I Became The Vampire Progenitor
Chapter 197: The S*xy Necromancer Claps Back Online

“Emi, what about that Necromancer? How’s your research going? Is there any way to take control of his Bone Dragon?”

While the Dawn Mage Tower was busy testing magical aptitude among the residents, Li De suddenly remembered the captured Necromancer, Witherbone.

He knew all too well the traits of undead creatures, so he had never even considered trying to persuade or threaten Witherbone into surrender.

These beings, with mentalities completely unlike any living creature, simply couldn’t be reasoned with in a conventional sense.

Emi’s face looked rather grim.

“Lord Li De, that damned Necromancer is a complete lunatic.”

Li De raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. “What happened?”

This was the first time he had seen Emi wear such an expression.

Emi couldn’t hold back and muttered a few more curses.

“Damn Necromancers. Every last one of them is insane.

Your Majesty, Witherbone has fused his own Soul Fire with the Bone Dragon’s Soul Fire.”

Li De’s eyes showed a trace of confusion. “I remember the Necromancer mentioning that before, but… what’s the significance of it?”

He was only moderately familiar with undead personalities, thanks to the previous Vampire Progenitor having captured a few of them over a hundred years ago. The bizarre way these undead thought had left a strong impression on the Vampire Progenitor’s memories.

But as for deeper mechanics, Li De didn’t know much, only that these undead creatures were extremely strange.

Emi, now clearly agitated, nearly exploded. “Soul Fire is the most essential and fundamental part of any undead being!

What Witherbone did wasn’t just a superficial fusion of Soul Fire, it was a complete and true fusion!”

Li De was completely baffled now. What kind of fusion wasn’t a fusion?

Emi slapped his forehead and began to explain in detail. “Your Majesty, let me put it this way. Witherbone’s Soul Fire is now completely the same as the Bone Dragon’s Soul Fire.

In other words, Witherbone is no longer just a standard undead creature.

He is the Bone Dragon now.

If we transferred his consciousness into the Bone Dragon’s body, he could even breathe Dragonfire!”

Li De nearly choked.

What kind of unholy madness was this?

“You mean… there’s no way to steal his Bone Dragon?”

Emi threw up his hands, his face full of helplessness.

“No way. That Bone Dragon might look like a separate entity, but in truth, it’s already a part of him, more accurately, it is him. A living extension of his being.

If we kill his current body now, he won’t even die. On the contrary, he’ll use the Bone Dragon’s body to escape.”

Li De was left speechless.

These undead really had no interest in being anything remotely close to normal. Why not just be a regular Necromancer? Why go and fuse your soul with your mount??

And why did it have to make him so hard to deal with?

“Where is Witherbone now?”

“In Dawn Square. Didn’t you say that after the research was done, you wanted him displayed in the square so the residents could see what an undead being looks like?”

Li De nodded, a touch of resignation in his eyes. An 18th-level Bone Dragon… it was just too tempting.

For now, it really seemed the only option was to toss this Necromancer into Dawn Square and see if, someday, a way could be found to control him, and through him, make that Bone Dragon a true asset of Dawn City.

Dawn Square was the city's only central plaza. It was massive in size, capable of hosting gatherings of thirty to forty thousand people at once.

At that moment, on the east side of the square, beside a gallows bearing the wind-dried corpse of a former criminal. 

A humanoid skeleton, composed entirely of bleached-white bones, with Soul Fire flickering deep in its skull, was tightly bound to a wall engraved with a relief of a giant dragon.

The iron chains binding it were reinforced with Anti-magic Stone, and iron spikes as thick as a man’s arm had been hammered into the wall to hold the chains in place.

The skeleton’s ankles, wrists, neck, even its skull, were wrapped in heavy chains.

Next to this undead creature was the mummified corpse of Porter from the Wild Wolf Gang, whom Li De had executed by hanging. The corpse had long since dried out.

This morbid corner of Dawn Square had already become a place of both fascination and fear for local children.

Now, with the addition of an undead being, the ‘Death Corner’ sparked even greater curiosity.

“Lord Remon, what is that? Is it really one of those legendary undead?”

A freckle-faced youth asked with wide eyes, speaking to Remon, who was standing guard nearby.

