Crack.
Pop!
In the next moment, the large bulge on the fishman corpse’s chest split open from the middle.
A dark red orb was lifted out of its body by a swirling mass of black mist.
This was a sphere formed by the fishman’s own blood fused with death energy…
Since the wandering souls she currently possessed couldn’t possibly handle controlling such a powerful body, what if she used external means to reduce the resistance the souls would face in manipulating the corpse?
Like how a person who’s lost their legs can still walk by installing prosthetics.
And the perfect material…was the corpse’s own blood.
That should make it even more compatible!
Gurgle gurgle…
Under Ilea’s control of her death magic, the fist-sized blood sphere compressed smaller and smaller, eventually becoming a thumb-sized pellet that glowed with a dark red light.
This would be the “prosthetic” for her first undead servant, and also the core Ilea planned to use to precisely control it.
“…”
The young lady let out a long, heavy breath.
Just this process alone had drained most of the mana from her body.
Later…she would probably have to gather more wandering souls and fuse them together.
It looked like making this corpse move today was unlikely.
Thinking this, Ilea’s slightly tired red eyes slowly turned to look at Veil—who seemed to be spacing out nearby.
“Eh?”
Noticing the wicked woman’s gaze, the little goddess tensed up like a kitten on alert, the stray hair on her head sticking straight up as she instinctively took a half-step back.
“What is it?”
Ilea asked with a smile.
“Ah…nothing, it’s just, kind of cold~”
Veil scratched her head awkwardly, laughing it off.
“Mm, it really is quite chilly down here. Let’s go back and come again tomorrow~”
Ilea said as she casually tossed the blood crystal—now fully solidified—into the air.
A pellet formed from all the blood in the body, designed to control the corpse…
She’d just call it a [Blood Core]~
Maybe…she was even the first person in this world to invent something like this.
Thinking so, the young lady’s lips curled up into a little smile again~
Ahh, maybe I really will establish some new schools of magic in this world…who knows?
Meanwhile, not too far from Crystal City, deep within the mountains at the entrance of Mine No.13—
Old mining carts, rusted tracks, broken pickaxes…and a faded, nearly unreadable warning sign, all told the same story: Humans had abandoned this place long ago, and no one had come here for a very long time.
Thud thud thud!!
But just then, a series of footsteps echoed from within the mine!
Mixed in were sharp cries from some sort of creature…
Sounding like hoarse humans, or maybe female bears in heat.
“Cough cough cough!”
A few seconds later, several people stumbled out, covered in dust, looking rather battered.
“This way!”
Nolan, with his short golden hair, pointed to a sloping path to the side, then slid down first, quickly rolling behind a massive boulder.
The others followed his lead, fleeing the mine.
“Huff…huff…The numbers are even greater than we thought, and these things…seem to have formed a subtle symbiotic relationship with the rock rats. Just like…”
Nolan whispered, analyzing the situation. “…like how humans train hawks and hounds.”
Bluejay, hiding behind another rock, finished for him.
“But…”
Nolan slowly peeked out.
At the cave entrance, several creatures with thick, muscular arms shielding their eyes, their whole bodies a pig-like pink, were stumbling about.
They shrieked for several seconds at the cave mouth before all retreating back into the shadows.
Clearly, they disliked—or perhaps even feared—the sunlight.
“Whew…looks like we’re safe.”
Seeing the monsters retreat, Nolan let out a long breath.
It proved that they’d still underestimated things.
They had thought these creatures, known as “Cave Dwellers,” weren’t directly connected to any higher beings, and might be easier to handle.
But being here in person, they realized…
Not only were these monsters not as stupid as imagined, they’d also overlooked one critical factor: The terrain.
Even with lanterns hanging at their waists, visibility in the mines was poor.
Some passages were so narrow you couldn’t even swing a sword.
And with the maze-like tunnels, it was all too easy to get separated from your companions…and lose your way.
“What do we do? Should…we postpone this plan?”
Nolan pressed his lips together, glancing at Bluejay beside him.
Clearly, this operation was already more dangerous than expected.
“Are you kidding me…Nolan, you know this intel isn’t something only the two of us have…If we don’t move quickly, where will we ever find another chance like this?!”
Bluejay’s voice was almost feverish—his obsession with becoming a transcendent was deep.
Faced with such words, Nolan could only bow his head slightly, letting out a helpless sigh.
“Mm…I know…”
The value of a Rock Dragon Egg was simply too high, and this information was far from exclusive—they didn’t have the means to keep it under wraps either.
So speed was safety.
This operation absolutely couldn’t be canceled.
As long as they could secure the Rock Dragon Egg, using its power to advance into a [Transcendent] would be worth paying any price.
“Hoo…alright, the answer to this question was decided long ago, and there’s no way we can go back on it…”
Bluejay took a deep breath, then stood up and patted Nolan on the shoulder.
“They’re not your family or friends. If you let yourself grow soft-hearted now, and then can’t protect your real family in the war to come—that’s when you’ll truly regret it.”
Those words struck right at Nolan’s heart.
He wanted to protect his home, his parents, and…everything he currently possessed.
“I…understand.”
That night, pale purple moonlight streamed through the window, shining into the room.
A small black kitten lay on the windowsill, slowly opening eyes that the moonlight made look faintly green.
“Meow~”
It turned its tiny head, glancing around.
But it didn’t see the maid who always held it, petted it, and brought it food.
So late…and still not back?
And now…where was the maid girl?
“Um…mi…milady…c-can I…not go back yet…?”
Veil stood stiff as a board in front of Ilea’s bed, looking nervously at the young lady who had already changed into a black gauzy nightdress.
Moonlight poured evenly across her body, making it easy to see through the thin fabric—to the slight swell of her chest, which was much more developed than Veil’s.
“Go back? Heh…what are you talking about~”
Ilea slowly turned her head. In her crimson eyes flickered not just teasing mischief, but also a faint shyness imperceptible to ordinary people.
Whoosh…
As she turned, the girl’s white hair traced a delicate arc through the air, like clouds scattered by a wild wind, or like colorful bubbles cradled in your hands on a summer night…shattering at a touch.
“Tonight…”
Ilea clasped her hands behind her back, leaned her upper body forward, her bright face slowly drawing close to the little goddess in front of her.
“Sleep with me~”