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

“Flora, go sing for the children. I need to do some final checks,” Abyss said to Flora. “The children will love you.”

Flora pursed her lips and nodded: "I understand!"

Abyss watched as Flora walked toward the village's open space. Curious children rushed up and surrounded Flora. Flora smiled gently, letting the children form a circle around her. She cleared her throat slightly and began to sing.

A melodious song began to play. At first, only the children were listening to Flora's singing, but soon the entire village's attention was drawn to her. In her lifetime, Flora was not only a powerful sorcerer but also a beloved songstress. Some believers even fell into a beautiful trance when Flora sang her hymns. The Abyss only knew that Flora sang well, but he had never heard her sing in person. Now that Flora had shown her singing voice, even the well-traveled Abyss couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

But he didn't linger long; instead, he headed toward a small hill behind the village.

As a necromancer, Abyss could sense the aura of death emanating from that direction from a great distance. On the hill was a small cemetery with only a dozen or so tombstones, some of which appeared to have been erected recently.

“This cemetery only buries one generation.” Abyss nodded slightly, his hands behind his back, then turned back to the viewpoint from which the entire village was laid out before him. “So that’s how it is. Princess Leona is buried here. Are the people of this village, who appear to be villagers, actually soldiers stationed here generation after generation on the orders of the Empire? That explains why they are so reluctant to clash with travelers and try their best to please them—they simply don’t want this remote little village to attract too much attention…”

“Then… Princess Leona should be underground around here…” Abyss muttered to himself, closing his eyes.

……

When Abyss returned to the village, Flora was already surrounded by many villagers. The villagers were still savoring Flora's singing, their hands clapping unconsciously.

"Ah, ah... Master, you're back!" Flora greeted Abyss immediately upon seeing him.

The villagers then noticed that Abyss had been missing for a while, and their eyes became more wary as they looked at him.

“I went to the nearby hillside to see the village scenery. It’s really beautiful. I think I’ll be able to finish my new sonnet soon.” Abyss tried to sound like an art connoisseur and said loudly to Flora, “My assistant, come here quickly. I need your ideas for my verses.”

The villagers were somewhat relieved to hear that Abyss had only gone up the hillside to admire the scenery, thanks in part to the goodwill Flora had won over them earlier.

"Did you find anything?" Flora asked immediately after they reached a secluded spot.

Abyss nodded and told Flora his speculations and discoveries in detail. Then he pointed to the ground and said, "I can sense it. There are indeed dead people buried deep underground here. It is very likely that it is Princess Leona."

"Should we go and bring Princess Leona out now?" Flora blinked. "With your methods, it should be easy, right?"

“It is indeed very easy. I can bring Princess Leona out in the blink of an eye.” Abyss glanced at Flora. “However, the price is that all these villagers will die because of our actions.”

Chapter Sixteen: A Dilemma

Flora's smile, which had been somewhat pleased by the discovery of the Abyss, instantly froze on her face.

"What's wrong? Is there some kind of curse on this village?" Flora leaned closer, as if to say, "Let me lift the curse." It was clear that her interaction with the village children had made Flora very concerned about the place.

Abyss reached out and touched one of the rings on his hand, causing a semi-transparent ghost to slowly float out from it: "I found him in the village cemetery. Let him tell you the whole story. Don't worry, I have an illusion."

The ghost formed a human face in mid-air and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Kind lady, our village is indeed filled with guards of the tomb. Forty-two years ago, the Queen selected a group of the most loyal soldiers and sent us here with our wives and children. She ordered us to guard Princess Leona's tomb, not to allow anyone to disturb her rest, and to disguise ourselves as farmers so that no one would know that this is the princess's tomb. Now, apart from the Queen—who is now the Empress Dowager—only her confidantes and we know this."

"Why do this?" Flora asked curiously. "Although the location of the royal tombs isn't publicly disclosed, it's only that they're not open to commoners, right? I remember that the high-ranking nobles have the right to know. Besides, doesn't this actually diminish the royal grandeur?"

“That’s true, but we don’t know the specific reason.” Ghost shook his head helplessly. “We are just soldiers following orders. The Queen’s explanation to us at the time was that the princess’s peace after death should not be disturbed, otherwise something terrible would happen.”

"What's the scary thing? Will it implicate you?" Flora continued to ask.

"The necromancer just told me about your desire for Princess Leona's remains. I can lead the way for you, sir and lady, but if the princess's tomb is disturbed, we will soon be killed by the Queen's men." The ghost pleaded. "I don't want to disobey the necromancer's will, but I hope the necromancer will stop. Have pity on the women and children in the village. They are not warriors and should not die for us."

“Yes, there is a large magic circle inside the tomb. If Princess Leona’s remains or the magic circle itself have been disturbed, the sorcerers on the Empress Dowager’s side will sense it, and then the executioners will have to be dispatched.” Abyss’s expression was unfriendly. “The princess who died under a curse, and the empress who tried her best to keep the location of the princess’s body a secret, it goes without saying what kind of story is behind it.”

