This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 184

Chapter 184: The Essence of Necromancy

Rhaegar's expression shifted.

He wore a grim look: "We're family, no need for such absolute words, Lilith. We could negotiate about the issue of offspring— I can provide some genetic material. I've heard of the rapid development in the Blood Flag Kingdom these years. I presume you've mastered more advanced means of reproduction by now."

However, Lilith simply shook her head.

"Reproduction devoid of spirit and flesh is incomplete. That way, the Blood Flag lineage's strongest blood won't be born."

"Stop resisting, Rhaegar. This is your duty and mission," she added.

Rhaegar resisted vehemently.

He gazed at the woman before him, her crystal horn reminiscent of Sivak's, her facial features mostly soft.

Scantily clad, barely covered by a short skirt and sensual fishnet stockings, her attractive figure was on display.

Not a drop of blood was visible on her now. The blood spattered on her during the battle had been absorbed completely by her skin.

Yet, she was a murderous devil.

Many years ago, she was the little girl following him around, calling him "Big Brother Rhaegar."

"Lilith, you weren't like this when you were younger," he said. "You were my closest sister in the Blood Flag Kingdom."

Rhaegar attempted to appeal emotionally, but Lilith remained unmoved.

"So, I've come to find you," she stated. "While they're still considering your dignity, reconsider now! If you persist, 'Luticia' will likely come for you next."

At the mention of Luticia's name, Rhaegar shuddered.

She was the current Regent Queen of the Blood Flag Kingdom, bearing the title of Eskana's foremost legend. Under her command lay the elite Tiflin Corps of the Blood Flag Kingdom.

She was known for her ruthless and fierce nature.

Rhaegar wore a troubled expression. "But what's the point of forcing me? You've said yourself that only the fusion of spirit and flesh can cultivate the most powerful Blood Flag lineage. There's no love between me and them, not even familial affection."

"Do you see how those women look at me? They are a group of lustful beasts!" he exclaimed. "They don't see me as a man; they see me as a means to ascend in society."

Lilith chuckled. "But don't describe your sisters like that. After all, everyone is working for the revival of the Blood Flag Kingdom."

"And your concerns are unnecessary. In the years you've been away, Elder Konstantin collaborated with others and developed a new love potion. Once consumed, it induces feelings akin to romance. Naturally, this would facilitate the union of spirit and flesh."

"Besides, love can grow gradually. Isn't there a human saying about familiarity breeding fondness?" she explained.

Grimly, Rhaegar persisted, "I still refuse."

Angrily, Lilith retorted, "How much longer will you act up? You and your father are birds of a feather. Both fled the Blood Flag Kingdom without fulfilling your duties, seeking solace in the Prime Material Plane. Irresponsible! What kind of man are you? You enjoy the power and glory from the Blood Flag lineage yet fail to pass it on. Are you worthy of your ancestors? Are you worthy of all that's in you?"

Rhaegar fell silent for a moment, displeased. "You can insult me, but don't insult my father. He at least brought me into this world."

Lilith sneered, "He's gone and of an older generation. I didn't want to discuss this, but decades ago, he bore the responsibility of the Blood Flag Kingdom's expedition into the Prime Material Plane! The Kingdom emptied its coffers to establish that costly Super Legion Gateway. And what happened? He turned around and sealed the gate, claiming it was to protect Aendu's peace."

"Peace?" Lilith scoffed. "What a laughable term. His homeland was ravaged by war, and his fellow kin never tasted true peace. Yet, suddenly, for a group of strangers, he emerged as their peacekeeper."

"As his heir, don't you find your and your father's actions ironic? Rhaegar, I must remind you, you are a devil! Although human blood flows in you, it only makes you weak. Embracing the glory of our ancestors, igniting the devil's blood within you, that's the only path to true strength!"

Rhaegar's expression turned slightly colder. "So, you're capturing me not just for offspring but primarily for that gateway?"

Lilith sighed. "Brother, I can't comprehend your actions, but I have no intention of persuading you. I only want to tell you a fact—even if you keep that gate hidden, we can embark on the journey to the Prime Material Plane using our own strength. To me, except for having a younger brother, you've become useless over these years. You should be thankful you're a man. If you were a woman, amidst the Blood Flag family's ruthless internal struggles, you'd have become a toy for some big devil by now!"

"Now, come with me!"

She produced a flaming whip from behind.

Rhaegar's face tightened. "Lilith, I don't want to fight you. Don't force my hand; I'm quite strong..."

But before he could finish, Lilith swiftly grasped the edge of the flame beside her with her right hand and the edge of her left leg's fishnet stockings with her left hand. She slightly lifted her leg, simultaneously pulling down.

