“It’s a skill I’ve acquired thanks to my class, of course. An ability to be reborn, not undead, mind you. Not what the system forced me to be, an opponent for the Integrator to face and overcome…” Delia licked her lips, and with her thumb, she cleaned the edge of the cup. “Well, I suppose the system is the one granting me this skill, so I shall give it a certain degree of gratitude. Do you have any questions, human?”

  Where should he even start? Suna's hand took the cup, and he was about to bring it to his lips before realizing he didn’t know what it was. He set it down again. “System integration. What is it? And how do you know about it?”

  “Yes, normally one wouldn’t know, especially one of us who was created to exist by the system, unlike you. But my skill ‘Second Life’ allows me to keep my memory for my reincarnation, the skill I wanted to use along with my two sisters.” Delia paused, eyeing him. “You had a class upgrade; not many humans did.”

  That sent a jolt of fear through Suna’s chest; his body stiffened, and the question hung on his lips.

  What happened to those humans? Jack did say most just disappeared, but a considerable number challenged the depth and died.

  “Humans–what happened to them? One who challenges you?” Suna asked, aware he was going slightly off-topic, but this was an important question.

  “I killed them; Uzu did most of them. And their bodies were sent to the second depth, the Great Castle to be the stout soldier who protects the path toward the Third Depth where my lord resides.”

  Suna let a breath out; he had thought that much. “Thank you for your honesty.”

  Delia smiled just above her teacup. “Why, you’re welcome. Now let's get back on topic. The key to class advancement is resonance, which also applies to skill usage, like a Dragon Kin tends to have more firepower than a regular [Fire Wizard], despite using the same skill and in the same levels as well."

  "So it's in my interest to know what exactly happened to a soul once someone died. Turn out our pact here will be another Resonance I can tap into, human, like a rope that connects my current self to my future self, and that rope shall be our Pact; the fact you killed Dua will also play into the Resonance—you’re the perfect anchor. And I’m in the perfect position with this skill and my knowledge.”

  “So the reason you chose my world was because of my connection to it? And because I’m human too?” Suna asked.

  “Yes, precisely. Although your strength does factor in, I think you will make it back and manage to find us”.

  Delia continued. “Our research led us to discover system integration, how we’re merely beings to be used as a target, how the ‘system will’ be forced on us. It did not take much to know, really… Just a curiosity at the start, and extracting knowledge from the undead. It’s not just humans, elves, or Akin; there are so many races.”

  “And what is System integration? System integration came from a war of the distant past, a technology so grand that they called it heaven. A lifeform entered it and ruined it; the lifeform was an intelligence used to empower a certain race that I do not know of. But once it seized the technology called heaven, it flexed its authority and enhanced everyone's power while denying the existence of technology and keeping it to itself. Now this intelligence has seized the outer world with an army of metallic soldiers. And forces living beings inside countless planets. It did not intend to enter any planet, as long as none attempted to go out to challenge it.”

  “And this information comes from where? What creature's mind did you pry into?” Suna asked, eager to know.

  “A human, with a skill these damned Drow had called Drowfication. One needs to enter a dream of a distant past to unlock its power.”

  His eyes widened, and a vein throbbed near his ear. “Drowfication? Never heard of it.” Yeah, better not tell her.

  “Surely you encountered it when their skin turned matted black, and they got an incredible burst of power. We have kidnapped many Drow and raised them as undead, although doing so decreased their natural fighting capability. Well, it didn’t matter since the system restriction on the Drow’s level was incredibly low, in consideration for you, integrator, no doubt…”

  “Now, why did the event called System Integration happen to you? Your planet? When the intelligence’s will reached a planet, as happened to yours now. It forcefully willed the inhabitants to go through a tutorial to get them used to their new power. But unfortunately, with technology restricted, and your abundance of it… the balance is disrupted.”

  “When something is forcefully removed from existence…as is happening to every technology on your planet, that will create a rift. A magical rift that invites strange creatures to enter. With it, an abundance of Mana will invade your world. Also… since the restriction of technology, magic has advanced, and living beings yearn to travel the universe, which is why portal magic, or what we call “gateways,” is a leading magic on some of the strongest planets.”

  “Every time the System integrated a planet, it was like a race to claim as much richness as possible. So many wonders will be mixed into your world. And who knows what they were? A dungeon that led to the sky? An ocean that is going to have its own war? Clouds that will solidify into lands?” Delia listed it off; her breath softened.

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  “How would you even know this? What happened in the integration…”

  “We made a contract with some of the integrators like you; we allow them to pass the gate. In exchange, we infuse them with undead power, and they had to release it into a creature they killed when they get back to their own world so we can see what's happening. We did it over and over again until one finally survived and honored the deal.”

  Delia clasped her hands. “I believe that answers your question, doesn’t it human?”

  “You let people go?”

  “Yes, some we deem strong enough at least. There’s really no point in keeping them here, is there? We can’t cross the gate ourselves. Although even if we could…. My lord would rather stay here and make this world his base.”

  “So that is why you kidnap these Tieflings?”

  “There’ve been some strong forces that kept growing and growing within the Drow, as well as the Tiefling. Which include you, and the others humans. And these Thiefmasters… yes, they are perhaps the best I’ve faced so far.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “That I will not answer. I will give no information that can endanger my lord. You can just go past the gateway, Suna the Human, gather the other humans, and just pass the gate. But of course, I want you to form a pact with me first. I just want to live with my sisters, without the system shackling me, even if in this dangerous world. Find us and protect us, and integrate us into human society when you make it back to your planet.”

