The Demon Hunter Squad

The Lich Legion, now vastly strengthened, swiftly embarked on a new wave of raids, expanding their radius by 150 miles. The eerie and cursed valley soon witnessed a fresh bout of bloodshed.

Unlike the cautious approach they had initially employed, Aylon now proceeded with grandiose and ruthless suppression. Riding his Ferrari chariot, he flattened the forces surrounding the castle, utilizing the fearsome reputation of the Lich King Ovessis to crush his enemies with overwhelming force. Those powers not bound by any authority were either compelled to submit, like Sarathos, or ruthlessly annihilated, their souls devoured and their riches plundered.

In just one short month, the strength of the Lich Castle surged once again.

Although there were still no high-ranking undead such as Liches or Dark Knights, the number of skeleton soldiers had ballooned to over 20,000, flooding the enemies like a tidal wave. The tactical use of the skeleton sea had begun to reveal its tremendous potential. Under the leadership of Navia and the cave dwellers, the damaged buildings and walls also started to slowly be repaired.

After clearing a buffer zone around the castle, Aylon finally breathed a sigh of relief. No longer did he need to fear nightly ambushes. He entrusted the defense and the raids to Isu and the others, allowing himself the time to retreat into seclusion once more.

Compared to the thousand-year-old skeleton Sarathos, Isu lacked in both combat prowess and experience, but in terms of battle strategy, he demonstrated a talent that even Aylon found impressive. After observing him in secret for some time, Aylon decided to have Sarathos manage internal affairs while Isu took charge of external conquests.

With a steady hand, Aylon carved one profound rune after another. As he continued, his movements became more fluid, and after a period of focused contemplation, he felt he had almost touched the essence of magic—just a thin veil remaining to be pierced. Completely absorbed in his practice, while carving a fire rune, his hand inadvertently slipped, damaging the symbol. Yet, much to his surprise, the spell still worked—though its power was significantly diminished.

"Could it be… the essence of magic lies not in the form of the incantations and runes, but in the caster's magic power and will?" Aylon exclaimed in awe, a sudden epiphany filling him. He focused his mind, channeling his soul crystal and magic crystal, envisioning a blazing fire. With his hand holding the black magic quill, he inscribed a giant 'fire' symbol in the air.

Whoosh...

A searing flame appeared before him.

No complex runes, no lengthy incantations—just a single, simple manifestation of his will, and the spell succeeded. Compared to before, the magic was cast faster, but it consumed much more of his magic and soul power. The effort left him feeling emptier, as if all his energy had been drained.

"Using boundless magic power as the foundation, guided by unwavering belief and will, summoning the essence of the world's energies in an instant—that... is the true origin of magic?" Aylon gazed at the flame before him, his heart racing with excitement. He remembered the fragment of the Bone Demon Ancestor's thoughts sealed within the Skull King's mind and had a sudden realization.

At a certain level of cultivation, a mere wisp of ethereal thought could become a formidable spell, carrying the beliefs and will of a supreme being!

Wind, fire, lightning, electricity, water...

After replenishing his drained magic with a large supply of crystals, Aylon methodically cast every spell he had mastered. Slowly, he noticed that the runes inherited from Lich King Ovessis resembled ancient characters he had encountered before, and that was why they seemed somewhat familiar. Oddly, spells cast with these ancient symbols seemed far more potent. It seemed that the more strokes a character had, the more powerful the magic and will manifested, each stroke containing a hint of the world's mysteries.

After uncovering the secrets of magic, Aylon immersed himself in his studies with an insatiable hunger, losing himself in his work.

…

Aylon remained in seclusion for a full three months during this period!

When he emerged from the Lich Hall, his presence was distinctly different. Every glance, every strand of hair exuded an aura of immense conviction. There was no overwhelming killing intent, no earth-shattering roars, yet the pressure surrounding him only intensified. In his presence, it seemed as though no secret could remain hidden.

By comprehending the true source of magic, Aylon finally felt as though he had truly embarked on the path of cultivation!

Even though the runes passed down from Ovessis were powerful, they were still foreign—only by creating his own unique magical system could he truly lay the foundation for becoming a great master.

After clearing all opposing forces within a 200-mile radius of the castle, Aylon ordered the expansion to cease and focused on strengthening the interior. According to Ovessis's memories, the Cursed Valley harbored many powerful beings, and until his own strength was sufficiently formidable, he would not act recklessly. With trusted aides like Sarathos, Arno, and Isu, there were many details he no longer needed to oversee personally, allowing him to continue his seclusion.

"Sky, Ika, Muto..."

