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

"Oh? What do you mean?" Abistou asked curiously. He casually tapped on the iron bars, startling Eugene, who was planning his escape route.

"I found some familiar components in the black sludge the children vomited—it's a new substance produced after some complex reactions from the poison in the air of that world's factory!" Rebecca's voice was somewhat excited. "The other world I traveled to using the contaminated crystal should be the origin of the Shadow Demons. Those monsters entrenched in the Shadowfall may have some connection with the extraterrestrial evil gods. If you need to investigate the extraterrestrial evil gods, you must find time to go and take a look!"

"Such a good thing!" Abisto was immediately overjoyed. The Lord of Death discovered in that other world might be related to the Shadow Demon. If they investigated this lead, perhaps they could make contact with that aloof Lord of Death?

Faced with an unknown and powerful being, Abyss felt no fear, but rather anticipation, as if he and the Lord of Death were old friends who had been separated for many years.

"Did the souls of those dead locals become shadow demons and come to this world after death?" Abyss continued to ask.

“While that explanation is reasonable, I’m considering a bolder hypothesis—that those shadow demons aren’t transformed from the souls of inhabitants of another world, but rather from the black sludge on their bodies,” Rebecca’s voice came. “Although I don’t have any evidence yet, this possibility keeps lingering in my mind, and I think we must find some time to capture a shadow demon to study.”

"We must study it! We must study it!" Abis nodded happily. Eugene, watching from the cage beside him, was completely bewildered.

"Okay, that's settled then. Titus and I will be there soon, let's talk more when we meet!" Rebecca ended the call. "Love you!"

Having severed communication with Rebecca, Abyss was still basking in the joy of discovering new clues about the evil god.

Obtaining clues about the evil god increases the possibility of acquiring its power, and acquiring a higher level of power from the new evil god strengthens the chances of defeating the creator god. How could this not make the Abyss happy?

"Leona, Flora, how are things on your end?" But Abyss wasn't just sitting there having fun; he connected Leona and Flora's thoughts.

"Whoa!" Leona cried out in fright.

“Abyss…?” Flora was also startled by Abyss’s sudden contact. “We are fine here, Princess Gylvia is safe.”

"Heh heh, Abyss, tonight we can end the Sheep's Eye Gang's rule in this city! One of your men, Fallon, stole another Sheep's Eye Gang armored vehicle. A whole bunch of Sheep's Eye Gang thugs chased him to the vicinity, but Flora and I wiped them all out! Now I reckon there aren't many of them left!" Leona said smugly to the Abyss after the initial shock subsided. "Now we're just waiting for you to come back!"

Chapter Sixty: Who Moved the Nobles' Cheese?

"Hey! Long time no see, my old friend, Mr. Eugene!" Titus, whose face was still pale from blood loss, lay outside the cage with a big smile, looking at Eugene sitting inside.

Titus, who had just brought Rebecca to the warehouse where Eugene was being held, greeted the Abyss and then busied himself chatting with his old nemesis, Mr. Eugene.

Abyss was led aside by Rebecca, not wanting to get involved in the old and new feuds between Titus and Eugene.

Eugene, panting, looked up and, using the dim light from the potion lamp and the light streaming in from the large hole in the ceiling, stared at Titus's face: "Heh... Titus, you're not going to let me go, are you?"

Eugene knew that once Titus came in person, he would have no chance of escaping. In this city, Titus might not be the person he hated the most, but he was certainly the one who most wanted to get rid of him.

Emotionally, Eugene killed Titus's mother with his own hands, leaving him helpless as he watched her die in front of him, shattering his peaceful life and forcing him down the path he is on now.

Logically speaking, Eugene, who leads the Sheep's Eye Gang, is the Black Hat Gang's biggest rival, and also a heinous criminal whom everyone should kill.

“That’s true, Mr. Eugene. I was in a pretty good mood today, after beating you up… oh, several times, and seizing most of your property right in front of you, which has eased a lot of my resentment.” Titus pulled the spoon out of his pocket, chewed it a couple of times, making a crunching sound. “If only you hadn’t experimented on those kids, you might already be safely handed over to the sheriff, locked up, well-fed and cared for, until your own master came knocking on your door.”

