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

Chapter 60: Seizing the World’s Throat

Thud.

The sound of Flora’s leather boot striking the ground was clear and distinct, like a stone dropped into a still pond, breaking the silence of the frozen world.

Her expression was solemn as she walked forward, her slender waist swaying gracefully, her soft golden hair rippling with each movement.

As she ceased her prayer, thin tendrils began to emerge from Flora’s body. They sprouted from her heart, creeping along her contours, climbing her neck, wrapping around her waist, writhing and squirming, attempting to steal her vitality.

Flora didn’t even glance at them. With elegant steps and a rhythmic pace, she walked over to Abyss and knelt beside him, gently taking his clenched left hand in hers.

She carefully unfurled his fingers, revealing three gemstones within: the Eye of Envy, the Eye of Fear, and the Tongue of Greed—the artifacts Dallan sought, the instruments of the Lord of Submergence’s arrival.

“As I thought, even though you knew nothing, you were already prepared,” she said with a gentle smile.

Clutching the three gemstones in her hand, she looked up at Bishop Dallan, suspended in the sky thirty meters above. Flora took a deep breath and stepped forward, her foot landing on thin air.

Dong—

A distant bell tolled from an unknown source. Beneath Flora’s foot, a golden step materialized, supporting her weight.

As she took another step, more golden steps appeared, extending from her current position all the way to Dallan.

Every movement of the former Saint of the Church was impeccably graceful, adhering to the strictest etiquette. She ascended the steps slowly, the time between each step perfectly consistent. With each step she took, the distant bell tolled again, its sound seeming to permeate the entire world, weaving through every moment of frozen time.

Indeed, Flora had seized control of time itself with her Divine Arts, halting its flow under her will.

Blessed by the gods, even when using a spell as simple as “Slow Time,” Flora could amplify its effects to the point of completely stopping time.

A hint of uncertainty lingered in her eyes, but her steps were firm and resolute. Reaching Dallan, she glanced at Leona, frozen mid-backflip, her pose almost comical, and a faint smile touched her lips.

“So you realized it too.”

She turned, stood on her tiptoes, and carefully embedded the gemstones, one by one, into the Mask of Nothingness Dallan wore.

A purple gemstone for the left eye, an orange one for the right, and a blood-red one for the mouth… The gems fit perfectly into their sockets, forming a twisted, inhuman face before Flora. This was the complete Face of Hell. Two round, lidless eyes, with diamond-shaped gemstones as pupils, and a gaping mouth with a red gemstone as its tongue.

Ugly, evil, repulsive. These words flooded Flora’s senses.

She frowned, leaned forward, and pressed her shoulder against Dallan’s chest.

The tendril protruding from Dallan’s face seemed to sense something. It lashed out at the back of Flora’s head, but its seemingly powerful strikes felt like a gentle breeze against her, only ruffling her beautiful golden hair.

Flora braced her hands against Dallan’s body, grunted softly, and pushed.

It seemed like an arduous task. Flora’s delicate frame strained against Dallan’s magically suspended body, using all her might to move him just a small distance.

But she didn’t falter. As an undead, she didn’t sweat, only her face flushed slightly from the exertion. She straightened up, adjusted her position, and pushed again.

“Hmm…”

Her strength was insignificant, even with the enhancement from Abyss’s necromancy, but Flora persisted with an almost stubborn determination.

The tendrils on her body multiplied, their translucent forms wrapping around her limbs, piercing her skin. There were no wounds, no blood, but Flora could feel them draining her vitality—the most precious gift Abyss had bestowed upon her with his necromancy, her second life.

“Hmph…!”

Flora pushed again. Dallan was now two meters away from his original position. His body, pulled by the tendrils that wanted to remain in place, was covered in cracks, like dried mud crumbling to the ground, revealing his bones and torn muscles, a gruesome and horrifying sight.

Only then did she stop pushing. She turned and carefully assessed Leona’s height, making some calculations in her mind, then nodded.

Strangely, although Dallan’s body had been moved, the Face of Hell remained suspended in mid-air, detached from his face. Tiny tendrils sprouted from the grotesque mask, waving like fine hairs, reaching towards Leona, like hungry chicks in a nest, or starving refugees reaching for food.

“I leave the rest to you. You can save Abyss,” Flora whispered to Leona, offering words of encouragement she wouldn’t hear. Then she turned and slowly descended the steps.

Back on the ground, at her original position, Flora exhaled softly and clapped her hands.

Clap.

The sounds of the world rushed back in like a tidal wave, time resumed its relentless flow, and a scorching wind whipped past Flora’s ears.

At that moment, Leona completed a swift and flawless backflip. As she spiraled down from the sky, her face aligned perfectly with the Face of Hell, and she slammed it onto her own face.

0.63… seconds.

It all happened in 0.63 seconds.

That was the time it took for Bishop Dallan’s body to reset. Leona, through her relentless attacks and her keen sense of timing honed as a master warrior, had discovered this fixed interval.

The tendrils extending from the mask pierced Leona’s delicate face without hesitation. At the same time, Bishop Dallan, his expression shocked, plummeted from the sky.

Countless ethereal tendrils flashed around Leona, and her already powerful aura surged even higher!

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Lord of Submergence abandoned his Bishop and chose a new host for the Face of Hell—

Leona Placidia Crepeus!

Chapter 59: Leona Goes Mad

The massive warhammer slammed into Dallan, reducing him to a pulp. But moments later, he reformed, completely unharmed.

He extended his hands towards Leona provocatively, his expression hidden behind the mask, but the tremors in his body and the mocking tone of his voice still conveyed his sick amusement, a sound that evoked visceral disgust.

“Hehehe, Princess Leona, are you angry? It was only a fraction of the Lord of Submergence’s power that eliminated your master. Now… Hehehe… Do you regret your actions?”

Leona gritted her teeth, remaining silent. With a flap of her Dou Qi wing, she smashed Dallan into pulp again.

He reformed instantly, unharmed. This time, he stopped his taunting. In his eyes, Leona was no different from a pile of ash—once Abyss’s vitality was completely drained by the Lord of Submergence, his mind would cease functioning, and the necromantic spells sustaining them would dissipate.

Then, both Leona and the blonde girl chanting prayers to resist the tendrils would turn to ash.

He glanced at Flora with a hint of regret. He was quite intrigued by Abyss’s follower. Abyss’s resurrection magic contained innovations he had never seen before. If not for his lord’s mission, he would have liked to keep Abyss’s soul and interrogate him thoroughly.

Swish! A giant sword cleaved Dallan in half.

He reformed instantly.

A thousand arrows pierced him, he reformed.

Decapitation, reformation.

Dismemberment, reformation.

Twisted into a pretzel, reformation.

“0.6, 0.7, 0.65…” Leona muttered nonsensical words, her Dou Qi constantly transforming into various weapons, unleashing a storm of attacks on Dallan.

Even though all her attacks were futile, she persisted, desperately searching her inexperienced mind for every possible method of killing him.

“You… Hehe, still trying?” Dallan asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “You proud princess, don’t you understand the meaning of futility? Don’t you understand… Hehehe… What it means to be helpless?”

“0.8, 0.66…” Leona ignored his taunts, her attacks becoming frantic, her distance from Dallan fluctuating wildly as she charged and retreated, her Dou Qi weapons repeatedly tearing him apart.

