Category: This Necromancer Wants to Capture the Hearts of Deceased Beautiful Girls

Chapter 110: Contacting Old Acquaintances

“Leona, hold out your left hand.”
Abyss suddenly walked over to Leona, who was playing with Agnes and seemed to have settled into the role of ‘father’, and spoke to her.

“Huh? What for?” Leona turned her head, looking at Abyss quizzically.

Abyss didn’t answer immediately but smiled, took her hand, scanned the rings on her fingers, and finally targeted one, removing it from her ring finger.

“I need to contact Princess Helen. She has some influence in the Western Empire now. I need her to take precautions,” Abyss explained, putting the ring on his own finger.

Abyss and Leona were still in their swapped bodies. A little over a day had passed since the swap, so they had to maintain this state. However, Leona seemed to have adapted to Agnes calling her Papa within that day. Not only did she no longer awkwardly refuse, but she even responded affectionately. Agnes had also learned to call Flora and Rebecca “Mama,” which seemed to reflect her own cleverness before losing her memory.

“Oh, I see,” Leona realized, then watched to see what Abyss would do.

Abyss gently rubbed the ring he had just taken from Leona’s hand, infusing magic into it. These rings contained miniature magic arrays and didn’t require much magic from the user. Basically, anyone with apprentice-level magic could operate them, even Leona with her rudimentary skills.

As Abyss cast the spell, the ring began to vibrate. After a moment, a blurry spot of light shone out from the ring, projecting onto the sky. It gradually solidified into a clear image.

Helen’s curious face appeared before everyone. She wasn’t wearing formal attire but had a monocle on, seemingly reading a book.

“Ah… Leona?” Helen looked around, confused, then said with pleasant surprise, “You can contact me with this? Long time no see! How are you all?”

“Hey, Helen. For some reason, Leona and I swapped souls. I’m Abyss now – and the one sitting over there is Leona,” Abyss smiled at Helen. “We’re doing well. You probably heard about our situation, right? We’re currently in the Elven Kingdoms, dealing with some troubles here.”

“Ah, is that so? You actually have such an ability…” Helen stared at Abyss with slight surprise for a moment. After confirming his manner of speaking was indeed his, she replied, “Oh, yes, news of your situation reached the Western Empire. It caused quite a stir in noble circles. Many suggested inviting you over with a hefty sum, but the proposal ultimately didn’t pass. Right now, the Ossi Kingdom has connected with the Eastern Empire and is trying hard to reclaim their territory. I advocate signing a treaty and returning it on the condition of a trade agreement. The nobles of various factions are still deadlocked, and my father, the Emperor, is indecisive as usual.”

Abyss nodded. He didn’t disagree with Helen’s approach. Okning was conquered territory of the Western Empire, after all; returning it unconditionally was impossible, even with the Eastern Empire’s influence. Helen was already striving for the most peaceful solution possible, supporting Abyss and his group’s efforts in this way.

“Contacting you this time is also related to the Elven Kingdoms,” Abyss said to Helen.

Helen quickly understood Abyss’s meaning. She immediately said, “Ah, I think I know what this is about. Are you referring to those mutated animals in the Elven Kingdoms? Indeed, quite a few merchants in the Western Empire have gotten ideas, and those animal brain crystals that grant magical powers have started appearing on the black market.”

“Exactly. These brain crystals are extremely dangerous. The power they grant humans belongs to an Outer God. Based on what I currently know, while these crystals can provide power, they can also manipulate a person’s will. Do you have a way to stop these things from circulating in the market?”

“I will contact my father. He should be able to issue an edict immediately declaring these illegal,” the knowledgeable Helen, naturally aware of Outer Gods, thought for a moment. “But completely eradicating them might be difficult. Nobles in various regions might not fully comply, and the greed of merchants can’t be easily restrained by a mere decree.”

“You should publicize the dangers of these things as much as possible. Whether they believe it or not, it should make those with ulterior motives hesitant,” Abyss replied seriously. “We’ve temporarily stopped the Outer God from expanding the range of animal mutations, but preventing their brain crystals from circulating in the Western Empire market depends on you.”

“Alright, I will do my best… This also concerns the safety of the Empire; I can’t stand idly by,” Helen gave Abyss a reliable look. “Thank you for the warning.”

“Let’s work together. I’m also looking for a solution now,” Abyss said. “That’s all I needed to say. The safety of the Western Empire is in your hands.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Helen, Abyss closed the communication.

But Abyss didn’t stop there; he continued to rub the ring on his hand.

“Are you going to contact Titus and Givia too?” Leona let Agnes go play with Flora and curiously sidled up to Abyss. “Need me to speak for you?”

“Hm? If you’re willing, of course. It would save a lot of trouble,” Abyss smiled and leaned closer to Leona. “I do plan to contact them. Next up is Titus.”

As he spoke, a spot of light emanated from the ring just like before. Soon, Titus’s face materialized before them.

Titus was much more casual than Helen. He still had a spoon dangling from his mouth. Seeing Abyss and the group, his eyes widened immediately, looking very pleased.

“Ah, beautiful! After so long, I finally see you all again! Mr. Abyss, Miss Leona, Miss Flora, Miss Re… oh, and a new friend, hello, hello!”

Agnes repeated “hello,” greeting Titus innocently.

“Titus, I have something to tell you this time,” Leona cleared her throat and spoke on Abyss’s behalf.

Titus immediately replied: “Let me guess, you’re in the Elven Kingdoms now, and you want to inform me about the animal brain crystals, right – is it this thing?”

Titus produced a brain crystal from somewhere and waved it in front of everyone.

“Yes, yes, that’s the thing,” Leona nodded.

“This thing is currently relatively safe in the Eastern Empire. The Emperor is well-informed and immediately clamped down hard on its circulation. Our Black Hats gang is currently the only force authorized to possess this item. Anyone else found possessing or using the power of brain crystals faces charges of treason – by the way, Mr. Abyss, how come you sound like a little girl after not seeing you for a few days?”

“…” Leona was instantly speechless.

Chapter 109: The “Helpful” Crazy Loli

Prodo sat lazily in the main hall, one leg crossed, reading a decaying ancient book.

Behind him, from another room in the tomb, came the miserable screams of his disciples.

Prodo paid them no mind, as if the screaming Fidia and Shor were complete strangers.

“Ah! No! Stop! Little Junior Sister! I’m your Senior Sister, I even gave you tasty things to eat!”

Fidia, even when facing Abyss previously, hadn’t screamed like this. Her voice held a despair, as if she had absolutely no way to change her current predicament.

“Don’t! Don’t! Little Junior Sister! Deal with your Senior Sister first! She used to secretly curse you behind your back when she was outside, calling you a little lunatic!”

Shor’s voice, high-pitched with fear, also came from that room.

“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, why aren’t you happy? Carol wants to make you happy, don’t you like it?”

A sweet little girl’s voice spoke at this moment.

The voice was pleasant, seemingly belonging to a girl only a few years old. But her tone held something different from ordinary little girls: her sentences were filled with irregular tremors and rapidly dropping endings, not something a mentally stable person could produce.

Hearing this voice, Prodo couldn’t help but smile slightly.

