Chapter 59: Chapter 58: Because of the Undead
"Oh, Xingxing. When did you get here?" Li Ziyu jolted at the sound of the voice. His gaze refocused, and he realized someone was standing before him, prompting his dazed question.
The news from the Conscience Merchant had shaken Li Ziyu and changed his perspective. Transmigrators were being targeted by the Natives—several had already been killed—and he was in danger, too. Suddenly, Liu Xingxing seemed much more agreeable, exuding a sense of kinship.
In the natural world, countless creatures were far stronger than any individual Human. But the reason Humans had become the dominant power was because of their flexible minds. When faced with a crisis, they could cast aside old grudges, join forces, and band together for survival.
After a moment of thought, Li Ziyu decided not to hide anything and told Liu Xingxing what the Conscience Merchant had just shared with him.
Liu Xingxing swallowed hard, his face tense. He was at a complete loss.
He had been hunted before and had witnessed battles between the Undead and the Lizardmen. He hated that feeling. He much preferred it when everyone got along peacefully, happily digging for treasure.
But life rarely goes according to plan. Since this was happening, they had to find a way to deal with it. "Boss, what do we do?"
Li Ziyu stroked his chin, pondering. ’I’m a prime target for the Natives, in more danger than the other Transmigrators. But why are they so focused on me?’
’Is it just because I killed a bunch of Lizardmen?’
’That’s bullshit, I don’t buy it for a second. The Wasteland isn’t some place governed by reason and law. Might makes right here. Forget a few hundred dead Lizardmen; even if the entire Lizardman race were wiped out, it wouldn’t necessarily cause such a stir. It must be something else.’
’I have no idea how many Transmigrators were in the Wasteland before, but after the new batch arrived, there must be a fair number now. For them to single me out... there has to be a reason.’
’What could it be... The Undead!’
’That has to be it. It’s a matter of Race!’
’This is a point I’ve been overlooking. The Otherworld isn’t like my past life, where Humans were the supreme rulers. In the Otherworld, there are all kinds of Races, a huge variety of bizarre forms. I never thought the Undead Race was particularly strange, but now that I think about it, the problem probably lies with the Undead Race itself.’
’Is that really it? I’ll have to ask to be sure.’
"Bring Tas Tuling and Mumu here. I have something to ask them," Li Ziyu said.
Liu Xingxing acknowledged the order and hurried out to get them.
A short while later, Mumu and Tas Tuling followed Liu Xingxing back to Li Ziyu. They bowed and stood respectfully, awaiting his questions.
"Don’t be nervous. I just called you here to ask a few things," Li Ziyu said in a calm tone.
Mumu and Tas Tuling looked at each other and nodded.
"I’d like to ask, what is your view of the Undead?" Li Ziyu put on a perfectly curious expression, though inwardly he was growing tense.
"Terrifying and horrifying. They are the embodiment of death. Wherever they go, life ceases to exist..." Mumu was a straightforward fellow. Without a second thought, he blurted out everything he knew from the legends about the Undead. He even gave Li Ziyu a strange look, as if thinking, ’Isn’t this common knowledge? Why are you asking?’
The moment Mumu opened his mouth, Tas Tuling knew this was a bad idea. Seeing him about to continue his endless rant, he quickly tugged on his arm, signaling him to shut up.
’Are you an idiot?’ he thought. ’How can you just start badmouthing the Undead? We’re making our living under one right now! He’s our boss!’
After being tugged, Mumu instantly realized his mistake. He snapped his mouth shut, his expression sheepish.
"Great Master of the Undead, please forgive his tactless words. We did not mean to speak of the Undead Race in such a way," Tas Tuling hastily apologized, trying to salvage the situation.
"Ah, yes, yes! It’s my stupid mouth. I meant to say, the Undead are kind and extremely benevolent..." Mumu slapped himself across the face and scrambled to correct himself, but he trailed off after just a few words.
’The Undead? Kind and benevolent?’
’No matter how you looked at them, that bunch of flaming skeletons didn’t fit those two words. Saying so felt too dishonest.’
Li Ziyu, however, didn’t mind. He was actually glad Mumu had told the truth. He waved his hand, indicating he wasn’t angry, and then fell into thought.
’Just as I thought!’
Li Ziyu sighed internally. ’I was right. The problem lies with the Undead Race itself.’
’Even a small Tribe like the Minotaurs knows about the Undead Race, and their perception is one of terror and something to be avoided. This means the Undead Race must have appeared before in the history of the Otherworld, and they must have caused great harm—to the point of being universally reviled.’
’No wonder I’m being targeted.’
’History... that’s right.’ Li Ziyu had thought of it long before. The Otherworld had a history.
This wasn’t a game; it was a real world. The various Races weren’t just data, but living, breathing, flesh-and-blood creatures—intelligent life. That being the case, it was bound to have a history!
Seeing Li Ziyu deep in thought, Tas Tuling couldn’t help but glare at Mumu. ’You almost got us killed!’ Mumu scratched his head and gave a dopey grin. ’See? It’s fine. Thank goodness, no big deal.’
After thinking for a moment, Li Ziyu looked up and asked again, "Tell me in detail. How do you know about the Undead Race, and what exactly do you know?"
Mumu looked at Tas Tuling and jutted his chin, as if to say, ’I’m not saying any more. I’m afraid I’ll mess up again. You talk.’
Tas Tuling shot Mumu another glare, then mentally reviewed the knowledge about the Undead passed down through his Shaman bloodline. He then took a step forward. "Great Master of the Undead, all we know comes from legends, most of which are quite derogatory toward the Undead. I fear you will be very angry after hearing them."
"It doesn’t matter. I want to know, and I want the absolute truth," Li Ziyu said seriously, taking a deep breath and putting extra emphasis on the word "truth."
Seeing Li Ziyu’s insistence, Tas Tuling sighed, nodded, and began to speak slowly. "According to legend, our world is not the only one. There is the world of the God of Life, home to the Elves; the world of the God of Death, home to the Undead; the world of the God of Destruction, home to the Demons; and the world of the God of Light, home to the Deities. Beyond these, there are endless other worlds, as well as the Void and the life that dwells within it."
As Tas Tuling spoke, a strange energy began to radiate from him. An ethereal mist materialized from thin air, enveloping the main hall. Indistinct figures seemed to sway within it, and strange sounds echoed. As his tale unfolded, faint images started to appear.
The images were blurry, but their meaning was clear. The first to appear was a vast world inhabited by countless Races. This had to be the world Li Ziyu was currently in.
Next was a green world, lush with beautiful vegetation. The image then shattered, replaced by a scene shrouded in dark clouds. Corpse Remains were piled high, and mountains of white bone littered a gray-white landscape where countless terrifying beings roared, howled, and slaughtered one another.
Even though it wasn’t perfectly clear, Li Ziyu understood this was the Undead World. After the Undead World came a blighted world of magma and flames, filled with all manner of bizarre Monsters. This was the world of the Demons.
Finally, everything dissolved into brilliant, holy light. This was the world of the Deities.
