CHAPTER 49

Abyss, a realm so terrifying that even the demons of hell dared not step foot in it. Occasionally, beings were found in the Abyss that had a history of destroying countless worlds—beings like the one before whom a magical portal suddenly appeared.

Towering at two meters tall, clad in full black armor with a long cloak made of materials unknown even to some gods, this entity had participated in multiple divine wars. At a legendary level, he exhaled heavily.

"The scent of blood!"

His heightened senses, so powerful that he could detect the scent of blood even through an interdimensional portal, told him everything he needed to know.

"Responding to the call of the dog of the God of Destruction… Have I truly fallen this low?"

Yet, even he—whose sword was stained with the blood of multiple gods—knew he could not stand against the greatest god of the Abyss.

"My duty is to aid you in your war, yet the time for payment will soon arrive!"

With that, he glanced at the army behind him—an army so vast that its end could not be seen. Before him stood ten thousand epic-ranked warriors, and behind them, millions of warlords, all a testament to the immense power of Agrim, the Devourer, King of the Fallen.

"Elizabeth Bathory…"

At his call, a stunningly beautiful humanoid woman appeared before him in an instant, clad in exquisite crimson armor. Though of the vampire race, she was at the peak of the epic rank. She immediately knelt.

"At your command, O King of the Fallen! O mighty supreme and—"

Agrim paid no heed to her words. He grabbed her by the collar of her noble armor and dragged her toward the portal.

"Aid this summoner in his war, and I shall spare your life."

Elizabeth, helpless against Agrim—the one who had annihilated her world—was dragged along the ground like a mere hamster. She frantically nodded.

"Yes, yes! Whatever you desire, whatever you—"

Agrim didn't even allow the annoying insect—who delighted in bathing in the blood of maidens and torturing them—to finish her flattery. With a swift motion, he hurled her into the portal.

With that, the overwhelming presence of a powerful observer vanished, and Agrim resumed his path to his original destination, his army of fallen warriors following behind him. His target? The domain of none other than a mythical-ranked being—one who had surpassed the legendary rank centuries ago.

"An insult and intrusion will not go unanswered."

And thus, in the coming weeks, a war broke out that shook a small portion of the Abyss for years to come, just as it had in so many other parts.

Hazard felt a pang of anxiety.

The delay in the summoning, the relentless barrage of attacks from enemy mages and archers, and the fact that the liches—who had been holding back the assault with their magic—were now forced into a defensive position all weighed on him. He suddenly realized that his summoning might fail.

However, as a strand of crimson hair passed through the portal, a being clad in a breathtakingly beautiful set of matching red armor emerged.

Feeling the sheer power radiating from this entity, Hazard trembled.

Now in a new world, Elizabeth surveyed her surroundings, unfazed by the magical attacks striking her—mere warm-ups for her. She focused her gaze on Hazard.

"Make a contract with me! Quickly!"

Hazard was taken aback. He couldn't understand why she was demanding a contract.

"Wh—"

Elizabeth grabbed him by the collar of his robe.

"If I don't bind myself with a contract, he'll sense it through his mark on my soul and pull me back. Please!"

Hazard was confused, but since soul contracts were simple magic for anyone ranked Lord or higher, he created one.

"The terms are simp—"

Before he could finish, Elizabeth, standing at the peak of the epic rank, signed it instantly—without even reading it.

That made Hazard wonder: Who had placed a mark on the soul of someone at the peak of the epic rank that terrified her so much?

"Can you kill them?"

Hazard's contract only prohibited her from harming him and his forces. He didn't want to lose an ally of this caliber over unnecessary restrictions.

Elizabeth felt the contract's spiritual chains binding her to Hazard—chains similar to those that marked the servants of the God of Destruction. This prevented her from being forcefully summoned elsewhere unless by a god.

"That bastard! I swear I'll have my revenge!"

She then followed the scent of blood. As a vampire, its aroma tantalized her senses.

Turning to the army of one million humans engaged in battle with the undead forces, she smirked.

"If you're going to offer a gift, at least make it luxurious!"

With a wave of her hand, the blood of the wounded and slain soldiers surged like spears, piercing the bodies of their comrades before flowing toward her like lightning, leaving behind dry corpses.

Count Antonio, who had initially scoffed at Hazard's trap, believing that even this ambush could not defeat his million-strong army, froze. His confidence shattered the moment a sinister portal opened, and a beautiful yet overwhelmingly powerful woman in crimson armor stepped forth.

His gaze fixated on the river of blood forming before his army—growing larger and faster by the second.

"May the gods have mercy on the empire."

An instant later, a spear of blood exploded his head. His blood followed the spear's trajectory, piercing the next soldier in line.

Hazard observed the battlefield. The sheer amount of gold and heroic souls pouring into him overwhelmed his senses, making him recall the election for the Overlord.

Perhaps reaching Level 7 wasn't so far away anymore. Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance in the election.

Meanwhile, a sixth-rank spirit manifested within his being.

"This is unreal…"

He recalled the ability to summon an epic-ranked entity from the altar. If he had blood, it would be boiling. But now, the battlefield was only filled with dried corpses—not a single drop of blood left.

Elizabeth smirked. "Thanks for the meal—"

Suddenly, just as she was about to drink the blood, a terrifying sensation overcame her.

"Another vampire progenitor in this world… That would disrupt the balance."

Hazard froze.

An aura beyond the epic rank had suddenly appeared.

"Who are you?!"

Elizabeth collapsed, blood seeping from her ears and nose. A frail-looking old man in a tattered black robe now floated before Hazard. His black hair and crimson eyes pierced through him—not just his body, but his very soul.

"Servant of the God of Destruction… Ten thousand years ago, he sent his minions to this world as well. They all perished. Do you believe you'll be an exception?"

Hazard was too shocked to speak. But when Elizabeth disappeared from his list of subordinates—meaning she was dead— his shock deepened.

"What can I do for you?"

The Vampire Progenitor snapped his fingers.

Elizabeth's dried corpse, along with all the other bodies, burst into flames. He condensed all the spilled blood into a tiny enchanted bottle.

"The gods' laws forbid godless mythical beings from interfering in their affairs. However, if you reach the legendary rank, there will be no punishment for your execution. But…"

He tapped Hazard's skull with his nail.

"Summoning from the Abyss at your level will draw the attention of powerful entities. Now that a mighty one knows this world's coordinates… you are no longer safe."

Hazard remained silent. He sensed that this mythical being's speech was far from over.

"If you reach the legendary rank and defeat me, you may continue your Abyssal summons. Otherwise, if you do it again… I will erase both you and everything you possess."

Hazard had no words to defend himself. He now understood that certain divine laws existed, but he could not fully comprehend them.

"Fine…"

With that, Abraham, King of Darkness, smirked and vanished—as if neither he, nor the million-strong army, nor Elizabeth had ever existed.

"What the hell was that?!"

Hazard was utterly bewildered. Too much had happened in mere moments.

Facing a mythical entity and realizing that with a mere flick of his hand, he could be erased… his undead pride and fury ignited.

Elsewhere, in the Abyss, Egrim the Devourer paused in his march.

"It seems… the cost of this debt will have to change."