Chapter 304

“Undead curse?”

“Infiltration from the Underworld?”

“Or perhaps… the result of some sorcerer’s experiment?”

Xu Xi sat cross-legged on the back of a bone bird, overlooking the lonely figure below from above.

It was the rainy season.

The air was thick with humidity—sticky, stifling—coating everything in a fine layer of mist.

Yet, the figure crouching beside the tombstone remained unaffected. The upper body was encased in heavy, rugged armor, with iron plates covering even the fingertips. The lower body was clad in severely worn leg guards, marred by patches of mud.

Her hair had long since vanished, corroded away by the aura of death.

The only proof that she had once been human was her face—ghastly and skeletal, with emerald-green eyes.

In the dim twilight, those eyes flickered, like glazed lamps glowing in the depths of a dark room, standing out starkly against the world shrouded in death.

The irises weren’t a uniform green.

Rather, they transitioned from a deep forest green at the edges to a bright, luminous cyan near the pupils.

Like gemstones, they refracted the light brilliantly.

Like rippling water, they shimmered softly.

Such a pair of eyes held an indescribable light—something Xu Xi hadn’t seen for a long time.

It was the hope of the living for tomorrow.

Yet, deep within, they also harbored unmistakable confusion and loneliness.

“Father… Mother…”

An infinite longing was concealed within the hollow voice.

That terrifying face—one that would immediately be mistaken for an undead monster—whispered to the mountain winds, yearning for its parents.

The sky darkened.

An already dim world was swallowed further into pitch-blackness.

Xu Xi’s gaze lowered.

He saw the half-undead girl warrior tremble once again, shrinking in fear at the encroaching darkness.

Her posture seemed pitiful.

But rather than leaving, she curled up further, pressing her back tightly against her parents’ tombstone.

The night was dark—frighteningly so.

The mountain was high—gloomy and terrifying.

But with her parents behind her, she wasn’t afraid anymore.

“Father, Mother… I’m home.”

The skeletal face clattered as bony teeth scraped together, yet the voice that came out was peaceful and content.

The soul fire within her burned even more intensely.

Then, under Xu Xi’s silent observation, the undead girl drifted into sleep.

Hugging her knees, she sat against the tombstone, sleeping soundly atop the nameless mountain peak.

Even though the heavy armor concealed her form, Xu Xi had a strong feeling—

Underneath it all, she was likely just a bare skeleton.

“Has the undead transformation reached this level already…?”

“No wonder she deliberately wears armor, presenting herself as a hero to approach ordinary people.”

“It’s not that she doesn’t want to reveal herself openly—she simply can’t.”

Xu Xi shook his head.

The contrast between the hero’s noble actions and her tragic fate formed a cruel irony.

It was difficult to imagine what she had gone through to end up in this state—

Neither truly alive nor entirely dead.

Xu Xi found himself intrigued by this kind of “hero.”

He had a feeling that this unique form of existence could help him further his research on death.

“I’ll observe for a few more days… Just to make sure this isn’t a trap, or the byproduct of another sorcerer’s experiment.”

“If everything checks out, I’ll make closer contact.”

Gazing at the armored undead girl, Xu Xi nodded slightly.

If he could uncover something from this, then his current simulation’s goal would already be more than half-complete.

“But still… a hero who’s afraid of the dark? That’s bizarre enough on its own.”

“Being undead—practically the embodiment of darkness and death—yet still afraid of the dark… Isn’t that a little…”

Xu Xi hesitated.

The only explanation he could think of was that some shred of her humanity still remained.

…

[You have discovered the truth about the “hero.”]

[Pale bones, the last remnants of flesh—life and death coexisting within a single body.]

[You once believed that only a Tier 3 sorcerer could access research materials that bridged life and death, yet this hero’s sudden appearance showed you that even at Tier 1, such a study was possible.]

[Feeling both fascinated and sympathetic toward the hero’s twisted fate, you decide to investigate her existence.]

[To be cautious, you do not approach her directly.]

[Instead, you continue eliminating other undead, collecting soul fire while monitoring her from afar, ensuring there’s nothing unusual about her movements.]

[Time passes in silence.]

[In your observations, the “hero” follows a strict routine, cycling between rescuing people and resting, constantly cutting down undead.]

[However, her strength is ultimately limited.]

[When facing powerful undead creatures or large hordes, her half-undead nature alone is not enough to secure victory.]

Her crusade failed.

A true hero might lose to a mighty Demon Lord.

A false hero couldn’t even defeat a slightly stronger undead.

“Everyone, hide—quickly!”

She called out, urging the villagers to take cover.

