Chapter 209: The Death Of The Previous Emperor!

In the darkened living room of the haunted house, two ghostly figures stood firm. Kaguya and Yuzuru—one bathed in a cold blue hue, the other in a fiery red—were fixed intently on the intruder before them. While the two sisters hadn't changed much physically, their levels had advanced since receiving a rare skill book from Novak over ten days ago.

Novak had gifted them a tome with the "Spirit Accumulation Technique," which accelerated the cultivation of ghosts, intensifying the yin energy in the area to foster a hauntingly suitable environment for their growth. Thanks to the technique—and their occasional battles against zombies and even evolutionaries who dared to enter—the strength of the two soulless sisters had grown impressively. 

But now, even Yuzuru, the fiercer of the two, couldn't shake a sense of dread as she confronted this intruder. His aura radiated an unnerving power.

The man appeared to be in his thirties, frail and thin, with a sickly pale face and dark circles beneath his eyes. His short stature and drawn appearance gave him the look of a ghostly specter himself. Yet there was a glint of excitement in his eyes as he surveyed the haunted house and its eerie occupants.

This man was Pennydaek. Despite his given name suggesting otherwise, he was not a "good" person by any means. Once an inmate in Capital City's detention center, he had escaped during the chaos of the apocalypse. With a combination of his unique talent and incredible luck, he had grown stronger, escaping his prison and carving his way forward.

"Get out of here—this place already has a master!" Yuzuru snarled, but Pennydaek's expression grew only greedier as he beheld the two ghostly sisters.

Pennydaek's ability was formidable:

[Ghost King's Decree (S-Rank)]: After killing any creature, he has a 20% chance to permanently increase his spiritual power by 0.1 points. A 70% chance exists that the deceased could be transformed into a ghost servant under his control, with 50% of their former strength. There is also a 10% chance of enhancing his own spiritual power, creating a new ghost servant with every kill. His control over souls and his sensitivity to yin energy were exceptionally strong.

It was this ability that had allowed him to break free, using his ghost servants to escape and survive. Pennydaek couldn't believe his luck, sensing an intense concentration of yin energy here. Now, standing before these two ghostly sisters, he felt certain he'd hit the jackpot.

Over time, Pennydaek had killed many—zombies, evolutionaries, even ordinary people. But attractive female ghost servants were rare among his ranks. And to him, the allure of experimenting with these spectral beings was all too tempting. The twin sisters, with their mirror-image beauty, would have been far beyond his reach before the apocalypse. Now, he considered them prizes for the taking.

"Oh, a master, you say?" he laughed menacingly. "Perfect! Let him come out. I'll turn him into a ghost servant too. Then I'll make sure he witnesses exactly how I put you two beauties to good use!"

Yuzuru's eyes flared a bright crimson, and a high-pitched wail burst from her, causing Pennydaek to wince in pain. But his Ghost King's Decree had sharpened his spiritual resistance, allowing him to brush off her attack with a cruel smile.

Pennydaek could see it now—two powerful, obedient ghost servants, each with natural abilities. With a malicious grin, he raised a hand, summoning a horde of spectral apparitions that swarmed toward Yuzuru and Kaguya, whose expressions turned desperate. Yet, just as his phantasms closed in, a spatial ripple appeared out of nowhere.

Pennydaek froze, his ghost servants halting in place as a figure emerged from the swirling vortex of space. The figure's upper body was bare, revealing a flawless physique, while his lower half was encased in dark red-black armor. The man's face was strikingly handsome, but it was his aura—a blend of ten indescribable qualities—that drew immediate attention.

"Master! Uncle..." came two distinct voices, with Yuzuru and Kaguya calling out two different titles, though each was filled with unmistakable devotion.

This man was their master? Pennydaek's suspicion grew as he studied the newcomer. His senses told him that this man radiated formidable power. There was something strangely familiar about those cold, indifferent eyes, as if he'd encountered them somewhere before.

Novak took a moment to observe his loyal ghostly twins, who he hadn't seen in many years(?) but for them it's only ten days. He offered them a faint smile before turning his attention to the man before him.

He recognized him instantly. In his previous life, this figure was part of a legendary faction that emerged from Demon City—a superpower called the City of Eight Kings, one of the mightiest organizations on Kepler. And one of its prominent founders was none other than Ghost King Pennydaek, standing right here by sheer coincidence.

But that was all he was: a mere ghost king.

Novak stifled a yawn, unimpressed. Perhaps, back in the apocalyptic era, this so-called "Ghost King" might have earned Novak's respect. But after enduring the Abyss and meeting entities like Aga Reiss and the Succubus Queen, the title of "King" felt trivial, especially when Pennydaek was nowhere near attaining the status of an Emperor.

Novak's gaze moved to Yuzuru, catching her fiery, vengeful eyes. "Tell me," he asked coolly, "how would you like to die?"

Pennydaek started to sneer but stopped abruptly, struck by Novak's cold gaze. Recognition washed over him, and his confidence crumbled. With his entire body trembling, he stammered in terror, "You… you're the White Emperor?!"

Despite being a familiar name on the forums, Novak's face was always hidden behind a zombie mask or a plague doctor's beak mask. But Pennydaek remembered those eyes—their calm indifference. And now, they were fixed on him.

Novak smiled wryly. "Good guess. Too bad there's no prize."

Pennydaek's arrogance evaporated. With a terrified thud, the self-proclaimed ghost king fell to his knees, babbling, "Lord White Emperor, this is all a misunderstanding… just a terrible misunderstanding…"

But Novak had no patience for his groveling. He knew well that this wasn't a misunderstanding—it was a rule. 

Pennydaek had dared to test his dominion over the two ghost sisters, aiming to enslave them as his own. And Novak, the White Emperor, could just as easily choose to devour him.

It was the simplest rule of all, one that echoed throughout the Abyss: the law of the jungle.