“What are you muttering? Ehehe… Have you gone ‘mad’ too? Have you seen the truth? Have you… Hehehehehe…”

“0.663, 0.663, 0.663…”

Through the dazzling Dou Qi flames, Dallan saw Leona’s eyes. There was confusion, joy, and sorrow in her gaze, as if she had indeed descended into madness.

“Then, I’ll watch as you, having lost your mind, turn to ash,” Dallan said, not even bothering to attack. “You are indeed exceptional, hehehe. Your power could easily crush me. But I stand with my lord, so he favors me more… Hehehehehe… So you’ve lost. You’ve lost to my lord, to a fraction of his power… Hehehe…”

Leona continued attacking, ignoring Dallan’s words, unconcerned about her own fate when Abyss’s vitality was drained. She even glanced at Flora, her eyes filled with trust.

“Hehe, my lord’s power is absolute… You think I haven’t faced Divine Arts users from the Church before?” Dallan scoffed. At that moment, a tendril pierced through his cheek, writhing wildly, but he didn’t react, his tone unchanged. “My lord is a true deity, no less noble than the Nine Gods of this world. No Divine Arts can reclaim the vitality my lord has taken… Hehehe…”

Leona suddenly stopped attacking and turned her back to Dallan.

“Hmm?” Dallan uttered a confused sound.

The tiny warrior before him seemed to be playing a game, adjusting her distance from him while facing away.

The sight was bizarre. They were locked in a deadly battle, yet one side had suddenly stopped all actions and was now behaving like a child playing a game.

Dallan knew his own attacks couldn’t harm this Dou Qi genius, but he couldn’t understand Leona’s almost insulting behavior.

Resorting to mockery when unable to fight? Was this typical of a sheltered girl who had never faced true hardship? Dallan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.

Princess Leona should have lived a carefree life, following the path laid out for her, dying peacefully when her time came. But she had been dragged into his lord’s grand plan, her life cut short.

Did he feel guilty? No, not at all. Only a sense of regret. Any sacrifice was worth it for his lord’s cause, for his lord was the true salvation of this world. His lord’s path was the righteous path.

The Council of the Dead was simply doing what was right. What sin was there in that?

As Dallan was lost in his thoughts, Leona suddenly performed an even more bizarre action… She propelled herself with Dou Qi, doing a backflip in mid-air. Her form was ungainly, almost comical…

Then, everything stopped.

Leona’s blazing Dou Qi flames froze in mid-air, her body suspended, motionless. The churning lava, the rising smoke, the stars in the sky, the distant magic barrier of Golden Griffin City—all came to a standstill.

The world was frozen.

Dallan’s body was frozen in place, his robes, previously billowing in the wind, now still, like a painting, or a fish trapped in ice. He showed no signs of life, just a stunned expression on his face.

Abyss, lying on the ground, his grey hair previously swaying in the wind, was also frozen.

Every living being, no matter how powerful, was caught in this stasis. Only the tendril protruding from Dallan’s face continued to writhe sickeningly, unaffected by the stillness.

In this deathly silence, one person moved.

Flora, who had been praying with her eyes closed, opened her beautiful golden eyes and looked up at Dallan and Leona in the sky. Her hands, previously clasped before her chest, gently lowered.

Every pore of her body radiated a soft, golden light, making her appear divine and breathtakingly beautiful.

Chapter 58: Divine Arts from an Outer God

“What is this crap?” Leona also noticed the translucent tendrils coiling around her body. She tried to brush them away, but her hand passed right through them. They weren’t physical.

“These tendrils are absorbing our vitality,” Abyss said, trying to stimulate them with magic, but they didn’t react. “It’s Divine Arts, channeled through prayers to the Outer God.”

Flora, meanwhile, was chanting intensely, her body flickering with golden light. The tendrils didn’t touch her. It seemed divine power from the outside couldn’t overcome the divine power of this world. Flora, blessed by the Nine Gods, or rather, the Creator God, had high resistance to it.

Abyss narrowed his eyes, realizing the potency of the enemy’s ability.

If the tendrils were absorbing life force, he would have laughed it off. But these tendrils were absorbing “vitality.”

This vitality wasn’t a synonym for physical or mental strength, but the “permission” for a conscious being to act with free will in this world!

If he lost all his vitality, Abyss would cease all thought and fall into an eternal slumber. Without his magic sustaining them, Leona and Flora would also turn to ash!

Moreover, these tendrils’ binding effect transcended worlds. Abyss knew that even retreating into the Shadow Realm wouldn’t allow him to escape.

“As expected of a Bishop of the Lord of Submergence. You do have a powerful trump card,” Abyss said, his expression finally turning serious. He stood up from the ground, dusted himself off, and shouted to Leona, “Leona, try to take him down. Otherwise, his Divine Arts will finish me off!”

“I was going to do that anyway!” Leona’s voice echoed, and her body shot towards Bishop Dallan, who was still levitating in the air, like a streak of light.

Abyss clapped his hands, and a powerful magical pulse rippled outwards from him. A few skeletons, unscathed by the giant’s magic, remained in the surrounding area, their teeth still chattering as they chanted. As Abyss’s magical pulse hit them, they instantly lost their power, collapsing into piles of bones, their glow fading before they vanished.

“Rest in peace, innocent souls slain by Dallan,” Abyss said, glancing back at Flora, who was still chanting, her body free of the troublesome tendrils. He nodded in satisfaction.

Leona’s fist slammed into Dallan’s mask.

Bang!

Dallan’s head exploded like a watermelon dropped from a hundred meters.

“Got him!” Leona reported, turning back.

“Hehehe… You haven’t!” Dallan’s voice suddenly came from behind.

Leona spun around, her hand already reaching behind her before her head fully turned. She caught a bone spear hurtling towards her, crushing it in her grip.

Dallan, his mask intact, hovered in the air, his body trembling, a grating laughter escaping his lips. There was no sign of the head injury.

“So this is the power to nullify damage?” Leona said, licking her lips, her eyes burning with fighting spirit. “I’ll test the limits of your ability!”

“Hehehe… My lord’s power has no limits… My lord’s power is absolute, hehehe!” Dallan chanted loudly, his bones suddenly expanding, piercing through his flesh and transforming into countless sharp spears that shot towards Leona!

Leona completely ignored the incoming bone spears, charging forward with incredible speed. None of the spears could harm her, snapping upon contact. Dallan’s body was torn apart by her impact. Her speed was so great that his scattered flesh and bones took on a jelly-like consistency.

But in the next instant, his body reassembled in mid-air, as if nothing had happened.

Leona spun around, letting out a furious roar. A dazzling lance, materialized from her Dou Qi, shot from her hand, piercing Dallan’s body and vaporizing half of it!

Dallan’s body instantly reassembled.

“It’s useless! Your master’s vitality is being drained by my lord! Your time is running out, hehehe!” Dallan taunted. “No matter how strong you are, your power is but a joke before a god! Mortals can never challenge gods. There’s only one path… Hehehe… Submit to the will of the gods!”

“What a coincidence, my nanny and wallet has always wanted to get rid of the god!” Leona said, finally feeling the bond between her and Abyss weakening. But instead of fear, her fighting spirit intensified. “Then why don’t you taste this!”