  [Quest Issued]

  [Delia the Undead Witch offered you a quest.]

  [Make it back to your planet, and ensured the safety of Delia and her sisters, Dua and Uzu. They will be weak in their newly reincarnated form. Stay with them until they grow strong and help them integrate into human society.]

  [Reward upon taking the quest:

  - Delia’s Rune

  - Access to the gate toward Second Stage]

  [Reward upon quest completion:

  - Delia’s oath of protection]

  “Also, shall I add a sweetener? I will help you on your first stage of Drowfication,” Delia's lips curled into a smirk.

  He could just leave for the second stage, just like that… And the offer to activate this strange power…

  “The Tieflings, what would happen to them?”

  “They will be my lord’s soldiers; he did not exactly want to turn them into undead; he would rather they mate and commit themselves to his forces.”

  “And if they refused?”

  “Then undead it is.”

  “Why not bring the Necromancer with you?” Suna reasoned. That way, the Tiefling would at least no longer need to deal with the undead.

  Delia shook her head. “We will lose our current power in the next life with my skill. I insist on keeping Dua and Uzu’s Runes so they will have better progression, but their power will be different, and so will mine. Our power will be just like yours at the very start. My lord is not willing to let him go.”

  “The purpose of these actions was the rising threat of the Drows that grew strong, right? What if… what if I hunted her down?” Suna asked, still trying to wrangle a deal somehow that could benefit the Tieflings.

  “The main purpose of the kidnapping was to draw both Thiefmasters out and eliminate them. The Drow will be difficult to deal with and will require considerable forces; it's another reason why my lord wanted the Tiefling to be under him or as his undead.”

  “I cannot abandon the Tiefling.”

  “You can’t?” Delia's eyes rose, staring at him.

  “I won’t,” Suna corrected.

  “I see,” Delia breathed softly, her eyes gazing down, a twang of disappointment in her gaze. “Then, I’m afraid we will fight.”

  “But,” Suna cut in. “I’m willing to do your quest if you lead me to unlock this Drowfication and, of course, your other rewards, including these…” Oath of protection”

  Delia tapped the heel of her hand to her mouth, suddenly deep in thought. “That oath of protection is my oath to you for me to help you should anyone or anything endanger you. Of course, take into consideration I won’t have my current power, and that if we survived on your planet until you found us… and regarding unlocking your Drowfication… that will help you against my lord…” Delia trailed off.

  Regardless of what she said, she did not reject it outright like when he went asked for information about her earlier battle against the Thiefmaster. He needed to push this.

  “You truly really didn’t want to leave? You want to fight against my Lord, Lumien? Such foolishness…”

  “Well? How about it? Isn’t it also foolish for you to hold on to this necromancer? He wouldn’t know about it, would he?”

  That made Delia pause, and her eyes began to blaze with vibrant color.

  Suna's heart was thumping. What was that reaction? It was like she just realized something.

  “You’re right, we should just ask him.”

  “Ask him?”

  [Delia the [Undead Witch] intended Lumien the [Necromancer]]

  [Allow Invitation?]

  {Accept/Decline}

  “Absolutely not!” Suna guffawed, almost spilling the tea beside his leg.

  Orange light hung around them, and now, instead of a beautiful piece of nature, it felt like an interrogation light, with each small orb of light beaming at Suna’s skin, adding heat to his cold body.

  “It’s a manner of leaving one service, I believe.”

  “I don’t care about your manner! We’re not inviting him.”

  “What are you so afraid of? Even my lord wouldn’t be able to break the domain rule. If you’re so desperate to save the Tiefling as well, I believe your best chance is to strike an alliance with him, don’t you think? With our combined power, let's hunt these Drows. Of course, my lord will want the Tiefling under him…”

  “I have no power to decide that!” Suna argued. The mere act of deciding for the whole Tiefling race was ridiculous.

  “You don’t? Why so? I believe you are almost equal to the Thiefmaster, don’t you? And you will keep growing stronger. And also, what makes you think both are alive?”

  “One of them is dead?”

  “Maybe, maybe both of them survived and had freed the prisoner. Or maybe they had to chase all the way to the second depth. Or maybe both are currently being delivered to be turned into undead. If you want to know… why don’t you ask my lord, Lumien?” Delia shrugged. ‘I couldn’t be sure after our battle, you see. It was so chaotic, with so many Shieldnites fighting against Tieflings and making such a mess. I couldn’t possibly identify whom I burned.” Her eyes twinkled.

  What a liar.

  “He won’t be able to do anything?” Suna asked again, still hesitating to even lay eyes on this necromancer.

  “You have my word as the Undead Witch Gatekeeper Mistress. I will form a pact; if my lord, Lumien, by any means harms you in this domain… Then I shall forfeit my reincarnation along with my sister.”

  [Pact Formed] [The Witch’s Second Life Pact]— The [Undead Witch] Delia had sworn a pact to guarantee her lord Lumien the [Necromancer] would not harm Suna the [Flintwind Archer] inside [Witch Tea Party]. Should this be breached, the [Undead Witch] Delia shall no longer be reincarnated, and her soul will be doomed forever.

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