However, it wasn’t the loving smile of an elder hearing a child’s voice, but rather the greedy smile of a dishonest merchant seeing goods he was about to sell off at a high price.

Fidia and Shor’s screams continued; they seemed to be enduring immense pain.

Prodo didn’t care at all about these two foolish disciples who had lost both the lady and the soldiers (suffered a double loss). He directly asked loudly:

“Carol, how is your playtime with Senior Brother and Senior Sister going?”

“Carol… is very happy!” the little girl replied, unable to hide her excitement.

“Then the things you promised Master, you must do them properly too,” Prodo immediately said. “Do you remember what you promised Master?”

“Fight Abyss Belator, then come back, and tell Master everything I know!”

Carol replied immediately, her tone filled with pride at being able to clearly remember Master’s instructions.

“That’s right, Carol is the most obedient. This time you must remember, Abyss Belator is a boy with gray hair and green eyes, sounds lazy when he talks, and is a mage who uses necromancy just like us. Don’t get it wrong,” Prodo said to Carol. “Your Senior Sister failed the mission and made Master very angry.”

“Why did Senior Sister make Master angry?” Carol’s confused voice came out.

…

“Ahhhhhhh!” Fidia screamed loudly.

At this moment, she was tightly bound by some powerful force onto a coffin within the tomb. Her hair was disheveled, drenched in sweat, devoid of her previous elegance. Her originally well-worn mage robe was now cut open, revealing large patches of delicate but pale skin.

She hadn’t not tried to escape her current situation, however, not only were her limbs firmly locked, but even the magic power around her was controlled, preventing her from using any spells.

Beside the coffin she lay on, Shor was pinned to the ground. Shor seemed to have fainted already, and his crotch was soaked – clearly, just as Master Prodo had said before, he had wet himself out of fear.

A tiny hand was currently tracing across her abdomen. Looking closer, one would find a small piece of white bone armor on the tip of this little hand.

As the small hand swept horizontally across Fidia’s lower abdomen, her skin was instantly sliced open. Blood gushed out after a brief delay.

“Ah! Ah!” Fidia screamed desperately. She wanted to writhe, but was powerless. Intense pain shot from her belly, making her lose all reason and scream hysterically.

“Letting Senior Sister’s blood, giving Senior Sister a new liver… giggle giggle…”

A delicately beautiful little elf girl was happily singing about what she was doing in a discordant nursery rhyme occasionally trembling all over and emitting morbid laughter.

In contrast, her gaze was remarkably clear, completely unlike someone inflicting torture.

This little girl was exceptionally beautiful, undoubtedly a budding beauty. Once grown, who knew what kind of peerless stunner she would become.

However, her current actions were completely at odds with the word “beauty.” She was reaching into Fidia’s abdomen, and amidst Fidia’s screams, was digging out her liver alive.

Although Fidia’s liver was constantly being destroyed by the little girl’s digging, her screams remained surprisingly strong.

It turned out that the moment her liver was removed, a new one would grow to replace the original part.

The newly grown liver was noticeably pinker and healthier than the one removed – Necromancers couldn’t avoid toxic potions, which more or less damaged the liver.

Carol was digging out Fidia’s old liver to allow the new part to grow.

While this was beneficial in a way, Carol wasn’t using any anesthesia whatsoever. Fidia was experiencing one hundred percent of the pain.

How many people could endure the agony of having their internal organs ripped out alive?

“Senior Sister, Senior Sister is getting healthy…”

Carol smiled sweetly, her shoulders twitching uncontrollably, adding to the extreme eeriness.

“Please, Carol! Stop!”

Fidia shrieked loudly, her voice so hoarse it almost broke,

“Senior Sister can’t take it anymore!”

“Why? Doesn’t Senior Sister like this? It’s very comfortable, isn’t it? Carol originally wanted to replace Senior Sister’s intestines with new ones too…”

Carol’s expression suddenly looked somewhat disappointed.

“Senior Sister… hates Carol now?”

Fidia forced a smile: “Hahaha… How could Senior Sister hate Little Junior Sister? Senior Sister is just… just afraid Little Junior Sister will get tired…”

“It’s okay! Senior Sister doesn’t need to worry! Carol isn’t tired at all!”

Hearing this, Carol smiled sweetly again.

“No! No! Ahhhhhhh!”

Outside the room, Prodo glanced in this direction, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes again.

Why, when he and his junior brother Glad were geniuses of the same caliber, could Glad so perfectly transfer the power of the Sage’s Blood to an infant, making him intelligent and healthy…

While he, Prodo, could only create a mentally unstable failure, liable to lose control at any moment?

He must, must borrow the power of the Outer God! He must let Carol complete her ascension!

Chapter 108: Fidia’s “Harvest”

In elven culture, especially among Wood Elves, being buried in a scenic location after death is a matter of great prestige. Therefore, within the Elven Kingdoms, ancient tombs can potentially be found beneath every beautiful landscape. The tombs of the poor are simpler, often containing only a coffin and a few personal belongings. The tombs of the wealthy are relatively grand, typically featuring multiple rooms simulating the deceased’s residence. Even better ones might include an underground ecosystem to prevent the deceased from feeling lonely.

With elven techniques, the construction of these ancient tombs doesn’t damage the natural scenery. The beauty of the surface is almost perfectly preserved, and there are no tombstones, rammed earth mounds, or other markers indicating the tomb’s location. Generally, pinpointing the exact spot is difficult, but Necromancers, who frequently excavate tombs, have their own methods.

Fidia chanted an incantation, releasing altered magic. As the magic spread, it carried a buzzing sound, causing the ground beneath her and Shor’s feet to vibrate, emitting a faint hum.

“Here,” she quickly confirmed the exact location of an ancient tomb beneath them.

Shor immediately moved. The magic Fidia had just released not only informed him of the tomb’s location but also relayed information about its approximate structure. The experienced Shor quickly determined the entrance based on the tomb’s structure.

He walked up to a large, moss-covered boulder, placed his hand on it, channeled magic into it, and chanted a simple spell.

The earth began to rumble violently. A section of ground behind the boulder suddenly split open, revealing a deep hole. It lacked signs of artificial excavation, resembling more an animal’s hibernation den.

They jumped down without hesitation. After a short time, the split ground closed back up with another tremor.

“Master, Fidia and I have returned to find you! Are you still here?”
Shor walked through the deep cave, calling out for his master, but received no reply. Fidia followed behind him, her expression clearly apprehensive.

The two followed the cave’s path, descending diagonally for a long distance, until the view suddenly opened up. A considerably spacious hall appeared before them. Everything in the hall was constructed from the roots of nearby plants, shaped by magic. Numerous bioluminescent fungi clung to the ceiling and walls, providing some light to the dim hall.

“Ah, Master, I’ve finally found you,” Shor bowed obsequiously towards the center of the hall.

Fidia also emerged from behind her senior brother, bowing timidly.

“Hmm… tsk tsk, judging by the looks of you two, you failed?”
An old yet frivolous voice came from the center of the hall.

The owner of the voice was an old man clad in black robes. He was skeletally thin, his skin dry and rough like old tree bark, with a messy shock of white hair draped down his back. Such an old man should have given off an air of impending death, but looking into his eyes, one could sense the immense power hidden within his gaunt frame – two translucent soul flames flickered intermittently, complementing his sharp, vigorous gaze. This was, of course, their master, and also Abyss’s martial uncle, Prodo.