Her Dou Qi materialized into a pair of giant wings behind her, slamming together with Dallan caught between them!

Dallan, along with the surrounding air, was compressed with incredible force. His body instantly turned to dust, and the air itself exploded from the violent compression. True flames, hotter than any ordinary fire, erupted from between the wings, incinerating everything in their path!

But as Leona’s wings spread apart, Dallan stood there, unharmed.

The bond continued to weaken. Leona gritted her teeth and glanced at Abyss, who was standing below, his body covered in bone armor, looking up at her. But the light in his eyes, visible through the armor, seemed to be fading. The translucent tendrils on his body had multiplied, writhing and greedily draining his vitality.

“Go for it, Leona. I believe in you,” Abyss said, his voice hoarse, but he still managed a smile.

“Your master is about to say goodbye to this world! He won’t even become an undead! Hehehehehe!” Dallan said, even approaching Leona, circling her slowly. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop it! This is the difference between mortals and gods! Hehehe! Your master dared to defy a god? He’s nothing but a complete, hehehe… Fool! His goal is as foolish and pathetic as… Hehehe… Excrement in the gutter!”

“Hey, Lord of Submergence’s bitch, let me tell you something. No one insults ABC except me,” Leona said with a look of disgust. “He might say disgusting things sometimes, he might not understand a girl’s heart, he might be skinny and weak, but I won’t let you insult him!”

“Ehahahaha! Then watch him become a lifeless piece of rotting flesh!” Dallan’s mind had completely descended into madness. He flailed his limbs, dancing a grotesque and disturbing jig in mid-air. “My lord! Grant that arrogant fool his end!”

Abyss’s body convulsed violently, and he collapsed to the ground, his bone armor shattering and vanishing. His grey hair swayed limply in the wind.

Leona felt the bond between her and Abyss weaken to almost nothing!

“Abyss!” she screamed.

She looked up, her eyes filled with rage, and let out a lion’s roar. The Dou Qi flames around her body intensified, doubling in strength, surging towards Dallan with an unstoppable force!

Chapter 57: Absolute Power

“Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!”

The Eight-Armed Giant, sprawled on the ground, endured a barrage of high-speed, powerful blows like a building being demolished by a giant wrecking ball. Its back repeatedly slammed against the earth, the violent tremors flattening the surrounding forest.

“Bishop Dallan! You’re not bad! This is the first time I’ve fought an enemy this durable! Hahahaha!”

A tiny figure, almost comically small compared to the giant, stood on its chest, unleashing a flurry of punches. Any Dou Warrior specializing in hand-to-hand combat would scoff at her technique—it was crude, lacking any finesse, a chaotic flurry of blows like a child throwing a tantrum. If Abyss were to comment, he’d call it “the classic flailing fist.”

Yet, these seemingly random punches were, without exaggeration, the strongest physical attacks on the entire continent!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

A series of dull thuds echoed from within the giant’s body, accompanied by faint cracking sounds—the sounds of its reinforced, magically enhanced bones shattering under the relentless assault. Leona’s arms moved with blinding speed, trailing a torrent of Dou Qi flames. Even the wind generated by her punches could easily tear apart an ordinary human!

Dallan, levitating in the air, protected by layers of magic, felt the devastating impact of the blows on the Eight-Armed Giant through their necromantic bond.

This was beyond human comprehension! Dallan even concluded that this small girl was worthy of the title of Tenth-Tier Dou Warrior!

So that’s it! The Lord of Submergence’s choice forty years ago was indeed wise! Dallan finally understood.

“I won’t… Hehe… Give up so easily!”

The Eight-Armed Giant, pinned to the ground by Leona’s relentless assault, suddenly surged with strength. All eight arms reached for the tiny figure on its chest. Multiple layers of binding magic locked Leona in place, and unstable bolts of elemental magic crackled around the giant’s hands!

A blinding light erupted from the giant’s chest, engulfing Leona’s figure!

“I didn’t allow you to counterattack!”

Boom!

But it was futile. Leona’s voice, filled with a manic glee, echoed from within the light. Then, a deafening explosion shook the plains! A more brilliant orange light instantly overwhelmed the magical glow. Leona had forcefully broken through multiple layers of high-level binding magic with brute force!

“Ugh!” Dallan screamed, blood gushing from his nose and mouth. The damage inflicted upon his follower had finally backfired through their necromantic bond!

Three of the Eight-Armed Giant’s arms were instantly shattered by an unstoppable force, exploding into countless fragments. The other five were forced open, and a figure, bathed in flames, slowly rose from the giant’s chest. A voice, clear as a silver bell, reached Dallan’s ears!

Dallan’s grotesque grin, smeared with blood, appeared even more sinister. He gritted his teeth and wiped his face with one hand. A white, stone mask materialized, covering his face. The mask had three empty sockets for eyes and a mouth, the missing pieces of his artifact, the “Face of Hell,” and its most crucial component—the Mask of Nothingness!

“You forced me to unleash… Hehehe… My lord’s true power!” Dallan said, his laughter manic, his body trembling violently as if receiving a surge of power.

“Hah?! You’re revealing your trump card now? I’ve just finished warming up!”

Leona’s arrogant taunt echoed, followed by her Dou Qi flames condensing into a giant lance, hovering in the air, aimed at the Eight-Armed Giant’s heart.

Abyss, observing the battle from the ground, estimated the lance’s length to be twice the size of the giant, well over a hundred meters.

“So, when Dou Qi reaches a certain level, it can also materialize from energy that strengthens the body…” he thought, nodding slightly, pleased with his newfound knowledge.

“Taste this!” Leona shouted, and the shining lance pierced the night sky, instantly penetrating the giant’s tough hide, pinning it to the ground!

The giant’s remaining five arms clawed at the ground, trying to get up, but Leona held the lance steady with a single hand, preventing it from rising even a meter.

“And this!”

A giant sword, also materialized from Leona’s Dou Qi, appeared, even larger than the lance. Leona casually grasped it with one hand and swung it lightly. The orange-glowing sword, like a semi-circular sun, sliced through the giant’s sturdy arms, severing all five.

Despite her diminutive size compared to her weapons, the power Leona unleashed was nothing short of a miracle!

“And this!”

She raised the sword high, and it rapidly transformed in mid-air, becoming a massive warhammer.

Boom! Boom!

“Hahahaha! Bishop Dallan! Fight back! Struggle! This princess hasn’t seen your true power yet!”

The warhammer repeatedly slammed into the giant’s body. Its mountain-like form twisted and contorted under the blows, its skin cracking like a spiderweb, revealing flashes of magical energy from within.

The magic sustaining the giant began to collapse. Parts of its body turned to ash, while others exploded, unleashing bolts of magical lightning that snaked across the snowy plains!

Boom! Boom!

Leona smashed the giant into a pulp! The necromancy holding it together completely dissipated. The massive corpse on the ground, barely recognizable, crumbled into ash, collapsing and scattering. The pungent smell of sulfur filled the air.

“Hahahahaha! Abyss! This is the best day of my life!” Leona laughed triumphantly. “Thank you for finding me such a strong opponent!”

“You’re welcome. If you haven’t had enough, you can continue. He’s revealing his trump card now,” Abyss said, cupping his hands around his mouth, shouting towards Leona.

