The One Who Dies Is You

"Allen, you are courting death! Courting death!"

Looking at the reckless Allen and the flushed nun Teresa, Urbato's fury turned to laughter. "Originally, I had planned to slit your throat and leave your body in the wilderness. But now, I've decided to spare your life for the moment. I'll beat both of you half to death and strip you naked, dragging your shameful bodies back to Wuhai Town, hanging you at the gates of the Abbey for all to see. Let the people of this desolate wasteland witness the so-called 'sacred' priests and nuns in all their depravity and shamelessness. By then, you won't need me to lay a hand on you. The divine court itself will punish you, making your lives a torment worse than death!"

Fuming with rage, Urbato tore off the cloth covering his face, glaring venomously at Allen and Teresa, his face twisted with an unprecedented grimace. Seeing his beloved dream woman being humiliated by Allen right in front of him, he was livid—so enraged that he felt as though his lungs would burst! In his fury, he didn't notice the sudden chilling gust of wind sweeping through the forest.

"Take them both! Beat the man to death and strip the woman, tie her up!" Urbato roared, his eyes bloodshot.

A mere magic apprentice, no matter how talented, was not a threat. If not for the sudden surge in strength after drinking an entire bottle of Dragon's Blood Essence last time in the Battle Soul Hall, Allen would have been half-dead already. Urbato still brooded over that crushing defeat and was determined not to let Allen escape his grasp again. With a hundred elite warriors at his side, he held a decisive advantage. Even if Allen drank another bottle of Dragon's Blood, Urbato was confident he could crush him into a bloody pulp.

Urbato felt victory was in his hands. Laughing maniacally, he thought of how he might humiliate Allen further, his eyes gleaming with hunger as he gazed at the disheveled Teresa. He had planned to relish the sight of Allen being torn apart, but after waiting for some time, the warriors behind him remained still. All he could hear was the faint chattering of teeth.

"Mario! Are you all trying to die? Move!"

Urbato whipped around in fury, about to slap Mario, his personal guard, but froze, horror creeping up his spine. Behind them, countless skeletal warriors had appeared unnoticed, surrounding the entire forest in eerie silence.

Cold winds, a pale moon, and souls of the dead...

Urbato's body went stiff as he felt a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, he remembered his encounter in the Lich King's Castle and realized with a start. He spun to face Allen, stammering, "Allen... you... you're a necromancer, using Teacher Ophelia's help to infiltrate the holy Abbey?"

"Clever... but too late to realize that now."

Allen smirked coolly, watching Urbato's horror unfold. "The wasteland is vast, filled with nameless bones. Tonight, it seems we shall add another hundred or so unmarked graves. Urbato, you're smart, but there's one thing you've gotten wrong. I am no necromancer, but the Lich King—the first Lich King to step into the Divine Realm. To die by my hands is an honor for you and your warriors!"

Allen's demeanor remained calm as he took out the cold Black Magic Pen from the Dark Ring. With a swift motion, he wrote the character 'Mist' in the air. Instantly, thick black fog engulfed the entire forest. The warriors, sensing danger, barely had time to react before skeletal hands emerged from the ground, gripping them tightly. Within moments, they were swallowed up by the tide of undead.

After long years of conquest, the undead army had grown even more powerful. Against the wave of spirits, Urbato's hundred elite warriors were nothing more than prey.

"Morgan's Blood, Black Hawk Guardian!"

In a desperate bid for survival, Urbato screamed, slashing open his wrist, spilling his blood onto the Demon Hunter Card. The once dull card flashed with black light, summoning a massive black hawk with a wingspan of over ten meters. With a piercing cry, the hawk snatched Urbato up and soared away, heading for Wuhai Town.

The Demon Hunter Card, an essential tool for any hunter, could store maps, weapons, and even summon up to seven powerful battle pets. Though Urbato wasn't the most powerful fighter, his hawk was formidable, a peak Fifth-Stage creature. For years, he'd relied on his family's influence and the hawk's protection to dominate the settlement. But today, he had kicked the wrong hornet's nest—encountering the Lich King, Allen!

"The will of the Lich King is an unquestionable decree, Urbato. You cannot escape. I told you, tonight you must die here—you will not live to see dawn!"

Allen's eyes gleamed with cold light. He gathered his immense magical energy, his Soul Crystal contracting and expanding within his mind. With a flourish, he drew the character 'Kill' in the air with the Black Magic Pen. In an instant, the winds shifted ominously, and a jagged, pitch-black spear appeared in the air, crackling with energy like an ancient god's vengeance.

With a flash, the spear shot through the air, piercing the black hawk's heart. With a final, mournful cry, it fell to the ground, its soul obliterated.

"The Lich, the evil Lich King, save me, save me..."

Urbato's terror deepened as Allen approached, his body trembling uncontrollably. In a frantic scramble, he reached a warhorse and spurred it onward, desperately racing toward the distant, well-lit Wuhai Town. But the horse, weakened by its rider's injuries, collapsed at the gates, its body convulsing as blood poured from its wounds.

"Help! Help!"

Urbato, barely conscious, clung to the wooden fence of the settlement. The guards who would have once been of no concern now appeared as his last hope. Turning to see Allen closing in, Urbato began to laugh maniacally, his voice ringing with desperation. "Hahaha, Allen, it's over! You're finished! Once I reveal your true identity in the settlement, no one can save you. Prepare to face the divine court's judgment, to suffer on the pyre!"

Having finally reached safety, Urbato, at the brink of collapse, laughed in triumph. The settlement was sacred ground, where personal conflicts were strictly forbidden. But Allen—an apprentice priest—had no such protection here. Urbato believed his return to the settlement would ensure his survival, for who would dare act against the law within these walls?

But Allen, without hesitation, advanced. Urbato's fate was sealed.

"Pitiful man, even now you fail to understand what it means to court death."

With a faint shake of his head, Allen stepped forward, his voice carrying the weight of inevitable fate. "Urbato, being born into wealth was both your fortune and your greatest misfortune. In your brief life, you've committed countless sins, and now it's time for you to be freed. May the Creator forgive your original sin."

With deliberate calmness, Allen drew the knife from Urbato's warhorse and, in a flash of speed, drove it deep into Urbato's heart. The last thing Urbato saw was Allen's calm face before he fell, his body still twitching.

"Looking for death."

Allen's face remained serene as he withdrew the knife, turning to leave with the same indifference one might show after crushing an insignificant insect. The heavily armed guards, awed by the swift fatal strike, instinctively parted to make way for him.

"A lethal strike, impressive!"

"Good heavens, it's the son of the Morgan family's chief steward..."

The onlookers could hardly believe their eyes, shocked by the public execution of Urbato, the only son of the powerful Morgan family's steward.

Soon, the news of Urbato's death spread to a grand hall, where an elderly man in black robes sat, sipping tea. Upon hearing the news, his eyes widened in disbelief, and his teacup crashed to the ground. His face twisted with fury. "What? Urbato... killed by a newly arrived priest?" he hissed, glaring at the messenger. "Who is this daring fool? How did they let him leave the settlement after such a crime?"

"Report, Master. Young Master did reveal his identity, but... but the priest did not stop. Instead, he drove a knife through Young Master's heart. We couldn't intervene in time," the messenger stammered, trembling.

"Fools! Investigate this priest's identity immediately! Burke, go to the Ghost Market and hire the strongest demon hunter. Issue a recall order for the Black Hawk Brigade in Red River Valley. Even if he is a high-ranking priest, I will ensure he never leaves this wasteland alive!" The elder roared, drawing his curved blade and slashing through a priceless rosewood table in two. The air was thick with murderous intent.