Pirate Kingship

Chapter 384 - 319 Edward: I am the Man Who Will Become the Lich King (Two in One)_3

Chapter 384: Chapter 319 Edward: I am the Man Who Will Become the Lich King (Two in One)_3

Moreover, the Silver Code does not recognize Edward and his fellow dead; they cannot normally assume the position of The King’s Right Hand.

But the Golden Law governs heaven, earth, Humans, deities (Nature Spirits), the dead (ancestral spirits, Undead), and the living—all under its jurisdiction.

Giving his cousin Edward a War Chariot was but a small effort.

The duel Byron mentioned was just bluster; unless Byron followed him in death, there was no way he could do anything to this already-dead fellow.

Yet, upon seeing this glib-tongued man, Byron still said indignantly, "What now? Didn’t I secretly give you one hundred kilograms of top-grade Spices as pocket money yesterday? The Lord has no surplus supplies either."

This was not an excuse. Bribing the Cardinal Archbishop had only cost twenty kilograms of Spices, while he had given Edward one hundred kilograms at once as pocket money. This truly showed their brotherly bond.

The Newman Family’s spice forest in the Blue Mountain range had been taken over not long ago. Even though predecessors had planted trees and Skeleton No. 3, the Corn God, was used to hasten their growth, the harvest would still require at least a month’s wait.

Seeing Byron sprawled on the bed, disheveled, Edward revealed a meaningful, teasing smile. "Sorry, sorry for disturbing your good times. Next time I will definitely choose a better moment. The main reason is that I have some great news that I must share with you immediately. You wouldn’t believe it, but I recently had a tremendous innovation while studying the Edge of World Pass. I call it: the Fully Automated Undead Product Harvester!"

Without waiting for him to explain further, the scene from the other side, the Edge of the World, began to appear through the passageway.

It was a burgeoning camp, where a group of ragged Undead were desperately mining with their pickaxes, their heavy breathing a constant HUFF, PUFF as they toiled.

Edward turned to look at one of the feeble skeletons and frowned, rebuking sharply, "That Undead over there, I’ve been watching you for a long time. I’m very disappointed with your lack of initiative. How come you’ve done so little after all this time? What the Edge of the World doesn’t lack is all kinds of Undead. If you don’t work, plenty of other Undead will. If you don’t cherish this opportunity, I’ll kick you out of the camp."

Upon hearing this, the ghostly fire in the skeleton’s eye sockets flickered rapidly twice, and the movements of its hands visibly quickened. In just a few moments, it dug out a semi-transparent, grayish-white crystal roughly the size of a human head from the hard rock layer mixed with skeletal fossils. It immediately tossed it into the passageway like offering a treasure, and it landed at Edward’s feet.

Edward, as if shooing away a beggar, tossed a fingernail-sized piece of medium-quality Spice into the passageway, and it landed in the skeleton’s hand.

He didn’t forget to deliver his manipulative spiel to the other hardworking Undead, saying, "Where is the value in your work? Do you think you are working for me? No, it’s for your own beautiful future. You only need to bring me unwanted stones and rotten roots from other places to receive Spices that will enhance your Spirituality. Would anyone else give you such a lucrative deal?

"So think about it, where does the difference between what you do and other Undead lie? Why is it you working here for me, and not other Undead? Ask yourself, do you deserve the two minutes of Spice you burned?

"Undead nowadays are just too fragile; a slightly larger workload depresses them into laziness. If you don’t work, plenty of other Undead will, and if your work is subpar due to lack of ability, you’ll be ’optimized’ out immediately. Remember, I don’t keep idle Undead around here!"

Catherine had recognized at first glance that the crystal was an extraordinarily precious Extraordinary Material, the Bone Crystal, used to create various Miracles in the Graveyard Sequence.