Bishop Dallan was still levitating in mid-air, enveloped in countless runes, an aura of danger emanating from him.

“Princess Leona, you might have enjoyed your little rampage, but this farce ends now! Hehehehehe!”

The death of a follower as powerful as the giant should have been a fatal blow to a necromancer, instantly backfiring and causing him to explode from internal magical overload. But Dallan was unharmed, seemingly unaffected.

“Hahahahaha! This is the power of the Mask of Nothingness! All damage is nullified! How can you possibly defeat me now?” Dallan laughed maniacally, spreading his arms. “And by the way, hehehe! Look at your bodies! Have you noticed something strange growing on them?”

Abyss glanced at his body. Several translucent tendrils were wrapped around him, and a wave of fatigue washed over him. Judging from their aura, he immediately realized something was wrong.

This wasn’t magic, it was Divine Arts!

But the deity responding to the prayers wasn’t one of the Nine Gods, but the Outer God, the Lord of Submergence!

Chapter 56: Leona’s Ground-to-Ground Missile

“A high-ranking priest from the Church?” Dallan thought, shocked, as he searched his memory. Only a high-level Divine Arts user from the Church could perform that spell. But…

“The information the Priest gave me said that the boy had two companions, one most likely Princess Leona, the other never displaying any magic… Damn it… What’s going on?”

Dallan questioned himself internally.

A combination of a necromancer and a Church Divine Arts user was unheard of! Not to mention that Divine Arts users were highly esteemed individuals. They wouldn’t team up with an unknown rogue mage. Even if this skinny boy had somehow managed to recruit a Church girl, there was no way she would be so devoted!

Dallan knew a bit about the Divine Art Flora had just used. It was called Unification of All Things, one of the Church’s highest-level spells. It allowed the caster to transform their body into any substance and then, after a certain period, revert back, ignoring any external influence.

Although he didn’t understand why the blonde girl’s Unification of All Things had such a wide area of effect, Dallan knew the price it demanded—the caster would lose their vision and speech for thirty days and pay nine-tenths of their life force.

He was a necromancer! A sworn enemy of the Church! How could a Divine Arts user from the Church sacrifice their life for him?

Could she be that skinny boy’s undead follower? But how could an undead use Divine Arts?

This was strange! Too strange!

“Hey, old man, are you done with your performance? It’s my turn now,” Leona’s voice interrupted Dallan’s thoughts. He looked down and saw Princess Leona, who had been standing idly beside Abyss, now cracking her knuckles and staring at him.

How strong was Princess Leona? When she was alive, Dallan was just a mage apprentice and had never witnessed her power firsthand. He only knew from legends that she could shatter a mountain with a single kick and surpass the speed of sound with her bare feet.

That was fine. His Eight-Armed Giant was invincible against physical attacks! He had spent a fortune obtaining the corpse of a giant, a race that had gone extinct before the rise of human civilization, from an ancient tomb. Then, with the blessing of his lord, he had infused it with mutated power from another world, creating the strongest undead! Although this body, not pre-eroded by the Tongue of Greed, wasn’t suitable for his lord’s arrival, it could serve as a powerful vanguard in his lord’s conquest!

Even the largest siege ballistae couldn’t leave a scratch on the Eight-Armed Giant!

Princess Leona, now someone else’s follower, had no further use to him. And the Church girl couldn’t use Unification of All Things again. If she was foolish enough to challenge him, he would simply destroy her…

Controlling the giant’s massive body, Dallan didn’t hesitate. He swung a palm towards Leona. Even this simple movement caused the ground to tremble. The wind generated by the giant’s bending motion crushed the tents in the campsite, and a giant hand, like a mountain falling from the sky, smashed towards Leona with the force of a thousand jun. The other seven hands were also busy, casting spells to restrict her movement, enhance the giant’s power, and weaken her with curses, determined to crush her with a single blow!

As the giant’s hand was about to land on Leona’s head, she extended a hand to meet it. Her petite figure was insignificant compared to the giant, her outstretched hand like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, a comical sight.

Boom!

The giant’s hand finally landed, pinning Leona and the ever-present Abyss beneath it. The solidifying lava cracked again under the impact, and waves of molten rock surged, reflecting the giant’s rigid face.

Then, silence. Deathly silence.

Dallan’s grotesque grin remained, but he frowned. He didn’t believe Princess Leona could be killed by a single blow… She should at least be able to resist.

A torrent of orange flames erupted from beneath the giant’s palm. At the same time, an immense force surged into the giant’s body.

The giant stumbled. This fifty-meter-tall behemoth was actually pushed back by the force, its two thick legs losing their balance, causing it to fall backward!

The earth trembled with unprecedented violence!

“Such power! What kind of monster is this?!” Dallan exclaimed in shock. How could Leona’s human body possibly topple the Eight-Armed Giant?!

The giant’s hand was forced open, and the full extent of Leona’s Dou Qi flames was revealed—no, it wasn’t just flames, it was a raging inferno, a scene straight out of hell!

As Leona unleashed her power, a sea of fire, fueled by her Dou Qi, engulfed a radius of hundreds of meters around her tiny body. The ground itself burned under her might. The aura of her unstoppable power surged outwards, enveloping the entire battlefield.

“Abyss, watch closely. Don’t ever underestimate me again!”

Leona’s body, propelled by the Dou Qi flames, slowly rose into the air, like a phoenix bathed in fire. Using Dou Qi to levitate was the most brute-force, inefficient method. Any ordinary Dou Warrior would exhaust their Dou Qi within seconds, but Leona showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, the Dou Qi emanating from her body intensified, like a giant flower blooming towards the sky.

Abyss, clad in his bone armor, gave Leona a thumbs-up in the direction of her voice. Her clear laughter echoed from within the flames.

“Let’s warm up a bit, Bishop Dallan!”

…

“What’s that! A meteor!?” a soldier standing on the wall of Golden Griffin City exclaimed, spotting something unusual in the distance.

A flaming object rose from the ground, trailing a bright streak of light as it ascended high into the sky. Then it plummeted, crashing into the Eight-Armed Giant, which was still trying to regain its balance.

The giant, which had terrified the entire city moments ago, was struck squarely in the abdomen. Its massive body was slammed to the ground with an impossible force!

The impact sent shockwaves through the surrounding ground, uprooting trees!

“That’s not a meteor, it’s Dou Qi flames! A necromancer is fighting a Dou Warrior!” a knowledgeable soldier shouted.

“Dou Qi!? What kind of Dou Warrior possesses such power?!” the soldiers exclaimed in awe.

Chapter 55: Show Some Respect for My Flora

The giant stood fifty meters tall, its upper body bare, revealing a muscular and scarred torso. Its lower body was clad in a bone-plated skirt. Eight massive arms, like those of a spider, extended from its body in a circular array. Only one arm was original; the other seven were attached to the torso with a network of magical runes, a more effective stitching method than needles and thread. Its neck had been severed and a dragon’s head sewn onto the wound with magical runes.

Towering soul flames blazed, illuminating a kilometer-wide area despite their inherent dimness. The stench of death swept across the snowy plains, causing startled birds to plummet from the sky—the mere residual energy of the necromantic spell was enough to drain their life force.

With each slight movement of the giant, the ground trembled, even making Abyss unsteady on his feet.