Remon was now a squad leader in the Security Squad, commanding three full teams, each consisting of ten men.

Within Dawn City, he was doing no worse than his cousin, Rekel.

Hearing the curious murmurs from the surrounding crowd, Remon puffed up with pride.

“That’s right. That’s a legendary Necromancer, captured by City Lord Kachar himself in battle.

Not long ago, City Lord Kachar faced off against a powerful undead wielding a Bone Dragon and defeated him.

This skeleton is one of those undead creatures. He’s now our spoils of war.”

The crowd around them gasped in shock.

“A Necromancer?!! City Lord Kachar is truly incredible!”

“Wow, I heard Necromancers love robbing human graves. They're said to be unimaginably evil and powerful. Who would've thought I'd see one with my own eyes!”

“Look at the blue fire in his skull! I bet that’s the evil Soul Fire!”

“Lord Remon, are Necromancers really as strong as the legends say?”

Remon, basking in their attention, beamed with pride. As a member of Dawn City's Security Squad, what could make him prouder than the city’s strength?

Ever since he had pledged allegiance before Lord Kachar’s statue and joined the Squad, he had borne the mark of Dawn City and Lord Kachar alike.

“I don’t know how strong this Necromancer is, exactly,” Remon replied honestly. “But Lord Emi said City Lord Kachar personally ordered these foreign beings displayed here, so the people would know what kind of enemies our army is fighting.”

Remon shook his head. In truth, Emi hadn’t told him much about Witherbone, only instructed that the skeleton be chained in the square as an exhibit.

Remon didn’t think the little skeleton could be very strong. If he was, Lord Emi wouldn’t have casually thrown him out here like a prop.

He actually felt a bit disappointed. If the Bone Dragon-controlling Necromancer that Lord Emi spoke of were the one on display, that would’ve been truly awe-inspiring.

Just then, Witherbone’s Soul Fire flickered sharply, he had regained consciousness.

The dry, bony skull twisted slightly, and the ghostly blue fire in its eye sockets flared to life. Upon seeing the crowd of gawking people, he let out an ear-piercing shriek.

“Damn you, vampires! How dare you treat the great Lord Witherbone like this! You will regret this!!!”

“Aaaargh!! Dispelling my magic?! Bastards! I swear I’ll have my Bone Dragon roast your brains with Dragonfire!!”

The shrill roar startled the surrounding onlookers.

Even Remon was briefly stunned, but he quickly regained composure. Emi had warned him: as long as the chains held, the undead was harmless.

“Everyone, don’t panic! This damned Necromancer has already been bound with anti-magic chains by Lord Emi. I swear upon City Lord Kachar’s name, he can’t harm us!”

Hearing that, the crowd relaxed. Seeing that the skeleton was only yelling and not actually attacking helped calm their nerves.

They continued watching, tense but curious, their eyes glued to the legendary undead creature.

“Amazing! He can talk without flesh or organs!”

“I wonder if undead still need to eat? If they don’t, will they starve to death?”

“I wanna poke his head and see if that blue fire is hot!”

Witherbone squirmed under the countless curious gazes. He had assumed Li De’s earlier threat, about putting him on display in Dawn City was just an intimidation tactic.

But after Emi discovered the truth of his link to the Bone Dragon, they had actually chained him in the city square for everyone to gawk at.

The shame was unbearable. He was a great Necromancer! A powerful master who commanded a Bone Dragon!

Rage surged within him.

“Damn vampire, when the great Witherbone breaks free, I’ll show you what Dragonfire tastes like!”

“And you filthy humans! What are you staring at? Never seen such a majestic and mighty Necromancer before?!”

“Hmph! You think you’re worthy of gazing upon the Soul Fire of the great Lord Witherbone?! I’ll have my Bone Dragon burn your heads to ash!!”

“Idiotic humans, don’t come near me!”

Even restrained, Witherbone showed no signs of surrender. He ranted and raved at the crowd, revealing his talkative and egotistical nature in full.

And so, from that day on, the lives of Dawn City’s residents gained a new source of amusement.

A grumpy, chatty little skeleton who loved to boast, Witherbone, the ‘Great Necromancer”’ had officially made his debut in Dawn City.

[T/N: No clue what the author was smoking when he made this chapter title.]