CHAPTER 50
Hazard was passing through the gate of his fortress, surrounded by thirty mares, as he looked at Hezhna, who had responded to his summons."So you're saying you don't know who he is?"Hezhna shook her head, but it seemed as though she had remembered something."A being above the epic level... I don't really know who he is, but there are rumors about why the Dark Princes don't call themselves kings. Of course, they've been asked before, but their answer has always been that they don't deserve to be called kings."
Hazard pondered for a moment, recalling that when the entity killed Elizabeth, it had made a reference to the progenitor of vampires. Given that both princes of the darkness faction were vampires, he reached a conclusion."So... he is the true king of darkness?"
Hezhna also understood Hazard's words, but she could not believe that Hazard had survived an encounter with a legendary-level being that many had long forgotten."Tell me, is there any rumor about someone at the legendary rank?"
Since Hezhna had already thought about it before, she quickly recounted the rumors she had heard."In the north, there's a rumor that Siegfried has the ability to defeat legendary beings. Along with him, there's the legendary elder of the greatest giant tribe. In the empire, the Golden Dragon King, who has been asleep for centuries, is said to be at the legendary level—assuming we don't count King Arthur, who, with his legendary sword, might be able to challenge a legendary being."
With that, Hazard realized that each faction on this continent might have hidden powers behind them, and he was still far from reaching the pinnacle of strength."When I reach the epic level, the King of Death will come for me... and if I reach the legendary level, that old man... It seems that with every level I break through, I have to take a test of power..."
Then, reaching the altar, he received the report from the liches, who had been chasing a small fleeing army of ten thousand from the empire.[Master, we left a handful alive as you ordered.][Good work. Now return.]
Standing before the altar, he sacrificed all the hero souls except one, preparing for his first epic-tier summoning.His excitement was so high that he disregarded the heavy cost, emptying all the death jewels from the Vault of Dread and his gold reserves.
"Demonic Shadow of Death"
Rank: Epic Tier ?Health: -Power: -Agility: -Mana (Miasma): -Endurance: -Talent: EX Amplifier[Summoning Cost: 100 million gold coins, 100,000 death jewels, one level-six hero soul; only one unit can be summoned.]
The gate gleamed, and its radiance grew brighter and brighter until a dark mist emerged from it. In an instant, the mist darted into Hazard's shadow, disappearing.Startled, Hazard tried to understand what had happened, until he suddenly felt an increase in his mana. He quickly checked his stats.
[Name: Hazard]
Final Race: God of Death (Second Half)
Level: 6
Health: 4,000/3,850
Power: 2,400
Agility: 1,500
Mana (Miasma): 26,500/700 → 51,500/25,700
Endurance: -
Total Points: 2,785,091
He stared in amazement, as his base mana had doubled completely. However, Hezhna was utterly fixated on him, realizing that Hazard was now exuding even more magical pressure than Morgan.
Hazard then examined his talents. Some might have considered sacrificing hero souls and forgoing high-rank summons a mistake, but Hazard had just realized that his first goal should be reaching the epic level. According to the Dark King, legendary beings might not be able to harm him, but epic-tier entities could still pose a threat. And since the King of Death had not yet reached the epic tier, Hazard could maintain the upper hand against him.
Infernal Undead Summoning (Inactive)
Can summon ten thousand infernal creatures, two levels weaker than himself, for one hour.Cooldown: Six months(Activation Cost: 1,000,000 points)
Chain Lightning of Death (Inactive)
A death-element lightning attack that deals deadly damage upon contact and drains the target's life force based on its level.Each chain lightning attack costs 1,000 mana.(Activation Cost: 1,000,000 points)
Summoning the Throne of the God of Death (Inactive)
The Throne of the God of Death increases undead creatures' power by 100% within a ten-kilometer radius and reduces the strength of living opponents by 50%.Note: The user cannot move while using it.Cooldown: Six months(Activation Cost: 1,000,000 points)
Now able to activate two talents, Hazard made his choices, having already decided beforehand.
Infernal Undead Summoning:
Can summon ten thousand infernal creatures, two levels weaker than himself, for one hour.Cooldown: Six months
Chain Lightning of Death:
A death-element lightning attack that deals deadly damage upon contact and drains the target's life force based on its level.Each chain lightning attack costs 1,000 dark mana.
He was still about 200,000 points short of unlocking his third level-six talent, and he knew that the fastest way to obtain them was through war. Since the Dark King had forbidden him from summoning from the Abyss, he chose the Infernal Undead talent, as it would allow him to summon ten thousand lord-ranked demons in times of crisis. Each of these demons, due to their race, could even stand against human lords. However, he also saw another potential in this ability.
As for the second talent, he had activated it because he lacked powerful destructive magic.
Then, stepping out of the fortress, he raised his hand to the sky and cast a Chain Lightning of Death.
With that, reality seemed to crack—an ear-splitting sound erupted as a thick, black lightning bolt surged through the sky, seeking a target. But, finding none, it began to dissipate near the upper atmosphere.
Seeing the destructive power of his new magic, Hazard felt satisfied with his investment in it. He could hardly wait to test it against the King of Death.
Meanwhile, 600 kilometers south of Hazard's fortress, the King of Death looked up at the sky. Sensing the immensely powerful death magic, he sheathed his sword, raised his other hand, and channeled miasma mana around it. The result? The resurrection of fifty thousand werewolf corpses."Such extravagant magic… it will be useless against me."
_Far to the south, thousands of kilometers away from Hazard, the Dark King lay down inside his damp cave, resting inside his coffin. But before drifting into slumber, he sent two messenger bats to his two disciples, carrying a simple message. However, that simple message would cause much greater trouble for Hazard.