Amidst the heavy rain, the undead girl stood clad in armor, wielding a holy sword as she charged alone toward a towering minotaur skeleton warrior.

BOOM—

The holy sword gleamed as it clashed with the minotaur’s massive bone axe, producing a sharp, piercing ring.

Then—

She was sent flying.

The minotaur’s immense strength, coupled with the intense soul fire burning in its skull, unleashed a devastating force.

With a single axe swing, a gust of wind howled—

And in the next instant, the “hero” was blasted apart, her body scattering into countless bones.

Xu Xi had been right.

Inside that heavy armor, there was nothing but a human skeleton—devoid of flesh.

Gurgle… gurgle…

Her skull, hand bones, and leg bones fell into a rain-filled pit.

Drawn by the soul fire, they quivered, creating ripples in the water, struggling to reassemble themselves.

Struggling to stand once more.

Over and over again.

Failing, then struggling.

Struggling, then failing.

“I won’t… let you pass… This is the only thing I can do… for my father and mother…”

Her trembling voice wavered.

But she was nothing more than an imposter—not even worthy of being called a counterfeit.

How could she possibly defy fate like the heroes in stories, awakening miraculous strength in her final moments?

It was impossible.

It was beyond her reach.

“BOOM!!!”

Shaking.

Fear.

She gripped her sword once more—

And was sent flying again.

This time, the soul fire within her dimmed to near extinction.

Her helmet—her only means of concealing her grotesque face—was knocked off in the violent impact, rolling across the wet mud.

On instinct, she reached out, trying to retrieve it—

To hide her face.

To keep anyone from seeing her.

But she never got the chance.

The minotaur’s axe swung down.

The force of it alone made her soul fire flicker in agony before the strike even landed.

…Would she truly die this time?

The thought crossed her mind.

But at that moment—

A bolt of lightning struck from above, entwined with a fiery serpent, unleashing a raging inferno of thunder and flame that instantly engulfed the skeletal minotaur.

Tier 1 Sorcery: Lightning Strike.

Tier 1 Sorcery: Fire Serpent.

Two high-energy elemental spells—costly for any sorcerer to cast—yet the one who cast them seemed unconcerned.

A warm, strong hand reached out, pulling the helmetless undead girl to her feet.

“My name is Xu Xi. I am a sorcerer,” he said.

“Undead curse?”

“Infiltration from the Underworld?”

“Or perhaps… the result of some sorcerer’s experiment?”

Xu Xi sat cross-legged on the back of a bone bird, overlooking the lonely figure below from above.

It was the rainy season.

The air was thick with humidity—sticky, stifling—coating everything in a fine layer of mist.

Yet, the figure crouching beside the tombstone remained unaffected. The upper body was encased in heavy, rugged armor, with iron plates covering even the fingertips. The lower body was clad in severely worn leg guards, marred by patches of mud.

Her hair had long since vanished, corroded away by the aura of death.

The only proof that she had once been human was her face—ghastly and skeletal, with emerald-green eyes.

In the dim twilight, those eyes flickered, like glazed lamps glowing in the depths of a dark room, standing out starkly against the world shrouded in death.

The irises weren’t a uniform green.

Rather, they transitioned from a deep forest green at the edges to a bright, luminous cyan near the pupils.

Like gemstones, they refracted the light brilliantly.

Like rippling water, they shimmered softly.

Such a pair of eyes held an indescribable light—something Xu Xi hadn’t seen for a long time.

It was the hope of the living for tomorrow.

Yet, deep within, they also harbored unmistakable confusion and loneliness.

“Father… Mother…”

An infinite longing was concealed within the hollow voice.

That terrifying face—one that would immediately be mistaken for an undead monster—whispered to the mountain winds, yearning for its parents.

The sky darkened.

An already dim world was swallowed further into pitch-blackness.

Xu Xi’s gaze lowered.

He saw the half-undead girl warrior tremble once again, shrinking in fear at the encroaching darkness.

Her posture seemed pitiful.

But rather than leaving, she curled up further, pressing her back tightly against her parents’ tombstone.

The night was dark—frighteningly so.

The mountain was high—gloomy and terrifying.

But with her parents behind her, she wasn’t afraid anymore.

“Father, Mother… I’m home.”

The skeletal face clattered as bony teeth scraped together, yet the voice that came out was peaceful and content.

The soul fire within her burned even more intensely.

Then, under Xu Xi’s silent observation, the undead girl drifted into sleep.

Hugging her knees, she sat against the tombstone, sleeping soundly atop the nameless mountain peak.

