Even if I turned an Aura Master into an undead, they couldn't use the aura tricks they had in life. If they could, Necromancers would have conquered the world with Aura Master legions.

'But Nickel can use them.'

Of course, he had the limitation of only using them once every six days, but that was something.

He had proven his worth by defeating the formidable Sword Demon, who was close to being an Aura Master.

Clank.

In the ruined courtyard, Nickel and Ruderon stood facing each other.

Ruderon, entirely black in appearance, looked much more imposing, but Nickel, flapping his coat, casually rolled up his sleeves and wasn't to be underestimated.

"My, he's a unique one. We might have been similar in our time," Morne commented.

With Morne's words, Ruderon finally began to move.

Since he had been an Aura Master in life, his swordsmanship from his past life was still intact.

Thud!

Nickel stepped back slightly to minimize the impact. At the same time, it appeared as if he was pulling the opponent into his own territory.

"Not bad."

Nickel, who could read my thoughts in real-time, was aware of his physical disadvantage. So, he was focused on defense and countering.

Huwung.

The destructive power that held the balance between a Death Knight and an opponent's sword, as if it were Death Knight-like, gradually began to wane. Nickel didn't just take the hits; he carefully dodged them and managed to graze Ruderon's armor.

"Definitely has the qualities of an Aura Master. And he's showing skill too."

At this point, both sides still had room to spare. However, both I and Morne knew that this balance would soon crumble because of the unbridgeable gap between Phantom and Death Knight.

Crackling!

Kwa-ga-ga-ga!

Clang! Kwa-dung!

As expected, Nickel, who initially seemed to be holding his ground, began to falter gradually.

No matter how defensively he fought, there was clearly a limit. Even with the passive power of the original sin, the abilities were unrelated to physical prowess.

'Would my physical abilities improve if I collect other sins?'

This thought, unrelated to the current duel, suddenly crossed my mind, and soon, a roar burst forth.

Kwa-aaang!

A red aura started emanating from Ruderon's body.

One of Ruderon's characteristics: "Brutal Tempest." It temporarily enabled monstrous abilities, including enhanced physical abilities and the ability to ignore inertia.

This wasn't good news for Nickel, who was already struggling.

I immediately transmitted this known information to Nickel through my thoughts.

Upon receiving my thoughts, Nickel didn't hesitate and retreated.

Kwa-ga-ga-k!

However, Ruderon, boasting incredible speed, easily kept up with the retreating Nickel, and Nickel's body began to bear more and more marks.

"That's quite impressive already. How about we call it quits before he gets hurt?"

Morne spoke as if he already thought he had won.

While it was a natural proposition, I declined.

"I'm sorry, but it's not over yet."

"Hehe, well then... I'll respect your opinion."

Nickel's body, marked by injuries, looked precarious and ready to crumble at any moment.

But I had faith in Nickel, and I patiently waited for the right moment.

'Certainly, we can't ignore his physical specs.'

While Nickel's physical abilities were slightly below that of a prime dragon, they still far surpassed Morne's Tier 5. But there was something hidden within us.

So, I trusted Nickel and quietly held my breath because I knew he would give me a signal.[Sloth Phantom (Legend) wants to use Sloth.]

[Sloth Phantom (Legend) will share the cooldown of Sloth.]

[Accept?]

And the signal came quickly.

"Morne."

"Hmm?"

As I murmured, Morne raised an eyebrow, and at the same time, a blue gleam emanated from Nickel.

With his special ability, Sloth, Nickel's stats immediately shot up, and he didn't miss the opportunity to evade Ruderon's attacks.

It was a simple downward slash that looked extremely ordinary compared to the aura tricks of other Aura Masters.

It happened in an instant.

Clang!

With a harsh scraping sound, something black fell to Morne's feet.

Morne picked up the black object and burst into laughter.

"Hehehe..."

A sudden event occurred in the blink of an eye.

Being a wizard, Morne had no idea what had just happened.

"What on earth just happened? Did I see it correctly?"

Morne said as he picked up the fallen object.

What he had picked up was Ruderon's arm.

The right arm, clad in black armor, had a sword still gripped tightly.

"I said it confidently because I had hidden some tricks up my sleeve. I apologize if that bothered you."

"No, I'm rather amazed. I've suspected that you had some hidden tricks up your sleeve when you faced me with such confidence, but I had no idea it would be this."

Saying so, Morne immediately summoned Ruderon and attached the arm casually.

Though it seemed like nothing, I knew how extraordinary this was. A necromancer like me had a better understanding of the situation.

'He's truly remarkable. I don't have the courage to try something like that.'

Morne fixed Ruderon's arm in place as if it were a simple action. He then dispelled the summon, walking over to Nickel.

