v2c27: What the Necromancer Council Desires
As Legnas watched in disbelief, Abyss summoned his magical catfish, enlarging it. He then reached into its gaping maw and pulled out a slender, pale arm.
First, a petite girl with silver hair emerged from the catfish’s belly. Then, a black-haired girl in a white dress, her feet bare. Finally, a graceful woman with flowing blonde hair.
“Are we back?!” Leona exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. Time was frozen within the catfish’s belly, so she had no sense of how much time had passed.
Flora looked around, surprised to find herself amidst a pile of rubble. She quickly realized it was Lannis’s house. She wasn’t worried about anything, except that the house seemed on the verge of collapse, and she feared for Abyss’s safety—although that was highly unlikely.
Rebecca, having inquired about the magical catfish’s abilities beforehand, was prepared for their return to Hai-Teweru. The moment she regained her mobility, she spread her arms wide and shouted, “Hai-Teweru! Your alchemist has returned!”
Abyss patted Leona’s head, exchanged a knowing glance with Flora, then nodded at Rebecca. “Yes, we’re back. But the situation is a bit complicated. Let’s resolve it first, then we can enjoy our homecoming.”
Legnas, meanwhile, was dumbfounded.
He had never heard of a familiar that could swallow people and spit them out, nor had he witnessed such advanced spatial magic. And the three girls Abyss had brought with him… He didn’t recognize two of them, but he instantly recognized the black-haired one!
His mission was to find Rebecca’s body. He had studied her extensively, memorizing her appearance from the descriptions in books—black hair, hazel eyes, delicate features. And based on the rumors among the common folk, she was also exceptionally well-endowed.
Rebecca’s figure was far from frail. She was youthful, her curves full and alluring, especially in the simple white dress she wore.
Had Abyss already resurrected her? What kind of high-level necromancy was this? Why did she look so lifelike, indistinguishable from a living person?! Legnas couldn’t believe his eyes. In his experience, even the most powerful Summoning necromancers could only restore a deceased individual to near their full potential in life, but their appearance still differed from the living. They had pale faces, lifeless eyes, imperfections that required makeup to conceal.
But these three girls didn’t seem to be wearing any makeup. Their beauty was natural, vibrant.
Who was this Abyss? How could he be so powerful?
Leona, after mentally calculating how many times Abyss had touched her head and how much she could charge him, finally noticed the mage pinned to the ground by bone spikes. He looked pathetic, and it was obvious Abyss was responsible.
“Abyss, do you need me to beat him up for you?” she asked.
“Oh, no, this man is looking for Rebecca,” Abyss said with a smile, patting Leona’s head. “I’m going to introduce him to her.”
“Twenty…” Leona muttered under her breath.
“Hmm? What was that?”
“Not telling! Blegh!” Leona stuck her tongue out at him.
Abyss lightly pulled her tongue, ignoring her indignant protests, then turned to Rebecca. “Rebecca, this is Legnas, from a necromancer organization called the Necromancer Council. He came to Lavoisier City looking for you. He claims you possess secrets about Shadow Demons. Do you know anything about that?”
“Secrets about Shadow Demons?” Rebecca asked, chewing on her finger thoughtfully, looking at Legnas with a puzzled expression. “Why would you think I have such secrets?”
“…Because during our investigation, we discovered that before your death, you acquired a batch of contaminated magic crystals from the Shadowed Depths, through several intermediaries,” Legnas said, his voice strained from the pain. Although he was reluctant to reveal his organization’s plans, he knew he couldn’t hide anything from Abyss. “Your research on those crystals must have involved the Shadow Demons’ world of origin. If we had access to your research, we might be able to communicate with those creatures…”
“Then why didn’t you act sooner?” Abyss asked, amused. The Necromancer Council was truly unlucky. They always seemed to be one step behind him, gaining nothing. If they had acted before him, Lannis might have died, and he would have faced even more challenges.
“Because it was a long shot. You know about the Lord of Submergence, right? Some of our members are his followers. We recently lost contact with him, so we decided to try and awaken Rebecca, hoping to control the Shadow Demons and maintain the Necromancer Council’s power,” Legnas said, his eyes fixed on Rebecca. “The Necromancer Council needs power, and we can never have too much.”
“Are you that determined to take revenge on the world?” Abyss asked, his voice laced with a hint of disapproval. “Why not consider alternative methods to achieve peace?”
“You’re a necromancer too. Don’t you understand the hatred people have for us?” Legnas scoffed at Abyss’s pacifistic ideals. “Are you willing to live with their constant hatred?”
“The living might dislike me, but the dead adore me,” Abyss said, spreading his hands. “I respect the deceased, and in return, they follow me willingly. But you treat them as slaves, so you don’t even earn their respect.”
“Hehe… Words are meaningless. There can never be peace between necromancers and the living. Even you, can you offer a solution that satisfies everyone?”
Abyss was stumped. Although he advocated for peace, he couldn’t think of a solution that would please everyone.
“Don’t try to distract my fiancé with your twisted logic. Revenge won’t bring any progress to this world,” Rebecca said, interrupting their conversation. “I understand the situation now. But unfortunately, I have no information about Shadow Demons. I did travel to another world using those crystals, but there were no Shadow Demons there. You came for nothing.”
“That’s impossible! The Three Venerables’ judgment is never wrong!” Legnas exclaimed, refusing to accept her answer.
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