Starting from Ainz Ooal Gown, simultaneously traveling through time

Kabu quickly brought the wolf-headed orc officer, Stol, to the command room.

Leylin sized up the prisoner before him. Its once grayish-black fur was badly charred in large patches, and it had several deep, bone-revealing wounds on its body. It was barely breathing.

Leylin cast a Minor Wound Healing spell in the blink of an eye, stabilizing its injuries and ensuring it wouldn't die during the interrogation.

Meanwhile, a silent detection spell swept over the wolf-headed orc, indicating that its strength was approximately level 25.

In comparison, the commander of the Lapis Lazuli Fortress, Cabjo, is level 28.

The leopard-headed orc, Siba, who was killed by Leylin, was around level 30.

Upon seeing Leylin, Stoer's eyes widened in terror, but he forced a calm demeanor and hissed, "Your Highness, I am a high-ranking general of the Orc Kingdom, entitled to diplomatic immunity! Your detention of me is a provocation against the entire Orc Kingdom and will surely incur the wrath of our King!"

"Immunity?" Leylin's lips curled into a slight sneer. "Your way of thinking is truly full of orcish naiveté. Never mind, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."

Before he finished speaking, a glint flashed in his eyes.

"Fifth-tier magic, [Demi-human Control]."

A powerful spiritual force instantly invaded Sdor's unsuspecting consciousness, and the wolf-headed orc's eyes immediately became unfocused, empty, and submissive.

"Now, tell me," Leylin's voice was calm yet penetrating, "what is your ultimate purpose in this invasion of Inberia's borders?"

Stol began to speak in fits and starts, as if in a dream.

From the mysterious demise of the border city of Apache to the great shaman's perception of the "dragon's" aura and destruction through the spirit of his ancestors.

Then, King Kasor of the Orcs, fearing another attack by the "dragons" and eager to expand his military, wanted to retrieve the batch of human goods that he had previously purchased from the Gusa'i tribe but which had been rescued by Leylin.

Finally, General Siba became arrogant and overconfident, escalating the attempt to reclaim the lost property into a full-scale attack without authorization...

"So," Leylin concluded, "your orc king is trying to replenish his manpower and resources by plundering our country because he's afraid of that 'dragon' that may not even exist?"

"And that Shiba, turned a despicable act of robbery into a foolish war?"

"The war... was General Siba's personal act..." Stol repeated blankly, "Our task is merely to reclaim the King's property..."

"Property?" Leylin's eyes turned cold. "Those humans you kidnapped and treated like livestock, are they your 'property'?"

"You think we should just hand them over with a mere command? Did you never consider that to get them back, you'd have to step over our dead bodies first?"

Stol remained silent, bewildered.

"Heh, it seems that's exactly what you think, as you'd expect." Leylin lost interest in continuing the interrogation, waved his hand, and said, "Take him away and keep a close watch on him."

Kabu immediately ordered his men to take away the dazed-looking Stol.

Silence returned to the command room, and Leylin stood alone in front of the sand table, lost in thought.

"I never imagined that the trigger for this attack would be my destruction of that city..."

He frowned slightly, but then shook his head: "No, even without this incident, given the orcs' greedy and brutal nature and the deep-rooted hatred between the two countries, conflict would have broken out sooner or later."

"Our opposing stances and the struggle for living space have already determined that we cannot coexist peacefully."

He had already sentenced the orc kingdom to death in his heart.

When he possesses absolute power and is unafraid of any potential threat, that will be the day this neighboring country, which delights in plundering and enslaving humanity, is destroyed.

The greatest "respect" for an enemy is to give them complete and absolute annihilation.

However, the time is not yet ripe, and he still needs to lie low to avoid attracting the attention of certain ancient beings hiding behind the scenes too early.

"But those soldiers..." A thought lingered in his mind.

Those more than three thousand dead did indeed die at the hands of the orcs, but the cause of this war was ultimately indirectly related to his previous actions.

If he hadn't ravaged that city and provoked the Orc King, perhaps some of these people would still be serving peacefully at this moment.

He remained silent for a long time, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.

Finally, he raised his head, his eyes hardening.

"If I have the ability, I cannot help but use it; otherwise, what would be the point of me mastering this resurrection technique?" he said to himself.

Although this decision means he will have to expend a great deal of effort and magic, and is subject to the harsh conditions of resurrection magic, such as the integrity of the corpse and the level and strength of the deceased, it is impossible to save everyone.

"The fifth-tier [Resurrection of the Dead] still has too many limitations."

He thought of the ninth-tier magic, [True Resurrection], with some regret.

That kind of miraculous magic doesn't even require a corpse; it can summon the deceased back with just their real name and enough magic power, and the cost is negligible. Unfortunately, that's not a realm he can currently reach.

"That's enough. We'll save as many as we can. As for those we can't save... we'll deal with them another time if we have the chance."

