Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 525 - 375: Epoch-Making Magic, Artificial Undead! (Part 2)

Of course, neither Fang Zhou nor Su Xinyan were people who easily accepted gifts, so they were naturally unwilling to accept Master Sandro’s unconditional offer. After coming to a preliminary agreement with Master Sandro and Silvanas on the future distribution of benefits, Fang Zhou thought of something else. He smiled and said to Silvanas, "I was just thinking that our Black Iron Tier Undead Mages seem to lack an effective type of shock unit. Is it possible that the Summoned Undead Mount skill you’re researching could be further evolved into the undead cavalry we need?"

Silvanas was slightly taken aback. A trace of hesitation flashed in her eyes as she replied, "Theoretically, it’s possible. However, according to our current research, the Skeleton Warhorse as an individual entity possesses no intelligence. Furthermore, aside from being a tool for rapid movement, its own frontal combat capabilities are not strong. Therefore, trying to rely on the Skeleton Warhorse alone as a shock unit would likely prove insufficient."

Fang Zhou nodded and said, "It’s not a major issue, but I have a preliminary idea. I was wondering if we could try combining Skeleton Warriors with Skeleton Warhorses to create a completely new type of unit. After all, our Skeleton Warriors line-up already includes melee Skeleton Soldiers and long-range Skeleton Archers, but we lack Skeleton Cavaliers for mounted combat. If we could achieve this, it would undoubtedly introduce more variety to our tactics."

Master Sandro listened to Fang Zhou’s words, and the corners of his mouth curled into a terrifying smile. "There’s an old saying in your Longxia Federation: ’Be patient, for you can’t eat hot tofu in a hurry.’ Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Warhorses are both Black Iron Tier undead creatures. If you want to fuse them, they will most likely become a new Bronze Tier undead entity. Such an attempt could indeed succeed, but the workload involved would be immense. Don’t be in a hurry. There’s still plenty of time, so just take it slow and research it gradually."

Fang Zhou nodded. The surprises Master Sandro and Silvanas had brought today had far exceeded his initial expectations, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

The four Undead Mages discussed matters for a while longer.

Just as Fang Zhou thought the day’s sharing session was over, Master Sandro’s expression suddenly turned serious. He hesitated for a moment before opening his personal terminal. "Instructor Su, Fang Zhou," he said, "I actually have another important, ongoing research project that I hope to share with you. If this research succeeds, it could greatly expand the types and origins of creatures that we Undead Mages can summon."

Hearing this, Fang Zhou and Su Xinyan couldn’t help but exchange a glance, each seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes. What kind of research could make Master Sandro treat it with such gravity?

Master Sandro displayed a series of complex data and images on the screen and continued, "As you know, in the combat system of us Undead Mages, the key to our power lies in the undead creatures that fear death nor defy orders. My research is aimed at further strengthening this pillar of our profession and opening up new possibilities for our summoning magic.

"For the decades since the beginning of the Era of Myth, the most traditional and widely used method for Undead Mages to obtain undead creatures has been through summoning skills. When we consume our undead mana to establish a summoning link with the mysterious Undead Realm, we are able to capture the soul-fluctuations of beings lingering in that other world. Then, with the chanting of a spell, we summon the desired undead creatures into our world.

"However, these creatures obtained through summoning skills require a continuous drain on our mana to maintain their existence. Furthermore, their presence is temporary; they cannot remain in the mortal world for long. Within this limited time, they can fight for their caster. Once they are defeated in battle or their time limit is reached, they dissipate and are sent back to that dark, lightless world.

"This method has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is its convenience; we can summon creatures anytime, anywhere. The disadvantage is that both summoning and maintenance consume a great deal of undead mana, and there is also a required casting time."

Master Sandro paused, as if observing Fang Zhou and Su Xinyan’s reactions. The two held their breath, sensing that the information the master was about to reveal would be extraordinary.

Indeed, Master Sandro continued, "In contrast to our summoning skills, there are other Magic Professionals, such as War Puppet Craftsmen and Demon Puppet Masters. In their downtime, they can use their skills to personally craft their own War Puppets or Demonic Puppets from specific materials and carry them around. When a battle begins, they can instantly command these mechanical or magical creations to fight for them, with no need to expend mana to summon them.

"For years, I have entertained a certain concept: couldn’t we Undead Mages borrow the practices of these other professions? By combining various kinds of magic, we could create our own artificial undead creatures instead of relying solely on temporary summons before a battle.

"In the plan I envision, these artificially created undead creatures could not only absorb the flesh and souls of enemies to strengthen themselves, but more importantly, they would require only a minimal amount of mana for routine maintenance. This would allow an Undead Mage to control these creatures for extended periods, providing sustained combat support while also lessening the burden on their mana."

Master Sandro grew more and more animated as he spoke. His voice filled with passion, and his somewhat withered beard trembled with the rhythm of his words, as if it had been revitalized.

"This way, when we are traveling or otherwise don’t need their assistance, we can teleport these Artificial Undead to the Undead Realm. There, these Artificial Undead can absorb the Death Energy that permeates the realm, continuously strengthening themselves. Then, when battle commences, we can use the array links engraved into their Soul Fire during creation to summon them precisely to our side to fight for us.

"Such Artificial Undead creatures are clearly more cost-effective than those summoned on a one-time basis. Moreover, they are yours permanently and will grow stronger over time."

At this point, Silvanas joined the conversation, her tone filled with excitement. "Of course, if an Undead Mage has sufficient space and the right conditions, these Artificial Undead don’t necessarily have to be sent to the Undead Realm. After all, sending them there carries certain risks. The Undead Realm is teeming with all sorts of death-aligned creatures locked in constant battle, endlessly devouring each other’s corpses and souls.

"If you send your Artificial Undead to the Undead Realm, you must be prepared for the possibility that they might suddenly grow much stronger, or that they might meet with misfortune. For instance, you might send in an Artificial Skeleton that has just reached the Apprentice Tier. When you next summon it, it might have evolved into a Black Iron Tier Skeleton Warrior. Of course, along with pleasant surprises, there can also be disappointing outcomes. Then again, sometimes you might just summon back a pile of shattered bones."

Su Xinyan and Fang Zhou listened intently, their eyes fixed on the conceptual diagrams of the spell structure Master Sandro was projecting on the screen. The complex symbols and lines interwove into a dense web, symbolizing unknown possibilities. As Master Sandro and Silvanas’s explanations went into greater detail, the pair’s understanding of this technology deepened. They could both imagine the changes this technology would bring if the research succeeded.