This was power beyond measure, the highest level of necromancy! Abyss had to admit that he had underestimated the enemy, seeing him arrive alone.

A torrent of magical energy converged around the giant. Even the most inept apprentice mage could sense the raging maelstrom of mana, swirling like a tornado, being devoured by the giant’s massive form. Each of its eight hands held a spell, ready to unleash—fire, lightning, radiant light, all kinds of magic. Those hands, forty or fifty times larger than a human’s, held spells of equally magnified scale!

Above Golden Griffin City, a colossal, semi-circular magic circle suddenly flared to life. Countless runes, arranged in a circle, spun like gears in a frenzy. Then, layer upon layer of the circle materialized, growing from one to seven, enveloping the entire city. This was the city’s defensive barrier at full power, indicating that the mages within had entered a state of high alert, alarmed by the enemy’s display of power.

“Hahahaha… This is the wisdom bestowed upon me by the Lord of Submergence! His power! Now, can you still utter your previous boasts?” Dallan said, his body levitating, covered in multicolored runes. Every movement he made was mirrored by the giant. He pointed at Abyss, and four of the giant’s hands pointed at him simultaneously. “Regretting now… Hehehe… It’s too late!”

Dallan’s grotesque grin, illuminated by the runes’ glow, appeared even more sinister and terrifying. Leona, with her sharp eyesight, noticed something wriggling beneath the wrinkles of his face—earthworm-like creatures, possibly the tendrils of the Lord of Submergence.

Abyss looked up at the growing spheres of magical energy in the giant’s hands, his clothes flapping in the strong wind. He finally spoke, asking a question.

“Where did you get so many giant corpses to make this abomination?”

Dallan’s grin widened. Was this boy before him ignorant or simply brave? He still had the leisure to ask about the source of the giant?

The dragon head sewn onto the giant’s neck suddenly opened its jaws, unleashing a magical blast with a diameter of nearly ten meters. The eight arms swung simultaneously, launching their spells towards Abyss, the focal point of their attack. In an instant, nine different spells converged, forming a massive wave, merging and repelling each other as they surged towards him. At the same time, a powerful mechanism locked Abyss in place, rendering any spatial magic useless!

“Flora, I’m counting on you,” Abyss said calmly. As soon as he finished speaking, a small golden halo, insignificant compared to the oncoming magical onslaught, expanded around Flora, shielding the trio and their tents.

A faint hum…

Then a deafening roar!!!

…

The earth trembled violently. Even with the protection of the colossal magic barrier, the residents of Golden Griffin City, several kilometers away, were knocked off their feet. The protective barriers around buildings groaned, and all the mages within the city strained to prevent any structures from collapsing. Even those within the city walls could clearly see a massive mushroom cloud rising in the distance. Moments later, the earth-shattering sound of the explosion reached their ears.

“The gods are fighting! The war of the gods has begun! The war of the gods has begun!” someone screamed hysterically.

Soldiers tasked with maintaining order struggled to their feet, trying to quell the panic, but their efforts were futile. Fear of the unimaginable battle raging beyond the city walls had overwhelmed reason.

“The magic barrier of Golden Griffin City is unbreakable! Everyone, remain calm!” The royal Chief Court Mage, a middle-aged man with silver hair and a silver robe, appeared in the sky above the city, his voice amplified by magic, broadcasting to all the residents. “No one will be harmed!”

However, even he couldn’t help but sweat as he looked at the giant’s form. When did the necromancers of the Council of the Dead gain such power? To contain this force, they would need to reassemble the Council of Nine Saints, disbanded a century ago…

…

“Kneel before the might of my lord! Hahahaha!” Dallan laughed hysterically, his body trembling uncontrollably. Infinite mana converged around him and the giant. The eight arms and the dragon head continued to unleash a torrent of magic, carving a massive crater, hundreds of meters in diameter, filled with flowing lava, into the plains. Countless rocks and soil were vaporized by the raging energy.

Power! Unlimited power! This was the gift of the Lord of Submergence! And this was just a fraction of his power!

A minute passed, and the magical bombardment continued.

Two minutes, three minutes… Five minutes passed before the giant finally lowered its hands and the dragon head closed its jaws.

The snow-covered plains were now devoid of any trace of winter. It was as if summer had arrived prematurely. Waves of heat rose from the ground, even reaching Golden Griffin City, several kilometers away, despite the protective barrier.

As the smoke cleared, the spot where Abyss had stood was now a sea of lava, molten rock flowing and bubbling, consuming everything. The campsite was gone. And with spatial magic blocked, there was no way he could have escaped.

“Hmph, utterly insignificant,” Dallan said, sensing no signs of life in the lava, a sinister smile on his face. “Hehehe… The artifacts are indestructible anyway. I just need to retrieve them before the lava solidifies…”

“Thank you, Flora,” a cheerful voice suddenly came from below. It was soft, yet it sent a shiver down Dallan’s spine.

“This…!”

Several patches of lava in the crater slowly churned and rose, converging and solidifying into the shapes of three people and two tents. Then, the solidified lava crust cracked and crumbled, revealing the trio and their tents, even a patch of the original ground beneath them.

“Can you do me a favor? You can underestimate me all you want, but please don’t underestimate my Flora,” Abyss said, looking up at Dallan’s shocked, contorted face, his posture unchanged.

Flora smiled shyly, brushing off the debris from her clothes, as if she hadn’t just done anything extraordinary.

“Leona, he’s shown us his power. Now it’s your turn.”

Chapter 54: A Seemingly Weak Enemy and His True Power

Leona stood beside Abyss, disappointed, not even bothering to activate her Dou Qi.

In her eighteen years of life, she had never experienced a life-or-death duel. Even her fight with the Golden Griffin City priest after being resurrected by Abyss could only be considered one-sided bullying, not a proper battle.

She had anticipated a clash of titans, a battle between two powerful forces, with this “invincible” enemy, but it seemed things weren’t going as she had imagined.

Instead of a majestic figure clad in a black robe billowing in the windless air, a necromancer empowered by the might of an evil god, a weary, unassuming man with a nervous tic stood before them. His facial muscles seemed to have a mind of their own, constantly twitching and smiling. He looked so weak that Leona couldn’t believe he was a Bishop of the Lord of Submergence—he had less presence than a mere district deacon of the Church, who at least traveled with an entourage.

And Abyss beside her seemed completely relaxed, casually chatting with the enemy.

“Hehehe…” Dallan chuckled, his shoulders shaking. “Do you… know what you’re saying?”

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” Abyss said, spreading his arms, looking at the enemy before him. “Do you find it unbelievable? It’s just stealing a god’s power… If necessary, I might even resort to force. It’s just a small goal.”

“You know nothing about the Lord of Submergence’s power,” Dallan said, taking two steps back, putting distance between himself and Abyss. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore… Hehe… Because you’re about to die.”

“Show some respect. I’m a necromancer. Threatening me with death is childish,” Abyss rolled his eyes.

“I want to see your… Hehe… Abilities. Since you were able to resurrect Princess Leona, you must have some value… Hehehe…”

“Stop laughing already. It’s creepy,” Leona finally said, her patience wearing thin.

Dallan stopped wasting words with Abyss and, along with the head in the jar in his left hand, began chanting rapidly. Waves of magical energy emanated from him, swirling and dancing around him.

