Chapter 304: It’s Normal for Undead to be Afraid of the Dark, Right?

"Undead curse?"

"Netherworld erosion?"

"Or perhaps, the product of some wizard's experiment?"

Xu Xi sat cross-legged on the back of the Bone Bird, looking down from a high vantage point at that lonely figure.

It was currently the rainy season.

The air was incredibly humid.

Thick, muggy, and forming a faint layer of mist on the surface of all living things.

But the figure sitting by the tombstone was completely unaffected. The upper body was clad in heavy, thick armor, with iron covering even the ten fingers, while the lower body wore severely worn leg guards covered in mottled mud spots.

The hair had long since vanished, eroded and submerged by the aura of death.

The only thing that could prove it.

The only proof that the girl had once been human.

Was that terrifying face with protruding white bones and those emerald-green eyes.

Those eyes blinked in the twilight, like glazed lamps lit in the depths of a dark room, appearing exceptionally striking in a world shrouded by Death Qi.

The irises were not a uniform emerald green.

Instead, they transitioned from a deep green at the outer edges to a bright light cyan towards the pupils.

Like gemstones, reflecting light translucently.

Like green water, rippling with a light touch.

Such a pair of eyes revealed an indescribable light.

It was a hope for tomorrow held by the living, something Xu Xi hadn't seen for a long time, but at the same time, clear confusion and loneliness were hidden in their depths.

"Father, Mother…"

Infinite longing was hidden within the hollow voice.

That face, so terrifying that it would be treated as an undead monster if revealed, spoke its longing to the wind on the mountain peak.

The sky grew dark.

The already dim world became even more pitch black.

Xu Xi's gaze shifted downward.

He saw the semi-undead Hero girl shivering once again, cowardly and uneasy due to the arrival of darkness.

Her posture was somewhat pitiful, but the girl did not leave. Instead, she curled her body further, leaning her back against her parents' tombstone.

The sky was very dark, which was frightening.

The mountain was very high, which was eerie and terrifying.

But because Father and Mother were behind her, she was no longer afraid.

"Father, Mother, I'm back…"

The terrifying skeleton face ground its fleshless teeth, producing a voice of peace and joy.

The Soul Fire deep within burned even more intensely.

After that.

Under Xu Xi's secret observation, the undead girl fell into a deep sleep, squatting with her knees hugged and her back against the tombstone, sleeping sweetly on the nameless mountain peak.

Despite the heavy armor blocking his view, Xu Xi couldn't see the body inside.

But he felt.

The inside was most likely a skeleton frame.

"Has the degree of undead transformation already reached this depth…"

"No wonder she would specifically put on armor and approach ordinary people as the Hero."

"It's not that she doesn't want to be open and honest, but that she simply can't do it."

Xu Xi shook his head.

The righteous actions of the 'Hero' and that tragic encounter formed a tragic conflict and contrast.

It was hard to imagine what the 'Hero' had experienced to end up in such a bizarre state, neither truly alive nor truly dead.

Xu Xi was somewhat curious about the 'Hero' in this state.

He felt.

This unique life form would be beneficial to his research on death.

"I'll observe for a few more days to ensure it's not a trap or another wizard's experiment."

"Once everything is secure, I'll proceed with close-range contact and observation."

Looking at the armored undead girl.

Xu Xi nodded slightly.

If he could research something from this, then his goal for this simulation would be more than half completed ahead of schedule.

"But then again, a Hero being afraid of the dark is bizarre enough."

"As an undead creature, she is the very definition of dark and eerie, yet she's afraid of the dark. Isn't that a bit…"

Xu Xi hesitated.

He could only categorize it as the influence of her unextinguished humanity.

…

[You have discovered the truth of the 'Hero']

[Pale bones, remaining flesh; death and life coexist in the same body]

[You originally thought you would need to be at least a Third-Ring Wizard to come into contact with materials where life and death coexist, but the sudden appearance of the Hero has given you hope that you can research this at the First Ring]

[While lamenting the Hero's twisted fate, you decide to research the Hero's life form]

[To be safe, you did not meet the Hero immediately]

[Instead, while clearing out undead and collecting the necessary Soul Fire, you observed the undead girl's movements from afar, scouting for anything suspicious]

[Time passed silently]

[In your observations, the 'Hero's' daily routine was very regular, cycling between saving people and resting, almost never stopping in her slaughter of the undead]

[However, the 'Hero's' strength was ultimately limited]

[Faced with powerful undead creatures or a large-scale wave of undead, the lone girl, relying only on her semi-undead power, simply could not achieve victory]

The Hero's crusade failed.

A true Hero would lose to a powerful Devil King.

A fake Hero couldn't even beat a slightly stronger undead.

"Everyone, quick, hide!"

She called out to let the villagers hide.

In the curtain of rain, the undead girl, clad in sturdy armor and holding a holy sword, charged alone toward a massive Minotaur Bone Warrior.

Bang—

The holy sword glowed as it collided with the Minotaur skeleton's bone axe, producing a sharp ringing sound.

Then.

The 'Hero' was sent flying.

The Minotaur's strength was immense, and the Soul Fire in its skull burst with an extremely intense ghostly light.

As the axe fell, it whipped up a whistling gale.

It directly smashed the 'Hero' into a spray of white bones.

Xu Xi had guessed correctly; inside that heavy armor was indeed a complete human skeleton, without a single trace of flesh.

Clatter—

Clatter—

The skull, arm bones, and leg bones were scattered in the puddles.

Pulled by the Soul Fire, their vibrations stirred up ripples in the water as they tried to reassemble, tried to stand up once more and fight the Minotaur.

Time after time, time after time.

Failing in the struggle, struggling in the failure.

"I won't let you… pass… This is the only thing… I can do for Father and Mother…"

The voice vibrated continuously.

But a mere imposter, who wasn't even a decent fake, how could she be like the Hero in the stories and erupt with incredible power in a desperate situation?

That was impossible and unachievable.

"Bang!!!"

Shivering and terrified, she picked up her sword again, only to be sent flying by the Minotaur once more.

This time.

The undead girl's Soul Fire was nearly extinguished.

The helmet used to cover her head and hide her hideous face also flew off during the violent impact, rolling several times through the wet, sticky mud.

Subconsciously, the girl wanted to find her helmet again to cover her face.

To avoid being seen.

But she didn't seem to have that chance anymore.

The wind from the axe was cold; even before it touched her, it made her Soul Fire ache.

Would she really die this time?

The thought flashed through her mind.

But just then, a thunderbolt fell from the sky, intertwining with a Fire Snake to burst into a surging tornado of thunder and fire, instantly submerging the Minotaur skeleton.

First-Ring Spell: Lightning Strike.

First-Ring Spell: Fire Snake.

Using two high-energy elemental spells was a huge drain for a wizard, but the newcomer didn't seem to care.

He reached out his hand, warm and powerful, and pulled up the undead girl who had no helmet to hide her face.

"My name is Xu Xi, I am a wizard."

He said.