Chapter 222: Forgiveness 7

"Sorry?" Mil looked at Lia like she was crazy.

"I didn't mean vengeful ones, harmless ghosts are ok, too," Lia expected these kinds of reactions but also expected that Yano understood her.

And she wasn't disappointed, "Sure."

"R-Really?" Zero looked with an aghast expression between Lia and Yano.

"Lia already said harmless ghosts, so they won't do anything to you," Yano drew a circle in the air but then stopped, "Or Lia and I can go to another place, just us two and-"

"You want to carry all the corpses?"

Yano's hopes and dreams of a romantic date were shattered. Skyla snorted, "Even in situations like this, your brain feeds you dog shit."

Yano ignored Skyla and bitterly asked, "How many ghosts do you need?"

"As many corpses there are," Lia looked around, "or wait- 20 should be enough for now."

Lia didn't want his place to be swarmed with ghosts they had to purge later anyways.

"Anything for you," Yano sweetly smiled at Lia as if when he didn't throw around these cheesy remarks he was going to drop dead.

Lia rolled her eyes and concentrated on Yano's hands that drew a pattern. Lia slightly smiled seeing the little ghost figure Yano drew into the circle. Then not even a second later, ghosts poured out.

Lia couldn't believe that Yano was also capable of doing this. Summoning these corpses and ghosts like it was nothing. When Yano brought out all the corpses to this place, Lia couldn't believe her eyes. Was he serious? He indeed was serious about helping Lia and doing anything he could to make her stronger.

The ghosts that came out of the circle started to flow around the place and scattered around. Lia quickly grasped the opportunity, she poured more of her life force into a corpse, controlling it to leak out of the corpse's hand before saying, "Grab a ghost. Don't kill it."

The corpse stood up and with ease grabbed a ghost just as Lia said and held it dangling in its hand.

The ghost was shocked and silently squirmed in the corpse's grasp.

"What are you doing?" everyone was curious what Lia was trying to achieve. It was too unfathomable.

Lia was the Immortal King and the Immortal King decided over life and death, guiding the spirits through death, and even breathing back life into the dead. The immortal King was a being that defied everything, and right now Lia would try to draw out the original power the heavens denied her of.

"Absorb it," Lia's words stunned everyone as dazzling white light exploded from the corpse. It was happening. Lia didn't even need to do anything or tell the corpse how to do it. The corpse, no, the Immortal King's power inside Lia knew what to do, as if it had been waiting for a long time to unleash its might.

After the exploding light disappeared the true undead soldier stood in front of Lia. A corpse with a conscience of its own. The ghost was still a living being, combining it with a body, the ghost, a mortal's soul, couldn't attain, gave it a second life enslaved under the Immortal King's power.

These new corpses, no, undeads would grow strong enough to fight on their own without Lia needing to give them orders while still maintaining their full loyalty towards Lia.

This was the vision, the small snippet of the first Immortal King's fight Lia saw. A sole man with an army of undead against the masses of immortals who were as strong as the captains of Min's private army.

A single man dominated and slaughtered a whole battlefield just with his undead. A might that Lia had within her reach. Just a grasp away. A power that Lia needed to train to her fullest. A revelation that brought forth a new hope.

"No way," Mil was the first to speak while Yano the first to recover as he curiously surrounded the corpse and waved. The corpse waved back.

"Hello," then Yano initiated a conversation with it.

The corpse moved its mouth, the ghost that desperately longed to talk inside the corpse finally got its chance, "H…e…llo..."

"No way!" Mil repeated and held Skyla in his arms to shield her from the surprise while Skyla held Zero.

However, being able to do this used up an incredible amount of Lia's lifeforce. Once the lifeforce inside the corpse ran out, the ghost was forced out. It flew sadly around Lia with expectant eyes.

"Sorry," Lia told the ghost, "I need to train more. Soon you can return. For now, enjoy the place here."

The ghost seemingly understanding Lia nodded and flew away to the other ghosts. Lia had to quickly master this ability. She couldn't endlessly pour her lifeforce into the corpse and had to find a way to maximise the prolonged life of her life force inside the undead.

"My wife-"

SLAP.

Lia slapped her hand over Yano's mouth and thought as she crouched in front of the corpse. If the corpses could fight with weapons, then they'd be even stronger. For that Lia needed to embark on a tedious and hard training journey. However, it was ok. She had people here who were willing to help her.

"I just wanted to say you were amazing!" Yano looked at Lia with big eyes and Lia sighed, "I don't need your empty cheers…"

"But they're not empty!"

"Alright," Lia had enough of coaxing Yano and said, "I want to be able to fully make use of the ability."

Yano turned serious, "it costs you a lot of lifeforce, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, what about the ring I gave you?"

"Oh?" Mil's eyes perked up.

"Huh?" Skyla narrowed her eyes.

"What? What ring?" Zero glared at Yano.

