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

“Abyss…” Flora suddenly tugged at Abyss’s skirt twice.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Flora?"

"Um... if you just let him go like this, won't he also bring back the news that you're a weirdo who likes to wear women's clothes... to the Council of the Dead?"

“…Ah.” Abyss opened his mouth, staring blankly at Flora.

"I'm sorry... I should have said so sooner..."

……

The Sheep's Eye gang members were escorting Eugene as they retreated to their stronghold.

Mr. Eugene nearly peed himself today. He thought he, a newly arrived eighth-tier mage, was invincible, but then an even stronger mage appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly defeated his powerful henchman without even moving. When the mysterious mage used magic to throw him out of the house, he thought he was doomed.

But having survived such a calamity, he was bound to have good fortune in the future! Eugene believed that as long as he went back and rested for a while, he would definitely be able to overpower the Black Hat Gang again in time!

Damn it! Damn it! Why is that damn Titus so insidious?!

Eugene, hunched over and leaning on his cane, muttered angrily as he walked, "Damn it... Titus, one day I'll gouge your eyes out..."

"Heh heh, you gouged out my eyes? Is it really necessary to be so cruel?"

Before Eugene could finish speaking, a familiar voice came from ahead.

Eugene looked up and saw a group of people wearing black baseball caps standing in front of the group. They were holding various weapons, had potions at their waists, and were looking at them with hostile expressions.

And standing among these people was his old acquaintance, Titus!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Meeting an "Old Friend"

"I was wondering who it was. Isn't this my old friend, Titus?" Eugene saw Titus approaching, and although he was a little unsure of himself, he wasn't afraid. Titus didn't have many men with him, and even if they fought Eugene's men now, they wouldn't have much of an advantage.

Titus smiled and opened his arms to Eugene, but did not come over. With a spoon in his mouth, he spoke indistinctly, "Oh, Mr. Eugene, you still remember me. How wonderful. I thought you wouldn't remember my ugly face."

“I think we can get straight to the point, Titus.” Eugene’s fake smile disappeared. “Although we failed to capture Lanis today, don’t get too cocky. If a real fight breaks out, your men won’t stand a chance.”

Titus laughed heartily and said, "Look at you, so formal. We Black Hat Gang have always treated your Sheep Eye Gang with courtesy. Even though your men just attacked several of my strongholds, I used some underhanded tactics to retaliate, but I didn't order them all killed. At most, I crippled a few and gave a few stubborn ones a lifetime of headaches."

Gang warfare is always brutal. Even though Titus is a principled gangster, he's ruthless when it comes to dealing with enemies and making an example of them. His decisiveness and ruthlessness make him seem less like a young gang leader in his thirties and more like a seasoned veteran who's been navigating the shadows for decades. Seeing this strong man speak so casually, Eugene involuntarily tightened his grip on his cane.

“It was your Black Hat Gang that hired people to blow up my warehouse first, and after that, you even hired a sorcerer to sabotage my factory and dismantle my solvent machine,” Eugene said coldly. “Why are you still so relentless? You’re a young man, and I advise you to consider leaving each other some way out before you act, so that we don’t end up fighting to the death when we meet again.”

Titus seemed to have heard a very funny joke. He leaned forward with a smug look on his face and said, "Oh, hey, Mr. Eugene, could you repeat what you just said? You mean you want me to let you off the hook so that it will be easier for us to get along in the future?"

Eugene's temples were bulging with veins. This Titus had always been so nonchalant. If he didn't have any guards around, Eugene would probably have already swung his heavy alloy cane and smashed his head in.

But that was indeed the situation; Eugene no longer wanted to fight Titus. After the crushing defeat outside Lannis's mansion, his men had lost all fighting spirit. Even a regular army would crumble in this situation against a well-rested enemy, let alone his group of thugs and ruffians, most of whom had only received rudimentary combat training. If he fought Titus, Eugene would suffer a very humiliating defeat.

