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

Chapter 89 Courtyard Destroyer

After leaving Prince Kevin, who stayed up all night staring out the window, the four of them left the king's palace.

It's easy to tell whether the trees in the palace have been carefully pruned. Before Prince Kevin's arrival, the palace didn't have a dedicated gardener. The people of the Kingdom of Ossi generally led a rough life and had little interest in art or aesthetics. Naturally, the trees in the palace didn't receive professional grooming; they were only pruned annually to prevent them from growing too unsightly.

The trees that Prince Kevin had pruned to his liking were completely different. These trees were cut into various shapes according to certain rules, appearing very neat. Compared to the natural beauty of the other trees in the palace, these trees that had undergone such grooming appeared more orderly.

Among these pruned trees, the vast majority were fruit trees, and a large portion of those were apple trees. The cold season in the Kingdom of Ossi had just ended, and apple trees, being deciduous, should normally have few leaves. However, the apple trees here were lush and green, just like the other evergreen trees in the palace, and some even bore green fruit. It was unclear whether this was due to a temperature-controlled magic array, some kind of potion, or something else. This closely matched Abyss's previous suspicions: the Lord of Nightmares must have tampered with these trees, and the Nightmare Spirits must be connected to them.

First, Abyss used a sophisticated illusion on everyone on his side. With a snap of his fingers, they were all extricated from the Underworld. The large crack in the ground that the little dragon had trampled disappeared instantly, and the brazier that had appeared to be extinguished simultaneously reignited.

"Wait a moment, I need to confirm our hypothesis one last time." Abyss smiled and stroked the ring he was wearing.

Soon, a humanoid creature dressed in clothes and crawling on all fours was summoned from the Abyss's ring. Rebecca had never seen it before, but Leona and Rebecca were quite impressed with this little creature that could eat anything.

"Master!" The ghoul excitedly jumped around the Abyss as soon as it appeared, its mouth full of fangs agape and its throat constantly making swallowing motions, as if it was trying hard not to drool. This was far superior to ordinary ghouls who drooled all the way. "Do you need any help, little glutton? Little glutton can help! I'd be happy to!"

“That’s right, you little glutton.” Abyss squatted down to be at the same height as the little glutton, then pointed to an apple tree next to him and said, “I’m going to give you a few apples from this apple tree. You have to tell me how they taste after you’ve eaten them.”

"Good! Good!" The little glutton continued to jump around, like a giant toad.

The Abyss chanted a spell, beckoned with his finger, and several apples floated down and landed in his hand. The Abyss, having caught the apples, casually tossed them into the little glutton's mouth, which was already wide open with anticipation.

Click!Click!

This ghoul truly lived up to its name as a glutton. As soon as the Abyss tossed in a few apples, it lowered its head and began to devour them with gusto. The apple juice was churned in its mouth by its sharp teeth, spilling out in abundance and splattering everywhere. It didn't forget the task the Abyss had given it; while eating the apples, its eyes darted around as if carefully savoring their flavor.

Rebecca squatted to one side, watching with great interest as the little glutton tasted the apples. She also had the ability to taste the ingredients with her tongue, but she knew that the black mud tasted fishy and disgusting, so of course she wouldn't want to eat it. Abyss knew this too, which was why he summoned this ghoul who had absolutely no concept of "disgust."

After swallowing the apple, the little glutton quickly raised its head and said to Abyss, "Master! The little glutton has tasted it! It's a rotten apple, not fresh at all!"

“These apples are still green, they should be sour and astringent, so why do they taste rotten?” Abyss asked. “Do they have anything in common with that black, slippery drink I gave you before?”

"It tastes a lot like black, slippery stuff, but it doesn't have human blood, cow blood, or pig fat!" Little Glutton reported.

“Very good.” Abyss raised his head and looked at the three girls. “Then our previous guess was correct. I’m going to get started now. Let’s get started quickly and not delay.”

"Got it! Need my help?" Leona rubbed her hands together, eager to help. "I can chop down a tree with a hand chop!"

“I do need your help, but not to cut down these trees, but to uproot them,” Abys said with a smile. “I’m taking these trees with me. We’ll each take half, but don’t be too rough and make a mess of the ground. Gylvia will be living in this palace from now on.”

