'God of Craft...?'

Izroth had seen and heard of this title numerous times throughout his journey in RML. There was not a single individual with a craftsman-type profession who did not know of them!

​​

Mazi, God of Craft—a peerless genius and unrivaled talent of his time. According to the Amaharpe Palace Library, they were also the person responsible for creating the very first man-made magic item! Given the God of Craft's significant contributions throughout his life, he was one of the most well-known and recorded entities in the divine realm.

But, this was the first time a person in the divine realm reached out to Izroth. Although he possessed the Blessing of Helilatiaa, the All-Seeing Goddess never offered it to him directly. In fact, it was more the Seer Tererestiaa's doing as she granted the blessing to show her appreciation. So, in a way, it was not a genuine blessing, but one given by a person with great ties to the divine being they served under. However, the system alert this time specifically mentioned the God of Craft "reaching out" to him.

Of course, Izroth would not blindly accept the blessing without digging a bit deeper. He knew that Mazi was the one who made the chains that sealed the Shadahi Realm's entrance to the Mortal Realm at the Lake of Tears. Most likely, he also had a hand in helping to seal the eternal darkness below Amaharpe's capital city.

Izroth did not know much about the Divine Realm, but he understood that the price to interfere with things under the firmament was not cheap for those who resided there. Therefore, if Mazi was willing to pay such a heavy price to assist the Mortal Realm, it could be taken that he was not their enemy. There was also the fact that the history records never associated the God of Craft with any vile or evil events. Then again, the victors often wrote history, so it was difficult to proceed based on this fact alone.

Though Izroth's biggest concern was that accepting a genuine blessing would make him some type of devoted follower who could never walk a separate path. If there was one thing Izroth disliked, it was having his movements or choices restricted by someone else.

'I need more details. For now, I'll set this aside until we locate an exit to this Minor Realm.'

Ultimately, Izroth decided to hold off on his decision until he escaped from the Netherly Swathe. Right now, he had more important matters to attend to.

"Ahahaha! Good, very good! Kid, you aren't as detestable as I thought! Your unlikeable attitude still needs some work, but your methods are the real deal! I haven't felt this refreshed in millennia!" The Death Emperor could not hide his joy! Just a few moments ago, he was ready to strike Izroth down after destroying his tombstone. But, who would have thought it was possible to manipulate strands with such high precision and attention to detail? Although he hated to admit it, the Death Emperor knew that not even his understanding of the natural laws surrounding magic reached such a profound level—and he was at the peak of the legendary realm!

Several minutes passed by as the Death Emperor finished absorbing the last drop of death energy in the graveyard that rightfully belonged to him. The reason the death energy in this section of the Netherly Swathe was so powerful had to do with the Death Emperor's tombstone leaking death energy throughout thousands of years. To absorb that much death energy in just a few minutes would have been impossible—even if the tombstone was not damaged. Something Izroth did to it caused the death energy absorption process to increase severalfold, and the Death Emperor immediately noticed the difference.

"Kid, tell me the truth—are you some old monster who has resurrected? I hate to admit it, but the methods you used are above even this emperor's understanding." The Death Emperor stated.

"Just some luck and a bit of calculating with my fingers—that's all," Izroth replied with a carefree smile.

"Bah! Who would believe such nonsense? Well, whatever. After so many years, this emperor can finally leave this wretched realm." The Death Emperor scoffed.

Aurie could not believe what she just heard. Even an individual at the peak of the legendary realm like the Death Emperor could not comprehend what just happened?

In truth, Aurie felt somewhat frustrated with herself. While they were not in the same war branch, Izroth was still technically her junior officer. Yet, not only did he inflict a crucial wound on Dolos that allowed her to subdue him more efficiently, but Izroth was also behind their access to this Minor Realm's spatial corridors. In addition, he had been recognized by Grandpa Zhi, and now he was displaying a level of understanding towards the fundamental laws of magic that she never witnessed before today.

Needless to say, Aurie was happy that such a monstrous talent was on their side, but... Why did it feel like she was the junior officer here?

Aurie released a helpless sigh as she inwardly shook her head. She was considered a genius in her own rights, but Aurie knew there were some people like Izroth who could only be described as generational talents.

"I guess it's true what they say—monsters often find each other. And, that woman definitely found a monster." Aurie internalized. Now, she understood the real reason that woman decided to promote him to Captain without batting an eye.

Aurie knew there was no way the magic system would assign someone of Izroth's potential to the General Support Unit. If anything, it should have rejected him and redirected Izroth to the War Brigade or one of the other war branches. The fact that he was able to join the General Support Unit, without a doubt, was that woman's doing.

...

Ten minutes later...

At last, the Death Emperor refined the death energy he absorbed. Although it originally belonged to him, after being outside his tombstone for so many years, it collected some unwanted impurities that he had to cleanse.

At the same time, two purple flames emerged. One of the flames appeared on the back of Izroth's right hand, while the other manifested above the Death Emperor's tombstone. In the blink of an eye, the purple flames turned light green as they swirled into a miniature vortex and eventually disappeared into Izroth's hand, as well as the black tombstone.

〈System Alert: You have fulfilled the conditions set by the «Soul Binding Contract» with «Death Emperor of the Netherworld, Nekrosatoras»!〉

〈System Alert: «Death Emperor of the Netherworld, Nekrosatoras» is now under the effects of the «Soul Binding Contract» for [100 years]!〉

'I don't feel any different. But, I can sense a mysterious connection that wasn't there before.'

For the Death Emperor, however, it was a bittersweet moment. He never believed the day would come where he would be forced to serve under another person, let alone a human child. But, it was not a complete loss.

At first, the Death Emperor laughed at the mere thought of Izroth wanting to face someone like the Netherworld Monarch. Arrogant and naive—these were the first two words that came to the Death Emperor's mind. However, after seeing what he was capable of firsthand, perhaps he could be of some use against the Netherworld Monarch—in the future, that is. With his current strength, the Netherworld Monarch could kill him by just looking in his general direction.

"Humans are some of the shortest-lived creatures among the major realms, but they are overly imaginative. This aspect can prove useful. First, I have to get rid of this servant title by showing this human what I can offer." The Death Emperor thought to himself.

"I assume you know a way to leave this Minor Realm?" Izroth asked.

"Heh, who do you think I am? Just follow me." The Death Emperor responded as a black cyclone with purple sparks of energy formed over his grave. Simultaneously, the black tombstone started to disintegrate as its particles drifted towards the cyclone and fused with it.

Boom! Clap!

A small explosion could be heard, followed by a loud thunderclap as the cyclone vanished and a figure emerged.

'Hm? It's not what I expected.'

What appeared before Izroth and Aurie was a man who looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. He had black hair with silver streaks, light gray eyes, and wore combat robes that resembled Izroth's. However, the robes were black and white with a few skulls engraved into them.

"Oh? I always thought humans only knew how to wear uncomfortable things. This isn't half-bad. I suppose it will do. Well? What do you think of this emperor's appearance?" The man said with a smirk. This man was, of course, the Death Emperor, Nekrosatoras!

"Amazing... I can't feel a single ounce of death energy..!" Aurie exclaimed. If she did not already know the Death Emperor's identity, she would have mistaken him for a normal human!