“I was just doing someone else’s bidding,” Eugene said, leaning against the railing. “My boss asked me to find someone to do the experiments, so I did.”

"So you're using those innocent, clueless kids who just came out of the orphanage, working so hard for you, to experiment on?" Titus tilted his head.

“Because it will save me a lot of money,” Eugene said, no longer hiding his true feelings.

“Mr. Abyss, he killed several children. Have you asked him about it?” Titus turned around and asked Abyss, who was sitting quietly to the side, his hands supporting his cheeks as he watched the scene unfold.

“Three,” Abyss replied immediately.

“Three,” Titus repeated, “and it’s on your tab.”

“I’ve killed far more people than that! What exactly do you intend to do to me?” Eugene’s face contorted with rage. “I don’t have time for idle chatter! If you’re going to kill me, then do it now!”

"Don't worry, you will die in the end, but I won't be the one to do it." Titus looked at Eugene's face as if he were looking at a dead man. "My boss will probably send someone over soon, and you will be taken away and interrogated by him personally. But before that, I will try my best to get information about your boss out of you."

“You know I won’t tell,” Eugene sneered. “Anyway, I’m going to die anyway, so what do you have to threaten me with? Pain? I’m used to it.”

Abyss shrugged, though he didn't see it that way, but there was nothing he could do about Eugene's memory being erased.

Titus didn't answer, but strode into the cage where Eugene was kept, took a small bottle from his pocket, and pried open the cap with his thumb.

"What are you going to do..."

Before Eugene could finish speaking, Titus had already pinched his mouth shut. Titus was in his prime and had never used addictive drugs. Even though he hadn't seriously practiced martial arts, his strength was extraordinary. Eugene, who was already in his fifties or sixties, was no match for him. His mouth, which was covered in congealed blood, was pried open, and then the small bottle was shoved into his mouth.

A liquid with a strangely sweet taste suddenly flowed into Eugene's mouth. Eugene struggled to spit it out, but his nose and mouth were already tightly pinched by Titus's two hands.

"Ugh! Ugh!" The small bottle was still in Eugene's mouth. He desperately grabbed Titus's thick arm, but to no avail. Seeing his face begin to change from red to purplish-blue, Eugene, who was about to suffocate, had no choice but to give in and swallow the large mouthful of potion.

Titus finally released his grip, and Eugene immediately spat the bottle out of his mouth, which was still stained with blood. Titus's rough handling had caused the bottle to cut his mouth.

"Cough! Cough! What did you give me to drink?!"

“I always carry some medicine with me that will get you to tell the truth. I didn’t think I’d need it, but I unexpectedly found this today. Your gang’s armored man, along with its pilot, is lying on it. I can’t just pretend I didn’t see it.” Titus was also getting excited, biting down hard on the spoon in his mouth, deforming the tin spoon under his bite. “Tell me, who’s your boss? And why are they making this stuff?”

Eugene initially wanted to refuse to answer, but the potion he had just swallowed was already taking effect. He felt dizzy and, like someone who had been drinking, felt an urge to vomit. Before his reason could stop him, the truth spilled out: "My mastermind is Duke Myron! We're researching the black sludge on the Shadow Demons to create a secret army to deal with Emperor Campbell! Initially, Duke Myron's men discovered that the black sludge on the Shadow Demons, after some processing, would become an excellent magic-blocking material, which would become the nemesis of the Emperor's elite guard!"

"They dare to do this kind of thing?" Titus was a little shocked when he heard the news.

Abyss and Rebecca were also somewhat surprised. Although Abyss had guessed that the Sheep's Eye Gang's boss had them develop this black mud to deal with mages, he hadn't considered the possibility of a rebellion.

Are the nobles of the Eastern Empire really this bold? According to the legends he had heard, Emperor Campbell was a ruthless killer. If this matter were exposed, many people would surely lose their heads!

