A wise man once said, "In a wise man, routine is a sign of ambition."

If that's the case, Walter Tye is the most ambitious undead in the world. Unless disturbed or supervised by a crossroads bite like tonight, the necromancer's schedule is tight.

He opened his shop for magical items an hour before sunrise, although he mostly dealt with his vendors before dawn greeted customers. The morning is the busiest time of the day, as the adventurers buy supplies and then go to conquer the dungeons in the afternoon. The pressure continued until around two o'clock in the afternoon, after which the patrons became very scarce, allowing Tye to focus on more unique tasks, such as helping the Blacksmith Guild make magic weapons, providing apothecary services to his community, or simply searching for hard-to-find materials.

Since he doesn't need to eat mortal food or drink, Tay always lied that he only ate it once in the evening because he was busy with work; Since he carefully built a reputation as a workaholic, no one doubted the truth. When night fell, he closed the door of the shop, and then often went to the tavern to play the game of "Board and Conquest"; It's more about satisfying his gaming addiction.

While most of the people went to sleep, the necromancer returned to his secret laboratory work after visiting the dungeon and overseeing the progress of Hagen's excavations. He will come out of his lair at dawn and repeat the cycle.

Walter Tye is a mask that the necromancer has cultivated for two years, like a wallflower. He is part of the landscape. No one noticed him, because for anyone, he was there all the time.

Let him be free to put down deep roots in the ground

In the afternoon, Tye walks the busy streets of Lyon, weaving between the fortifications and the temple district. With a basket full of medicine in his hand, he politely nodded to the citizens he knew.

"If you go out on the last night of the month, the Anko people will come and take your soul."

Tay paused, glancing at the three kids playing dice on the street corner. "It's stupid," one child said.

"It's true! A brown-haired child protested, and Tye recognized him as the Emir, the eldest son of the leader of the Artisan Guild. "First you'll hear a wail, then a carriage coming. It was Anko's carriage, carrying the dead to Hellheim. If you run away from it for one night, you will live another year, no matter what; But if he catches you, you'll die the next morning, and your family will die!"

"It doesn't make sense," the girl said with a smile. "Mom said that if you don't worship any god and die without a fight, you can only go to Helheim!"

"Well, your mother doesn't know anything. If Anko catches you, you go to Hellheim. ”

Even though Tay hadn't been looking for sacrifices in Leonis for a year and was only feeding on troublemakers that no one missed at the time, rumors circulated. This makes walking in the countryside more difficult, as adventurers often look for "death carriages" to kill riders. Thankfully, most people are still misled if kids have any signs.

Sending people to that dreary, gloomy Helheim was the last thing Tay wanted to do.

Thinking of this, his gaze turned to the trunk of the huge, distant World Tree on the horizon, which rose from the ground and stretched all the way to the sky. It is the source of all life and the source of the system that governs the Nine Realms.

According to most scholars, the kingdom of Midgard was flat and a vast continent surrounded by water and primitive serpents, from which it got its name. But Midgard is just one of many worlds, connected by the Cosmic Tree.

Its roots involve three worlds: the eternal burning Muspelheim, by the enemies of the world

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Rule; Niveheim, a cold hell inhabited by demons; Dark Helheim, the land of the "worthless dead".

At the same time, the branches touched five more worlds. Svartafheim, the kingdom of the dwarves and dark elves, is always at war; Jotu, the land of giants

heim; Alfheim, a world of light elves and fairies; Vanaheim, home of the Vanniel gods, chaotic and desolate; Finally there is Asgard, the highest world of the civilized Esir gods.

Only recently was the tenth world discovered, and one was not discovered by Yggd

The world ASIL touches: the mysterious Earth, from which the gods summon "heroes". This process confuses necromancers like Tai, who try to master the cycle of souls.

Well, what he has is time; Or at least wait until it is destined to end.

After a short walk, the necromancer came to the temple area. The lion's share was given to the Basilica of Odin, more of a fortress than a church, but each god had its own place of worship, separated by a canal; Even the terrible goddess of the underworld, Hel, owns a land where criminals, treacherous and exiles are buried. The bodies of decent citizens were cremated.

The church of Bald is the god of beauty, art and light, and although not as impressive as the Basilica of the Holy Father, its beautiful architecture is truly striking, it is a small prismatic pyramid that seems to be made of crystal and the doors are silver. In fact, as the patron saint of the city, his church dominates the politics of Lyon; His pastors were also smart and didn't make a big splash. Soft power at its best.

Tai walked inside and found himself walking past exhibition rooms showcasing vivid paintings of ancient battles, marble statues of heroes, and other wonders created by the greatest artists of the kingdom of Avalon.

He discovers Balder's curator and priestess Joseph Whiteha

d) Painting in one of the rooms. She is often said to be the most beautiful woman in Lyon, once the embodiment of a goddess, she was a beautiful maiden, seemingly carved from silver, with white gold hair and sapphire eyes. Her plain white silk dress only showed off her perfect features, the face that men fought for to the death.

