This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 465 - 436: An Old Friend Cares About Your Safety

Chapter 465: Chapter 436: An Old Friend Cares About Your Safety

When Amberser handed over the Artifactual Coin with immense heartache, Gustavo Flint was somewhat dazed.

Was the Lich really not acting? The tremble in his voice seemed all too real.

Indeed, Amberser was not pretending. Though he could have earned a twofold profit margin, for the sake of alchemy’s development, he painfully allowed the God of Alchemy to only increase the price by one fold.

How much money was that?

Earning less, what’s the difference from losing money?

Therefore, no matter how well Gustavo Flint knew Amberser and how deeply he understood the human heart, Amberser’s attitude was genuinely without pretense. Even if a deity descended to conduct a lie detection, nothing amiss would be found.

"This coin, I entrust to you. Its function is to add the attribute of a corpse to all matters. However, each transformation requires a substantial amount of gold. As for how much, test it yourself. Those are the rates set by the God of Alchemy."

Amberser looked so distressed and reluctant to speak further that even Gustavo Flint felt a sting of compassion. Did he really trick the Lich this time? But why was the Lich so easy to talk to?

With his personality, he would never engage in a business that loses money, not even if he were captured and exposed to Holy Light.

"Tell me honestly why you would give me this coin. Don’t even say it’s out of generosity, and not about so-called friendship either," he said.

By now, Gustavo Flint had a psychological shadow over Amberser, truly fearful of being duped by the Lich again.

If he couldn’t get a reasonable explanation, he would rather discard the coin than agree to Amberser’s terms.

Amberser sighed and said, "You know me well, Flint, and I don’t intend to find any more excuses. The sole reason I’m willing to give up this core is because of the God of Alchemy. You’ve guessed most of it right; the power of this favor was bestowed on me by the God of Alchemy, who could take it back at any moment.

"When you came to me proposing cooperation, the God of Alchemy sensed it too. This is a good opportunity to expand the influence of alchemy, one that He wouldn’t miss. You must understand, your previous blunder in Alchemy City significantly set back the divine power of the God of Alchemy. Now with a chance to recover that power, He certainly wouldn’t miss it. Flint, as the new Chairman of the Alchemist Council, your influence on alchemy is very significant. Do you understand now?"

This reason seemed quite plausible, but Gustavo Flint couldn’t help asking, "Even so, wouldn’t it be in your habit to conceal this information and then demand a high price to swindle me again?"

Amberser retorted, "Do you still have money for me to swindle?"

Gustavo Flint was momentarily taken aback. Did the Lich know everything?

Indeed, Amberser knew everything. Even though he hadn’t been around the dwarves lately, he never lacked information from that side.

Isabel was still mixing it up in the Dwarf Kingdom, and by now she had grown into a figure of significant importance. Gustavo Flint couldn’t help wanting to take her on as a student, but the title had already been snatched by the Lich Amberser.

As Isabel’s status and position rose, and being a senior member of the Alchemist Council, she was very knowledgeable about the Council’s internal affairs, and so Amberser also heard about Gustavo Flint’s economic problems from her.

It wasn’t that he had no money. A Legendary Alchemist wanting to live a worry-free life was certainly not difficult, but negotiating a big deal with Amberser was now out of the question. Even the Council’s own funds were tight, constantly earning money only to use those earnings to pay off debts.

In such a situation, it was useless for Amberser to demand too much, as Gustavo Flint wouldn’t seriously sell himself to raise funds; he knew the old man too well.

Amberser continued to explain, "Flint, we both understand each other well. I indeed can’t bear to just give it to you for nothing, but I, a mere mortal, simply cannot defy the command of the God of Alchemy.

"Since you have no wealth to offer in return, it’s better for me to have you owe me a favor. A favor from a Legendary Alchemist is worth more than the little gold in your pockets. Although it still feels like a huge loss, it’s the only way to minimize the damage. Don’t you think?"

Amberser spoke so candidly that Gustavo Flint had no further doubts.

All of it made sense unless the God of Alchemy was in cahoots with him to deceive him, but that was impossible. Just as Amberser said, as the Chairman, he represented alchemy in the Mortal Realm, and it was only natural for the God of Alchemy to stand with him.

Therefore, Gustavo Flint said to Amberser, "Alright, I’ll remember this favor. Let’s do as you said, I’ll cover the shipping fees this time. As for the subsequent sales, let’s set up a detailed profit-sharing contract later. I need to test the conversion efficiency of this coin first."

Amberser nodded expressionlessly and then said, "You better find orders quickly. If I don’t make this money back from someone, my soul will be restless, liable to go mad at any moment."

Gustavo Flint looked at Amberser’s wretched state and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. So, the Lich had his days too.

Praise be to the God of Alchemy, this is the most correct thing the deity has ever done!

"Don’t worry, I’m short on cash too. Moreover, the Dwarf King has already approached me. The Dwarf Kingdom may lack many things, but not gold," Gustavo Flint said.

These weren’t empty promises. The Dwarf Kingdom, ousted from their homeland by the Laine People, was chomping at the bit. Now that Laine seemed on the brink of chaos, the Dwarf King could hardly wait to fan the flames and then take the opportunity to reclaim lost territory. However, the army of the Dwarf Kingdom was truly subpar, no match for the Paladin Legion of the Laine People.

Amberser had previously displayed a power that had shocked the entire world. Now, the new breed of skeletons introduced by Amberser naturally became the hottest product on the market.