Prodo’s entire body was covered in an icy aura. Even his breath formed clouds of white mist containing ice crystals, particularly noticeable in the damp underground air.

“I’m sorry, that Abyss’s strength is truly too formidable. We initially thought we could restrain him, or at least make him lose a familiar, but then he suddenly revealed his power, and we realized we were no match at all… The host of the Sage’s Blood is indeed not someone mortals can easily confront,” Shor quickly explained.

“And Fidia? You look downcast,” Prodo looked towards Fidia standing nearby.

“Master… I lost the dragon skin you gave me, and half the bones…” Fidia stammered. “It’s all that guy Abyss’s fault. While fighting me, he kept looking for opportunities to steal bone powder from my bone armor. By the end, he had stolen a full half…”

“Oh, is that so,” Prodo raised an eyebrow, laughing amidst a flurry of frost. “Hahahaha, I never expected you two to win anyway; I just sent you to probe him, my little darlings. You two are sufficiently afraid of death; Shor would even wet his pants in fear. I wasn’t worried about you dying at Glad’s disciple’s hands. Forget it, forget it, it’s nothing, nothing to be afraid of.”

Hearing her master’s dismissive words, Fidia finally relaxed, managing a strained smile.

“Mm, now, you two tell me, what intelligence did you gather from Abyss?” Prodo shifted his position, propping himself up on his arm, and asked again.

“This…” Fidia was momentarily speechless. Shor also stared blankly at his master, saying nothing.

“What? What did you two do now?” Prodo grew impatient. “Come on, just say whatever you know. I’m not going to eat you.”

“That… Abyss never came out to meet us from beginning to end. We don’t know what abilities he has…” Fidia’s face turned ashen. “He was far, far stronger than us…”

Shor suddenly interjected: “I know, I know! Master! He has modified his necromancy! He can swap bodies with his familiars through the link! We initially held his familiar hostage, wanting to coerce him, but he directly swapped into his familiar’s body and defeated both of us – that familiar of his named Leona is incredibly strong!”

“Are you two kidding me? Abyss defeated you without even showing up?” Prodo couldn’t help but laugh. “I know Leona was once the continent’s top Dou Qi Master, but how could the two of you not even beat that simple-minded brute? Do you have to embarrass mages like this?”

“Her speed was just too fast; we didn’t even have time to cast spells…” Fidia began to feel afraid again. “I only lasted so long because I used the dragon bone you gave us to form bone armor…”

“Alright, alright, I get it. So basically, you went out, achieved nothing, and just gave things away, right? What are you? Postal workers? Delivering my dragon to Abyss?”

“Sorry, Master…”

“It’s all Fidia’s fault! I didn’t lose anything, Master!”

Prodo waved his hand dismissively, not looking at his two disciples: “Enough, no more nonsense. Your little junior sister is in the room behind me. Go play with her for a day.”

“Ah! Master!” Fidia instantly collapsed onto the ground in terror.

Shor burst into tears: “Master! No! We definitely won’t do this again next time! Don’t punish us!”

“Go when I tell you to go. She won’t actually kill you,” Prodo glanced lazily towards them, his gaze turning ice-cold. “Even if you die, I can resurrect you. Go, don’t waste time. Little Junior Sister needs to have enough fun before she can take over your tasks.”

Chapter 107: Agnes and the Tree

“Come, repeat after me, stone.” Flora held a stone in her hand, smiling warmly at Agnes.

“Stone…” Agnes obediently repeated after Flora. Although she couldn’t speak Elvish now, her Common Tongue still carried a slight elven accent, with occasional playful trills, sounding quite adorable.

“How did things turn out like this?” Leona whispered to Abyss, who was sitting nearby.

Abyss shrugged: “Although I don’t know why Flora is teaching Agnes to speak, it seems Agnes learns quite quickly. She remembers any word after just one repetition. Maybe in another day, she’ll be able to talk to us normally.”

“That amazing?” Leona was astonished. Learning the Ancient Tongue required for magic had been much more painful for her than this seemed for Agnes.

Flora seemed to overhear Abyss and Leona’s conversation. She smiled faintly, not stopping Agnes’s early childhood education, and said to them through the mind link: “I know Agnes’s memories and knowledge will return someday, and I don’t expect to reteach her everything. But I thought if I could help her learn some simple conversation temporarily, fully activating the language centers in her brain, it might help her regain her former abilities sooner. Like rehabilitation training after an injury.”

“Huh, Flora’s idea is great,” Abyss couldn’t help but nod in approval. “Indeed, if we can get Agnes to use her brain more now, it might really promote the integration of the memories in her soul with her new body. Once her memory recovers, we can also understand the ins and outs of past events.”

Abyss felt it was necessary to know some of the secrets hidden within Agnes. Especially why she had planned to visit Flora, someone she seemingly had no connection with.

“Come, Agnes, look outside. This, this, and this, these are trees,” Flora took Agnes’s hand again, pointing to the ubiquitous trees outside the window, introducing them to her.

“Tree,” Agnes blinked her large eyes, repeating innocently.

“Right, these are all trees. You can also call them like this—” Flora said, then repeated in Elvish, “Tree.”

“Mm! Tree!” Agnes seemed happy to have learned a new noun. Her sweet little face didn’t show much expression, but her eyes shone brightly.

After learning this noun, she suddenly turned her head towards Leona, who was sitting there observing. Staring at the clueless Leona for a while, she crawled over on all fours like an infant, pointed at Leona, turned back to Flora, and said repeatedly: “Tree! Tree! Papa! Tree!”

“Hm? What tree?” Flora was confused by Agnes’s sudden baffling behavior. What did Leona – or rather, Abyss’s body – have to do with a tree right now?

Leona was also puzzled. She scratched her head, thought for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed “Oh!” in realization.

Then, she reached out, patted Agnes’s shoulder, shook her head seriously, and said: “Silly child, what you’re talking about isn’t a tree.”

“Tree! Tree!” Agnes persisted stubbornly.

Leona proudly pointed at her own crotch: “This, isn’t a tree. This is called a little wee-wee. Learn from me, little wee-wee—”

Flora never expected Leona to suddenly say such a thing and was instantly dumbfounded.

Agnes, however, blinked her eyes, pointed insistently at Leona, and said: “Tree! Tree!”

“Uh, Leona, she might not be talking about that part of you… I think she might really be talking about a tree…” Abyss poked Leona with his finger, reminding her softly.

“Hm? Am I wrong?” Leona looked back at Abyss in surprise.

“Do you remember what I told you before, about what the Lord of Nightmares looked like after I subdued him? His power is currently still inside my body. Could Agnes be talking about that tree?”

“Eh? Is… is that so?” Leona suddenly remembered what Abyss had told her about the Lord of Nightmares. Her face instantly turned beet red, and because she was currently using Abyss’s living body, her face flushed like a cooked crab.

“Little wee-wee, no! Tree! Yes!” Agnes emphasized her point using the Common Tongue she had just learned from Flora.

