Strength. If there’s a word even more terrifying than that, it would be cruelty.

The strong can afford to be calm, but the cruel are, by definition, merciless.

Strength combined with cruelty is nothing short of a catastrophe.

If you ever meet a cruelly strong opponent, running away is always the best option. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury.

[Lv. 93]

Standing before me was Calandas Bon Elderich, the boss of the Mugan Palace known as the Necrotic Den of Consumption.

If a reaper controlling life and death existed, it would look like this.

The mere presence of Calandas silenced everything around us.

A suffocating aura pressed down on the air, making it hard for anyone to breathe. It was as if he alone held the life and death of everyone present.

"Bow before him! The King of Bones, the Lich King Calandas Bon Elderich! Lord of Endless Deaths and the Overlord Who Defies the Natural Order! The boss of the Fifth-Ranked Mugan Palace!"

His ghostly blue eyes, like will-o’-the-wisps, scanned the room.

Anyone who met his gaze visibly trembled, shivering as though struck by an icy wind.

Could just a look make someone’s knees buckle and their blood freeze?

When I was an office worker, I used to think fantasy’s ultimate beings were nothing more than shallow, inflated illusions.

But now, standing in this world, I knew the truth. This was no illusion.

This was real.

"O great one among the Five Lords! These humble servants welcome the presence of the Lich King!"

The demon merchant bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the ground.

He was the first, and the hundreds of kobolds, dwarves, vampires, Charlotte, Valmonk, and everyone else followed suit.

Except for me.

Even those who already seemed small looked even more insignificant as they prostrated before Calandas.

Ssssshh—

A chilling, corpse-like breath emanated from Calandas.

It felt as though the icy exhale of a dead man froze the very air.

The difference in class between us as undead was beyond comparison—utterly immeasurable.

Without a word, Calandas slowly turned his gaze, surveying the room.

Even after a full minute, no one dared to lift their head.

"Your postures are too high."

At the sound of his cold voice, Calandas flicked a bony finger.

"Khak—!"

A sharp cry pierced the air.

Without any warning, a kobold collapsed.

No blood. No visible wounds. But it was clear the kobold was dead.

Moments later, the shadow beneath its lifeless body vanished.

As if it were a signal, the kobold suddenly jerked upright.

Thud.

The now-undead kobold knelt as though collapsing, bowing its head.

Calandas’s chilling laughter echoed.

"Excellent."

At his declaration, everyone pressed themselves even lower against the ground.

Heads down, eyes closed, foreheads trembling as they touched the floor.

The sight of hundreds prostrating created a haze of dust in the air.

"..."

What stance was I supposed to take here?

To be honest, I wanted to press my face into the dirt too.

But I stayed upright.

Not because I wasn’t scared after seeing the kobold die, but because I knew why Calandas was here.

"Rise."

At his command, the gathered crowd cautiously began to stand.

Only after some time did everyone fully rise, their gazes avoiding Calandas, instead nervously falling on me.

It was only natural, given that Calandas was here for me.

But that didn’t make it any easier.

Then it happened—Calandas’s hollow eyes locked onto mine.

"Oh."

In that moment, the "93" above his head shifted to a pale green.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips, visible as a cold mist that betrayed my undead nature.

"As I’ve heard, a Death Knight. So, you are the new lord of the Seventh-Ranked Mugan Palace?"

Calandas extended a pale, skeletal hand toward me.

There were likely two reasons for his cordial behavior.

First, he viewed me as a fellow boss, the new ruler of the Mugan Seventh Palace.

Second, as a fellow undead, he probably felt a sense of camaraderie.

Right, don’t panic.

In this situation, it was just two bosses of the Mugan Palaces meeting.

Acting submissive would only backfire. If he started doubting, thinking, Is this coward really a Mugan Palace lord? things would go downhill fast.

"That’s correct."
"Pleasure to meet you, my friend. Tell me your true name."
"I’m newly risen. I have no name yet."

I deflected as best as I could, already anticipating his response and thinking quickly.

"Then you must name yourself. The other Mugan Palace lords did the same."
"...Varghore."

The name of my first character in 72 Dungeon Conquest sprang to mind.

And so, I became Varghore, the Death Knight, lord of the Seventh-Ranked Mugan Palace.