"What's so difficult about that! Leave it to me!" Leona clapped her hands confidently, took a few steps to the apple tree, pressed down on the trunk with both hands, and then with a little effort, shook it left and right a couple of times. The already large apple tree was uprooted on the spot. As she continued to exert force upwards, the roots of the apple tree gradually left the ground, and a lot of soil fell from the exposed roots, making a rustling sound.

Abyss then chanted a spell over another neatly trimmed apple tree, and the apple tree quickly rose up under the pull of an invisible force.

Meanwhile, due to the Abyss's illusion, none of the guards knew that two unconventional individuals were causing trouble, and the palace remained peaceful.

“If only we had a druid.” Abyss pulled another apple tree from the ground and gazed leisurely into the distance. “A druid could make these trees walk out of the ground by themselves. After we’ve dealt with the Lord of Nightmares and helped Leona fulfill her last wish, we can go to the elven kingdoms to find that genius druid. We can also rebuild my great graveyard while we’re at it. That would be wonderful.”

"Abyss, it's not even that hot yet, why are you sweating? Let me wipe your sweat." Flora, who was standing to the side, walked up at this moment, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and said to Abyss with a smile.

“Okay, thank you for your trouble.” Abyss returned the smile.

Flora then extended the handkerchief in her hand to Abyss's forehead.

However, Abyss lightly jumped back a step, dodging Flora's wiping.

Looking at Flora's handkerchief now, it was no longer a handkerchief; it was clearly a patch of bloodied skin, with crimson blood seeping out and turning into black, sticky fluid as it dripped from the edges...

Chapter 87 Luring the Snake Out of its Hole

"I'm begging you, could you please stop making fun of my people, Lord Nightmare?" Abyss stared coldly at the person in front of him who resembled Flora. "Or would you prefer me to call you by your name, Lord Schleizeh?"

The name of the Lord of Nightmares is indeed not something that human vocal organs can handle, as it contains too many vibrato and knocking sounds. However, Abyss used some magic when he spoke to assist his throat and tongue in simulating this sound.

"You have a lot of guts, a lot of guts, far more than the most delicious master of fear I've ever tasted. And... you are the most disrespectful mortal I've ever met." The Nightmare Lord's voice came from all directions, this time unusually different from his previous flippancy, carrying a hint of anger and sounding somewhat sinister. "You used your pathetic, pitiful, and lamentable little tricks to erase Gylvia's sleep, didn't you? Do you know you're provoking me? Daring to defy the will of a god is already an act of suicide, and now you dare to provoke me?"

As the Lord of Nightmares spoke, the three familiars before the Abyss gradually melted into the air and vanished. The moon, the starlight, and even the brazier burning in the palace all disappeared, and a dense darkness enveloped everything. The Abyss was soon completely surrounded by darkness. An immense sense of oppression emanated from the depths of the Abyss's soul. If the Abyss were an ordinary person, this oppressive feeling would likely have driven him mad, but the Abyss remained unmoved, its emotionless eyes fixed on the darkness before it.

"And you even used the same trick to eliminate your own sleep. I've wanted to come to your door for a long time, but you just wouldn't sleep. I was even thinking of using some special means to force you to meet me." The Nightmare Lord's voice still echoed around the Abyss, this time seemingly circling around the Abyss's body. "You foolish beast, did you think that the only way I could inflict nightmares on mortals was by invading their sleep?"

“I apologize, Lord Schleitzher. If I have been disrespectful to you, then I sincerely apologize here.” Abyss bowed. “But I also want you to know that although I have been trying to provoke you, I have never underestimated your methods.”

"Heh...you're testing me?" The Lord of Nightmares laughed, a hint of killing intent in his voice. "Testing my power is one thing, but you even dare to run wild on my territory? Do you know why you see nightmares when you're not sleeping? Because you're now in my divine realm, and my power can directly affect you. No matter how strong you are, you're still just a mortal. Faced with power that is absolutely superior to yours, you're no different from an insect!"

"So your method is to expand your divine realm and let it directly affect me?" Abyss not only did not lower its stance because of the Nightmare Lord's threat, but also asked Him seriously, "In other words, if I keep delaying coming to you for a while, I will inevitably fall into your trap?"

"So you finally realize your predicament? That's right. If you continue to be a cowardly runaway, I'll be at your doorstep soon." The Nightmare Lord's voice seemed tinged with smugness. "While you're unaware, I'll put you into a permanent sleep and then torment you in your dreams. Do you know that the Gylvia you've been trying to protect is now in danger, because my plan against her is already underway? No matter how much protection you give her, you can't stop her from falling into a deep sleep and then waking up insane."

