This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees

Near the black hole.

A thin grey-white line suddenly appeared.

This was the passage she had left solely for Pale King Dickens.

"Are you so afraid of me escaping?"

Matthew tried to slip away through that passage.

But found himself failing.

This indicated that Dania hadn't relaxed her suppression on this space, and had merely quietly opened a backdoor for her ally.

This road was not one that anyone could take.

Matthew was certainly unable to squeeze in.

On the contrary.

With his union with the Demon Dragon, Dickens could charge straight through.

Within seconds.

Matthew sensed the ferocious power of Dickens rushing fiercely through the passage Dania had provided.

The next thing that appeared before his eyes was that familiar tongue—

The Mummy's Tongue!

Just now Matthew had been caught off guard by this move, so it naturally drew much of his attention this time.

He immediately increased the intensity and focus of his tomorrow's withered flower.

Yet that moist tongue didn't lash directly at Matthew this time.

Instead, it actively avoided the small bubbles.

Splitting into hundreds of sharp forked tongues in a surrounding but non-attacking formation.

These tongues, like hydrangea, adorned the depths of the black hole.

And deeper inside was Matthew's bubble.

After a while.

He could feel waves of damp, chilling force clinging to the bubble.

That was the flip side of countless splits of the Mummy's Tongue—

On that side, Matthew saw rolls of bandages.

On each set of bandages were engraved inscriptions filled with sinister aura.

This wasn't a spell.

Nor was it a ceremonial field.

It was a purely malevolent curse.

Such a curse couldn't even yield any effects.

It was merely a medium for what Dickens was about to do!

"A Mystic Lock has never been invincible...even with a name change, it's still the same. Kid, let me show you how a legendary-mage breaks through the ban of a full-frontal magic silence!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

A colder power reached into Matthew's heart.

His predicament hadn't actually changed.

Tomorrow's withered flower and the Void Ring still kept the enemy at bay.

But soon Matthew realized something was wrong—

"Why are my Focus and mana depleting so rapidly? This rate of consumption...is not normal, definitely not normal!"

Matthew's heart slightly wavered.

He closed his eyes.

And sensed the peculiar suppression coming from Dickens.

On the data panel.

...

"Warning: You are under the suppression of the bloodline ability 'Taboo Extraction' from the Demon Dragon (legendary-mage Dickens)!"

Taboo Extraction: Dickens has selected your tomorrow's withered flower as the target for Taboo Extraction.

The chosen target will be continuously drained of mana and Focus.

Specifically.

Dickens himself will also bear the same cost.

The faster his mana and Focus deplete.

The faster your mana and Focus will be extracted.

Therefore, this is a direct confrontation on the level of mana and Focus...

...

"Taboo Extraction?"

"Such a bizarre ability? And it's a bloodline ability, indicating it comes from the Ritz family. Demmo never used this ability; is it because he couldn't, or didn't have the opportunity to, or perhaps his bloodline isn't pure enough?"

Matthew's initial reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.

If it was simply a contest of Focus and mana, ordinary legendary spellcasters might fear the likes of Dickens, a seasoned veteran.

But Matthew, with his ample accumulation, wasn't frightened at all!

Let's see who's spent first!

But after just three minutes.

Matthew finally noticed the issue—

His and Dickens' mana and Focus levels were depleting identically.

Considering Matthew's own state, against Dickens' years of confinement in the Wandering Tower, logically the latter shouldn't last.

But as time passed.

Matthew discovered that, setting aside Focus, Dickens' mana inside wasn't decreasing but instead increasing!

This meant that compared to the mana being consumed.

More ether actively surged into Dickens!

Such a situation was undoubtedly closely tied to the environment of the Arcane Wilderness.

But more importantly:

"He's completely abandoned the human form, whether by consuming the Ember Blood Crystal or merging with the Demon Dragon."

"Though he possesses the might of a legendary necromancer and still maintains a human-like soul."

"But fundamentally, the body he manipulates is already a Demon!"

"He's completely shattered the shackles of being human or any intelligent life form. He doesn't concern himself with acquiring magic addiction, and between him and the ether, there's no longer any barrier..."