“That’s right. If you let me go now, I can guarantee that I won’t do anything bad to your Black Hat Gang for a year. We can live in peace. We can split the potion market in Lavoisier City in half.” Eugene squinted, looking at Titus warily.

After listening to Eugene's words, Titus chewed the spoon in his mouth for a while, then shook his head with a smile.

"I want the entire potions market in Lavoisier. If you agree, I'll let you go."

"Don't go too far!" Eugene finally lost his temper and slammed his cane heavily on the ground.

The moment Eugene's cane struck the ground with a thud, the Sheep's Eye gang members suddenly rolled up their sleeves and aimed their light crossbows at the Black Hat gang members. Before the Black Hat gang members could react, crossbow bolts with small syringes were already fired in volleys! This was a pre-arranged signal from the Sheep's Eye gang; as soon as Eugene slammed his cane against the ground, the gang members would immediately launch a surprise attack on the enemy opposite them!

Puff puff!

In an instant, the crossbow bolts pierced through the clothes of the Black Hat Gang members and stabbed into their bodies, while the miniature syringes immediately injected small doses of the potion into their bodies.

The Sheep's Eye Gang was, after all, the most powerful gang in Lavoisier. Even though their morale was low and they had no will to fight, their attack was still swift, decisive, and extremely coordinated. Almost all the Black Hat Gang members at the front were hit by this volley of fire, and some unlucky ones even had two or three crossbow bolts stuck in their bodies.

"Kid! You're still too green!" Eugene roared at Titus. "Who's really in dire straits now?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Titus, who also had a crossbow bolt stuck in his body, grinned as he pulled the bolt out of his muscle and looked at Eugene. "Of course, it's still you."

"What!?"

Eugene also realized something was wrong. The crossbows their gang was equipped with were all poisoned, capable of inducing unconsciousness. They would automatically inject themselves upon hitting a target, and once the poison entered the bloodstream, the person would immediately fall unconscious. Without an antidote, they would remain unconscious for at least two or three days! But why hadn't a single member of the Black Hat Gang fallen?

“Do you even know what spies are? We have the antidote for every poison you use.” Titus stretched. “Although you often change the type of poison in your crossbows for safety, your stupidity lies in your tendency to all be identical. My spies have already found out which crossbows you brought today, and we all drank the corresponding antidote before coming—now you understand? I also noticed you brought a mage, but now the mage is gone, and I can pretty much guess what happened. What a pity, Mr. Eugene.”

Eugene stared at Titus in astonishment. He had never imagined that this young adversary had gone to such lengths to get rid of him, so thoroughly prepared, as if he harbored some deep-seated hatred that compelled him to die.

"Alright, enough talk, brothers, it's our turn to make a move." Titus yawned and waved his hand. "Live."

Amidst the despair in the eyes of the Sheep's Eye Gang members, the Black Hat Gang members rolled up their sleeves, revealing crossbows strapped to their wrists...

Unlike before, the Sheep's Eye Gang didn't drink the potion beforehand...

……

While two gangs were still locked in fierce combat on the street, things were much more relaxed in Abyss.

The necromancer Legnas was long gone, and the Abyss's plan had been a complete success. Before proceeding to the next step, they could finally take a short break.

Although Lannice's house was about to collapse, the Abyss casually summoned several bones to act as pillars to support the entire house. It would definitely not collapse before the Abyss withdrew the magic.

Abyss patted Rebecca on the shoulder and said, "Let's go down. Your assistant is waiting for you down there."

“Ah, Lanis.” Rebecca’s eyes softened as well. “She must have been waiting so long…”

Chapter Thirty: Partners as Close as Sisters

Lanis, who was sitting on the basement floor and slowly drinking a healing potion, rubbed her eyes in disbelief when she saw Abyss leading Rebecca in.

Who was that person walking beside the Abyss? A head of jet-black hair, eyes that seemed to hold the entire starry sky—Lannis knew that face all too well. It was none other than Rebecca, the alchemical genius she had once followed.