But even under his treatment, her illness left its mark. She began to shed her hair, revealing the emaciated skull underneath; Although she disguised herself well by being well-dressed, her weight had dropped. Even though weakened, though, angels are still angels.

"Welcome, my friend," she said to him with a kind smile. "You're late. I'm wondering if you're having trouble getting here. ”

"I'm sorry, I'm busy dismembering a chicken tonight," Tai said.

"He's not running fast enough?" She giggled.

"No, he didn't," Tay said, a grim smile on his face. "Madame, how do you feel?"

"It's better than yesterday." "I don't lose my hair anymore."

"Good. This means that your body is adapting to this treatment. The Earthlings called her illness "cancer", and judging by the information Tye had gathered, they had not been able to cure it. Most [Heal] or [Purify] spells remove foreign objects, such as viruses or bacteria that have not yet developed resistance to magic; But when diseases come from the body's own life force, they have little effect.

If the kingdom hadn't outlawed this magic school, Tai himself would have cured everything about that woman forever with [blood magic]. Since other spellcasters could identify the traces of his casting, the necromancer turned to alchemical therapy. He knew that there was an alchemical drink called the "Panacea" that could cure all diseases, but the ingredients he needed were not available yet. So he can only give his patients the elixir that doesn't work so well.

The necromancer treated the woman, partly out of gratitude for helping him settle down when he first arrived in Lyon, and mostly for his research. In his quest to find the ultimate cure for death, Tay must understand life. If he can cure a disease that arises from the uncontrolled growth of life itself, these results may help him make a breakthrough.

Tay glanced at the painting, which showed a handsome, young knight with chestnut hair and noble eyes. His armor seemed to be woven from flowers, and he carried a harp next to his sword. "This is the famous Tristan?"

"He'll come to see me this summer," the girl smiled happily. "After the introduction ceremony of the Royal Knights."

The most powerful and highest-ranking warrior in the kingdom; Although not all of them are knights, not even knights. Tai wants to know how this ranks on the scale. "I'm almost done painting your landscapes," Joseph said to him. "I'll deliver it to your house before the full moon."

"Take your time," Tay said, and then his keen hearing heard the sound of two newcomers entering the temple. "Your painting is beautiful, ma'am, but I won't help you in arrears."

"I know, but I want to express my gratitude."

The footsteps were getting closer, and Tay turned around like Sirte. A sturdy old man with a gray beard and piercing eyes walked in, followed by a freckled, red-haired teenage boy. The warrior wore heavy armor and first-class equipment, while the younger boy, probably the squire, wore leather armor and bows that were too large for him.

"Sir Sigurd." Selt recognized the tall man, but Tye couldn't remember his name because he was lifeless. "It's a pleasure to see you again, dear knight."

"You have become charming, ma'am," said the man politely, without mentioning her illness, and then frowned at the sight of Thai.

"Hello." The squire bowed shyly to Tye and Selt. The necromancer couldn't hear his accent; Probably earthlings. The older warrior stared intently at the alchemist, as if trying to remember him.

"Why the gaze?" Ask. "Have we met?"

"No, it can't be," the man shook his head. "It can't be you, unless you haven't grown old in thirty years."

Tai's face was expressionless, his face was pale, and his mind froze. He angrily tries to remember if the person will meet him. Where and when?

"Looks like you've recruited an apprentice." Madame Searle smiled at the man's squire. "What's your name?"

"P-Percy." The boy said embarrassedly. "Percy Greenfield."

"Princess Gwen Haifa and the latest promotion to the Royal Academy will soon arrive in your beautiful city," Sigurd said, all on business. "She will visit temples and supreme institutions to bless everyone...... As always. ”

As the rate of fusion is getting faster and faster, and the earthlings are coming to fight them, the kingdom of Avalon has come up with a brilliant idea to create an institution to manage both. This school will develop future heroes, teaching them magic, combat, leadership, and how to fit into the ruling structure. This organization allows only the best people, or earthlings, to enter its walls and prepare them to defeat the five calamities.

"I'd love to show the princess the wonders of Leonis," Balde's priestess replied, then turned to Tye. "My friend Tai is a genius (alchemist). I am sure that the new hope of our country will enjoy discussing with him. ”

"Oh, you're [an alchemist]?" Percy asked him curiously.

"I'm just a shopkeeper." Tye replied that he cared more about the older warrior than his squire. "I don't feel well in the spotlight."

"I see." The older knight said, his voice showing no emotion. "Maybe I'll go buy something from you."

"You say you're a knight?" He gathers information. "Royal Knight?"

"Thirty years," the squire boasted to his master, while Sigurd maintained a stoic expression.

"I'm retired," the man said, "and now I'm just an adventurer with a job." ”

Knight of the Royal, Thirty Years......

