This necromancer is going to seduce the beautiful girls who are already dead.

“This is Starr Platinum’s diary,” Abis exclaimed in surprise. “I thought it was your mother’s diary. Why is there always a sense of worry in his words?”

"On June 1st, I finally made contact with the Creator God through the system. I asked Him to stop the artifacts from entering Hai-Tver, but He didn't seem interested and even seemed annoyed by my request. After that, I couldn't contact Him anymore, which frustrated me. I must hide this crown in my hand and never let anyone with a less resolute will get it. Once it starts manipulating people's hearts, nothing good will ever happen. I can feel the pure destructive will contained within this crown. Its will is aimless, foolish, and dull, but it has the instinct to destroy everything."

"An extraterrestrial evil god?!" the three exclaimed simultaneously.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Freedom for Power? Next Time for Sure

Unlike Flora and Leona, who were on high alert, Abyss showed great curiosity about the diary that recorded Starr's inner thoughts back then. He grabbed Flora's shoulder, like a mage apprentice eager for knowledge: "Quick, keep flipping through, see if there's anything else of value!"

"This is a monster that manipulates people's hearts and destroys the world, why are you acting like you've met a relative?" Leona said with disdain for Abyss.

“Pessimism won’t change anything.” Abyss grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. “This diary shows that your ancestors began researching extraterrestrial evil gods three hundred years ago. Moreover, your ancestors were on the same level as us. Perhaps this diary contains something of great value!”

Leona didn't quite understand Abyss's fanaticism. She sat down in the chair at her desk and started flipping through her diary.

"Hmm... The following section records many strange events caused by the crown... Let me read it here. On August 24th, the crown that I hid outside the city miraculously returned on its own. I don't remember bringing it back at any time, but when I woke up in the morning, it was on my bedside table. This startled Eve, who was sleeping next to me. Although the crown was beautiful and exquisite, it exuded an evil aura at all times."

"On August 27th, I tried to destroy the crown. Under my continuous punches, I even smashed the crown into a flat disc. I then threw it into the furnace. That night, it returned to me and hung on my coat rack without my knowledge."

"On September 6th, I tried many methods that could destroy ordinary objects, but the crown always reappeared without my noticing, and the way it appeared seemed perfectly normal, as if it had never been destroyed by me. I even suspected that I was under an illusion, but that was impossible. I had already redeemed 100% illusion resistance in the system, and I would never hallucinate."

"On September 8th, I saw the upside-down man again in my dream. He wore a crown on his two feet and smiled evilly at me. I tried to attack him, but I woke up as soon as I touched him."

"On November 10th, my health deteriorated day by day. I had accumulated too much pressure on this crown, which was not good. I felt my body was aging faster. So I decided to give up on destroying the crown and try other paths."

"On December 15th, I succeeded. I spent a lot of money to obtain a chain from the Vatican that was blessed by the God of Order and Judgment among the Nine Gods. I locked the crown in the deep mountains of the Eastern Empire. When I returned home, the crown did not appear."

"On December 17th, the upside-down man appeared in my dream. I did not attack him. I noticed that this strange guy seemed to have divinity. He was trying to control me with his divinity. I could tell at a glance that he was not human, but this was the first time I had noticed that he had divinity."

"On December 21st, I made a preliminary judgment that he came from a destroyed other world. His rank may be similar to the nine gods of Hai-Tver, lower than the creator god, but higher than mortals. His power spread to this world like a pipe through the crown. I may not be able to kill him, but I may be able to guide his power to a harmless place."

