"Joining my faction isn't what I'm asking. We are the Lords of Mugan. Together, we would lead the subordinates under us."

Calandas began listing the dungeons under his faction.
Ranked 12th, 18th, and more—fifteen subordinate dungeons in total were under Calandas's command.

"The bosses of all those dungeons are undead. If you join us, it would be perfect, wouldn't it, my friend?"

Now I understood.
Why Calandas had called me "friend" so warmly from the start.

"If you strengthen our relationship, I'll allow you to read a paragraph from the Necronomicon."

Even the reason he mentioned this in front of Charlotte.
Everything had been part of his groundwork to pull me into his faction.
Looking back, this skeleton was as sly as they come.

"Sixteen undead bosses... yeah, it does kind of make sense for me to join."

Experience had taught me one thing: connections are the most important thing in any group.
Turning down such an exclusive undead network would be like volunteering to be an outcast.
If I accepted, I’d likely bond quickly with the others through shared undead camaraderie.
Having allies would bring peace of mind, and even if a Hero’s raid came, Calandas and his faction’s bosses would probably make a solid defense.

But I knew nothing about the political landscape of the Mugan Seven Palaces factions.
To accept without any knowledge? This wasn’t some casual group lunch poll—it was a decision that needed serious thought.
Accepting too easily would also make it seem like I was falling under Calandas's command, something I absolutely wanted to avoid.

"Let’s play this smart."

I decided to politely decline while leaving the door open.
That way, he’d stop trying so hard and leave faster.

"I’ll consider it positively."
"A wise decision."

It seemed Calandas had been hoping for exactly this kind of answer.
If I’d accepted or rejected outright, he might have been disappointed.
Accepting without knowing the context would have exposed me as empty-headed.
In other words, Calandas was both probing and testing me.
After all, having a sloppy boss alongside him would create problems.
I was glad I’d left room for ambiguity.

"By the way, this is remarkable. For a newborn dungeon, it’s flawless."

If he’d finished his business, couldn’t he just leave already?
But no, Calandas leisurely examined the area without a hint of urgency.

"I heard it was your lieutenant’s achievement. I dislike humans, but you’ve piqued my interest."
"You’re too kind."
"How about becoming a lich?"
"...."

There he went again, catching us off guard without warning.
Charlotte hesitated, her lips trembling slightly before she finally spoke.

"When the time comes for my body to fail, I will humbly accept."
"That is a wise decision. Whether it’s years or decades, come find me when you’re ready."

Calandas wasn’t just visually and spiritually repulsive.
Every word out of his mouth managed to make the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.
No wonder he only had undead as friends.

Just when I thought the conversation was over, he continued.

"My friend, I’ve heard of your feat—killing the Hero of Faith with a single strike. No effort needed, they say. I’m curious about the method, but more importantly, where is the Hero’s corpse?"

Charlotte flinched.

"Let me get straight to the point. May I take the Hero’s body?"
"The Hero?"
"In return, I’ll offer you tens of thousands of undead soldiers. You’re an irregular Death Knight, aren’t you? I’ll even prepare a skeletal steed befitting your status. If that’s not enough, how about a Bone Dragon? It’s from the Abyssal Ten, a tier above Heroes, so it’s guaranteed to be useful."

The trade didn’t add up.
A Bone Dragon was a named monster, more powerful than a Hero.
Calandas was willing to take a loss for this deal.

I could guess why he was so obsessed.
An undead Hero collection. For someone like Calandas, who despised humanity, turning the symbol of human hope into an undead servant was the ultimate dark hobby.
He wanted to unleash an undead Hero onto the world to strike despair into humanity.

"I’m honored by your generosity, but I already possess it, Your Grace."
"What do you mean?"
"I’m bound to the Hero through a soul link…."

Charlotte decided to cut to the chase and revealed Valmonk directly.
For a moment, Calandas stared at Charlotte in silence.

Undead familiars were soul-bound to their summoners.
This meant they served their summoners absolutely and couldn’t be transferred to others.

"No matter. A soul link is easily severed with my power."

That is, as long as the one trying wasn’t a Lich King.
Calandas alone had the ability to break a soul link.
No exaggeration—Charlotte had just narrowly avoided crossing the River Styx.
If Calandas couldn’t break the soul link, he’d likely have severed Charlotte’s soul instead.

"The condition seems fine. Hand over the Hero, and I promise even greater forces in return."

Charlotte hesitated, glancing at me for direction.
Did she think we co-owned Valmonk or something?
I nodded, hoping she’d understand that I wanted her to hand him over.

After a long stare, Charlotte nodded back.
I prayed she understood my intention.

"My apologies, but I cannot comply."
"What?"
"This undead is a gift from the Boss, who corrected my mistake. It holds deep significance beyond being a mere Hero. I sincerely wish to keep it."

We’re screwed.
Utterly and completely screwed.
What in the world did she think I meant with that nod? How did she twist it into this?

I was about to intervene when Calandas lowered his head.

"Hmm...."

A faint chuckle escaped through his teeth.
It grew louder and louder until it resonated through the cavern, a manic laughter shaking the very air.

Every nerve and instinct in me locked onto Calandas, reacting before I could even think.
If he moved even a fraction, we’d be killed like helpless kobolds.

"You have quite the amusing lieutenant at your side, my friend. Worry not. I will respect your position and no longer press the matter."

