Olivia, unexpectedly summoned to another world and burdened with a heavy task, was deeply moved.
'Death is rampant throughout this world. This is comparable to, if not surpasses, the golden age when I conquered the continent with the previous Undying King.'
Unlike the previous front lines, which were concentrated in the western part of the continent, the situation here was similar everywhere. Considering the undead characteristic of growing stronger with denser death energy, this place was the perfect battlefield for them.
'I always wondered where His Majesty went when he left his position…'
She could finally understand his actions. Why the current Undying King wasn't so eager to conquer Auterica. Why he had been prioritizing other matters, delaying the war.
'To think he was preparing to advance to another dimension since then!'
A grand scheme that no one in the Undead Army had anticipated. She reproached herself for her folly in trying to second-guess the great monarch's thoughts, and, using the knowledge of the human McCarthy, did her best to carry out the King's command. She didn't mind the increased workload. She was used to working all day.
'Whether I'm here or there, the amount of work I handle in a day won't change anyway.'
More importantly, she was grateful that the King had summoned her first among the high-ranking officers. Didn't this prove that the King trusted and favored her the most?
"[I must repay that trust… There's no time… Search every corner of this world…!]"
Grooooo—
Wooooo—
Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions…
A wave of spirits swirled around Olivia, who soared high in the sky, spreading across the world. Not only the existing ghosts, but also those newly born under her influence, joined the wave, making it spread even wider. Unfulfilled desires, resentment from unjust deaths, lingering attachments… It was possible because this world, already broken and filled with sorrow, was overflowing with the thoughts of the dead, the ingredients she needed.
And her actions…
…were enough to provoke the arrogant beings who considered this world their playground.
A massive castle located in the center of the continent.
"The air is unusually restless today."
The Grand Lord Lapua, the castle's master, frowned as he looked up at the sky outside the window. But he soon shook his head and quickly moved. He had just been summoned by his master, so he didn't have time to waste. Although he reigned as a king and a transcendent being before others, in reality, he was nothing more than a slave.
Knock, knock—
He politely knocked on the ornate door and carefully entered. Inside the spacious room, filled with luxurious items just like the door, a large man stood with his back to him, looking out the window.
"You summoned me."
"Hmm."
With a deep voice, the man slowly turned around. Over two meters tall, skin so dark that his features were indistinguishable, covered in blood-red tattoos, and red eyes that gleamed like glass beads without pupils.
"Lapua."
The terminal created by the 'Infinite Great Demon,' the undisputed strongest being in the current world, looked down at his contractor and spoke softly.
"It seems some rats are testing the waters."
"Rats… you say?"
At Lapua's question, he slowly extended a hand. He had been standing with his hands behind his back the entire time, yet a pale spirit was struggling in his grasp, as if he had caught it from somewhere.
"Quite high-level necromancy. And it's not just this one."
"…You mean they tried to spy on us with this?"
Lapua looked at the spirit incredulously and chuckled. The Infinite Great Demon was considered an insurmountable being, unrivaled in the current era. Yet, someone tried to pull such a stunt in this castle where he resided. Whoever it was, it was a foolish act.
'Who is it? Ruin? Despair?'
The most likely candidates were the Great Demons 'Ruin' and 'Despair', but Lapua quickly dismissed the thought. Although they were ranked as Great Demons alongside 'Infinite', the difference between them was still vast. Unlike the two, who had recently ascended amidst the world's turmoil, the Infinite Great Demon had held his position for thousands of years. Even if they joined forces, they wouldn't be able to defeat his master. Since they knew this better than anyone, they wouldn't provoke him with such a foolish act.
'Unless it's that legendary Eternal Great Demon…'
The records of the Eternal Great Demon were nothing short of legendary. A human who became a low-ranking demon and rose to the position of Great Demon in just twenty years. He had even killed 'Slaughter' and 'Fear,' who, like Infinite, were Great Demons at the time, before suddenly disappearing about a hundred years ago and never being seen again. He was a phantom, an existence in legends. If it weren't for the traces he left behind, scattered throughout this ruined world, he wouldn't have believed it himself…
"You're having useless thoughts."
"M-My apologies."
Lapua's thoughts were interrupted by the cold voice and the chilling aura he felt. Remembering that the Infinite Great Demon didn't like talk about the Eternal Great Demon, he quickly gave the answer his master wanted.
"I'll take immediate action. I'll thoroughly eradicate the culprit and make an example of them so no one will ever try this again."
"Hmm."
The black demon nodded slowly and turned his head. Lapua inwardly sighed in relief and patted his chest, but the Infinite Great Demon continued to stare out the window with cold eyes. He was pondering the strange feeling he felt from crushing the spirit.
'Necromancy… Necromancy.'
The demons of Deboir, who worshipped their titles more than anything, didn't favor necromancy. They would rather absorb the energy of the spirits and add it to their own power. He might have thought differently if it were the 'Wraith Demon', but as far as he knew, there were no other candidates capable of controlling spirits to this extent.
'And this strange feeling…'
It reminded him of an unpleasant feeling he had forgotten. The feeling he felt when he faced that Eternal Great Demon about a hundred years ago.
'No, he can't have returned. I confirmed multiple times that he, an otherworlder, disappeared beyond the dimensional wall.'
The dimensional wall was an absolute law that no one could defy. Even the Eternal Great Demon couldn't cross it again. Then, could this be…
'…This is unsettling. It's best to act cautiously until I grasp the situation.'
