Chapter 308

A thousand years ago, the Crowfield family had three rules.

First, it was forbidden to mock Miss Sylvia for being afraid of the dark.

Second, it was forbidden to mock Miss Sylvia for being afraid of thunder.

Third, it was forbidden to mock Miss Sylvia for being afraid of both the dark and thunder at the same time.

In the estate, everyone silently followed these three rules to avoid making the brightest emerald of Crowfield upset.

“Sylvia, I hope this helps you.”

A wave of soul energy passed over the undead girl.

Xu Xi cast a spell on her—Silence, a Zero-Ring Sorcery.

It had no offensive power.

It wasn’t destructive.

But in this moment, it was the most appropriate choice.

“Thank you, Sir Sorcerer,” she said, her emerald-green eyes revealing clear joy.

The hero Sylvia had recovered.

…

[You have established cooperation with the undead Sylvia.]

[To study her body, you postponed your initial plan and decided to delay your journey to the Kingdom of Aoka.]

[The next day, under Sylvia Crowfield’s guidance, you returned to the rotting mansion she had used for shelter—the former estate of the Crowfield family.]

[The passage of time had reduced what was once a grand estate to a decaying ruin.]

[It was empty.]

[It was cold and silent.]

[This was the hero’s home. The place where Sylvia belonged.]

“Sir Sorcerer, welcome to Crowfield.”

Her iron boots stepped onto the damp wooden floor.

The boards creaked under the pressure.

Her metal-covered hand gently pushed open the large door, revealing the dim interior and the slightly organized furnishings inside.

Even though she was alone, the girl had never abandoned the honor of the Crowfield family.

As the hostess, she welcomed Xu Xi inside.

Her manner was polite, gentle, and composed.

The only flaw was that—even inside her own home—she was still slightly afraid of the darkness.

Snap—

Xu Xi flicked his fingers, summoning a soft glow.

The light quickly gathered, forming a floating luminescent orb.

First-Ring Sorcery: Wizard’s Eye.

It could serve as a light source and a scouting tool—

A basic yet essential spell for any sorcerer.

“That’s amazing…”

She was briefly mesmerized.

Under the illumination of Wizard’s Eye, the exposed bones of her undead body looked even paler.

“Ah, this way, please!”

Realizing she had been staring, Sylvia quickly turned around and took the lead, guiding Xu Xi.

She was searching for a spacious room suitable for research.

…

As they walked, the hallway remained tidy.

The furniture was arranged neatly.

Though the structure of the mansion had long since deteriorated, it did not affect the orderliness inside.

“Sylvia, did you clean all of this yourself?”

“Yes, Sir Sorcerer.”

Facing Xu Xi’s question, the undead girl seemed a little embarrassed.

In the past, cleaning was the responsibility of the Crowfield family’s servants.

But now that Crowfield no longer existed, she had taken it upon herself to maintain it.

Did it matter?

Even Sylvia herself couldn’t answer that question.

At this moment, she felt almost human again—

Excitedly introducing each part of the mansion to Xu Xi.

Xu Xi listened quietly, letting her speak.

…

“Sir Sorcerer, please be careful. This is my room.”

“Because of how long it’s been… the roof has some leaks. But as long as you don’t knock over the water buckets, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Sir Sorcerer, this is the kitchen.”

“Apologies… I don’t need to eat anymore, so I haven’t taken care of it for a long time. It might be a bit dirty.”

“Sir Sorcerer, this is the study. If you’d like to read anything, you’re welcome to check here.”

“Ah… though it looks like most of the books have already rotted away…”

…

Walking.

Pausing.

Her voice rose and fell.

Under the undead girl’s guidance, Xu Xi arrived at the largest room in the mansion.

It had once been the Crowfield family’s grand banquet hall.

But now, Sylvia planned to clear it out for research.

If they were going to conduct experiments, there was no better place inside the estate.

“Are you sure about this, Sylvia?”

Xu Xi turned to look at her.

The skeleton hidden inside the heavy armor hesitated for a moment—

But quickly, she responded with determination.

“Yes, please don’t worry, Sir Sorcerer.”

“I believe… my father and mother would agree with my decision.”

The dead could not return.

Keeping their rooms untouched wouldn’t bring them back.

If so—

Then it was better to make use of what was left.

Besides…

The Crowfield family would never host a banquet again.

…

[You have settled into the Crowfield mansion.]

[You set up, modified, and arranged your space.]

[Since arriving in the sorcerer world, you had accumulated some savings. Now, you finally used them—to build yourself a proper laboratory.]

[Soul measurement devices, reaction instruments, and mithril tubes for weighing and calibrating soul energy.]

[Sorcerer civilization is a mix of everything.]

[In their pursuit of truth, sorcerers created various techniques—combining magical artifacts with advanced experimental equipment, all centered around the soul, forging a path toward enlightenment.]

[You began studying Sylvia’s body.]

[You removed her armor.]

[You cast spells to cleanse her skeletal frame.]

“Um, Sir Sorcerer…”

“Are you feeling uncomfortable, Sylvia?”

“N-no, it’s not that… It’s just… a little… embarrassing…”

The spacious banquet hall was now fully illuminated.

Multiple Wizard’s Eyes hovered from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over everything inside.

The experimental equipment hummed as they activated, powered by soul energy—

Gathering data on Sylvia’s body.

From her half-undead flesh to the soul fire burning within her skull.

…

After a brief moment of nervousness, Sylvia soon calmed down.

She was influenced by Xu Xi’s seriousness,

And she realized—

With her current body, she no longer needed to concern herself with past concepts of dignity and shame.

In fact—

Due to her familiarity with her undead body, Sylvia began assisting the research.

She described the sensations of her undead state in detail.

…

“I see… So it’s a state of mutual non-interference?”

Xu Xi murmured in thought.

After half a day, he had made some initial discoveries—

Examining the connection between Sylvia’s undead skeletal body and the remaining human flesh on her face.

Although her transformation into a full undead was not yet complete,

On a conceptual level—

On something invisible yet real—

She was already considered a true undead.

That was why, despite being both alive and undead,

The human part of her face remained unchanged—not undergoing further necrotic transformation.

“A living corpse? A lich? A high-level undead?”

Looking at Sylvia, who was lying down, Xu Xi contemplated what category she fit into.

But—

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anything exactly like her.

Beings that straddled both life and death were usually powerful supernatural creatures—

For example, legendary Seventh-Ring Sorcerers, who had sealed their mortality through forbidden rituals.

Compared to those immensely powerful beings—

Sylvia was far too weak.

“Maybe… this is what they call a flaw in the world itself,” Xu Xi muttered, feeling a tinge of sympathy for the girl’s fate.