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

Chapter 83 Prince Kevin's Hobbies

Alva wasn't exaggerating. Abyss could clearly sense that her soul was as calm as still water as she spoke, and this brave warrior truly knew what was going on inside the palace.

“If you can provide me with some clues about what’s happening inside the palace, that would be a great help to me.” Abyss leaned forward slightly with a hint of surprise, looking at Alva. “You guessed right. Although I am very strong, I am still a mortal. Even the weakest god can crush me in terms of rank. Therefore, I must find the weakness of every evil god.”

“When Princess Gylvia was still in the palace, I was in charge of the entire palace’s security. I know all the changes that happened in the palace and remember them well. However, I don’t know which ones are related to the Lord of Nightmares, so you will need to ask me according to your needs.” Alva spoke with great confidence when talking about his area of ​​expertise. “For the safety and victory of the princess, I will answer all your questions without reservation.”

“Great, we don’t need to sit so far apart, let’s move closer.” Abyss stood up, magically moved his chair behind the table in the room, and gestured for the two to sit across from him. Rebecca and Leona sat down on either side of him quite tacitly.

“Let’s talk face to face. I was really not very hospitable when you came in.” Flora patted Hena’s shoulder gently and gave her a warm smile.

Hena was sitting so close to Flora, and Flora patted her on the shoulder. Her nose was filled with the elegant fragrance of the legendary saintess, who was loved throughout the continent, making her feel somewhat dazzled.

The Holy Maiden patted me on the shoulder... She's so gentle...

“Let’s go, we need to have a proper talk with Mr. Abyss.” Alva patted Hena’s shoulder from the other side, finally snapping the little girl, who was mesmerized by the saint’s beauty, out of her reverie.

Alva and Hena, accompanied by Flora, sat opposite the Abyss, and their exchange of information regarding the evil god officially began.

“First, I would like to know when this Prince Kevin entered the palace?” Abyss asked first.

“Prince Kevin is actually a child who doesn’t receive His Majesty’s favor. He has never lived in the palace. Only after the Western Empire started its war against us did he take advantage of the chaos in the palace to forcibly move in,” Alva said, his expression making no attempt to hide his contempt for Kevin. “He is violent, vindictive, and bloodthirsty. Moreover, he is extremely cold-blooded, as if he has no normal human emotions, and exudes a repulsive aura. No wonder His Majesty the King has always forbade him to live in the palace.”

"Is that so?" Abis narrowed his eyes. "You mean, he returned to the palace to seek revenge on everyone because he was abandoned by the king?"

"Yes, I think so. But we can't say he was a completely insane madman. His ideas were supported by many nobles, and the peace faction almost agreed with him. His success in launching a coup and seizing the throne was inseparable from the inside help of those nobles. When he finally ascended the throne, it was these damned cowards who surrounded him."

Alva's expression showed some resentment, but more so, helplessness.

“Because your Kingdom of Ossi is a small country that cannot compete with the Western Empire, some of your nobles chose to sue for peace in order to protect their property, exchanging peace for a smaller price.” Abis nodded. “That makes sense.”

“But you just wait and see, the people of the Kingdom of Ossi will not agree to such a humiliating and disgraceful act,” Alva said. “Soon, even greater chaos will erupt within the Kingdom of Ossi itself, and the people will begin to rebel against these cowardly rulers. Which of the nobles who supported Kevin’s ascension to the throne isn’t a greedy and cunning scoundrel? They have no regard for their own country. If the Western Empire were willing to offer them more generous terms, they might all flock to the Western Empire—but clearly, the Western Empire looks down on these scoundrels who only know how to line their own pockets.”

“I have a pretty good idea now. Do you know what Prince Kevin brought with him when he came to the palace?” Abyss continued. “Anything will do. Please try to recall.”

"What...did you bring?" Alva asked, puzzled.

“Yes.” Abyss leaned forward slightly, placing his arms on the table, and explained to her, “The extraterrestrial evil gods influence this world not by descending directly, but by using an object as an interface. Some of the known evil gods rely on a mask, some on a scimitar, and some on a crown. They gradually expand their influence by affecting those who come into contact with the object, eventually amplifying the dark side in the hearts of mortals and turning them into their fanatical followers… Unfortunately, as far as I know, the worlds destroyed by evil gods ultimately end in the infighting among mortals.”

