Dark clouds blanketed the royal palace, and the heavy tolling of bells echoed in every corner, announcing the passing of Prince William.
The King's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, his inner rage and grief intertwining into a dark, tempestuous sea.
He summoned the Grand Swordsman, Elion.
The King's voice was filled with suppressed hatred. “Elion, Ning Busan has taken my son's life. I want you to bring me his head.”
Elion knelt on one knee and fell silent for a moment. When he raised his head, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
He swore fealty to the royal family, but he was not one to offer blind loyalty.
“Your Majesty, Ning Busan cannot be killed. He is the Divine Envoy of the God of Light. If I act rashly, not only will I fail, but I might also trigger divine wrath, putting the kingdom in jeopardy.”
The King's face instantly darkened, and fire burned in his eyes.
He slammed his hand onto the armrest of the throne, his voice exploding like thunder. “You refuse me? You dare disobey my command!”
“Do not forget, Your Majesty, that I am also a believer of the God of Light,” Elion said calmly. “Prince William instructed the ritual official to disrupt the Holy Spirit Festival. His death was well-deserved.”
Speaking such words in front of the King was indeed treasonous, but Elion was a Grand Swordsman, and the King could do nothing to him.
Elion continued, “The seal on the Shackle of the Sacred Remains is about to break. We need the strength of the Divine Envoy. I hope Your Majesty will not let hatred cloud your judgment and make irrational decisions.”
These words carried a faint hint of warning.
The anger in the King's heart could not be appeased for a long time. He could only wave his hand, signaling Elion to withdraw.
In the bedchamber, the Queen's eyes were already red and swollen, yet she still wept. “Your Majesty, our son cannot have died in vain like this.”
The King's gaze was dark and sinister. He whispered, “This grudge, I will surely avenge.”
He summoned his messengers and issued an urgent command: “Send word to the Dukes of the other territories. They are to return to the Empire immediately!”
The messengers departed swiftly, carrying the King's orders as they galloped to every corner of the Landia Continent.
The Empire had thirteen Dukes. Aside from Duke Nigan, who was within the capital, the others were all in their respective territories.
Upon receiving the command, the Dukes set off one after another for Dawn City.
They all knew that a massive storm was brewing within the Empire.
Standing by the window and watching the dark clouds gather in the distance, the King let out a cold sneer.
He already had a new plan in mind, one that would be enough to make Ning Busan pay the price.
Neither gods nor demons could stop his determination to avenge William.
...
Roman Lane.
Lucifer arrived uninvited, asking as soon as he opened his mouth, “Do you want to go to Heaven or Hell after you die?”
Ning Busan fell silent.
He could say in front of Saige and Novalia that he chose the Light faction.
But he could not say in front of Lucifer that he wanted to go to Heaven.
But what if the God of Light was watching him? If he said he wanted to go to Hell, what if his cheap Father God got angry?
After pondering for a moment, Ning Busan asked earnestly, “Do I have to die?”
“That's not what I meant,” Lucifer said. “I just want to know if you prefer Heaven or Hell.”
Ning Busan's eyes darted around. “Why must I choose between those two? I could also enter the Undead Realm after I die!”
In a scientific world, when a person died, they were truly dead; their cells would die and decompose, becoming a part of the ecosystem and participating in the cycle of matter.
But this was not a scientific world; it was a magical world.
Those who held truth, goodness, and beauty in their hearts and had accumulated great merit would be guided to Heaven, becoming angels or angelic attendants.
As for those who committed endless evil, they might enter Hell to become demons.
As for the remaining ordinary people, a residue of their spirituality would remain after death, and only cremation could grant them true peace.
If their bones and corpses were left unattended, they would undergo a corpse transformation, becoming accomplices of the xenos to attack humans.
Ten thousand years ago, during the Xeno Invasion, humanity fought among themselves, and countless soldiers' corpses were left exposed in the wilderness.
There was simply no time to deal with those bodies before they transformed, becoming one of humanity's greatest plagues.
To solve this problem, under the guidance of the game system, Ning Busan had established a place called the Undead Realm.
After death, if people could not go to Heaven or Hell, their spiritual remnants would automatically travel to the Undead Realm, becoming newborn undead.
In this manner, the Undead Clan was founded.
“You want to become an undead?” Lucifer's expression became unspeakable.
Those skeletons... really lacked any sense of aesthetic beauty!
The moment Lucifer imagined Satan turning into a skeleton, he felt as if the sky was falling.
“Anyway, the Undead Clan is also a branch of the demons. You should think it over carefully.”
Ning Busan doubted his own ears. “You... what did you say? The Undead Clan is a branch of the demons?”
“Of course,” Lucifer said righteously. “All dark creatures belong to the Hell faction.”
“Though the undead are a bit ugly, we demons are still willing to acknowledge their existence.”
Ning Busan was completely speechless.
The undead were dark creatures?
Just where did this rumor come from?
How could a bunch of clean, white little skeletons who loved basking in the sun be dark creatures?
Was this a joke?
Ning Busan twitched his lips and said to Lucifer, “How about... you just go back to Hell?”
Lucifer's eyes were full of resentment. “Aren't you coming back with me? Do you really want to be the Divine Envoy of the God of Light?”
Ning Busan said, “I still have some matters to deal with in the human world. Once they are resolved, I will go to Hell to find you.”
Once Novalia ascended the throne, he would leave the human world.
He would make a trip to both Heaven and Hell.
Ning Busan reminded him, “As for Hell's side, remember to keep it from them.”
Lucifer curled his lips in delight. “Understood.”
...
Purgatory Palace.
Lava flowed like blood, and the scorching wind kicked up ashes, drifting through the endless darkness.
Aside from the Demon King of Sloth, Belphegor, and the Demon King of Gluttony, Beelzebub, the other four demon kings were all gathered inside Purgatory Palace.
Lucifer sat on his throne, his gaze cold and full of disdain. “What are you all doing here?”
The Demon King of Envy, Leviathan, spoke in an incredibly hoarse voice, “To enjoy a good joke, of course.”
He was an ugly, snake-like monster with a massive body covered in black scales.
“Lucifer, we've all heard about it.” Leviathan burst into loud laughter, dripping with sarcasm.
“You fought with the God of Light over someone, but not only did you fail, you were also taught a harsh lesson by him. Don't you think you've brought shame upon Hell?”
Lucifer let out a soft snort.
His attitude toward demons like Leviathan, who were not only ugly but also had loose lips, remained completely consistent.
Lucifer said nothing, merely rolling his wrists to loosen up his muscles.
Leviathan took two steps back. “Wait... what are you doing? You can't...”
Rate on N.U.
