After mastering the resurrection technique, they begged me to extend their lives.

Clearly, An Xiao didn't sleep well all night.

It wasn't because of the anxiety of being pursued or anything else.

It was simply because of the sudden warmth and softness on my back, and the extreme experience of sharing a bed with my "creation".

To be honest, he never expected that Xinuo, the famous Wind Sword Maiden of the Empire, would put aside her pride and share a bed with him, an unknown and weak sorcerer.

Although sleeping is just sleeping, being so close inevitably leads to physical contact. Even with his back to her, his body remained stiff for half the night, making it impossible for him to get proper rest.

"I told you to sleep, not to sleep here..."

He secretly grumbled to himself.

But then I thought about it again, and there really wasn't anywhere else to lie down in the cellar.

We've taken the best spot, so we can't expect others to sleep on the floor, can we?

Is this appropriate?

An Xiao couldn't say for sure, but he vaguely felt that the resurrected seemed to not need sleep...

-

"call…"

The breathing behind me was even and rhythmic, and sounded very sweet.

He carefully moved his fingers and pinched up the clothes covering him.

Then, propping himself up on his elbows, he rolled over as silently as possible.

Soon, their gazes were fixed on him, unable to look away easily.

He discovered that when he turned around, Xinuo's incredibly pure face was less than three inches away from him.

Her lips were full and glossy, her golden hair was soft and flowing, and you could smell her warm, sweet breath. Her sleeping face was completely unguarded... No matter how you looked at her, it was impossible to calm your mind.

The bed wasn't small, and there was plenty of space for her to lie down on the other side, but the other person seemed to be pressing against her, insisting on getting so close, as if they could get some warmth from her.

An Xiao frowned as she looked at her sleeping posture, curled up on the bed like a shrimp, showing extreme insecurity.

Without a doubt, if he didn't deliberately keep his distance from her, she would likely take advantage of the situation the next time it happened, using him as a pillow and gradually breaking down their boundaries.

"Honestly. She's just a girl who's barely twenty..."

Having experienced the agony of death at a young age, even if resurrected, one still faces the countdown to their next death.

For her, was this salvation or another form of harm?

Confusion and helplessness, unease and regret... Are similar emotions lingering around her, troubling her?

An Xiao shook her head.

"Never mind, let's go check on the excavator."

He muttered something to himself, then sat up, pulled off his coat which he had been using as a blanket, and coldly threw it over her shivering young body.

The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and as he turned and left, she tightened her coat.

……

-

As An Xiao stepped into the cave and followed the dark passage into a new space, she could see the excavator still working as if no one else was there.

It had even darted quite a distance in just one night, only turning to the sides when transporting gravel.

Observations revealed that its workflow resembles a semi-automatic process.

The process involves demarcating an area according to instructions, identifying obstacles ahead, starting excavation, storing gravel, clearing a waste area, storing gravel, and repeating the cycle.

At this rate, it would take about three days to excavate the territory of Ningye Town and reach the entrance to the border mountains.

"As far as I know, the border mountains stretch for dozens of miles, making further traversal impractical. While the land route would take us out of the area where the Imperial soldiers are stationed, it would inevitably lead to contact with another force..."

He recalled the overall map setting in his mind and vaguely remembered that the border mountains belonged to a group of demi-humans.

These demi-humans were all homeless and stateless. Unable to obtain imperial status or integrate into human life, they had no choice but to establish their own strongholds and rob merchants, barely surviving through plunder.

The distribution of demi-humans on the continent of Veen is quite complex, with different ethnic groups, as well as different affiliations and preferences.

For example, the lizard people, who live in seclusion, often appear by lakes and waterways, living a life of peace and tranquility.

It may seem slow-moving, but if provoked, it might climb back into the lake and summon a giant aquatic beast.

The friendly centaurs often roam the desert oases, and can only be seen in the central part of the Ebinus desert kingdom.

Its sharpshooter trait is equivalent to S-level accuracy, a talent that all archers and hunters dream of.

The alluring snake people had long been coveted by human slave owners. To avoid being captured and used as playthings, they had no choice but to band together and form snake people settlements. They even cultivated a large number of snake people magicians, and under the leadership of snake witches, they gradually moved towards glory, on the verge of establishing a new kingdom.

"Tsk, so what are the tribes living in the border mountains again?"

An Xiao couldn't quite remember the job description of the geomancer, but it didn't matter much. Logically speaking, this kind of mountain range should be inhabited by flying subhumans, such as birdmen or harpies. Even if there was a discrepancy, it wouldn't be too far off.

The only problem now is how to avoid the gaze of the demi-humans and successfully cross the mountain.

If it could be resolved by paying money, that would be ideal, but he didn't know exactly how much the toll would cost, or how to avoid unnecessary fighting.

"Anyway, let's go out and take a look first."

After confirming the progress, he turned back to the cellar and decided to check the situation outside.

The total amount of magic power in my body is already more than half full. In order to ensure safety when casting spells tomorrow, it is necessary to eliminate all possible interference.

If nothing unexpected happens, there should already be quite a few soldiers from the castle patrolling Ningye Town with a specific purpose. Even though Xinuo is covering her face with her coat, her distinctive figure is still too obvious and she is easily recognized.

Therefore, the best person to investigate is oneself.

A few minutes later.

An Xiao arrived at the cellar entrance, held her breath, and used her hearing to judge the sounds outside the wooden fence.

It was around dawn, and after only a short while of contemplation, I could hear voices coming from outside—

"Are you a member of the local militia?"

"Yes, sir! My name is Chris, and I'm the militia captain here. I've been protecting this town for seven years!"

"Well, let me ask you this: have you seen this person in the portrait these past few days?"

The speaker had a deep, powerful voice, clearly indicating that he had practiced.

The other person paused, seemingly thinking for a few moments, then slapped his forehead and said:

"! This... isn't this Miss Xinuo? The famous Sword Maiden, I'm quite certain I haven't seen her in person... and, didn't she encounter that incident recently... and unfortunately get stabbed..."

"Okay. How about this one?"

With a hiss, the imperial city soldier interrupted him and seemed to have replaced the portrait, hanging it in front of Chris.

"This...uh...is a little girl?"

"Yes, the Imperial Class B wanted criminal, the sorcerer who stole Miss Xinuo's coffin, using the alias Lilia, whose real name is Alice."

"! This...this is..."

As if remembering something, militia captain Chris paused, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the nearby area of ​​houses with cellars...

—I remember vividly what I saw three days ago when I was on duty with my cousin.

Lilia, like a desperate young girl seeking help, followed a man with his face covered toward the houses; there was no mistaking it.

As the militia captain, Chris has an exceptional memory, especially when it comes to observing passersby. Years of experience have allowed him to instantly identify people with distinctive features.

As fugitives being hunted by the Dragon Riders, he and she could no longer travel by air or land. They would most likely remain hidden somewhere until things calmed down before daring to venture out.

"Then... if I can search those areas with cellars within two days, I might be able to..."

After a few seconds, Chris turned his gaze again.

Looking at the wanted poster in the sergeant's hand, which read "Reward for handing over to the capital: 3,000 gold dragon coins; Reward for valid report: 50 silver deer coins,"

An image flashed through my mind of a seductive prostitute in room number three of the block, posing provocatively with her large, fleshy hips—

Chris squinted his small eyes, pondering for a long time.

I took a deep, bone-chilling breath of the early morning air:

"Never seen it before."

……

……