Fire Mage

I can finally focus on growing stronger again, he thought, his gaze settling on a wobbling baby skeleton.

"Tsk. Most of them will die fighting the High Palace and be reborn again," he muttered, watching it fall face-first into the dirt. He had witnessed countless undead suffer through hundreds of deaths, some disappearing completely.

"This world truly is strange," he sighed. "If Lord Ledger hadn't helped me, I'd be no different."

He genuinely owed his life to Rhea's ancestor.

But I've already lost so much. I can't feel touch, pain, or even taste anything anymore. It was the price of eternal life in this realm.

Still, Titus knew better.

The longer a soul remains in the Underworld, the more it loses memories, emotions, and everything. Only high-ranking undead can retain their sanity for long. Had he not advanced in power, even he might've faded into a hollow shell.

As he watched the newborns shuffle along, a sudden chill crept up his spine. He turned his skull slowly.

A ghostly silhouette shimmered behind him, growing more visible by the second.

In two breaths, a pale-faced woman materialized. She stood about 170cm tall, her black hair trailing down her back. A curved dagger rested at her waist. But what drew Titus's attention were her eyes—pitch black, cold, and unreadable. Her mouth was lined with sharp teeth, and a strange gem glowed on her chest.

A high-ranking Ghoul Queen… and the ruler of this city.

A thousand years ago, she pledged herself to Sir Ledger and remains his loyal servant.

Ghouls were rare, born of resentment and hatred. Neither living nor dead, they resisted mental attacks and could traverse both the astral and physical realms with ease. Melisa had ascended to the realm of Arch-Lich and could summon thousands of undead in an instant. Her ability to peer into the future was also unparalleled.

Even Charles wouldn't last three seconds against her in a one-on-one fight. The gap between Rank-6 and Rank-7 was immeasurable.

As Titus watched her in awe, she bared her jagged teeth and spoke in a dry, raspy voice.

"You've done your job well, Titus. It's time to meet Lord Ledger."

Her words made his eyes flicker with surprise.

"You'll depart for the Fallen Throne City with your legion after three moons."

"F–Finally!" Titus's voice trembled with suppressed excitement. Since the day Ledger found him wandering the undead wastes, he had never seen the man again, only receiving instructions through Melisa.

Yet that stranger had given him sanctuary and power. He had even helped him reunite with his sister and friends.

He might have his own motives... but I don't care. Without him, I'd still be a wandering husk.

Thanks to that support, he had risen to Rank-6 and commanded an undead legion of his own.

"I have so many questions for him," Titus murmured, staring into the cloudy, starless sky.

He turned to ask, "Do you have any other orders?"

But the Ghoul Queen had already vanished.

"…I didn't sense a single ripple in space." The gap in strength was obvious.

"I still have a long way to go," he muttered, turning his gaze back to the river.

…

Fallen Throne City, Dragonbones Domain

A sprawling undead city with tens of millions of inhabitants. It covered a territory of over 75,000 square kilometers.

At its heart stood a colossal palace of crystal and white stone. Guarding it were elite undead forces: Death Knights, Archers, Liches, Death Mages, and Corpse Knights. They patrolled in shifts, watching every inch with undead vigilance.

Suddenly, Ghoul Queen Melisa appeared in the sky, hovering a hundred meters above the palace, drawing the attention of every guard nearby.

But the moment they recognized her, they lowered their skulls in respect and returned to their posts.

Melisa descended through the bone gate and walked along a long, dim corridor before stopping at the entrance to the throne hall.

Channeling her wisdom power, she made her presence known.

"I seek an audience, Your Majesty!"

"Enter," came a booming voice from within, followed by a ripple of invisible power.

The doors creaked open, revealing a massive hall. At the far end sat a throne made of bones and blades.

But Melisa's eyes locked onto the man seated there.

Not a skeleton, but a living human.

He appeared in his early forties, with blood-red eyes, crimson hair, and pale skin. He wore a pitch-black robe and a crown inlaid with blood-red gems.

