Radak saw that Lynn remained motionless, thinking that faced with this bloody and mangled corpse, he didn't know where to begin. So, he spoke up, offering some advice.
"Let's start with the organs, cut away the useless rotten flesh..."
Lynn finally snapped back to reality and began dissecting Ralph's body with a blank expression. The skin was ice-cold to the touch, with some frozen crystals still clinging to it, likely due to previous preservation in ice. It explained how the body had remained well-preserved until now.
Radak closely watched Lynn's every move with the knife, offering occasional reminders and instructing him to remove certain organs that wouldn't preserve well, placing them in a greenish liquid.
Lynn vaguely realized that what he was doing might be more than just dissecting a corpse.
The dissection in the secret chamber continued until five in the morning. Lynn had to stay vigilant to guard against the possibility of Radak turning hostile. It was only when they finally left Radak's estate that he could relax.
The experiments with shape-shifting elixirs, the Faceless One, Ralph... Lynn contemplated everything he had seen in the mansion. He could confirm that Radak was indeed associated with the "Faceless" and likely a core member of the "Blood-Red Thorns" as Lynn had suspected.
However, Lynn didn't rush into action. Despite the soundproofing in the secret room and its secrecy, something about the situation didn't sit right with him.
The only good news was that he had smoothly assumed the role of Radak's assistant, which would provide him with convenience in his future actions.
***
Over the next two days, Lynn continued his daytime duties as a professor of arcane mathematics. In the evenings, he acted as Radak's assistant under the guise of Timis, gathering more information.
The remaining time was spent delving into shape-shifting magic at the library.
On the third day, Lynn finally made up his mind. He realized he couldn't wait any longer because tomorrow would be the day of the Faceless gathering.
***
At night, inside Radak's castle, Lynn, as usual, made his way to the secret chamber deep within the castle.
However, there was a change in the secret chamber today, the most noticeable being the addition of a short, chubby figure.
It was the apprentice who had been beaten because of the elixir incident. He was now bound above an alchemical array, with snot and tears streaming down his face. When he saw Lynn, he cried out desperately.
"Please, please, Timis... help me plead for mercy. I can't die like this... Do you remember? I was the one who recommended you to become Lord Radak's apprentice..."
The chubby wizard's apprentice begged with tears, but when he realized that Lynn wasn't paying any attention to him, he resorted to bitter curses, his words growing more venomous. If not for Lynn, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.
Lynn merely gave him a cold glance and shifted his attention to Radak.
Over the past few days, he had noticed that, unless necessary, Radak hardly ever left his underground fortress.
"Feed it to him," Radak took out a bottle of green elixir and handed it to Lynn. Then, he began engraving the remaining alchemical runes.
Lynn glanced at the alchemical array beneath his feet, memorized it in silence, and then firmly grasped the chubby apprentice's neck and forced the elixir down his throat.
In just a few seconds, the elixir's effects began to manifest. The grotesque, twisted expression on the apprentice's face gradually softened, and he even cracked a faint smile before slipping into a deep slumber.
Seeing this eerie sight, Lynn couldn't help but feel a chill. He quickly stepped out of the alchemical array's range.
Meanwhile, Radak had just completed the last rune and, with an ominous smile, chanted a complicated incantation.
The chubby apprentice's body quickly floated into the air, mouth gaping, his body trembling continuously. Then, a faint, translucent, and watery-blue figure gradually emerged.
No, Lynn soon realized it wasn't light; it was a translucent, ethereal figure that undulated like water.
This is... a soul?
Lynn was witnessing a scene he had never encountered before. He immediately understood why Radak had constructed such a secretive laboratory. If the previous experiments with shape-shifting elixirs had been pushing the boundaries, this exploration of spirit magic was outright forbidden in the realm of wizards.
(TL/n - Soul/Spirit/Psychic all are same.)
The azure spiritual form floated in the center of the alchemical array, casting a gaze filled with hatred and resentment toward them. It let out a strange, piercing screech and charged at them.
The moment the screech pierced the air, Lynn felt his brain being struck by something.
He had experienced this feeling before. It was similar to when Dove had used the "Soul Wail." But this time, the effect seemed much weaker. Lynn only felt a slight influence and quickly took a few steps back. He wasn't sure how to deal with a spiritual entity.
Radak remained steady and unperturbed. The alchemical array on the ground suddenly lit up. The charging spirit seemed to hit an invisible barrier, unable to leave the array no matter how its ethereal form surged.
Lynn also noticed that this strange spirit was becoming more ethereal.
Radak didn't delay for long. The apprentice's spirit was incredibly weak, and once it left the body, it wouldn't be long before it dissipated completely.
With a raised hand, the resentful spirit was tightly bound by a mysterious force, forcing it into the half-man's corpse on the experimental table.
About ten seconds later, Ralph's body suddenly opened its eyes, stood up from the table, and slowly moved its neck. It looked around and finally fixed its gaze on Lynn and Radak not far from the table.
Then, "Ralph" showed an expression of anger, opened its mouth as if it wanted to say something, but all that came out were a series of unpleasant screams. Its body was completely out of control, stumbling and falling to the ground after a few steps.
"Worthless..."
Radak looked dissatisfied as he watched the half-man who couldn't even walk properly, despite the tremendous effort put into this experiment.
The only use now was to transform him into a ghoul.
Radak once again activated his spirit manipulation magic. "Ralph" suddenly shivered and then, like a puppet on strings, moved by itself to the side. Finally, it lay in an iron coffin within the secret chamber.
"You should have seen it, Timis," Radak finally turned to Lynn and said with a sly smile. "I can give you another chance to choose. Are you ready to become my assistant?"
"Of course, Lord Radak..." Lynn lowered his head, fully aware that the so-called choice was no choice at all. Seeing such forbidden spirit experiments, it was either comply or die!