She saw this face countless times in her dreams, reunited with the person she could never touch, and watched that face disappear from her dreams countless times, unable to bring it back even when she reached out her hand.

Now, doesn't all of this seem like a dream?

"Lanis, I'm back." Rebecca walked to Lanis's side and softly called Lanis's name, who was still in a daze.

Lanis's mouth was agape, seemingly still somewhat incredulous at the current situation.

Rebecca smiled slightly, bent down, grabbed Lanis's arm, and said to her, "Lanis, while I was away, did you not take good care of yourself? Looking at your teeth, did you smoke again?"

“Rebecca…is it really you?” Lanis heard Rebecca’s slightly reproachful voice and felt the slightly lower-than-normal body temperature emanating from Rebecca’s hand. Her previously blank eyes came alive. She stared at Rebecca’s face, stunned for a moment, and then her eyes filled with tears, which fell in the blink of an eye.

“It is I. I was indeed dead, but thanks to you not following my will to destroy all my belongings, I have now been awakened by the Abyss…”

"The Abyss didn't lie to me?" Lanis exclaimed in surprise, even though she had long suspected that the Abyss had succeeded in achieving his goal. "He really... really really brought back my Rebecca?"

“Look at you, still as crazy as ever.” Rebecca laughed. “You’ve aged quite a bit in over forty years, but this crazy streak is still the same as before.”

Amid Rebecca's laughter, Lanis finally accepted the situation completely, and her heart was finally filled with joy.

Rebecca is back! Even though she's now an undead, what does it matter! The alchemical genius that Lanis once longed to follow to the ends of the earth is back! And she's just like before, always with that inspiring smile, and those bright eyes still captivate Lanis!

"Wow!!!"

Lanis opened her mouth and cried out loudly, ignoring her injuries, and threw herself into Rebecca's arms like a spoiled child, hugging Rebecca tightly with her two short arms.

Flora chanted a prayer at the opportune moment, casting a gentle healing spell on Lanis. Rebecca nodded gratefully, patting her assistant's back.

For Rebecca, forty years was an absurdly long sleep; a soul that finds peace quickly after death doesn't feel lonely in such a long time. But Rebecca knew that for Lanis, those forty years must have felt like an eternity.

She felt the aging half-human sobbing in her arms, and she also recalled Lanis from back then.

She was just like this when she was young—eccentric and uninterested in anything except the bottles and jars in her laboratory. Her only source of income was driving rats away for wealthy families in the city, but due to her eccentric temperament and vulgar speech, her business was always poor.

Through a series of coincidences, or perhaps a setup, Lannice was caught up in an internal power struggle within a gang in Lavoisier. The poor halfling was forced to hide from the gang's weapons and crossbows, and was even injured. Rebecca appeared, using a hypnotic potion to create a bomb that controlled everyone present, ordering them to drop their weapons and go to the sheriff to receive their punishment. This saved the down-on-her-luck alchemist, Lannice.

Lanis was willing to follow this child prodigy who had saved her life, and Rebecca gradually discovered Lanis's talent in alchemy. Although she was eccentric, she was meticulous when concocting potions and never made a mistake, making her the perfect assistant. Therefore, Rebecca formally invited Lanis to partner with her. From that moment on, Lanis became Rebecca's sole assistant.

With such a capable assistant, Rebecca was like a tiger with wings, nearly doubling her work efficiency in the laboratory. The two worked together seamlessly and were inseparable. Rebecca admired Lanis's loyalty and reliability, while Lanis appreciated Rebecca's intelligence and vitality. In Hay-Twer, halflings lived 1.5 times longer than humans, and at the time, Lanis, at thirty, wasn't much older than Rebecca in human years. Their relationship was as close as that of sisters.

Gently stroking Lanis, whose sobs were gradually subsiding, Rebecca knew very well how devastating her own death had been for Lanis. Lanis was a reclusive person with no relatives she could contact; Rebecca was her closest friend, and suddenly losing her only friend was like having her entire world snatched away.

