This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 126

The corridor stretched on, but the allure of the singing gradually led them to its end.

In the darkness ahead, a dim red glow appeared, and Matthew ignited a magical fire, revealing the silhouette of a large door, almost as wide as the entrance. However, the door itself had been removed by some unknown force, and the frame had fused with a rocky substance. Adjacent to the door, there was a symmetrical hall, but it was devoid of any contents.

The red light and singing emanated from beyond the door. The two of them approached cautiously, gazing outside.

It was an incredibly vast underground space. The red light shone from below, casting layers of halos on the rocky surfaces about thirty meters above the horizontal line.

Not far from the door, there was a precipice. Below the precipice lay molten lava, mere seven to eight meters away.

A suspension bridge, about ten meters long, extended from the edge of the precipice, leading to a platform that rose high above the lava.

The view beyond the platform was blocked by the terrain, making it difficult to discern. However, Matthew could be sure that the enchanting singing came from that location.

Matthew gestured to Claire, urging her not to act recklessly. They peered towards the area near the lava pool.

Before long, Matthew vaguely spotted the remnants of some structures in the eastern part of the lava pool. As a raven, he strained to see, but he could only make out two rooms amidst the wreckage. Given the distribution of the structures, most of the rooms must have been submerged in the lava.

"Hint: You've discovered the Spirit Laboratory of the Antu Empire!"

Matthew realized that the true laboratory lay in the remnants of the buildings. But what was the meaning of this lava pool? They were in the Moonlit Forest. Even if the Antu Empire's starship had crashed, it shouldn't have created this landscape.

A strong sense of unease crept over him. However, Claire seemed impatient, saying, "I'll go find the source of the singing, kill Queen Karsea, and end this."

"Queen Karsea can be at most fifth-tier, as once she ascends to Legendary, she would transform into a Mother Nest, the ultimate weapon of the Karsea Bug Tribe. A Mother Nest is one of the most terrifying units in the star realm's space. But with the number of bugs here, they can't possibly sustain a Mother Nest. So you don't need to worry too much."

"I'm experienced in killing bugs!"

Nonetheless, Matthew still stopped her, saying, "Wait for me, okay?"

Claire glared at him with her large nostrils flaring. She seemed eager to rescue Samantha from the enchantment, but she reluctantly agreed to his sincere request.

Matthew took a step back, knelt, and gently touched the ground. "Balance Perception!" Matthew's vision instantly transformed. He saw the energy field in front of him, resembling a piece of torn paper that someone had tried to patch together, with the outlines complete but the inside fragmented.

"So that's it. Inside the door, it's still within the Moonlit Forest's range, but outside the door is a derivative space formed by the collision between the material realm and outer space. Many fragments of outer planes were drawn here due to the collision, and the lava pool was likely brought by a piece of connected infernal plane nearby."

Two seconds later, Matthew opened his eyes, looking slightly fatigued. The Moonlit Forest was a projection of the Ashera Divine Realm, a semi-plane that was attached to the main material world. Fighting in the forest provided a home-field advantage no matter how harsh the circumstances were. But once they left, things became uncertain.

At the same time, he detected an anomaly in the energy field within the faintly visible laboratory. While the spaces outside the door showed signs of breaking, their material forms remained stable. However, the laboratory had a massive gap—both in the elemental layer and the material layer.

This piqued Matthew's curiosity. He leaped down and peered through a blurry glass wall of the laboratory. He saw the outline of a massive concrete box.

It was a gigantic concrete box that occupied nearly two-thirds of the laboratory's central space. Surrounding the box were some overturned workstations.

"Cement containment?" Memories from his previous life surged within him. Cement was used by the Antu Empire in the first step of dealing with failed experimental life forms. The effects of this cement were nearly on par with magic, and most creatures couldn't escape it. The superficial purpose was to prevent the spread of disasters, but in reality, it was a mechanism to prevent technology leaks once activated. Most likely, no one inside the laboratory could escape once the mechanism was set in motion.

Matthew wondered what this concrete box contained. Was it the Karsea Bug Tribe? Did the bugs not invade the starship accidentally, but rather were released by the laboratory's personnel, and the containment failed, resulting in the ship becoming a nest, leading to the tragic destruction of both ship and crew? Matthew didn't know.

He gazed at the platform in front of him, where the singing had become even more mournful and pleading, like a girl in desperate need of help. Claire's patience had almost reached its limit.

Suddenly, Matthew said, "Let me go ahead and check."