"Very well, come over." Radak was quite pleased with Lynn's understanding of the situation and spoke with a deep voice.
Lynn walked forward slowly and soon stood in front of Radak.
Radak reached out his hand, as he needed to place another seal in Lynn's mind to prevent any betrayal. At that moment, a sense of impending danger suddenly surged in Lynn's heart.
However, by the time he realized that something was amiss, it was too late. Lynn simultaneously raised his hand, and scorching flames surged from his palm, instantly engulfing Radak's body.
"Ah!" A piercing scream echoed throughout the entire chamber. Radak's body turned into a blazing torch, the intense white phosphorus fire devouring his flesh.
Faced with a peculiar spirit mage, Lynn didn't even consider leaving him alive. He went all out from the start, continuously increasing the power of the white phosphorus flames.
Radak's agonizing screams lasted for a full minute, and then he collapsed to the ground, his body almost completely charred.
Is he dead?
Only now did Lynn stop casting his spell and look at Radak, who was completely lifeless. However, he remained on high alert.
The chamber was dead silent. Not a sound could be heard, and several seconds later, within the tightly sealed chamber, an angry shout suddenly erupted.
"You are not Timis..."
"Who are you?"
Lynn's heart sank to the bottom. The worst-case scenario he had anticipated had occurred. From the moment he had seen Radak a few days ago, he had sensed that something was amiss. That was why he had delayed taking action. But he hadn't expected that this was also a controlled undead creature.
Lynn's silence seemed to anger Radak, and three of the closed coffins on either side of the chamber suddenly opened.
Three tall and strong figures dressed in black robes emerged from the coffins. They maintained their original appearances, but their pupils had turned gray, their skin had a bluish hue, and they exuded a sense of brutality and malevolence.
Multiple - [Fireball]
Two of the figures cast a spell as soon as they were revived, and several cruel fireballs appeared in the air and shot towards Lynn.
The last figure transformed into a fierce bear and lunged at Lynn.
Lynn took a step back, and dozens of Magic Missiles materialized around him. They clashed with the incoming fireballs, causing violent explosions that echoed through the chamber. The rest of the Magic Missiles, hidden by the smoke, rushed towards the other two figures behind him.
[Lesser - Magic Shield]
Two wizards in black robes immediately cast protective spells. Several magical barriers formed in front of them. However, the remaining Magic Missiles were all enhanced, exploding in mid-air, with numerous drops of orange-yellow liquid raining down.
This was a high-level second-tier magic—Scorching Steam
The difference was that the interior of these Magic Missiles contained not chlorine but a more corrosive substance: aqua regia!
Numerous "raindrops" fell on their robes and exposed skin, but the long-deceased wizards were oblivious to the corrosive liquid eating away at their bodies, revealing stark white bones underneath. As they moved, they looked like a puddle of mud collapsing to the ground.
At the same time, the ferocious bear had reached Lynn's front. Its sharp claws swiped viciously at his face. Another step closer, and it would have torn off his head!
Lynn took another step back, narrowly avoiding the attack. His right hand had already gripped the short sword concealed in his sleeve.
[Cellular Morphology]
Lynn used the techniques of the Morphology school for the first time. A surge of magical power entered his right arm. Just as the bear's attack was about to conclude, the sharp blade was drawn from its sheath, slicing through its massive neck, nearly severing half its head.
Blood sprayed, staining the ground red. The bear let out a final roar before its colossal body crashed to the ground.
Lynn's right hand trembled, and the short burst of magical power took a toll on his body. Though it granted him extraordinary strength for a short time, it was also a considerable strain on his body.
However, a quick victory was the only choice because five coffins had been opened.
In light of Lynn's formidable melee capabilities displayed earlier, none of the adversaries opted for close combat this time. Instead, they all unleashed their magic.
Faced with several attackers, Lynn's response was to create more and stronger white phosphorus flames.
At this moment, most of the magical power within him was depleted, and the energy reserves for his AI decreased by five percent. He then condensed the surging inferno into a magical hand, encompassing all the incoming spells, ice arrows, and even the rows of coffins behind him.
With this one strike, a large part of the chamber turned into a sea of flames.
Lynn didn't intend to engage in an endless back-and-forth. Before the remaining coffins could open, several white phosphorus fireballs reappeared in the void and shot in all directions, ready to obliterate all the coffins around him.
Invisible magical barriers rose from all sides, blocking some of the incoming fireballs.
Lynn also noticed that the unoccupied experiment table had erected a sturdy barrier.
It was a third-tier protective spell - [Magic Barrier]
Prioritizing the protection of this particular area made Lynn wonder if there was something crucial here. Vague thoughts about previous experiments surfaced in his mind.
"What kind of fire is this?" At the same time, Radak's voice echoed once more, but this time, it no longer held anger, but rather a tinge of panic.
Most of the fireballs were blocked by the magical barriers, but the flames did not extinguish. They adhered to the barriers, even showing signs of expansion.
The remaining coffins in the chamber finally ceased to open. Radak concentrated all his power in one place. The enormous silver statue erected in the chamber, an impervious golem, began moving. It swung a long sword and a massive shield towards Lynn.
Faced with such a colossal adversary, Lynn knew that both flames and ice were unlikely to be effective. His response remained the same: Magic Missiles.
Dozens of Magic Missiles rained down like a deluge of arrows, continuously striking the golem's body, but it was like waves breaking against a rocky shore, unable to make even the slightest dent.
Just as the golem's sword descended, Lynn's finger moved slightly, altering the trajectory of one Magic Missile. It accurately pierced through the void left by the incineration caused by white phosphorus fire, heading directly for the palm-sized azure gem above the experiment table.