"Inducing mortals to kill each other?" Alva's pupils visibly contracted. "I originally thought that evil gods grew stronger by relying on the offerings of mortals, and after accumulating power, they began to carry out actions to destroy the world."

“Such evil gods do exist, but before they descend in person, they will first make mortals go into chaos. The spark that ignites the entire warehouse is usually just a seemingly ordinary object.”

"Let me think... these things are indeed not easy to notice, but I can recall... the day Kevin entered the palace, he brought one of his confidants, a eunuch named Apos, and barged in. The guards at the gate knew he was the king's son and dared not stop him. He arrogantly declared a palace as his property and then stayed there. The king did not drive him away but tacitly tolerated his rudeness, seemingly feeling immense guilt towards him..."

Alva closed his eyes, quietly sorting through his memories, and recounted what he remembered in detail.

"They were not on horseback... Prince Kevin was dressed in a magnificent light armor, with a short sword at his waist. The eunuch accompanying him... wore a plain coat and carried a bag containing some gardening tools... Perhaps this servant of Kevin also served as his gardener."

"Hmm... so far there doesn't seem to be anything particularly suspicious... but you mentioned his eunuchs or his gardeners? Did he really enjoy gardening?"

"Yes, Prince Kevin is very fond of gardening. After he occupied a palace, he had all the trees around the palace pruned. It must be said that he has very good taste in this area. The trees he designed and supervised the pruning of are all very beautiful."

Abiston exchanged glances with his family members, a detail that may be worth noting.

Chapter 84 Kevin and the Apple Tree

“I have one last question: During the time you were with Prince Kevin in the palace, did you notice anything strange about him, such as performing any rituals or exhibiting any unusual behavior?” Abyss asked.

Alva thought about it carefully for a moment, then replied, "No, Prince Kevin doesn't have any other hobbies besides gardening, nor does he behave in any unusual way. The only difference between him and others is his personality."

“Is that so… It seems our investigation should focus on the gardening matter.” Abyss nodded, looking at Alva approvingly. “Thank you for your help. I didn’t expect someone to remember the palace so clearly. It’s truly remarkable that you know so many details from that time.”

“Protecting the princess’s safety is my life’s mission. I was responsible for the safety of the palace before, so I must know every detail there. The queen was kind to me in the past, and now the queen is gone, but her daughter has inherited her spirit and is willing to dedicate herself to the country. So, what reason do I have not to do everything in my power to repay her kindness?” Alva did not show any pride because of Abyss’s praise. She stated calmly, as if she were talking about a trivial matter of reciprocity, “I will risk my life to do my best for the princess’s safety.”

Hena listened to Alva's account and couldn't help but fall into thought. This shy little girl was unusually serious when she was thinking, and she no longer had the impetuous and timid demeanor she used to have.

“It’s already dark, you should be heading back to your camp. I apologize for taking up your time. If I need your help next time, I will personally visit you at the camp. In return, if you need anything, feel free to come here to find me. As long as I’m here, I will definitely help you. Oh, by the way, it’s best not to tell anyone else about my affairs. If my identity as a necromancer is exposed, it will negatively impact the morale of your Restoration Army. You should understand that our school has always had a terrible reputation.” Abyss stood up from his seat and shook Alva’s calloused hand. “Rebecca, bring out the things.”

Rebecca, who was prepared, took out a dozen potions in glass tubes from her small bag and placed them in Alva's hand.

Alva asked curiously, "What are these potions...?"

"I heard that your serious injuries haven't fully healed, so I asked Rebecca to take some time to make you a few special potions, which are especially helpful for healing internal injuries. The Restoration Army still needs your powerful fighting strength to protect the princess, so please use them." Abyss glanced at Rebecca. "Please don't worry too much. Rebecca is the most outstanding alchemist on the entire continent; you may be able to find her name and deeds in history."

“Just drink one of these potions before bed each night. I added some fruit flavoring, so it tastes great. If all goes well, you'll be full of energy by the third day. Keep the rest for yourself, or give them to others who need them.” Rebecca patiently explained how to use the potions. “I’m sorry, I can’t make a large quantity of these potions by myself, so I can’t provide them to your army on a large scale.”

"No, no, it's already an honor for Miss Rebecca to specially concoct potions for me."

