The Darkin mountain range was a massive place in the Darknar Region, spanning over 10,000 miles in length. The place contained tens of thousands of mountains and hills even though most of those hills and even some mountains were actually mountain golems in their almost constant state of rest.

With how sparse the mines and caves in this place were, the girls would find it difficult to map the entirety of the mountain range even with their maximum movement speed. Moreover, they would be unable to move freely in this place as even attracting the attention of a single mountain golem would set them back by a full day.

The golems were indeed the most troublesome monster to face in the Darknar region as their complete immunity to magic below the level of a demigod made them almost impossible to kill. They also had high physical resistance and various other insane resistances, making them the perfect tank monsters.

As both girls were mainly magic users, their only option was to flee when faced with a Mountain golem. However, that was also a very dangerous option as the loud movements of a single mountain golem would awaken several and even the Silver wyverns would be attracted by the noise and they would be surrounded before they could escape far.

Such limitations would’ve sure hampered their mission if it hadn’t turned out that the two trolls that had evolved from cave trolls, then Gray-War Trolls, to both Berserker Troll and a Battle Troll — Kazko and Rekaz— could sense when a mountain golem was near and could tell the difference between a mountain golem and an actual mountain. This was why Tyler had sent them here with Azar, to begin with, and right now, Kazko would be responsible for guiding the girls throughout the mountain range for the next few days.

While Azar and Rekaz would lead the rest of the trolls deeper into the mountains to farm wood for the cabin they were building. Liz and Rain prepared to leave at the break of dawn. While Rain had an interest in capturing some Silver wyverns as pets and for Tyler, she knew the mission came first and thus, remained focused.

After leaving the clearing, they moved with Kazko through the western parts of the mountains as they magically mapped out the place. There were several spells that could help with making maps although most of them were Tier 4 spells and above so the common folks wouldn’t be able to use them. Hence why this method wasn’t yet widespread.

Liz held a large parchment in her hands, she could mentally map out the place but without the spell ‘Thoughtography’, which was a Tier 5 spell that neither of them could use— she would be unable to transfer the image in her mind into any parchment so she had to use a spell that would help her create details in the map based on the information in her mind.

The spell was called ‘cartographic’ and it was a 4th Tier spell but it wasn’t as hard to learn as other Tier 4 spells. Their group of three moved silently with the aid of the silence spell and were able to avoid several dangerous paths and encounters but still came across monsters like Iron Cobras, Infant Wyverns, and earthworms but since they usually appeared on their own, Rain would easily be able to take them out quickly without causing much commotion.

“This is so boring. I’d kill for some excitement right now.”

Rain said as she skated a Giant Scorpion and stored its corpse. They had spent more than three hours repeating this process over and over again and she was already bored out of her mind. However, be it coincidence or fate, something suddenly happened the moment she had finished her sentence.

They had just fallen into a trap.

“Somehow, I blame you for this Rain.”

“Hehe…”

••••••••••

••••••••••

—Two Nights ago,

—In the Darknar Forest western region.

A man— clad in a silver fur coat, black pants, and black boots with silver stripes designing it— moved through the forest. He had short brown hair, black thin eyes, and a pale skin tone and looked quite young as though he was only in his late teens. He walked leisurely through the dangerous forest as though it was his backyard and yet none of the monsters walked by bothered to even spare him a thought.

As he strolled through the forest, he soon happened upon a large opening underneath a steep hill surrounded by dense vegetation.

Walking in his usual tone and strides as though he had no care in the world, he approached the two hulking figures that stood by either side of the cave’s entrance. Normally they would attack anyone that dared come close to them without warning but this time they did not move an inch.

The man walked by them and their reaction did not change as though they had not even noticed him. He made his way into the cave and the same thing repeated itself over and over again as all the monsters that moved or worked in the cave paid him no heed as though he wasn’t there.

He whistled as he casually trolled about in the labyrinth and just like that, he made his way to the main chambers in the cave and casually swung the doors open. There was an undead creature that sat atop a stone throne with a single orb in his right bony hand as he carefully inspected it.

The moment the doors to the room were swung open, Zerahut’s eyes burned in their usual flames as he glanced at the door in front of him but saw nothing there. The doors had merely swung of their own accord and closed themselves. However, unlike everyone else, Zerahut did not believe that the wind could move such a heavy pair of doors, and thus, he expanded his senses. He could sense something, it was a vague presence standing before him.

“I know you’re there. I can feel your presence.”

“Kukukuku… how amusing. At the very least you’re not as useless as the rest of your army. I’m glad you haven’t yet lost your intellect, Adelt Wilderbelt.”