"Abyss, is there any way you can prevent the mages over there from sensing it?" Flora asked, now having complete faith in Abyss's abilities.

“They also send people to check every six months. If the princess’s body has been disturbed, we will not be spared either,” Ghost interjected.

“That’s right, what I want is Princess Leona’s body. There’s no point in not taking her body.” Abyss rubbed his temples. “After we take it, these villagers can live for another month, because the Queen’s people will come to inspect them in a month. Although I really, really want Princess Leona’s body, I can’t kill innocent people for it.”

Abyss's words were a bit strange, but Flora didn't have time to complain, as she was caught in a dilemma.

“Let’s find a quiet place and think this over,” Abis said. “There’s always a way.”

“Abyss, I haven’t asked you yet, but you intend to resurrect me and four other people. I want to know your purpose,” Flora suddenly asked Abyss seriously.

“I already stated my purpose when you were first resurrected: I want you to be loyal to me, to belong to me completely, body and soul.”

Flora blushed slightly, but still stared intently into Abyss's eyes: "So, if one day I truly become completely loyal to you, what will happen after that?"

“Hmm… that might be a bit rude.” Abyss thought for a moment, “But since you asked, I won’t hide it from you. You are a genius, and the other four are also geniuses, but your talents actually come from a portion of the divine power of the Creator God. If you can be 100% loyal to me, then I can obtain all your abilities through the bond of necromancy. Although it is indeed using you, I will do my best to make you loyal to me from the bottom of your hearts.”

"And then what? What do you plan to do after you gain divine power?"

“I don’t have any plans for that yet.” Abyss looked up at the sky and thought for a moment. “I guess I’ll kill the creator god and take over. When the creator god can’t manage this world, someone else should take over.”

“What a crazy idea.” Flora, as a saint, did not object to Abyss’s blasphemous idea. “I understand. You do have a reason to take Princess Leona’s body.”

Abisto was somewhat surprised. If he told others about his idea, they might just think he was crazy, but the usually intelligent Flora affirmed it so easily.

Perhaps this saintess is even more rebellious than I imagined? Although she and I have different personalities, we might actually be kindred spirits.

"Why are you suddenly asking these questions?" Abis seemed to see from Flora's eyes what decision she had made.

Flora looked up and smiled slightly: "Since you can't give up on your goal, then I have an idea!"

"Tell me about it!"

Not only was the Abyss overjoyed, but the Ghost also turned to look at her, waiting for her to express her thoughts.

“But this idea shouldn’t be in the Saintess’s mind…” Flora hesitated at this moment, “Are you still willing to listen?”

“You should choose what kind of person you want to become.” Abyss shook his head. “In my eyes, being a saintess is just your former profession, not your label. Are you afraid that I will be disappointed in you? Then please don’t worry about it. I will be disappointed in you because you are attached to your past identity.”

“Then I’ll speak.” Flora regained her confidence after Abyss’s words and raised her head. “If we can’t solve the problem, we might as well solve the people who created it!”

"Huh? Wait a minute, you've really surprised me. Why are you suddenly saying such harsh things?"

“I’m not kidding. We’ll just resurrect Princess Leona and bring her out, then take her with us to deal with the queen who buried her and ordered the secret of her tomb!” Flora said firmly.

"My God, you really are a genius." Abis couldn't help but whistle.

Chapter Seventeen Go, Little Fire Dragon

If you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who created it!

Abyss also wondered if his thinking had become rigid because he spent all his time either digging up corpses or staying in the Underworld researching necromancy, and that he couldn't come up with such a direct and effective method. In the end, it was Flora who reminded him.

"In other words... I used my abilities to bring Princess Leona out of her coffin without her noticing..." Abyss said, glancing at the still bewildered ghost.

The ghost immediately turned its face away, saying, "I don't know."

"Then, with the resurrected Princess Leona, we'll set off directly from here to find the queen who most likely cursed her. Once we've dealt with the queen and her subordinates, the tomb guards in the village can continue living without having to carry out their missions that could lead to their deaths at any moment." Abyss became more and more excited as he spoke, clapping his hands. "My goodness, I love this style! We're the strongest necromancers and sorcerers on the continent, why are we being so subservient?"

Flora smiled too; Abyss's affirmation and his words made her very happy.

“We have a month, and a month should be enough.” Abyss counted the time on his fingers. “It takes half a day to get from here to the capital, so I think a month is enough—unless something unexpected happens along the way.”

"Only half a day?" Flora interrupted Abyss's thoughts. "It's still quite a distance from here to the capital. It will take us at least a week to get here."

“A week? Oh, you mean riding a horse?” Abyss paused, then patted Flora’s head. “My silly Flora, you didn’t think I only had one horse, did you?”

"Huh?"

Abyss smiled and snapped his fingers, pulling the two of them into the Underworld simultaneously, then gently stroked a ring on his hand.