Even though the heavy armor concealed her form, Xu Xi had a strong feeling—

Underneath it all, she was likely just a bare skeleton.

“Has the undead transformation reached this level already…?”

“No wonder she deliberately wears armor, presenting herself as a hero to approach ordinary people.”

“It’s not that she doesn’t want to reveal herself openly—she simply can’t.”

Xu Xi shook his head.

The contrast between the hero’s noble actions and her tragic fate formed a cruel irony.

It was difficult to imagine what she had gone through to end up in this state—

Neither truly alive nor entirely dead.

Xu Xi found himself intrigued by this kind of “hero.”

He had a feeling that this unique form of existence could help him further his research on death.

“I’ll observe for a few more days… Just to make sure this isn’t a trap, or the byproduct of another sorcerer’s experiment.”

“If everything checks out, I’ll make closer contact.”

Gazing at the armored undead girl, Xu Xi nodded slightly.

If he could uncover something from this, then his current simulation’s goal would already be more than half-complete.

“But still… a hero who’s afraid of the dark? That’s bizarre enough on its own.”

“Being undead—practically the embodiment of darkness and death—yet still afraid of the dark… Isn’t that a little…”

Xu Xi hesitated.

The only explanation he could think of was that some shred of her humanity still remained.

…

[You have discovered the truth about the “hero.”]

[Pale bones, the last remnants of flesh—life and death coexisting within a single body.]

[You once believed that only a Tier 3 sorcerer could access research materials that bridged life and death, yet this hero’s sudden appearance showed you that even at Tier 1, such a study was possible.]

[Feeling both fascinated and sympathetic toward the hero’s twisted fate, you decide to investigate her existence.]

[To be cautious, you do not approach her directly.]

[Instead, you continue eliminating other undead, collecting soul fire while monitoring her from afar, ensuring there’s nothing unusual about her movements.]

[Time passes in silence.]

[In your observations, the “hero” follows a strict routine, cycling between rescuing people and resting, constantly cutting down undead.]

[However, her strength is ultimately limited.]

[When facing powerful undead creatures or large hordes, her half-undead nature alone is not enough to secure victory.]

Her crusade failed.

A true hero might lose to a mighty Demon Lord.

A false hero couldn’t even defeat a slightly stronger undead.

“Everyone, hide—quickly!”

She called out, urging the villagers to take cover.

Amidst the heavy rain, the undead girl stood clad in armor, wielding a holy sword as she charged alone toward a towering minotaur skeleton warrior.

BOOM—

The holy sword gleamed as it clashed with the minotaur’s massive bone axe, producing a sharp, piercing ring.

Then—

She was sent flying.

The minotaur’s immense strength, coupled with the intense soul fire burning in its skull, unleashed a devastating force.

With a single axe swing, a gust of wind howled—

And in the next instant, the “hero” was blasted apart, her body scattering into countless bones.

Xu Xi had been right.

Inside that heavy armor, there was nothing but a human skeleton—devoid of flesh.

Gurgle… gurgle…

Her skull, hand bones, and leg bones fell into a rain-filled pit.

Drawn by the soul fire, they quivered, creating ripples in the water, struggling to reassemble themselves.

Struggling to stand once more.

Over and over again.

Failing, then struggling.

Struggling, then failing.

“I won’t… let you pass… This is the only thing I can do… for my father and mother…”

Her trembling voice wavered.

But she was nothing more than an imposter—not even worthy of being called a counterfeit.

How could she possibly defy fate like the heroes in stories, awakening miraculous strength in her final moments?

It was impossible.

It was beyond her reach.

“BOOM!!!”

Shaking.

Fear.

She gripped her sword once more—

And was sent flying again.

This time, the soul fire within her dimmed to near extinction.

Her helmet—her only means of concealing her grotesque face—was knocked off in the violent impact, rolling across the wet mud.

On instinct, she reached out, trying to retrieve it—

To hide her face.

To keep anyone from seeing her.

But she never got the chance.

The minotaur’s axe swung down.

The force of it alone made her soul fire flicker in agony before the strike even landed.

…Would she truly die this time?

The thought crossed her mind.

But at that moment—

A bolt of lightning struck from above, entwined with a fiery serpent, unleashing a raging inferno of thunder and flame that instantly engulfed the skeletal minotaur.

Tier 1 Sorcery: Lightning Strike.

Tier 1 Sorcery: Fire Serpent.

Two high-energy elemental spells—costly for any sorcerer to cast—yet the one who cast them seemed unconcerned.

A warm, strong hand reached out, pulling the helmetless undead girl to her feet.

“My name is Xu Xi. I am a sorcerer,” he said.