A few minutes later, Matthew and the soldiers exited the door. They took in the view of the underground space from the cliff's edge, which allowed them to see the actual conditions more clearly. Several laboratory rooms stood near the lava pool, but half of them had been submerged in lava. The remaining ones were filled with cement, except for a few rooms with some items besides the concrete box.

At the end of the suspension bridge on the platform, an elliptical rock rose high above. The singing came from behind the rock.

Claire was surprised. "I've never seen a Queen Karsea like this before. She exudes an aura of chaos."

Matthew only took a brief glance before deciding, "Retreat!"

Claire didn't question his decision, and they both stepped back. Claire gripped her dual blades tightly. "You go and inform them. Take Samantha with you. I'll catch up!"

Without hesitation, Matthew turned into a raven and flew away.

Hissing sounds came from below the lava pool. The bridges near the door suddenly retracted and transformed into two massive tentacles. At the same time, the platform collapsed dramatically, and layer by layer, stones disappeared. In their place emerged a circular maw filled with teeth and spikes around the edges.

At a critical moment, Claire leaped to the side, and her figure vanished.

"Matthew!" Claire raised her voice.

At that instant, a fiery red light flashed in the depths of the corridor. A torrent of scorching lava gushed from the Queen Karsea's body, a flow that Claire couldn't possibly withstand.

In the nick of time, Matthew pushed Claire aside and grabbed the handle of the expanding magic umbrella. "Get behind me."

Before he could finish his sentence, the scorching lava struck the magic umbrella's protective shield. Matthew felt an enormous force crash into his shoulder. He was forced to fall backward, but a sturdy shoulder supported him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Claire holding him up.

As they struggled to resist the lava's assault, Matthew looked into Claire's eyes, both filled with unspoken thoughts.

…

As the cataclysm continued to unfold within the Moonlit Forest, the starship sank another few hundred meters. Members of the expedition group struggled to survive, but the military forces launched continuous assaults. They captured the Karsea Bug Tribe's Mother Nest and established a certain degree of control.

Yet, danger still loomed.

Though Samantha had been freed from the spell of the song, the singing Queen Karsea unleashed a dark cloud that filled the entire starship. Shadows emerged from the cloud, taking the form of Queen Karsea. The shadows flew out and replicated themselves endlessly, forming a shadowy Karsea army that attacked the expedition team.

Now, the team's strength and ammunition were significantly depleted. Matthew and Claire were in danger too. Their situation was perilous, and a ferocious battle seemed inevitable.

Matthew and Claire retreated further into the corridor, standing back-to-back as they faced the shadowy Karsea.

"Seems like we're surrounded," Claire said, her voice filled with a touch of humor.

Matthew smiled. "That's our specialty."

They fought with unwavering resolve, striking down the shadowy Karsea one by one. The Karsea's shadows attempted to overwhelm them with their sheer numbers, but Matthew and Claire's teamwork and magical prowess proved formidable. Spells, steel, and sheer determination allowed them to hold their ground.

Matthew wielded his magic umbrella to deflect the shadowy attackers, while Claire sliced through them with her dual blades. With each successful strike, the shadowy figures dissipated into a dark mist, only to be replaced by more of the same.

Their backs against the wall, they fought on, each movement precise and coordinated. Claire and Matthew had always been a force to be reckoned with, and now, with the fate of the expedition group hanging in the balance, they fought with a renewed sense of purpose.

The battle raged on, but exhaustion began to take its toll on the two of them. Matthew's magical energy waned, and Claire's physical strength dwindled. They knew they couldn't keep this up indefinitely.

Just when it seemed like they might be overwhelmed, a burst of magical energy surged from Samantha's direction. Her voice rang out, filled with determination and power. "I won't let them harm you!"

The wave of energy expanded, enveloping the shadowy Karsea in a brilliant light. Their dark forms shrieked and withered away, unable to withstand the purity and strength of Samantha's magic.

With their enemies vanquished, Matthew and Claire turned to see Samantha standing with her staff, her eyes ablaze with newfound resolve.

Samantha had tapped into her hidden potential, unleashing a surge of magical energy that had vanquished the shadowy Karsea. She had unlocked a new level of power, and her abilities had grown exponentially.

Impressed and relieved, Matthew and Claire approached Samantha. She looked at them with a triumphant smile and said, "I'm ready to help you save the starship."

With Samantha's newfound strength, they had a better chance of overcoming the challenges ahead. They joined forces, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead in their quest to protect the starship and its precious cargo.

...

Matthew's magical umbrella suddenly began spinning at high speed.

