The talk with Rubio was long and tedious. So much information was crammed into Shio's rotting brain. If not for the fact his neurons were already dead, his head would have already exploded. Thankfully, he didn't have to remember what Rubio said since the system automatically made notes of them all.

Unsurprisingly, Lula fell asleep not long after they started their long conversation. She forced herself to stay awake, but noticing her constant yawn and head bobbing, Shio ordered the clearly tired girl to take a rest. The girl nodded reluctantly.

Lula used her backpack as a pillow and slept beside the stone pedestal. Not long after, when Shio noticed the succubus shivering from the cold, he used his cloak to cover her. He would use his black flame to help warm Lula but decided not to because of how close the fire had to be. And she kept rolling around in her sleep.

Meanwhile, Rubio sat in seiza posture on the stone floor in front of Shio. He watched in silence as his Master gently laid his cloak on the girl. And he couldn't help but wonder.

"My Lord, is it okay if I ask you something?" the lizardmen asked when Shio reassumed his position sitting on the stone pedestal.

"Go ahead."

"I apologize if this sounds rude, but you seem really fond of the girl. What is the story with her? Why is she with you?" Rubio asked. His eyes glanced at Lula for a moment.

"Does her charm bother you?" Shio asked, raising his voice a bit.

"Do not worry, my family and I are not easily affected by such thing, my Lord. It's just my curiosity speaking. I apologize if it came across as rude to you."

"I see. Well, Lula was the one who freed me from my prison," Shio said casually, while the revelation was like a bomb to the lizardmen.

"R-Really? I… I feel ashamed… It should have been my family that freed you," Rubio said, planting his forehead to the cold stone floor out of embarrassment.

"Now, Rubio, lift your head up," Shio said calmly. He didn't blame the lizardmen for failing to fight against the Holy Kingdom. "I know your family tried to but ultimately failed. It is not anybody's."

Rubio lifted his head back up, "That may be true... but we are beaten by a lone succubus. How did she achieve such feat?"

Shio genuinely had no clue. Rubio and his family, with all their information and skills, failed to free him. While Lula, with only the words from an older woman, managed to do it alone. He had to find out himself.

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The Necromancer stood from his seat, walked to the sleeping Lula, and placed his palm on her forehead. Her mind resisted at first but eventually allowed him full access. Shio went through all her recent memories until he found the moment Lula found the Tomb.

Initially, the Tomb was hidden and protected by spells. But by lifting an amulet she got from the same old woman, the Tomb appeared right before her.

She walked in and found Shio's body lying motionless on top of the marble pedestal, surrounded by translucent barriers. The amulet let out a dim glow, and the magic walls disappeared. Then, the charm dissipated into nothingness.

With nothing in the way, Lula walked up to him and shook him, calling him Master.

This old woman… I have to find her as soon as possible.

Finished, Shio lifted his palm and sat back on his pedestal.

"Lula told me she found out about this place from an old lady she met in her journey. And the same old lady gave her an amulet that broke the protection spells surrounding this place. What do you think of it?" Shio asked the lizardmen.

"An old lady possessing top secret information? And have that strong of a spell breaker item? Hm… I will have to talk about this with the others first."

"I assume I can leave the search for this old lady to you and your family?"

"Of course! I will make sure no stone is left unturned until we find her!" Rubio promised.

Shio nodded, satisfied with the lizardmen's devotion.

"Good to hear. For now, though, we must rest. You can return to your village and tell your family tomorrow. I have seen you fight, and I know you are a capable fighter. But it's not safe to travel at night. Besides, you must be tired after our conversation."

Rubio bowed, "You are praising me too much, my Lord. I'm nothing compared to what my ancestor could do. And I'm humbled to be allowed to rest in the same room as you do. You truly are as great as they said."

The red lizardmen curled up and slept, and Shio decided it was time for him to log out.

.

.

.

He couldn't.

Scrolling through the menu, mentally wanting to log out. There was no button to exit the game. He started to feel like something was off. And he wasn't sure whether it was a good sign or a bad sign yet.

A bug? he thought to himself. It was improbable, considering the game rarely had bugs, but it was still a possibility. He tried to contact Customer Service, but of course, no answer.

Could… it be?

Shio placed his finger near Lula's nose holes. Then near Rubio's nose holes. Their breath hitting against his skin sent a chill down Shio's non-existent spine. NPCs were not supposed to breathe. He read enough Isekai manga to know where it was going.

Have I... been reborn?