CHAPTER 81

"Undead, do you need help?"

Seeing a message from the most famous celebrity of the server sent a sudden shock through Hazard. Despite a month having passed since she defeated Kaya, the Queen of the Succubi, Scarlet was still recognized as the strongest Demon King.

"For what?"

Hazard was confused. Why would Scarlet ask if he needed help? But then, he quickly understood—Scarlet must already be aware of Hazard's current situation. As someone who had completely conquered her own continent, she was now seeking new territory to push her forces toward the Central Continent—a land three times larger than the second biggest continent on the planet. Unlike Kaya, who had transported her forces across the sea, Scarlet was looking for a powerful fortress that would serve as a solid foothold for her in the new land. Meanwhile, a legendary Demon King of the Undead race was completely surrounded by enemies and seemingly open to collaboration, as he was showing a strong desire to form an alliance—quite different from the two other Demon Kings who had recently landed on the Central Continent and left only destruction in their wake.

"I don't think I need to explain too much, Hazard. The Central Continent is too big for you to conquer alone! More Demon Kings than you think have leaked information about your whereabouts. Just a thousand gold coins, and I even found out about the epic-ranked forces hiding beneath your castle!"

Hazard would have sighed if he could. Allowing two Goblin Kings into his castle had been his biggest mistake, one that later forced him to cast several magical barriers to conceal his buildings and troops.

"Scarlet… We've chatted quite a lot over the past year and a half, but I don't think I've ever done anything for you that would make you want to repay me."

"Hazard, I told you—the Central Continent is too big, not just for you, but for any Demon King! You must have felt it too. There's something above legendary rank breathing inside that continent!"

Hazard knew about the entity she was referring to—his Death God's Eye had warned him. However, he was surprised that Scarlet, from another continent, was also aware of it. This made him suspect that she had extremely powerful appraisal and scouting skills. Still, he wondered if an actual legendary being had provided her with this information, which would have saved him from further speculation.

"What do you want from the Central Continent?"

"The southern region—the Dark Faction's territory."

"And then you'll use me as your shield?"

"No, no, don't take it that way! You've been active in that region for a year and a half, so you must have an excellent defensive position. But my forces can't move north of your territory. You know why—the Black Bird is advancing..."

Hazard held his head. How did this woman know so much about the Central Continent?

"Scarlet, tell me, what else do you want from the south? With your egg-laying skill, I'm afraid you've already spawned thousands of epic-ranked units. Even Caesar shouldn't be a threat to you anymore."

"Caesar… So, you don't know then... My attempt to conquer the Elven Continent happened before Kaya's invasion, and the Fallen Angels of the Warlord easily slaughtered my royal epic-ranked ants. You know what will happen if Caesar reaches legendary rank, thanks to the food I gave him."

Hazard slumped onto his throne. What exactly did that mean? The Warlord's power was equal to an epic-ranked entity, and now Caesar was close to breaking into the legendary realm?

"How many epic-ranked units did you lose?"

"Six."

Hazard had lost hope. Even he was behind Caesar now, and there was a chance Caesar would soon break into the legendary rank.

"So, what else are you after in the south?"

"The Dark Dragon King… The corpse of a dragon is extremely useful to me… and the sheer number of monsters there can sustain my army's supplies."

Hazard felt somewhat relieved. Scarlet's egg-laying ability depended on her consumption, and there were far more monsters in the Dark Faction's lands than in the Empire or the northern kingdom. Also, since she required believers like Hazard, she avoided killing intelligent creatures, which made sense.

"Fine, but we have to protect each other against any enemy!"

"Oh, that's already part of the contract, Hazard..."

After that, a contract was sealed. As the portal opened, Scarlet, the enormous purple ant queen with some shining white scales, emerged, followed by a thousand royal ants. The sight of the ants reminded Hazard of a famous manhwa, but this was not the time for such thoughts.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Death!"

The overwhelming presence of Scarlet's legendary aura intimidated Hazard, but he was reassured by the fact that she had signed the peace contract.

"Hazard, your domain is certainly powerful!"

Scarlet's remark was likely due to the four hundred elderly epic-ranked undead surrounding them, their weapons glowing with death energy as they reacted to her aura. If there was one thing Hazard admired about them, it was their survival instinct and warrior spirit.

"Your infamous royal ants aren't lacking either… I've heard they've killed quite a few Demon Dukes."

Scarlet's massive body shifted as she laughed and approached Hazard. In comparison to her, he was smaller than just her head.

"You can raise troops from the dead, and I can lay eggs… Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

If Hazard could, he would have vomited blood. He needed high-ranked corpses to create his forces, but Scarlet could simply devour bodies and choose what type of Abyss Ants to spawn, depending on the required energy.

"Now that you're here and you want the south, you should know that two forces are clashing at my border."

"I know. Why do you think I came? By the way, I'll tell you where those rats are after the battle. Come on, show me your strength!"

With that, all the ants took flight, heading toward the source of massive energy signatures. As a legendary-ranked insect, Scarlet's sensitivity was no joke.

"In such a rush!"

Hazard then gave the order to follow, leaving a hundred epic undead behind for defense while activating the Spirit Towers to secure his territory.

"I better get a share of them!"

Hazard knew the Dark Army's defeat was inevitable. After all, with nearly four hundred epic-ranked units on his side and Scarlet's thousand-strong epic army—plus Scarlet herself as a legendary being—they would easily wipe out two hundred Dark Dragons of epic rank. This was Hazard's best opportunity to break into the legendary rank, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.