"Varghore. My first undead friend. I regret coming unannounced, but I have two urgent matters to discuss with you."
"What matters might those be?"
"Let us walk first."

Calandas floated forward, his bony frame drifting effortlessly above the ground.

I followed him, my mind racing with countless theories.

Two matters?

I couldn’t imagine what they might be.

"At first, I thought he was here just to meet a fellow undead," I mused.

But calling that an "urgent matter" seemed absurd.

Moreover, the fact that he was leading me somewhere isolated suggested something far more serious.

"What about that human?" Calandas gestured at Charlotte.

"She is my lieutenant."

The moment he pointed her out, my stomach sank.

Undead revived from humanity often harbored an instinctual hatred for the living.

This extended to all living beings, but liches, having once been human themselves, held a particular loathing for mankind.

"You mean to say you’ve taken a human into your Mugan Palace?"
"...That’s correct."

The tension was suffocating, unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

An undead boss accepting a human lieutenant?

His glowing blue eyes seemed to pierce into my very soul, as though dissecting my motives.

If I had a liver, it would’ve shriveled up and fallen out by now.

"Indeed. You truly are the Seventh Palace’s lord. Unpredictable, as expected."

The color of his level indicator remained unchanged, suggesting he wasn’t being deceitful.

That brief three-second moment felt like it shaved ten years off my lifespan—or un-lifespan, I suppose.

Did he really let it slide just because I’m "unpredictable"?

No, that couldn’t be it.

As a fellow boss, he likely respected my authority, which extended to respecting my choice of lieutenant.

A lieutenant is the brain of the dungeon.

If the boss isn’t around, the lieutenant essentially runs the show.

Calandas may have been a cruel boss, but he wasn’t irrational.

He was methodical, expanding his influence with calculated moves.

Whatever his reasoning, he seemed to respect my decision.

Swallowing my relief, I nodded nonchalantly, as if I’d expected nothing less.

"She is no mere human but a capable lieutenant. She oversaw the dungeon’s construction and ensured it was completed successfully."
"Hmm. She does seem competent. She deserves to be rewarded."
"You flatter me," Charlotte interjected.

The impulse to clamp her mouth shut surged within me.

Liches like Calandas were known to mercilessly kill humans who spoke without permission.

I cautiously observed his reaction.

But oblivious to my anxiety, Charlotte kept talking.

"Before being human, I was born a witch. I entered the path of necromancy out of reverence for your greatness, Lich King."
"Hmm."
"Everything I’ve done has been to achieve one ultimate goal: to eradicate all humans from this world."
"Your mindset is commendable."

Calandas turned to me, his hollow gaze unsettling as he spoke.

"A comrade who shares the same goal cannot be ignored. If our relationship improves, I’ll allow her to read a passage from the Necronomicon."
"That would be the highest honor," Charlotte replied, bowing deeply.

"She pleases me. Your lieutenant will accompany us."
"As you wish."

Well done, Charlotte.

Despite my nerves feeling like they’d been through a blender, things seemed to be going well.

For now, I just wanted to maintain this amicable atmosphere and see him off quickly.

The three of us continued walking down the empty corridor.

Charlotte followed behind us, bowing slightly like a loyal subordinate, while I walked side by side with Calandas, trying to mask my inner turmoil.

"As I mentioned, I’m here for two reasons. You may not know this, but within the Mugan Palaces, factions have formed."

Even with over 30,000 hours in the game, this was news to me.

Factions among the Mugan Palace bosses?

*Guess they have

their own internal politics.*

Thinking back, it made sense that I wouldn’t know everything.

"Soon, the boss of the Sixth-Ranked Palace will request an audience with you. Naturally, a faction has formed around her."

The Sixth-Ranked Palace?

Her name popped into my head immediately. How could it not, as a man?

The Palace of Lustful Screams.

The boss: Valentia Roscha.

A succubus queen who left many male gamers indebted to her charms—including me.

She was notorious for seducing players even through the screen, draining their energy with her allure.

Just that alone spoke volumes about her power.

"Do not trust that wretched woman. If you fall for her sweet words, you’ll face dire consequences. You may be undead, but caution is still advised."

From his words, it was clear her faction opposed the undead faction.

Had I still been alive, I might’ve fallen for her charms, but not in this body.

I nodded silently in acknowledgment.

"More importantly, I’d like you to join my faction."

…Suddenly, a recruitment pitch.