This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 366 - 339: Leaving the Only Future

Chapter 366: Chapter 339: Leaving the Only Future

Amberser looked at Domino Lauri lying on the ground and said to Mr. Misfortune, "You give your heart to Bright Moon, but Bright Moon would rather shine on a stinking ditch than give you even a sliver of light."

Mr. Misfortune frowned and said, "Where did this poisonous proverb come from?"

Amberser had come here following Mr. Misfortune, only because the old guy insistently wanted to play out a heartfelt confession. Unfortunately, Domino Lauri was utterly unmoved and tried everything to escape.

Unable to flee the house, she threw out a ring.

The thing exploded mid-air. It wasn’t very powerful, but the sound was incredibly loud.

This was to attract others’ attention and get the guards to come help.

But regrettably, as her ring exploded, a great thunderclap sounded in the sky followed by a torrential downpour that drowned out all other noises.

Domino Lauri looked toward the sky in shock.

She wasn’t unaware that Mr. Misfortune was a Diviner Mage, but she had never witnessed the power of destiny.

Diviner Mages were too rare, and the stories passed around were just about them being able to see into the future.

But the power Mr. Misfortune displayed now seemed as unfathomable as that of a Deity.

In her astonishment, Domino Lauri continued to struggle and attempt various methods to flee. Be it magic equipment or spells, even drawing her sword to strike at Mr. Misfortune, all were to no avail.

In the end, it was Amberser who grew impatient and knocked her out.

Two legendary Diviner Mages had joined forces, and with a well-prepared ambush at that, Domino Lauri, a Tiflin who had long lost her edge, could only be toyed with at their mercy.

Mr. Misfortune looked at the fallen Domino Lauri with a complex expression, and Amberser, jesting, said, "You could fulfill your dreams while she’s unconscious, or we could leave this place."

From the beginning, the two were not here to kill. Killing Domino Lauri was meaningless because, dead or alive, she was bound for Hell anyway.

Mr. Misfortune truly just wanted to have a confrontation with Domino Lauri, and this was his last encounter with her.

Only, he hadn’t expected that even this final meeting would end in such a mess.

After a long while, Mr. Misfortune finally averted his gaze and said to Amberser, "Let’s go and do what we must."

Amberser sighed and said, "Even an old flame can’t change your mind about courting death?"

Mr. Misfortune shook his head and said, "She’s not any old flame. She doesn’t know; it’s all just my one-sided feelings. Moreover, does private affection weigh more than righteousness?"

Amberser, also somewhat helpless, said, "Fine then. When you’re gone, what little humanity I have left will probably disappear as well."

Amberser hadn’t been a Lich for very long, and compared to a lifespan of hundreds of years, conducting experiments inside a castle was just too bland.

Perhaps it was this blandness that meant his memories of the past hadn’t been washed away much. He had thought he was quite like a Lich, until he returned to the places of his past and met his old friends.

Those long-buried memories surged back all at once, causing him some emotional turbulence.

That’s why Amberser felt a compulsive urge to help him regardless of the cost, which led him to threaten Zariel and even spend a fair amount of money on his behalf.

But it was almost over now.

"Let’s go. Zariel and Goddess Tiamat must have been waiting for a while; these Hell Lords have no patience."

Amberser and Mr. Misfortune walked side by side, passing the statue of Arthur Laine, where the bands were still playing music in praise of Arthur.

Suddenly, Amberser asked, "What do you think, do they know that Laine is about to attack?"

Mr. Misfortune said, "Whether they know it or not doesn’t matter; everyone has their own duties to fulfill, their responsibilities to carry out. They’re simply dedicated to doing their jobs."

The two walked across the square, and when they reached a secluded spot, Amberser drew a Teleportation Circle on the ground.

They stepped into it, and the next second, they were in Gloomyland.

Using Withered Rose for summoning Hell Lords in such a grand ritual was the better option.

Melina had been waiting there already. Seeing Amberser, she hurried over.

"Father, everything is ready."

This address nearly made Mr. Misfortune stumble to the ground as he exclaimed to Amberser in shock, "You actually have a daughter?!"

Amberser retorted, "What’s so surprising about that?"

Mr. Misfortune, confused, said, "You are an Undead, aren’t you? Wait, don’t tell me you married and had a child while you were alive and then turned your daughter into an Undead?"

Amberser, mocking, said, "Does your imagination only come into play when you gossip?"

Mr. Misfortune, undisturbed, said, "So, what’s the story? Tell me; I’m about to die, just satisfy my curiosity."

Left with no choice, Amberser explained Melina’s origins to Mr. Misfortune.

Even Mr. Misfortune, worldly as he was, got shaken by such an unbelievable tale. An Undead being able to have children—that was extraordinary.

However, after his moment of contemplation, Mr. Misfortune said to Amberser, "You kid, you’re luckier than I am, so cherish it."

Amberser asked curiously, "Cherish what?"

Mr. Misfortune rolled his eyes at Amberser, this kid was still playing dumb! He couldn’t bear to talk about this saddening topic anymore and urged, "Come on, summon the two Hell Lords and let’s get this over with."

Amberser muttered, "I’ve hardly ever seen someone so eager to die."

