Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1866: Catarina Is Back

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"M-Maria? Is it really you?"

The woman’s serious expression softened instantly into a gentle, relaxed smile.

"Catarina! You’re finally here! I swear, I was about to go look for you myself! Sorry about this—you caught us right in the middle of a sparring tournament!" Maria giggled. "How have you been? Ah, wait, where’s your wolf and the girl with you? Silva was her name, right?"

"Auntie?" Silva stepped forward curiously. "Are you really Auntie Maria?"

"Yep! In the flesh!" Maria nodded with a bright smile. "Surprised about my new look? Aren’t I a cutie now~?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Ugh, what the hell happened?! You finally come back but everything’s changed?!" Catarina demanded.

"Hahaha, okay, calm down. Let’s talk. Come on, let’s go to my pagoda. The castle is reserved for other family members, friends, and guests," Maria said, pointing into the distance.

A grand city sprawled across this boundless land of resources and treasures. At its center rose a giant floating tower radiating ghostly energy.

"...What the hell?!"

Maria laughed heartily as she guided Catarina through the place, recounting everything that had happened to her inside the tower.

Catarina could hardly believe it. Every new detail Maria shared sounded more absurd than the last.

Yet at the same time, it was all real. It truly happened.

"No way..."

Though Catarina had always respected Maria’s strength and felt grateful for being "revived" and set free, she had still looked down on her.

That had always been Catarina’s nature.

But now, more than ever, she was being swiftly put in her place.

"So anyway! I hope you can get strong with us! Everyone’s training diligently! Actually, with your incredible talents, I think the Heavenly Demon’s teachings should do wonders!" Maria said with an enthusiastic nod.

"W-Wait..." Catarina muttered. "I just came to visit... I mean, I’m happy you’re—"

"You’re not going anywhere," Maria said gently. "You’re going to get stronger."

"...?!"

For some bizarre reason, the old, relaxed, slightly lazy Maria was completely gone.

In her place stood a Maria brimming with unbreakable willpower, fierce determination, and an insatiable drive to fight and train until death.

What’s more...

Her aura!

It was terrifying!

She was no longer someone Catarina could look at and believe she might one day match.

Not like back then, when Maria had helped her defeat that monster the vampires summoned.

No. This was entirely different.

It felt like staring into the dark depths of the void.

An immeasurable power.

She couldn’t refuse.

She was too afraid!

"Okay...! I... I’ll do my best... ehe... hehe..."

She even laughed nervously!

"Good!" Maria nodded firmly. "From now on, we’re all training and pushing ourselves to the limit! The only way to free our world is by fighting and training together! Come on, we’ve got plenty of time here—time flows much faster inside. It’s only been a week outside, but about four months have passed in here!"

"...?!" Catarina gasped. "What... What did you say?"

"I said it’s been four months here! Come on, let’s spar right now so I can gauge your power. Oh right—seeing how talented you are at fighting, maybe like Darkbound, you’ll master all forms in just a few days, right?" Maria asked brightly.

"Huh?"

Catarina stood utterly flabbergasted by the sheer level of expectation Maria placed on her!

"Alright, shall we begin then?"

"I-I..."

"Hmmm~?"

Maria smiled back at Catarina.

Though she didn’t mean any harm, her green eyes...

For some reason, they turned deep black.

And in that void, Catarina saw herself falling into an endless abyss.

Defiance felt impossible.

She had to obey...

It was the only thing her soul screamed was natural!

"Okay... fine... fine... ugh... you’ve become even crazier, you know?" Catarina asked weakly.

"Haha, crazier? I’ve been the sanest since I recovered my living body on Earth!" Maria laughed cheerfully. "If anything, I’m always in a good mood and super energetic! I missed having a living body—Ah right, your body is still undead, huh? Let’s change that. I’ve created a special array that can force evolution for those with enough talent, turning them into beings between life and death like Lucifer. It doesn’t work on traditional Undead, but you’re not traditional, so come!"

"W-What?!"

Against her will, Catarina forcefully evolved. Her form shifted back toward her living vampire appearance—but now three times taller, broader, and far more muscular, carrying all her newfound strength.

"Wow...!" She stared at herself in awe. "I’m... alive! But the sun doesn’t burn me! And—"

FLUOSH!

Suddenly three mysterious shadows appeared and surrounded her, materializing into three immensely powerful Vampires.

"Huh, so this is the Vampire from Yggdrasil?"

"Quite interesting."

"I see, I see! She’ll learn our techniques just fine."

They studied her entire body, powers, abilities, and even her soul.

"An incredible talent has been born yet again, master," the one known as Xarion said, stroking his mustache. "She could potentially inherit a great deal of our abilities. The Heavenly Demon would be pleased to teach her too."

"I know. She reminds me a lot of my sister... Speaking of her, there she is!" Maria said, waving enthusiastically. "Hey, big sis!"

"Big sis?!" Catarina glanced toward the true amazoness nearby. Laura descended with a calm, gentle smile and greeted her.

"Hello. You must be Catarina, right? My sister keeps talking about you," Laura said. "Shall we fight?"

"Already?!" Catarina exclaimed. "Wait, let me process the strength that—"

"Nah, I wanna fight!" Laura grinned viciously. Thunder crackled around her fists as she punched Catarina, sending her flying.

"Guaaaaahhhh!"

BOOOM!

Catarina crashed into a nearby mountain, bones and organs bursting as she vomited blood.

Now that she was alive again, that was deadly!

However...

FLUOSH!

Her body glowed with red sparks, regenerating every wound at astonishing speed.

"A-Ah...! My regeneration is even faster than when I was a Vampire...?!"

Then she saw Laura slowly descend, her long wild hair billowing in the wind.

"Nice! The Vampire Family Heads told me you developed a special Body Constitution called ’Seven Abyssal Blood Demon Root Constitution’! You’ve got incredible regeneration as a result. And the more beatings you take, the tougher your body becomes... So come on—time to fight!"

"G-Get away from me!"

Catarina screamed, but Laura caught her and forced her into a deathly spar against Maria’s big sister...

Maria oversaw the fight alongside the Heavenly Demon while Silva rode happily on her back, munching sweets and snacks from Earth and Azure Star.

"Auntie, is big sis going to be okay?" Silva asked.

"Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Catarina just needed a little proper training, that’s all," Maria said, crossing her arms. "What do you think, chief?"

"She’s got the same great potential your sister had! I’m truly blessed—so many talents are joining the sect nowadays!" the Heavenly Demon celebrated. "Alright, from tomorrow morning she’ll begin learning from me, my son, and Laura."

"Good," Maria nodded. "Hey, shall we spar?"

"Hmm?" The Heavenly Demon began to sweat slightly. "A-Ah... well... we already sparred yesterday, Maria."

"Come on, just a few hours?" Maria asked sweetly.

"I have a lot of things I need to do so—Ah!" The Heavenly Demon’s face twisted in surprise as Maria’s hand gently yet firmly gripped his shoulder, her smile both warm and intimidating.

"Let’s surpass our limits together!" Maria declared, full of determination... and a touch of madness.

"...She’s crazier than I ever was!" the Heavenly Demon thought, panicking internally.

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