“Ah… seems like it really is… Why are you all looking at me like that! Isn’t it because I want to give the child the best education! Sex… sex education shouldn’t be lacking either!” Leona instantly panicked and started trying hard to explain herself, “What! It’s not like I’m teaching her this because I’m lecherous! I really am purely acting out of a sense of responsibility!”

“Papa, lecherous?” Agnes tilted her head, repeating Leona’s words.

“No, no!” Leona almost wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but then resignedly said, “Ah, forget it. Anyway, I’m using ABC’s body now, it doesn’t matter if I’m misunderstood.”

“Compared to reputation, I’m more interested in how Agnes saw the Lord of Nightmares’ power inside me,” Abyss leaned his face forward with interest and asked Agnes, “Tell Mama, where is the big tree?”

“Tree!” Agnes obediently pointed towards Leona’s heart.

“Very interesting…” Abyss narrowed his eyes slightly. “Flora, this task is yours. Please, during the three days Leona and I are swapped, try your best to give Agnes basic expressive abilities. She might have the ability to nurture the Lord of Nightmares. If so, we will soon gain another powerful ally.”

“Mm, leave it to me. Agnes learns very quickly, and it seems she isn’t just learning; she’s actually gradually awakening her past memories. Otherwise, such speed would be impossible,” Flora agreed confidently. “Learning a language requires repetition, but she doesn’t need that step. I don’t think her confusion state will last long!”

As she spoke, Agnes suddenly began uttering a string of tongue-twisting words.

The group quickly recognized she was speaking Ancient Tongue; she was casting a spell.

As she cast, a miniature image of a large tree was projected into the air – the very giant tree Abyss had seen in his dream before.

It seemed using magic had already become an instinct for Agnes.

Abyss became increasingly interested in her. He also began to wonder, for what purpose did his martial uncle Prodo want to obtain the power of the Sage’s Blood?

And after so many years of failing to obtain it, would Prodo have started looking for some other substitute?

Chapter 106: Back to the Treehouse

As Agnes’s most capable subordinate in the past, Arcaiste longed to reminisce with her. However, since Agnes currently couldn’t remember the past, he had to temporarily shelve the idea and wait for her memory to return.

In any case, Agnes’s resurrection was the best possible outcome. Arcaiste had never imagined he would one day cooperate with a Necromancer, let alone that this Necromancer would bring back the person he cared about most – even though, strictly speaking, Agnes was now undead.

Flora volunteered for the “childcare” task. Agnes, having already babbled with her for half a day, clearly liked this gentle older sister. Flora easily took her hand.

“Let’s take Agnes back to our little treehouse first. It’s not convenient to stay here,” Flora said to the group, helping Agnes, whose legs were still weak, to stand up.

“I also plan to undo the petrification on the villagers. Keshel needs to resume production,” Rebecca said.

“Yes, with Agnes resurrected, everything becomes simple. Later, Flora, please use Divine Arts to prevent people from suspecting too much about what we did on the Sacred Tree. Master Arcaiste, please cooperate with us as well, don’t let anyone know we resurrected someone on the Sacred Tree,” Abyss said.

Flora nodded, and Arcaiste agreed.

Not every Druid was like Arcaiste, willing to trust a Necromancer as a last resort, nor had every Druid interacted with truly righteous Necromancers like Baggs had. The fact that Abyss had resurrected the former Grand Sage Agnes on the tree naturally couldn’t be revealed, nor could Agnes even show her face in front of them, otherwise it would surely cause unrest among the Druids.

Abyss wasn’t worried about them doing anything to him; most were elves, and Druids adhering to elven values wouldn’t be so ungrateful. However, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary trouble.

But in reality, this task wasn’t difficult. With Arcaiste’s help, no Druid should guess they had resurrected Agnes on the treetop – common sense dictated that Necromancers resurrected the dead by digging up graves, who would plant a corpse on a tree?

Agnes seemed to be the quiet type, her facial expressions less varied than others. According to Arcaiste, most of the time, she wore this adorable and clueless expression and never made exaggerated gestures. Quiet and reserved, Agnes was perfectly hidden when Abyss draped one of his cloaks over her.

On the way back to the treehouse, Leona suddenly grabbed Abyss’s arm, pulled him close, bent down, and whispered, “ABC! When exactly are you swapping back with me? I really don’t want to be her dad anymore, even… even being called Mama would be better than this!”

“Ah, about that…” Abyss said, slightly embarrassed. “There’s another reason why I was secretive and unwilling to tell you I could swap bodies with you. This magic can’t be used at will. Once we swap, we have to wait three days before we can swap back, otherwise it will have adverse effects on your soul.”

“What? What adverse effects? Can’t I just endure it?” Leona asked quickly. Being called Papa by Agnes was only part of it; Leona was most bothered by the strange thing between her legs that she had only heard about but never seen. It always felt awkward, and accidentally touching it caused strange sensations. She was going crazy.

A teenage boy’s body is really troublesome!

“Uh… because we’re different genders, swapping back too early might cause a period of gender identity disorder for both of us,” Abyss shrugged. “Of course, this is just my speculation. If you’re willing to take the risk with me, I can try it with you. I’ve never experienced thinking I was a girl before…”

“Let’s not…” Leona covered her face dejectedly.

“Well, you’ll have to bear with it for these few days then,” Abyss patted the back of Leona’s hand. “Because I need to gain Agnes’s favor, it’s important to build familiarity with her now that we’ve just met. Please interact with her more these few days. You don’t have to do it specifically in my name…”

“But I’m not into that!” Leona exclaimed, distraught.

“Ah? Into what?” Abyss blinked, confused.

Flora, walking ahead with Agnes, blushed slightly: When she bathed with Leona, Leona’s behavior seemed quite different from what she was saying now; her hand technique was clearly very good…

…

“Damn it! Only half of the dragon bone powder Master gave me is left! That kid Abyss kept stealing my stuff during the fight! That filthy little thief!”

Fidia sat on the ground…annoyed, completely disregarding her previous elegant image, throwing a rock forward like a petulant child.

“Hehe, don’t forget you also lost the entire dragon skin. Added up, that’s more than half a dragon,” Shor added from the side. “Although the dragon skin was rotten, it wasn’t entirely worthless.”

“Senior Brother Shor, don’t go too far! You had a part in this too! Don’t forget how you pissed your pants when you saw Abyss’s strength!” Fidia glared angrily at Shor standing nearby.

“So what? I am timid, bite me?” Shor felt no shame, laughing instead. “Rest up for a bit, then we need to hurry back to see Master. Master must have already guessed we might fail. Our defeat was definitely within his expectations; he won’t be too harsh on us.”

“But, I feel like something’s wrong, I just can’t put my finger on it…” Fidia didn’t stand up immediately, racking her brain. “I feel like that kid Abyss left some trick behind, but I can’t figure out what he could have done. I’ve already searched myself; I didn’t find any undead spies he left… You don’t have any either, right?”

“We’re Necromancers; wouldn’t we know if undead bugs or something were planted on us?” Shor bared his teeth. “Stop making excuses and get up quickly. Did you forget Master told us to return as soon as possible after finishing?”

“Hmph… looks like we’re out of options for now. However, Little Junior Sister should be ready by now, right? Maybe she has a way to deal with that little bastard Abyss.” Thinking of this, Fidia’s expression finally relaxed slightly. “I just don’t know how Master has trained her.”

