It's Normal for the Undead to Be Afraid of the Dark, Right

"Curse of the Undead?"

"Erosion from the Netherworld?"

"Or perhaps, the creation of some sorcerer’s experiment?"

Xu Xi sat cross-legged atop a skeletal bird, gazing down from above at the solitary figure below.

It was the rainy season.

The air was thick with humidity.

Clammy and stifling, a faint mist clung to the skin of every living being.

Yet the figure crouched beside the gravestone remained unaffected. The upper body was encased in heavy, crude armor, the steel gauntlets covering even the fingers, while the lower half bore leg guards worn down by time, splattered with mud and grime.

The hair had long since vanished, corroded by the aura of death.

The only remnants—

The only proof that this girl had once been human—

Were the skeletal protrusions of her ghastly face and those emerald-green eyes.

Those eyes blinked in the twilight, like glazed lanterns lit in the depths of a dark chamber, standing out starkly in this death-shrouded world.

The irises were not a uniform green.

Instead, they deepened from the outer edges into a radiant, pale turquoise near the pupils.

Like gemstones, refracting light.

Like rippling emerald waters.

Those eyes held an indescribable brightness.

A hope for tomorrow—something Xu Xi hadn’t seen in a long time among the living. Yet, buried deep within, there was also unmistakable loneliness and confusion.

"Father… Mother…"

Endless longing hid within that hollow voice.

The terrifying, skeletal face—the kind that would be mistaken for a monster at first glance—whispered its yearning to the mountain winds.

The sky darkened.

The already dim world plunged into deeper blackness.

Xu Xi’s gaze lowered.

He watched as the half-undead girl, the so-called "Hero," trembled once more, shrinking back in fear at the arrival of the night.

It was a pitiful sight, yet she did not flee. Instead, she curled tighter against herself, pressing her back against her parents’ gravestone.

The sky was dark, terrifying.

The mountain was tall, eerie.

But because her parents were behind her, she was no longer afraid.

"Father, Mother… I’m home…"

The ghastly, skeletal face ground its fleshless teeth, yet the voice that emerged was warm and content.

The soulfire within burned even fiercer.

And then—

Under Xu Xi’s silent observation, the undead girl fell asleep, hugging her knees, leaning against the gravestone, resting peacefully atop the nameless mountain peak.

Though the heavy armor obscured her body, Xu Xi suspected—

Inside was likely nothing more than a skeleton.

"The corruption has progressed this far…"

"No wonder she wears that armor, pretending to be a ‘Hero’ to approach ordinary people."

"It’s not that she doesn’t want to reveal herself—she simply can’t."

Xu Xi shook his head.

The "Hero’s" righteous deeds clashed tragically with her wretched state.

It was hard to imagine what she had endured to end up in this limbo—neither fully alive nor truly dead.

Xu Xi was intrigued.

This bizarre existence could prove invaluable to his research on death.

"A few more days of observation. To ensure this isn’t a trap… or another sorcerer’s experiment."

"Once confirmed, I’ll make contact."

Gazing at the armored undead girl, Xu Xi gave a slight nod.

If he could uncover something from her, this simulation’s primary objective would be mostly complete.

"Though, a ‘Hero’ who’s afraid of the dark is already absurd enough."

"An undead creature—a being synonymous with darkness—being terrified of it? That’s just…"

Xu Xi hesitated, then attributed it to lingering traces of humanity.

…

[You have uncovered the truth of the "Hero."]

[Pale bones, the last remnants of flesh, death and life coexisting in a single body.]

[You had assumed it would take becoming a Third-Circle Wizard to study such a fusion of life and death. Yet this sudden "Hero" offers a chance to begin your research even as a First-Circle Wizard.]

[While lamenting her tragic fate, you resolve to study her unique existence.]

[For caution’s sake, you do not approach her immediately.]

[Instead, you clear out undead, gathering soulfire for your needs, while keeping a distant watch on the undead girl’s movements, searching for anything unusual.]

[Time passes silently.]

[Under your observation, the "Hero’s" routine is rigid—an endless cycle of rescues and brief rests, ceaselessly battling the undead.]

[Yet, her strength has limits.]

[Against stronger undead, or waves of the dead too vast, the half-undead girl stands no chance alone.]

The Hero’s campaign failed.

A true Hero would fall to a mighty Demon King.

A false one couldn’t even defeat a slightly stronger undead.

"Everyone… hide!"

Her voice rang out, urging the villagers to take cover.

In the pouring rain, the undead girl in her battered armor, wielding a holy sword, charged alone at a towering skeletal minotaur warrior.

CLANG—

The holy sword flashed as it met the minotaur’s bone axe, the impact screeching through the air.

And then—

The "Hero" was sent flying.

The minotaur’s strength was overwhelming, the soulfire in its skull blazing with eerie intensity.

Each swing of its axe tore through the wind.

The next strike shattered the "Hero" into a rain of scattered bones.

Xu Xi’s guess had been right—inside that armor was nothing but a human skeleton, devoid of flesh.

Clatter—

Clatter—

Skull, ribs, limbs—all scattered in the muddy puddles.

Guided by the flickering soulfire, the bones trembled, rippling the water as they struggled to reassemble, to stand and fight again.

Again and again.

Failing, yet still struggling.

"I won’t… let you pass… This is the only thing… I can still do for Father and Mother…"

Her voice trembled weakly.

But a counterfeit, not even a proper imitation, could never replicate the legendary Heroes’ power—the ability to defy fate at the brink of death.

Such a thing was impossible.

CRASH!!!

Shaking, terrified, she raised her sword again—only to be sent flying once more.

This time—

The undead girl’s soulfire flickered, nearly extinguished.

Her helmet—the one that hid her monstrous face—was torn away, rolling through the mud.

Instinctively, she reached for it, desperate to cover herself again.

To keep anyone from seeing.

But she wouldn’t get the chance.

The axe descended, its sheer force stinging her soulfire even before impact.

Would this be the end?

The thought flashed through her mind.

Then—

A bolt of lightning struck from the heavens, entwined with a serpent of flame, erupting into a blazing vortex that swallowed the minotaur whole.

First-Circle Spell: Lightning Call.

First-Circle Spell: Flame Serpent.

Two high-tier elemental spells—a tremendous drain for any wizard. Yet the caster seemed unbothered.

A hand reached out—warm, firm—pulling the helmetless undead girl to her feet.

"My name is Xu Xi. I am a wizard."

He said.