Ashen Dragon-Chapter 413 - 336: Resurrecting the Corpse

Chapter 413: Chapter 336: Resurrecting the Corpse

Northwind Castle Suburbs.

Inside the Steel Dragonwing Palace.

Cassius sat upright on the Steel Throne, beneath him were the three great Dukes: Ramp, Dolores, and Mezulash.

Currently, most of the Empire’s upper echelon were working in Isdalia. This time, they had received Cassius’s urgent summons, prompting their emergency teleportation from Isdalia.

Cassius scanned the surroundings, then asked:

“Everyone, you should have a general understanding of the situation by now. What do you all think about this Lich?”

Mezulash furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, with all due respect, such ancient and evil undead creatures are untrustworthy.”

Being a former Paladin, he understood that Liches were irredeemable beings.

Dolores countered, “He could become a military asset for the Empire, just what we need to fill our gap in Necromancy.”

Ramp added, “But His Majesty holds the Lich’s Life Box. These old monsters have lived for hundreds of years, their memories filled with lost knowledge and terrifying secrets. They are veritable treasure troves.”

“We can drain him bit by bit…”

The Ogre Mage licked his lips, a hint of infinite greed in his tone.

“Well said.”

“However… let me first demonstrate his usefulness to you.”

Cassius nodded slightly.

At his command, a team of Tiefling Soldiers carried a stone coffin into the room, struggling to open the lid.

“This is… Count Hart.”

Inside the stone coffin lay a tall and sturdy Half-Dragon, with a ghastly wound on his chest. His specially treated skin was deathly pale—clearly, he had long since lost his life.

In the Magur Incident, the head of the Free Trade Caravan, Hart, was besieged by the Allied Forces. He was first frozen by a spell, then stabbed to death by countless spears.

However, Duke Leo was astonished to find that the body of this Dragonblood Earl was so resilient that it could not be burned by flame.

Thus, the soldiers of the Allied Forces took Hart’s body back to Stratholme Fortress, hoping the Northern Nobility could uncover the secrets of the Dragon Vein from him.

Unfortunately, before they could commence their research, the Ashen Kingdom’s army breached Stratholme Fortress and seized the corpse.

After their victory in the war, Hart was officially hailed as a “hero who sacrificed for the liberation of the North” by the Empire, and was granted the honorary title of Marquis. His statue and remains were displayed in the Empire’s memorial hall.

Now, however, this body infused with Dragon Blood had been brought here.

What Cassius intended was self-evident—this was a Count he had personally ennobled; letting him die in vain was a waste.

“Bring in Orestes.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Lich walked into the hall, trembling, and knelt before the Red Dragon—given that his Life Box was in someone else’s hands, this Lich’s aura had weakened considerably.

“Your Majesty, no, my noble master, I have come at your command.”

“Transform him.”

“Yes, master. But what type of undead creature do you desire to resurrect him as?”

“The highest level, with autonomous consciousness.”

“But…”

A look of difficulty appeared on Orestes’s withered face.

Cassius lightly raised his claw, and the Scepter of Bones from Milco fell out of thin air before the Lich.

“I lend it to you.”

“Thank you for your grace, master.”

Orestes waved the Scepter of Bones, pointing it at Hart’s corpse. Dark energy surged within the black magic stone.

“Evil undead born of mortal dark desires and immense vanity…”

“Corpse Demon, heed my call…”

[Summon High-order Undead]

When death stills a man’s heart, extinguishing his life breath, his soul can return in an undying form, attaching to his own remains, waging eternal war on the living.

That is a Corpse Demon.

They would obey any dark entity that transformed them into undead creatures, retaining their autonomy while pledging allegiance to their new master.

Ever tireless, Corpse Demons would pursue their goals with unwavering focus.

Ramp suddenly spoke coldly from the side, “Lich, are you transforming your servant? Remember, who is the true master here!”

Orestes immediately froze. Only then did he realize that centuries of habit had nearly caused him to make a monumental mistake.

This was not about transforming undead for himself!

It was for His Majesty!

He quickly bowed his head low to Cassius, “Of course, Your Majesty Cassius, you are this Corpse Demon’s undeniable master.”

“Master, please bestow your will, to complete this final step.”

The Red Dragon’s indomitable will descended.

It completed the final summoning.

Necromantic mist enveloped the Half-Dragon’s body.

Like embers, negative energy spread from the heart throughout the entire corpse, piercing through flesh, clothing, and armor, transforming the body into a vessel capable of housing the undying soul.

Hart felt himself submerged in a dark void for a long time. Scenes of countless spears stabbing him and flames burning his body surged in his mind—they were the images he had seen before death, his final memories.

He seemed to hear a distant, magnificent summoning.

“Hart—”

It was the Dragon Lord’s voice.

The voice of the one who had granted him new life, changed his fate, and endowed him with a noble bloodline.

“His Majesty needs me…”

“I must return.”

Finally, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze dark and flickering.

“I… am alive again?”

Hart slowly rose, looking with some confusion at his cold body. But he quickly understood everything—His Majesty had brought him back to life, granting him new existence.

Corpse Demons retained their memories and were driven by the self-awareness they had in life. Whether this newly risen Corpse Demon possessed false memories, becoming a wholly different undead monster from its original self, or was a continuation of the living person it had been, was a matter of much debate.

He gradually adapted to the form of an undead creature and climbed out of the coffin, half-kneeling before the Red Dragon.

“Your Majesty…”

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The voice of the Corpse Demon was hoarse and low, devoid of emotional fluctuation.

But Cassius could feel the loyalty emanating from deep within its soul, a mix of the Dragon Vein Descendant’s submission and the undead creature’s obedience to its Summoner.

“Welcome back to the Empire.”

“Marquis Hart.”

Cassius gazed down at the newly resurrected Corpse Demon, speaking calmly.

In the future blueprint of the Empire, undead creatures were also a key piece. These beings were extremely cheap cannon fodder, recyclable labor, and could be exceptionally effective in the Gloomy Region.

However, Hart’s resurrection was merely the beginning.

For now, Cassius had an even greedier, bolder idea for utilizing this Lich.