Then, the flow of magma reversed its course by 180 degrees.

The force that once pushed towards the magical umbrella was now pushing back with equal intensity!

Whoosh! Queen Karsea, who had been rushing toward the magical umbrella, was forced to step back. Seizing this opportunity, the entire group of adventurers made a run for it.

They managed to escape through the gate just in time before Queen Karsea could catch up.

"Go! Take Samantha to the Shrine of the Gods!" Matthew commanded Layla.

Without hesitation, Layla hoisted Samantha over her shoulder and ran.

"What about us?" Klaeg found himself consulting Matthew almost without realizing it.

"We'll take her to the Western Gate," Matthew replied, his gaze unkind as he watched Queen Karsea rapidly approaching from the gate.

Their decision to retreat wasn't because they couldn't defeat her. Instead, Matthew was worried that the edge of this dimension was too unstable. If they pierced through, they might encounter the greater demonic entities from the outer layer.

"Here is where we hold the line," Matthew added.

"Like a good chase, huh?" Matthew raised his staff, aiming it at the approaching Queen Karsea.

"Death Summoning Spell: Bone Dragons!" A dark energy magic circle appeared, and the Bone Dragon trio appeared even faster than before, possibly due to their proximity to the outer layer.

Matthew hardly lifted his hand before the three of them crashed down.

"Ability: Precision Fall!" In an instant, Peg, Old Gito, and Afei descended upon Queen Karsea.

The weight of the three Bone Dragons was no joke, and as they landed, Queen Karsea's massive body buckled under the pressure. At the same time, her swollen form burst open, releasing a torrent of vile fluid.

"Hold her down!" Matthew put away his staff and cast a Disintegration spell at her.

A gray light struck her upper body, melting away most of Queen Karsea's natural armor.

Matthew then focused, conjuring the spectral claw known as Aezro's Claw with his left hand. He reached out into the void with his left hand, and a spectral hand called the Pale Hand emerged.

In the next moment, Matthew attacked Queen Karsea simultaneously.

The Pale Hand turned into a giant white iron fist that mercilessly slammed into Queen Karsea's head. Aezro's Claw, on the other hand, acted like a dexterous giant hand, grabbing Queen Karsea's tentacles or limbs and forcefully yanking them off.

With the three Bone Dragons restraining her, Queen Karsea couldn't move.

Matthew adeptly controlled both virtual hands, offering him a new fighting experience. Despite engaging in a long-range battle, it felt like he was in a close-combat brawl.

Within moments, Queen Karsea's tentacles were torn off, leaving her in a critical condition. However, Matthew remained cautious.

He used Aezro's Claw to twist off Queen Karsea's head.

The Pale Hand acted like a hammer, relentlessly pummeling the remaining part of her body.

This gruesome scene lasted for about a minute and a half, leaving a pile of muck near the gate.

Matthew finally ceased the attack. "You're right; Queen Karsea wasn't all that impressive," he remarked to Klaeg.

Klaeg didn't say a word but looked at Matthew with a hint of amazement.

"That was quite a bloody and violent display back there, wasn't it? Sorry, I couldn't help it," Matthew said with a half-hearted attempt at explaining.

"Well, I am a Necromancer, you know."

Matthew's attempt to restore the reputation of Necromancers was cut short when an intense dizziness struck his brain. This sensation was followed by a distortion of his surroundings, and a profound nausea swept over him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Klaeg was experiencing the same.

Struggling to maintain his composure, Matthew sensed an overwhelming force approaching from the depths of the corridor behind the gate.

A patch of rotting flesh appeared on the pile of mud, and it jumped up, emitting a disturbing, sinister laughter.

Suddenly, Matthew's brain seemed to explode, but only halfway. An immensely powerful force pressed it back, partially reining in the violent impulses.

Nosebleed trickled down Matthew's nostrils.

In the next moment, he saw a silhouette in the darkness, a chaotic mass of flesh! As it came closer, countless whispered voices invaded Matthew's mind, trying to twist his thoughts.

Matthew acted swiftly, retrieving the divine token he had concealed under his tongue. This helped clear his mind to some extent.

In that moment, he recognized the nature of the abomination he had encountered.

If he wasn't mistaken, the creature slowly creeping in the darkness was the "Godspawn" mentioned in the laboratory director's diary.

No, it wasn't merely a "Godspawn."

It was a...

Aberration!

"Warning: You have encountered a divine creature! Your partial exemption has been activated through your Demigod status."

