Marked for death? Common enemy? Aurie had no idea what the Death Emperor was referring to in an exact sense; however, she did realize that the “aura” around Izroth was bizarre.
Aurie could not pinpoint why this was, but she understood that Izroth possessed some secrets of his own.
Even if she was a Commander of the War Brigade, the General Support Unit was a separate war branch; therefore, ordering Izroth to disclose the information to her was out of the question.
Of course, in the end, Aurie was aware of what lines should and should not be crossed regardless of her rank. If she began to order others to reveal every secret they held, would there be anyone left who wanted to serve under her command?
Not to mention, Aurie understood more than anyone what it was like to have secrets you wanted to keep to yourself.
“An enemy of my enemy is not a friend of mine by default. I’m afraid to become my friend is no simple task. To be blunt, it’s a price you cannot afford.” Izroth said calmly.
Aurie’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she heard Izroth’s reply. She knew he was a wild individual at heart—someone not afraid to speak freely. However, this situation was different. Not only were they technically not in the Mortal Realm any longer, but they were in the presence of a peak legendary figure!
Someone like Zarolas could not compare to the Death Emperor, and she was uncertain if even her Dream Domain was enough to restrain him. If Izroth accidentally invoked the Death Emperor’s wrath, they would not have to worry about finding an exit to the Minor Realm. This graveyard would be their resting place!
“Oh? A price I, the Death Emperor, cannot afford? Kid, you overestimate your worth.” The Death Emperor stated coldly as the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees. It was to the point one could see their own breath due to the cold atmosphere.
“Say what you will. Either way, I will do what must be done with my own hands. Besides, what help can the defeated possibly offer me? I believe you are mistaken about something. It is not I who overestimates my worth, but you who overestimates yours.” Izroth said indifferently without mincing his words.
“Audacious! You dare to say this emperor is overestimating themselves?! Brat, I’ve been generous up until now, but you’ve forced my hand! Your arrogance will be the cause of your downfall!” The Death Emperor roared as his voice reverberated throughout the boundless graveyard.
At the same time, the atmosphere became heavier around Izroth and Aurie as they felt a tremendous force descend upon them.
Aurie inwardly frowned. It seemed that Izroth was intentionally trying to anger the Death Emperor. But, to what end? Could her initial intuition about Izroth have been wrong? Was he just another overconfident youth who believed themselves to stand above all else by merely existing?
“No, even if Captain Izroth is somewhat outspoken at times, he is not an egotistical fool. He must be up to something, but just what is he planning?” Aurie internalized.
While Aurie tried to understand Izroth’s intent, the person in question remained calm despite the sudden increase in pressure from the Death Emperor. A couple of seconds later, a carefree smile found its way onto Izroth face.
Izroth walked up to the black tombstone and said, “Are you done with this show yet?”
Woosh! Bang!
All of a sudden, Izroth kicked the black tombstone, causing it to tremble. The instant he performed this action, the pressure around him and Aurie dissipated as the graveyard’s temperature returned to normal.
“BRAT YOU DARE KICK MY TOMBSTONE, I’LL-” The Death Emperor bellowed; however before he could finish his sentence, Izroth launched another kick at his tombstone. And another, and another…
Several kicks later, the Death Emperor fell silent.
Meanwhile, Aurie was lost for words. Just earlier, she spoke about not being surprised by Izroth’s actions anymore; however, what was this? He kicked the tombstone of a peak legendary figure like the Death Emperor and even declared that he overvalued himself! That was the Death Emperor, for crying out loud—an individual who once stood at the pinnacle of the Nether Realm! Yet, he was silenced with just a few kicks! If Aurie were not here to see it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it!
“Are you ready to speak honestly? Or… Well, I don’t necessarily mind temporarily becoming a gravedigger.” Izroth asserted.
“To think the day would come when I’m being looked down on like this…! No wonder this kid has so many enemies out to kill him—he’s insane…!” The Death Emperor grumbled. In all his years, he had never met a more crazy person than the one before him now!
