“You can go,” Alex said with a slight smile, “I appreciate the help.”
Volks gave a nod, not saying a word, before flapping his eight wings.
With a single, powerful motion, he took off, disappearing into the sky as he left the [Angel Bloodline Temple].
And just like that, Alex was alone again.
He exhaled, looking up at the crown above his head, which had absorbed the crucifix.
“Well… I should head to Undead Land now that I have this.”
It had been a long time since he’d been there, since the very beginning of his journey, back when Alphox had just hatched.
Back then, he was weak, barely grasping the dangers of this world.
He had been in it for around 10 years thanks to his past life, but even then, he never truly understood how powerful these beings had been.
If he did know, though, well he would have surely fallen into despair, since no human could actually fight back against the gods.
But it didn’t matter, since now he was returning, not as a visitor, but as an executioner.
The [Undead Lord] wasn’t originally on his Elimination List.
Much like the [Undead King], he had no interest in destroying humanity.
His only goal was the prosperity of Undead Land, a safe haven for the dead.
In truth, Alex had no real grudge against him.
But he still needed to die.
Because Lich, the Necromancer, the monster second only to the gods in Alex’s list of ultimate threats, was going to get to him otherwise.
In his past life, Lich was powerful on his own.
But when he managed to enslave both the [Undead King] and the [Undead Lord], he became something else entirely.
Those two, both rulers of undeath, granted him absurd power.
And once that happened, Lich’s armies grew into a true catastrophe, millions of undead of different types, swarming over cities, wiping out entire civilizations.
And Alex was not about to let history repeat itself.
He already had [Astolf], the [Undead King], under his command.
That was one crucial piece taken away from Lich.
But the [Undead Lord] was still in Undead Land, waiting.
And now, with the [Annihilation Crucifix] in hand, Alex was going to make sure he never fell into the Necromancer’s hands.
His [Ultimate Nemeses] list remained unchanged.
[1. The Gods]
[2. Lich, The Necromancer]
[3. The Hatred Demon]
The gods came first, obviously.
They were the final threat, the true rulers of destruction in this world.
But Lich came second for a reason.
Because while the gods had yet to descend, he was already here.
And unlike the gods, Lich had no plans to wait.
He didn’t need the [Chosen Games] or permission to unleash hell on humanity.
Even though Kaelios had said that the [Chosen Games] would slow down the descent of the gods and monsters, that didn’t mean Lich couldn’t start his own war.
If Alex let him roam freely, millions of people would die before the final battle even began.
That was why this mission was so important.
He had a month and 23 days left before the final event of [Universal Descent].
He couldn’t afford to waste a single second.
Opening his [World Map], he found Undead Land and selected it.
His finger hovered over the teleport button, ready to confirm.
But right as he was about to do it—
“Wait.”
A voice rang in his mind.
The [Primordial Darkness Dragon] had been silent for a while, watching from the sidelines as Alex moved.
But now, he finally spoke up.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Why? I need to get rid of him before Lich does.”
Alphox sighed.
“Astolf is dead, remember? It’s going to take around five to six more days before he revives.”
“Oh.”
Right.
Astolf, the [Undead King], had died in the Abyss.
He had helped Alex by holding off [Lorien, The Chosen One of the Abyss], giving him enough time to fight [Varyn] one-on-one and finally unleash [World Cleaver].
But in the process, Astolf had lost his own battle.
It wasn’t permanent, though.
Undead creatures had the advantage of revival, and since Alex had completely wiped out the Abyss, its god, its Chosen One, and everything in between, there was no risk of corruption.
Astolf would revive in about five days.
“So?” Alex asked.
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait for the [Undead King] before going after the [Undead Lord]?” Alphox questioned.
“That would be true under normal circumstances,” Alex admitted, “But I can’t afford to waste time.”
Waiting for five to six days just so Astolf could be present was too slow.
Alex could handle this alone.
Once it was done, he could simply inform Astolf about it later.
“Besides,” Alex continued, crossing his arms, “what if Lich shows up while we’re waiting and takes him before we act?”
“That would be the worst-case scenario.”
He had reason to be paranoid.
In his past life, by the time the gods descended, the moment the timer hit zero, Lich had already obtained both the [Undead King] and [Undead Lord].
That was what made him unstoppable.
Alex wasn’t going to let that happen.
This was a race against time.
And the more he delayed, the higher the chances of history repeating itself.
He confirmed the teleportation.
A flash of blue light enveloped him.
And the next second… Undead Land.
As soon as Alex arrived, his feet touched cracked, barren earth.
The land was exactly as he remembered.
Skeletal trees stretched toward the dark sky, their branches twisted and broken.
The air was heavy, filled with the scent of decay, but Alex barely noticed.
This place had once made him nervous.
Now, it was just another battlefield.
In the distance, looming like a specter from the past, was [Undead Castle].
His target.
Without wasting a moment, Alex flared his wings, two dragon wings, two angelic, and launched forward.
Rather than running, he used his wings to hover just above the ground, maximizing his speed.
He moved in a straight line, weaving through trees and obstacles without slowing down.
Minutes passed in a blur.
And before long, he was standing before the massive gates of [Undead Castle].
But something felt wrong.
‘No guards?’ He narrowed his eyes.
Last time he was here, two massive [Level 150 Skeleton Guards] had been stationed at the entrance, ensuring that no one entered without permission.
They hadn’t been strong compared to him now, but they were still a part of the castle’s security.
But now… nothing.
A bad feeling settled in his chest.
“Shit.”
Without hesitating, Alex shot forward toward the castle’s entrance.
It was closed.
His eyes locked onto the heavy double doors ahead, and with a quick calculation, he adjusted his approach.
Mid-flight, he twisted his body, shifting into a powerful kick position, his leg blazing with aura.
And with all his momentum—
FWOOSH! BAM!
His foot slammed into the doors, shattering them instantly.
The impact sent debris flying, the echoes of the destruction bouncing through the empty halls.
Alex exhaled.
“Here goes,” he muttered, stepping inside.
His gaze swept across the dark interior, his senses sharpening.
Something was wrong.
The castle was too quiet.
There was no welcoming committee of undead.
No presence of the [Undead Lord] announcing himself.
Nothing.
Alex clenched his fists.
“Where are you… [Undead Lord]?”
Something had changed since the last time he was here.
And he didn’t like it.