As the massive gates of the [Undead Castle] creaked open, Alex felt a cold wave of dread wash over him.
The [Undead King] had intervened, granting him access to the castle, but that didn't make him feel any safer.
He was still a level 33 player in an area meant for level 100–250 powerhouses.
One wrong move, and he could end up back at the spawn point, and as the guards informed him, they wouldn't let him pass a second time.
With his respawn point set here, and the game limit removed, he could be in here for months if not years.
The two towering guards stepped aside, glaring at him with disdain as they gestured for him to enter.
Alex took a deep breath, steeling himself.
He didn't have a choice.
The only way out was forward.
"Great," Alex muttered under his breath, his steps hesitant as he crossed the threshold into the castle courtyard.
The courtyard was normal, but with a fountain in the middle that let out some black liquid.
Alex didn't even want to know what was inside.
The moment he stepped inside the castle, he could feel the oppressive atmosphere—the very air seemed thick with malevolent energy.
Shadows moved across the ancient stone walls as if they had lives of their own, and the distant echo of clattering bones and eerie whispers filled the space.
"Any bright ideas, Alphox?" Alex grumbled, glancing at the pet panel, half expecting the dragon to mock him again.
But Alphox remained silent, probably content to sit back and watch Alex struggle.
"Of course you're quiet now," Alex sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, I guess it's just me and my bony friends."
His 10 [Undead Skeletons] shuffled along behind him, their doubled stats providing some comfort, though he knew it wouldn't be enough if something serious came his way.
The weakest undead here could wipe the floor with them.
As Alex moved deeper into the castle, he noticed something odd—despite the haunting atmosphere, the path was strangely... empty.
No guards, no monsters.
Nothing stirred in the shadows except his own imagination.
It was unsettling.
"I don't like this," Alex muttered under his breath.
He glanced around, gripping his staff a little tighter.
The feeling of being watched was overwhelming.
He was walking into the heart of enemy territory, yet everything felt... too quiet.
He approached a long, arched corridor leading into the throne room.
Massive stone pillars lined the hall, and above him, chandeliers made of bones hung precariously, casting faint, eerie glows across the space.
Suddenly, a low, ominous voice echoed through the hall, causing Alex to freeze in his tracks.
The [Undead King] chuckled. "I don't return to bow before you. I return to reclaim what is mine."
The [Undead Lord]'s fiery gaze shifted back to Alex. "So this is your pawn, King? A lowly human?"
"Well, no," Alex was the one to speak, "He is contracted with me, I'm his master."
"HAHAHA-" the Lord laughed, "How embarrassing!"
"..."
"Perhaps," the [Undead King] responded smoothly. "But we both know that I am the rightful ruler of this land. And while I may not have the power to take it back just yet... I will."
While inside of Alex's [Contract Space], the king had managed to regain some of his strength, reaching level 100, which equals to the fourth tier.
Alex's stomach churned.
This was going south fast.
He needed to find a way out of this, but there was no way he could intervene in a power struggle between two undead titans.
Suddenly, the [Undead Lord] pointed his dark blade at Alex. "And what of you, mortal? Why should I let you live, when your very presence offends me?"
Alex's heart raced. Think. Think fast.
"Because..." he began, scrambling for words, "I can help you."
The [Undead Lord] raised a bony brow. "Help me? You, a speck of dust in my kingdom?"
"Yes," Alex said, his voice determined, "I have something no one else here has—information"
Alex was about to use everything he knew from his past life.
He hadn't spoken to any undead, but he clearly remembered that he and his companions had fought an army of them.
The Undead Lord had been a part of this army.
And the one controlling them all was the strongest Necromancer in all of 'Universal Descent'.
Which they didn't even manage to kill in Alex's previous life because of his sheer power.
"Lich, The Necromancer," Alex suddenly spoke, looking at the lord.
"...!" and the skeleton's hollow eyes widened.
"...?" Even the [Undead King] seemed surprised.
Lich was a taboo name in the undead world.
Just think about it, for undead monsters, using necromancy is basically like slavery, so no wonder they hate it.
That is also the reason why the [Undead King] was banished from here: he became corrupt and started using [Necromancy].
He did summon thousands of skeletons to fight Alex after all, enslaving his own people in the process.
Though, many of the undead still respected him, as seen by the guards.
Or maybe it's just that they feared him? Who knows.
Basically, they would do almost anything to kill that idiotic necromancer.