CHAPTER 43

Three million demonic undead of average rank launched an assault outside the castle, led by Hazard and the Death King.

Morgan, having broken free from the ice prison much faster than any other being due to his high magical affinity with ice, had already cleared out the meddlesome Archlich. He was now facing thirty Abyssal Mares, whose relentless mental attacks had begun to wear him down.

Hazard glanced at the White Sorceress, whose small body still bore the curves of a mature woman like her sisters, before turning his gaze toward the Death King standing beside him.

"Demonic Death King"

Name: The Nameless Wandering King

Level: Upgraded from Warlord Level 2 to Epic Level 1 (Current level is restricted)

Health: 10,500

Strength: 4,800

Agility: 3,000

Mana (Miasma): 60,000

Endurance: -

Talents: King of Elements, Death King's Domain, Undead Resurrection, Spirit Summoning, Realm of Fear, Death Element Spirit

Skills: Death God's Mode (S), Negative Energy Orb (S), Death Magic (S), Negative Energy Shield (S), Abyssal Summoning (S), Master of Time (A), Flight (A), etc.

Seeing the insane leap in the Demonic Death King's stats, Hazard, who had entrusted complete control of his forces to him, felt a renewed sense of hope. Meanwhile, his opponent had become ensnared by the newly joined Abyssal Mares—beings that had adapted to the Abyss and survived battles against Epic-tier creatures. The sight of a fifty-meter-tall undead of Epic rank twisted his once-beautiful face in horror.

"Damn it, Vlad! You said there wouldn't be any Epic-ranked enemies!!!"

The fear of losing his life made him scream in terror, disregarding the Witch Sisters around him as he fled at full speed. Seeing him run, the Witch Sisters attempted to join him, but their escape was far from easy—they were quickly restrained by Liches. Even Morgan wasn't safe; Hazard, along with all Warlord-ranked creatures, the Death King, and the Undead Grand General, were chasing after him. Hazard swore that he would not let Morgan die an easy death—not after he had slain the dragon that Hazard cherished as his first.

Morgan, with nearly forty creatures in pursuit—one at peak Warlord level and another matching his own rank—knew that stopping meant certain death. He pushed his speed to the limit, but thirty simultaneous mental attacks invaded his mind, forcing him to halt for a single second. Blood gushed from his mouth.

Regaining his senses, he realized that even that single moment of hesitation had sealed his fate.

At that instant, a long sword slashed at him. He blocked it with his legendary-grade magic staff, saving himself, but he couldn't withstand the force behind the strike. He was sent crashing into a towering black mountain, embedding himself within it. Dizzy and struggling to rise, he spotted the Warlord-ranked undead at the peak—wielding a scythe cloaked in a sinister aura, ready to strike.

He barely dodged the fatal blow, retaliating with a sword of ice conjured in a tenth of a second, aiming for the undead's side—where he had spotted a thirty-centimeter crystalline core. If he could shatter it, the resulting magical explosion would obliterate the undead's item from within.

However, his attack failed. Another undead, merely at Lord rank, intercepted him with masterful swordplay.

"Damn you all!!!"

His scream made perfect sense—thirty Abyssal creatures, now in their true forms, descended upon him, their razor-sharp fangs aiming to tear him apart.

"I am Morgan Le Fay! I am the Queen of Sorcerers! I am—"

His body trembled with blood loss, his limbs growing weak. Hazard couldn't understand why Morgan was shouting his name and titles in the face of death, but he was satisfied when a notification appeared before him.

[Congratulations! You have defeated Epic-ranked Level 1 Queen of Sorcerers, Morgan Le Fay. You have obtained 10,000,000 gold coins.]

With that, Hazard felt he could finally take a deep breath—if he still had breath to take. However, his war was far from over, as his forces in the north and south were under attack by multiple patrols.

As he stood up, he noticed the Death King staring in a certain direction.

"What are you looking at?"

Following his gaze, he spotted a familiar sorceress atop the mountain—right where Morgan's corpse was being devoured.

"She was here all along? Is she—"

"Hegena!!!"

Hazard flew toward her at full speed, landing in front of her small body and checking her pulse. It was weak, but she was alive, bringing him relief.

"Why do you care so much? She's just a Lord-tier—"

The Death King landed beside him.

"I promised to protect her!"

At that, the Death King's gaze shifted.

"A true king never breaks his promises. At first, I did not see a king in you... but now, perhaps I can believe in you. However, this alone is not enough to convince me."

Hazard gave the Death King a strange look, finding his dialogue overly cliché. Nonetheless, he bought the best healing potion on the market for a million gold coins and administered it to Hegena, following up with his own Holy Healing Magic—even as his hands burned from the sacred energy.

"She's a useful subordinate. The only person in this damned world I could talk to freely."

Rather than being moved by Hazard's sacrifice, the Death King was far more shocked by something else—an undead, and not just any undead but a demonic one, using holy magic.

Then, the Death King spoke words that left Hazard stunned. If an undead knew about this, the consequences could be dire, as if a hero had uncovered his secret.

"God of Destruction!"

Hazard said nothing, but the Death King paced around him with heavy steps.

"Hazard, the one who has become my king… Do you know who made me a wandering, nameless ruler?"

Seeing the banners of death rise, Hazard stopped tending to Hegena and turned to the Death King.

"Will you hear me out?"

Like an NPC, the Death King ignored him and continued his tale.

"For years, I lived in peace with my family and my people. The bountiful climate of my kingdom ensured that no citizen ever went hungry. By selling surplus food and livestock to neighboring nations, we amassed great wealth. We had no need for a strong military, for we were under the protection of a powerful empire—my brother's empire.

"But you can probably guess what happened next, can't you? Millions of demons appeared, carrying with them the plague of annihilation. My world lasted no more than ten years before it was destroyed by that colossal, god-slaying octopus."

Then, he drew his sheathed sword.

"Now answer me this—why should I serve the messenger of the god who destroyed my life?"