Something was wrong. He no longer felt the connection between his soul and the cypress tree. The swamp master could not help but look at the three-quarter buried lich. That bas-

Before he could finish his thoughts, the elderly magician was blasted off his feet by a tremendous shockwave coming from the magic tree. His shabbily built hut was blown into debris, and the magician saw his array cracking.

The price for using magic over his limits started to take a toll on his body. The cypress tree was no longer under his control, and commanding the zombie horde became impossible.

Vomiting black blood, the necromancer felt his mana draining at a rate faster than he could cut the connection between him and the undead army.

"No! This cannot be!" he struggled to cancel the mass summoning but even focusing was difficult with blood in his eyes as they started pouring out from every orifice.

Rino's soul was finally settled into his body and the magic blinding his vision finally dispersed now that the Cypress Ghost Tree and Wraith King belonged to his shadow army.

The necromancer, who acted very arrogantly from the beginning, was in a sorry state as Rino dug himself out of his pit using earth magic. It wasn't sightly to be seen crawling out from the ground like some common undead, so Rino took some time to use water magic discreetly as he slowly emerged from the swampy land. He needed to get rid of those mud stuck between his bones for a proper intimidation session.

The bog magician glared at Rino with hatred even though he looked much older and was starting to appear sallow from mana drain. Mutt reported to him about the zombie army's mysterious collapse, and Rino told them to retreat now that they no longer needed to stall for time. He looked up at the sky. The colour was starting to look lighter, and Rino sighed. He spent the entire night here just fighting over a swamp territory with a lesser mage.

Thankfully, the battle could be concluded before dawn broke. The undead warriors returned to start constructing the sheltered walkway and underground resting stations that Rino entrusted Erika to assign duties in his absence.

There was still a little unfinished business with the dying necromancer whose regeneration ability no longer functioned.

"You've lost. If you concede and serve me well, I will treat you with respect as I would with my teacher."

The necromancer tried to laugh but ended up choking on his blood.

Teacher? Who did this brat think he was talking to? Even if he became a puppet, he would never teach this monster his secrets! This was his research that he spent over a few centuries. He was destined to become the ruler of this land, but now, this lich wants to snatch what he worked so hard for?

"In your dreams!" the necromancer spat and choked on more blood.

Rino paused. Old men were usually stubborn, and he had his fair share of dealing with them. He could forcefully recruit this man into his shadow army, but he did not want to put up with another problematic character like Fowler. It was easier to convince this dying magician to join him willingly so that Rino could immediately entrust the necromancer with the more troublesome matters such as guarding the swampland that he was very familiar with and managing his dream paper factory.

Seeing that the stubborn necromancer did not have long to live, Rino sighed inwardly and cast a simple mana recovery spell so that the basic regeneration abilities would work. The charity and flex of his abilities made the old magician protest furiously. His face turned so red that Rino swore he burst some blood vessels from his temper. However, he refused to stop until the old man stopped hacking blood.

"I'm not saving you," Rino told the stubborn old man honestly. "I'm just extending your life enough to convince you to work for me. I'm a very fair employer, and I like to idle my time away doing things I enjoy, like sleeping. You seem like a very diligent individual that I need in my shadow empire. Also, I need a magic teacher as I have no idea how dark magic worked when I woke up as a lich."

Hearing this ridiculous reason but not sensing a lie, the necromancer narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He knew that the lich was not good at dark magic. However, he had no idea why this magician, who was clearly stronger than him, asked for a magic teacher. Rino's explanation about amnesia piqued his curiosity as well.

If there was one thing magicians are drawn to like moths to a flame, it would be an unsolved mystery.

Rino knew that look. He often saw it in himself whenever something sparked his interest. There was not a single magician who wasn't curious. It was also the reason why most magicians preferred cats as their bonded partners. They were fickle, independent, disinterested in many things, but highly curious when they wanted to be. There was simply no better companion than cats, but Rino digressed.

"I have my conditions," the swamp necromancer stated as he struggled to stand. His wooden staff was already broken, and most of his body was battered by that strong blast.

Rino nodded and remained where he was. He simply watched the necromancer struggle to straighten himself without emotion. Depending on the terms, Rino might have to kill and resummon his soul to enslave him.

"Speak."

The bog master wiped the blood at the side of his lips, tasting metal on it, but he kept his eyes steady on those hollow eye sockets. There wasn't much time till dawn broke as the sky was getting lighter.

"I want to retain my free will even as I serve you. In other words, I do not wish to be part of your immortal army."

Rino paused. He could not understand why the necromancer would reject such a good offer. Most people would rather sell their souls for power as long as they were treated right. Then again, those people he referred to had smaller brains. The faes did not care who they served as long as they could evolve quickly and have fun.

"You wish to reject immortality?"

The necromancer nodded, and Rino fell silent. How envious! However, that also meant he could not turn this swamp magician into his spare body. He could only make a magical contract with stakes.

The swamp master nodded. "Immortality is a curse I do not wish to bear. I can form a blood contract to prove my loyalty to your cause, but please allow me to retain my mortality."

There was no risk or loss in this arrangement, so Rino agreed. It didn't matter if this magician was mortal or not as long as he got himself a free dark magic teacher. Swamp management duties could be entrusted to other individuals such as the Cypress Ghost Tree or King Wraith Ubel.