With a clattering of bones, countless skeletons, their bodies glowing with green fluorescence, materialized around the campsite, their sheer number forming a complete circle. Soul flames burned fiercely in their empty eye sockets, and they held various weapons. Judging from the aura they emanated, none were low-level undead, indicating that Dallan was a peak ninth-tier Supreme Necromancer.

Leona, seeing so many skeletons surrounding them, finally nodded in satisfaction. This was the kind of spectacle she had expected.

“Hand over the artifacts! I will spare your soul from the flames of torment!” Dallan’s voice echoed from the mouths of all the skeletons simultaneously.

Abyss frowned, observing the surrounding skeletons for a moment, his body still relaxed. “I was wondering why you were so slow. So you were collecting undead minions along the way? Hmm… It seems half of them died recently. Your doing?”

Dallan didn’t answer. He continued chanting loudly, his fixed grin and wide-open mouth creating a terrifying visage. The skeletons didn’t charge like typical minions, but stood their ground, chanting in unison, their voices directed at the three figures in the center of the circle. A buzzing cacophony of incantations filled their ears. At the same time, the distance between the trio and the caster seemed to be locked by some mechanism. Leona tried to approach and eliminate a few skeletons, but no matter how she moved, she only spun in place, unable to make any progress.

Leona was annoyed and ready to unleash her Dou Qi, forcefully breaking through the mechanism.

“Aren’t you bored? Let’s see what kind of magic he can conjure,” Abyss said, gently patting Leona’s shoulder. Leona realized he had a point and stopped.

Abyss sighed softly. It seemed this enemy didn’t want to waste any more words. How could he not be familiar with this type of magic, summoning undead and having them chant in unison? Many high-level necromantic spells required this step, but Abyss could usually achieve the same results on his own, so he rarely used this method.

Magic on the continent of Haitville was the ability to absorb external mana into one’s body, process it through the magically-attuned core developed through training, and then release it in specific ways. Incantations were used to fine-tune the released mana using ancient words with magical properties, achieving more intricate and complex effects. Depending on a mage’s understanding and application of magic, the incantations used by high-ranking mages would differ slightly. The higher the mage’s level, the more complex their incantations and the greater the difference.

From the snippets of Dallan’s incantation, Abyss could tell that he was attempting to summon some powerful undead creature.

Flora, sitting in the campsite, also sensed something amiss. The cultists who had died on the snowy plains a few days ago, the ones Abyss had summoned to dig a grave and erect tombstones, were now crawling out of the ground, their cracked, dry lips moving, chanting along with Dallan. Blue-green fluorescence intensified around him, and a terrifying aura emanated from him, as if tearing a rift in space, slowly seeping out.

…

In Golden Griffin City, atop the tallest mage tower, an apprentice mage reported urgently to his master, “Master Farel! There’s a sudden surge of magical energy a few kilometers outside the city! Is it an enemy invasion?”

A middle-aged man with grey hair and beard sat behind a desk at the top of the tower, his brow furrowed as he observed a massive magic crystal before him. Countless points of light flickered within it, illuminating the room as brightly as day. Only the strongest magical reactions could cause such a phenomenon. “I’ve already noticed,” the man, known as Master Farel, said in a deep voice. “Go and inform all the city guards immediately. Don’t send out a single soldier. There’s a Supreme Necromancer fighting outside the city. We don’t know his target, but his power surpasses most ninth-tier mages on the continent. Sending soldiers out there is a death sentence!”

“Yes, Master!”

“I’ll go summon the other Supreme Mages in the court. You and the other apprentices must inform the army as quickly as possible!”

The apprentice rushed out of the room. Master Farel stood up from his chair, his expression grave.

Why would a black magic user suddenly appear near Golden Griffin City with such a blatant display of power? What was that infamous Council of the Dead up to? He needed to alert the Supreme Mages currently residing in the city and prepare for a fierce battle.

He chanted a spell, and his body, enveloped in starlight, levitated, rising through the window and out of the mage tower.

As he soared into the sky, his eyes widened in shock—even though the unidentified black magic user was fighting several kilometers away, he could still see what was happening.

A massive, multi-layered magic circle reached towards the sky. In its center, a giant with two heads and eight arms slowly rose, roaring silently, its body engulfed in blazing soul flames. Each of its eight giant hands held a powerful spell, ready to unleash, aimed at a target on the ground.

“By the God of Magic, what is that?!”

Even this seasoned Supreme Mage couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

At the same time, the magic crystal inside the mage tower shattered with a loud crack. The residual energy from that spell was enough to destroy the heavily enchanted crystal ball.

Master Farel shuddered. Abandoning his usual composure, he amplified his voice with magic, sending a warning to all the mages in the city.

“All mages in the city, activate the city’s protective barrier immediately! Hurry!”

Chapter 53: A Madman Meets a Lunatic

Princess Helen’s plan was progressing smoothly. The Western Empire’s court, previously divided over the Empress Dowager’s confiscated funds, now had a “Princess faction.” A group of influential ministers firmly supported Helen, quickly swaying the Emperor’s opinion—he had initially intended to use the money to purchase new equipment for the army.

Now, the royal family was actively recruiting experienced physicians and alchemists from all over the Empire, making preparations for the establishment of the Royal Medical Association.

Helen’s dream was coming to fruition. Meanwhile, another individual was also on the verge of achieving his goal.

On the desolate wasteland outside Golden Griffin City, a lone, thin man dismounted from a black steed. Looking at the campsite and the three individuals sitting there eating, his body twitched uncontrollably, a morbid smile plastered on his face.

“Hehehe… According to the last message from the priest in Golden Griffin City, it’s them: a frail boy, a short girl, and a beautiful blonde girl…”

The man’s complexion, like Abyss’s, was pale, lacking blood. He wore a black mage robe, a necklace of human finger bones around his neck. His right hand gripped a twisted staff, while his left held a jar containing a head—an elf’s, its eyes wide open in eternal terror. He seemed to suffer from some ailment, his body trembling intermittently, a perpetually fixed smile etching deep wrinkles into his face.

He was dressed like a stereotypical necromancer, making Abyss, in his simple cloth armor and empty hands, look unprofessional in comparison.

This was Bishop Dallan, mentioned by the priest. Upon receiving news of the theft of the artifact required for the Lord of Submergence’s arrival, he had immediately set off from the Council of the Dead’s headquarters, traveling all the way to Golden Griffin City. He had intended to pursue Abyss relentlessly, but seeing the three individuals before him, seemingly unconcerned, he hesitated.

Why weren’t they running? Why were they camped here, waiting for him? Had the priest not informed them of his invincibility?

“Yo, bro, you made it?” Leona called out from the campsite, gnawing on a lamb leg. Her sharp senses as a Dou Warrior had detected Dallan’s arrival long ago, but she was too lazy to greet him.

Abyss and Flora also glanced towards Dallan. Flora’s gaze was wary, while Abyss looked at him as casually as one would a passerby.

Dallan’s eerie smile remained, but his eyes narrowed. These three were either fools or had something up their sleeve. He decided to proceed cautiously.

A string of obscure and archaic words flowed from his lips. Simultaneously, the elf head in the jar in his left hand turned its eyes, chanting along with him.

