"《 Spirit Lantern Mansion of the Undead Empress ➖ Carriage form 》"

We started our travel.

According to Vox-sensei, the dungeon's location are filled with undead's, since the dungeon is self-support it gathers mana from the surrounding and creates monsters and levels.

We calculated that it already has ten floors and rank 3 monsters.

Monsters are ranked into ten types:

Rank 1: slimes, goblins, skeletons...

Rank2: hobgoblin, kobolds, wolves...

Rank 3: goblin king, ogre, greater wolves...

Rank 4: dyad, zombies, drakes...

Rank 5: demon dogs, cyclops, treants....

Rank 6: Cerberus, elemental beasts, lich...

Rank 7: fenrir, kraken, sand King...

Rank 8: oni, vampires, cursed weapons...

Rank 9: demons, undead king, dragons...

Rank 10: celestial spirits, divine beasts...

From rank 7 to 10 had high intelligence. They can talk and understand human languages.

Though some have exceptions like the elemental beasts and the dyad, they also had high intelligence.

Me as a high lich, I was categorized as a rank 8 monster.

As of now, I didn't told the wanderer clan about me being a monster.

Continuing from my discussion, the monster must've evolved into a higher species by the continuous absorption of the dungeon core of mana from the surroundings.

Self-sustained dungeon rely on itself, it feeds itself and take care of itself, with the help of the monsters.

Any living things that have been killed inside the dungeon turned to a clump of mana as food for the dungeon core.

The dungeon doesn't have any master.

As the current head of the undead clan, I must obtain it, the dungeon must be conquered by me so that it can recognize me as its master.

This rule doesn't applied to everyone, in order for being the master of a self-sustained dungeon, one must be compatible with its element.

In order for me to conquer the dungeon, I need to strengthen myself. Necromancy magic seems to be not useful towards my battle in the dungeon since undead and necromancy are somewhat related. And my necromancy magic are still on a low level, my undead charm can be of help to me but its level are still low.

So after my study, I will go outside and level up.

Yes, my study are still ongoing.

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"Now then, empress-sama! Etiquette are the basic steps to gain attention to others."

I'm with Seleca-sensei today and we are currently on my room, my hidden room.

I'm learning about manners and gestures.

"Since empress-sama are a royalty you really need to master this!"

"Nee~Seleca-sensei?"

"Yes! Empress-sama! hehe."

"I was wondering, since royalty exist. Are there any nobles in my own clan?"

"Well, the people here are mostly commoners and former knights of the undead clan. The nobility resides on your grandfather's domain so I think the nobility on this period of time for the undead clan has diminished and only one noble survive and that noble are on top of the hierarchy which is you! Empress-sama!"

I was shock to hear that. Well, I was somewhat glad to hear that. Base on my knowledge about nobles and such, they are ruthless to their own citizen which led to some citizen making a revolt against their lord, resulting to a chain reaction that affects other nobles that does the same thing to their own citizen. The works of the nobles have an effect on the kingdom since the nobles were assigned to be the people that will govern a part of the kingdom, if that part of the kingdom became a land without life then it will also affect the neighbors that has connection to that domain. My own understanding of nobles may apply to this world nobles.

"Let's get back to our lesson shall we."

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"Hold your own weapon tightly! And always be cautious of your surroundings."

"Yes Gunther-sensei!"

I'm currently training with Gunther-sensei.

This pervert face turns bright red when I called him sensei, *sigh.

I'm practicing to use my life staff more efficiently.

Well, Vox-sensei once told me that, I can use my own skill without holding my weapons because the weapons only helps me to control the magic flow and also helps my mana to easily control my magic.

My staff is colored gold, the top part is shape like a crescent moon with dark-green circular markings and attack to it are a transparent blade that also follows the shape of the crescent moon, on it an orb with butterfly wings are floating on the mouth of the moon. Below it, are a green wood that curves (something like this "く") decorated with closed white roses and a butterfly ribbon binds it to the shaft, below the shaft are also a wooden pole that curves then straighten pointing to the ground (like this "イ").

I intend to practice this weapon so that I can fight in the dungeon. Anyways, we are training right now in the adventurer's district's training ground.

There are not much people in my city since it only consist of a small group of people.

The residential area doesn't even have that much of a population and it's rather silent and quite peaceful. The wanderer clan plans to investigate the third floor, after a while I intend to widen the space a bit more.

"Then are you ready?! Give me all you've got!"

"Then here I go!"

I jump up and raise my staff, I swung the bladed part of my staff to Gunther-sensei, as expected he guarded it with his own sword. While our own weapon are stick together.

"Snake vine!"

A snake vine appeared from the orb of the staff and crawl unto Gunther-sensei's arm.

Gunther-sensei grab the snake and throw it away.

He also swung the sword with a great force also taking me away.

"Tch."

"Hime! You are still a novice in terms of fighting eh! You will never conquer the dungeon if you slack off!"

"I know!"

I once again ran towards him, since the staff kind of looks like an axe because of the blade on its right side I swung it to Gunther-sensei furiously and Gunther-sensei parried it without breaking a sweat.

"Parasite!"

The roses bloom from my staff and release bright pollens.

"Hmm?"

I once again swung my staff while he seems confuse of the pollen, I swung it with both my hands, surprisingly he parried it and take a distant away from me.

"Root bind!"

I bind his movement, knowing him he will be released himself with force, I activated the passive skill of this weapon. Magic weapons have a skill on their own, it will not show on your status since it belongs to the weapon itself.

"Weapon skill: Activate 《 Overgrowth 》"

My staff shine and I pierce it to the ground. A magic circle appeared and plants started to grow in a fast rate. I order it from my mind to attack Gunther-sensei, a huge root appeared and headed towards Gunther-sensei.

While brandishing his sword, he escape my root bind, he enters a stance and await the giant root to reach him.

"Not this time Gunther-sensei! Bloom!"

Speck of light appeared on Gunther-sensei's body and a shrub appeared covering his body and red flowers appeared, it's my parasite skill I use on him before. This kind of skill can immobilized the target and also paralyze the body, this magic when strengthen can eat the target's body from the inside. I know this skill too well, but since its level are still low, I intend to use it for this pervert. Now let's see what you will do.

"Never forgot that this sensei can also use magic! Immunity armor!"

A semi-transparent armor covering Gunther-sensei's body, my parasite are starting to wither and lose its attachment to Gunther-sensei.

"It's my skill that deflects a status effect that can immobilize me, but after it disappear it makes my body to weaken a little bit, but I don't have to worry about that since you’re my opponent! Hahahaha!"

He also destroy the giant root with his sword.

"*sigh...guess I have too much to learn."

"Then start it by hunting tomorrow!"

"Hmm...I think I forgot something."

"Uhmm...empress-sama? Does your skill had poison effect because I'm not feeling great right now?"

Ah! The root bind.

I called Merry and she healed Gunther-sensei.

Tomorrow, I will go outside with the wanderer clan to gain experience.