Chapter 105: Compatibility Issues

To ascertain Agnes’s current state, the group began taking turns questioning the girl, who was still in a curious-baby phase.

Leona, seemingly Agnes’s favorite, was pushed forward by Abyss to ask the first questions: “Agnes… um… do you have any memories? Don’t call me Papa. Can you say anything else?”

“Mm… mm… woo…” Hearing Leona, Agnes sat there blankly for a moment, then suddenly her expression changed, looking like she was about to cry.

Did she think her Papa rejected her? Leona instantly regretted it. She frantically patted her chest and said loudly, “Don’t, don’t, don’t cry! I’m your Papa! I’m your Papa, okay! I like you the most!”

Only then did Agnes finally smile through her tears.

Leona was clearly out of her depth. Defeated, she retreated, replaced by Flora, who had high affinity and was very popular with children.

Flora looked at the adorable and clueless girl before her. Thinking about having to interact with her in the future made her feel a little nervous. She cleared her throat, overcame her apprehension, put on her best smile, and softly said to Agnes, “Agnes, do you remember me? I am Saint Flora. You learned about me before, right?”

Perhaps Flora’s affinity worked; Agnes, seemingly simple-minded, actually began to seriously consider her words.

Agnes carefully studied Flora’s face. She subconsciously started to shake her head, then hesitated and stopped, finally lowering her head with a confused expression, unsure how to respond.

“…Her memory might not be completely gone,” Abyss whispered to Arcaiste. “The memories are indeed stored in her soul.”

“Then why doesn’t she remember things from before?” Arcaiste, naturally hoping the Agnes he finally got to see wouldn’t remain like this, also whispered back.

Baggs and Maggie glanced at Abyss, seeking answers. In the study of souls, Necromancers were the ultimate authorities; they could only rely on Abyss for clarification.

“The specific reason is currently unverifiable, but I have a relatively plausible theory – the deceased I awakened before either had no body, awakened directly as ghosts, or had bodies, and I woke them up directly in their original bodies. Agnes is a special case. She had no body, but I used the mechanism she left behind to reconstruct her body, then summoned her soul into this vessel. This might cause temporary compatibility issues.”

“I don’t understand,” Maggie said earnestly.

“Meaning, her soul isn’t yet accustomed to this new body. Although she has returned to the mortal world, she needs a period of adjustment to truly remember her past. When she used magic just now to dispel the plague spread by that Necromancer, she seemed quite proficient, indicating her knowledge – at least her magical knowledge – is still intact. So I think her memory can slowly recover. You can rest assured for now,” Abyss explained with a smile.

“Then what can we do?” Baggs asked.

“Play with her?” Abyss shrugged. “I’m not very good at taking care of children. Does anyone here have experience with kids?”

“This… embarrassingly, I have no knowledge in this area. I haven’t even been in a relationship yet…” Arcaiste sighed.

He wasn’t lying. Someone with his perpetually melancholic demeanor would indeed have difficulty attracting the opposite sex; just looking at him was enough to make a girl depressed.

“Master, didn’t you often take care of me in place of my mother before she passed away? You definitely have experience,” Maggie suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said to Baggs perched on her shoulder. “Why don’t you play with Agnes? You can turn into many animals to accompany her, like a bear. Ah, speaking of bears, I suddenly remembered seeing a sister who turned into a bear these past few days. The bear she turned into was particularly beautiful and even wore a small flower on her ear. Speaking of small flowers…”

Baggs immediately waved his front paws in refusal: “Ah, this, although I do have experience taking care of you, the results of my upbringing are plain for all to see. It’s probably best not to expect too much from me, right?”

“What, Master? What do you mean?”

Everyone except the clueless Maggie suddenly understood – indeed, Baggs had raised a child, and now that child was not only mischievous but also a super chatterbox.

Flora, gaining some confidence after realizing she could communicate with Agnes, immediately started asking her other questions. Although Agnes couldn’t answer well, she seemed to fully understand what Flora was saying, nodding or shaking her head in response to some questions – the child had only lost her memory and some language ability, she wasn’t mentally impaired.

“Regardless, our goal has finally been achieved, even if not perfectly,” Rebecca smiled, crouching nearby, watching Flora interact friendly with Agnes. “We successfully awakened Agnes. Even if she has temporary amnesia, she has finally become Abyss’s familiar, and she doesn’t seem hostile towards us. I think that’s enough.”

“Mm. Our remaining task now is to eliminate that Lord of Bullying fellow,” Abyss also looked at Agnes and nodded. “I suspect the Lord of Bullying has already reached some agreement with that Prodo guy, and the Iron Lilies are currently a major threat as well. This experienced Outer God, having just broken free from the Church’s restraints not long ago, has already established such deep roots. He’s a very challenging enemy.”

“The ecological disaster we worried about due to animals gaining magical abilities hasn’t happened yet; instead, it’s us sentient beings who have fallen into chaos first,” Baggs wagged his tail, his tone laced with melancholy.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The concentrated attack by the Iron Lilies this time had also caused some damage to the Druid gathering. Although the Druids had healing methods, keeping casualties relatively low, the Druid school had few members in total, so even small losses were significant. There was no reason not to feel pained by this. If not for Flora’s superb Divine Arts, many Keshel villagers might have died this time. The threat posed by enemies using increasingly powerful brain crystals was constantly growing.

“Ah, right, speaking of which, ABC, did you let those two Necromancers go earlier? Why didn’t you keep them for interrogation?” Leona suddenly slapped her forehead. “That old hag earlier didn’t dare touch me, but she kept making sarcastic remarks. I hate her so much. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely shut her mouth and insult her non-stop for half an hour.”

“Keep them? That would be the worst strategy. They have nothing useful to offer me,” Abyss suddenly smiled mysteriously. “Letting them run back to Master to complain is exactly the result I wanted. Do you remember that the old hag Fidia you mentioned previously used our exclusive spell link without permission?”

“Eh… you mean?”

“That’s our private domain. Anyone who trespasses casually will be marked by me,” Abyss’s smile grew wider. “Soon, she will regret why she thought she was being clever.”

Chapter 104: Newborn Infant and Magical Plague

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know what’s going on either, really.” Abyss quickly waved his hands, distancing himself. “I swear to the heavens, I just followed the proper procedure to wake her up.”

“This feels too weird…” Leona’s expression clearly showed her complex emotions.

Leona was also a young girl experiencing the first stirrings of love. She had dreamed many nights about her future – marrying the important boy in her heart, having a healthy and cute child, and hearing the child call her “Mama” in a milky voice on the day they first learned to speak. However, she had never imagined that one day she would suddenly become a father.

Rebecca pressed her lips tightly together, her cheeks puffed out; she was about to burst out laughing.

Flora looked at Agnes with confusion. She hadn’t expected Agnes to be like this after resurrection either.

Agnes was now comfortably nestled in Leona’s embrace. A pair of fluffy gray cat ears had appeared on her head at some point and were now twitching contentedly. She seemed quite pleased to be in Leona’s arms.

