Chapter 387 - 390: Domain Of The Dead

Aurelian opened her eyes groggily.

The sky outside had already been covered in deep black.

Starlight, like lively silver studs, dotted it, flickering with faint glimmers.

Clearly, the night was already far along.

She opened her eyes and looked at the surroundings filled with girlish-style furniture and decorations, and couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.

By her pillow sat a somewhat worn doll, looking like it had been patched up countless times.

Ever since Aurelian came to the territory of Duke Barlow, she had spent every night in this place that felt both new and familiar.

Every time she slept here, it brought her a warm sense of comfort.

Looking at the bright moon hanging high outside the window, she couldn't really remember what time it was.

In the end, she should have succeeded, right…

Aurelian closed her eyes, recalling the scene from before when she summoned the fifth-tier demonic dragon at the lowest level of Guanta Prison.

To be honest, even she didn't know how she had managed to do it.

She only remembered that at that time, a very special voice had sounded deep in her heart.

After that, what did she do again?

Hmm… she forgot.

But she still remembered stepping on the dragon's back and controlling it as it rampaged everywhere.

And at the end… Teacher Viktor came back.

Because of the overwhelming exhaustion, she didn't know what happened, and just fell asleep like that.

Wait, she didn't fall asleep on Teacher Viktor, did she?

Thinking of this, her body stiffened slightly.

But soon, another sensation hit her, forcing her to forget about it.

No, she needed to go to the bathroom.

She sat up, supported herself with her right hand on the furniture, and struggled to stand.

But suddenly, a sharp pain came from her right wrist.

"It hurts…"

Aurelian lowered her head and looked at her wrist.

'Strange.'

'Where did this wound come from?'

A black scab had formed over it, with faint traces of blood around it.

It wasn't bandaged, but it seemed to be recovering quickly.

At this rate, it should heal by tomorrow.

It was just that her body felt too weak, and her right hand didn't have much strength.

For the next two days, she probably couldn't use her right hand much.

After she struggled to stand, she found that aside from her wrist, there were no injuries on the rest of her body.

A layer of confusion once again settled over her mind.

Logically speaking, her undead state should have prevented this kind of physical injury.

But the weakness she felt was like a lot of blood had been drained from her body.

Looking at the arrangement of the room, her vision became a little blurry.

Suddenly, a gentle knocking sound came from outside the door.

Aurelian raised her head and narrowed her eyes toward the door.

'It's already late at night, who could be knocking?'

As she thought about it, she dragged her tired body forward, gently turned the handle with her left hand, and opened the door.

Standing outside was Vanilla, dressed in a maid outfit.

The moment she saw Aurelian, Vanilla gave her a deep bow.

"Your Highness, the master said you should be awake around this time and hopes you can go to the hall."

"The Duke and the master are waiting for you."

Vanilla's master.

That could only be Teacher Viktor.

A moment of dizziness passed through Aurelian's mind. Hearing Vanilla's words, she nodded and supported her body as she prepared to head to the hall.

Vanilla respectfully asked, "Your Highness, will you not change your clothes?"

Hearing the reminder, Aurelian looked down.

She was still wearing her pajamas.

Thinking about Teacher Viktor seeing that…

Aurelian widened her eyes and turned to ask Vanilla, "My pajamas were…"

"I changed them for you, please don't worry."

Hearing this reply, Aurelian let out a relieved breath.

———

Aurelian hurriedly changed into simple everyday clothes, passed through the complicated, intersecting corridors, and finally arrived at the luxurious hall.

Viktor and Duke Barlow were already seated facing each other, holding cups of fragrant tea with gentle steam rising from them.

On Viktor's shoulder, a black crow still rested quietly.

Aurelian first bowed slightly to her grandfather, then turned to Viktor and spoke with a hint of hesitation, "Teacher, you were looking for me?"

Viktor set down his teacup and replied calmly, "Actually, it was Duke Barlow who wanted to see you."

Aurelian was stunned for a moment and turned toward the duke.

Hearing her teacher's answer, she paused, looked at her grandfather, and just as she was about to speak, she saw him lean on his cane, stand up, and say in a hoarse voice, "Come with me."

Aurelian felt confused, glanced back at Viktor, and quickly followed behind Duke Barlow.

Viktor watched Aurelian's departing figure, his gaze falling on her injured right hand.

"What, worried?"

After seeing the two leave, Vega shook its feathers on Viktor's shoulder, opened its deep single eye, and looked at Aurelian's departing back, speaking in a hoarse voice, "How should I put it."

"Even I didn't expect her to dare do that."

———

In the dark corridor, Aurelian followed behind Duke Barlow, quiet and careful.

The duke walked ahead without saying a word.

In the entire hallway, only the slow footsteps and the dull sound of the cane striking the floor echoed.

Aurelian didn't dare speak either. She kept wondering if it was because she and Viktor had gone to Guanta Prison that the duke was in a bad mood.

After all, that was a serious matter.

If any death row prisoners escaped, it would definitely cause huge chaos.