Nickel, having used his aura ability and with Sloth now expired, stood there, appearing exhausted.

"That movement you showed earlier was incredible, though it's temporary and seems to come with side effects."

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that powerful move."

"Hehe, well, no matter what, at best, the Phantom could only compete with a Death Knight. Of course, if my Ruderon hadn't been on guard, who knows how it would've turned out."

I had to acknowledge that.

Even though Nickel had temporarily raised his stats, the physical difference between Nickel and Ruderon remained overwhelming.

"I suppose the move you demonstrated is only temporary, and Ruderon's activated abilities cannot be taken lightly."

At that, Morne laughed.

The result, as I expected, was in my favor.

Morne likely knew I had some hidden tricks but ultimately couldn't do anything about it.

One concern remained: would Morne change his mind?

"Uh... Is that move an original spell, or have you learned it from someone?"

"It's not an original spell. It's a little unorthodox."

"Hmm. Too bad you can't explain further. But this boy's identity is quite intriguing. He's undoubtedly a top-tier Aura Master."

"I obtained his body from the Hartz Imperial Cemetery by pure chance. I don't have precise information, and I just happened to come across a corpse."

"I see. It's all right. Anyway..."

Morne shifted his interest from Nickel to me and summoned an Undead.

The immense flesh golem, created by merging corpses together, emitted a foul odor."Promises are promises... Take it."

The flesh golem vomited something out from within. It was none other than the Assembly Ring, the object of our wager.

"Are you sure you're giving it to me so easily?"

There were only ten of these rings in the Assembly, and Morne probably didn't have more than two, maybe even just this one. Morne smiled silently in response to my question.

"All the rings that my faction owns in the Assembly are right here. I'm just too old now. My body and mind are too exhausted to usher in a new era."

Morne handed the ring to me personally.

"The history of the Assembly is quite long, but there has never been a single owner of the Assembly in all that time. I wasn't thinking I'd be the one to change that, nor do I intend to."

His hand felt rugged and yet strangely warm.

It was an unusual hand.

"However, after witnessing the battle earlier, I began to think that it might just be possible."

While he was almost mumbling, his gaze was profound, as if he was staring at light.

"This ring is being transferred to Adrias Cromwell as I pledge my full support to him."

"Master?"

Suddenly, he knelt before me.

I tried to lift him up in bewilderment, but he didn't budge.

"This old man, Morne Dwalski, hereby transfers the Assembly Ring to Adrias Cromwell, with full support."

The story that I thought would simply end with the ring being handed to me had progressed in a flash, and I was left in a state of shock.

What was this old man saying?

Suddenly shouting, Luna, who was standing beside me, also exclaimed, "Me too! I'll help my friend too! Now I'm a member of my friend's faction!"

"This... This is rather sudden. I'm not sure how to process this. Please, get up. I feel extremely uncomfortable about this."

In response to my words, Morne chuckled and stood up once more.

One of my goals had always been to take over the Assembly.

However, I had planned to gradually infiltrate it, using future knowledge to steadily advance.

I never expected such a sudden development.

Absorbing Morne's faction wasn't necessarily a good thing.

To begin with, it was uncertain whether the members of his faction would be willing to believe in and follow me.

Despite Morne's declaration of support, there would likely be significant opposition, and other factions would also work to curb my sudden growth.

'And Eika was already trying to persuade me to join her faction... It seems we're on the brink of becoming enemies.'

I examined the ring in my hand, bearing the number '2,' signifying that it was the second out of ten rings.

"I can't refuse it anyway. To be honest, I already intended to absorb the Assembly, even before I knew about this ring."

"Ha! You've got a big heart. I chose well."

Indeed. Now that it had come to this, we should make good use of it. Morne and Luna together would constitute a formidable force. The most potent Necromancer in existence and a Warlock-level buffer. Together, they were almost invincible.

'If the Mind Control Buff works on Undead, we might as well aim for world domination.'

I entertained a frivolous thought while giving the ring to Nickel. It was more practical for him to carry it, considering his ability to access pocket dimensions.

Nickel's hand now held two Assembly rings. By unexpected means, I had acquired nearly twenty percent of them.

"Is the conversation over?"

Suddenly, the sound of hammering ceased, and Trauler was approaching.

He still held the gleaming Galakshur in his hand, looking remarkably undamaged, which was a relief.

"You had quite an embarrassing display. I'm surprised to see a decision like that from Lord Morne, who usually seems more cautious."

"Understood. Please make me a weapon as soon as possible."

"For now, let's talk about this sword for a moment..."

Trauler handed Galakshur back to me.

"While you can't release the sword's seal with just human power, I was able to confirm one clue."

"A clue?"

"Yes, a clue."

Trauler raised the corner of his mouth confidently.

"It's a clue for unlocking the seal of this sword."