Numerous powerful demons served under him. Even if Ruin and Despair joined forces and attacked, they wouldn't be easily defeated. Even if their opponent was someone else, they could buy enough time to understand the situation.
And he wasn't the only one thinking this. The Great Demons of Ruin and Despair, who were most wary of Infinite in this world, suspected that he might be behind this. In the end, as if they had planned it, they sent their subordinate demons first instead of taking action themselves. The ruling powers of Deboir, each devising countermeasures, proceeded cautiously as if preparing for a long-term battle amidst the escalating tension.
However, there was one unfortunate piece of news for them—.
"[My King… I… have fulfilled your command…]"
"[Oh? That was faster than I expected.]"
"[Perhaps because of their confidence, they didn't even try to hide… It wasn't difficult to find their location…]"
"[Kehehe—That's good. I like their arrogance, their belief that no one can touch them.]"
The true culprit behind this incident…
"[I wonder what kind of face they'll make when that confidence is shattered.]"
…had no intention of dragging this out.
'There's no need to waste time in a situation where the enemy is so clear.'
The conqueror who invaded another world—Undying King Hans—looked down at the plains. 「Eyes of the Abyss」 opened within the gleaming eye sockets. And the land his gaze touched was dyed black.
Immediately after…
"Kieeeeek!"
"[Heed the King's call!]"
"Gurgle!"
"[Wooooo—!]"
Countless forms, large and small, began to rise from the darkness on the ground. Not just human corpses and skeletons, but also undead with monstrous bodies, and even jiangshi created from yokai and martial artists.
Rumble—
Splash!
Moreover, the souls of those who had died in this land over the years were also being resurrected. Corpses erupted from the ground, tearing through the earth. The number of undead rising was immense, perhaps because he had deliberately chosen an ancient battlefield where resentment was strongest.
"[Your servant Karam, I heed your command.]"
"[For the King's glory—! Unleash infinite terror upon this world—!]"
"[…Your command…]"
"[Kuooooooo——!]"
And at the forefront…
The officers of the Undead Army, who had crossed dimensions in response to the Undying King's call, prostrated themselves, and bone dragons soared into the sky, circling above. Since they were connected to Hans, who had sprouted the divinity of 'Death', and were empowered by skills like 「Heaven-Defying Monarch」, the aura they emanated was on a completely different level than when they were first recruited. The space itself trembled at the combined presence of the assembled officers. The black flames burning from their bodies flickered fiercely, as the death energy filling the world and the abyssal power from the Undying King created synergy.
"…Glory to the Master of Death."
"Ah! My Lord!"
And among them were numerous Abyss Revenants, including the jiangshi Tianma and Scribe, crafted with special care. It was practically a full mobilization of Hans' undead forces.
"[There's no need for long speeches.]"
A voice echoed across the plains teeming with undead. At the same time, the space, filled with all sorts of noises, fell silent. The gazes of the countless undead focused on a single point.
"[I have no interest in dogs who have already succumbed to power.]"
McCarthy, the only human present, swallowed hard, frozen in place, unable to even breathe properly at the awe-inspiring sight. He tried to ignore the pain in his left arm and eye, which were barely keeping him conscious. This declaration was the last lifeline for the humans barely surviving in this world. The already weakened humans had no chance of survival against this army.
'This is… the King of the Dead, the Ruler of Death, who looks down even on Great Demons.'
The great conqueror, floating high in the gray sky, looked down at his proud army. The morale of his subordinates soared with each word he spoke.
"[Slaughter all the demons who rule this world—!]"
The moment his last words echoed…
"[Uoooooo——!]"
"[Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!]"
"[Coordinates locked! Activate the gate! We move swiftly!]"
With a roar, the Undead Army, led by their officers, scattered and began their advance. A war without a declaration, waged against the entire world. Since they had been preparing for this war for a long time and had already pinpointed the exact coordinates, the movement of the army was as smooth as flowing water.
And the result…
158.
That was the number of demons, revered as untouchable beings in this world, hunted down in just a few days.
There was a significant difference between the demons of Deboir and Auterica. If the demons of Auterica's demon realm felt like a unique race with unusual ecology, the demons of Deboir were closer to the true image of "demons." A transcendental evil itself, a phenomenon incomprehensible to mortal eyes.
'It wasn't so obvious with the Executioner, perhaps because he was a human Awakened.'
All demons had titles bestowed upon them. It was their name, their power, and their status, indirectly representing their level.
'This world was originally maintained by demon hunters eradicating demon contractors who operated in secret. Now it's become a complete dark fantasy world.'
The demons residing in hell couldn't be defeated by ordinary methods. They didn't directly intervene, only manifesting their presence by empowering their contractors. The problem began when, for some reason, the demons of hell were unleashed upon the world. The world quickly descended into chaos due to the broken power balance. Although the demons who ascended from hell to earth suffered various weakenings, including the loss of immortality, there was still an insurmountable wall between them and mortals.
And the beings who led the world to destruction were those called 'Great Demons.' Entities on a completely different level from ordinary demons, each possessing powerful abilities, like lords ruling over them.
And one of these Great Demons, the 'Great Demon of Despair,' was currently…
"[Keh! He's quite troublesome. As expected of a Great Demon?]"
"[Kehehehe—What are you? How can an irregular like you exist in this world!]"
…held by the neck by a skeletal hand, immersed in utter despair at the unreasonable violence inflicted upon him.