Zeruhut had a skull for a face so his expression did not change but one could tell that the flames in each of his eye sockets flicked a bit before stabilizing on the man that had just appeared before him. The appearance of a sudden intruder shocked the Doom knights that stood beside him and they immediately drew their weapons and was about to attack when Zerahut suddenly raised an arm for them to stop,

“How do you know that name?”

“Does it matter? All that matters is that I do and I can also help you achieve your goal.”

“What do you know about my goals mortal.”

“Well, it’s not really a secret that you’re like this because you failed. What’s the point of being immortal and powerful if you’re just going to be trapped underground for the rest of your days.”

“That will soon end as the Darknar forest will soon be mine.”

“Interesting. But why stop at just the forest when the entire region is yet to be occupied.”

“Do you take me a fool?”

“Of course not. I’m sure you’re wary about the retaliation of the Great Five for such a move.”

“I fear nothing.”

“As should be the case. I’m aware you plan to try your hands on the advancement ritual again but have lost the essence of the last? How bout we make a deal.”

“And what kind of deal can a mortal offer.”

“You help me take the Darknar region and I’ll let you keep the forest as well as retrieve your ritual essence for you. You also don’t have to worry about the Great Five, once I have the castle, there will be nothing they can do to stop us.”

“And why should I trust you. How can I even be sure you’re as capable as you claim.”

“Wanna test me?”

The moment those words left his mouth, the Doom Knights moved. They lunged at the man with an insane speed that most would not be able to keep up with. However, he only smiled as he jumped backward. Both doom knights slammed their weapons into the ground he had been standing on and stood up to continue their attack.

An intense crimson aura soon enveloped their long swords as they swung it at the man and a burst of the crimson aura gusted at him in an almost all-encompassing manner.

•Doom Blast•

The man’s eyes seemed to glow for a moment but in the next moment, he quickly got out of the way of their skill. The Doom knights turned their heads and were about to use another skill when the man suddenly spoke.

“Nah, that was enough.”

An illusionary book that floated in the air had appeared in front of him at some point in time and the magic magically opened to a blank page as it rapidly wrote something without the use of a quil until and almost as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The man smiled and spoke again. “Recorded”

With a wave of his bare hands, a wave of crimson energy similar to the Doom knights Doom Blast but twice the size and strength of the attack blasted them away. The force was so powerful that it almost ripped the undead knights apart in a single hit.

“Is that enough? or do you want to show me something interesting yourself.”

Zerahut raised his arm to stop the Doom knights from moving and then addressed the man that was smiling at him.

“That’s fine. I have no intentions of letting you copy any of my skills. As for your proposal, I’m afraid it’s impossible.”

“Why so?”

“I currently don’t have the forces to take over the entire region. Even the east of the forest would be a task. And there has been certain unexpected interference.”

“Oh that… You don’t have to worry about it, I can provide you with enough corpses to get more than 20,000 in your forces, and as I recalled. You made an offer to the Lamia Queen and are yet to receive a reply right? I can guarantee her aid in this as well.”

Zerahut eyes flickered. He gazed at the orb in his hand and then back to the young man who was still smiling at him and spoke.

“Alright I accept. However, I need you to answer me this first.”

“And what is that.”

“Why do you want to go against the great five? With your strength, you could join one of them as a behemoth and attain all the wealth and richest you could possibly want. Why risk this.”

“Behemoth. Huh, I was once called that when I ruled over a small region at the far end of the continent for a while. That place was disgusting. No. I wasn’t born into this world to be sidelined into the corner by mere demons. I was born to rule the world and my first step is becoming the next demon king.”

“Born to rule uh. I used to think that way as well. Look at what happened to me.”

At Zerahut’s words, the man snorted. “Please don’t compare me to you. I’m not foolish enough to perform an untested ritual on myself. I wield the knowledge of two words. This is my reason for being reborn.”

“Reborn?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Saying that the man stretched out his right hand. He wore several rings on them but one stood out the most. It had the design of a spatial storage ring and as he pulled out two small boxes from thin air, Zerahut’s hunch was confirmed.

“Here, there are 10,000 corpses of Demihuman in each of them. I know you have over a thousand bodies already so this is more than enough for just this uninhabited region. We can slowly increase the numbers as we attack more cities and expand our forces,”

Zerahut waved an arm and the boxes flew towards him. He did not say another word as the man turned around to leave. However, as he got to the door, he slowly turned around and issued a warning.

“Oh and, don’t try to betray me. If you do. Not even a million undead will save you so don’t let my gift go to your head.”

His eyes were sharp and cold as he said that and even the undead Doom knights felt intimidated by his aura as he closed the large doors behind him like they weighed nothing.

Meet citrus after meeting Zerahut