A jet-black bone armor sprouted from his heart, gradually covering his entire body. Abyss also had bone armor, but their styles were completely different—Abyss’s was simple, like a beetle’s exoskeleton, while Dallan’s was twisted, with countless spikes protruding outward, reflecting a strange bluish-purple light in the moonlight.

This was one of the signature skills of a necromancer: Bone Armor. It not only provided protection but also allowed the user to launch any part of the armor at high speeds, inflicting significant damage on approaching enemies.

As he continued chanting, a screeching black shadow enveloped him, forming a constantly shifting, semi-transparent black cloak. This spell, called the Wraith Cloak, greatly enhanced a necromancer’s resistance to magical attacks.

Charm Resistance, Enhanced Perception, Calm Mind… He cast high-level spell after spell on himself as if they were free.

“The Council of the Dead greets you… Hehehe…”

Dallan finally spoke, his eyes fixed on Abyss’s every move, waiting for a response.

Abyss, hearing this, slowly stood up from his seat in the campsite, his usual nonchalant smile on his face. He walked towards Dallan leisurely, stopping a dozen paces away. “Well, Necromancer Abyss greets you.”

“Hehehe… The priest in Golden Griffin City informed me that you might be a black magic user. It seems his deduction was correct,” Dallan said, his eyes glowing with an eerie blue light due to the amplification spells he had cast, making his fixed smile even more unsettling in the darkness.

“I apologize for not using necromancy earlier to give him a more accurate message,” Abyss said with a smile.

Dallan’s eyes didn’t smile. “Hehehe… How did you kill the priest? Hehehe…”

“I didn’t kill him. He committed suicide, burning his soul and the souls of his followers—you didn’t know?” Abyss asked, feigning surprise. “He sent a message before he died. If I’m not mistaken, it was intended for you, right?”

Of course, Dallan knew. He and the priest communicated regularly through magic crystals. The priest’s last message had mentioned monitoring the individuals who stole the artifact. That same night, Dallan, already on his way, received the priest’s dying message sent through magic.

He had assumed the priest, even if he couldn’t defeat the enemy with the artifact, would be able to protect himself. He hadn’t expected him to die so quickly, especially by burning his own soul.

This meant that the enemy the priest faced was incredibly powerful, so powerful that escape was impossible, leaving him with no choice but to send a final message at the cost of his life. Dallan couldn’t be sure whether the enemy wielded the power of the artifact or possessed immense personal strength.

But it didn’t matter, Dallan thought confidently. He possessed the most important part of the Lord of Submergence’s artifact, “Face of Hell”: the Mask of Nothingness—a featureless mask with three holes, designed to hold three gemstones. As long as he had this mask, victory was assured.

“Hehehe… Hand over the three gemstones… This is your last chance. You don’t understand the power of the Lord of Submergence. To think you could steal his artifact and use it for your own purposes… Hehehe… How utterly foolish… Hehehe…”

Abyss raised an eyebrow, an innocent expression on his face. “You misunderstand. I don’t want your Lord of Submergence’s artifact. Those artifacts are rather mediocre, I don’t find them particularly appealing.”

“Heh… Then what do you want them for?”

“What I want is the power of your tentacle monster master himself,” Abyss said with a wide grin. “Look, you’ve brought the other part of the artifact and a head full of information. My wait wasn’t in vain after all. Thank you.”

Dallan chuckled, his eyes filled with mockery.

This boy was a madman! A madman blinded by power!

Chapter 52: Preparations Without Tension

Two tents stood on the deserted wasteland outside Golden Griffin City, a bonfire crackling between them. The campsite looked lived-in, the snow cleared away, and faint traces of footprints and bloodstains were barely visible beneath a fresh layer of snow.

Abyss carefully rolled up the parchment scroll in his hands, holding it at both ends, and declared, “I hereby announce that I have finished reading all of Star’s notes!”

Leona, sitting on a blanket inside the tent opposite Abyss, a knightly novel in her hands, glanced over. “You finally finished. Any useful discoveries?”

“I’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of the upside-down man who plagued Star, based on his records. Although Star didn’t provide a method for fighting him, some of the details might prove useful in the future,” Abyss said, casually summoning his Magic Catfish and feeding it the scroll. He then retrieved a baked potato from the bonfire, blew on it briefly, and started eating. He had been too engrossed in the notes to eat earlier.

They had bought the tents yesterday. Leona had been complaining about the indignity of sleeping on the ground, so Abyss had spent some money on two tents, blankets for comfort, and various other necessities. Although his funds were dwindling, this small but well-equipped campsite finally satisfied Leona.

“These past three days have been so boring. When is that invincible old geezer from the Council of the Dead coming?” Leona grumbled, pouting. “Can’t we just leave? I’m a princess of the Western Empire, a knight personally bestowed with a title by the Emperor, a Dou Qi genius who can shatter a mountain with a single punch. Why do I have to wait here for a dawdling necromancer?”

“Have some understanding. Not everyone has a frost dragon like me,” Abyss said, his mouth full of food, but it didn’t hinder his speech. “Besides, while we’re waiting, we can enjoy the drama unfolding in the court.”

Indeed, it had been three days since they reached an agreement with Princess Helen. Abyss hadn’t seen her since, as the princess was incredibly busy—she had been tirelessly visiting various nobles, gaining a large number of devoted allies in just three days. The girl, who had never participated in power struggles before, was surprisingly effective, her efficiency astonishing even Leona, who felt a sense of pride as if she had accomplished these feats herself.

Those who had met with the princess kept their lips sealed, while those who hadn’t were completely baffled. No one knew why her persuasion was so effective. Could she be a hidden diplomatic genius?

The details of what transpired behind closed doors remained a secret, but everyone knew that as the princess gained more supporters, the Emperor’s decisions gradually shifted in favor of his previously overlooked daughter. The establishment of the Royal Medical Association, overseen by Princess Helen, seemed only a matter of time.

“Hmph, that little Helen is quite the dark horse. I thought she had never received any training in this area and would be completely lost,” Leona said, lying comfortably on her side on the blanket. “She might even be better at this than me.”

“If you were Helen, what would you do now?” Abyss asked with amusement.

“Me?” Leona thought for a moment. “I would grab the most influential minister by the collar and make him support me. If he supports me, he becomes my ally, and he’ll be handsomely rewarded. If he doesn’t support me, that means he’s disrespecting Leona. I’ll beat him black and blue and then demolish his house.”

“…That’s quite straightforward,” Abyss said, imagining the scene. It did sound like something Leona would do. After all, she was an invincible Dou Warrior. If not for the curse from the Outer God’s artifact, no one on the continent could have killed her.

Thinking about this, Abyss felt a surge of curiosity. The deaths of the five talented girls had been orchestrated by the Creator God. Was he the meticulous planner of these events, or did he simply nudge the threads of fate, triggering a chain reaction that led to their demise?

Did he even know about the Outer Gods? If so, what was his relationship with these powerful beings from another world, who embodied chaos and destruction? What was his stance on them?

“Abyss, speaking of which, Flora has been busy outside all day. Why hasn’t she returned? Could something have gone wrong?” Leona suddenly asked, pulling Abyss out of his thoughts.

“Don’t worry. She’s my follower. I would sense it if she was in danger. And if she calls my name in her mind, I’ll definitely hear it,” Abyss said, waving his hand dismissively.

