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"I am a skeleton. Is it okay to become friends with noble races?"
"It’s perfectly fine, little one. Undead or noble race, we are all equal in the Religious Order. These are the teachings of Cult Leader Elayne," Granny Yaga said. "Now, Lisette, come with me. I want you to speak with me and Elayne. I’ve mostly ignored your case because Elayne has been so busy lately trying to regain more of her power, but it’s been a week already, so we should talk about this."
"Um, okay?" Lisette wondered. "Are there going to be mushroom snacks?"
Mushroom snacks were dried mushrooms coated in salt—a recipe Elayne had invented to spice things up. She was able to mine salt from salt crystals in the Domain as it expanded, which had begun to produce several types of minerals.
Salt crystals in the Netherworld, however, were different from those in the Living World. They were formed from the ghostly tears of dead souls. Because there were so many souls here, the crystals began to grow naturally, some even developing into Ghostly Tear Salt Trees, worshipped by certain religions as Holy Trees.
It was precisely there that Elayne had built a shrine to worship Nature itself—something no other Druid who had entered the Netherworld had ever achieved.
The reason her Nature Soul resonated even within the Netherworld lay in its unique affinity:
The World.
It was a special Nature Soul that embraced anything Elayne considered "part of nature." Death, decay, and all things related to them were part of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Elayne spent ten years believing in this philosophy. Slowly, her Nature Soul awakened, and her powers began to blossom again. Her soul grew larger as she absorbed Ghostly Essence and Nether from the mushrooms and moss she cultivated.
Over time, she even transformed her undead body into a terrarium—her hollow interior filled with moss, mushrooms, and many other new "plants" she had discovered.
"Wow!"
Lisette gazed at the enormous Ghostly Tear Salt Tree in the southern area of the Domain’s space. It shone brightly with a white, crystalline radiance, surrounded by several smaller salt trees, dark blue and green moss, and giant mushrooms.
In front of the three largest trees stood a shrine built from black stone. Inside were various statues, also carved from black stone—some resembling trees with eyes as fruits, others with a single large eye at the center, and others depicting Elayne or a dragon goddess.
These statues were crafted by Orkus, who sought an ideal form to worship her. Over time, he had grown very fond of Elayne; her kindness and beauty had won his heart, as they had for many others here—especially the men.
The old sculptor and architect spent days creating statues and placing them inside the shrine, urging everyone to worship her not only as their master but also as a mother goddess of protection.
"So many statues..."
Lisette admired the surroundings, noticing dozens of undead gathered—some sitting cross-legged, others kneeling with their heads to the ground, praying fervently.
As they prayed, essences and energies from the environment slowly gathered around their bodies. Some of the undead who had been meditating and praying for days had moss and mushrooms growing on them.
This was a "Cultivation Method" invented by Elayne called "Netherworld Nature Soul Commuting." By praying, conversing, and worshipping nature, one could slowly draw power from it. If the prayers were sincere, nature might even take root in their bodies.
This method provided small yet steady quantities of Soul Essence, Ghost Essence, and Nether from all of Nature, helping refine their Undead Bodies, Souls, Nether Hearts, and even gradually develop Nature Souls of their own.
At the center of the shrine sat a beautiful zombie woman with long white hair and emerald eyes, wearing a white dress. She sat cross-legged and barefoot, surrounded by the crystalline roots of the trees, resting on a bed of moss and mushrooms.
From her body, Spiritual Energy—something that shouldn’t even exist in the Netherworld, was slowly gathering, refining her Undead Body, Soul, and Spiritual Heart.
"Welcome, Granny Yaga, Lisette."
Elayne greeted them as they arrived... even though her eyes were closed and her mouth shut, her voice echoed from all around.
Then, Lisette and Granny Yaga noticed—both possessing the sight to perceive it—
The astonishing thing Elayne was doing to gain even more power...
Her soul had spread roots throughout the Domain.
These roots were formed from her Ghostly Soul, fused with her Nature Soul, Spiritual Energy, and Nether.
As the roots expanded, Elayne became one with her surroundings, further strengthening the Domain’s internal space while growing stronger herself by expanding her mind and consciousness.
This was her unique Cultivation Method: "Soul Spirit Root Branching."
By expanding and branching her soul into dozens, then hundreds, and eventually thousands of roots, Elayne could grow her soul tremendously, absorbing more of Nature’s essence as she mimicked the roots of trees.
Of course, this was only possible within the interior of her Domain’s space, with help from Little Hope and Gardenia.
"Elayne, I see you’ve expanded your soul even further..." Granny Yaga observed. "Just how far do you plan to let it grow?"
"As far as possible," Elayne replied. "This Domain is quite vast. I intend to completely cover it with my Soul Spirit Roots and create a cradle from them. Right now, I’ve reached nearly twenty percent of the Domain’s interior, so I’m at the Peak of the Beginning Stage."
"I see... so you’re not planning to cultivate a Nether Heart Core?" Granny Yaga asked.
"To cultivate that, I’d need to consume a large quantity of Soul Essence and Nether. I believe my mixed method—blending those elements with my own Nature and Spirit Energies—might be better suited for me," Elayne explained. "Nonetheless, I still plan to practice some Undead Flesh Refinement and Skeletal Bone Strengthening Methods later. I’m still adapting to the power of my Cursed Runes, and before allowing my soul to gain more, I need to master the ones I already have. Otherwise, I’ll lose my mind—just like Mark did. I had to forcibly remove many of his Cursed Runes to help him regain his senses."
"I see..." Granny Yaga nodded, smiling. "I suppose you’ve truly thought everything through, Elayne. Now, I wanted you to address this boy here."
"Ah, Lisette?" Elayne asked. "What’s wrong with him? I’m fairly sure Lisette is a good boy who behaves well. I’ve been watching over him and everyone else."
"Auntie!" Lisette giggled sweetly, floating toward Elayne and hugging her. Elayne smiled, hugging him back and kissing his forehead. As a mother, she had a soft spot for children. "I’ve been a good boy!"
"Yes, you have, my dear," Elayne nodded, gently caressing his long, silky hair. "So, what’s wrong with him, Granny Yaga?"
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