Ah, yes, the Great Purge of the White Snake. How could Tai forget that mess? This necromancer must have seen this Sigurd among the soldiers of the kingdom when they stormed the castle of his order, killed his lich master, and forced him to flee for his life. That was a long time ago, and he still needed to breathe.

Although Sigurd seems to have given up on the matter, Tai is not stupid enough to believe him. Even if the knight really doesn't care about him, just a word to his fellow knight can bring the hero to the necromancer's door.

Should he leave town? No. That would certainly raise suspicions that Hagen hadn't dug up enough material yet, and that he had become too fond of Leonis that he was reluctant to leave. Without his healing, Sirte would most likely have died, and while he could have made her immortal, he would not have deprived her of the life she seemed to cherish so much.

He's only going to create an accident. After all, the life of a mercenary is short and brutal. Now, Tai decides to send an entourage to spy on the former knight until the right opportunity arises.

He had more important things to do tonight.

Tye drove his black carriage, pulled by a scrawny horse, and was guided by a flock of terrible crows to a halt at the designated intersection. His "secret supplier" was waiting for him in the woods. A crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting the Brocksamud Forest in shadow.

To attend such a meeting, Tay changed into an even more impressive outfit: a crimson cloak, velvet gloves, boots, and most importantly, a silver mask that covered his entire face, except for his crimson eyes. The demonic runes engraved on its surface shone with a fiery light, giving the necromancer a terrifying aura.

It was just a stage trick, but he found it useful for business.

Ty glanced at the four men waiting for him and recognized his old vendor, the balding, fat merchant Patrick, and three new crooks with swords. One of the snake-eyed swordsmen looked at Tay with a calculating look.

"Are you a customer?" He asked as Tay climbed out of the car. Patrick nodded in confirmation. "Who's in the carriage?"

"You won't want to see my passengers." The necromancer replied, his (Forsaken Mask) voice turning into an echo of the Legion. "Do you have any goods?"

The man gave him the prize. The magic book was the size of a cookbook, covered by a screaming grinning face. The teeth were put together to spell out the title: "Mimeer's Testament."

Its cover appears to be made of human skin.

Because the whole book is.

"Can you imagine how many corpses it would take to write this book?" Tay asked, immediately recognizing the book as the original. "Miles of human skin?" Is the technique impractical?"

"First of all, money," the leader said. Patrick arranged this meeting and did business with Tye for many years, but the man didn't know Tye as well as he could not trust him yet.

Ty grabbed one of the purses he was tied to his belt and tossed it to Patrick. The merchant nodded, then opened it, his companion glancing greedily at the alchemically made ruby inside. "They're worth eighty thousand gold coins." The wizard said. "20,000 each."

Patrick counted the money, then nodded to his colleagues. "Good," said the trio's leader, but didn't hand the book to Thai. "Now, we can talk about the Finder's compensation."

"Finder's Honorarium?" The necromancer repeated with a frown behind the mask.

"We paid a huge price to get this book. Avoiding knights doesn't come cheap. ”

"I paid Patrick what he wanted."

"We didn't agree, Nabang," said the merchant, apparently as surprised as Thai.

"Because you don't know how business works." The man replied, then gave the necromancer a twisted smile. "Since this is our first deal, I'll give you a discount."

"What if I refuse?" The necromancer asked.

The man put his hand on the sword, as did the other two. "Then there are no books."

"[Magical Sight]." Tai replied in a low voice, seeing three people appear with colored halos. They cast a protective charm on themselves in front of the meeting, conveniently keeping Patrick in the dark. They also wield impressive gear like the [Demon Sword].

If they are facing a normal dark wizard, they may appear intimidating.

But in the level 53 elite class, necromancers are a different camp entirely. "Does he speak for all of you?" Ask. "If you disagree with him and want a fair deal, take a step back and protest."

Only Patrick did, and Narbon's smile grew colder. "Then I won't give you money," he said.

"Indeed," Tai replied. "Death [X]."

The three men died silently. Patrick survived alone, and when the body suddenly hit the ground, he flinched back in horror.

Much to Tye's dismay, he didn't even get a new level out of it.

"Patrick, I believe that one should keep one's word." "Otherwise, how can we plan for the future?" Survival should be orderly, just like the undead. A state of unpredictable life without chaos and without the temporary inconvenience of sudden interruption that we call death. I swear that death will not even cease to be death when my work is done. ”

He knew he was talking gibberish, and the merchant was too scared to listen, but Tye liked the sound of his own voice.

"With all that said, you should choose your partner better next time," the necromancer said, then snatched his book from the deceased. "When you meet someone who pulls a wagon out of a dead horse and charges him for books made of human skin, it's not business. This is natural selection. ”

"Yes, sir," said Patrick.

"Keep the change," said Tye, letting the merchant escape with his ruby.