The Extra's Rise
Chapter 644 - 644: Zombie Princess (2)

The impossible cathedral loomed before us, its twisted spires defying every law of architecture I'd ever learned. After hours of traversing the Ashen Territories, fighting through Death Knights and finally defeating that damned Dullahan, we'd finally reached our destination. The dimensional folding of the structure was even more disorienting up close—walls that should have been parallel instead curved into spaces that my eyes insisted couldn't exist.

"The Deepdark concentration has been steadily increasing since we entered the territories," Kali observed, her black eyes bright with something approaching anticipation. "But here, at the epicenter... it's incredible."

She was right. We'd been walking through Deepdark-enriched terrain for hours now, but the closer we got to this cathedral, the thicker the ambient energy became. For someone with Kali's affinity, this place had to feel like discovering a natural spring of pure power. Even I could feel it calling to the Deepdark magic in my core, resonating with frequencies that made my circuits hum.

Rachel lacked energy in her steps, having come to the conclusion the Death Knights and Dullahan we faced were once her family's knights. I consoled her as she leaned her head against me and I rubbed her back while we continued to walk.

The Zombie Crown sat atop the cathedral's highest spire, clearly visible even from this distance. Its obsidian surface seemed to drink in light rather than reflect it, creating a void in the visual spectrum that hurt to look at directly. Even at this range, I could feel its power—Ancient-grade artifacts had a presence that was unmistakable, a weight that pressed against the soul of anyone sensitive enough to perceive it.

"Ancient-grade artifacts choose their wielders," Reika said, more for the sake of completeness than because anyone needed the reminder. It was common knowledge among mages of our level. "The question is whether it will accept Kali."

"It will," Kali said with quiet certainty, flexing her fingers as shadows coiled around them like living things. "I can feel its interest."

She was right, of course. In the novel, Kali became a Zombie Princess, so there was no doubt she would succeed here.

We approached the cathedral's entrance—a wound in reality that seemed to bleed shadow into the surrounding air. The architecture defied rational analysis, existing in more dimensions than should have been possible. Stairs led upward and downward simultaneously, corridors branched into themselves, and doorways opened onto rooms that contained the passages that led to them.

"This place makes my head hurt," Rose muttered, her Gift causing a few blue rose petals to materialize as her subconscious tried to impose some order on the chaos around us.

"Don't try to understand it," I advised, leading the group through passages that folded in on themselves like origami made from crystallized space. "Just follow the path and trust that it leads where we need to go."

The walls were covered in symbols that writhed when observed directly—script in languages that had been dead since before the first kingdoms rose. The whole structure reeked of ancient magic and concentrated death, power that had been fermenting in Deepdark energy for over a decade.

As we climbed—or descended, or possibly moved sideways through folded space—Kali's excitement became increasingly apparent. Her usual composed demeanor was giving way to something I'd rarely seen from her: genuine anticipation.

"The concentration is incredible," she said, her voice carrying notes of wonder. "It's like the entire structure is a massive Deepdark focus, channeling and amplifying the ambient energy."

"That's probably exactly what it is," Rachel replied, her healing-trained senses picking up on the magical currents flowing through the building. "When an Arch Lich dies, especially one as powerful as the creature Father faced, the Deepdark doesn't just dissipate. It soaks into everything nearby, transforming the environment."

"Creating the perfect conditions for artifacts like the Zombie Crown to reach their full potential," I added, understanding the implications. The crown wasn't just sitting here—it was being empowered by its environment, growing stronger with each passing year.

The path spiraled upward through impossible geometries until we finally emerged into a circular chamber at the structure's peak. After the dimensional maze below, the room was almost shockingly simple: a perfect circle of black stone, with a pedestal of crystallized darkness at its center.

And on that pedestal sat the Zombie Crown.

It was magnificent in a way that defied description. The crown was forged from what looked like crystallized void, its surface so dark it seemed to create holes in reality wherever light touched it. Gems that weren't quite gems were set into its band—stones that existed in the spaces between colors, reflecting hues that human language had no words for. Runes covered every surface, script written in the fundamental language of death itself.