So she let Lanière cry loudly, let her calloused hands clasp tightly to her body. Lanière needed to vent, to release the loneliness and pain of so many years.

Abyss watched the two of them quietly from the side. In any case, things were going well now. Abyss had never been able to resist stories of happy endings, and a happy smile appeared on her face.

"Lanis, tell me what you did while I was away," Rebecca said with a smile, after Lannis had finished crying and let go of her hands. She then used her fingers to wipe away the tears from the corners of her assistant's eyes.

Lanis recovered from her emotional outburst. Her emotional shifts were much faster than normal; she had been crying and screaming just moments before, but now she seemed completely unaffected. She gazed greedily into Rebecca's eyes, as if trying to etch them into her very being, and said, "After determining you were dead, I burned all your surviving manuscripts and blueprints according to your will, using potion-infused flames to ensure no information was left behind… However, I was too grief-stricken at the time, so I forgot to burn some less important ones. Also, I hoped you would return someday, so I didn't destroy the New World Gate or hide the World Conduit properly. You're not angry, are you?"

“Without your judgment, I might be dead by now.” Rebecca shook her head. “How could I blame you for having your own opinions and doing the right thing?”

Abyss, somewhat puzzled, asked, "Rebecca, why did you make Lannis burn your manuscripts and blueprints?"

Rebecca glanced back at the Abyss, her eyes suddenly darkening. "The specific reasons for this... I don't want to say right now, but I absolutely cannot let someone I don't trust get my inventions, even if these inventions can indeed change the world, I'd rather keep them hidden..."

"I understand. Just tell me when you're ready." Abyss nodded. Sure enough, Rebecca's current affection for him hadn't reached the point where they could talk about anything. This super genius was certainly not the kind of girl who would readily throw herself at someone and immediately give away everything she had.

Chapter Thirty-One: Lanis's Explosive Life

Although Lannis was somewhat reluctant to tell Rebecca about the crazy things she had done over the years, Rebecca slowly managed to get the information out of her about what she had done in the past forty years.

After Rebecca's death, Lanis arranged her funeral according to her will, without holding any ceremony. After the World Conduit was stolen by the gang, Lanis was immersed in great grief, drinking and smoking all day long, and almost became a useless person.

But her despondency didn't last long. Soon, Lanis found a way to relieve her longing and sorrow—dynamite.

Rebecca's sworn enemy during her lifetime was the Lavoisier gang, and after her death, she suffered retaliation from them; the two were sworn enemies. Therefore, it goes without saying that Lanis, as Rebecca's best friend, was her enemy.

The gangs in Lavoisier, relying on their noble backers, seized power after Rebecca's death, becoming the city's rulers. Different gangs carved up several districts, engaging in open and covert battles for control of the potion market, plunging the city into chaos and causing many legitimate merchants to flee.

Lanis saw this as an opportunity for revenge. She went back to her old ways, doing favors for money, but this time her target wasn't rats, but the mob.

She began accepting commissions from gangs, charging hefty fees to bomb their rivals. Initially, the gangs were somewhat dismissive of this eccentric half-human, but after Lanis successfully completed her first commission, she immediately attracted the attention of every faction.

For no other reason than that this madwoman was too ruthless and used too advanced explosives. In her first operation, she blew up the enemy's potion factory to pieces. The buildings, the machines inside, and the warehouses were all reduced to fragments in a few minutes. Afterwards, the unfortunate victims couldn't even find a single part that didn't need to be recycled.

Lanis became an overnight sensation, her business even expanding to several nearby cities. She was even blacklisted by the Kingdom of Tammy, who feared she would cause trouble. A small country like Tammy couldn't withstand the antics of a bomb-wielding madwoman like Lanis.

Lanis became a crucial element in gang warfare; whoever successfully hired her gained the upper hand. She accepted any job, from bombing factories and warehouses to trucks and even people, but she adhered to her own rules: no civilians; no small animals; and no consecutive jobs from the same family.