The modification didn't work as expected. The poor test subject, a skeletal mage who had a 'metal wire' from the back of his head to his right-hand bone staff, didn't show any increase in casting speed.
At least not in Anders' view, the skeletal mage's Binding Bone spell still took at least three seconds to complete.
Where did it go wrong?
Anders was deeply puzzled and couldn't figure it out. He brought in several other skeletal mages for the same modification, but the result was still disappointing.
Could it be that his original idea was wrong? That perhaps, like Colderon, quickly converting spiritual energy into magic wasn't dependent on the metallic bone layer accelerating the process?
Anders' doubts were mounting, and he was starting to question his own assumptions.
"You—can't you use any spell that directly harms other undead?" Anders asked the head of the Black Knight.
"Only Dark Impact," the Black Knight's head answered obediently, bound by their necromantic pact.
Dark Impact was a skill of the undead knights. When successfully cast on other beings, if the target's spiritual power was lower than the Black Knight's, they would be forced to retreat in fear and experience a few seconds of mental disarray. The undead knight would then capitalize on this opportunity to unleash other attacks like Dark Stomp, Charge, or Thrust.
Anders knew that this skill could be devastating in the hands of an undead knight with high spiritual power, but in the hands of weaker ones, it was practically useless.
"That works," Anders said, and grabbed a handful of metallic fish bones, using the Bone Resurrection technique to shape them into 20-30 cm metal wires. He searched the Black Knight's head to find a place to insert them.
Unfortunately, the Black Knight's helmet was so tight that Anders couldn't find a spot.
To continue his experiment, Anders, frustrated, inserted the metal wire through the Black Knight's trachea and deep into the skull, leaving just a few centimeters sticking out.
He wasn't concerned that this would kill the Black Knight; undead creatures were controlled by their soul fire, and as long as the soul fire remained, the body would not truly perish.
"Use your Dark Impact on that mage. Remember, you need to channel your dark magic through the metal wire I've inserted. Once successful, tell me if your casting speed improves!"
Anders gave his orders coldly, showing no mercy to the rebellious Black Knight. He had no tolerance for insubordination.
After several failed attempts, the Black Knight, exhausted from his previous battles and low on spiritual power, finally admitted defeat.
"I have no energy left. You will never change the laws of the Lord of Death! Give up!"
"Shut up!" Anders snapped angrily, his soul fire flaring in response.
If the laws of the undead world were immutable, then all his efforts so far had been nothing but a joke. But Anders didn't want to accept that. If nothing could be changed, what was the difference between reaching level ten or angering the Lord of Death, Heidrich?
Since arriving in this world filled with undead, Anders' goal had never been to become a mighty ruler of the undead or overthrow Heidrich himself. No, his goal had always been simply three words:
Survive.
But with his growing efforts, Anders had gradually built a small, loyal team of undead, something he was immensely proud of, despite their humble power.
Though Anders often scolded or punished his undead followers, there was a bottom line for him—he could treat them however he liked, but no one else was allowed to touch a single hair on them. That was his principle.
He had come to care for his undead followers, and their survival mattered to him as much as his own. He knew that the undead world had its laws—one of which was that the undead creatures were bound by the rules of the Lord of Death, and even he couldn't escape them easily.
From the notes of Kashnikov, he had learned that the undead lord had lost over four hundred undead servants before reaching the rank of a king, all of them dying in the process.
This grim reality shook Anders, and he couldn't accept the idea of losing any of his followers.
Despite his desire to seem cold and detached, Anders was beginning to see his undead as more than mere tools. They were his family, and he couldn't let them die.
He thought he had gained insight into the laws of the undead world, but this latest failure left him deeply unsettled.
After a long silence, Anders returned to the stone house, clutching a ball of soul fire. He walked straight to the stone table where the Black Knight's head lay and held the soul fire in front of it.
"Swallow it. Once you've restored your spiritual power, keep casting Dark Impact!" Anders ordered firmly.
He then sent a decisive thought to the Black Knight's soul fire, "You'd better listen carefully—I will break the laws of the Lord of Death, and I will succeed!"