“That’s quite alarming,” Abyss shrugged. “I wonder if you could match the local deity of Hay-Tver? What if I used divine magic on her?”

"Divine magic is merely a fragment of divine power bestowed upon you by your nine gods. If your gods were to personally engage me in battle, they would gain a tremendous home-field advantage, and I might not be able to win—but they cannot intervene. The commands of the Creator God are absolute; they cannot interfere in mortal affairs. We, the free gods, are different." The Lord of Nightmares did not hesitate for even a second because of the Abyss's idea. His voice was filled with absolute confidence. "Givia's doomsday is fast approaching, and you cannot change anything..."

“If you could handle Gylvia so easily, she would have gone mad long ago.” Abyss’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “There must be some reason why you can’t get into her territory to attack her. Can you tell me?”

"Hmph." The Lord of Nightmares did not answer Abyss's question, seemingly unwilling to reveal his secrets to Abyss. "My complete form has not yet descended upon this world, and naturally I am subject to some constraints of your world. Although your local gods have not intervened in my affairs, their power still exerts a restraining effect on me. However... these disadvantages of mine will transform into absolute advantages at the appropriate time."

“It seems you are quite confident that you can fully descend.” Abyss nodded. “I don’t intend to ask you for any more information, after all, you might not be willing to tell me. Now I should go back, can you let me go?”

"Let you go? Hahahaha!" The Lord of Nightmares burst into laughter upon hearing Abyss's words. "I can't let you go. You've delivered yourself to my doorstep; do you think I'd let you leave so easily? Although you fear nothing, I've thought of something you might be afraid of. In the next dream, I hope you'll truly taste the bitterness of fear. Abyss Bellator, when you awaken from this dream, you will go completely mad, running wildly under the rising sun, and finally be killed by my good servant Kevin with a single sword stroke!"

"Excuse me, Lord of Nightmares, even if you wish to keep me, I must depart." Abyss chuckled. Of course, he didn't expect the Lord of Nightmares to let him go so easily, but he wasn't without a backup plan...

Immediately afterwards, Abis felt as if his thoughts had been pulled back, and he instantly regained his senses.

Opening his eyes, Abyss saw the moon high in the sky, countless stars, and Flora's concerned face. She was extending her five fingers towards Abyss, the light in her palm not yet completely fading. The delicate, flower-like fragrance emanating from the girl wafted into his nose, bringing him pleasure. At the back of his head was a soft, elastic touch—Flora's thigh.

"Abyss, you're awake!" Flora smiled as she saw Abyss open his eyes. "You were right, the Lord of Nightmares did indeed attack at this time. I used divine magic to wake you up as you instructed!"

Chapter 88 A safe retreat

“Well done, Flora. I knew I could rely on you.” Abyss lay approvingly on Flora’s lap, giving her a thumbs-up. “My Flora, you’re absolutely my most reliable support!”

"What about me!" Leona, who was squatting to the side, immediately objected.

"What about me!" Rebecca joined in the teasing from Leona.

“Leona is my sword, and Rebecca is my armor,” Abyss quickly offered two somewhat inaccurate analogies. But even that was enough to satisfy Leona and Rebecca.

Abyss got up from Flora's lap and sat on the ground. Leona had uprooted all the apple trees and piled them together, about a dozen in total—a fairly plentiful harvest. The guards, affected by the illusion, were unaware of what was happening and continued to diligently guard their posts.

“We’re currently on the Nightmare Lord’s territory. Flora’s magic is powerful, but its effects should wear off quickly. Let’s get out of here as soon as possible.” Abyss stood up, stretched, and said to the three girls, “I’m taking these apple trees with me. As for these guards… if Kevin wakes up tomorrow and finds his apple trees stolen, he might vent his anger on them. Flora, secretly cast a calming spell on Kevin that he won’t notice, try to make him more agreeable, and at least spare these guards’ lives. Although they are Kevin’s lackeys now, they don’t deserve to die.”

“Okay.” Flora immediately agreed. She softly chanted a prayer, and an invisible force instantly fell from the sky directly to where Kevin was. No one could see it, but she knew that the divine spell had taken effect.

Abyss also summoned a magical catfish, which grew larger, and then fed it the uprooted trees one by one. The catfish's belly had an unlimited capacity, so even putting all these large trees inside was a piece of cake.