But what made it truly awe-inspiring was the power it radiated. Ancient-grade artifacts were always significant, but this one felt different. More complete, more purposeful. Like it had been waiting for exactly the right moment, the right person, to fulfill its destiny.

"It's calling to me," Kali said softly, her voice carrying an almost dreamy quality. "I can hear it... not with my ears, but with something deeper. It's been waiting."

She stepped toward the pedestal with the confidence of someone who had finally found what they'd been searching for their entire life. There was no hesitation in her movement, no uncertainty. The Deepdark energy that saturated this place, that had been building in intensity since we'd entered the territories hours ago, was singing in harmony with whatever power the crown contained.

"Kali," I said quietly, though I wasn't sure if I was offering encouragement or a warning.

She turned to look at me, and I saw something in her black eyes that I'd never seen before—a kind of peaceful resolution, as if she'd finally found her place in the world.

"This is what I was meant for," she said simply. "The Zombie Crown doesn't just grant power—it transforms someone into what they were always supposed to become. And I was always meant to be more than human."

Ancient-grade artifacts were known to be selective, and attempting to claim one that rejected you could result in anything from painful feedback to complete annihilation. But I could see in Kali's posture that she wasn't worried. The crown wanted her as much as she wanted it.

She reached out slowly, reverently, her fingers hovering just above the obsidian surface. The air in the chamber seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the moment of contact that would change everything.

When her fingertips finally touched the crown, the world exploded into darkness.

Power poured from the artifact like a tsunami of liquid shadow, but instead of the violent rejection I'd half-expected, its response was welcoming—almost gentle. The Deepdark energy that had been building in Kali's system over hours of exposure to this environment suddenly found a focus, a purpose. The crown wasn't just accepting her; it was completing her.

Kali lifted the Zombie Crown from its pedestal, and I watched as understanding dawned in her eyes. Ancient-grade artifacts didn't just choose their wielders—they communicated with them, sharing knowledge about their history, their purpose, their true nature.

"I see," she said quietly, her voice already beginning to carry new harmonics. "The Arch Lich created this crown not as a tool of domination, but as a gift. A way to elevate someone beyond the boundaries of life and death."

"But he never found a suitable candidate," Rachel observed, understanding the implications.

"No. He was too proud, too controlling. He couldn't bear the thought of sharing power, even with his own creation." Kali turned the crown over in her hands, studying its construction with newfound appreciation. "So it sat here, protected by the corrupted knights of the family that would eventually destroy him, waiting for someone worthy."

"And now?" Rose asked, though we all knew the answer.

Kali looked at each of us in turn, her expression serious but not unkind. "Now it has found its purpose. The crown chooses to elevate me, to transform me into what this world needs—a Zombie Princess, a being who can bridge the gap between life and death."

The implications hung in the air like a promise and a threat combined. The transformation would change Kali fundamentally, elevate her beyond mortal limitations while binding her to powers that most people couldn't even comprehend.

"The preparatory rituals were completed weeks ago," she continued, referring to the complex magical work we'd done to align her spiritual essence with the necessary frequencies. "All that remains is the actual coronation."

I nodded, understanding the weight of what was about to happen. "Are you ready for this?"

Kali's smile was small but genuine, carrying a confidence that made something tight in my chest ease. "I've been ready since the day I first felt the Deepdark respond to my will. This is just... the next step."

The chamber around us seemed to pulse with anticipation, the crystallized darkness beneath our feet resonating with the crown's awakening. Ancient magic stirred in the walls, responding to power that had been dormant for over a decade.

Soon, the ritual would begin. Soon, Kali would be transformed into something beyond mortal comprehension—a Zombie Princess, a being of pure Deepdark energy given form and purpose.

The crown pulsed once in her hands, eager to fulfill the destiny it had been created for. In this place saturated with the death-essence of an Arch Lich, surrounded by power that had been fermenting for years, the transformation would be unlike anything the world had seen.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to crown a Zombie Princess.

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