It has been two weeks since Arthur and Lucy left Astria and, fortunately, things were as peaceful as ever. There was no sighting of the evil race and the MoonStar city is prospering rapidly.

More people started visiting it and even the remote clans were helpless against this rising power so they could only reach out for alliances lest they get destroyed.

Ever since Arthur left, Jackob noticed that every two days, Anastassia will leave the sect and head South only to return a few hours later.

One day, he confronted her to know what's going on. Surprisingly, she didn't hide it from him and even brought him with her.

However, what he saw was something he never expected, even in his wildest dreams. The South of the Western Continent is a dangerous zone where powerful beasts lay dormant. It was surrounded by a thick fog that made it quite hard to see what's around you.

The different thing about this land is that no living beasts remained here, it has become a land of decay and death. With a half-open mouth, Jackob gazed at the sight before him, a sight that made him tremble.

It wouldn't be a problem if there were thousands or tens of thousands, however, the army that stood before him is simply humongous.

Millions upon millions of undead stead next to each other, disciplined and silent. They eye-sockets burned with a dark red flame that made them distinguishable even inside this fog. This undead army covered a lot of land, almost a third of this continent and its size is drastically increasing every day.

The Death Energy was so thick that being around it for a long period of time will cause death. Were it not for the item Arthur gave her, Anastassia wouldn't get so close to the army.

"W-what's this?"

"An incomplete army."

Still flabbergasted, Jackob asked again

"You made this?"

Anastassia nodded and added:

"Yes but it's not something I can control. Until he comes back, they can do nothing but stand like that."

He pondered for a short moment and maintained his silence. If Arthur needs such a large army then there's no room to stop him.

Anastassia retrieved an ominous pendant and wore it then immediately activated it

An abyss-like cirlce appeared above the army and soon, countless undead started appearing from within. More than a thousand undead appeared every second, moreover, they weren't normal.

Every ten minutes, three death knights appear and every hour, a bone dragon is summoned. All the normal skeletons were clad in a grey-armor, they either held large shields or sharp swords.

They weren't at the Spirit Realm but their number compensates for their lack of individual power. Even Anastassia doesn't know the reason Arthur needs such an army.

With such an army, there's no force in Anastassia that can resist it, even the MoonStar sect.

…

Far East of Astria, the ever-so-silent Word Tree was disturbed after a month of Arthur's departure. The Western Continent resembled a graveyard. The undead covered half of the continent and merely their presence made the World Tree a bit distressed.

"Arthur… Death won't tolerate this, you know that, right?"

Even with its incredible power, it became unable to spread its magic to the Western Continent. The Death Energy, albeit contained not to spread to all corners of the continent, was still extremely lethal to the tree.

…

Back on the Green-Leaf World, things were getting worse as Athard swore to find the culprit at all costs. It has been five days since the death of his son yet the gates of the sect are still closed.

All the disciples were anxious and not one dared to cause a ruckus lest they suffer the wrath of Patriarch. Shu Ru held into her suspicions but never told anyone. She wasn't sure and even if she were, she couldn't snitch as she thought she may end up like Visto.

She would pester Arthur everyday but get no answer out of him, in fact, it had already became a habit of hers to barge into his room every morning.

"Hey! Aren't you going to confes- oh thank you."

She stopped mid-sentence and thanked him as he served her some tea. Upon realizing that, her face reddened but she still enjoyed the hot tea.

Though he wasn't talkative, she, more or less, started understanding his character.

"You, who was pampered since you were young, what do you know about having enemies? You must suffer and learn the hard way to understand why all enemies must be killed, no matter how insignificant they are."

Shu Ru was a little startled by his words but soon snapped out of it and said

"So you admit killing Visto?"

"What if I do? Are you going to run to your grandfather and tell him?"

"…"

The girl silently gazed at him, she had an angry expression.

"Why did you do that?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and said

"Why you ask? Because he's an enemy."

"Enemy? You two barely interacted!"

"Even a small wound can cause death if it's not treated properly. I would rather get rid of a potential enemy then wait for him to grow stronger or try to trap me."

The girl stomped her foot in anger and retorted

"Still!! That was too excessive, you could have punished him severely, why resort to murder."

As if he understood something, Arthur smirked and added:

"I see… you've never killed someone."

Her body slightly trembled upon hearing his words. At first, she tried to deny his words but her expression betrayed her.

"You act calm and composed but you're just a naive girl, after all. In comparison, Jian Si is much better than you in that aspect."

"Jian Si? Cold Sword?"

Shocked by his swords, Shu Ru looked at him with a strange gaze.

"How do you know her?"

Arthur crossed his arms and replied

"Well, that's my business."

Again, Shu Ru snorted and darted out of the room, clearly unhappy. Arthur paid her no heed and picked an old journal, carefully reading it.

This one Zodiak's journal, one which was long and covered many things. Although Arthur remembers it all, he still rereads when he has nothing to do.

The reason he's spending his days nonchalantly is because he's waiting for Gutcha. The Pigolo needs some time to find the second place and everything needs to be on place before he starts acting again.

Eleven days passed since he arrived to the Mirage Era Hall sect and trying to leave now would make Athard suspicious. He wasn't afraid of the Patriarch but from the old monster protecting the tombs.

'Dark Magic is not actually real magic nor is it the materialization of an elemental energy. To be more specific, it's emotions, negative ones. Instead of relying on natural attributes, I rely on emotions which are converted into Dark Magic through Dark Mana. Quite strange, I know, however, that's what makes it unique and unstoppable. Through many battles, I concluded that it can resist Void Magic and even Faith Magic. At first, I relied on anger to use Dark Magic but it isn't that easy… I was never explained how such a powerful magic was born…'

How come he didn't know everything about despite being its creator?

Hearing this, Claud laughed and retorted

"The God Race didn't know the full potential of Humans when they created them. Just because you create something, you don't necessarily know everything about it."

…

In a secret room deep inside the Golden Hall of the Mirage Era Hall sect. Athard stood before two figures, both wore black clothes that covered their faces and bodies. They looked like assassins and not weak ones at that.

"The payment had been deposited."

The two individuals nodded while saying

"The target will be found within two days at most."

They vanished soon after, leaving only Athard in that small room. He unconsciously tapped his finger on the table while pondering about something.

He spent a hefty sum to hire two experts of the most dangerous organization in the three universes combined. It's not the strongest but definitely the most dangerous.

It's composed of only assassins and only filthy rich people can hire them. In fact, the price he had to pay just to locate the culprit is equal to 10% of his sect's yearly income.

He hired them to find him, as for killing him, the price is just too much. He was certain that whoever murdered his son will meet a miserable fate at his hand, it's only a matter of time.