"On January 2nd, I failed. It was indeed the power of the gods, but I am just a mortal. Even with the blessings of the creator god, I am still just a mortal. I cannot affect his power. Fortunately, he did not seem to attack anyone other than me. I must ensure that my will remains steadfast. The conditions he offered in my dream were too tempting, but there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

"January 30th. I must admit I'm getting old. My back has been aching terribly these past few days, but the upside-down man has stopped appearing. I think I should enjoy my retirement and try to think about these things less. Qiao Lin is newly pregnant, and I should prepare to be a good grandfather. I'll stop here in this diary. If my descendants see this diary, and you have power at my level, then please choose whether to continue my research. If you are not powerful enough, please do not risk your life. The crown is well hidden within the Eastern Empire. Find it according to this riddle. If you cannot solve the riddle, then you are not qualified to continue my research."

Leona turned to the last page of the diary with writing on it and began to read a poem.

The three giants raised their glasses.

Only the afterglow of the setting sun could be seen in the sky.

The sword severed the giant serpent's spine.

The clear spring's sound fades and returns.

Leona solemnly closed the diary with both hands, then turned to look at Abyss, who was deep in thought.

What does this riddle mean?

Leona interrupted Abyss's thoughts. He shrugged and said, "We'll know once we get to the Eastern Empire and study the local geography. I don't know now."

"What are you thinking about?" Leona asked, puzzled.

“He said that the extraterrestrial evil gods really do possess divinity, so I have a bold idea.” Abyss smiled, appearing somewhat fanatical. “Their power might be able to be used by me.”

Flora, who had been listening attentively, was startled and quickly advised, "This won't do, Abyss! Their power is meant to arouse people's greed and then control them! If you use their power, won't you become their puppet?"

“Yeah, ABC, your idea is immature.” Leona shook her head, pretending to know a lot.

“Of course I don’t want to become their puppet or host,” Abyss said, arms crossed. “I’m thinking about whether it’s possible for me to give them nothing and just take their power.”

"You're so shameless." Leona rolled her eyes at Abyss.

But Abyss wasn't joking; he was seriously considering how to obtain the power of these evil gods without paying the corresponding price.

Based on current intelligence, the main way that extraterrestrial evil gods influence people in this world is through unfair transactions. They make promises and paint a rosy picture, and then use mind control to create a large group of believers who will fight to the death for them.

But who says you have to play by the rules?

That's right, Abyss was thinking about getting something for free.

If a way can be found to seize the power of these so-called evil gods, then the chances of overthrowing the creator god will be much greater. Perhaps Abyss himself is not powerful enough to directly contend with the gods, but he has two super geniuses by his side, and three more will be added in the future.

A driver who doesn't want to be a tailor isn't a good cook!

So Abyss had another plan in mind: to find a way to rob the extraterrestrial evil god!

"Flora, his smile is disgusting," Leona whispered.

Flora glanced at the expression on Abyss's face and nodded, "Indeed."

Chapter Forty: Becoming Increasingly Happy with the Evil God

"Young man, your glass is empty. Would you like some more wine?" The dwarf tapped his stubby fingers on the counter as the tavern owner, Dar, asked.

Abyss was reading a notebook without looking up. When he heard Dahl's words, he simply nodded. Dahl didn't waste any more words with him, turned around, and quickly mixed Abyss a colorful drink and placed it in front of him.

Leona sat with her legs crossed, slowly savoring the wine in her glass. Flora, on the other hand, was still learning how to drink, taking small sips. She didn't like the taste of alcohol, but she really enjoyed the aroma of various spices and flowers in it.

“Abyss, you’ve been staring at those notes all day,” Leona complained. “Is that stuff really that interesting?”

“You only read that one diary. If you looked at the notes I’ve read, you’d know that your ancestor’s research on monsters was quite in-depth.” Abyss casually took a sip of his drink, staring at some simple illustrations in the notes, and said, “In his search for a solution, he often dreamed of a man walking upside down on his hands. So he recorded the remaining dream memories every morning when he woke up in the notes. The upside-down man’s behavior and personality were recorded in great detail. This is invaluable.”

"That was clearly meant for me," Leona muttered, taking a big gulp of her drink in a huff and letting out a small burp.

