v2c16 : Abyss’s Favorite Activity
Leona was once again basking in Rebecca’s praise.
After brewing the antidote for Abyss, the only one who needed it, Rebecca turned her attention to the contaminated magic crystals he had provided.
These crystals differed from ordinary ones in that they had been tainted by the energy of another world, granting them the potential for interdimensional travel. According to Rebecca, these contaminated crystals shattered upon receiving mana because their internal structure (too small to be observed with current technology, based on her ancestor Bottel’s theories) had been destabilized by the alien energy, making them unable to handle the influx of mana. However, etching specific patterns onto their surface, creating pathways for mana to flow, could restore their conductivity.
It was a time-consuming process. Rebecca, working alone, would have needed days to prepare a single usable crystal. But now, with Flora and Leona’s assistance, the task became much easier.
Flora was meticulous. Although it was their first time working together, she followed Rebecca’s instructions flawlessly.
Leona proved to be an invaluable asset. Her lack of strategic thinking didn’t mean she was unintelligent. As a top-tier Dou Warrior, she excelled at precise movements. Rebecca usually etched the patterns onto the crystals using corrosive potions, but with Leona’s help, that was no longer necessary. Rebecca simply drew the patterns on each crystal with a special pen, then handed them to Leona, who used her razor-sharp Dou Qi to carve the patterns directly onto the surface.
Magic crystals were incredibly hard, resistant to most tools, but they were like butter before Leona’s Dou Qi blade.
Thus, Rebecca, Flora, and Leona formed a production line, churning out magic crystals. If one crystal proved unreliable, they could create more, allowing Rebecca to troubleshoot any potential issues.
Abyss, having supplied the raw materials, was no longer needed. He observed them for a while, satisfying his curiosity, then excused himself.
“Your Dou Qi is amazing, Leona! You must show me your combat skills sometime. It must be an awe-inspiring sight!” Rebecca said, admiring the crystal Leona had etched.
Leona giggled, her cheeks flushed, pleased by the compliment.
“Rebecca, these crystals are ready. I’ll bring them over,” Flora said.
“Thanks, Flora,” Rebecca replied.
Leona, engrossed in her work, hadn’t noticed Abyss’s departure. She looked around and spotted him standing in the graveyard. “Rebecca, what’s Abyss doing in the graveyard?” she asked, curious.
“He said he’s digging up some graves for research,” Rebecca replied, then whispered, “Is that his hobby? Do all necromancers enjoy that? He seems quite enthusiastic…”
“I should have known…” Leona said, rolling her eyes, watching Abyss crouching among the tombstones, intently studying the inscriptions. “Yes, he loves it. He once said he prefers the company of the dead.”
“That’s kind of cute,” Rebecca said, giggling.
“Cute?! How is that cute?!” Leona exclaimed, shocked by Rebecca’s peculiar definition of “cute.”
Flora, beside them, struggled to suppress her laughter.
…
Abyss crouched before a tombstone, carefully examining the inscription.
The writing wasn’t in any language he recognized. Its form and structure were completely different from the languages of Hai-Teweru. He retrieved a notebook from his magical catfish’s mouth and meticulously copied the inscription. Although he doubted this short inscription held any valuable information, recording anything from this world might prove useful later.
While the three girls were busy crafting magic crystals for their return trip, Abyss continued copying tombstone inscriptions. When he felt he had collected enough data, noticing repetitions in the writing, a new thought emerged.
It was one of his favorite activities—grave robbing.
Since the deceased in this world had no souls, he couldn’t seek their consent. He bowed respectfully before a tombstone, then used wind magic to meticulously clear away the dust covering the grave. Finally, he covered his hand in bone armor, grabbed the stone slab covering the grave, and lifted it aside.
A desiccated corpse lay before him. There was no stench of decay. This world was devoid of bacteria to decompose the body.
It was a small humanoid creature with bluish-green skin, resembling a goblin, but with three eyes. Abyss had anticipated the differences in appearance between the inhabitants of this world and those of Hai-Teweru, so he wasn’t surprised. What intrigued him was the creature’s posture and the dagger embedded in its chest.
The deceased wasn’t lying peacefully in the grave. It was contorted, its body twisted sideways, its limbs splayed, its face turned upwards, the dehydrated skin preserving its final expression—a mixture of bewilderment and a hint of joy. A sharp, slender dagger protruded from its chest, likely piercing its heart or another vital organ, causing instant death.
It seemed this individual had committed suicide right beside the grave, then fallen into it, the stone slab placed over its body by someone else.
Remembering the potent, suicide-inducing toxins in the air, even Abyss shuddered at the thought of what might have happened in this world.
Perhaps the inhabitants, driven mad by the toxins, had gathered in an eerie, orderly fashion and committed mass suicide. Then, the toxin spread, killing every other living creature, even microbes, leaving behind a silent, lifeless world.
But who had created this toxin and released it into the world? And why?
Driven by these questions, Abyss excavated several more graves, each containing a native inhabitant, dead by their own hand, a dagger embedded in their chest, their bodies contorted in various postures. But he found no further clues.
Then, his gaze fell upon a unique grave. Its tombstone had shimmering purple decorations, unlike the others.
Leave a Reply