"Emperor Campbell has extended his reach into too many areas, infringing upon the interests of many nobles. A coup is only a matter of time." Eugene, still under the influence of the potion, couldn't help but speak of what he knew. "Duke Myron has been wanting a different family to rule the Eastern Empire for quite some time now!"

“I thought the emperor was already quite lenient with the nobles,” Titus said, squinting.

"Hmph, no matter how lenient he is, he has cut off the source of wealth for the great nobles. Who is your master? Have you never thought about making a move against the emperor? I don't believe it."

“Uh… well, you’ll see my master when the time comes. He really never intended to touch the Emperor,” Titus replied.

Eugene had become unusually talkative by this point: "Also, there's something I've always wanted to know, why do you always have a spoon in your mouth?"

"Huh? You mean this spoon?" Titus paused for a moment, then smiled at Eugene. "This habit has been going on for many years. Back then, to get revenge, I planned to gouge out both of your eyes with this thing, but now, for my master's convenience, I've decided to gouge out only one. Look at you, why did you have to ask this? I was actually planning to give you a surprise."

"Ah!?" Eugene was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.

“Abyss, Rei, I suggest you two go outside for a bit. I have some personal matters to settle.” Titus squatted down in front of Eugene, holding a spoon in his hand.

Chapter Sixty-One: Connections with Old Acquaintances

The convoy, carrying excited children, was ready to depart.

The children held immense trust in the Abyss and the Black Hats who had rescued them from the greedy Eugene. Not to mention, they later witnessed the Black Hat leader slit her own wrist, using her blood as a raw material to concoct an antidote that brought several of her seemingly dead companions back from the brink of death. Several of the children even became Rebecca's idols, wanting to follow her and become her apprentices, but Rebecca politely declined, citing her constant travels.

These children, whom Eugene had taken from the orphanage through various means, had already been abandoned twice at a young age. The Black Hat Gang's rescue was the last glimmer of hope in their bleak lives. Apart from a few unruly teenagers who refused to leave Lavoisier and insisted on staying with the Black Hat Gang, the rest gladly joined the caravan heading to the "castle where they could live happily and learn skills."

Abyss didn't require all the children to leave; he simply instructed Titus to nurture the few who wanted to stay in the city and join the gang. He offered the children a better future, but how they chose their path was entirely up to them.

The Sheep's Eye Gang has been completely annihilated after yesterday's battle. After Eugene was captured by Titus, most of the Sheep's Eye Gang members had already lost their fighting spirit. After their last counterattack failed, one of the two Shadow Armor vehicles disappeared and the other was driven away by a mole who had infiltrated at some unknown time. The pursuers were also broken by a short man who was so fast that he could not be seen. After that, the remaining gang members completely gave up resistance and handed over all the remaining territory.

Eugene, whose eye had been gouged out by Titus, was delivered to the sheriff of Lavoisier in a pitiful state. Titus showed the sheriff something, which frightened the usually imposing man so much that he dared not utter a word and properly imprisoned Eugene, even with three times the number of guards.

After all, most of them were essentially just thugs in the city. In their minds, there was no such thing as loyalty or disloyalty. Which gang could they follow? Moreover, the Black Hat Gang members seemed to be living quite well. Although their business was not as profitable as the Sheep Eye Gang's and they had more restrictions on their members, their boss was more generous than Mr. Eugene. Therefore, the money they received from their subordinates was not much different from that of the Sheep Eye Gang.

"Mr. Abyss, shall we set off now?" Titus asked Abyss with a smile. He was so happy because the children he had saved by donating blood yesterday had all recovered and were able to move around normally, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment.

As a gangster, he usually does a lot of killing and fighting, but he rarely saves people. Even though Titus is a very righteous person, he really doesn't have many opportunities.

Abis nodded slightly: "Yes, if everything is ready, we can set off."

The two undead that the Abyss had previously summoned, Fallon and Elton, were sitting in one of the vehicles in the convoy. They had now transformed into two teenage boys, waving at the Abyss. Since being summoned by the Abyss, they had performed many meritorious deeds, and the Abyss had intended to give them a rest. However, these two con artists, having had their fill of fun, volunteered to be the children's secret bodyguards.