Dahl really liked the group of young-looking customers in front of him. One of them was a kid who wasn't much taller than him, another was a quiet girl who looked delicate and fragile, and the third was a gray-haired boy who always looked pale, as if the two girls beside him had drained his energy. Yet, these three seemingly harmless people accounted for eighty percent of his sales from yesterday afternoon to noon today.

All three of them had a high tolerance for alcohol. They drank from beginning to end without one blushing or showing even the slightest sign of drunkenness. In particular, the little girl with silver pigtails drank so much alcohol that it was almost as heavy as she was.

He can drink a lot, can afford every drink, and won't get drunk and cause trouble; he just sits there quietly, chatting and exchanging pleasantries. What kind of tavern owner wouldn't like a customer like that? He must have been kicked in the head by a giant.

Leona's journey home yesterday morning went very smoothly. After exploring the basement, the Abyss respectfully collected all the notes about the extraterrestrial evil gods left to her by her ancestors. Since Leona couldn't carry all the books and scrolls on the shelf anyway, she handed them over to the Abyss without a second thought, keeping only a silver necklace that her mother had once used, which she had found in the secret room, and put it around her neck.

The exact date of Leona's mother's death was never determined. Aside from the undiscovered secret room, the house was mostly emptied of its small items. According to the laws of the Western Empire, if no one with inheritance rights claims the house fifty years after the owner's death, it will be nationalized and then sold at auction to interested parties. Perhaps Leona's mother sold everything except the house before she died, leaving behind only an empty house—she must have been very lonely when she passed away without her only daughter.

Fortunately, the Abyss didn't find any lingering ghosts in the house, which at least shows that Leona's mother left peacefully.

From the moment he left the house, Abyss began voraciously reading the numerous research notes left by Starr. The extraterrestrial god was mysterious and didn't communicate normally, so Starr meticulously recorded every encounter with the upside-down man. When these notes reached a certain quantity, a qualitative change occurred: a comprehensive, three-dimensional image of the extraterrestrial god emerged on the page. This delighted Abyss; he held these notes as if they were his own wife.

Flora is worried that the Abyss might become too obsessed with these things and eventually be controlled by the extraterrestrial evil god. If the Abyss is determined to destroy the world, probably few people will be able to stop him. Although she and Leona are both capable of fighting, they are already the Abyss's servants. The Abyss can actually force them to do things at any time, but the current Abyss disdains to use such methods.

Unlike Flora, Leona was quite optimistic about this. Knowing that her ancestor had studied the extraterrestrial evil gods for so many years and remained lucid until his death, she believed that the Abyss would not be a problem.

“Oh my god, this illustration is as beautiful as a unicorn’s heart… Look…” Abyss held up an illustration in front of Flora and Leona.

Above is an upside-down human face, not quite human—its tongue is forked in many directions, like it has an octopus in its mouth. The upside-down face's eyes have no whites, they are completely black, and its forehead appears much shorter than a human's. In short, it is ugly and bizarre.

"What a load of rubbish! Take it right now!" Leona kicked Abyss in the butt without saying a word.

"Welcome! What would you like to drink?"

The dwarf Dahl suddenly called out, and at the same time, the tavern door was pushed open by a fair and delicate hand, and a slender and tall figure walked in, carrying a scent of cranberries mixed with roses.

"You have... very few guests here." The person who entered spoke in a soft, gentle, and pleasant young female voice.

“Oh, beautiful lady, are you from out of town? There was a murder in my tavern a few years ago, so people don’t come here much.” Dahl unusually came out from behind the counter to greet the woman who entered, and said, “Lunchtime is a quiet time, so whatever you’d like, I can make it for you.”

Abis looked up from his notebook and glanced at the person who had walked in.

The one who entered was clearly a young girl who had not yet reached adulthood, with a slender and graceful figure. She wore a gray robe and a gray cloak, and a pair of bright emerald green eyes peered out from under the cloak. Her long, silver, glossy hair was tied into a ponytail, peeking out from behind the cloak and swaying slightly as she sat down in the tavern chair.

