Chapter 66: Bone-Chilling (Bonus Chapter)

Looking at the V-shaped emblem before him, which resembled black gothic script and featured two tiny skulls integrated into its details, a sense of foreboding washed over Ryuhan.

He did not recognize the emblem itself, but he recognized the small line of fine text beneath it: 'Squad 9, No. 76.'

If this individual was not merely boasting, then the current situation had been orchestrated by a massive organization. This organization was so vast that it could afford to disregard all the players in the city, paying no heed to the omnipresent Bone Guards, and brazenly stamp its mark right across the backs of these operatives.

Regardless of anything else, even if this particular Bone Guard happened to be the very last member of their faction—the 76th of the 9th squad—and assuming every single one of them was merely a Level 1 player, that still meant over seven hundred individuals. They possessed enough manpower to completely devastate an entire district of Adar-Malik City.

At this thought, Ryuhan's gaze sharpened. He intended to lift the Bone Guard's body and carry it outside to inform Wilder of the discovery. Yet, just as he was about to step out, Ryuhan suddenly halted. He turned the corpse over instead and immediately set to work processing it.

This was the body of a player indeed, and a Bone Guard at that, but his actual class was an assassin-styled Death Knight. Much like Necromancers, Death Knights possessed their own three standard issue items.

These consisted of a weapon in hand—a longsword, a lance, or another implement, akin to the Death Staff in Ryuhan’s grasp—while Death Knights were granted a cloak rather than armor, just as Necromancers received a hooded robe.

Finally, corresponding to the altar within Ryuhan’s Underpalace was the Death Knight’s mount. That creature was the defining hallmark of a Death Knight; without a mount, a Death Knight was merely a Black Warrior.

The deceased before him was an assassin-style Death Knight, meaning he too had a mount. However, that creature was a relatively small raven, presumably used for scouting purposes within the game. Whether this raven was capable of carrying the Death Knight aloft into flight was not something Ryuhan needed to ponder.

Following the Death Knight’s demise, the raven had perished as well. As Ryuhan searched the corpse, it was retrieved from a mount pouch.

Examining the raven, which was roughly the size of a normal hawk, Ryuhan finally understood why its owner had not summoned the mount into the open.

While such a creature could be used to monitor others in the game, attempting to do so within the Southern Swamp plane was utterly futile. Let alone scouting, releasing it here meant it wouldn't even be able to take flight; the torrential rain outside precluded the existence of any avian lifeforms in the entire plane. Sending this creature out would attract unwanted attention within minutes. For an ordinary Death Knight, perhaps that was of little consequence.

However, this man was an assassin. He desperately needed to blend into the crowds, so he would never do anything so blatantly ostentatious.

Consequently, his mount had no choice but to remain tucked away inside its pouch.

Gazing upon the corpse of the raven, Ryuhan suddenly sighed. If only it had been a hawk, his fledgling Hawk Warriors could have graduated from their training.

Just as Ryuhan sighed, he noticed the raven's corpse dissolving into specks of white light, which then integrated directly into his Underpalace.

He had witnessed this phenomenon before. The moment it occurred, Ryuhan hastily connected with his Underpalace to check which aspect had been enhanced.

Yet, after searching for quite some time, he could not find any discernible differences. In the end, he had no choice but to direct his attention back to the corpse of the Bone Guard.

Aside from the bone armor and a dagger, the man carried no other gear. The only item that caught Ryuhan's eye was a silver belt around the man's waist. At first glance, it appeared no different from an ordinary belt, but Ryuhan sensed that this item existed somewhere between a game item and a reality item. Much like the bone armor, it must have been crafted by a specialized player.

This item could be brought into the game and utilized in reality as well, though its effects would certainly not be as potent as true gaming equipment. Its primary function was to miniaturize items such as potion vials, allowing the belt to hold up to ten large potions.

This proved somewhat useful to Ryuhan, as it meant he would no longer need to carry his self-made poisons inside his backpack.

It must be known that Ryuhan’s proficiency in concocting poisons had reached a respectable level; the chaos that had erupted earlier among the Bone Guards was the result of poison he had secretly administered.

Nevertheless, the silver belt was far too conspicuous and clashed with Ryuhan's style, making him hesitant to use it.

Setting the belt aside, Ryuhan flipped the corpse over and over again, but ultimately found nothing else of value.

Having confirmed this, Ryuhan raised his Death Staff and cast Raise Dead upon the corpse, completing the initial stage of processing.

He then instructed the sprinting corpse-transport wagon to haul the body away to the mass grave. He would wait for the corpse to undergo the Underpalace's first round of transformation and fusion before taking further action. If the body ended up being consumed by the mass grave, then it simply meant the corpse lacked the fate to be transformed, and Ryuhan would have no regrets.

Having finished all this, Ryuhan felt no sense of relaxation. His mind remained entirely consumed by the matter of the V-shaped emblem.

Although Ryuhan appeared indifferent, such a monumental issue warranted some degree of preparation. He was not the sort of person to remain oblivious; he knew full well that he could not approach this situation with naive optimism. He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and if all else failed, find a way to escape this place.

Just at that moment, Ryuhan felt a sudden jolt in his heart. Why would such a thought even cross his mind?

He was not the kind of person easily cowed.

How could he entertain such notions before the enemy's existence had even been confirmed?

Ryuhan shook his head, thrust his Death Staff into the ground, and sat down right there to ponder deeply.

Seeing Ryuhan act thus, Videnina stepped to his side, assuming a defensive posture to protect him.

Ryuhan began to retrace the events that had transpired since his arrival in Adar-Malik City. He concluded that everything had been relatively normal; he had merely fulfilled the duties expected of a Mortician.

Whether it was establishing his authority upon entering his jurisdiction, handling daily affairs, or clearing out potential hazards within his sector, he had performed admirably. Logically speaking, he should have gradually integrated into this city, grown step by step over the next fifty years, and eventually emerged as one of the major factions in this district.

Why, then, had he suddenly felt an urge to abandon everything and flee outright?

What if the anomaly predated his arrival in Adar-Malik City?

A sudden realization struck Ryuhan, bringing a chilling revelation in its wake. In a capital-scale metropolis like this, the Burni District had clearly been established for seven or eight years, and its infrastructure was fully completed. Why, then, was there such a sudden and massive shortage of personnel?

As this thought settled in his mind, a creeping sense of dread chilled Ryuhan to the bone. The powerful families within the city were fleeing.