Sylvia feels a bit embarrassed.

A thousand years ago, the Clawphire Family had three strict rules.

First, mocking Servia for her fear of the dark was forbidden.

Second, mocking Servia for her fear of thunder was forbidden.

Third, mocking Servia for her fear of both darkness and thunder was forbidden.

Within the mansion, everyone silently abided by these rules, lest they sadden the brightest emerald of the Clawphire Family.

"Servia, I hope this helps you."

A surge of soul energy brushed past the undead girl.

Xu Xi cast a spell upon her—a zero-circle incantation known as the Silence Spell.

It held no offensive power.

It bore no destructive force.

Yet in this very moment, it was the most fitting choice.

"Thank you, Wizard," said the girl, her emerald-like eyes shimmering with unmistakable joy.

The Heroine Servia had regained her composure.

...

[You have formed an alliance with the undead Servia.]

[To study Servia's body, you postponed your plans, deciding to delay your journey to the Aeoca Kingdom.]

[The following day, under Servia Clawphire's guidance, you returned to the rotting mansion that once served as shelter from the rain—the former estate of the Clawphire Family.]

[The passage of time had worn down this once-luxurious manor, leaving behind the decay now before your eyes.]

[Empty. Silent. Cold.]

[This was the home of the Heroine, Servia's final refuge.]

"Wizard, welcome to the Clawphire estate."

The clang of iron boots echoed against the damp wooden floorboards.

Creaking.

A gauntlet-clad hand gently pushed open the doors, revealing the dim interior—now slightly tidied.

Even though she was the only one left, the girl had not forsaken the Clawphire Family's honor.

As the lady of the house, she welcomed Xu Xi with grace.

Polite. Gentle. The only flaw was that even in her own home, the undead girl still trembled in the oppressive darkness.

Snap—

Light burst from Xu Xi's fingertips as invisible radiance swiftly gathered, forming a floating, mobile light source.

First-Circle Spell: Wizard’s Eye.

It served both as illumination and a means of reconnaissance.

A spell every wizard must master.

"So amazing..." murmured the girl, momentarily distracted. The bones of her skeletal frame gleamed starkly under the spell’s glow.

"Ah, please follow me this way."

Regaining her focus, Servia led the way, guiding Xu Xi through the halls in search of a spacious room suitable for research.

Along the way, the corridors were clean, the furniture neatly arranged. Though the mansion itself was crumbling, the interior remained orderly.

"Servia, did you clean all this yourself?"

"Yes, Wizard."

Faced with Xu Xi’s question, the undead girl seemed slightly embarrassed.

In the past, the mansion’s upkeep had been the duty of the Clawphire servants. But now, with the family gone, she had taken on the task alone.

Did it mean anything?

Servia herself wasn’t sure.

For a moment, she seemed to revert to her former human self, eagerly explaining the purpose of each room in the mansion.

Xu Xi listened quietly to the emotions in her voice.

"Wizard, please be careful—this is my room."

"It’s been so long that the roof leaks now. But don’t worry, as long as you don’t knock over the buckets, the water won’t drip."

"Wizard, this is the kitchen."

"Sorry... I don’t need to eat anymore, so I haven’t cleaned it in a while. It might be a bit dirty."

"Wizard, this is the study. If you wish to read anything, you may find it here."

"Ah... It seems most of it has rotted away..."

They walked, paused, and walked again, the girl’s voice rising and falling as she guided him.

Finally, they arrived at the largest room—once the grand banquet hall cherished by Servia’s parents. Now, she intended to clear it out.

If experiments were to be conducted, no place in the mansion was more suitable.

"Are you sure about this, Servia?"

Xu Xi looked at her.

For a brief moment, the skeletal figure hidden beneath the heavy armor seemed to hesitate. But soon, her voice steadied with resolve.

"Yes, please don’t worry, Wizard."

"I believe my father and mother would approve of my decision."

The dead could not return.

Keeping their rooms would not bring them back.

If so, better to make use of what remained.

Besides, the Clawphire Family no longer had any need for a banquet hall.

...

[You have taken up residence in the Clawphire mansion.]

[Setting up, modifying, arranging.]

[Since arriving in the wizarding world, you had saved a modest sum. Now, you withdrew it all to construct a proper research laboratory.]

[Soul instruments, reaction apparatuses, and even secret-silver tubes for weighing and refining souls.]

[Wizard civilization was a melting pot of knowledge.]

[In their pursuit of truth, wizards had developed countless techniques—ranging from magical artifacts to experimental devices bordering on science fiction. All were built upon the foundation of the soul, paving the way toward enlightenment.]

[You began your research on Servia’s body.]

[You removed Servia’s armor.]

【You cast a cleansing spell on Servia’s skeletal body】

"Um, Lord Wizard..."

"Are you uncomfortable anywhere, Servia?"

"N-no, it's not that... It's just a little, well, embarrassing..."

In the spacious hall,

multiple Wizard’s Eyes hovered near the ceiling,

casting a soft glow that illuminated everything within.

The experimental apparatus hummed to life, powered by soul energy, aiding Xu Xi in collecting data on the girl—her remaining non-undead flesh, as well as the soulfire within her skull.

After her initial timidity,

Servia soon settled down.

She was moved by Xu Xi’s earnestness and came to realize that, in her current state, she no longer needed to cling to the propriety and modesty of her past life.

In fact, drawing on her familiarity with her undead body, Servia began to assist effectively,

describing to Xu Xi the sensations of her transformation.

"So, they exist in a state of non-interference?" Xu Xi murmured in surprise.

He had spent half a day preliminarily examining the connection between Servia’s undead body and the remaining flesh on her face.

Though her transformation was incomplete,

on some unseen yet tangible conceptual level,

Servia was already recognized as a true undead.

Thus, as a being straddling life and death, the remaining half of her face retained its human appearance, untouched by the undead transformation.

"A revenant? A lich? A high-tier undead?"

Gazing at Servia lying still, Xu Xi pondered, searching for a suitable classification.

Yet, to his regret,

he found no comparable cases.

Beings that embodied both life and death were invariably powerful supernatural entities, like the legendary Seventh-Circle Wizards who had consolidated the possibilities of their own existence.

In comparison,

Servia was far weaker.

"Perhaps this is what they call a flaw in the world’s design," Xu Xi mused, feeling a pang of sympathy for the girl’s fate.