CHAPTER 42
[The Great Winter City of Altz, a Threat Level 5 Warlord stronghold with extremely high exploration value, has been conquered.][A colossal treasure chest of supreme-grade Mithril has been obtained.]
Hazard wasted no time and opened it.Inside, he found 30 million gold coins, two thousand water and ice gems, a special blueprint for a Level 5 Ice Castle, and an Epic-grade Ice Crystal item.
He paused, picking up the Ice Crystal, examining it carefully while listing the Ice Castle for sale at twenty million gold coins.
[Ice Crystal]Rarity Level: Epic
Doubles magical attack power for ice-element spells+1500 ManaGrants access to Ice Prison, an S-rank spell (one-month cooldown)
His pause grew longer. As someone who could wield Master of Elements, he had the capability to cast ice-element spells as well.
With this realization, he now had a powerful safeguard for defending his territory, knowing that the enemy advancing toward his castle would be no easy opponent.
After securing the Ice Crystal in the safest place he had—inside his empty ribcage—he turned his gaze toward the two kneeling brothers, their faces twisted in rage as they stared at the corpse of their adopted sister.
With a simple command, two more undead stallions ended their lives just as they had Algotha's.
Believing the task to be complete, Hazard circulated his mana, transforming all three into his eternal undead slaves.
However, Warlord-tier zombies did not stumble about clumsily like their lesser counterparts. Watching their disciplined movements, Hazard strode toward the teleportation gate.
But frustration flared within him—his remaining mana was too low to perform another Resurrection on the rest of the corpses.
"The world itself is against me… but I will be the one who emerges victorious!"
He then checked his gold reserves:
57 million gold coins from aiding Terror in battle.86 million gold coins from slaughtering the entire population of Altz and looting the treasury.30 million gold coins from Altz's grand treasure chest.18 million gold coins collected by his soldiers during his absence from defeating enemy patrols and battling in the Obsidian Mine—which itself contained treasure.
[A brilliant Mithril-tier treasure chest has been obtained.]
Without hesitation, he opened it.
[15 million gold coins, one ton of Obsidian Stone, a Level 4 Miner's Camp, and an S-rank Obsidian Shoulder Guard.]
The shoulder guard materialized before him. Two vampiric beast skulls adorned the shoulders, marking it as part of a unique undead-themed armor set—a design that pleased him.
[Obsidian Shoulder Guard]Rarity Level: S
+950 DefenseObtain the full Obsidian Knight armor set to unlock the "Obsidian Knight's Command" skill.
After several minutes, his undead stallions and three Warlord-tier zombies reached the portal. He leaped through it, leaving behind approximately 13,000 giant Hellcats and hundreds of thousands of corpses.
Little did he anticipate that among these creatures, an elite Hellcat with exceptional talent would consume multiple Warlord corpses, ascend to Lord-tier, and assume control of the abandoned army.
In time, this monstrous beast would uncover an individual buried deep within the ruins of the Ice Castle—and with their aid, it would become a nightmare feared as much as the legendary Cerberus, Guardian of the Gates of Hell.
Upon passing through the gate, Hazard's skeletal face (if he had one) would have twisted in displeasure.
A full-scale war was raging—but there were no screams, only laughter.
The eerie, maniacal cackles of young women echoed so loudly that weaker creatures with keen hearing would have gone mad just from the sound.
Hazard's gaze shifted.
His soldiers below Lord-rank were utterly useless.
The 2,000-strong coven of witches dominated the skies effortlessly. A particular white witch—exceptionally powerful and of Epic-tier—was locked in an intense duel with the Grand Undead General and the Arc Lich.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, Hazard knew he couldn't face an Epic-tier entity in his current state.
There was no time to call for help from other Demon Kings.
Summoning his own Epic-tier ally was also impossible—in recent battles, he had failed to acquire a Sixth-tier Soul, leaving him with only a handful of Fifth-tier Souls.
With no other choice, he activated his Epic-tier item's ability, unwilling to allow an Epic-tier entity to rampage within the heart of his domain.
Upon casting S-rank Ice Prison, a glacier formed instantly, encasing Morgan—who had been on the verge of victory—in an icy tomb.
Shocked, Morgan scanned the battlefield, seeking the source of the spell, but Hazard had already left, retreating to his castle's altar.
"If I can't take you down with quality, then I'll do it with quantity!"
He checked his gold reserves again:
[188,780,230 Gold Coins]
The next action he took would shock anyone who witnessed it.
As the altar trembled, a wave of terror spread among his enemies.
10,000 Demon Liches emerged from the darkness.
[Demon Lich]
Rank: Lord
(Level 1)
HP: 100
Power: 80
Agility: 50
Mana (Miasma): 800
Endurance: -
Abilities: Undead Resurrection, Soul SummoningSkills: Negative Energy Orb (B), Death Magic (C), Negative Energy Shield (C), Flight (D), etc.Summoning
Cost: 20,000 Gold Coins each
"Forward! Our enemies have invaded our lands—show them the wrath of the dead!"
The Demon Liches, driven by rage, ignited their blood-red eyes and took to the skies, launching their attack.
Hazard prepared to leave, but at that moment, he received a notification—the Ice Castle had been sold for twenty million gold coins.
"...?"
Initially planning to save his Heroic Souls for his own ascension, he reconsidered. With no other powerful entity to safeguard his territory in his absence, he accessed the summoning menu to find the strongest summonable being using his current funds and Fifth-tier Heroic Souls.
[Demonic Death King]
Rank: Warlord
(Level 2)
HP: 4,000
Power: 2,200
Agility: 1,000
Mana (Miasma): 7,500
Endurance: -
Abilities: King of Elements, Death King's Domain, Undead Resurrection, Soul Summoning, Fear Domain, Death Elemental SoulSkills: Death God Mode (S), Negative Energy Orb (A), Death Magic (A), Negative Energy Shield (A), Abyss Summoning (A), Master of Time (B), Flight (B), etc.Summoning
Cost: 5 million gold coins, 10,000 Death Gems, 1 million corpses per summon, 2 Fifth-tier Heroic Souls
With a single tap, the altar quaked violently.
A colossal skeletal hand emerged from the depths, followed by a crowned skull forged from black metal.
Then, towering at fifty meters, the Demonic Death King stood before Hazard, its height ten times that of its summoner.
There was no time to waste.
"Go forth! Join the battle outside!"
The Death King tilted its head, glaring at Hazard with disdain.
"The etiquette of the dead in this world is… lacking."
Hazard immediately realized his mistake. Not all powerful undead were blindly obedient.
"My domain is under attack by an Epic-tier enemy, and I summoned you to aid me. If you refuse, you won't get another chance to discuss etiquette!"
The Death King paused, then smirked.
"Ah… a battle of this scale… awakens forgotten memories from before my time in the River of Oblivion. But you lack the means to support me properly."
Hazard's flaming eyes burned fiercely.
"Then tell me what you need, damn it!"
With a single command, he spent his remaining 15 million gold coins, causing the entire castle to shake.
And then, the Death King… began to glow.
"Now, witness the power of a true Death King!"