Chapter 488: 488 Risk

Chapter 488: Chapter 488 Risk

Michael clenched his fists, a surge of anticipation running through him.

The [Taming] skill, for all its benefits, came with limitations. Teaching or copying a skill took days to cool down, success rates were inconsistent, and most importantly—it weakened his control over the creature if they were previously his undead.

A risk that only compounded the more intelligent the tamed creature became.

But now? If Jester’s memory infusion technique worked…

He wouldn’t need to rely solely on [Taming] anymore.

None of his undead would have to be “tamed” to “learn”.

Michael’s eyes lit up.

…It was a game-changer.

With Jester, he could potentially bypass every weakness of [Taming].

He wouldn’t have to gamble his control just to pass down one skill. He wouldn’t have to wait a full week for a cooldown that might fail anyway.

Because now, there was another path.

Jester could teach.

If he could push knowledge into any creature with a hint of awareness, then undead like Spartan, Lucky, Gale, or even Lily could receive skillsets far beyond their innate build.

All without losing their loyalty. Without risking a bond break.

Michael’s mind began to race.

And yet, even as excitement surged through him, Michael didn’t allow himself to get carried away.

This wasn’t the time to lose perspective.

Because as revolutionary as Jester’s memory infusion was, it wasn’t without flaws—and it didn’t render [Taming] obsolete. Not completely.

In fact, comparing the two side by side revealed everything Jester could not do.

Unlike [Taming], which offered Michael precise control and access to his own skill pool and those of his tamed beasts, Jester’s teaching method was entirely limited to what he had already absorbed—or might absorb in the future. If Michael wanted to pass along a unique skill he possessed, like [Undead Revival] or [Phase Shift], he couldn’t rely on Jester unless Jester had also learned that skill.

Jester couldn’t copy.

And worse—he couldn’t teach anything outside his catalog. If Michael needed a skill passed on urgently, and Jester didn’t know it? Then he was useless.

That was where [Taming] still held a razor edge.

Also, Jester needed minds to harvest.

And how many of those would Michael find lying at his feet?

Worse, Mind Harvest could never be used on Michael’s own forces. Not on Lucky. Not on Gale. Not on Wisdom. Not even on Michael himself. Jester had no way of expanding his skills from the inside out—it had to come from external prey.

So while Michael now had a second path to educate and empower his army, it also has issues.

Jester might teach… but he couldn’t copy.

Jester might grow… but only if fed.

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose, mind racing with the implications.

And in the end, Michael realised, at least, for now, he couldn’t discard [Taming].

He still needed it. .

The thought made him sigh.

Still, Michael couldn’t deny the opportunity he’d been given.

Jester could teach.

So long as he stayed loyal, it was a valuable undead.

As Michael was about to ask Jester to start the memory infusion, he hesitated. A sudden thought crossed his mind, and his voice dropped into a low, careful tone.

Is this safe? He wasn’t about to blindly throw himself into something that might shatter his mind or worse.

So, he asked the one question that had been quietly pressing against his thoughts since Jester suggested it.

“Are there any dangers to this?”

The silence that followed wasn’t reassuring. Jester’s tone, when it finally came, was calm but unsettlingly casual.

—I don’t know.

Michael’s brows furrowed. “You don’t know?”

—Not exactly. But I’m confident you won’t die! Jester added with an unsettling cheerfulness, as though that alone should have been enough reassurance. There might be pain, though. A lot of it. I can’t say for sure. Never tried this before.

Michael exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair, his jaw tightening.

Pain didn’t scare him. But the way Jester phrased it—never tried before—was not comforting in the slightest.

Jester’s ability was powerful—potentially groundbreaking—but its untested nature made it unpredictable. Unlike his [Taming] skill, which at least had clear, defined risks and limitations, this memory infusion was entirely alien.

Jester was confident enough to attempt it, but “confident” wasn’t the same as “safe.”

Michael remained silent for a moment before reaching out to ring the small bell on his desk. The soft chime drew the attention of Wisdom, who had been keeping a cautious distance ever since Michael entered the room.

The owl turned to look at him but still refused to come closer—no doubt because of the certain being nestled against his body.

Michael could only offer a wry smile, silently praising the mutated beast’s sensitivity, while he thought of what to do next.

A soft knock came at the door a few moments later, followed by the creak of wood as it opened slightly.

A young maid stepped in with practiced grace, head bowed. “My lord, you rang?”

When she looked up, however, her composure wavered.

Michael sat behind his desk, the flickering light from the windows casting shadows across his face. His long dark hair shimmered faintly under the glow. His green eyes, sharp and unreadable, met hers for only a brief moment before drifting back to the desk in front of him.

The maid’s cheeks turned pink.

She quickly straightened her posture—subtly puffing out her chest as if that might draw his eye. A slight tilt of her head, a curl of her lips—small, calculated motions born from hope.

But Michael, who was as emotionally oblivious as a brick wall in winter, didn’t notice.

He glanced up only to nod politely.

She cleared her throat softly, trying again. “Is there anything you require, my lord?”

Michael, still not noticing the faint tremble in her voice or the hopeful way she leaned forward ever so slightly, nodded again with polite indifference.

“Yes. Call Ace and Lia to my office,” he said, his tone calm and direct. “I need them both.”