"Lord Orochimaru…"
Kabuto faced the wealth raining from the sky.
After calling out, he didn't know what to say.
His analytical skills were in complete disarray.
How could Shen Mo know where their money was? Why could he summon it? If he could, why bother with trading?
"Kabuto," Orochimaru said calmly, "when facing something beyond analysis, don't overthink."
Though frustrated about selling jutsu earlier, what could he say?
"…" Kabuto nodded with difficulty.
He now understood what "terrifying upon reflection" meant.
The more he thought, the scarier it became.
Trying to deduce Shen Mo's nature might drive him mad under the pressure.
"This wealth converts to just enough for ten Level 3 cans," Orochimaru said, eyeing the fallen riches.
He seemed to understand something.
"If you don't get a destiny-altering item, you'll die," Shen Mo said with a smile. "Most Necromancy Series class-change items are highly dangerous. If you fail, you'll still die. So, this is enough for now."
At this stage of selling cans…
Shen Mo no longer cared about short-term gains.
Even if Orochimaru failed…
There was still Kabuto. The money would still be his.
"How blunt."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed strangely.
Like a boxer on a deathmatch ring or a racer before a deadly track, he felt the thrill and resolve of facing a challenge.
Because he knew—
"Fear only hastens death. Shen Mo, I'll buy ten Level 3 cans!"
"As you wish." Shen Mo waved, and ten larger cans appeared before them.
Level 3 cans.
One contained the guaranteed class-change item.
Prepared specifically for Orochimaru.
Though he spoke lightly, Orochimaru felt the pressure.
He extended his withered hand.
Struggling, he opened the first can.
Inside was a pitch-black scroll.
Like most Necromancy Series items, it radiated an ominous aura, inscribed with chaotic text in what seemed like a demonic language, its purpose unclear.
Orochimaru knew…
From Level 2 onward, cans included a small note with a brief item description.
But he still looked to Shen Mo.
"Demon Contract Scroll," Shen Mo explained in detail. "Not a Grand Prize, but rare. Its use… offer a sacrifice, and a demon will perform a task for you. But… it can't do everything, and you must be precise with words. Demons exploit linguistic loopholes."
The scroll didn't contain a true demon.
Just demonic power.
A one-use item, worth a fifth of a Level 3 can's price—not a Grand Prize, but more practical than average items.
"Demons?" Orochimaru seemed intrigued.
Many legacies from Level 2 cans mentioned demons.
Powerful, cunning, soul-craving.
Existing in various forms across worlds.
But now wasn't the time to dwell. He carefully stored the scroll.
His anticipation for Level 3 cans grew.
Each can tier had at least a tenfold gap. Ordinary Level 3 items could be Grand Prizes in Level 2. Though costly, higher-tier cans were clearly worth it.
What if a Level 3 Grand Prize appeared?
With this hope, Orochimaru opened them one by one.
Several experience orbs, a black magic grimoire, a young dragon's corpse.
The last was the most precious.
Preserved in a bottle of unknown liquid, the dead dragonling still exuded faint draconic might.
"You can use it with Bone Resurrection to create a growable bone dragon," Shen Mo said, impressed by Orochimaru's luck.
Not the divine fortune of constant Grand Prizes…
But in a vast prize pool, getting fitting items was good luck.
Orochimaru, grinning, was pleased. He knew bone dragons were a necromancer's dream summon.
In the seventh can…
The moment it opened, Orochimaru's heart trembled.
Inside was a massive coffin and a palm-sized box.
Though their combined size exceeded the can's, this seemed normal for Level 3. Orochimaru carefully extracted them, placing them before him.
He stroked them, hands trembling.
His intuition screamed.
This was his destiny-altering item!
"As I expected," Shen Mo said, his smile shifting. "From the moment I saw you, I envisioned a lich."
"Lich?" Orochimaru looked to Shen Mo.
Eager for explanation.
"Yes, lich," Shen Mo said, eyeing the coffin etched with arcane runes. "In some worlds, many share your plight—powerful mages chasing universal truths, unbound by all."
"Their greatest foe is human limits."
"So, they abandon humanity, using evil means to become liches—a unique undead, retaining endless lifespan, all prior wisdom, and power, with room to grow."
This was the class Shen Mo prepared for Orochimaru.
Liches existed in many worlds.
In most, they were mages relentlessly pursuing knowledge and power.
Retaining their magic, wielding necromantic arts, and amassing knowledge over endless time, liches were immensely powerful and terrifying.
As a lich, Orochimaru could still use jutsu, continue research, and wield necromantic power.
And, as long as his phylactery remained hidden, a lich could revive endlessly.
"This… is my destiny."
Understanding what a lich was, Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction, his body trembling slightly.
Humans have limits.
So, he'd cease being human!
Unlike the evil god's will that nearly consumed him, a lich's power came from personal wisdom and study.