He calmed himself down and decided to take immediate action.

Just then, Kabu returned after dealing with the prisoners.

"Your Highness, is there anything else you require?"

"Have the remains of those fallen soldiers been buried?" Leylin asked directly.

Kabu was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Your Highness, the remains have all been collected and embalmed with lime. They are awaiting the arrival of the temple priests to conduct a collective requiem ceremony and have not yet been buried."

"Very good." Leylin nodded. "There's no need for burial for now. Take me to the morgue."

"Your Highness, what are you doing...?"

"I'm going to resurrect them."

"Resurrected...?!" Kabu's eyes widened instantly, almost doubting that he had misheard.

..............................

In this world, proper handling of the deceased is of paramount importance. Improper burial can easily lead to the creation of immortal beings due to resentment or negative energy.

Therefore, the remains of the fallen must undergo purification and blessing ceremonies before they can be laid to rest.

At this moment, in a solemn open space behind the Lapis Lazuli Fortress, more than three thousand bodies covered with white cloth were neatly arranged. The air was filled with the scent of lime and a faint sense of sorrow, and soldiers were on duty to guard the area.

Leylin's arrival caused the guards to immediately stand at attention and salute.

Without saying much, he walked straight to the center of the open space, his gaze slowly sweeping over the vast expanse of silent white.

He took a deep breath, raised his hands, and profound magic began to gather and surge around him, making the air seem thicker.

"Amplified Collective Magic Effects • Fifth-Tier Magic —"

His clear and solemn chanting resounded throughout the silent arena, each syllable triggering a resonance of surrounding magic, and a complex and profound magic circle instantly unfolded around him.

Golden, vibrant light, like a reversed celestial river, poured down gently yet powerfully, enveloping all the remains below!

"[The dead have been resurrected!]!"

The beam of light that shot into the sky attracted the attention of all the soldiers in the fortress. People stared in shock at the sacred and vast light and gathered around, puzzled.

"What is Your Highness doing?"

"Such terrifying magic... even more powerful than during the previous battle!"

"Those lights... enveloped the bodies of our fallen brothers!"

They speculated that perhaps His Highness was using some kind of powerful magic to perform the highest-level blessing and requiem for the deceased.

However, what happened next completely exceeded everyone's understanding and imagination.

Bathed in warm golden light, the bodies covered in white sheets began to emit a soft glow from within, as if withered trees were coming back to life and frozen rivers were thawing.

Something lost is being forcibly brought back, reshaped, and anchored!

The light gradually faded.

The white sheet covering the first body was lifted from the inside by a slightly pale, trembling hand.

What was revealed was a young and confused face.

He blinked, looking around in confusion at the blinding sunlight, his familiar companions, and the horrified expressions on their faces, as if they had seen a ghost.

"D...Dax?!" An old soldier who knew the young soldier trembled as he stepped forward, reached out incredulously, and gently touched the other's cheek. It was warm, elastic, and felt like the touch of a living person!

"Dax! It really is you! You're alive! Hahaha! You're alive!!"

The veteran suddenly burst into a shout mixed with ecstasy and tears, rushing forward without hesitation to hug the still somewhat dazed young soldier tightly, his strength almost crushing him. Tears streamed down his face, the immense joy of something lost and found again.

Young soldier Dax seemed to slowly come back to his senses. Although his memory was still stuck on the moment before he died in battle, the hot tears of his comrades and the hug that almost broke his ribs made him truly feel that he had returned.

And this is just the beginning.

Like dominoes being toppled, or like thousands of flowers suddenly blooming in a silent field, the white sheets covering one body after another were lifted, and one cold and stiff body after another was filled with warmth and vitality again.

Confusion, surprise, ecstasy, tears, embraces... all sorts of emotions erupted like a flood bursting its banks on this open space shrouded in sacred light.

"Charles! You bastard! I knew you wouldn't die so easily!"

"Hans! Welcome back, brother!"

"Waaaah... Robert, you scared me to death..."

Almost instantly, each resurrected person was surrounded by their comrades, fellow villagers, and friends.

Fists pounded on shoulders, hugs were almost suffocating, and no one cared about the tears and snot streaming down their faces.

The dead are not forgotten wandering souls; they have vivid pasts, close bonds, and companions who are overjoyed to see them come back to life.

Many of the resurrected soldiers were initially dazed, but soon they were overwhelmed by the overwhelming emotions.

Some people chuckled along, some had tears in their eyes, and some hugged their comrades back, laughing and cursing in hoarse voices, "Go easy! My bones were just set! ... But it's so good to see you guys again."

Looking at the scene before him, which seemed like a miracle had been recreated and was full of human warmth, Leylin felt the magic power that had been almost drained from his body and the exhaustion in his mind.

However, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards slightly in a subtle arc.

Worth it.