Peace talks?

It had to be admitted that although Lady Cliff tended to be a bit timid, she was nonetheless far-sighted and shrewd. With just a few words, she had already mapped out a path for Karen’s future development, making him truly appreciate her talents.

Now, thanks to her guidance, Karen had a broad road laid out before him, and even the City of Moonworship had bowed its head in submission. The situation was looking up—once they delivered the resources he wanted, he could sweep through the Goblin Forest unopposed and ascend to the pinnacle of his destiny.

Yet at this crucial moment, rather than simply waiting for the City of Moonworship to send over the supplies, Karen took a rather unexpected step. He released the goblin prisoners he’d captured after wiping out several tribes over the past two days. Of course, it wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart—he sent them to the Black Iron Mine Tribe with a letter as his envoys.

But don’t be mistaken—the letter wasn’t penned by Karen himself. Although he had studied writing for a while under the masked woman, the time had been too brief and he hadn’t learned much. In this world, he was still more or less illiterate. The letter was written by Lady Cliff.

The recipient was the leader of the Phantoms, and as for the contents, it was simple: Karen wanted to arrange a meeting.

This request caught the Phantoms completely off guard. Nevertheless, after careful consideration, they decided to send an emissary to meet with him.

On the morning after Karen had detained Lady Cliff, the Phantom’s envoy arrived at his territory. It was clear that the Phantoms regarded Karen with considerable importance. The envoy was not their leader, but he was a third-tier powerhouse—a status that represented the highest combat strength in these parts and a top figure among the Phantoms. To dispatch such an individual was proof enough of the weight they attached to this meeting.

Karen, for his part, treated their arrival with equal gravity. He personally led all his third-tier undead, save Kira, to greet the visitor beyond the boundaries of his domain.

When the envoy, Dima, saw the six third-tier undead standing behind Karen, his expression flickered ever so slightly, though his face was adorned with the most affable of smiles. He performed a courtly noble’s bow to Karen. “Dima of the Phantoms, extends the highest respect to the esteemed necromancer.”

“I’m delighted to meet you, Lord Dima,” Karen replied in kind, his own face full of gentle warmth. It was hard to believe that these two, leaders of opposing factions, could greet one another with such harmony at their first official meeting.

After exchanging a few polite but empty pleasantries outside the territory, Karen led Dima within.

No sooner had Dima entered than he was struck by an overwhelming chill. He soon noticed that within Karen’s dominion, hundreds of first-tier undead stood arrayed in perfect formation. Though all of Karen’s undead had been converted from goblins and stood only about a meter and a half tall, the sight of so many together was still imposing—more so with over a hundred second-tier undead among them.

Even Dima, a third-tier powerhouse, couldn’t help but feel the pressure standing before such a host. It was obvious that Karen intended to flex his might. Inviting the Phantoms’ envoy only to parade his strength—his motives could not have been clearer.

Realizing that Karen seemed to be seeking peace, Dima’s lips curled into a subtle, intriguing smile. Once he had examined the undead more closely, that smile grew even brighter.

Karen, meanwhile, after giving Dima a tour of his undead army, led him to a small cabin hastily erected at the heart of the territory.

“What does Lord Dima think of my undead legion?” Karen inquired.

“Formidable. Truly formidable,” Dima replied, casting Karen a meaningful glance and offering a fair assessment.

Karen smiled. “Then I believe neither you nor your Phantom Thieves’ Guild would wish to go to war with such a powerful force of undead, would you?”

Dima raised an eyebrow, fixing Karen with his gaze. “No one wishes to make an enemy of a powerful necromancer. However, we’ve received word that you have allied yourself with the City of Moonworship and—”

“It’s true I’ve discussed cooperation with them,” Karen interrupted, “but our agreement was conditional. The City of Moonworship was meant to provide me with a certain amount of resources, but they have not done so—in fact, they sent someone who greatly vexed me.”

“My honorable necromancer, I mean no disrespect, but to my knowledge, the City of Moonworship is gathering the resources you require with all haste. You will see what you desire within three days at most.”

“Oh? Is that so? I wasn’t aware! Who would have thought that detaining that noble called Cliff would make the City of Moonworship capitulate?” Karen feigned ignorance, then shook his head.

“But even if they deliver the resources I asked for, I no longer intend to cooperate with them.” With that, he fixed his gaze on Dima. “At first, I thought I might use the power of the City of Moonworship to control the Goblin Forest, but it seems things are far more complicated than I imagined. The relationship between your people and the City of Moonworship is more entangled than I realized.”

“That’s not—our relationship with them—” Dima’s face changed as he moved to protest, but Karen raised a hand to stop him.

“Let me finish,” Karen said. “I believe you know who I am. I was just an ordinary youth who, by chance, inherited the legacy of a necromancer and gained this strength. I have no great ambitions. All I wish is to honor my teacher’s legacy and become a powerful necromancer. At present, my teacher’s test keeps me from leaving the Goblin Forest, but my future lies beyond these borders. Once I’ve passed the test, I’ll lead my undead away in pursuit of my teacher’s path—the ultimate secret of death. I trust you understand my meaning?”

Dima was quick-witted and instantly grasped the implication. “You mean, from now on, you do not intend to involve yourself in the conflict between us and the City of Moonworship.”

“Precisely. I have neither the time nor the energy for such entanglements. All that I possess comes from the power of death. I’d rather devote myself to my teacher’s trial than meddle in these affairs.”

Dima’s eyes flickered, but his face shone with sincerity and delight. “Honored necromancer, you have my word—we will not trouble you.”

Karen offered a ‘kindly’ smile. “Thank you. However, there is one thing in which I require your assistance: I need ‘Whispers of the Dead’—and a large quantity of high-quality corpses.”