21st Century Necromancer

Lich, this is a term that evokes a sense of nostalgia for Chen Yu.

Before becoming a certified necromancer, Chen Xin had always considered becoming a lich. After all, at that time, he could see very little from the "Multiverse Universal Necromancy Spell Compendium," and the lich was well-known; transitioning into a lich indeed seemed like a very good choice.

But as Chen Yu's research into necromancy deepened and his expertise grew, he naturally forsook the option of becoming a lich, a path that deviates from humanity.

After all, the prerequisites for becoming a lich are far too numerous, and forging a Life Coffin Box requires a massive amount of resources, making it a choice that now seems tasteless and regrettable to abandon for Chen Yu.

In fact, there are two kinds of lich transformation rituals recorded in the "Multiverse Universal Necromancy Spell Compendium."

One, of course, is the method Chen Yu originally intended to use, involving a complex ritual and a piece of Heavy Spirit Land as a sacrifice, to transform one's form of life and become an immortal existence. As long as the Life Coffin Box is not destroyed, one could live indefinitely.

This is also the choice of most necromancers who choose this path. The lich transformed through a complete transformation ritual is at least demigod-level in power, and the forging of a Life Coffin Box is not limited to just one.

As long as resources are sufficient, even if a lich creates hundreds of Life Coffin Boxes, no one would find it problematic.

And because the lich transformed from a complete ritual can disconnect from their Life Coffin Box anytime, they won't fall into a fatal situation even if the box is destroyed or controlled.

With such an ability and the ability to forge multiple Life Coffin Boxes, liches are called truly immortal existences.

But the lich transformed through the other method is significantly weaker.

This lich transformation ritual is less another version and more a simplified version of the complete lich transformation ritual.

It is simplified by necromancers who wish to mass-produce liches as high-level casting units through dedicated research.

The requirements for this transformation ritual are relatively lower; although also complex, it contrasts sharply with the complete lich transformation ritual, akin to the difference between a takeout meal and an imperial banquet.

Therefore, the resource consumption is much lower, facilitating mass production.

Although the simplified lich has various weaknesses and shortcomings compared to the complete lich, such as only being able to create one Life Coffin Box, losing the ability to resist if the box is controlled, and their power being diminished from demigod level to legendary, its legendary-level combat power is real and substantial.

If the numbers are ample, wouldn't assembling a legendary mage corps of simplified liches be appealing?

With such intentions, while refining dragonized mages and researching mechanical mages, Chen Yu also consigned Jounouchi Hiromi for assistance, starting the production of simplified liches.

The production of simplified liches, of course, does not consume as much as the complete lich. It requires neither Heavy Spirit Land nor massive sacrifices; as long as there is sufficient negative energy and some relatively inexpensive ritual materials, the transformation can be completed.

And the raw materials for transformation can be mass-produced just like the necromancer army dragonized transformed human soldiers.

Even if one does not particularly pursue the quality of raw materials, one could use a Spirit Gathering Tower to concoct a soul and then imbue it into a blank clone to create raw materials suitable for lich transformation.

However, the first batch of simplified liches transformed by Jounouchi Hiromi was not made from mass-produced cloned mages. After all, no matter how you look at it, humans are not a transcendent species, and their power ceiling is exceedingly low.

Since humans' capacity to contain mana is significantly inferior to that of dragon-descent beings, knowing that Chen Yu is refining dragonized mages, Jounouchi Hiromi certainly wouldn't produce human mages to waste resources.

She selected the group of bone dragons in Chen Yu's necromantic space, who have accumulated until now and hardly ever revealed themselves.

These bone dragons summoned with cow bone paired with true dragon bone actually had quite decent power; basically, they all possessed sub-legendary strength and were currently the highest combat force in Chen Yu's hands, aside from his ship-girls.

And after such a long time of accumulation, there are now about a hundred of these bone dragons. Transforming them all into simplified liches could roughly assemble a usable mage corps as well.

Moreover, in lich transformation, the dragon clan holds the trump card of the dragon lich.

The dragon lich emerging from the ritual magic circle, bearing a white bone dragon head and holding a dragon bone staff, satisfied Jounouchi Hiromi as she sensed its power had reached legendary rank.

"Legendary Peak, huh? This level of power is excellent." After carefully keeping the Life Coffin Box of the dragon lich, Jounouchi Hiromi instructed it to report to Chen Yu's mage tower.

The dragon lich, having received Jounouchi Hiromi's orders, bowed to her, and then wielding the dragon bone staff that accompanied the transformation ritual, began walking towards Chen Yu's mage tower on its two bare large leg bones.

Watching the bare dragon lich, Jounouchi Hiromi was taken aback, then realized this dragon lich wore no clothing, its rib bones completely exposed.

"Thank goodness it's a necromancer, no flesh, otherwise it would be indecent." Jounouchi Hiromi felt somewhat embarrassed. Although the dragon lich had no flesh, being just a skeleton frame, seeing it walk out without clothes still made her feel uncomfortable.

Probably because she'd never seen anyone or a skeleton walking around without clothes before? Jounouchi Hiromi thought to herself, reaching out to embrace Little Yixi, who wanted to grab the dragon lich's Life Coffin Box.

"Ah wah ah wah!" Little Yixi stretched her hands towards Jounouchi Hiromi, hugged her mother's neck, and her little feet stepped on her arm wanting to climb up.

"Yixi, be good now! Mommy has work to do, so be obedient and don't be naughty!" After coaxing her daughter for a while, Jounouchi Hiromi finally placed Little Yixi in a nearby cradle.

Since Little Yixi was still very small, Jounouchi Hiromi wasn't assured leaving her to the ghost maid's care, so she made a cradle in which Little Yixi could be placed and carried around, allowing her to keep her daughter close even while converting bone dragons into dragon lich.

Fortunately, Little Yixi was very well-behaved. Other than having the typical tendency for kids her age to crawl everywhere, she didn't cry much, saving Jounouchi Hiromi quite a bit of stress.

After soothing Little Yixi, Jounouchi Hiromi summoned another bone dragon, let it stand on the transformation ritual's magic array, and began the conversion once again.

While maintaining the operation of the transformation magic array, Jounouchi Hiromi looked up at the dozens of bone dragons waiting on nearby mountain peaks for transformation, thinking she should speed up the process.