“So what do we do now? I don’t want to be her dad!” Leona was almost crying, glaring at Abyss. “Hurry up and think of something! Logically speaking, isn’t this your biological mother? The seniority is all messed up!”

Baggs quickly glanced sideways at Arcaiste – he really looked like he was about to faint now.

“No, no, no, you can’t count it like that. She just gave me a part of her blood; we don’t have a genetic relationship…”

“Cut the crap! Solve the problem! I don’t want to be a dad!” Leona glared. Using Abyss’s body, her fierce expression on his delicate face lacked any intimidating power.

However, before Abyss could figure out how to stop Agnes from calling Leona “Papa,” Agnes herself lifted her head, seemingly alert to something.

Like before, she sniffed the air like a small animal, then seemed to catch a scent and frowned slightly.

Immediately, a string of incantations flowed from her mouth. While chanting, Agnes no longer showed the previous confusion and blankness. With her sweet voice, she rapidly recited lines of Ancient Tongue, just like any highly skilled high-level mage. Simultaneously, the magic power that had been gradually slowing its flow into her body was mobilized again, accelerating.

While Agnes mobilized this magic, Leona felt the illusion of being near Abyss – yes, Abyss also gave off this special feeling when using some particularly powerful magic. It was as if all the magic in the world was under her command; if she wished, she could compel this magic to do anything. Leona felt this aura of omnipotent command over all things in someone other than Abyss for the first time.

Agnes’s incantation grew louder, and the magic flowing into her magic core began to increase exponentially. When it reached a certain threshold, she suddenly uttered a short syllable. Immense magic power erupted outwards at her command, instantly covering the entire Keshel area. Magic is silent and colorless, yet a tremor from the depths of the soul shook every magic-user in Keshel.

After finishing the chant, Agnes returned to her previous state of “ignorance”. She sat obediently on the pistil, curiously observing the people around her.

“What did she do?” Leona asked, surprised, turning her head.

“She probably smelled the plague existing within Keshel,” Abyss clapped his hands in realization.

Baggs also sniffed the air. Soon, he nodded at Abyss: “This… yes, Miss Agnes… just used magic to dispel the plague throughout Keshel. I can no longer sense any unusual magical creations here. As expected of Miss Agnes… just after being resurrected, she accomplished something we couldn’t solve despite much effort.”

“She really could do it!” Abyss nodded excitedly. “Looks like I didn’t make the wrong move! Agnes is the most powerful expert against the enemy’s plague magic.”

Arcaiste finally recovered from his shock. His eyes wide, he quickly ran to Abyss’s side, then crouched down in front of Agnes to carefully examine her face.

The usually melancholic Arcaiste seemed completely devoid of his usual aura. Agnes didn’t seem afraid of him and curiously stared back at his face.

Agnes was slightly taller than Leona, but not by much, and her figure was much more developed than Leona’s completely undeveloped frame. She had an exquisitely delicate face, a pair of large, characteristic elven eyes blinking, a small mouth slightly open, and an equally small nose so cute one wanted to press it. Her skin was as tender as a baby’s – in fact, having just been re-nurtured by the Sacred Tree, she was indeed like an infant at this moment.

Just looking at her face, one could feel a natural, clear aura about her. Her eyes were untainted by any trace of the mortal world, pure like a newborn fawn. It made one feel an irresistible urge to cherish her.

The more Arcaiste observed Agnes, the more excited he became. When he spoke again, his voice trembled with excessive excitement.

“This… this face, it really is Agnes, and her aura… yes… it’s her… Master Belator, you really awakened her…”

“I didn’t lie to you, did I? I really intended to awaken her, not do anything else,” Abyss smiled from the side, arms crossed.

“…Ah… but, what’s wrong with her? She seems to not recognize us at all?” Arcaiste continued observing Agnes, suddenly remembering the most important thing.

Agnes also tilted her head curiously at Arcaiste, seemingly not understanding why the uncle opposite her suddenly looked sad.

“Indeed, sorry, I’ve never encountered a similar situation before. The deceased I resurrect all have existing bodies. This is the first time I’ve encountered one grown from a tree,” Abyss didn’t know what was going on either, scratching his head. “But I can speculate now that she has lost her memory. I currently don’t know how to restore it.”

“Do you remember me? Agnes?” Arcaiste asked softly, with a hint of trepidation.

“Hm?” Agnes tilted her head in the other direction again. She seemed to understand Arcaiste’s words but didn’t know how to answer.

“Can you still talk? Say a word for us?” Abyss asked from the side.

“Mama!” Agnes seemed happy to hear Abyss’s voice and called out again.

“If you dare answer, I’ll bite you!” Leona immediately threatened, putting her own hand into her mouth as she spoke.

Chapter 103: Something’s Wrong with the Grand Sage

The moment Leona finished chanting the incantation, magic began to flow rapidly.

Everyone present with relatively profound magical attainments could feel a huge vortex forming, centered on Agnes lying in the flower’s pistil. An immense amount of magic, as if drawn by a bottomless pit, converged towards the young girl.

Under the powerful suction emanating from Agnes’s body, even the stable flow of magic radiating outwards from the Sacred Tree was completely drawn away. Her body absorbed magic faster than the Sacred Tree could output it, rapidly draining the magic from the surrounding area.

However, even as she drained the magic, the nearby plants that relied on it showed no signs of wilting. Instead, they straightened their branches and leaves, proudly facing the sunlight filtering down from the Sacred Tree, appearing more vibrant than ever.

The Druids all sensed the abnormal flow of magic and quickly understood why the plants were thriving – although the Sacred Tree no longer radiated magic outwards, its roots were now transporting magic at an increased rate.

It was as if this giant plant had long prepared for this very moment, fulfilling a pre-planned task.

Leona, having just finished the incantation, also felt a wondrous connection being established between herself and the quietly sleeping Agnes.

Is this the process ABC uses when resurrecting us? Leona couldn’t help but exhale deeply, experiencing this unique sensation. It felt like a tunnel connected her and Agnes, drawing her own magic power and life force through it and into Agnes’s body. She felt slightly uneasy; this was a first for her.

“Don’t worry. There will be a period of magic and life force loss now; this is perfectly normal. Each of your resurrections requires a huge supply of magic and life force – of course, for me, it’s just a drop in the ocean, hardly worth mentioning,” Abyss’s gentle voice came from behind her. Because he was using a female voice now, Leona felt strangely calmer hearing it.

Magic and life force continued to drain away. Leona noticed this loss wasn’t a one-time extraction but more like “sharing half the total amount” with her. This lost magic and life force wasn’t replenished through normal bodily means; the upper limit was directly reduced.

And as this magic and life force were lost, Agnes, lying in the pistil, began to react.

Her initially serene sleeping face started showing various micro-expressions. The eyeballs beneath her eyelids began to move. Her jade-like hands, previously clenched into fists, now opened and closed like a sleeping baby’s.

Seeing her about to awaken, the two elders who knew her gasped. Both Baggs, who had only met her briefly, and Arcaiste, who had served her diligently, were shocked by the return of this deceased genius. Maggie also held her breath; she knew her mother had come here because of Agnes’s arrangements, met her father, and eventually gave birth to her.