Alva bowed deeply, expressing her heartfelt gratitude to Rebecca. She truly needed these potions; while Gylvia had indeed brought back a large quantity of healing potions from the Eastern Empire, those were primarily for emergency treatment, treasures reserved for dying soldiers on the battlefield. Alva didn't want to waste the warriors' resources on her own injuries, which were no longer life-threatening. Alchemy was poorly developed in the Kingdom of Ossi, making Rebecca's concoctions a truly precious gift.

“Then we’ll take our leave.” After thanking Rebecca for her help, Alva bid farewell to Abyss.

At this moment, Hena whispered to Abyss, "Mr. Abyss... can I come here often in the future?"

“Hmm? Of course you can come, as long as we’re here.” Abyss nodded indifferently. “Just don’t disturb Rebecca’s experiment—although she’s not afraid of being disturbed, there’s still a certain degree of danger when she’s conducting experiments.”

“I…I want to see Miss Flora more often…” Hanna blushed. “After I went to the Holy Sepulchre of the Holy See and retrieved the Spring of Sweet Water, I looked up a lot of information about Miss Flora out of curiosity. I never expected to see her again today. I really want to learn from Miss Flora’s noble character and elegant demeanor…Miss Flora, may I learn from you in the future? I have many questions I want to ask you…I promise I won’t be a nuisance!”

“Of course,” Flora smiled. “I’d be happy to share my knowledge with you.”

"Thank you, Your Holiness!" Hena bowed to Flora with delight.

“You don’t need to call me Saintess. I’m no longer a Saintess, nor am I a member of the Church. I’m just a free traveler now,” Flora corrected with a smile. “You can call me Flora. I’m a few years older than you. If you’d like, you can also call me sister.”

"Mmm! Flora... Sister Flora!" Hena was even more excited.

Alva left the inn with Hena, leaving Abyss and his three retinues in the room, discussing Prince Kevin.

"Do you remember the ghoul I summoned before?" Abyss asked Flora and Leona.

“I remember, I remember, that little glutton, right? It can eat anything.” Leona raised her hand as if to claim credit, “I even remember the recipe it mentioned! Human and cow blood, lard, and rotten apples!”

“That’s right. Now, can the clues Alva provided be connected to the report that Little Glutton tasted the black mud back then?” Abis smiled and glanced at everyone.

“You mean, the enemy’s nightmare spirits might be related to Kevin’s gardening?” Flora asked.

“That’s right.” Abyss snapped his fingers. “Perhaps, the way they create Nightmare Spirits is by growing them from trees! Although Nightmare Spirits are creations of evil gods from another world, the components that make them up are still things from our world. This means that the Lord of Nightmares may not have the ability—or the authority—to create matter out of thin air.”

"Moreover, the items that the Lord of Nightmares used to influence this world are very likely related to that set of gardening supplies!" Rebecca immediately realized as well.

“Yes! That’s what I think too!” Abyss snapped his fingers again, his smile widening.

Chapter 85 A Ghost Visits at Midnight

Night had fallen, and the royal palace of the Kingdom of Ossi was silent. Kevin, who was now the king, preferred to stay in the dark and strictly forbade anyone in the palace to wander around at night. As a result, almost all the lights in the palace were turned off, leaving only a few for security reasons. The guards were also quiet, and no one dared to make a sound.

In the midst of this silence, a faint whistling sound could be heard, as if two enormous fans were being vigorously waved in the air. The sound grew closer, its rhythm distinct.

At first, it was just the sound of wind, but soon strong gusts of wind descended from the sky and descended upon the palace. The powerful wind pressure caused all the plants here to bend and sway, and leaves and blades of grass flew close to the ground with the chaotic airflow.

A colossal figure was slowly descending above the palace. Its long neck, enormous wings, powerful legs, and perfectly aligned scales—it was a dragon, a dragon that had disappeared from the continent for many years.

However, even as such a colossal beast descended from the sky, the palace guards showed no reaction whatsoever. They stared intently at their assigned areas, as if the dragon above them did not exist. Even when the tassels of their spears were blown parallel to the ground by the strong wind, and the fires burning beside them were extinguished, they remained completely oblivious.

The dragon finally landed on the ground. With a loud crash, the ground shattered under its weight, and a large amount of soil and rocks sprayed out from the cracks, causing the earth to tremble violently.

Four people jumped off the dragon's back—three girls and one boy. The boy looked up at the dragon that had just given them a ride and said, "Thank you, little fire dragon! You dragons have such good eyesight!"

