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

The scene seemed to freeze in time.

Lilia stared wide-eyed at the beautiful figure who had suddenly sat up in the coffin in the center of the room, her thoughts in disarray, stunned.

What did he do?

Corpse manipulation?

Body control technique?

Or is it a case of dying before death?

The girl's mouth was slightly open, and the short magic wand hovering in her hand trembled slightly, as if she couldn't be sure whether the scene before her was real or an illusion.

Clearly, the moment An Xiao completed the spell, Xino, the target of the "corpse puppet" possession, could no longer receive any soul sacrifice energy. This directly led to the complete failure of Lilia's spell, and even the casting of the sacrifice spell became meaningless.

"Could he really be a genius?"

"But is 'genius' enough to describe his ability?"

The girl's chest rose and fell slightly, her heart filled with indescribable turmoil.

But she was certain she wasn't mistaken; the Wind Sword Maiden opposite her had indeed sat up, with a similar expression to her own.

A mixture of confusion and bewilderment spread across that beautiful face.

Sure enough, on the other side of her gaze, Xinuo subconsciously lowered her head and looked at the wound on her chest that was still pierced by a sharp weapon, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

"I...this is..."

The Wind Sword Princess, whose soul had returned, was clearly frightened.

A flood of memories slowly welled up in my mind—

I still remember the last scene, where I faced the main target of the S-rank extermination mission, the "Shadow Two-Headed Corpse Wolf," together with the Royal Knights.

However, just as he was locked in a fierce battle with the powerful monster, a figure of considerable power suddenly drew his sword from behind him...

Looking back now, it was probably premeditated.

"..."

She stiffly raised her hands, her movements somewhat unnatural as she gripped the edge of the coffin. A faint emerald light flickered in her eyes as she silently sensed her body's current state using her wind-based appraisal technique—

Yes, the sword intent within my body is still there, and my power is about fifty percent of what it was before.

The vanished magical particles are being reactivated, and sword skills and some amplification spells should be usable soon.

His physical fitness is noticeably lower than before, and his agility is less than half of what it was in his prime.

They had virtually no hunger, and their cravings for water and food were almost zero.

The wound seemed to require no healing, and the pain was becoming numb.

"What exactly is going on...?"

After confirming several times that her consciousness and memories were all correct, she finally looked at the "spellcaster" beside her—An Xiao—with an incredulous expression.

She guessed that she had probably been "resurrected".

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" An Xiao asked calmly.

Having successfully cast the resurrection spell, he was extremely weak at this moment. The physical sensation brought about by the lack of magical power was terrible, somewhat similar to the weariness and powerlessness that comes after staying up for three consecutive nights, when the upper and lower eyelids begin to stick together on their own.

But he couldn't give up, because he was genuinely curious about his first "creation".

The effectiveness of one's spells and whether they have any side effects must be judged based on the situation of the person in front of them. If the actual effect does not match the skill description or there are any strange bugs, then things are not good.

"So... what did you do to my corpse?"

Instead of responding to his question, Xinuo asked the question that concerned him first.

"……what?"

An Xiao choked on her words. The gratitude and thanks she expected did not come. Instead, what appeared on the beautiful face of the swordswoman was full of vigilance and wariness.

Seeing this, he replied helplessly:

"Don't worry, I only used a 'resurrection spell' on you at your sister's request."

An Xiao looked at her with an eye similar to that of an academic observer, and patiently explained:

"As you can see, this is a divine art that can 'repair regrets.' It can achieve 'resurrection' and 'life extension' that are simply impossible in the current magic system."

Those things you haven't had time to do, those things you haven't finished, those things you had to give up due to external factors, will all have a chance to start over because of this spell of mine.

He looked at her face. "Although it was your first time casting the spell, and your casting process and incantation weren't very skillful, it's good that you don't seem to have any aftereffects... Well, that's good."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xinuo stood up from the coffin and slowly repeated those three words—

"Resurrection technique?"

To be honest, she couldn't understand his ability to casually mention this "thirteenth-order lost forbidden spell of the Goddess of Death, Arendes Dina," which was listed in the royal "Ancient Magic Encyclopedia."

The Great Library of Aleon displays many rare and precious works acquired through war and other means, among which the Ancient Magic Encyclopedia is the most valuable.

The book mentions that from ancient times to the present, no warlock or priest on the continent of Vain has ever been able to truly resurrect the dead.

The healing spells mastered by priests can often only heal wounds and dispel curses, while the methods used by sorcerers to manipulate corpses are mostly close to puppetry, and the consciousness of the manipulated cannot be restored.

Only Aledesdina, the dragon goddess who controls death, can resurrect deceased dragonborn, but at a great cost.

As for other records, there are none.

"Yes, that's right."

At this moment, An Xiao nodded politely and gentlemanly extended a hand, trying to help the frail swordswoman step out of the coffin.

Although it was out of good intentions, Xinuo did not seem to appreciate it. Instead, she took a deep breath, sorted out the messy thoughts in her mind, and stepped out of the coffin on her own.

As if accepting reality as best she could, she continued to ask:

"Then, suspicious sorcerer, may I ask who my 'sister' is?"

"what?"

An Xiao's expression froze, somewhat puzzled: "...I mean, although my magic is a bit off-the-beaten-path, it still managed to save your life...no, extend your life, so please, Miss Sword Maiden, understand the connection and don't be too cold-hearted."

He muttered a few helpless words, then shrugged and turned to the darkness behind him. "As for that dear sister who cares so much about you, it's Lilia, of course. She found me and begged me to bring you back to life. You see, she's right here—"

The words came to an abrupt halt.

"..."

Because when he turned around, he found that Lilia was nowhere to be seen in the corner of the cellar.

An Xiao's expression gradually became serious.

"She was standing right there...didn't you see her?"

He tried to get a positive answer from Hino.

however……

"First of all, I don't have a younger sister, and almost every member of the Knights of Aleient can attest to that."

Miss Wind Swordswoman said coldly, "Secondly, if you are referring to that little girl who was standing in the corner, her body filled with evil magic, and who used a teleportation spell to escape the moment she saw me sit up, then I think it's time for us to sit down and have a serious talk about the wanted criminal."

"..."

As he spoke, Xinuo reached into the coffin and pulled out the enchanted sword "Windwalker," which was meant to be buried with him. He gently pushed the sword, which was surrounded by magical energy, out of its sheath with his thumb, and turned his head to ask:

"So, sir, sorcerer who is proficient in lost divine arts and is extremely suspicious, do I now have reason to suspect that you, without permission, conspired with foreign criminals to steal my coffin and desecrate my body—with the aim of turning me into your slave, to whip and devour me day and night, and to commit the most despicable acts?"

The Sword Maiden's face, usually as cold as ice, held a sinister smile.

……

……