Flora, ever thoughtful, gently draped a set of clothes over the unclothed Agnes – she had prepared this earlier. As soon as Abyss started chanting, Flora had realized that Agnes, resurrected in this manner, would be like a newborn, without clothes.

Agnes seemed to be trying to open her eyes. Whether it was the sunlight filtering through the Sacred Tree’s leaves being too strong, or the wind rustling in the canopy being too loud, her eyelashes fluttered, her brow furrowed slightly as she struggled to open her eyes. A hint of confusion flickered across her face, making everyone tense.

Abyss walked up at this moment, gently took one of her small hands, leaned close to her ear, and whispered softly, “Wake up, Agnes. It’s time.”

As Abyss finished speaking, Agnes’s eyes opened wide.

A pair of beautiful cyan eyes were revealed. Her pupils, initially dilated and unfocused, quickly constricted, regaining their perception of light.

“Hiss… Hoo…” The young girl’s deep breaths were clearly audible.

“Let me help you up and get dressed,” Abyss gently helped her sit up, assisting her in putting on the clothes Flora had draped over her. The girl’s body was slender yet possessed youthful grace. While helping her dress, Abyss couldn’t avoid seeing many beautiful sights, but he remained impassive, maintaining the necessary gentleness and elegance.

Agnes seemed not yet fully awake from her long slumber. She looked blankly at Abyss, who was helping her up, obediently raising her arms as he slowly helped her put on the clothes.

“How are you feeling? Alright?” Abyss asked again with a smile.

Agnes still looked around in confusion, her movements slow, just like Flora and Rebecca when they were resurrected.

Baggs, standing on Maggie’s shoulder, looked at Arcaiste nearby. Arcaiste was struggling to contain his excitement, the sadness on his face completely gone. His breathing became rapid, as if… he was trying hard not to cry?

Baggs licked his paw, puzzled. Arcaiste had this side to him? He had always been so composed.

“Can you speak?” Abyss asked, looking into her eyes.

Agnes reacted after a moment, opened her small mouth, and exhaled a syllable carrying a refreshing floral scent: “Ma…”

“Hm? What?” Abyss tilted his head.

“Mama…”

“What the heck,” Leona couldn’t help but blurt out from the side.

Had this just-awakened Grand Sage gotten something wrong?

Leona’s exclamation also caught Agnes’s attention. She turned her gaze to Leona, blinked, stared at her for a long time, then spoke again: “Papa…”

Baggs instinctively glanced at Arcaiste, who had just been holding back tears. His appearance was now completely different – he seemed utterly terrified, his face pale, looking like he was about to faint.

Had they resurrected the Grand Sage as an idiot?

Agnes then acted on her own. She sniffed in Leona’s direction, then, like a cat, moved her body over and rested her head on Leona’s chest.

“Papa!”

“What the hell! What’s going on! What happened? ABC!!!” Leona completely panicked.

Chapter 102: Come Back, Agnes

Accompanied by everyone, Leona finally finished chanting the incantation for the hundredth time. Baggs also arrived at this moment, still in his black cat form, a hint of joy on his feline face.

“I saw that big flower bud on top of the Sacred Tree when I came over just now. Master Belator’s methods are truly effective! As expected of Master Belator, truly admirable!” Baggs said. “And the blood Master Belator entrusted to me, I’ve given it all to the Sacred Tree to absorb, not a single drop wasted.”

In fact, even without Baggs saying anything, everyone could feel that the operation should have been successful. Just by standing near the Sacred Tree, they could feel the powerful pulse emanating from within it.

Abyss could also feel this special pulse, exactly the same as what he had felt in the illusion before. The life force nurtured by the Sacred Tree seemed to resonate with the souls of everyone present, evoking a wondrous feeling in their hearts.

This life rhythm was also felt by all the Druids in the gathering. They couldn’t help but turn their heads towards the top of the Sacred Tree, looking at the still-unopened flower.

The final incantation Leona chanted was to assist Baggs in channeling Abyss’s blood into the Sacred Tree. One hundred repetitions was the number Abyss had set for stability. After Leona’s reinforcement, the Sacred Tree had now reached its optimal state.

The task of awakening Agnes from her long slumber finally, officially began.

“Excellent! It’s time. Let’s ascend to the treetop together and meet up with Arcaiste,” Abyss clapped his hands excitedly, addressing the group. “When Agnes awakens, we will gain a mage of my caliber on our side. At that time, our path will become much broader.”

“I can’t wait,” Rebecca smiled, taking a deep breath.

“Then what about me? I can’t fly now, ABC. I don’t really know how to use your body – there’s plenty of Dou Qi, but I can’t solidify it at all,” Leona stood up at this moment, finally able to speak. However, Abyss’s voice paired with her somewhat naive tone sounded quite comical.

“I know how to use your Dou Qi, though,” Abyss smiled and grabbed Leona’s arm. “I’ll take you up. Mr. Baggs, please use magic to send Flora and Rebecca up.”

“Oh, alright… Eh? Master Belator and Miss Leona swapped bodies? How did they do that?” Baggs also noticed something was amiss at this point.

…

“You’ve finally arrived.”

Arcaiste looked at Abyss and his group who had just ascended from below the tree. A rare expression of relief appeared on his face, a stark contrast to his usual worried look.

“How is the flower bud?” Abyss asked with a smile.

Arcaiste glanced at Abyss, who had swapped bodies with Leona, took a moment to process, then replied: “Rest assured, Master Belator, I’ve taken good care of the flower bud. It just hasn’t opened yet. What needs to be done next is up to you.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Abyss nodded. “Leave the rest entirely to me.”

Everyone else respectfully took a few steps back, giving Abyss enough space. The Sacred Tree’s branches were quite thick, providing ample room to stand.

Just as Leona was about to step back as well, Abyss suddenly grabbed her arm again. He smiled at her and said, “Leona, sorry, but I actually need to trouble you again right now.”

“Eh? This is also for me?”

“Because all my magic power is currently in you, this matter cannot be done without you. Of course, it’s not difficult; you just need to follow my instructions,” Abyss smiled.

“Th-this way…” Leona wanted to ask Abyss why they didn’t swap back, but after considering it, she decided to fully cooperate with Abyss for now.

“Come.” Abyss walked behind Leona, gently placing his hand on the back of hers. The body swap made the current scene look rather like Leona was acting coquettishly towards Abyss.

Leona’s face immediately flushed red, but she obediently cooperated with Abyss’s movements.

“Repeat this incantation after me…” Abyss softly recited in Ancient Tongue to Leona, “With my blood I feed, grant thee new birth, magic now replete, Sacred Tree flower forth.”

“With my blood I feed, grant thee new birth, magic now replete, Sacred Tree flower forth…”

Leona’s hand, held by Abyss, was placed on the surface of the flower bud. As the incantation completed, she clearly felt the temperature emanating from the bud rise, and the heartbeat-like force within grew stronger.

The flower bud moved as if alive – it first stretched upwards slightly, then began to swell from the top. Next, a crack opened at the very center of the apex.

The crack widened continuously, and the flower bud opened its mouth. Many petals separated at this moment, silently unfurling in all directions, like someone stretching after a beautiful dream.

Abyss pulled Leona back two steps, making way for the petals.

The giant petals flattened out, revealing everything inside the flower. The scene presented before everyone made them hold their breath.