"No need to thank me, Master Abyss. It was nothing more than a small favor on my part. I wonder if the three ladies are comfortable? I have tried my best to minimize the bumps."

"You did a great job! Charmander! You're the best dragon I've ever ridden!" Leona exclaimed, praising the dragon loudly as it faced its enormous, scaly face. Riding on Charmander's back had given Leona, a girl deeply influenced by knightly novels, a real taste of being a dragon knight.

That's an even more prestigious title than Griffin Knight, a title that exists only in legends.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. I hope you have a good time, Master." The little dragon shook its big head and said to the Abyss, then gradually turned into a wisp of smoke and slowly entered the Abyss's ring.

This is certainly not the real world, but the Underworld of the Abyss. Within the Underworld, no matter what they do, it won't affect the real world. Naturally, the guards won't react.

“The Abyss is really a man of action.” Rebecca smiled and looked around. Her dark vision as an undead allowed her to see clearly even in the pitch-black palace. “I thought the Abyss would rest for a while before coming over.”

"Do you want to rest?" Abis smiled and glanced at her.

“Of course I don’t need to rest. Since becoming an undead, my back doesn’t ache and my legs don’t hurt anymore. I can brew several potions in one go without any trouble.” Rebecca reached out and lightly poked Abyss’s soft cheek with her finger. “We undead don’t get tired. I’m just worried about you getting tired.”

“I’m not tired. With your fatigue-eliminating potion, I can basically ignore physical fatigue. As for mental fatigue—the thought of causing trouble makes me as energetic as a two-headed ogre’s stomach.” Abyss winked at Rebecca. “We won’t officially declare war on the Lord of Nightmares tonight, but we won’t let Him have it easy either. I’m going to go all out and thoroughly provoke this guy. I don’t want Him to be hiding in the shadows, waiting to come out and trick me at any moment.”

"Offense is the best defense." Leona nodded in agreement.

“Let’s take advantage of our time in the Underworld and go see Prince Kevin,” Flora suggested. “Although we can’t attack him right now to avoid causing too much trouble, it can’t hurt to take a look.”

“Indeed, let’s go and find out where this guy’s palace is. I also want to see what kind of person can cooperate with the Lord of Nightmares.” Abyss didn’t hesitate and strode towards the largest palace in the royal palace.

The king's palace wasn't hard to find; Abyss and his companions quickly found Kevin's quarters. There were clearly more troops there, and the surrounding trees had been meticulously trimmed. Just as Alva had said, this seemingly inhuman Kevin was actually quite skilled at gardening.

Upon entering the palace, the four of them found Kevin's bedroom. After the Abyss used a wall-penetrating spell to help them enter the room, they saw Kevin.

"Just as Alva said." Rebecca knew the wonders of the Abyss's Dark Realm and wasn't worried about being discovered. She skipped and hopped over to examine it closely.

This was a burly, imposing man, not very old, probably only three or four years older than Gylvia, and his appearance was somewhat similar to hers. His eyes were sinister, his expression cold, and he exuded an unsettling aura.

The reason you could tell from his eyes was that Prince Kevin wasn't sleeping. Instead, he was sitting in a chair in his room in a strangely unsettling way, staring straight out the window.

This guy really doesn't seem like a human. He just sat there stiffly. If he weren't still breathing, he might have been mistaken for some kind of wax figure.

"This is Kevin? I really don't like this guy's aura." Leona frowned; her intuition told her to instinctively dislike this person.

“This Prince Kevin really is easy to understand, wearing his personality so openly on his face.” Abyss stroked his chin, looked at Kevin for a while, and shook his head. “Besides staying up late and staring out the window, I always feel that there’s something else strange about him, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s more like a gut feeling… I haven’t found any special information yet, but just in case, I’ll observe him more closely.”

As Abyss spoke, he began to scrutinize Prince Kevin closely, not missing a single detail about him and memorizing it all.

Leona, feeling a bit bored, asked Abyss curiously, "ABC, how do you plan to provoke the Lord of Nightmares this time?"

Abyss didn't look up, continuing to scrutinize the details of Kevin's appearance. "Oh, you mean that? What I need to do is simple. Look out the window."

Leona glanced out the window at the beautifully manicured garden outside, where various trees of different shapes complemented each other.

"What are you going to do?" Leona still didn't understand.

“I’m going to uproot all these trees and take them with me.” Abyss then looked up and grinned, revealing his snow-white teeth.