In a corner of the sewer, a large number of slimes were cornered.
Amberxiu stood before a freshly drawn magical array, awaiting these revolting, squirming creatures to walk right into the trap.
One slime appeared, and was immediately teleported away.
In Amberxiu's ancient castle, cages had already been prepared. These slimes would be sent directly into them, securely trapped within.
Naomi's marked location was accurate; it truly was a gathering point for the slimes.
Amberxiu captured most of them, but refrained from over-harvesting. He stopped after collecting forty to fifty slimes, and prepared to leave behind a hidden teleportation circle, one that would only activate when slimes passed through.
Although this method was less efficient, it might ensure a continuous supply of experimental material.
After solving the slime problem, Amberxiu returned to Alchemy City, where he took the equipment collected from the druids to a consignment store. Given current market conditions, it would likely take half a month to sell everything.
In a good mood, he returned to his castle and fully immersed himself in his experiments.
As for the so-called prophecy from the sewers of Alchemy City, Amberxiu had no interest in participating. His intuition told him that it was nothing but a scheme concocted by a bunch of madmen. Anyone who ventured into the sewers now would likely find themselves trapped like a hapless rabbit.
Once he entered his experimental state, Amberxiu was wholly focused.
Moreover, with the additional income from this trip, he was able to incorporate a few extravagant designs into his experiment plans.
As a result, his work proceeded much more smoothly.
The slimes were merely low-level monsters, and due to their scavenger nature, their bodily structures were simple. Aside from their mud-like bodies, they had only basic digestive and neural organs. Their intelligence was incredibly low, driven primarily by the instincts of predation and reproduction.
However, the slimes captured from Alchemy City's sewers were slightly different. Their intelligence was slightly higher, and their otherwise mud-like bodies exhibited varying degrees of metallic mutations.
This was likely a result of the alchemists dumping waste materials from their experiments, which the slimes had consumed, causing them to undergo "mutations."
It was not evolution; it was, in fact, a potentially deadly disease.
The slimes' lifespans shortened, their temperaments grew more violent, and even intra-species fighting became common.
This presented Amberxiu with a minor complication. He would need to remove the effects of the mutations before studying the slimes in their normal state.
Although it took a bit of time, after dissecting over a hundred slimes, Amberxiu finally advanced his experiment to the second stage—altering the physiology of living mercury.
Living mercury was a mutated slime that had gained powerful magical resistance but lost many vital organs and even its soul. From the moment it was created, it began a slow and agonizing death.
Amberxiu's goal was to restore its missing organs, transforming it into a perfect body that could house the "bionic soul" he had created.
After thoroughly studying the mercury-based mutations, Amberxiu was impressed by the alchemists' brilliant yet reckless research. The alchemical techniques they had used were nothing short of astonishing.
Had they not failed, their discoveries could have rivaled legendary spells.
Innovation was hard, but replication was much simpler. Amberxiu quickly reverse-engineered the mercury-slime transformation process.
Although it was not a perfect replica, he managed to restore the missing organs.
The experiment did not take long, but the costs were substantial.
In total, over 120,000 gold coins had been spent, and several vials of living mercury potions had been consumed—though they were all subpar fakes, Amberxiu still felt the sting of the expenditure.
Had the scalp potion from the ghost hag not sold for a high price, Amberxiu would have been unable to afford the experiment.
This was why even legends could be poor. If they simply lived comfortably, legends could lead wealthy lives, but for researchers like Amberxiu, the costs of every experiment were astronomical. No matter how much they earned, it was never enough.
In the lab, Amberxiu carefully placed a memory crystal and began recording.
"New Soul Automaton Creation Technique Optimization Experiment, Session 46."
"After several previous trials, I have now created a nearly complete soul automaton body. The altered living mercury not only has had its missing organs restored, but it can also survive for an extended period. It has acquired a new ability—shapeshifting."
"This inspiration came from the shapeshifting creatures I encountered. By imitating their abilities, I have endowed the living mercury with the power to alter its appearance. After all, the goal is to create a warrior automaton, and the slime form alone lacks sufficient combat capabilities."
"Now, I will attempt to merge the bionic soul with the living mercury body to see if I can successfully create the automaton..."
Amberxiu spoke as he retrieved the prepared bionic soul and placed it upon the living mercury body.
As he recited the incantation, the bionic soul swiftly fused with the living mercury. The previously still body began to ripple slightly, then began to shake uncontrollably. After a minute or two, two black dots appeared on the smooth mercury surface, resembling eyes.
Soon after, the living mercury began to wriggle inside the glass jar, as if a newborn were eagerly trying to escape its confinement, desperate to explore the world.
Amberxiu hurriedly released it. The living mercury moved happily across the table, devouring every metal object in sight.
Once it had consumed all the metal on the table, the living mercury cheerfully jumped into Amberxiu's arms, its heavy body nearly breaking his ribs.
Amberxiu gently patted its head, feeling the connection between their souls.
As its creator, Amberxiu had ensured the creature's loyalty. This little one would be especially close to him, maintaining utmost fidelity.
Just as Amberxiu was about to continue testing the mercury's capabilities, Isabelle suddenly rushed to the door of the lab, knocking urgently. "Master Lich, something's wrong! A large army has appeared outside the castle, and their numbers are enormous!"
Amberxiu listened, slightly irritated but not particularly surprised.
It had been several days since, and it was only a matter of time before something happened.
Amberxiu knew that with so many freedmen under his command, the local lords would inevitably be displeased. That they had tolerated it this long had been beyond his expectations.
"It's time to deal with this once and for all."
Amberxiu left the lab, and as he stepped outside the castle, he was greeted by a sight that took him by surprise.
The same holy warrior from the Ryan Empire, who had previously been swindled out of several thousand gold coins, was now standing with the army.
Was he really that petty, leading his troops to attack?
End of Chapter