Yet delaying was meaningless because destiny had already been determined.

Melina was once again placed upon the altar by Amberser, then Mr. Misfortune watched in astonishment as Amberser recited the summoning spell in an extremely perfunctory manner.

Though he didn’t understand the language of devils, it sounded nothing like devotion or humility.

Was this kid not afraid of being struck down by a deity?

Despite the half-hearted ceremony, two flames still appeared atop the altar.

The first was the fallen angel with wings, Zariel, and the second was the Evil Dragon Goddess Tiamat, whom Amberser had met only once before.

Amberser looked at the two Hell Lords and calmly said, "My Lords, as decided, it’s time to sign a new contract."

Mr. Misfortune was a bit nervous, being a Tiflin, it was his first time meeting a Hell Lord. Perhaps it was the hellish blood within him resonating, giving him an impulse to bow down in reverence.

But Amberser’s calmness infected him, and Mr. Misfortune eventually stood up straight, waiting for his fate to unfold.

The Evil Dragon Goddess Tiamat glanced at Amberser and said, "Lich, are you interested in becoming my follower? You can pick any of the Chromatic Dragons; I can give you a Giant Dragon as a pet."

Mr. Misfortune almost popped his eyes out in surprise. What was happening?

Tiamat was offering this kid a dragon, just asking him to worship her? The condition was too lenient, wasn’t it?

And what surprised Mr. Misfortune even more was Amberser’s reply; he refused without hesitation.

"No thanks, I already have a dragon, and she’s quite the eater. I can’t afford a second one."

It wasn’t a lie, every time Naomi transformed into a dragon, she’d get ravenously hungry, requiring ten times her normal food intake. Although the girl wasn’t picky, she wasn’t easy to sustain.

Mr. Misfortune turned to look at Amberser, this kid, he actually had a dragon?! Could he be lying?

Tiamat snorted coldly, while Zariel burst into laughter, mocking, "Tiamat, you knew this lich wasn’t going to make it easy for us, why bother humiliating yourself?"

Tiamat’s face darkened, then she shifted the topic, "Let’s discuss the matter at hand now. Lich, repeat the terms you proposed earlier."

Amberser looked at Mr. Misfortune, then said to Tiamat, "He and I will construct a Star Realm passage for you two Lords in exchange for the several million souls from the Kingdom of Impure Hymns. The specific list will be prepared by Uradimir, as I believe you have already discussed. At the same time, Uradimir will regain his freedom and will not fall into Hell."

Tiamat said, "That’s not right, lich; what about the several million Soul Currency you promised me? You damned lich, are you trying to cheat me out of my money?"

Amberser said in surprise, "Wasn’t it you who said you didn’t want it?"

After saying that, Amberser also looked towards Zariel, who had explicitly said he wanted not even a penny, just vengeance.

Zariel disdainfully said, "I said I didn’t want it, but I never said Tiamat didn’t. You think you can weasel out of millions of Tiflin souls just with a few words? Lich, do you take us for those lowly devils with flawed brains?"

Amberser sighed and said, "All right, my Lords, you make a fair point, so please name your price."

What followed was a time for haggling. Mr. Misfortune watched Amberser negotiate with a Grand Duke of Hell. That lich sure dared to drive a hard bargain, Tiamat started with five million, and he countered with fifty thousand.

Mr. Misfortune was now certain his disciple had no respect for deities, even contemptuous of them.

They finally agreed on one million and five hundred thousand high-quality Soul Currency, each one having to be of quality not inferior to the one Zariel had seen.

Tiamat was actually quite satisfied with this price. The quality of those millions of Tiflin souls varied and couldn’t possibly be that high.

Then, at Amberser’s behest, both Grand Dukes of Hell swore an oath by the name of Aeo, and both sides signed the contract.

Whichever side broke the contract would face punishment.

Now, all that was left was for Amberser to prepare the Soul Currency for the exchange.

The negotiation process went incredibly smoothly; Mr. Misfortune was hearing for the first time that Hell Demons could be so reasonable. Were the stories all lies? Until the demons vanished in flames, Mr. Misfortune was still unable to comprehend what had happened.

When he came to his senses, he said to Amberser in awe, "Arthas, what have you been through all these years?"

No mortal can face a deity with such pride; it’s irrational. Even as an Undead, the reverence for a deity is etched into the soul.

The only explanation was that in the past centuries, he had faced unimaginable trials, and these had made him lose his reverence for deities and even dare to scheme against them, as they were about to do.

Amberser handed the contract to Mr. Misfortune, then said, "You still have time to regret it now, Uradimir. I urge you one last time. Give up the Kingdom of Impure Hymns and come with me. I know a few Paladins; they even abandoned Arthur Laine, so what’s there to miss about this kingdom tainted by Hell?"

Mr. Misfortune shook his head at Amberser, "No need to say more. If I wanted to give up, I would have done so hundreds of years ago. This is the land of my birth and upbringing, and I am willing to give everything for its people, even if it means complete annihilation."

Amberser, resigned, didn’t try to persuade him further and said, "In that case, let us begin. Let’s eliminate all possibilities and leave behind the future you hope for."