“So you can peek into our minds?” Leona asked, her hand protectively covering her flat chest.

“Of course, but I wouldn’t do that without your consent,” Abyss replied.

“That’s more like it,” Leona nodded, then sat up from the blanket. “Oh, speaking of Flora, here she comes now.”

Abyss stood up and looked in the direction she indicated. In the pitch-black night, Flora was approaching, her expression relaxed, the rabbit familiar Abyss had created for her perched on her shoulder.

“Flora, are you done?” Abyss asked with a smile. “You’ve worked hard.”

“Ah, thank you,” Flora bowed from afar.

Leona ran out of the tent, greeting Flora cheerfully. “Flora! You’re finally back! I was so bored without anyone to play cards with! Why did you suddenly decide to pray in a secluded place?”

Flora smiled as Leona took her hand. “I’m sorry, I can’t reveal the content of my prayers. It would nullify their effect,” she apologized.

“There’s such a rule?” Leona looked at Flora in surprise, then shrugged. “Ah, whatever. You’re a genius Divine Arts user on my level, after all.”

“So, we’re all preparing for the upcoming enemy, while you’re just playing cards,” Abyss said, teasing Leona.

“Huh? Do you have some misconception about my invincibility? Do I need to prepare?” Leona puffed out her chest. “Let me tell you, I haven’t shown you my full strength yet. Don’t be surprised when I fight that guy!”

“You haven’t shown your full strength?” Abyss raised an eyebrow.

“Hah, it seems your knowledge is limited. Just watch me work my magic,” Leona said, flicking her wrist proudly. “I’ll show you what happens when Dou Qi reaches a certain level and transforms into something else.”

Chapter 51: Could She Be a Beginner?

Helen had prepared herself mentally, but upon seeing the murderous intent in Bert’s eyes, her heart couldn’t help but race. The fireplace in the drawing-room was burning high-quality firewood, keeping the room warm, yet beads of sweat formed on Helen’s nose.

“My father’s passing was sudden. I’m unaware of any matters he left behind. Could Your Highness enlighten me?” Bert asked, his gaze fixed on Helen’s face like a venomous snake. He had thick black hair and a faint scar from a sword wound across his nose. Although only in his thirties, years of warfare had given him a natural aura of authority. His appearance, coupled with his sharp gaze, exuded an immense pressure.

“Regarding your military achievements… I don’t think I need to elaborate further, do I?” Helen knew that showing weakness or fear at this point would only put her at a disadvantage. She mustered her courage and met his gaze with a threatening expression. “But I have good news. I’m the only one who knows about this.”

Bert knew he had momentarily entertained the thought of killing her.

Right here in this drawing-room, he could pierce her beautiful chest with his sword and bury this secret forever. No one else should know. The soldiers who had carried out his orders had long been used as cannon fodder and none had returned alive from the war. Even the plague mage he had hired had been disposed of cleanly after he had served his purpose. He had also eliminated any potential intermediaries who might leak information. It was a foolproof plan.

His father had only become suspicious because he had accidentally seen a small part of Bert’s records and, knowing his son’s character, had deduced the truth. Bert had acted decisively, eliminating the old man who should have stepped aside long ago. Could his father have left behind some contingency plan?

“Your Highness… You surprise me,” General Bert said, a forced smile on his lips. “You weren’t like this before.”

“People change,” Helen said. “General Bert, is this offer enough to make you my ally?”

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” General Bert said flatly. “My achievements are genuine. You can’t accuse a loyal subject without evidence. Your Highness, although you are of noble birth, you can’t slander me without proof.”

He couldn’t possibly admit to his past. If he confessed to his actions during the war, he would be stripped of his rank and title, banished from Golden Griffin City, and forced to live as a farmer for the rest of his days. Moreover, if the Emperor believed he had been deceived, he might even lose his head!

Helen, however, seemed relieved. “Is that your answer?” she asked.

General Bert suddenly felt uneasy. It seemed the princess had anticipated this.

“Perhaps there’s no trace of this in people’s memories, but what if we sent an investigative team to the former territory of the Kingdom of Ossi—the Empire’s newly acquired land?” Helen asked, her heart pounding, her words coming faster. “Battlefields leave behind traces, especially those that have seen fierce fighting in recent years. If the investigative team is skilled enough, I don’t think anyone can perfectly conceal their mistakes there, right? Not to mention the local civilians. They’ve just become citizens of the Western Empire and haven’t been fully assimilated into our culture. They might still harbor resentment and secrets…”

“I’ve never claimed undeserved credit!” General Bert shouted, slamming his fist on the table, losing his composure.

“My dear General Bert, when did I ever accuse you of claiming undeserved credit?” Helen asked, her breathing rapid, but her voice steady. “Has our conversation revealed anything?”

Bert wanted to kick himself.

Princess Helen, clever Princess Helen! She had been subtly hinting at his fabricated achievements, just short of outright accusing him. He, in his nervousness, had fallen right into her trap!

Was this the same sheltered princess he knew? Or… was the princess he knew just a fraction of her true capabilities?

“Your Highness… I’m glad you’re the only one who knows this secret. So, if I erase your memory here, we can pretend this never happened, right?” Bert said, dropping his pretense of civility. The murderous aura of the former battlefield butcher filled the room. Even though he wasn’t releasing any Dou Qi, an invisible pressure weighed down on Helen.

“General Bert, I advise you against doing anything foolish,” Helen said with a cold smile, raising a hand. “Do you see this bracelet? It has a simple magic circle, commonly used by nobles to monitor their health. No matter what kind of mage you bring to erase my memory, this bracelet will react if my mind is tampered with. Once I have the court mage examine it, any magic you used on me will be undone.”

“You think you can scare me with that?” Bert said, slowly rising from his seat. “I have far more tricks up my sleeve than you can imagine.”

“Threatening a princess, General Bert, you’re quite bold. We didn’t have to resort to this,” Helen said, standing up as well. She was much shorter than Bert, but her royal aura, emanating from her, seemed to counter his murderous intent. “The two guards waiting for me outside both carry communication crystals—you have three minutes to decide to support me and let me leave. Otherwise, they’ve received my instructions beforehand. If I don’t emerge soon, they’ll send a message to my personal guard. I’ve hidden a note in a secret location. Once my guard retrieves it, they’ll immediately inform your brothers.”

General Bert’s heart sank.

When did Princess Helen become so ruthless? How could she have planned such a contingency? And informing his brothers through her guard? Don’t be ridiculous! His four brothers were all eyeing his position as Grand General. If they learned of this, they would immediately organize investigative teams and set off. Bert was certain he wouldn’t survive a month in that scenario. No matter how resourceful he was, this was the capital. Could his subordinates act faster than the royal guard?

“General Bert, two minutes left. Make your decision,” Helen said, her face still bearing a faint smile despite the sweat beading on her forehead. “Before things get out of hand.”

“I support you! Your Highness!” Bert finally lowered his head in defeat.

“Then, shall we cooperate?” Helen extended her gloved hand.

Bert reluctantly took her hand, the hand that countless young nobles yearned to touch. He noticed the palm of her glove was damp with sweat, and her beautiful face was covered in beads of perspiration.

“Could it be that this is truly the princess’s first time doing something like this?” he wondered, a sense of defeat washing over him.