She also noticed that on the deck of the Blue Dragon King beside Edward, many other assorted items were piled up: Dust of the Undead, Bone Crystals, Demon-repelling Iron, Coffin Wood... Each was prime material for making Miracles, and the Artisans of the Tower Sequence were willing to pay a high price to acquire them.

There were also Herbal Medicines like Finger Grass, Demon Cigars, Ink Ghost Umbrellas, and Blood Droplet Mushrooms. These Herbal Medicines were the favorites of the Witch Doctors in the Bantaan Archipelago; if taken to the aboriginal city-states for sale, they would be instantly bought out. And payment would only be in Gold and the finest Spices.

Edward had evidently used the "pocket money" Byron gave him, along with his outstanding business acumen and ruthless capitalist spirit, to become a middleman who bought low and sold high.

Looking at these specialty goods from the Deadman’s World and then at the various Undead beings exploited to their limits, Catherine’s throat felt dry; compared to this, she felt like a veritable Angel. "This..."

Seeing the girl’s dumbfounded expression, Edward placed his hands on his hips and laughed heartily, "Catherine, are you surprised? Do you admire me? Let me tell you, all your business theories are too complex. The real key to making a fortune while lying down is monopoly and exploitation. See for yourself? It wasn’t just minerals and Herbal Medicines. I’ve also gathered the components for the first Bloodline Sublimation Ritual using the forbidden knowledge from the Book of the Dead. This ritual is capable of freeing some from their Ship-binding Spirit state and transforming them into Mythical Creatures—Liches."

Edward’s palm ignited with ghostly fire, displaying Soul Sucking, Undead Awakening, Frost Weapon, and Canine Demon Feast one after another. This proved he had successfully embarked on the path of the Lich, retaining both soul and Corpse!

All Lancaster clansmen had collectively become Ship-binding Spirits upon death, becoming part of the Blue Dragon King. Once they left the Ghost Ship, they would most likely dissipate on the spot or, like lower-level Undead, lose their Human rationale and turn into a different type of bloodthirsty monster. One must find the corresponding forbidden knowledge and transform their state of Life to finally escape their cage.

Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to obtain the appropriate forbidden knowledge. Luckily, thanks to the lantern pass provided by Byron, one could communicate with the Edge of the World. Forbidden knowledge related to Dead Spirits isn’t abundant in the Material World, but it is everywhere in the Deadman’s World. Within a mere week, there were already initial results.

Edward then turned his gaze toward Byron. "’To get rich, you need to have many people get rich with you.’ Your words could not have been better said. Also, the ideas of the Ice Throne and the Underground Tomb you mentioned to me a few days ago—I’m also very interested in those. Byron, you truly are a brother for life, the person who understands me the most. And I, Edward, am destined to become a top-tier Human Resources Master—no, the man who will be the Lich King!"

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!...

At his end, Byron avoided Catherine’s suspicious gaze as he sprang up from the bed and clapped enthusiastically for Edward. He also projected his voice into the Undead Camp, "I’ll add one more: work to the bone if it doesn’t kill you, and if you die, get up and keep on working. Work hard, and you could be the next one to get a promotion and a pay raise! Manager Edward’s today is your tomorrow.

"Rest assured, everyone, I will be working with you from dawn till dusk. We don’t separate work from life, no rest throughout the year. Let’s all strive hard together and create a bright future for the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company. Clap if you understand!"

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!...

The Undead put down their tools and clapped together.

Even Edward, long cold, felt his metaphorical blood boil with fervor at these words, and his applause was particularly loud. He was oblivious that he himself was now "personnel" for the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company. Indeed, his job title was "World’s Edge Branch Human Resources Manager."

Only Catherine, as an observer, watching Edward’s naïve face, suddenly realized:

It seems Edward has been taking the fall for Byron since they were children, not out of loyalty, but because this guileless fellow genuinely believed all the bad things they did together were his own ideas. He was totally unaware that a crafty manipulator had always been right beside him. Byron, oh Byron, you deserved every single beating you got growing up!