Chapter 302:

“No signs of life.”

“An undead? No, that doesn’t seem right.”

“Revived dead lose their memories and reasoning. Even if they miraculously retain them, they lose all traces of human emotions, let alone protect ordinary people.”

“Then… is it a puppet controlled by someone?”

“An alchemical creation of a necromancer?”

“In terms of power, it should be around the level of a mid-level necromancer apprentice.”

In the world of necromancers, there was no distinction between day and night.

The sky was permanently shrouded in gloomy death energy. Neither the scorching sun nor the crimson moonlight could penetrate the thick darkness.

Only on rare occasions, such as when the bone dragon stirred up a storm, could a brief gap appear in the clouds, allowing a glimpse of the sun and moon from ancient times.

Step— Step—

The “hero” left.

It claimed that more villages were in danger and that, as a righteous warrior, it had to rush to their aid.

Alone, it ventured forward through the thick darkness. The rust-covered armor and the battered longsword on its back added a sense of desolate melancholy to its figure.

Rotten crimson flesh squelched beneath its feet.

Pale bones crunched into dust under its heavy boots.

Watching that retreating figure, Xu Xi fell into deep thought.

“It may not have the strength of a true hero, but its sense of justice and action do bear some resemblance to one.”

“Even though it’s not truly human…”

Xu Xi sighed.

He didn’t know what kind of entity lay within that steel armor, but one thing was certain—it was not a normal living being.

By human logic, such a being would be deemed an abomination, something to be eradicated. Yet, in this bizarre world, the very thing considered an abomination was continuously saving humans.

Whether it was following a pre-set program or had an entirely different goal, its acts of kindness were real.

“Fate truly works in mysterious ways.”

“A fake hero performing the deeds of a true hero—perhaps the distinction between real and fake doesn’t matter anymore.”

The wind howled, stirring up dust and debris.

Xu Xi opened his palm, allowing fine bone fragments to scatter into it, their rough texture rolling along the lines of his hand.

Following his original plan, he entered the village to replenish his supplies.

Then, he set off once more.

Because of that so-called “hero,” there were no undead left near the village. Xu Xi had to venture further into the deeper territories, where he could harvest more soul fire for cultivation.

One-Ring Necromancy: Summon Undead.

One-Ring Necromancy: Bone Reconstruction.

One-Ring Necromancy: Bone Lightening.

Powerful soul energy surged, reaching into the depths of the Underworld. Using a wisp of soul fire as its core, a brand-new wingless bone bird took form.

It lowered its head in submission, allowing Xu Xi to mount.

Then, with a single flap, it carried him into the distant sky.

Along the way, the bitter cold winds of wandering spirits howled fiercely, but they were blocked by an invisible barrier.

Xu Xi gazed ahead with a calm expression. The blackened sky churned endlessly, and from time to time, dark green raindrops would fall, corroding the pitted land below.

This world had already been corrupted far too deeply.

It might not take long—perhaps before this simulation even ended—

for this land to be fully assimilated by the Underworld, becoming just another realm of the dead among countless others.

“Life always finds a way, even in the depths of the Underworld.”

“But such an enormous shift is far too dangerous for ordinary people.”

“The undead of the Underworld… are far more terrifying than the undead plagues of the necromancer world.”

Xu Xi stared at the sky for a long time.

Then, he flipped his wrist, pulling out a crude map.

This was information he had exchanged with other necromancer apprentices back in the small city, marking the locations of necromancer organizations and human kingdoms.

His next destination—

Ao’oka Kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Lions, home to a Four-Ring Necromancer Tower.

“Hopefully, I can find some useful knowledge there.”

“If the conditions are right, I might even establish my own Necromancer Tower there—as long as it allows me to study souls in peace.”

After a quick glance at the map, Xu Xi stored it back into his cloak.

He planned to continue seeking undead gatherings along his journey—

to send them back to their rightful home in the Underworld.

“I’m just too kind… I can’t stand seeing them homeless.”

…

[Death Is Like the Wind, Always by Your Side.]

[The leaden-gray sky constantly drips horrifying rain, corroding your mounts.]

[Fortunately, your supply of bones is plentiful, and your soul fire reserves are deep. You can continuously repair your bone bird, maintaining long-distance, high-speed flight.]

[During your journey, you study more necromancer spells.]

[Life. Transformation. Souls. Elements. Bloodlines. Alchemy. Curses…]

[Though similar to magic, necromancer techniques follow an entirely different path.]

[Using souls as the foundation, necromancers explore the infinite possibilities of existence.]

[Their purpose? Their meaning?]

[It is all to ascend to legendary heights, to become the immortal Seven-Ring Necromancers.]

[Each rank advancement signifies the evolution of the soul, a proof of stepping into a higher realm.]

[To study knowledge, to explore truth, to transcend the shackles of the soul.]

[This is the path of the necromancer—to master truth through the soul and then rewrite it.]

[You marvel at this concept.]

[You become obsessed with learning, unable to pull yourself away.]

[Ding—]

[Soul Collector activated. You have acquired the soul fire of a lesser undead, and in the process, you freed a lost soul wandering for years.]

[The soul expresses gratitude before departing into the infinite Underworld.]

[You feel a sense of melancholy and decide you must work harder—]

[To do more good deeds.]

[Your undead-killing speed doubles.]

…

The simulation proceeded smoothly.

On his way to Ao’oka Kingdom, Xu Xi traveled in a stop-and-go fashion—

sometimes studying the necromancer spells he had brought from the real world, sometimes hunting undead to collect their soul fire.

The weakest of them could barely pose a threat to an ordinary human.

The strongest, however, retained fragments of their past power, such as a rotten, foul-smelling elven archer.

“Highly skilled archery.”

“Innate soul-based combat techniques.”

“Even a soulless skeleton retained such abilities—proving just how strong they were in life.”

Xu Xi lowered his hand, looking at the shattered remains of the elf.

A deep blue soul fire flickered for an instant before instinctively retreating into the infinite Underworld.

But before it could escape—

An invisible force intercepted it.

A portion of the soul fire split off, bouncing into Xu Xi’s palm.

He didn’t absorb it right away.

This was a strong soul, and he could find many uses for it.

He could use it for soul experiments, exploring the mysteries of life and death.

He could implant it into a spell construct, turning it into a guardian.

The Necromancer Tower—

A final sanctuary where necromancers studied truth, developed spells, and stored resources.

For legendary necromancers, their tower could even invade dimensions or rival entire civilizations alone.

Naturally, such an immense structure couldn’t rely on just one master.

It required defenders and assistants.

“Hopefully, I can collect more powerful souls later.”

Xu Xi clenched his fingers, storing the deep blue soul fire separately.

Just as he was about to leave—

His detection spell picked up something unexpected.

The steel-armored ‘hero’ was wandering at the edge of his detection range, looking around as if searching for something.