The stockings came off in an instant and were hurled toward Rhaegar!

Instinctively, Rhaegar took a step back.

In that moment, the stockings transformed into a vast fishing net, a potent force field locking Rhaegar in place.

The net swiftly tightened, binding him securely!

Struggling with all his might, Rhaegar realized he couldn't break free from the net.

"Let's go, brother. Come home with me," Lilith sweetly smiled.

Just as she was about to lead Rhaegar away from the valley, several dozen bio-airships approached from the distant skies.

Further away, a colossal shadow slowly drew near.

"Lingering demonic spirits," Lilith cursed. Immediately, she flicked her flaming whip into the sky—

Crack! After a crisp sound.

Even the soldiers tidying the battlefield at the valley's mouth quickly gathered around her.

All these soldiers were pale-faced, sharp-toothed, every one of them a vampire!

"Kill them!" Lilith again wielded her whip, sweeping it toward one of the bio-airships within her line of sight.

Boom! That airship, carrying two demons, crashed beside her!

Vampires soared into the air, engaging the incoming enemies, claws and teeth bared.

The demons didn't sit idle either. Some controlled their airships to land nearby, while others leaped off directly.

The melee ensued in an instant!

...

Above the vast sky, a biological airship glided smoothly across the horizon. Inside the cabin, Matthew felt his tension ease gradually. After the initial phase, Margaret's piloting skills had indeed become quite proficient.

They were currently rushing toward Rhaegar's location. Before departing, Zeller handed Matthew a magic compass. Within a range of five hundred kilometers, this compass would activate, guiding them in Rhaegar's direction.

Lele, the formation mage, had cleverly selected a teleportation spot for them, conveniently situated at the border of the Blood Flag Kingdom and the Bru Tribe.

As they landed, Matthew noticed the magic compass springing to life. Checking it after boarding the airship confirmed his suspicion. He promptly corrected Margaret's course.

For about twenty minutes, they raced through the sky. Suddenly, Margaret spoke up, "There's a battle ahead!"

Matthew peered ahead. In the airspace, over thirty airships akin to theirs were hovering, each besieged by at least one vampire at its edge. On the ground, demonkind engaged in fierce combat against the vampire legion.

The demons clearly held the upper hand in terms of physical prowess, but the vampires outnumbered them threefold.

It was apparent the vampires had the advantage in this battle.

"Let's steer clear," Margaret proposed, "Borderlands often erupt in conflict. We have no need to involve ourselves."

Matthew nodded in agreement, "Agreed!"

Margaret swiftly maneuvered the airship, attempting to skirt past the aerial battle. However, during this process, Matthew noticed a significant deviation in the magic compass's reading.

Before he could react, a loud bang echoed from above! Shattered glass and high winds poured into the cabin.

Matthew found himself amidst glass shards. Glancing up, a vampire had perched itself on the airship's cover, eyeing the two humans, mistaking them for Bru Tribe reinforcements.

"What are you doing?!" Margaret snapped. With one hand on the controls and a gesture with her other hand, she yanked the vampire, originally clinging to a metal beam, into her grasp!

Hissing, the vampire instinctively opened its jaws, aiming for Margaret's neck. Unfazed, she headbutted it, cracking its fangs against her forehead!

Taking advantage, Matthew grabbed a mallet and struck the vampire's back fiercely, resulting in a sharp cry and the creature's spine audibly cracking.

Margaret freed up her other hand, transforming both her hands into sharp blades, plunging them into the enemy's chest and tearing sideways.

The hapless vampire tore apart like seaweed in the wind, its body whisked away.

Due to this sudden attack, blood covered the windshield.

"I can't see!" Margaret shouted. "It's fine, our target should be nearby!" Matthew checked the magic compass again and realized the source of the clash might be Rhaegar.

"Find a place to land!" Matthew yelled close to Margaret's ear, fearing she couldn't hear him over the howling wind.

"Land? I don't know how!" Margaret shouted back. "I only know how to throttle!"

With the wind raging, Margaret responded loudly, "Not land? How did you land before?"

A jolt of panic hit Matthew as their airship nearly collided head-on with another. "Any way to land! There are too many flying objects here; we're in danger!"

Margaret nodded upon hearing this, releasing the controls. The biological airship surged into the cluster of aerial chaos.

She then hoisted Matthew and leaped out of the airship. They hovered steadily in the air while the airship collided violently with two others, emitting billowing black smoke.

"Do you really think the person you're looking for is here?" Margaret furrowed her brows, observing vampires and airships closing in from all directions.

Matthew scanned the area. With no obstructions among the flying objects, the occupants were easily visible. "He's not up here; he might be down there!"