The Dwarf King had secretly sent people more than once to find Gustavo Flint, inquiring about news on Amberser.

Gustavo Flint knew how profitable the arms business was, but he was merely a subcontractor with no access to the core technology, and naturally, he did not want to let Amberser earn all the profits.

It was because the Dwarf King did not yet know that Amberser was Isabel’s teacher, so for the time being, Gustavo Flint kept the information sealed. However, it was expected that it couldn’t be kept secret for long. The Dwarf King was eager to fight Laine again and would sooner or later find the connection through Isabel.

Now it was perfect. Amberser had the key core of the Pseudo-Souls, while Gustavo Flint possessed the coins that could transform corpses. The two had a basis for cooperation, which meant they could profit together. Gustavo Flint would immediately push forward with this joint project.

The Dwarf Kingdom inherited most of Alchemy City’s production lines. Although they were not as advanced as the original capital’s interior equipment, the machinery inside the capital was mainly for research and development, while the surrounding cities outside the capital had the production lines best suited for mass production.

Now, Amberser needed a large number of undead shells, which was precisely Gustavo Flint’s area of expertise. It could be said that a deal with the Dwarf King could be struck today, with the first batch of special-type skeletons delivered within ten days.

"How much longer will you stay on the sea? You might as well come back and join the Council," said Gustavo Flint. "You are Isabel’s teacher, and no one would dare oppose you becoming the vice-chairman."

Amberser chuckled and replied, "Joining you is for business, just as I’m here for business, and the deals I’m making here are even bigger, with returns of hundreds to thousands of times. Which one do you think I should choose? Don’t worry; I won’t let you down with your business. Just place your orders; I have plenty of time."

The flow of time in his private space could be adjusted at will. Amberser could create a large number of low-level artificial souls in one day, enough to satisfy the Dwarf Kingdom’s needs.

Hearing this, Gustavo Flint frowned and asked, "Are you really creating gods? You must be very aware of what happened to Alchemy City back then. Is it really worth the risk for you?"

After securing the partnership, Gustavo Flint started to worry about Amberser’s safety. If this lich died, the Divine Artifact coin he held would become useless. Without the compatible Pseudo-Souls, the Alien Skeletons would be unable to move.

The creation of gods, such an exhilarating experiment, but the failure of Alchemy City was a stark reminder. Gustavo Flint truly hoped that nothing would happen to Amberser.

When you are beneficial to others, everyone hopes you live forever. Whether you live well is another matter.

But Amberser seemed unconcerned and said, "What are you thinking? You acted recklessly and tried to sneak around the Deities’ rules. Unlike you, my path is the most traditional way of Deification through faith, completely complying with the rules set by Aeo. Even if the Deities wish to intervene, they must do so discreetly; they wouldn’t dare to take direct action like last time.

"As for powers in the Mortal Realm, Flint, do you really think anyone can stop me now?"

Gustavo Flint closed his mouth. Times had changed, and this lich had indeed soared to great heights.

The battle at sea became his stepping stone, with the Githyanki and Astral Red Dragons falling beneath his feet. Laine’s seven Legendary individuals were effortlessly defeated by the Paladins he had summoned. Furthermore, after proclaiming the Lord of the Dawn was on his side and not being incinerated by the Holy Light, his immense strength combined with a robust background, as well as his relations among various kingdoms... Amberser’s words were no exaggeration; at this point, there was no one in the world capable of stopping him.

On the contrary, upon hearing his name, everyone shuddered, dreading the thought of the Master Ultraman setting his sights on their treasuries.

"In any case, be careful in all matters, old friend. I look forward to the day we split the profits."

Gustavo Flint offered his sincerest blessings before breaking off the communication through the Magic Mirror, then started to study the Divine Artifact coin.

Although he wasn’t a Necromancer, finding one wasn’t difficult. Today, he had to fully test out the cost of transforming corpses.

Amberser was also very satisfied; he had successfully duped the old chap.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t overuse it, at least not to the point of bankruptcy before making any money.

Reopening the battlefield communication through the Magic Mirror, Amberser realized that the battle was nearing its end.

The Undead Navy, joining the battle for the first time, showcased a combat strength that far exceeded expectations. The Sharkwa Fishmen, after two attempts at a counterattack, quickly withdrew.

Seemingly frightened by the deadly toxins in the sea, they chose to retreat before grasping the nature of these substances, to avoid meaningless casualties. So they soon withdrew, leaving behind less than ten thousand corpses.

Amberser’s side also suffered comparable losses: about thirty thousand from the Trash Fish Army, five octopus-formed Guardians, and two submerged monitors that were damaged and required repairs.

Since Gustavo Flint bore the majority of the battle’s costs, Amberser did some calculations and found that all costs added up to only three thousand Gold Coins, after deducting his labor charges.

Three thousand Gold Coins in exchange for ten thousand Sharkwa Fishmen: a highly profitable bargain!

Ange Watson reported to Amberser, "Master Ultraman, we have triumphed in battle as commanded. Now, shall we begin cleaning up the battlefield?"

After some thought, Amberser said, "No need for now. We still have plenty of the Trash Fish Army left, right? While our neighbors still haven’t discovered the Undead Legion’s weaknesses, let’s press on. Our next target: sweep through the Yixi Manta Ray Region. It’s time to show our merfolk allies our sincerity; otherwise, they won’t send the exiled criminals to me."