Chapter 56

"Your expression reminds me of a pig about to be slaughtered..." Sigma sighed and turned to look at the angel who was trembling and pale behind him, "I've explained more than once, Alice was just joking..."

The angel didn't hear a word Sigma said. Instinctively, he jumped back, assuming a defensive posture and bluffed, "I-I am the bravest warrior of Heaven! I will never submit to you! Even if you can defile my body, you can never corrupt my soul! Come on, you perverted demon who has thirty-nine women!"

Veins bulged on Sigma's forehead: "...Do you believe I can make you go mad directly?"

After thoroughly mocking and intimidating the angel, Alice hurriedly left—she was very unusual today, seemingly losing her composure after seeing the angel. However, everyone has their secrets, and their relationship wasn't intimate enough for them to share everything. Alice didn't mention it, so he didn't ask further.

Sigma led the angel, who was in a severe state of overthinking, toward his new home.

Yes, Sigma had moved.

Previously, he lived in the collective student dormitory with Alice and the others. But after the trip to the Natural Academy, Sigma obtained many things worth studying from the Druids, and the dormitory was no longer sufficient. So, he went to the high-level faculty self-help apartment area and claimed a piece of prime land for himself.

The so-called high-level faculty self-help apartment area was actually an undeveloped wasteland, with abundant negative energy in the soil, and constant cold winds, making it very suitable for necromancers to live and practice. Necromancers who obtained the right to live there could freely customize their dwellings at their own expense, as long as they didn't encroach on others' land. Whether they built a mage tower or a demon castle was up to them.

—Although this was a high-level faculty area, only powerful necromancers who had made significant contributions to the academy had a chance to obtain it, the relevant department still signed off with a pinched nose. First, they couldn't withstand Sigma's silent threat of "I'll cause trouble if you don't agree," and second, the higher-ups hinted that Sigma had "achieved a great but unpublicized feat." Thus, a piece of fertile land with a nice view fell into Sigma's hands.

"That's my home," Sigma pointed to the distance. The angel looked over, and a strange but beautiful building appeared in his field of vision. Necromancers were extremely passionate about order, and this passion was reflected in the symmetrical and Baroque-style architecture with multiple towers and spires. The city's architectural style was uniform, with a black main color that seemed to devour sunlight—yet this building was different. Although it had symmetrical beauty, it was softer compared to the sharp-angled mainstream necromancer buildings. The top of the building was not the common dome or spire but something she had never seen before—four graceful arcs extended from the spire, the eaves curling up like wings, elegant, heavy, and grand.

The necromancer pointed to the distant house, boasting like showing off a toy, and smiled at the angel, "I designed it myself."

His gaze was strange, as if he was reminiscing about something. Looking at the house, it was like seeing an old friend he hadn't seen in years.

The angel felt a slight relief—angels, with their long lifespans, had grown into a powerful race that combined strength and beauty. Even their weapons of slaughter were crafted like elegant yet deadly works of art. The race was not lacking in brave warriors or wise and learned artists. Although the angel wasn't very interested in art, she had a certain level of aesthetic ability. She thought that someone who could design such a building shouldn't be a bad person.

She even began to look forward to a close-up tour of Sigma's home—where she would be staying for a while.

...But when she got closer, her anticipation was shattered in half.

"What... what is this?" The angel raised her finger, dumbfounded.

Plants, strange and bizarre plants, many plants.

The beautiful building was surrounded by many plants.

These magic plants grew particularly robust in the land rich in negative energy, and they were strange and varied. Sensing Sigma's return, they became active, as if welcoming their master.

It was just that this mode of welcome was a bit unconventional...

Some plants suddenly opened their large purple buds, the layers of petals finally revealing a circle of sharp and fierce mouths, then extended a terrifying tongue covered in strange liquid, making a "wawa" sound. Some more normal ones spewed ice-blue or crimson balls into the sky, some jumped continuously in place, some emitted green mist, and some mysterious things like mutant vines waved long tendrils, dancing like snakes.

—The beautiful and grand building, under the shadow of these bizarre and mutated plants, and the slightly dim sky, added a lot of sinister and terrifying atmosphere, instantly transforming from an artist's residence to the lair of an evil overlord.

She looked at Sigma, wanting an explanation.

Sigma smiled proudly, "I ask you, do you recognize this formation?"

...Yes, this guy not only extorted a good piece of land from the academy but also cultivated eight vegetable plots around the house, all planted with magic plants obtained from the Druids and stimulated to mutate by the power of death, and he called it the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation." Although necromancers didn't understand the pronunciation of this name, they could infer from the strange and fierce magic plants growing vigorously in these eight plots that this so-called "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" was very dangerous, and once you entered, you couldn't come out...

"Actually, to prevent people from stealing vegetables, I tied a few undead puppet dogs around the fields, but after half a day, the vegetables weren't stolen, and the dogs disappeared. Truly strange..." Sigma held his chin, puzzled.

...Where did the missing dogs go? The answer was obvious, who would steal such vegetables!

The angel silently complained in her heart.

"Never mind, from today on, you will be living here, so there are some things you need to know. First, don't think about flying in or breaking in. The defense here covers the underground, ground, and air, 360 degrees. And to pass through this vegetable plot, there are ways. These three directions are safe to enter, these three directions will hurt you if you enter rashly, and these two directions..." Sigma pointed to the two areas where the vines were dancing, with a reluctant look, "These two areas are mostly planted with mutant vines. These vines are extremely afraid of light, and as soon as light hits them, they become extremely active. They will instinctively wrap around any living thing that approaches. Each tendril—sorry, I mean vine—will drill into the body of the living thing. By the way, they like to stay in warm, moist, and dark places, you know. Of course, if you have any special preferences, you can try it a little..."

Sigma said a lot, seemingly remembering something, and turned to look at the angel awkwardly, "By the way, what's your name again?"

Even many years later, the angel still vividly remembered this day. Her closest comrade and most trusted person in life mocked and belittled her on the first day they met, and despite talking for a long time, he forgot to ask her name...

She said weakly, "Athena, my name is Athena..."

***

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