"We should head down to find him," Margaret agreed. "But before that, let's make these folks stop."

Instantly, a melodious chant filled the air. An insolent vampire attempted to interrupt Margaret's chant, only to receive a direct punch, creating a through-and-through!

Accompanied by the chant, intense white light poured from Margaret. In an instant, a white sphere appeared in the sky, expanding continuously with Margaret at its center.

"Warning: Your comrade Margaret has used 'Occam's Sphere'!

Occam's Sphere (Fifth-tier spell): Prohibits all forms of flight within its range."

And the air was silent...

Where the white light reached...

Both vampires and living airships plummeted like dumplings.

Matthew's initial reaction was joy, but as his body followed suit in its downward plunge, he sensed trouble.

"We're going down too?"

He yelled loudly, clutching Margaret tightly.

Margaret responded, "Of course, the principle of Occam's Razor applies to all."

"Just a few hundred meters, won't hurt," she reassured.

Their descent sped up, the ground closing in.

Matthew's heart raced. In a crucial moment, he swiftly pulled out the "Feather Fall Coin" from his bag and tucked it into his shirt pocket!

Their rapid descent suddenly slowed.

But others weren't as fortunate.

Despite the vitality of vampires and half-demons, the fall from several hundred meters left them barely clinging to life.

Matthew tightly gripped the pocket of his shirt.

Then he let out a slow breath, "My physical enhancement only has the basic constitution of steel; falling might not hurt."

"But it could be fatal."

Seeing Matthew's shaken expression, Margaret chuckled, "Of course, I knew. Just wanted to tease you."

"Didn't expect your mishap with the feather fall item. Was planning to show off a bit."

Matthew puzzled, "Show off how?"

Margaret waved it off, "Since you don't trust me, forget it."

"Let go, let go! Holding this tight, a few more times and you'd stunt my growth."

With that, she forcefully pushed Matthew away, plummeting rapidly.

Boom!

Seconds later.

A massive crater appeared on the ground.

Margaret emerged from it, swiftly finishing off any vampires and half-demons still holding on.

Her efficiency in dispatching them was astonishing.

In a blink, at least twenty half-demons and even more vampires were effortlessly dealt with.

And only after she finished this did Matthew slowly descend.

As far as the eye could see, there were airship flames and countless bodies.

"This is the power of 4.6 million."

Matthew sighed deeply.

Suddenly, he noticed not far away a woman wielding a flaming whip, staring sternly at them.

Between them lay something quite comical squirming on the ground—a creature sporting a slightly sexy fishnet attire.

Matthew was about to laugh, but the next moment, he recognized the person in the fishnet—it was Rhaegar!

"Found him."

He hastily signaled Margaret about their target.

Margaret nodded.

Immediately, the two approached the demon woman.

"I'm Lilith, who are you?"

The demon woman's voice carried caution, her gaze fixed on Margaret throughout.

At this moment, Matthew suddenly noticed a crystal horn on the demon woman's forehead.

He realized something but before he could speak, Margaret vanished from the spot.

"Ah—!"

A scream resounded instantly.

Margaret seemed to teleport almost instantly in front of Lilith, without hesitation, delivering a punch to her abdomen!

A gory fist emerged from Lilith's lower back.

Lilith screamed violently.

Her body exploded, turning into a shower of blood that spiraled upwards into the sky.

Subsequently, they converged into a whirlwind of blood.

Descending aggressively from above, the blood tornado aimed at Margaret.

Margaret exclaimed, her body emitting a faint blue light, stepping willingly into the blood tornado!

Seeing the fight begin, Matthew knew words were futile.

The priority was rescuing Rhaegar from the fishing net.

However, near the net, two vampire guards were watching keenly!

"Philorius, Dulin!"

"Kill that human for me!"

Angry words came from the blood tornado.

The two vampires bared their fangs, swiftly flying towards Matthew!

Just as Matthew was about to cast a spell, he had a thought.

With a curiosity to test something, he threw a "Subversion" spell at one of the vampires!

The vampire's charge halted abruptly.

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

But quickly, that confusion turned into determination.

Splut!

He grabbed the clothes of the other vampire, and amidst the latter's perplexed gaze, they engaged in a fierce scuffle!

The scuffle lasted only a few seconds before Matthew called it off.

On the data panel...

"Note: Due to the extremely low concentration of its owner, 'Lilith,' you have successfully subverted 'Count Philorius (LV13)’! Philorius's temporary attributes have been enhanced (Temptation of Strength);

Continuous Subversion: On successful frontal subversion, you gain an additional subversion opportunity!