“Still… He’s not just some wet behind the ears brat. When did the human race gain such a little monster?” The Death Emperor thought to himself.
Izroth was not merely acting recklessly. In truth, with his present strength, he knew that it was next to impossible for him to defeat someone in the legendary realm, let alone one who stood at the very peak of it.
Although he defeated Zarolas, Izroth was aware that he could not claim this credit alone. Without Aurie’s Dream Domain, if he directly confronted the Antumbra Night Lord in a head-on fight, his defeat was all but guaranteed.
But, when it came to the Death Emperor, Izroth quickly discovered that they were a unique case using his Energy Vision Sense.
‘It’s a good thing I noticed “that” in the beginning. Otherwise, we may have really been fooled by his theatrics.’
To put it in simple terms, the Death Emperor was dying. The reason the death energy around his grave was so strong did not have to do with him absorbing what was in the atmosphere of the boundless graveyard, but rather with it uncontrollably flowing out from his body.
Typically, one would easily overlook this detail as not only was it well hidden by the Death Emperor using the natural death energy in the environment, but when faced with the pressure of a peak legendary figure, most would immediately retreat or obediently submit.
As for how Aurie missed this detail, Izroth gathered it had something to do with how her detection-type skill differed in terms of depth from his Energy Vision Sense. In addition, Izroth had some previous encounters with creatures of the Netherworld, which was not a common occurrence in the Mortal Realm. He witnessed “healthy” creatures of the Netherworld before, and so, it was not difficult to differentiate between that and the Death Emperor’s miserable state with the aid of his Energy Vision Sense.
Unless the Death Emperor wanted to hasten his death and sacrifice his life to teach them a lesson, he was restricted to employing intimidation tactics. But, would someone as prideful as the Death Emperor allow his life to be traded for those who had not even stepped into the legendary realm? Such a disgrace would never be erased from his mind even if he died a thousand times over, and Izroth was conscious of this glaring flaw in the Death Emperor’s personality after listening to Aurie’s story.
Izroth also did not kick the black tombstone to express his anger or disrespect towards the Death Emperor. Instead, he was striking specific areas of its surface as it drew in bits of his mana and slowed down the death energy leaking from the Death Emperor.
The black tombstone was directly linked with the Death Emperor, and while it resembled an ordinary tombstone, excluding its color, it was made up of complex layers of magic sequences.
If Izroth’s goal were to destroy it, then the effort required would be immense. However, applying a few quick fixes did not pose a problem. Of course, this was not done out of the kindness of his heart. Nor was it to curry favor with the Death Emperor.
Izroth’s intentions were simple. He wanted the Death Emperor to know clearly that it was not he who needed them, but them who needed him!
Once the Death Emperor realized what Izroth was doing, he could only grumble away his complaints. He did not know how Izroth managed to repair some of the magic sequences on his tombstone, but if he were able to convince them to completely restore his tombstone, then perhaps he could finally escape this wretched place and claim his long-awaited revenge!
However, just the thought of groveling before some human brat to ask for their assistance was enough to madden the Death Emperor. But, dangling a carrot in the face of a starving horse—even the most stubborn of steeds would bite.
Those who tasted power were never truly prepared to embrace death, and the Death Emperor was no exception, especially with the score he still had left to settle. How could he pass on in peace?
“…Name your price. As long as you repair my tombstone, I won’t bargain.” The Death Emperor stated solemnly.
“My price? Very well. It just so happens I’m in need of a servant,” Izroth said as he held up one finger.
“One hundred years. If you agree to serve me for that amount of time, I will repair your tombstone.” Izroth stated with a carefree smile.
He then continued, “You may not be immortal, but one hundred years for you should be a drop in the bucket compared to your actual lifespan. This trade—I fear I’m the one suffering a loss.” Izroth sighed.
“W-!” At that moment, the Death Emperor wanted to strangle Izroth to death! Loss? Loss your head! If anything, he was the one suffering a loss! Why did this brat make it sound like he was somehow scamming them?!
