The Extra's Rise
Chapter 645 - 645: Zombie Princess (3)

The cathedral's circular chamber responded to the Zombie Crown's awakening, crystallized darkness spreading outward in patterns I'd calculated months ago during the planning phase. Everything was proceeding exactly as I'd designed it.

"Positions," I said, my voice carrying the authority of someone who had orchestrated every detail of what was about to happen. "Rose, northern point. Rachel, eastern. Reika, you'll anchor from the west."

They moved without hesitation, trusting in the plan I'd spent weeks perfecting. This wasn't some ancient ritual we were stumbling through—this was a precisely engineered magical operation, every component selected for maximum efficiency and minimal risk.

"Kali," I said, meeting her black eyes as she stood in the center holding the crown. "Ready?"

Her nod carried complete confidence in my planning. "The preparatory work was thorough. Your calculations were perfect."

Of course they were. I'd spent a long time researching the theoretical framework for this transformation, studying every text on Zombie Royalty I could find, analyzing the magical resonances required to safely elevate someone to that level of power. The risks were manageable when you understood the underlying mechanics.

"Rose, initiate Paradox field," I commanded. "We need reality to be... flexible for the next few minutes."

Rose closed her eyes and extended her hands.

Paradox.

Blue roses bloomed from nothing, their petals existing in multiple states simultaneously. Some opened while closing, others grew backward through their lifecycle, and a few simply ignored causality entirely. Within seconds, the normal rules governing existence became negotiable, creating the perfect environment for a transformation that would normally be impossible.

"Field established," Rose reported, her voice carrying impossible harmonics. "Reality is now optional, as requested."

Perfect. The paradox field was the first crucial component—without it, the transformation would tear Kali apart at the molecular level. But with reality's constraints temporarily suspended, we could safely rewrite the fundamental nature of her existence.

"Reika, begin adaptation protocols," I said, watching as she pressed her palms together.

Cursed Script.

Symbols materialized in the air around us—not random mystical nonsense, but specific instructions I'd helped her design. The floating script was written in the fundamental language of magic itself, commands that would restructure our magical circuits to handle the massive energy transfers about to take place.

"Optimization in progress," Reika reported, her voice strained but confident. "Spiritual foundations reinforced according to specifications."

I felt the changes immediately. My own circuits adapted, widening to accommodate the Deepdark energies I'd need to manipulate during the transformation. But more importantly, I could sense Kali's magical pathways restructuring themselves, preparing for the astronomical power increase she was about to experience.

"Now, Kali," I said, my Deepdark magic already beginning to coalesce around my hands. "Place the crown."

The moment the Zombie Crown made contact with her black hair, I was ready.

Dark energy exploded outward from the artifact, but instead of letting it run wild, I immediately began shaping it with my own Deepdark manipulation. This was the critical moment—the crown's power needed to be guided, channeled through specific pathways to ensure Kali's transformation proceeded smoothly.

I reached out with my magic, grasping the torrents of Deepdark energy flowing from the crown and directing them through the patterns I'd calculated. The power was immense, enough to level a city block if mishandled, but I'd prepared for this. My months of brutal circuit training had been specifically designed to give me the control necessary for this operation.

"Steady," I said, more to myself than to Kali. She was handling her part perfectly, embracing the transformation rather than fighting it. "Power flow stabilizing."

The crown's energy poured through her, but under my guidance, it followed precise channels rather than causing random destruction. I could feel her mana signature climbing—Silver to Gold to the lower reaches of Ascendant-rank—exactly as I'd predicted.

But then something unexpected happened.

A pulse of energy from Reika's position made me turn, just in time to see her own aura explode outward. The Cursed Script floating around her blazed with renewed intensity as her mana signature began to climb alongside Kali's.

I blinked, quickly analyzing the situation. The adaptation protocols Reika had established weren't just helping Kali—they were creating a feedback loop, a magical resonance that was elevating both of them simultaneously.

'Interesting,' I thought, adjusting my Deepdark manipulation to account for this development. It wasn't what I'd planned, but it wasn't necessarily problematic either. If anything, having two mid-Ascendant-rank allies would be even better than one.

I guided the energy flows more carefully now, ensuring that both transformations proceeded safely. Kali's elevation to Zombie Princess was the primary objective, but if Reika was going to be pulled along for the ride, I'd make sure she survived the process intact.

The transformation reached its crescendo. Kali's body existed in multiple states simultaneously thanks to Rose's paradox field—alive and dead, mortal and eternal, flesh and spirit. The contradictions that should have torn her apart were instead making her stronger, more complete.

The Zombie Crown settled onto her head with a sound like distant thunder, its obsidian surface merging seamlessly with her black hair. Runes blazed to life along its surface, fed by the carefully channeled Deepdark energy I'd been directing.

For a moment, everything was perfectly balanced. Then Kali opened her eyes.

They held depths that seemed to contain entire galaxies of darkness, star-void spaces where light went to die. When she looked at me, I felt the weight of her new nature—still Kali, but also something transcendent. A being who existed in the spaces between life and death, wielding power over entropy itself.

"Arthur," she said, her voice carrying harmonics that resonated with every Deepdark practitioner in the chamber. "Your planning was... flawless."

I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction. Of course it was. I'd spent months calculating every variable, accounting for every possible complication. The transformation had proceeded exactly as designed, with only minor variations that had actually improved the final outcome.

"How do you feel?" I asked, though I could already sense the answer through our shared Deepdark connection.

"Complete," she replied, tilting her head as the crown caught the chamber's dim light. "Like every moment before this was just preparation for what I've become."

I nodded, letting Rose's paradox field collapse and allowing Reika's Cursed Script to dissolve back into ambient mana. The magical frameworks I'd designed had served their purpose perfectly.

"Mid-Ascendant-rank," Rachel observed, her healing senses picking up on the power levels radiating from both Kali and Reika. "Both of you."

"The resonance was an unexpected bonus," I admitted, analyzing the magical link I had sensed between Kali and Reika. "But not unwelcome. Having a Zombie Princess with a mid-Ascendant-rank companion significantly improves our operational capabilities."

Kali's smile was both beautiful and terrifying, her new nature lending otherworldly authority to even simple expressions. "Your strategic planning never ceases to amaze me."

I shrugged, as if orchestrating the creation of a Zombie Princess was just another day's work. "It's all about understanding the underlying mechanics. Once you map out the magical resonances and account for the energy flows, the rest is just execution."

Rose shook her head in bemused admiration. "You say that like it's simple. Most people would consider what we just did completely impossible."

"Most people don't plan properly," I replied. "They rely on luck and improvisation instead of careful preparation and precise execution."

The truth was, this transformation represented months of meticulous planning. I'd studied every available text on Zombie Royalty, analyzed the magical requirements for safe elevation to Ascendant-rank, and designed specific roles for each of my companions' Gifts. The success wasn't luck—it was the inevitable result of thorough preparation.

"Shall we return?" Kali asked, her star-void eyes meeting mine. "I believe our objectives have been completed."

I nodded, already mentally cataloging the implications of what we'd accomplished. A Zombie Princess and two mid-Ascendant-rank allies would certainly change the strategic landscape. But that was a problem for later analysis.

For now, it was enough that my plan had succeeded flawlessly.

The Zombie Princess was born, and everything had proceeded exactly as I'd designed it.