Understanding this layer.

Matthew's heart sank slightly.

The two bigwigs in Baiyan City were indeed tough, not only because of their credentials but more due to their willingness to risk anything.

"It's not like it can get any worse!"

Driven by a similar mindset and a thirst for revenge.

Both Dania and Dickens would perform outrageous maneuvers no normal legendary spellcaster would dare undertake.

This only added to Matthew's challenges!

"At this rate, you might lose control even before my mana is drained!"

Matthew earnestly reminded.

Pale King Dickens grinned:

"You're afraid."

Matthew was speechless:

"Can't I just dispel the spell?"

Dickens' eyes lit up:

"Then go ahead and dispel it!"

"Let me see what other cards you hold besides this Mystic Lock!"

Matthew said seriously:

"Then I'll really dispel it, alright?"

Dickens chuckled coldly.

But he obviously didn't believe it.

So instead of slowing down his pace, he intensified his consumption of mana and focus.

Seeing this, Matthew lifted his hand.

From the depths of the black hole,

a burst of Dragon Fire suddenly emerged.

That was the Dragon Fire Talisman on Matthew!

This trinket not only has the effect of breaking Magic Counter, but it can also ignite and suppress the target's mana!

The Dragon Fire hit the Demon Dragon.

But Dickens showed an indifferent attitude:

"Is this the Mystic Lock you said you'd dispel?"

"How sincere of you!"

Matthew smiled slightly.

Revealing the Dragon Fire Talisman and attacking with Dragon Fire was just an appetizer in his series of actions.

This was to some extent to numb Dickens' judgment—

Matthew was thinking about using Mana Ignite to win the duel.

In that case, he most likely wouldn't dare to actively dispel tomorrow's withered flower.

Matthew was creating a potential mindset like this!

In fact,

he could have dispelled the spell long ago.

The reason for the delay was simple.

He needed to first think clearly about his battle plan after dispelling the spell.

Same principle as always—

First, do not lose.

Then seek victory.

As long as tomorrow's withered flower and the Void Ring were maintained, Matthew could remain invincible.

And once he actively chose to leave this relatively balanced situation,

it meant he had to win!

And it couldn't be a small victory.

It had to be a significant victory!

"Now's the time!"

An unwavering glimmer passed through Matthew's eyes.

Seizing the moment when Dickens was fiercely consuming his own mana,

Matthew abruptly dispelled "tomorrow's withered flower"!

And at that moment when the bubble disappeared,

numerous greedy desires instantaneously focused on Matthew!

Dania's delighted voice rang out:

"Oh, I misunderstood you, Dickens!"

"You truly have some capability, actually forcing him to dispel the turtle shell!"

"In that case, I'll gladly accept this fresh body, don't get angry, Dickens, I'll leave you some strands of hair... Hehehe..."

Before the words fell,

the black hole exploded abruptly.

The Calamity Grassman, previously a picture of fractured weakness, suddenly rose from the "ground".

The Destruction Black Hole in her chest directly targeted Matthew.

Intending to forcefully devour him.

Yet at that moment,

a painting scroll suddenly appeared at Matthew's side.

The black hole couldn't swallow Matthew.

Because Matthew astonishingly dived into that painting scroll!

Under the power of the black hole,

the painting scroll was torn into countless shreds.

As Dania was about to swallow all the scrolls into herself,

a sudden gust of wind whipped the shreds of the scrolls into the air!

"Don't dream of taking it all for yourself!"

The Demon Dragon viciously whipped up a towering wall of wind.

Dickens gathered all the shreds together.

He noticed Matthew's shadow on almost every shred of the scroll.

But the next second,

he merely blinked,

and all the images of Matthew on the shreds disappeared rapidly.

"This is..."

"Isabelle's Dimension Shift?"

"He intentionally shifted himself into a lower dimension, hiding in the scroll?"

Dania seemed to recall something.

Then,

both coincidentally looked up.

To see a gigantic silhouette suddenly appear in the sky—

That was Matthew...

His upper body!

"What was dimensionally lowered into the scroll...

was actually you."

Matthew, occupying half the sky, said so.

...