"Fantastic." Abyss put his hands on his hips, glanced at the palace courtyard which Leona had dug into with several large craters, and nodded in satisfaction, very pleased with his prank tonight.

They've managed to extract some information from the Lord of Nightmares and also uprooted the apple tree He used to create Nightmare Spirits—a double win. The next step should be figuring out how to completely dismantle the Lord of Nightmares' power. The Abyss doesn't know where the artifact is, so they plan to return next time, bringing Flora along as well, so they won't have to worry about the Lord of Nightmares' attacks.

Having a powerful sorcerer by your side makes it incredibly easy to cause trouble for evil gods.

After bringing everyone into the Underworld, Abyss summoned the little dragon and led them away from there.

……

Back at the inn, the town of Shodol was completely asleep, with only the sentry posts diligently guarding its peace. As the little fire dragon flew over the town, they noticed the lights in the command post were off. It seemed Gylvia had drunk the potion and, as Rebecca had instructed, hadn't continued frantically reading battle reports afterward. A leader like her bears immense pressure, making adjustments to her lifestyle crucial. If Rebecca had discovered Gylvia still reading battle reports, she would certainly have personally dissuaded her.

The next step is to analyze the Nightmare Lord's weaknesses based on the new intelligence we have obtained. As long as there are limitations to His existence in this world, there must be some weaknesses that can be exploited. What the Abyss needs to do is to come up with all of His possible weaknesses, and then eliminate them one by one through gradual investigation, ultimately determining a complete plan to target and subdue Him.

Leona insisted that Flora read her a knightly novel. Rebecca went straight to her room upon returning to the inn and began tinkering with potions; she said she had gained new inspiration while at the palace.

Abyss returned to his room alone, turned off all the lights, and sat on his bed in the darkness, leaning against the wall, quietly pondering countermeasures against the Lord of Nightmares.

Time ticked by, and all was quiet outside. In the main hall of the guesthouse stood a grandfather clock, its pendulum ticking away, becoming the only background sound in the darkness.

About an hour after Abyss had been sitting there, a soft footstep came from the direction of Flora and Leona's room, approaching Abyss's room.

Abis quickly recognized the voice as Flora's. He hadn't expected Flora to come to his room so late.

The door to the room was knocked very softly, so softly that Abyss would not have heard it if he were asleep.

“Come in, Flora,” Abyss replied softly.

Upon hearing Abyss's words, Flora, who was standing outside the door, gently pushed the door open a crack. A beautiful golden eye peeked inside and, seeing Abyss sitting on the bed deep in thought, smiled slightly and narrowed her eyes.

Flora finally entered the room, now holding a pillow in her arms, wearing the beautiful nightgown she had bought in Lavoisier. The loose nightgown didn't really show off her figure, but the smooth calves and snow-white bare feet exposed under the hem added a touch of girlish sexiness to the pure and lovely Flora.

"Can I lie down with you for a while?" Flora asked hesitantly.

“Of course you can.” Abyss smiled and patted his bed. “My bed is quite big. If you’re tired, you can go straight to sleep. I’ll use magic to soothe you.”

"Hmm... I'm feeling a little unwell... so I'd like to lie down with you for a while." Flora walked over quietly, her bare feet barely making a sound on the ground.

"Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt?" Abis asked curiously.

"I..." Flora fell silent after being asked by Abyss. She pouted slightly, looking like she was being petulant, climbed onto Abyss's bed, put her pillow aside, lay down on her side, and looked at Abyss, who was sitting there.

Abyss smiled indulgently. Although Flora appeared mature and elegant on the outside, she actually had her own little quirks, which was something Abyss really liked.

Flora lay on the bed, quietly looking at Abyss's face, saying nothing, but her face was slightly flushed.

"Abyss, will you always stay by my side?"

“Of course I can. I have a way to extend my lifespan indefinitely, as long as you like. We can be together forever,” Abyss replied with a smile.

But just as Abyss was answering Flora's question, he suddenly noticed a white hair on Flora's head.

Even though the room was dark and Flora only had one white hair at her temple, Abyss still noticed this detail.

Chapter 89 You Don't Understand

“Flora, you seem to have a white hair…” Abyss was very curious and reached out to touch Flora’s very conspicuous white hair.

"No..." Flora suddenly reached out and grabbed Abyss's wrist, "Don't touch it..."