Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 582 - 535

Zhiyan lay on the ground, not yet recovered from the wave of excitement. He propped himself up, facing Nia who had just hoisted him up, without a single complaint.

"That’s really something. Now I can say I have a basic understanding of the language of the Evil God, and my resume has just gained another ancient and boast-worthy item."

"So who are you planning to brag to? I don’t think this skill is all that useful. Evil Gods are rare, and they aren’t going to discard their chaotic thoughts over a nursery rhyme." The Giant Dragon pushed away the coffin lid of the tomb’s original occupant that stood in the center like a backdrop. Poor fellow, only a few bone fragments remained, the lower half turned to dust.

"Ha, that’s because you can’t imagine its use, it can buy me a second or two when I’m disturbed by the tomb’s owner, during the process of announcing myself. If I speak slowly, maybe I could live five more seconds!" Mr. Zhiyan said seriously, though his words were not to be taken seriously.

"Maybe these sleepy ones will wake up on the wrong side of the bed and finish you off for your prattle."

"Impossible. Most of the tombs I visit are grand in scale, with their dwellers having the demeanor high-status individuals should possess. At least, based on my gift of gab, I’ve never had a mishap..."

"The moment you do have a mishap, I’ll have to save you," Mr. Giant Dragon turned his head to Lyle, offering an explanation in his teacher mode mixed with friend introduction, "Zhiyan’s talent is, ’Perceiving the Ancients’. He can accurately identify the ’oldest’ stones amidst a pile of rocks, which comes in handy when searching tombs. The tombs he visits are either rich or noble, and also where Liches often appear. I like to call his talent ’Treasure Seeker’. The most skilled tomb raiders can’t match him; after all, his tomb raiding relies on talent and relentless perseverance. By the way, Plague Doctor, ’tomb raiding’ is Zhiyan’s taboo word."

"And you damn bastard just had to say it several times!" Mr. Zhiyan had already jumped up but was pinned in place by the tall Giant Dragon with a single hand, unable to move. Among the Liches of Andrey, the Giant Dragon had one of the largest builds, probably over two meters tall, maybe only Mr. Raymond or the Dean could match him. As for Mr. Zhiyan... his height was also... very ancient.

Zhiyan gave up the futile arm wrestling, "I’m not like those ghouls who sell their souls for wealth! What I learn from these stones is history and knowledge, things like money and wealth I wouldn’t glance at twice! Even when I frequent these tombs, I protect and even restore the funerary objects, and if the owner were still alive, I would awaken them too, as this is my commitment as a seeker of knowledge!"

The Giant Dragon appreciated Zhiyan’s habit because he couldn’t stay indifferent to those ancient creature fossils. "So, you get beaten up pretty badly, as the disturbed owner won’t listen to the excuses of a tomb raider."

Mr. Zhiyan cupped a nearby burial artifact in his hands, starting to examine it, "I don’t care, the richness of knowledge is sweet to me, and the purity of soul elevates me above the ordinary."

"What about these burial objects of tomb owners who have passed away..." Not every deceased turns into a Lich. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"What belongs to the deceased, naturally returns to the deceased," explained Mr. Giant Dragon. Necromancers of Andrey aren’t exactly charitable, and even Zhiyan wasn’t without desire. Rather, they disturb the dead because they are after something.

"Mr. Zhiyan must be very learned," Lyle remarked as he watched Zhiyan’s back.

"I have dabbled in everything from the birth of Holy Light up until now, within the past two hundred years," Zhiyan spoke evenly, but the haughtiness in his words reminded Lyle of the scholar and the Giant Dragon showing off their skills.

"You’re talking about two hundred years of history?"

"History, geography, culture, principles of spells, and racial traits, as long as it was once buried beneath the stones, I mostly know them... like, I’m fully aware of all the magic theoretical knowledge of the Andrey Liches from fifty years ago, after all, they have all once died." Zhiyan continued, "Even now, I can keep up with the developments in Andrey..."