“Hmm… I’d like a cup of Eregija Knight’s drink,” the girl said after a moment’s thought.

"Oh dear, look at me, my tavern is full of ordinary people, I never thought of stocking any fancy wines." Dahl smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, we don't have that kind of wine here."

"Ah...excuse me, but how about one of your signature drinks?" the girl said, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"Hmm...this person..." Leona muttered softly.

Abyss had no interest in the fragrant-smelling girl; his eyes were fixed on the notebook in his hands. No beauty could compare to the face of this otherworldly demon god—look at those scales around his eyes, utterly captivating!

"Excuse me, sir, are you from out of town?"

Abyss intended to continue reading his notes, but the girl who entered the room spoke to him in fluent Continental Common Language.

Chapter 41 The Princess Has Arrived?

"Hmm... sort of. I'm not from the Western Empire." Abyss sat firmly in his seat and nodded slightly. He himself didn't know what country he was from. His master had never told him where he had been taken from. He had traveled the world with his master since he was very young, making his home wherever he went. If he had to choose a place to belong, Abyss could only say that he was from the Hai-Tver region.

"Then may I ask if you are a wandering scholar?" The girl stood up from her seat with some pleasure, walked to the Abyss's side, bent down so that her face was at the same level as the Abyss, and the fragrant scent of her expensive perfume wafted into the Abyss's nostrils. "I would like to ask you some questions. It won't take up too much of your time. In return, I can buy you a drink."

“Well… you go ahead and say it.” Abyss wasn’t keen on talking to a living person, especially not this kind of unnecessary communication. But considering the girl’s politeness, he agreed.

"Okay, thank you very much." The girl immediately took out a palm-sized notebook from a handbag on her body, and pulled out a pencil from it—this thing was a graphite pencil with a wooden outer layer, which was easier to use than a charcoal pencil and would not get her hands dirty, but it was very expensive, and ordinary people would not use it to write.

Abyss was a little puzzled. Could this girl be a scholar? But most scholars on the continent were unkempt bookworms. A girl like this, who was neatly dressed, polite, and exuded a sweet fragrance, was one in ten thousand scholars.

"I would like to ask, what was your most profound impression of the Western Empire during your travels?" the girl asked.

"The tombs of the Western Empire are simple yet grand in style, quite different from those of the Eastern Empire. They do not rely on a lot of ornate decorations, but are very beautiful overall, and also very sturdy and practical. I have a very high opinion of them."

"...Hmm? Ah, okay, thank you. What characteristics do you think the people of the Western Empire have?"

"The people of the Western Empire don't care much about sacrifices, and they have a more open-minded view of life and death. And, oh yes, their methods of disposing of corpses are very efficient. The flavors of cinnamon and other spices don't dissipate for a long time, which not only preserves the body for a long time but also doesn't pollute the environment."

The girl was a little confused, but she continued to take notes while forcing herself to ask, "So, sir, what do you think the people of the Western Empire lack?"

“Is something missing… Let me think… Hmm… The people of the Western Empire lack proper eating habits. I’ve noticed that many elderly people who died in the Western Empire had liver problems compared to people in other places.”

"You...you are a scholar who studies funeral rites?"

"If you talk about that, I won't be sleepy anymore..." Abyss chuckled, ready to launch into a long explanation. Leona stepped in just in time, slapping Abyss across the mouth and silencing him from his reverie.

"Don't ask him, he's not mentally sound. Ask me if you have any questions."

Upon seeing Leona's silver hair and green eyes, the girl was momentarily taken aback, but she maintained her good manners and asked, "Yes, miss, what is your most profound impression of the Western Empire?"

"The people of the Western Empire do not like to submit."

“It’s good that you see it that way. The Western Empire won its homeland in the war against the Minian Empire.” The girl visibly relaxed when Leona answered her question. She scribbled notes in her notebook and continued, “So, what do you think the people of the Western Empire lack?”