This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 466 - 437: Goodbye Aeolus

Chapter 466: Chapter 437: Goodbye Aeolus

The Volcanic Ocean Region couldn’t be entirely conquered in just a day or two, as dozens of resource-rich areas had to be taken one by one while also preventing enemy counterattacks.

That’s why Amberser initially planned to secure one area first and try advancing cautiously, layer by layer.

However, the performance of the Undead Legion greatly surpassed his expectations. The battle hadn’t even involved Aige’s Silent Night Pirate Group yet, and the Sharkwa Fishmen had already fled in a rout.

This made Amberser a bit overconfident, and he decided to take down the Yixi Manta Rays as well.

The Yixi Manta Rays required warmer waters for hatching, so they were usually found near the cooling seabed mountain ranges. One of their habitats was located not more than a couple hundred kilometers from Amberser’s territory. Sharkwa Fishmen and Yixi Manta Rays often encountered each other while foraging, but it seemed both parties exercised restraint and no significant conflicts arose.

This was normal, as the Volcanic Ocean Region was vast, so there was no need for desperate fighting just yet. The strategy was to occupy the unclaimed areas first, enjoy the benefits for a while, and then slowly move on to waging wars against the neighbors.

Only an ambitious Lich like Amberser would choose to launch an offensive, aiming to thoroughly stir up the waters of this entire region.

And the Yixi Manta Rays were an excellent target.

Not merely because they were close by, but more importantly, attacking the Yixi Manta Rays could allow for the exchange of the most crucial resource with the Mermaids—population.

The Yizhuoluo Mermaids used to be the most widely distributed and numerous race, thanks to Yizhuoluo’s benevolence and the Mermaids’ natural talent for spellcasting.

The combination of these two factors allowed the Mermaids to proliferate in large numbers. With the addition of their affiliated race, the Roca Murlocs, they were considered to have the largest population among the Sea Tribes.

And where there’s a large population, there are bound to be criminals.

Mermaids are of a kind and benevolent nature. Their most severe penalty is cutting the fins and then exiling the criminal. Cutting the fins is a declaration that the Mermaid is no longer under the protection of the Mermaid Clan. The exiled Mermaids were quickly captured by other races, either to be eaten or dealt with in other more cruel ways.

Even such a lenient punishment was considered too harsh by some within the Mermaid Tribe.

That was normal, as the "crimes" of the Mermaid Tribe weren’t heinous. A large part of what they called "crimes" amounted to an inability to remain "abstinent."

As Yizhuoluo was a deity of the Absolute Neutral Camp, the Mermaid Tribe, as her followers, also had many behavioral codes to follow. One of the most prominent rules was "temperance."

Not wasting food was basic; nor could one excessively pursue taste.

For instance, it was unacceptable for humans to eat only the tongue of a cow, and using a wealth of spices and side dishes to make the tongue taste better was also seen as sacrilegious by the Mermaids.

The Mermaids lived a somewhat ascetic life, although not to the extent of self-mortification. Individual desires were generally suppressed to very low levels.

Healthy living was the standard, and enjoyment was deemed unnecessary.

The same rule applied to clothing, food, shelter, and transport: they could not be excessively luxurious or purely for pleasure, one should not indulge in desires or extreme emotions, and it was preferred to remain in a state of peace and happiness. Such were the living attitudes, or rather, living principles of the Mermaid Tribe.

However, there are always exceptions.

Just as there are minority groups among the Laine People who do not believe in the Lord of the Dawn, the Mermaid Tribe was no exception.

Some Mermaids grew tired of their bland and uneventful aquatic lives and desired to taste a richer array of flavors, to adventure elsewhere, to freely express rage and laughter, to adorn themselves with colorful scales and luxurious jewelry, or simply not to endure the natural urge to reproduce.

These Mermaids, naturally incapable of an "abstinent" lifestyle, were often labeled as criminals, which is why the Mermaid Clan’s punishment for them was merely exile, as if to say: "If you don’t accept the life here, then leave and find the life you desire."

However, solitary Mermaids often faced difficulties in survival.

The strength of the Mermaid Clan came from their numbers and their collaboration. Without these, the individual combat power of Mermaids was significantly weaker—any random Koutoa Murloc might bully them.

Therefore, most of the exiled Mermaids met a tragic end, which the Mermaid Clan did not wish to see.

After all, they were kin; it would be intolerable to watch them die miserably, yet they couldn’t be allowed to remain within the Mermaid Tribe and disrupt their faith and lifestyle.

Faced with such a dilemma, Amberser conveniently offered to take these "criminals of the Mermaid Clan" under his protection in his dominion.

Working for a Lich could be considered a punishment in itself, as long as Amberser promised not to massacre these Mermaids.

The parties found mutual consent, but the condition was that Amberser had to show corresponding sincerity.

The Yixi Manta Rays were Amberser’s best token of intention. He needed to kill a large number of Yixi Manta Rays to demonstrate his power and prove he was worthy of protecting these exiled Mermaids.

And now, it seemed like the perfect moment to catch the Yixi Manta Rays by surprise.

Since Amberser was not a military expert, he simply made his suggestion, leaving the final approval to commanders like Ange Watson to discuss.

And after a brief few minutes of discussion, everyone agreed with the proposal.

The main reason was that the Undead Troop was simply too powerful. Managing a battle from thousands of kilometers away was a game they had not yet tired of playing. If they could fight another battle, that would be ideal.