old rules in his quest for revenge, his other side, like a cruel joke of fate, became his talent.

This self-proclaimed iron-fisted enforcer possesses the ability to erase his own presence under any rule. Any rule, any order, once a loophole is detected in it, will no longer apply to this lawless individual, regardless of the strength or scope of the rule's authority.

The law's gift is to spot loopholes in the rules and use them to its advantage. These are the so-called "fish that slip through the net" in the long arm of the law.

A lawyer is probably a master swordsman who wields the double-edged sword of laws and regulations without getting hurt himself.

Unable to be locked onto by the Holy Light, and unhit by attacks, the Lawyer strolled leisurely amidst the gunfire. He deliberately slowed down, straightened his wrinkled collar, turned up his cuffs, took out the indictment to be signed, and placed his right fist behind his back.

He would remove the gentleman's skull, stuff the confession into it through his eye sockets, and watch as the gentleman's soul flames burned the letter to ashes, creating a coercive soul contract.

There are no absolutely reliable contracts in the world, and Law understands this, but the strongest breacher, Miracle, is right beside him. Law believes that his junior brother has absolute discretion.

"ended."

Just as I had imagined, it didn't take much effort; the gentleman's skull was easily removed. His small face lay in my palm. That determined look in his eyes made him seem more like a work of art.

"Have you heard that you can't get anything without sacrifice? You have to pay a price to get something. This is the rule of equivalent exchange. This is the rule for us alchemists."

Under the grasp of the law, Edward's head wore a smug grin.

"At the cost of my freedom..."

"A transmutation array encompassing the entire territory of Andre Castle."

"I'm done."

Chapter 703 A Giant Leap Forward in Spirit Spells

The Literary Society's carefree and unconventional style is evident to all Andrei members; the profound impression it leaves is like a corner of an iceberg, concealing the coldness beneath the surface. Among the Heroes of Light are many intelligent characters from Lyle's "memories," and with the addition of so many strategists, they have long since changed their former mischievous ways.

The destroyed guilds are scattered throughout every area of ​​Andre Castle. Hidden by rubble and covered in dust, the broken floors bear the transmutation marks left by the gentleman (now the alchemist Edward). If someone could stand atop the spire of Andre Tower and look down through the layers of buildings, they would discover that the locations of the guilds destroyed by the Hero of Light form a perfect circle.

"With the power bestowed by the God of Light, the entire castle, including all its materials, will be forged into a single entity."

Edward's skull cracked and popped in the iron grip of the law, and the enforcer seemed quite angry.

"You are an iron-willed enforcer, the rule of Andrei..." A booming voice parted the lich crowd. The headmaster, staff in hand, dressed in classic wizard robes, his gaze warm, quickly calming the frenzied enforcers. The venerable old man hummed from his thick beard, a comical sound that dissipated the tense atmosphere. "I don't demand that our dear enforcers have an absolute bottom line, but I hope that their bottom line isn't too playful."

The anger emanating from the Law was like the last flame bursting forth with light and heat before it was extinguished.

“I’ve crossed the line… but I’ve already crossed it, so going a step further wouldn’t be so bad.” Law enforcement officers can use force against violators, but only for arresting them. All punishments must be determined by the law itself, following a trial by the executive committee. The law enforcement officer has used his talent for breaking the rules, and the law is now in a somewhat resigned state; he wants to crush the reporter’s skull and inflict some less-than-honorable punishment on that captured soul.

The dean stopped him, for his sake.

"When did you become so petty, Mr. Lawyer? Haven't you witnessed the farce of the Literature Club countless times...?"

“But this time is different! Sir! They intend to destroy Andrei…” Law stared at the dean’s aged face, a kind smile faintly visible through his beard, and behind the dean, Andrei Castle bathed in the blood moonlight. His own home remained unmoved, as if locked in ice by time.

The attempt to forge the land into a protective array failed. Thus, the law's furious venting of anger lost its source.

“I was too hasty, sir. I thought the Lich Bane was enough to pose a threat…”

The Dean accepted the guilt of the law, and also the skull that had escaped his grasp. He stared at the alchemist's head, the flesh, deprived of its magical supply, peeling away like melted wax. The Dean extended his finger bones and tapped the gentleman's head.

"Even with Raymond's justice, you need to know that the paths of all ancient alchemy are the same. Transmutation circles? Those are discarded failures. You're not so lucky, my dear. Your headmaster is an enchanting master, and he is naturally well-versed in alchemy and necromancy. Different paths lead to the same goal."

"Twenty years after my death, I transformed my castle into a single entity. Andre Castle is a single entity, and it cannot be transformed into another form by any form of magic. In other words, it is indestructible, unalterable, and untransformable. Of course, to meet your research needs, I have granted you some access, but that does not mean you can bypass its permissions."

"You're still too green to compete with me in alchemy, kid."

“If I were you, I would use the basic framework of the transmutation circle, discard the unnecessary and cumbersome materials, and tackle some less complicated ones, concentrating the magic power together. Material transmutation is a very delicate task. At your current level, if you want to perform such a large-scale transmutation, you can only create some kind of indescribable 'dead matter'. If you want to create new materials that are recognized by the world, you need to understand the actual rules and accumulate more knowledge.”

The dean entered into a tireless teaching mode, showing off his unparalleled achievements. He even stood from the perspective of a senior and answered questions for Edward, who was currently his enemy.

The dean's calm reaction was a stark irony given Edward's prized ultimate method. The fact that he had become the embodiment of the nation created at the cost of his own life hadn't even made the bearded man flinch; Edward's lips were downturned before they fell.

It seemed the situation was settled. After the Dean arrived, the lich, who had been led by the nose by the literary society, returned to the indifferent and calm demeanor of the undead towards all living beings, following the leader's example. In contrast, the warriors of light now looked more like defeated losers who had lost their spirit.

That's just how it is. Just as the Dean said, it was just a prank. Even if it was the Lich Bane, it was just a prank by the members of the Salvation Society.

“…Dean, you said that Andre Castle is an unalterable whole, right?” Edward spoke again. The dean looked at the soul fire in the skull, a touch of gold in the azure flame.

"Yes, Mr. Edward, whom I met by chance."

"And what about this barrier that protects Andrei...?"

The dean stroked his beard and nodded in approval.

"Andrei's defensive barrier isn't my creation; it's a collective work by various Andrei groups. It can be forged. Your observation is very keen, child. What's wrong? Do you still have a backup plan?"

The skull cracked twice.

"of course."

"Mickey!"

Not far away, surrounded by the Warriors of Light, the headless corpse whose head had been taken by the law stood up. The colorful floral clothes were corroded by the red of blood and the black of mud, and from the mangled neck, shadowy tentacles emerged, from which a large rat head grew out, controlling Edward's body to continue moving.