In the quiet corridor, Duke Barlow suddenly spoke, "It seems you've overcome your fear of the undead."

Aurelian froze slightly, recalling how earlier that day, in the Land of Spiritbound Stars, she had controlled that undead demonic dragon.

She opened her mouth and replied hesitantly, "I feel… not completely."

Actually, Aurelian felt a bit embarrassed. After all, her grandfather had been teaching her necromancy for quite some time.

Yet because she was afraid of the undead, she hadn't been able to fully master it.

But what Duke Barlow said next made her a little stunned, "Going to Guanta Prison was something I had your teacher arrange."

She froze. Going to Guanta Prison had actually been planned by her grandfather. She had never expected that.

"The original intention was to let you overcome it in a crisis, but you found another path."

"That surprised me."

Duke Barlow's gaze glanced at Aurelian's injured right hand, even though she instinctively hid it behind her back.

"But since you've been here for quite a while."

"I think it can be handed over to you."

Aurelian grew curious.

What was this thing her grandfather said he could hand over to her?

Soon, they reached a corner.

Duke Barlow turned to the right, and Aurelian followed closely behind.

At the end of the corner was a door that looked like it had been closed for a very long time.

The duke pushed it open and slowly walked inside.

Aurelian felt a bit puzzled.

Looking from the corridor into the depths, it was dark and deep.

There seemed to be a faint, glowing green light flickering inside.

The door was covered with young vines, as if it had been left untended for years.

With unease in her chest, Aurelian looked around the door and followed inside.

The next moment, the scenery around her was completely different from what she had seen before.

The darkness instantly disappeared, replaced by a bright green light that gradually intensified.

Soon, Aurelian felt that the pain in her right hand had disappeared.

Looking down, on her slender pale arm, a ghostly green misty flame was burning.

Aurelian suddenly realized that she had entered her undead state.

Everything around her gradually blurred, replaced by a desolate land shrouded in green mist.

This place… was the domain of the dead?

Yet everything around was empty, even Duke Barlow, who had brought her here, had disappeared.

Aurelian looked around in confusion. The ground beneath her feet made a soft rustling sound as she wandered aimlessly in this unknown environment.

Suddenly, she felt something strange under her feet and looked up.

Within the green mist, several weathered stone tablets stood.

And in this vast graveyard, only a hunched old man stood there.

Aurelian looked and couldn't help but freeze.

The one standing beside the stone tablet was her grandfather, Duke Festian.

Aurelian stepped forward and immediately recognized him as Duke Barlow.

She was about to greet him when the step she took felt like stepping into empty air.

In the next instant, the scene before her suddenly changed.

The graveyard turned into a battlefield covered in blood-red sand, with countless corpses of soldiers from different factions lying everywhere.

Among them were a man and a woman whose faces couldn't be seen clearly.

They fell in love on the battlefield, and were separated by war.

Aurelian couldn't quite understand.

Everything around her, the environment and the people, filled her with confusion.

Before she could think further, the surroundings changed again.

She appeared in her familiar room, suddenly opening her eyes and sitting up from the bed.

Looking at the cozy furniture around her and the brand-new doll by the bedside, she felt puzzled.

Behind her, her long hair seemed to be gently lifted by someone.

Aurelian was startled and quickly turned her head.

But as she turned, her consciousness gradually rose into the sky.

Aurelian realized something.

The woman sitting on the bed wasn't her at all.

She looked down.

An old man was combing the woman's hair, and the woman was wearing a wedding dress, with a happy smile on her face.

Even though she couldn't see her face clearly, Aurelian could tell that it was the same woman who had appeared on the battlefield earlier.

She looked much older now than before.

Had the war ended?

Everything played out rapidly in front of Aurelian like a flashing film.

Now, it was a sacred church, filled with bright flowers all around, and ethereal, holy music echoed within.

Warm sunlight passed through the windows, falling onto the pure white seats and draping over the couple's clothes.

Every guest seated in the church had a joyful smile on their face.

Aurelian couldn't see anyone's face clearly, nor could she hear what they were saying, only a buzzing sound echoed in her mind.

Standing here, she was like an observer of a story.

Passively receiving everything.

The scene changed again.

She saw that familiar woman die within a field of ruins.

All around were burning smoke and surging ash.

The dying woman used all her strength to protect the child in her womb.

In front of her stood a man whose face couldn't be seen clearly, wearing a familiar crown on his head.

At that moment, Aurelian finally realized.

The man's eyes were filled with pain and reluctance as he sorrowfully took her out from the woman's womb.

Ripples seemed to spread all around, as deep green mist enveloped the entire world.

The scenery returned to the original graveyard, where an old man stood before a gravestone.

A light drizzle soaked the old man's clothes. He stood solemnly before the gravestone, head lowered, silent for a long time.

The flowers in front of the grave had their petals knocked off, floating on a thin layer of rainwater, gently swaying.

Aurelian really wanted to say something to the old man.

But the words choked in her throat, and what came out instead was a voice that absolutely did not belong to her.

Carrying a hollow softness and comfort, "Father…"

"Don't blame him."

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