A long, drawn-out cry, seemingly from ancient times, echoed in Flora's mind. As the cry grew clearer, the sky gradually darkened. The sun, though hanging high in the sky without any clouds, dimmed at a noticeable rate. Powerful magical energy conjured a gale that raged around the two, sweeping away the snow from the ground in the Underworld and whipping up Flora and Abyss's clothes, making a crackling sound.

"What kind of magic is this?" Flora stared in astonishment at Abyss's hand. A blue light was gradually spreading out from the ring on his hand. The increasingly powerful force made Flora feel a sense of oppression. She even had the urge to cast a divine spell to protect herself.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you," Abyss said to Flora, raising his hand high. "Come out, little fire dragon!"

The light in his hand grew larger and larger, then detached from the Abyss's grasp and continued to expand in the air until it hovered above their heads like a small mountain. Then, the light gradually deformed and solidified in the air, finally transforming into a gigantic animal with flapping wings.

"I have come in response to my lord's call, Master. I am an ice dragon, not a little fire dragon." The enormous creature in the sky flapped its wings that blotted out the sun, making a sound like muffled thunder, but its tone was full of helplessness. "It has been two years. Master should have pronounced it correctly by now."

“You were a fire dragon when you were alive,” Abyss laughed. “Although you were almost dead when I first met you, I still prefer to call you Little Fire Dragon.”

"...Master, what are your orders?" The giant animal above gave up trying to reason with the Abyss, flapped its wings, and slowly descended. The immense wind pressure made Flora instinctively press down her hair to prevent it from becoming disheveled.

Flora finally got a clear look at the giant beast in front of her: its entire body was covered with ice-blue scales, covered with a thick layer of frost, with a pair of huge fleshy wings that shimmered with magical runes, four feet as thick as millstones, a head as big as a bull, two eerie blue flames burning in its empty eye sockets, and white cold air constantly spewing out of its mouth and nose as it breathed and spoke—wasn't this a dragon?

"Let me introduce you. This is Flora." Abyss put a hand on Flora's shoulder. "Flora, this is Little Fire Dragon. As you can see, he is a giant dragon."

"A... a dragon?" Flora covered her mouth, maintaining the last shred of her composure. "Weren't dragons extinct a thousand years ago?"

"They didn't go extinct. The dragons just found a hiding place on the continent. These days, humans are getting stronger and stronger, and it's not easy for dragons to survive." Abyss smiled and pointed to the dragon's nose in front of him. "The dragons foresaw long ago that their entire bodies, from skin to bone, could be made into weapons and armor that humans would like, so they planned their disappearance long ago. According to their plan, they will only come out to save the world they live in when the end of the world is near."

"Miss Flora." The little dragon, despite its mountain-sized body, was as docile as a mare in front of the Abyss. "So, you're related to your master?"

“Yes.” Abis nodded.

“They’re family members! Family members!” Flora corrected, blushing.

"Oh, I will call you 'Mistress' properly from now on." The little dragon's huge face showed a fawning smile. "Greetings, Mistress."

“Alright, just a quick meeting is enough. We’ll need you to give us a ride in a little while, so get ready.” Abyss didn’t stand on ceremony with the dragon and gave the order directly.

"Alright, please summon me whenever you need me." The little dragon nodded its huge head obediently, and then the Abyss raised its hand, and it once again transformed into a beam of light and entered the Abyss's ring.

"So, with this little guy helping us, we should be able to get to the capital in half a day without any problem, right?" Abyss said to Flora with his hands on his hips, somewhat proudly. "The little dragon is a very reliable partner. As long as we give him shiny things as collectibles, he won't slack off at all when he's working."

“You actually have a dragon…” Flora looked at Abyss in disbelief. “How many more secrets do you have?”

“It’s not a secret,” Abyss waved his hand and said, “It’s just that I have too much stuff on my hands. If I were to bring it all out, it would take forever to talk about it. I can just take it out when I need it. Instead of all that, shouldn’t we set off now? I haven’t seen Princess Leona yet. Although I’ve seen her general appearance in portraits, those painters painted her too abstractly.”

Chapter Eighteen: Male and Female Teamwork, Tomb Raiders

Before the Abyss, the spirits were like devout believers before their gods, filled with trepidation and daring not to utter the slightest disrespect. After the Abyss promised that if they failed, they would return Princess Leona's remains and ensure the safety of the villagers, the spirits, without a word of complaint, led the Abyss and Flora directly towards the distant mountains.

The princess's tomb has a single entrance, located in a natural cave. It is made of an irregularly shaped natural stone that blends seamlessly with the cave walls, making it difficult even for the most experienced explorers to detect that it is actually the entrance to a princess's tomb.

"This is the entrance to Princess Leona's tomb. We guards are not qualified to enter. Please forgive me for only being able to bring you here, sir," the ghost said in a hoarse voice.

“Leave the rest to us,” Abyss nodded in satisfaction. “You can go back and rest in peace now.”

"I humbly beg the necromancer to protect our village and spare our descendants from suffering." The ghost still lingered.

“I, Flora Cicatia Saint Frossespin, in the name of the Nine Gods, assure you that I will protect the villagers from harm,” Flora solemnly said to the ghost.