During his breaks, Aylon summoned a black stone tablet and carved the names of those once close to him, names he had long since memorized by heart. It was his way of reminiscing about the days of wild abandon. On the nearby rosewood table, a few cherry blossoms, gathered by Isu from the wilderness, added a touch of life to the otherwise grim hall.

Perhaps due to his relentless training or innate talent, Isu's rate of progression surpassed that of most undead. Each time he went on a raid, he consumed vast amounts of soul fire. Over time, the power of his skeleton archers grew so formidable that even Sarathos, a high-level mage, was struck with awe. On the battlefield, Isu was ruthless, but in the quiet of the hall, he often stood like a stone statue, a marked contrast to ordinary undead.

What is the sharpest thing in the world?

It is not swords, nor spears, but the stroke of a pen that channels a person's spirit and will!

The black magic quill left by Lich King Ovessis seemed to be made of an unknown material. Its tip was so hard and sharp it could easily penetrate even the most indestructible armor. With a flick of his wrist, Aylon deftly etched deep characters into the hard stone tablet, his movements flowing as if guided by the wind. Just as he completed the final stroke, Arno pushed open the door to the Lich Hall and quickly entered.

"My lord, a group of human demon hunters has appeared outside the castle!" Arno announced.

"Oh, human demon hunters?"

Aylon turned to face Arno, his murderous aura growing. With a casual flick of his hand, a scene materialized in front of him within the magic crystal. A group of human demon hunters had appeared at the edge of the forest, five of them—four women and one man. After resting for a brief moment, they proceeded, seemingly unaware of the impending danger as they made their way toward the castle gate.

The leader, a warrior clad in a black cloak, exuded a cold arrogance. He only drew his sword at the last possible moment to slay the skeletons that tried to intercept them, walking forward with a detached air. His strength appeared unimpressive, yet he wore an air of superiority, clearly the type who sought to be admired.

Following him were four female mages, their magical power not overly impressive, yet their offensive capabilities were significant. They were particularly striking in their precision, especially the white-robed woman at the rear. Her low-level magic was nearly instantaneous, indicating at least a sixth-tier mage's strength. Tall and graceful, she remained calm even in the face of a sudden assault by zombie warriors, moving with the poise of a noblewoman.

The group walked leisurely, chatting among themselves as they passed low-level undead without a care in the world. Closer and closer they came to the castle, blissfully unaware that they were stepping into the very gates of hell.

"Arno, give the order for all guards to stand down and let them enter!" Aylon smiled faintly at the seemingly unaware demon hunters. With a flick of his sleeve, the image in the magic crystal vanished.

The Sunset Wasteland was teeming with monsters, and the human warriors, hunters, mages, and adventurers who ventured out were all known as demon hunters, often hunting in teams. Although Aylon had gathered some understanding of the wasteland from Ovessis's memories, this was the first time he had encountered these demon hunters in person. After such a long period of isolation, he decided to let these reckless hunters in for some entertainment!

At Aylon's command, the massive Lich Legion silently withdrew deep into the castle, hiding their intricate magical arrays. The seemingly carefree hunters, oblivious to the change, continued to walk toward the castle gates.

"Ophilia, look, this is just an ordinary castle. A few low-level undead is all it has left. It's been abandoned for ages!" The warrior in the black cloak led the way, glancing back at the cautious white-robed woman. "The Sunset Wasteland is enormous, and there are countless castles like this, long forgotten. It's a shame, really—a once grand place, now reduced to a haunted ruin!"

"Urbato, you're right, it's just an abandoned castle. From the outside, it looks intimidating, but inside it's long past its prime!"

"I bet this is a five

-thousand-year-old ancient city. Maybe there are some treasures buried here!"

...

As they walked, the demon hunters admired the grandeur of the Lich Castle, sometimes sighing in regret, other times expressing awe. Their vigilance gradually waned as they proceeded, chatting and laughing. Only the white-robed woman at the rear, Ophilia, furrowed her brow, sensing that something was amiss.

"Ah..."

The group quickened their pace, and before long, they reached the imposing Lich Hall. With a creak, the massive doors swung open. They had expected to find treasures, but instead, they were greeted by Aylon's still figure.

In that instant, even Urbato, who had been trying to maintain a tough exterior, couldn't help but gasp in surprise and instinctively take a few steps back.

Who could have imagined that in this ancient city, abandoned for millennia and only inhabited by low-level undead, someone would be seated motionless in the chilling hall?

Was this a human or a ghost?

A cold wind swept through, and the uninvited guests felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end.