Mighty Subversion: Successfully subvert one vampire, randomly subvert any other vampire nearby! You have successfully subverted 'Count Dulin (LV14).' Dulin's temporary attributes have been enhanced; You've gained temporary control over two vampires (lasts 72 hours); Your Minotaur domain has gained more elements!

Warning: Counts Philorius and Dulin possess a high level of intelligence. While they have submitted to your power, they still harbor significant reluctance in their own will. You must be constantly vigilant against their betrayal..."

Matthew furrowed his brow at the unexpected betrayal of creatures.

Looking at the two vampires kneeling before him, their hostile gazes didn't escape Matthew's notice.

He began to grasp the situation a bit better. The ability to betray was targeted at contract holders.

Simply put, there existed a contract between Lilith and these vampires, and Matthew could seize that contract for himself through his betrayal ability.

However, vampires possessed intelligence far beyond creatures like Bone Pigeons or Dark Warriors; they held their own will.

Being tossed around like merchandise by Matthew naturally didn't sit well with them.

Moreover, the contract Lilith had with the vampires was probably vastly different from the typical contract between normal individuals and the undead.

These two factors compounded, making it challenging for Matthew to gain the loyalty of the vampires through betrayal.

He felt a bit disheartened, muttering, "If only I had studied more spells, I'd have learned 'Mind Control' in advance when encountering vampires!"

Mind Control was a relatively obscure spell in the realm of death magic, specifically designed for highly intelligent undead like vampires and liches.

The intelligence of liches almost rendered them immune to Mind Control, making it a specialized spell against vampires.

Through Mind Control, one could significantly lower a vampire's guard, enticing them to sign even more unequal contracts.

Once the contract was sealed, even with a vampire's defiance, they couldn't escape the grasp of a necromancer.

"But Mind Control doesn't necessarily need to be cast through spells," Matthew realized, glancing at Rhaegar, who was still struggling in the fishing net, showing considerable vigor—an indication of life.

As long as Rhaegar was alive, there was no need to rush. Matthew had to deal with the two potentially rebellious vampires first.

He promptly retrieved the "Relaxation Glove" from the corner of his pack and swiftly put it on.

He then used this glove to grasp the hand of the vampire Viscount Philorius. "There's no need for such animosity toward me; I'll be a good master," Matthew attempted to converse with them in a pleasant tone.

However, the vampire still wore a displeased expression, forcefully pulling their hand out of Matthew's glove without retorting.

"This glove's effect is insufficient; it's not relaxing enough," Matthew concluded, frowning, trying to recall his knowledge about taming vampires.

After a moment, he finally decided and ordered, "Both of you turn around."

Though the two vampires showed reluctance, they slowly complied, turning away.

Their current state was conflicted. Despite their inner resistance to Matthew, their bodies couldn't defy the compliance forced upon them.

"Bend over. And arch your backs a bit," Matthew's gentle voice came from behind them, further humiliating the vampires. Yet, they gritted their teeth and obeyed.

In the next moment, Matthew wielded a hammer and delivered a powerful blow to the back of Viscount Philorius's head!

Bang! The vampire Viscount collapsed silently on the ground.

Dulerus, witnessing this scene, showed signs of resistance, but before he could break free from the contract's power, Matthew's hammer struck the back of his head too.

Both vampires fell to the ground.

Unsure, Matthew proceeded to strike their heads a few more times for good measure, then diligently scooped out their brains and set them aside!

On the data screen...

"Warning: You attacked Viscount Philorius and Dulerus; they are about to revolt!

You inflicted severe damage to Philorius and Dulerus' brains—Intelligence -4 (permanent)!

Bloodline Passive: Philorius and Dulerus are slowly recovering...

Philorius and Dulerus have regained consciousness.

The effect of betrayal continues.

At this moment, they are filled with loyalty towards you!

Betrayal successful!

You have completed an outstanding brainwashing process, deeply understanding that undead servants don't need brains. Your understanding of the realm of death magic has deepened!

You have mastered the essence of death magic!

You have the opportunity to enter the sub-domain 'Death' as a first-time entry into the realm of magic. Will you enter?"

Wow. So, one of the secrets of death magic is physical brainwashing? Matthew never dreamt that his prolonged effort to enter the death magic realm would involve this method!

However, he wasn't in a hurry to enter. After settling the two vampires, he briskly headed towards the peculiar fishing net.

But at that moment, the net suddenly violently contracted!

Rhaegar's exhausted voice rang out, "Alright, sister, I promise I'll have a child with you, but it's limited to just you, not anyone else!"

"Please, release me first; your socks are almost choking me," Rhaegar pleaded.

Upon hearing this, Matthew smirked playfully, "Do you need me to pass on your message about having children with others to Sivak?"

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