"Why do you enslave liches?" Muria gazed at the golden dragon Bartholomew before him. Based on appearance alone, Muria would never have believed that the creature before him was a golden dragon. "The price you're paying is quite steep."
"Indeed, you are a Dragon King's descendant, with a broader perspective than typical golden dragons. Ordinary golden dragons wouldn't even be able to speak to me like this. I'd have to overpower them before explaining myself," Bartholomew, an ancient golden dragon, praised upon sensing Muria's bloodline.
"Your appearance and power are too easy to misunderstand," Muria remarked. This dragon was more appropriately called a necro-golden dragon. Despite retaining the general form of a golden dragon, its golden scales were marked with gray-black lines exuding a deathly aura, and its neck and head were covered with bony spines, lacking the elegance of a golden dragon and appearing instead sinister and fierce.
"I've absorbed too much death energy, changing my life form from an ordinary golden dragon. Misunderstandings are unavoidable," Bartholomew said with a somewhat dejected smile, clearly dissatisfied with his appearance.
"You still haven't told me why you enslave liches."
"The reason is simple. As you might know, every lich is a high-level mage. I value their productivity. By enslaving them, I can command them to continuously create wealth for me, effectively having a production line of magical tools and scrolls, which brings me immense wealth," Bartholomew explained proudly.
"Really? Then why have you ended up like this?" Muria pressed. Enslaving liches shouldn't result in such a transformation. Enslaving a lich typically only required leaving a mental imprint on the target, not allowing death energy to alter one's life form.
"...It's not something I can easily explain," Bartholomew scratched his neck, remaining silent.
"If it's a sensitive issue, forget it," Muria said, shaking his head, seeing that Bartholomew was reluctant to explain. Every dragon has its privacy.
"It's not a big secret. I've enslaved so many liches that long-term exposure to them has caused this transformation," Bartholomew laughed, offering a seemingly reasonable explanation.
Muria fell silent briefly. This reason might fool young dragons, but not an ancient dragon. Unless transformed by the God of Death, this could only happen if Bartholomew willingly allowed death energy to alter his body.
"Bartholomew, it seems we are kindred spirits," Muria changed the topic, not dwelling on Bartholomew's form.
"Hmm?" The death-tainted golden dragon showed a puzzled expression. "Kindred spirits?"
"Do you know why I'm here?" Muria smiled.
"No," Bartholomew replied, curiosity evident in his gaze.
"I'm here to find liches. I want to enslave a group of them to work for me," Muria revealed his purpose for coming to the Necromancer's Catacombs. "Though I hadn't heard of you before, our ideas align perfectly."
"Enslaving liches? Indeed, kindred spirits," Bartholomew laughed heartily. "What level of liches do you need, and how many? I rule this area and know the locations of many liches."
"Thanks a lot," Muria said, delighted. "Seven or eight legendary liches will suffice. As for soul-tier liches, give me as many as you can."
"...Seven or eight legendary liches? You're treating liches like they're nothing," Bartholomew muttered, speechless.
"Why do you need so many liches?"
"I have my reasons," Muria didn't elaborate. He had just met this dragon and wouldn't share too much, even if Bartholomew was a regular golden dragon.
Synapse was in dire need of mage-type talents. Muria needed many high-level mages for his cloud island transformation plan, particularly legendary mages. Synapse had only three legendary mages: Mason, a mysterious mage; Claudia's attacker, recently released; and another dragon hunter mage. Both hunters were upright mages now bound to Muria by thousand-year contracts.
"Don't you care? Our kind will view you as an outcast for enslaving liches," Bartholomew asked seriously.
"I'm a Dragon King's descendant. How can I show my noble status if I don't stand out? If I followed the rules like an ordinary golden dragon, I'd disgrace my bloodline," Muria half-joked.
"A Dragon King's descendant is indeed a good identity," Bartholomew seemed to understand, then relaxed. "Follow me to my residence. I'll give you all the information on liches I have."
"An honor, Lord Bartholomew," Muria replied, looking at Mikaela for approval. She didn't object, so he agreed, curious about the golden dragon's underground residence.
Mikaela and Ilvester hadn't spoken, and while Bartholomew noticed, he didn't question their identities. Muria's trust in him, despite his death-tainted form, was significant.
...
"Remarkable magical prowess! Even a true god couldn't do better," Muria exclaimed upon reaching Bartholomew's residence, deep underground. He saw a sun and tropical jungle, all real.
"A semi-plane permanently connected to the main world. Your magical skills, Lord Bartholomew, are unmatched even in the heavens," Ilvester and Mikaela were also impressed.
A vast green sea of ancient trees surrounded a pure white castle in the jungle center. Dragon-shaped creatures hovered above, and sunlight rules projected scorching light.
"You're too kind. There are many more talented mages in the heavens than me. This is nothing," Bartholomew humbly replied, showing no golden dragon arrogance.
"Please enter," Bartholomew invited them into the lush jungle, basking in the real sunlight.
Inside Bartholomew's castle, Muria, Mikaela, and Ilvester were warmly welcomed. Bartholomew, likely lonely due to his power, was enthusiastic about Muria's visit.
Soon, Muria received extensive information on liches from Bartholomew. There were nearly fifty soul-tier liches and seven legendary liches, including a familiar face for Muria.
"Undead Captain Barbossa," Muria muttered, flipping through the records while soaking in a golden lava pool. He saw an imposing skeletal lich in a tricorn hat on a glowing blue ironclad warship.
"Do you know him, Lord Muria?" Bartholomew, also soaking comfortably, asked in surprise.
"I once encountered this lich by chance," Muria replied, looking at the impressive lich with a peculiar expression. "My intuition was right; fate has brought us together again."
"This is a famous lich. You're lucky to have met him and remained unharmed," Bartholomew, who had an unpleasant encounter with Barbossa, marveled.
"I not only survived but also completed a transaction with him," Muria said, recalling how he acquired a legendary life-attribute metal piece from the lich.
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