MMORPG: Divine Mech Hunter
Chapter 1637 Coercion

Chapter 1637: Chapter 1637 Coercion

A lich unable to cast powerful spells, facing a formidable opponent—this scenario hardly requires detailed description.

The snake-woman bore the royal bloodline of two powerful Abyssal races. Being the sole being capable of merging these two lineages and surviving, she evolved into the mighty Medusa. Her status as a potential Abyssal Plane lord was undeniable.

Even at its peak, the lich might not have been her match, let alone now. Dragged like a dead dog by the snake-woman’s tendril-like hair, the lich was hauled before Li Yao.

By the time Li Yao reached the scene, the Ghost Ship was already under his near-complete control. Coupled with the continuous influx of his personal guards, it took less than a quarter of an hour to imprison the ship’s undead within its hold.

These undead were intelligent beings who had already tasted death once. They lacked the resolve to perish again. Watching their leader rendered helpless, most surrendered without hesitation.

Ignoring the lich’s curses as it was dragged across the floor, Li Yao allowed the snake-woman to throw it before his subordinates, where it lay as lifeless as a dead dog.

Most of the intelligent undead on the ship were banshees, while weaker liches handled the warship’s controls. Combined with over a thousand skeletal warlords, the ship carried more than ten thousand prisoners in total.

Though their numbers were few, these individuals were leaders of the lower Undead Legions. Over half of the faction’s commanders were aboard the ship.

"You’ve proven yourselves sensible enough to understand the saying: a wise man submits to circumstances." Li Yao waved his hand, opening the prison doors.

He walked inside, followed closely by the snake-woman dragging the lich along. Morning Breeze hesitated briefly but eventually stepped in as well.

Surrounded by undead on all sides, Li Yao seated himself on a chair and finally looked down at the lich sprawled at his feet.

"Save me at once! Such a perfect opportunity—kill him and rescue me! My skeletal warlords, you’re not bound by any restrictions. Strike him down!" the lich shrieked hysterically.

The soul flames within the skeletal warlords’ eyes flickered. Their hands gripped their weapons tightly before loosening their grasp. Were they merely ordinary warlords, they would have followed the order without fear of death.

But under the current circumstances, killing Li Yao would accomplish nothing. The great army outside was gathering; under the influence of restrictions, escape was impossible. Their magical units were entirely crippled. Even if they killed Li Yao, they were bound to die anyway.

Had they been prepared to die in battle, they wouldn’t have surrendered without resistance when Li Yao’s two pets tore through their defenses earlier; nor would they have willingly entered the cell, awaiting punishment.

A few liches and Goblin Eaters did attempt a lightning-fast assault on Li Yao, but were met with the snake-woman’s hair, sharp as steel needles.

Thwack, thwack, thwack...

Over a dozen undead who tried to rescue the lich were slain on the spot. What chilled the surrounding undead was the sight of the snake-woman’s purple hair, serpent-like, absorbing the Soul Fires from the corpses, extinguishing them permanently from existence.

The surrounding undead’s soul flames flickered, but none dared to stir.

"Anyone else?" Li Yao glanced over the undead before turning his gaze back to the lich. "It seems your authority isn’t worth much. Only a dozen loyal followers—how pitiful."

"Damn you! Don’t gloat! Without my Soul Box, even if you destroy this body, I’ll resurrect and make you pay a hundredfold!" the lich howled in defiance.

Li Yao chuckled. "You’re really naïve, aren’t you? Your million-strong elite army is already under my control. What are you alone capable of? Besides, you won’t get the chance."

"My lord, the Lich Marshal is utterly despicable! He not only betrayed the two kings but also treated us as disposable. He killed us on a whim to devour our souls. We are not cowards, but we see no reason to fight for such trash," a vampire cautiously explained.

Li Yao waved a hand dismissively. "Truly deceitful and cruel. I won’t bother arguing with you further. Where is your Soul Box?"

"Heh, you wish! My Soul Box is in an utterly secure location. You’ll never find it. I will return, and when I do, you—and these traitors—will all be slaughtered," the Lich Marshal raged.

"Your treachery leaves me no choice," a lich commander interjected. "My lord, don’t trust his words. If he truly intended to return to his Soul Box, he could easily kill himself. The fact that he hesitates proves his Soul Box is on this ship. He is too cunning to hide it elsewhere."

"Furthermore, our Soul Boxes have been stored in the captain’s quarters under his control," added another lich commander.

Li Yao nodded. "You’ve done well. From now on, you’re the captain of the Ghost Ship."

"Thank you, my lord! Thank you!" The lich commander bowed deeply. The other high-ranking undead sighed in relief. If Li Yao entrusted them with roles, it meant they were still useful and had a chance to survive.

One by one, undead dropped to one knee, declaring their allegiance.

Li Yao proceeded to appoint the strongest undead to lead their respective races before turning his gaze to the stunned Lich Marshal.

"I’ll ask you one last time: where is your Soul Box? Lie again, and you’re dead. When I find it on this ship, I’ll grind you to dust—I never break my word," Li Yao said coldly.

The Lich Marshal’s eyes dimmed with despair. His subordinates had switched their loyalty before his eyes. Being undead, he knew why—they could sense the overwhelming death energy from Li Yao’s soul. It was an aura that only an undead king could possess.

What they didn’t know was that while Li Yao could assume a lich form, he was merely at the warlord level, his aura far weaker than the Lich Marshal’s. What they felt came from the Reaper’s Scythe.

Undead lack most senses, but their sensitivity to auras is unmatched. To surrender to the living felt shameful, but to follow a powerful undead lord was natural. To them, the strong reigned supreme.

"Fine, I’ll tell you. Will you truly spare me?" the Lich Marshal asked dejectedly.

"Your life or death is meaningless to me," Li Yao replied indifferently.

"How can I trust you?"

"Do you have another choice?" Li Yao stood impatiently. "I’ve said it already—your life or death doesn’t matter. This is your last chance to speak. Otherwise, you die. The ship is mine now, and my kingdom is full of magical masters. Sooner or later, they’ll find the seal on your Soul Box."

The Lich Marshal deflated entirely and revealed the location of his Soul Box. It was hidden beneath a secret compartment in one of the cells, cloaked with layers of seals and energy-concealing wards—a fairly secure spot.

His cunning nature ensured the box was never far from him. Trusting another location was too risky.

When Li Yao retrieved the Soul Box, the snake-woman released the lich, and the bindings were lifted.

Li Yao’s guards collaborated with the liches to quickly master the Ghost Ship’s mechanics, while the defected commanders regained control of the Tower of the Windwalker’s forces...