Both Fallon and Elton were skilled mages in life. If the caravan encountered bandits on the road, the two of them could easily deal with them. If they encountered a more troublesome enemy, they could immediately notify the Abyss. At that time, even if the Abyss was not by the side of the caravan, it had a hundred ways to provide support.

With a barely perceptible nod to his two loyal subordinates, Abyss bid farewell to the children waving to him and watched the caravan embark on its journey.

After seeing the convoy off, Abyss used his necromancy to contact another undead.

"Gah! Gah! It's Master Abyss! Lak missed you so much!"

A somewhat noisy voice appeared in Abyss's mind.

A slight smile crept across Abyss's face. This undead wasn't human, but a raven, originally her master's subordinate. Her master had bestowed intelligence upon it using high-level necromancy, making it a messenger and spy. After her master's death, this raven, named Rak, naturally became Abyss's subordinate. However, Abyss didn't keep it with her, but left it with an old acquaintance, where it served as an assistant to the lifelong learner and also as a relay between Abyss and him.

"Lack, how have you been lately? How is Mr. Forma's health?"

"Gah gah! Lark is doing very well! Mr. Formah reads every day, and Lark serves him tea and water! Mr. Formah is doing very well!"

This undead raven is diligent and intelligent, and was one of Abyss's childhood playmates.

“Alright, share your senses with me. I want to talk to Mr. Forma.”

"Caw caw! No problem! Master Abyss!" The raven readily agreed to the Abyss's request, its five senses instantly transmitting through the necromancy bond. A nearly 360-degree wide-angle view suddenly appeared before the Abyss.

In the images transmitted through shared perception, Abyss saw Lak standing on a stone windowsill, facing a large mahogany table. Behind the table sat an old man with white hair and beard, a face full of wrinkles but vigorous spirit, wearing a monocle and drawing something on a piece of paper.

"Gah gah! Mr. Formah! Master Abyss wants to speak with you!"

Hearing the crow's caw, the old man raised his head and looked at it with his aged but still clear eyes.

"Oh? Abyss? Aren't you on an adventure? Need my help?"

"Greetings, Mr. Forma." Abyss's voice came directly from the raven's beak. "I don't need your help, but I have prepared a generous gift for you."

"Hmm? When did you learn to keep people in suspense, you little rascal?" Mr. Forma smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Tell me already, don't tease this old man."

"I'm planning to send four hundred children to your castle. They are all orphans and we're worried about finding someone to adopt them. I wonder if you would be willing to take them as students?"

"What? Four hundred children?" Mr. Formosa's eyes widened immediately. "Say that again?"

"Four hundred children! Most of them are under ten years old, but there are some who are a little older."

"Where did you find these children? Did they do something bad?" Mr. Forma adjusted his glasses.

“Of course not. They were rescued from another gang by me and a gang from Lavoisier. That gang used them as laborers, working all day for barely enough to eat,” Abis said. “I felt they needed a good education, and since you had been complaining to me about not being able to find suitable apprentices, I sent a reliable convoy, escorted by two of my men, to your castle.”

"Good!" Mr. Forma clapped his hands forcefully, his aged appearance vanishing completely. "You have no idea how much you have contributed to the continent!"

Chapter Sixty-Two: A mage who doesn't want to be a scholar is not a good country gentleman.

This old acquaintance of the Abyss, whose full name was Forma Elusinus Sangia, was a friend of the Abyss Master during his lifetime.

The old man lived in a large castle and outwardly appeared as a country gentleman who had inherited his family's property, but in reality, he used to be a very important person.

Don't be fooled by his current peaceful and idyllic life, sitting in his castle, writing and drawing. In his youth, he had a glorious past. He was a ninth-rank, ninth-level mage of the Elementalist school, commonly known as a "Supreme Mage." Such a powerful mage was highly sought after by many forces, and he naturally became the court mage of the Eastern Empire, serving the emperor.