This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 732 - 612 Harvey’s Malicious Thoughts_3

Chapter 732: Chapter 612 Harvey’s Malicious Thoughts_3

Hircine reflected and said to Harvey, "The suffering in life often stems from our origins and our elders. Not to hide from you, my parents also did not know how to take care of a child. They always forced many things on you under the guise of doing what’s best for you."

"The political change in the Dwarf Kingdom has a lot to do with this. The lives of the royal offspring will be more restricted, and the longtime suppression and bondage will make these children crave freedom even more. The only way for them to obtain freedom is to become the king of this Kingdom, and since Dwarves have long lifespans, the likelihood of them growing restless is too high."

Harvey nodded and said, "That’s true, indeed."

It’s no wonder he’s lived so long as an Elf, his conclusions are indeed accurate.

However, Hircine quickly shifted the topic subtly and asked Harvey, "Your days must be so arduous because of your teacher, right?"

"I’ve heard that human scholars push their apprentices very hard. They often work unpaid overtime, stay up late, and even have to do various mundane tasks beyond their academic work, sacrificing their experiences and youth so their supervisors can publish a few more papers, while the apprentices don’t even get the right to sign their names..."

Hircine’s voice, filled with magic power, was leading Harvey to develop ill will towards Amberser, while suppressing any goodwill Harvey might have felt towards him.

It was impossible for Harvey not to harbor any grievances; he remembered all the heavy tasks Amberser had imposed on him, and realized that he had never heard a word of comfort from him despite their long acquaintance. The communication between the apprentice and teacher had always been so simple and efficient, but utterly devoid of any human warmth.

All this hard work for him, and not even a single "hard work" acknowledgment?

Perhaps there had been some, but under Hircine’s manipulative power, Harvey had completely forgotten any good deeds.

Harvey began to think that his teacher was indeed the greediest vampire in the world, putting him through so much just to milk every penny from him.

Seeing the dazed look in Harvey’s eyes, Hircine knew he was under his influence and continued in a hypnotic tone, "So, you really hate him, don’t you? Have you ever thought about teaching him a lesson? Perhaps a prank that’s not too severe, but one which would make a lasting impression on him, make him realize he should care about your feelings—that wouldn’t be too bad, right?"

Harvey’s eyes started to show the same vortex that appeared in other victims, as if he was about to completely succumb.

In a dreamy tone, Harvey said, "Yes, I should let him know that I am a free person too, not his slave!"

Hircine continued, "Excellent, I can help you, but I just need you to cooperate."

Harvey responded, "Okay, I agree to give that old man a lesson!"

Hircine finally let out a smile, everything going smoothly as planned, as if it was fated to be.

But as he was preparing to lead Harvey to the Magic Array, Harvey suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed limply to the ground.

Hircine promptly picked him up and after checking for a while, he said puzzledly, "Soul exhausted too much? How can this boy have such a weak soul, I was careful to hypnotize him, yet he still couldn’t bear it?"

Typically, as a Mage who is all-in on intelligence, his soul should be more resilient than ordinary people, but Harvey’s soul was extremely peculiar, weaker than a newborn baby’s, fragile like thin glass.

Hircine’s recent hypnosis had impacted his soul, but such a gentle effect had still left his soul exhausted to the point of fainting.

"Something’s not right, a soul this fragile shouldn’t even be able to stand steadily, how could he maintain normal activities?"

Though Hircine was not an expert in souls, a Deity’s understanding of souls far exceeded that of a mortal. With the strength of Harvey’s soul, ideally, he should be lying in bed waiting for death, not moving around freely and even casting spells.

In such a state, Harvey couldn’t possibly be used as a sacrifice.

He needed Harvey’s malice, needed Harvey to voluntarily offer his soul, only then he could extract the "Power" that could be used to curse Amberser.

Hircine frowned deeply, weighing his options, but then noticed that Harvey’s breathing had become weak; his soul was still deteriorating further.

"No, I must save him first, otherwise he may never wake up! Damn it, did I fall into that Lich’s trap? Could he have foreseen that I would use Harvey as a sacrifice, so he tampered with his soul using his abilities? Such a malicious mind, truly fitting for a Lich who would betray the Gods for personal gain!"

Although uncertain if this was Amberser’s conspiracy, Hircine couldn’t let Harvey die—after all, he was the only option for the sacrifice, and without him, all previous efforts would be in vain.

Suddenly, Hircine reached into the void and brought out a bunch of bottles and jars. These were not Divine Artifacts, but for mortals, they were hard-to-find special potions.

Quickly, Harvey’s condition stabilized; his soul was no longer weakening, maintained in a precarious state—at least he wouldn’t die shortly. Treating a soul’s weakness was a challenging problem, but for a Deity, it was merely a bit troublesome.

Hircine sighed and said, "Hmm, foolish mortal, it is your cruel scheme that has brought you to death. Once Harvey wakes up, I’ll expose your betrayal to him, and his malice towards you will only grow, enhancing the effects of my ritual!"