"No, you can’t," interrupted Mr. Giant Dragon without hesitation. Under Zhiyan’s odd sidelong glance, the Giant Dragon remained expressionless. "While you were gone, the Advanced Magic Research Society was established."

"The Advanced Magic Research Society? What is that, a scholars’ honors program?"

"A scholar has taught a monster that has turned itself into an introvert. Time now flies by rapidly; you will soon be left behind, my old friend."

Mr. Scholar, the name carried enough weight to end Zhiyan’s doubts, swallowing his curiosity... into the hollow of his chest. "Is that so, then I’ll find time to witness it for myself."

Andrey is in the midst of a technological leap; under its influence, the City of Wandering and the power dynamics related to the Andrey Liches are changing rapidly. Clearly, Mr. Zhiyan, an external staff member, missed all these developments, holed up in the tombs and missing out on the wonderful world outside.

"Mr. Zhiyan, why are you so engrossed in studying tombs, and although you know so much, you haven’t spent time turning that knowledge into power. This... is strange."

"Time is insufficient."

"How can it be..."

Mr. Dragon clapped his hands, diverting Lyle’s attention to him.

"I once shared your perplexity, Plague Doctor. But before you stands a Lich born purely for ancient texts. Zhiyan has sacrificed much for these ancient pieces of knowledge, but as he said, there isn’t enough time."

"Life perishes, time flows away. Things once vivid will gradually become ’ancient’, and after ’ancient’, there is the ’void’ that transcends death. Humans will die, their memories and wisdom bound into volumes and passed down, but the process from birth to death is unstable. Any mishap could interrupt this heritage. Natural disasters and calamities, the civilization penned by the living, become funerary objects for the dead. Time will erase the marks of our existence, nullifying the value of life. And these fleeting marvels have been seen by my friend Zhiyan."

"He is gathering the ancient before time shatters them into the void. My friend is not just a scavenger of the old; he is also a preserver of the beautiful. Everything is passing away, and Zhiyan is resisting this process. He is resisting the fact that ’our existence is insignificant’."

Zhiyan picked up where Mr. Dragon had left off.

"I am simply clinging to the futile tasks from my living days; time turns everything into history, tombs holding records keep emerging and what I get to see may not even be a ten thousandth of them. Heritage will eventually be severed, and even I myself have become ’ancient’ by the passage of time. Perhaps there would be a better way for my soul to exist, but I’ve forgotten much and only remember how I once pursued this path."

Is this truly what a pure Lich is...

Immediately after, Lyle heard Zhiyan’s laughter.

"That’s why Liches are so wonderful, eternal ’death’ surely won’t become ’void’."

Mr. Dragon, unbeknownst when, had come to Lyle’s side.

"He is as stubborn as a rock. His inner strength and outer frailty are equally conspicuous. Racing against time, concentrating all his efforts in recording knowledge, he is not willing even to spare time to strengthen himself. Such persistence... makes me willing to act as his vanguard."

"Ew! Stop being disgusting, you animal freak. You must have another agenda for coming here, right? If you want to use my knowledge just say so, don’t stand there rambling."

Mr. Dragon’s expression returned to calm.

"Indeed, I need your help, and it’s good if you understand that."

"Then let’s go. Find a good place to talk, and don’t stay here to disturb my work."

Zhiyan walked side by side with Mr. Dragon out of the tomb, and Lyle seemed to just catch on. He looked at the grave goods and cleaning tools Mr. Zhiyan had set aside.

"Mr. Zhiyan, isn’t this work very important? You’re unwilling even to take time to learn power... Why..." Why would you be willing to help Mr. Dragon with an unknown request.

"How long will you two take from me? An hour? A day? Perhaps a week?"

Mr. Zhiyan tilted his head, his finger pointing at Lyle standing in place.

"My job is to maintain those vanishing beauties. You and Mr. Dragon, as my friends, obviously fall within this category. Come now, newcomer, prepare a tea meeting and let’s talk about the new changes."