An Aberration, a dreadful entity that exists within the cosmos, representing the twisted and agonizing aspects of gods. Aberrations usually come into existence in one of two ways:

When gods are born, a part of their pain or distortion that is separated from their physical and mental being, if not dispelled, often results in the creation of an intangible Aberration.

When gods die, the remnants of their divine essence, combined with the remains of other beings, can give birth to a chaotic and divine abomination.

In Matthew's mind, this was undoubtedly the Aberration he had witnessed.

Aberrations were of a high level, but what made them truly terrifying was their power to influence the mind and will. This formidable ability, stemming from their divine nature, could only be resisted by legendary or Demigod-level beings.

Matthew and Klaeg were confident in taking on monsters below the legendary tier. However, they couldn't face a Demigod-level creature.

Matthew was already prepared to retreat as soon as his consciousness returned. But before he could make a move, he sensed an abnormal heat emanating from the divine token he carried.

Matthew tapped the emblem lightly.

Moonlight Spell!

A vast expanse of pure white moonlight illuminated the area near the gate. For that instant, time seemed to stand still. Even the Aberration's movements slowed down considerably.

Matthew witnessed cascading moonlight flow as if forming a waterfall. They flowed slowly from top to bottom, washing down the walls and eventually shaping a humanoid form.

The projection of the Moonlight Goddess, Aelia, had appeared!

With a wave of her right hand, boundless moonlight spread out. A portion of it fell upon Matthew and Klaeg, relieving all their discomfort and replacing it with an abundant power and heightened emotions.

"You did well, and I will reward you generously," Aelia's voice sounded with a predator's delight.

As she spoke, she headed towards the gate, not even glancing back.

Matthew noticed the Aberration attempting to retreat into the laboratory, but its sluggish movements, already slow to begin with, were now further hampered within the domain of the Moonlight Goddess.

Aelia reached out into the void, and the pile of rotting flesh was drawn near the gate.

Next moment, Aelia grinned, revealing a bright white light extending from the Aberration's body into her mouth. The Aberration quivered and, being nothing more than a pile of muck, shook as chunks of flesh fell off its edges.

The bright white light continued to connect Aelia's mouth to the Aberration.

Her eyes took on a mischievous glint, and the Aberration seemed like a tempting, albeit grotesque dessert.

For Matthew, the scene was utterly surreal and malevolent.

Aelia sucked on the Aberration for over ten minutes, until every piece of rotten flesh had fallen to the ground.

With a satisfied heart, she ended her actions.

The Moonlight Goddess's whole figure radiated with pure white light, and the grotesque and evil Aberration seemed to embody all the sins and ugliness in the universe under her radiance.

At that moment, Matthew felt an unsettling sense of absurdity and evil.

Aelia, still in high spirits, turned to Matthew. "Why are you so nervous? You don't have any divinity or godly power in you, and I won't come to suck you dry. Or do you want me to suck you off?"

Aelia, oddly cheerful, ventured to joke with Matthew.

Matthew gave a forced smile, but his hairs stood on end. "So, you had a way to arrive earlier, didn't you?"

"You knew there was an Aberration inside..." he began, but Aelia interrupted bluntly, "Don't think so poorly of me, Necromancer! I was completely unaware of what was behind that gate, and my power is insufficient to sustain a long-lasting projection. So I can only observe you all constantly—I wouldn't let my people die so easily. Even if you hadn't cast that expanse of moonlight, I had other ways to get here."

She then pointed lightly at Matthew's shoulder.

Matthew looked back and realized that Isabelle had already fallen into a deep sleep.

"You can project yourself onto Isabelle?" Matthew inquired.

"Yes, although this causes the Nature Spirit to fall into a deep slumber for a long time, I couldn't just stand idly by."

Aelia replied, her tone light and carefree. "Now, it's time for your reward."

A white light entered Matthew's mouth, rapidly merging with his Demigod aspect.

"Quest Completed: Exterminate Queen Karsea! You have gained the 'Combat Casting' ability!"

"You have gained the 'Blessing of the Moonlight Goddess'!"

Blessing of the Moonlight Goddess:

1. Your Demigod aspect has been infused with the 'Moonlight Domain' and a significant amount of lunar elements.

2. Your Demigod aspect has been granted the power 'Demon Seal.'

• Demon Seal: You can attempt to seal certain demons from outer realms using this power.
• Every successful demon seal may yield a random attribute point.
• During the demon-sealing process, you will receive a steady stream of XP!"

Matthew felt the newfound power coursing through his body.

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