Melisa dropped to one knee.

"Your servant greets the Lord of Blood and Moon."

The crimson-haired man leaned against the armrest and asked lazily, "How are the preparations?"

"Everything proceeds as planned, My Lord. Titus has delivered the Project Key to your descendant."

"Good. Inform the other Knights to prepare for the Planar War. We must weaken the Will to its limit before we begin."

"Yes, My Lord." Melisa bowed again and rose to her feet.

"You may go now. I will be in isolation for the next two decades. Take care of all the matters on your own until then," the man said, waving his hand.

Meanwhile, Melisa nodded, turned around, and quietly left the throne hall.

…

Knights Quarters, Life Church backyard, Long Avenue, Iron City, Iron Kingdom

Around 9 P.M.

A young woman of about twenty lay on a wooden cot inside an isolated 10x10-foot room, lost deep in thought. Her blonde hair flowed over the pillow, framing a delicate heart-shaped face and piercing crimson eyes. She wore a loose gown and seemed ready for sleep.

But after ten minutes, sleep refused to come.

"Haa... I keep thinking about what happened in Riverdale. Dad, why did you leave me alone?" Tears welled up and trickled down from the corners of her eyes.

Mary had been in the Iron Kingdom for some time, hunting for her father's killer, yet all she'd uncovered were scraps of information.

"His name's Charles Nightwind. He used to know Dad and was a student of an ancient mage. Now he's the Tower Master at the Rebirth Magic Tower. But why would he resurface after decades just to kill Dad?"

What burned her most was the silence from the Life Church.

I came here hoping to confront him face-to-face, to get answers. But I can't even approach the Rebirth Tower—the Life Church blocks me at every turn.

She remembered how they'd treated her father, even putting him under house arrest.

It all started with that house on Elm Street. When I go back to Riverdale, I need to dig into that.

Though she had lived there with her father for over twenty years, she knew the house was a prison, not a home.

Suddenly, a faint hissing sound from above snapped her out of her thoughts. Her face stiffened as she sat up.

"What is that?"

She slowly raised her gaze and spotted a two-meter-long black snake hanging from the ceiling light. Its gem-like dark blue eyes fixed on her as it slithered half its body through the air, sending chills down her spine.

"Snake?" Panic fluttered inside her. She sprang toward a nearby drawer, pulled out a longsword, and unsheathed it. Just as she prepared to strike, her body froze.

No. She couldn't move at all.

The snake slithered down, landing gently on the bed where she had been lying. It raised its head and flicked its tongue before opening its mouth.

"Hmm, I smell the presence of my home within you. Let me see your memories." A girlish voice echoed from the snake's mouth, shocking Mary.

"A-A talking snake?" She gripped the sword's hilt tightly.

The snake's dark eyes locked onto hers, and slowly it began to peer into her mind.

"Interesting." The snake's tone held surprise as it withdrew memories like pages from a book.

"Do you want to know the truth about your father's death?" it asked.

"H-How do you know that?" Mary's heart pounded. The whole scene felt surreal.

"The answer lies buried in the past. Find your father's history, and the truth will come to light."

In a blink, the snake turned transparent and vanished.

At once, the icy paralysis in her limbs melted away, and she gasped for breath.

"Huff, huff..." Mary panted, about to rise toward the bed, then suddenly collapsed forward.

She hit the concrete floor hard, pain flaring sharply in her head.

The next moment, she gasped again, her eyes snapping open. She was lying on the bed.

"T-That was a dream?" Mary swallowed hard, glancing up at the ceiling. The eerie snake was gone, but its words echoed in her mind.

That snake was right. I need to look into Dad's past.

Yet, there was no way to get answers from the Life Church.

Wait... Why am I even thinking about searching their records? If I get help from a [Historian] Class Mystic at the Archaeological Department in Riverdale, it'll be easier to uncover the truth.

Mary settled back onto the bed, resolve settling in her bones.

I'll rest for now. Tomorrow morning, I'll leave the Iron Kingdom.