Duke Barlow led Aurelian, continuing to walk through the Domain of the Dead.
They passed through one wooden door after another, moving through one space after another.
Aurelian finally understood.
The wooden doors here were just a way to divide the surrounding Domain of the Dead.
Every time they passed through a door, they arrived at another region.
And Duke Barlow, bringing her along, had gone through who knew how many regions.
All the places they had passed were her grandfather's territory.
'Terrifying.'
After pushing open another wooden door, she arrived at a brand new domain.
It seemed as if there were no wandering souls here at all. The sky looked quiet and peaceful, even that sharp whistling had hidden itself.
Across the entire land, the only sound was footsteps stepping on rock, monotonous and still.
As Aurelian was observing the surroundings, Duke Barlow's voice suddenly sounded.
"We're here."
"This place might be more suitable for you."
He stood in place, looking at the desolate soil around him, and said calmly, "If you cannot accept the souls of humans, then for you, the undead army has no meaning."
"So, I will teach you other methods."
He lightly tapped the ground with his staff. A strand of ghostly green magic drilled into the rock beneath their feet, twisting and winding as it flowed forward.
Immediately after, following that ghostly green curve, the soil beneath their feet slowly split open into a crack, expanding outward to both sides.
A ghostly green flame surged up from deep underground, bursting out of the fissure and swaying its radiant body in midair.
The flame seemed to have awareness, slowly spreading over Duke Barlow's body.
In the next second, his body was surrounded by ghostly green fire, flickering constantly within the depths of his robe.
His limbs also ignited with ghostly green flames, as if his flesh had been completely burned away.
The duke's lead-colored robe was still heavy, but in the places it did not cover, there was nothing but white bones burning with ghostly green flames.
Even his pupils had been burned away, leaving only deep eye sockets, from which ghostly green flames still burst forth.
Seeing such a huge change in the duke, Aurelian's eyes widened, her lips slightly parted, shock overflowing from her expression.
"This is the true appearance of a necromancer."
Duke Barlow's voice slowly rang out, like a long echo coming from the abyss.
Somewhat hollow, yet carrying a trace of mysterious authority.
"Only by embracing death can one understand death."
At this moment, from the crack in the ground where flames kept emerging, a horse walked over.
This horse looked completely out of place here. It had dark brown mane, a bright red body, and strong hooves covered in white leg wraps.
Its body was strong and powerful, its veins clearly visible. Obviously, it was full of vitality.
But where was this place?
This was the Domain of the Dead. Why would a living creature appear here?
Oh right, she herself was also alive.
Thinking about it that way, the appearance of a horse here didn't seem so strange after all.
The duke raised his staff and gently pointed at the horse.
"Like this."
In the next second, the ghostly green flames burning on the duke's body rose into the air, turning into twisting pythons.
They rushed out from beneath his robe and attached themselves to the horse.
The flames burned fiercely. The horse let out pained neighs as if scorched, yet its body remained bound within the flames, unable to move.
Only its shrill cries and desperate struggle spoke of the piercing burning pain.
After a while, the horse stopped crying out and became quiet.
Its flesh, like Duke Barlow's, seemed to have been completely burned away by the green flames.
Its entire body burned with ghostly green fire, white bones exposed before Aurelian's eyes.
The ghostly green flames became its mane, and all four hooves also burned with fire.
At the place of its heart, a cluster of ghostly green flame seemed to pulse and flicker, fine flames spreading through its body along what used to be its veins.
Its eyes flickered with firelight, making it look imposing and awe-inspiring.
Aurelian couldn't help but stare at it, curiosity and fear showing in her eyes.
But she also felt that this skeletal horse had a certain charm.
What she feared were those wandering souls.
Something like a skeletal horse, which looked more like a magical creature, made her feel much less afraid.
At this moment, the skeletal horse lowered its head toward the duke, bent its front legs, and knelt before him, submitting.
Aurelian stared blankly at it and asked Duke Barlow, "I-it… is it dead?"
"It is still a living creature. It has only had its underworld state revealed by the flame of the soul."
The duke reached out his hand, looking at the skeletal horse, and explained casually, "The strength of a necromancer does not lie in themselves, but in their control over the undead."
"Either, like now, possessing an undead army of your own."
Afterward, he gently waved his hand. The soul flames on his body quickly split apart into fireballs and shot into the sky.
Like fireworks exploding in the height of summer, they scattered and fell toward the surrounding rocks.
The moment the flames touched the ground, waves of heat surged, rising several meters high.
Those ghostly green flames gradually burst open, and from the soil, all kinds of undead creatures crawled out.
Fierce tigers and leopards leapt onto the rocks, their bodies surrounded by ghostly green flames. Their fur was like blades, their skeletons exposed, white bones ghastly.
Their pupils were deep and hollow, yet the ghostly green flames dancing within them were chilling to the bone.
The skeleton of an eagle circled in the sky, flames on its wings like burning brocade sails, its sharp talons scattering sparks.