The flower had fully bloomed. In the very center grew a cluster of velvety pistils, and upon those pistils lay a petite, slender girl, hugging her knees, curled up like an infant sleeping in its mother’s womb, lying on her side.

She had long gray hair, the exact same color as Abyss’s, and a sweet, pretty face. Her ears were pointed and broad, indicating her elven identity. Her small mouth was slightly open, breathing. Her chest rose and fell slowly with a long, steady rhythm…

Baggs and Arcaiste both recognized this girl.

She was Agnes.

Abyss and Leona could both feel a unique aura emanating from her… she was dead, yet she was alive. Life and death intertwined within this young girl with a wondrous harmony.

“Leona, repeat after me again… Agnes Lafallia Delastir. With me as master, obey my command, cycle through rebirth, soul return to this land.”

Leona, her hand held by Abyss, gently placed her index finger on Agnes’s forehead. As she touched Agnes, she felt her body heat, warm like a newborn baby’s.

She nervously recited the incantation: “Agnes Lafallia Delastir. With me as master, obey my command, cycle through rebirth, soul return to this land…”

Oooom…

A low hum suddenly sounded, seeming to come from the distant past, clear yet as if it had never rung before.

A powerful ripple instantly swept across the entirety of Hai-Teweru. No one could perceive its specific existence, yet everyone, in that instant, felt an inexplicable sense of awe, even wanting to kneel towards a certain direction…

Centered on the Sacred Tree, all slightly higher-level wild animals, regardless of what they were doing, turned towards the Sacred Tree and prostrated themselves devoutly.

The wind swirled, the waters rejoiced, and the small flowers and grasses on the ground stretched their bodies. Birds flying in the air opened their mouths, singing the most beautiful melodies in unison.

At this very moment, the planet itself seemed to be softly calling a name, celebrating the return of its owner.

Agnes Lafallia Delastir!

Chapter 101: The Sacred Tree’s Flower

Arcaiste had never been as excited as he was today.

Before him was a giant flower bud. With a diameter of a full two meters, one could only imagine the magnificent sight when it bloomed.

Even unopened, the bud was breathtakingly beautiful. Its surface was translucent like jade, faintly revealing layers of petals arranged in intricate, divinely crafted patterns.

He had been nurturing this bud with magic for a long time, ever since Abyss first sat beside the Sacred Tree chanting incantations. Back then, the bud was just an inconspicuous little sprout. Arcaiste hadn’t even believed it could grow, but clinging to a sliver of hope, he had guarded this delicate life.

Abyss, sitting beneath the tree, was using a self-created nature magic spell. This sounded absurd, of course – a Necromancer, only recently exposed to nature magic, creating his own nature spell? Yet, Abyss had done it. He had caused the Sacred Tree to grow a unique flower bud, and from the moment it appeared, an unusual flow of magic surrounded it.

Besides the magic provided by the Sacred Tree itself, vast amounts of magic poured in from all directions, frantically drilling into the bud. The flow intensified as the bud grew. Arcaiste, using his years of experience as a mage, carefully prevented excessive magic from bursting the special flower while guiding as much magic as possible into it for absorption.

Days of effort finally paid off. Today, as Abyss’s spell reached a concluding phase, the flower bud began to grow rapidly.

Baggs, inside the cavity, was feeding Abyss’s blood to the Sacred Tree’s root, while Leona, now inhabiting Abyss’s body, chanted the concluding incantations in his stead.

And the flower bud before Arcaiste pulsed powerfully, as if nurturing life within…

Yes, what Abyss was doing was resurrecting Agnes.

A few days ago, he had made a startling deduction: Agnes’s body hadn’t actually disappeared but had merged with the Sacred Tree, becoming part of it. Under the right conditions, her body could be retrieved. Even her soul was preserved within the Sacred Tree, waiting to be recalled.

The method to recall her body was to reverse what she had done.

Agnes had used her body as nourishment for the Sacred Tree, causing it to radiate extremely dense magic. Therefore, Abyss had to use magic to reduce the Sacred Tree’s current magic output, damming the magic within and drawing external magic into it. To avoid severe consequences, Abyss proceeded gently, which is why it took so much time.

Agnes had channeled the essence of her blood through a root nodule at the tree’s base, allowing others to inherit her power. Therefore, Abyss had to extract the same amount of blood from his own body and infuse it back through the root, returning it to its original owner.

And now, reality proved Abyss’s hypothesis correct.

The giant flower bud radiated boundless life force. Arcaiste knew he would soon see the person he admired most – the previous Grand Sage, Agnes.

…

“Leo… Abyss, you’re back!” Flora was delighted to see Abyss, now in Leona’s body, approach her.

Leona was still chanting. Seeing Abyss, she wanted to speak, but Abyss shook his head: “Continue the incantation, Leona. You have control of my body now, so you must finish chanting these spells for me.”

Abyss now spoke with Leona’s vocal cords, naturally using her voice. Combined with his characteristic lazy tone, it created a comical effect. Flora couldn’t help but chuckle.

Leona continued chanting resentfully. She had already repeated it over seventy times; the entire spell would be complete soon.

“I never knew your necromancy had such miraculous abilities,” Flora praised sincerely. “They definitely wouldn’t have expected you could swap bodies with your familiar.”

“My necromancy was indeed learned from my master, but they don’t know that my master taught me everything he knew by the time I was eight. The magic I learned afterwards was mostly dug up from tombs, including many lost arts,” Abyss spread his hands. “Suffice it to say, my senior martial siblings are too arrogant. They thought I only had immense magic power because of the Sage’s Blood, assuming my magical proficiency was inferior to theirs. Unfortunately for them, I’m stronger than them in every way. My necromantic link has been thoroughly optimized; how could it be so easily dominated?”

“There’s always someone better, always a higher mountain. That’s true,” Rebecca walked over with Maggie, smiling at Abyss. “If you hadn’t intended to challenge the gods and just wanted to show off in the mortal world, living as you pleased, perhaps you too would think yourself invincible now?”

“Rebecca, thank you for your hard work these past few days,” Abyss smiled and nodded. “You’re right. One must always accept challenges in life; otherwise, how would you know your limits?”

“Under certain conditions, the dead must too,” Rebecca added, walking up to Abyss. She bent down and pinched his cheek, molding the soft flesh into various shapes. Now that Abyss was in Leona’s form, Rebecca wasn’t going to miss this chance to tease him thoroughly.

“Sorry, Leona. I thought you might be unwilling to swap bodies with me, so I didn’t tell you. If you can forgive me, I’ll grant you any request,” Abyss walked over to Leona, who was still chanting, and said to her.

Leona didn’t stop chanting, but she shot Abyss a fierce glare, pouting. This expression on Abyss’s original face was quite amusing, making everyone chuckle.

“So Leona and Abyss swapped bodies! That’s amazing! I’ve never seen magic like this, not even heard legends about it!” Maggie leaned in curiously, looking at Abyss in Leona’s body, then at Leona chanting in Abyss’s body. “Leona, can you tell me what it feels like to be a boy?”

Leona couldn’t answer her, but internally, she began complaining.

A boy’s body is so troublesome! There’s always something dangling between my legs getting in the way! I really want to pull it off!