"Our engagement-"

"The Immortal King's," Lia pushed Yano's face out of hers. This wasn't a time for him to fool around and be lovey-dovey.

"Min took it away," Lia still regretted Min taking the ring away. However, at least Min wouldn't be able to draw out the Immortal King's power. Yano slung his arms around Lia's back before he held her in his arms, twirled her around him, then gently laid her onto the ground.

Basically, Yano did a tame version of a german suplex.

"What the hell?" Lia confused glared at Yano.

"Don't call him by his name."

"I don't want to call him by the name Ghost King either," Lia continued to send angry glares at Yano.

"Then how about trash? Inferior-to-Yano? Could-not-ever-compare-to-Yano? Bastard? Or-"

"An ass!" Zero joined in.

"Good," Yano rubbed Zero's head before Skyla protectively pulled Zero to her, "Yano, you ***, are a bad influence."

If Skyla knew the profanities and slurs Zero was capable of saying then her whole world view would shatter.

"Our Zero needs to remain innocent to cook his food! What if he puts poison into it?'' Mil truly admired Zero's cooking skills. They were a feast for Mil's tastebuds.

"You're just exploiting me! And I'm not that kind of a person!" Zero huffed but secretly felt good to be truly adored by so many people. Lia was amused by Yano and actually played along, "Trash sounds good."

Yano instantly towered over Lia, "Then how about calling me hubby?"

"No," Lia pushed Yano away and moved to her corpses.

"Dear?"

"No."

"Honey?"

"No."

"Honey boo boo?"

"NO!"

"Babe? Baby?"

"The love of my life?" Yano followed Lia who moved around the corpse to avoid him, "Get away! Let me train!"

"What about Prince Charming?"

"You're unbelievably cringy!"

"The only one for me?"

"Sweetheart?"

"Sunshine?"

"My love?"

"My everything?"

"Light switch? Because I turn you on?"

"Sugar?"

"Darling?"

"The most handsome, charming and amazing boyfriend and future husband ever?"

***

Cold smoke blew across the room freezing the temperature below zero. An intense atmosphere gripped everyone by the neck. In a black room, at a stone table, no one could escape the devastating gaze of Min.

All the remaining captains have gathered including two new ones.

"From now on," Min's lower voice filled with suppressed anger vibrated in the whole room causing everyone to involuntarily flinch, "I will not tolerate any failures anymore."

Min didn't even need to continue. Everyone knew already what awaited them should what happened repeat itself. Timo crossed his legs as his robe strapped over his shoulders moved slightly.

Eri adjusted her position, her icy stare not abiding. Zayn pushed up his glasses nervously while the newcomers didn't dare to move.

"The reason why you couldn't find Lia isn't because you're weak or that she's too strong. It's because she's gotten help. Search the whole Immortal World. Anyone that aided her won't be spared," Min stood up and with a last look said, "Clean up the city. Days have already gone by and you're useless as ever. Also," Min's gaze swept past everyone, "We're changing plans. Get ready after you're done as soon as possible."

Then Min left. The suffocating pressure disappeared and everyone could breathe a little bit easier.

"Well, I can take care of the capital," one of the new captains was the lanky assistant that has served Min for a long time.

The other new captain closed his eyes, when he opened them again, flower petals danced in his irises, "I'll help."

***

"I want to go and meet Eri again," Lia didn't even wait for Yano to fully enter the room before she threw the sentence at him.

"No."

And as Lia expected, Yano immediately refused. Because of Yano wanting Lia to call him a certain nickname they had to stop the training.

Yano's defence was that they just came back from Mistand. Skyla and Mil left after dinner while Zero entertained Oldie. Yet Lia slightly contorted her face seeing Yano. The blazing audacity Yano had to come into Lia's room right after he took a shower.

Lai has also washed herself but she wasn't as brazen as Yano, Lia has already changed while Yano only had a towel slung around his waist, while he used another towel to dry his hair.

This temptation in person with the perfect neckline and V-line, the perfect muscles and abs, Lia didn't even want to look at him. No, she didn't dare to.

The wet hair released tiny drops of water that rolled down Yano's perfectly toned body. His moist skin and glazed eyes were truly too infatuating. Lia pretended to be unfazed while she gulped down the heat that started to evaporate inside her body.

"I said no, did you hear?" Yano's low whisper tickled Lia's ear as she quickly pulled away and threw some clothes at him, "Wear them!"

"My wifey is too embarrassed to see her handsome husband. Don't worry, wifey you're beautiful, very lovely and-"

"Be quiet!" Lia glared at Yano until he reluctantly wore the clothes.

Yano sulked. He wanted to seduce Lia like this but in the end, her mind was occupied with apparently more important things than him. How was that fair?

"I'm serious, Yano," Lia somehow felt that time was running out, "We have to act as soon as possible. I will infiltrate the palace."