His unexpected response let me breathe a sigh of relief.
This wasn’t just a situation where my lifespan had been shortened—it was almost erased entirely.
If this kind of tightrope act keeps up, I won’t last long.
Once Calandas leaves, I’ll have to give Charlotte an earful. You crazy woman, I nearly died because of you!

"But," he continued, "I do have another request. There’s something else I desire besides the Hero."

He pointed with a bony finger to a specific spot.

"Turn this detestable human into a corpse. Do it yourself."

At first, I thought I had misheard.
But his finger pointed unmistakably at Charlotte.

"If you do, I’ll make her into a lich and put her to good use. Consider it an absolution of her sins."

Charlotte’s expression was far from her usual blank demeanor.
Her pupils quivered as if struck by an earthquake, and her lips trembled like a final, withering leaf.

"This human dared to challenge the authority of the Lich King. Naturally, she must pay the price.
If you carry it out yourself, I’ll give you tens of thousands of undead soldiers. No matter how competent a lieutenant she is, she can’t compare to an army.
Tell me, doesn’t that sound like an enticing offer?"
"...With my own hands."

If Calandas wanted her dead, Charlotte wouldn’t even realize she was gone.
But why he pushed this onto me, I couldn’t fathom.

"It would be most despairing to die by the hand of the one she respects above all. Look at her—shaking like a lamb led to slaughter."

Undead like Calandas thrived on human suffering and despair.
I, who was undead only in body, could never understand him.
Not that understanding mattered. All I wanted was to live.
If I refused to kill Charlotte, his hostility might shift entirely onto me.

A life-or-death duel between Mugan Palace bosses was no simple matter.
For a thousand years, none of us had killed each other.
But this wasn’t just any boss—it was Lich King Calandas.
The only reason he showed me respect was because I was undead, like him, despite being a lower-ranked boss in the hierarchy.

A low-ranking boss siding with a human instead of his kind? He wouldn’t let that slide.
If anything, the betrayal might make him more likely to kill me, precisely because I was undead.

Then again, he might not kill me.

As a fellow boss in the Seven Palaces, he might not risk the fallout of acting on mere emotion.
But on the other hand, why would he gamble on sparing me just to save Charlotte?

"You told me to kill my lieutenant."

Decision made, I approached Charlotte.

She had already resigned herself, eyes tightly shut.
She must have realized it, too—sacrificing herself for me was the right thing to do.
And honestly, I agreed.
Refusing might get me killed. Why risk my life for Charlotte?

"I can’t do it."

But I couldn’t kill her.
Everything Charlotte had done was for me.
Killing such a loyal subordinate, one who had given her all for me?
It wasn’t just difficult—it was impossible.

In one corner of my vision stood Calandas, his glowing blue eyes radiating malice.
In another, Charlotte, wearing an expression I’d never seen before.
Her level indicator’s color was shifting, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

"My friend, is this truly your decision?"
"It is."
"You’ve willingly walked toward ruin. Have no regrets?"
"None at all."

This wasn’t a reckless declaration.
In his mind, I was still a boss of the Mugan Seven Palaces. Lower-ranked, yes, but equal in title nonetheless.

The ground began to tremble, and rotting hands burst forth from every direction.
An ominous energy filled the cavern, accompanied by the groans of the dead.
At a glance, there were easily thousands of them.
In an instant, Calandas had summoned an army.

The suffocating presence of the undead surrounded us, filling every corner of the cavern.
Everywhere I looked, I saw the glowing red levels of hostile intent—pure murderous rage.

"It’s a shame we must reshuffle the Seven Palaces once more."

Even Calandas’s level indicator had turned a deep crimson.
He had already resolved to kill me.

I always prepare for the worst-case scenario.
And here it was. At least it wasn’t something I hadn’t anticipated.

"I feel the same way. The disappearance of the Fifth Palace will cause quite the ripple, don’t you think?"
"One of us must die."

If I showed weakness, I’d die.
I had to make him understand the cost of a fight with me—make him feel the real threat of death.
Undead or not, even Calandas could hesitate in the face of true risk.

This was no bluff; it was calculated posturing, a gamble with my life on the line.
Being undead gave me a perfect poker face. Now, I just had to back it up with action.

I locked my gaze on Calandas’s hand—or more precisely, the ring on his bony finger.

[Eternal Bone Ring (S+)]
[Enhancement Success Rate: 2%]
[Warning! Failure will result in destruction!]
[Cooldown resets upon failure.]
[Enhance Eternal Bone Ring (S+)?]
[YES/NO]

It might be crossing a line.
If Calandas reacted instinctively, without thinking, I’d be dead.
But if I’m rolling the dice, I always bet on a six.
If it worked, I’d end up above him, standing on his head.

"You asked how I killed the Hero in one strike."

—!

In an instant, a crackling sound erupted from Calandas’s hand like fireworks.
He glanced at his hand, only to find it empty where the bone ring had been.
It took him a moment to process, but then his gaze snapped to me.

His level indicator shifted from crimson to orange.
From killing intent to caution—caution, the emotion of the weak toward the strong.
The shift in momentum was mine.

"I can kill a boss of the Seven Palaces, too. Next time, it’ll be your head."

Feigning indifference, I tilted my chin at him.
Come at me, coward. I’m not scared.