CHAPTER 1659: NEW UNDEAD SERVANTS

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SPLASH!

The final Zombie Lord collapsed with a thunderous splash, its grotesque body disintegrating into the corrupted waters below. Lucifer’s dragon breath, an infernal torrent of searing flame and void—had finally pierced its defenses. The last to fall had been the red one, the most formidable of the twelve.

Unlike its brethren, this crimson monstrosity had resisted until the bitter end. Its power level teetered on the edge of L Rank, and its speed was uncanny, almost unnatural. It darted through the battlefield like a streak of bloodied lightning, weaving between Lucifer’s slow but devastating attacks. For a time, it seemed untouchable. But even the swiftest predator falters when cornered. Emeraldine’s radiant magic and Partner’s chaotic strikes had tipped the scales, allowing Lucifer to deliver the final blow.

He could have ended it sooner. That much was clear. But Lucifer had chosen restraint, conserving his strength for what lay ahead. The true adversary—the one lurking beneath the surface—had yet to reveal itself.

"Is it done?" Emeraldine asked. "How long did that take?"

"About half an hour," Maria replied. "Some of them had surprising abilities... Still, they’re all mine now."

"Won’t dropping them into that void liquid destroy their corpses completely?" Partner asked.

Maria chuckled. "No. It has many properties. While it could do that, I control what it does. It’s not just Void Liquid, it’s also infused with Nether and Miasma, empowered by my Phantasmal and Death Elements. I’ve refined its capabilities. By merging it with the Black Fog of Death from my Anubis transformation, I created something new: ’Necrotic Soup.’ It restores the bodies of corpses thrown inside and transforms them into my Undead."

"Whew, that’s a relief. I was holding back, worried I’d damaged the bodies too much," Lucifer said.

"Don’t worry. As long as at least half the body remains, it’s enough," Maria assured him with a smile. "Now..."

She gazed downward, her eyes glowing with Phantasmal Flames.

"Arise."

The water trembled. From its depths, all twelve Zombie Lords emerged, reborn as true Undead under Maria’s command. Their power surged, merging their original necrotic abilities with her phantasmal and death magic.

Not only had their bodies recovered, but they also evolved under her Authority over Death. They grew stronger, larger, and more majestic.

At first, they appeared confused.

"You are now part of my army," Maria declared. "I expect great things from you. Don’t disappoint me. Necroterra will become my breeding ground for Undead. I’ll cultivate stronger forms here through mutations and transformations. I hope we can work together."

All twelve bowed their heads, acknowledging her supremacy—even though she hadn’t fought them directly. Her power to revive them was a miracle in itself.

"I offer... my blades... to you..."

"You’ve bested me. I have nothing more to say."

"Krieeeeh!"

"Raaaarrr..."

"Superior... majestic... life after death... serve... for eternity."

"Good. I’m glad you understand your place," Maria said with satisfaction. "Oh, and no more hunting or killing people, alright?"

There were no objections. Maria nodded, pleased with the outcome of the thirty-minute battle.

But it wasn’t over yet.

"Well then, now that we’re nearly finished here, shall we go after that Flesh Pit or whatever it is?" Maria asked.

"You’re not going to bring it here?" Lucifer questioned.

"I think it’s better to fight it where it lies. It might be even larger than I imagined. Pulling it out would be difficult, and we’ll save time by going to it directly," Maria explained. "Let’s go."

With a single blink, they all appeared above the Flesh Pit. It was just as massive as Maria had described, a sprawling, fleshy mass of tentacles, muscles, eyes, fangs, and other grotesque features buried underground. Its full extent was unknowable.

"This thing appeared out of nowhere, inside a huge crater," Maria said. "We could speculate it came from space, landed here, and slowly spread its offspring—the ’Virus’—into everything. Now, I’ll claim it as my own."

"How strong is it?" Lucifer asked. "Need help?"

"No, I’ve got this," Maria replied. "You’ve already fought enough. Stay here."

Maria descended slowly into the Flesh Pit. It was eerily silent, seemingly mindless. For a moment, she considered that it might be a "Stupid God", a being that had fallen from the sky, lacking personality, spreading its offspring merely to survive, unaware of the suffering it caused.

"Can you speak?"

Maria projected a psychic voice into the creature’s body, reaching its brain deep underground.

RUMBLE!

The continent trembled as the entity reacted violently to her telepathy.

It didn’t respond with words or thoughts.

Instead, it let out a loud, agonizing screech.

"Damn, I guess you’re angry. Let’s do this."

The Flesh Pit convulsed. Its fleshy walls compressed, attempting to consume Maria entirely.

Her family and the Lords watched from above. Though they weren’t overly concerned, they grew uneasy as the creature swallowed her whole.

And then—

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

Explosions erupted from within. Beams of black void pierced the surface, shattering stone and opening massive craters. The creature was being torn apart from the inside.

"GRYEEEEEEHHHHH!"

It screamed in agony. The ground split, nearby mountains cracked and collapsed. Everyone stared in awe at the sheer size of the monstrosity.

RUMBLE!

The earth split open, revealing a colossal worm-like monster with dozens of legs, a massive head, sharp teeth, tentacles, and countless red eyes.

Over three kilometers long, it writhed in pain as gaping wounds bled across its body—wounds that began to regenerate rapidly.

"T-That’s the Flesh Pit’s real form?!" Emeraldine gasped.

"It’s gigantic! Is this the biggest thing we’ve ever seen?" Lucifer asked.

"Yeah, it’s huge," Partner agreed. "But unlike the Lords, it doesn’t seem very good at fighting."

"Maria’s definitely enjoying herself," Emeraldine said.

"GRYYAAAAAHHH!"

The monstrous "Mother Zombie," as Maria had dubbed it, rampaged across the landscape, destroying everything in her path. The ground shook and shattered beneath her, while Maria continued her assault from within.

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

So many internal wounds were inflicted that the creature began rolling across the terrain, vomiting everything it had consumed in a desperate attempt to expel Maria.

It failed.

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