This flock of beasts and birds was like waves of fire, rolling with the wind, gathering behind the duke, forming a mighty and awe-inspiring undead army.
The scene before Aurelian shocked her, and then Duke Barlow's voice sounded again.
"But you may not be able to adapt."
As his words fell, the many undead beasts gradually turned into countless fireflies, flickering bright and dim.
Then, like shattered glass, they scattered in all directions, turning into countless ghostly green points of light, slowly falling back into the silent canyon.
Even on the skeletal horse, the mane-like flames gradually shrank.
The flames on its hooves subsided, and everything returned to stillness.
Flesh regrew like flowing water, covering its bones, the flames gradually extinguishing.
The entire Domain of the Dead returned once more to its quiet state, and the crack slowly closed.
Only deep within the canyon, thick smoke continued to rise, along with that wind-like whistling.
The restored horse gently rubbed its head against the duke, appearing very close to him.
The duke smiled and stroked it, speaking earnestly, "So, you can use this flame to turn your army into undead like this skeletal horse."
"Only those who have embraced death will not fear death."
Aurelian nodded slightly, a bit hesitant, her gaze full of respect for her grandfather.
Suddenly, from far away in the Domain of the Dead, there came a loud "boom."
A powerful gust of wind shot through space like a sharp arrow, carrying an extremely fierce and piercing aura as it rushed toward the two of them.
The withered weeds on the rocks swayed wildly, their roots almost unable to hold onto their frenzied bodies.
Aurelian couldn't help but raise an arm in front of her face. The chaotic wind tugged at her clothes, making them flap noisily in midair.
"Wind?"
'Would such a dense wind element appear in the Domain of the Dead?'
Even the duke's lead-colored robe began to sway, and the soul flames on his body were being pulled, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.
Feeling the intense fluctuations of the wind, he slowly turned around.
The flames on his body gradually dissipated, and his appearance returned to normal. Even the weathered wrinkles and marks left by time reappeared.
At this moment, his deep gaze looked toward the direction from which the wind was coming, while he said calmly, "Aurelian, you should go rest now."
"Next time, your grandfather will teach you these things again."
Before Aurelian could say anything, Duke Barlow lightly tapped his staff against the rock beneath his feet.
The green smoke around them began to gather, and the entire space instantly became hazy.
The Domain of the Dead seemed to be wrapped in a magical curtain, rapidly shrinking.
Ghostly green flames burned along the edges of space, as if gradually burning away everything around them.
Until everything was completely burned away, the surrounding scenery gradually shifted from deep darkness to pale white.
Aurelian blinked.
The moment she opened her eyes again, everything around her had changed.
This was a room.
The room was of moderate size, cleaned very neatly, giving off an extremely warm feeling.
In the corner of the room, there was a large bed.
The bed was covered with a pink mattress and a thick pink quilt. At the head of the bed were many fluffy cat and dog dolls, very cute.
For some reason, it all felt completely out of place with the style of the manor.
Aurelian couldn't help but look around. This not-too-big, not-too-small room actually made her feel very comfortable and warm.
It felt as if it had been carefully arranged by someone.
She had just wanted to ask about it when she caught a faint green flicker out of the corner of her eye.
Whoosh!!
Aurelian turned her head and saw a small ghostly green flame ignite in one corner of the room, only to quickly disappear.
At the same time, Duke Barlow was gone as well.
She knew her grandfather had already left.
So Aurelian stopped thinking about it and instead sat down on the bed.
Looking at the dolls placed at the head of the bed, she leaned closer and casually picked one up to examine and play with.
Aurelian took a deep breath, as if she could smell an old scent.
It felt as though this doll had been waiting in this room for many years.
As she thought about it, holding the doll, she lay down on the bed.
Feeling the softness, her consciousness slowly became hazy.
She had experienced too much today. She really was a bit sleepy.
"Phew… Teacher."
"Did I… do pretty well…"
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.
Clearly, she ultimately couldn't resist the drowsiness.
In the next second, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep,
———
A ghostly green flame slowly descended from the sky, landing on a patch of turned soil.
As the flame gradually dissipated, Duke Barlow stood within the soil, revealing his figure.
Walking along the path, he looked around, but could not sense any souls of the dead.
"Have they dissipated.", The duke muttered to himself, his tone carrying a hint of regret.
As he walked, he suddenly saw a touch of gold.
So, the duke stopped.
It was a stalk of wheat, rooted in the loose soil.
The golden wheat stood out in the clear space, absorbing nutrients from the soil and growing vigorously.
The duke leaned on his staff and looked down.
A gentle breeze rose, brushing against the golden wheat, like a strip of silk softly gliding over its small body, making it sway slightly in the soil.
Duke Barlow bent down, carefully observing this steadily growing stalk of wheat, remaining silent for a long time.
Straightening up, he looked at the boundless sky, a trace of clarity rising in his murky eyes, "After you, is there another mage who wants to blaspheme the gods?"
He sighed, and within that sigh there was also a trace of nostalgia.
"Truly insane."