Chapter 73: Monarch’s Tactics

Sun Fei listened to the black-robed Mage, his mind forming a basic understanding. These so-called Divine-Demon Ruins were probably like the tombs and treasures from his past life. If he could find unexplored ruins and had luck, he might uncover magical equipment, secret manuals, or other remnants from the Age of Gods and Demons inside. Used wisely, even if that damned Sande Empire came knocking someday, there would be nothing to fear.

“Alright, you’ve talked enough. Hand over that map now!” Sun Fei reached out his hand, grinning. “Your point stands, Master Evans. Seems there really is cooperation to be had… Hmm, but you must first show me the map so I can verify its authenticity. What if everything you said was a lie?”

“Hah… cough… heh. Young man, do you take me for a fool?” The black-robed Mage coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, his expression mocking. “The moment I give you that map, I’ll be a cold corpse the very next second, won’t I?”

Sun Fei wasn’t offended. He even crouched down and patted the Mage’s shoulder, winking mischievously. “Of course not! Master Evans, I swore a solemn oath in the name of the Lord God of War and the honor of Shampoo City’s royal family. How could I deceive you? Besides, exploring those Divine-Demon Ruins you mentioned will surely require powerful Mages to assist. I need an expert like you right now! Hah, we have common interests, we need each other’s help. Why would I be in such a hurry to kill you?”

Evans’s expression flickered with uncertainty after hearing Sun Fei’s words.

Throughout the ages in the Azeroth Continent, two kinds of honor were considered inviolable: the code of Knights, and the pledge of a King. Especially an oath sworn in the name of the God of War, as Sun Fei had done. Evans really should have believed it. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this King before him was slippery and untrustworthy, with an inexplicably sinister aura that made him deeply unreliable.

Seeing Evans hesitate, Sun Fei’s face slowly cooled.

He stood up and snorted coldly, suddenly switching to [Necromancer Mode]. A faint white mist of death essence swirled around his body like a cloud, chilling and ominous energies surged sporadically. Sun Fei raised a finger, and with a rustle, the impossible happened. Evans’s eyes widened, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.

Amidst splattered blood, a fearsome white skeleton wielding a bone shield and a bone sword crawled out of a fallen mercenary’s corpse! The skeleton’s bones rattled with every step, joints emitting bone-chilling grinding sounds. The empty eye sockets in its skull were like bottomless holes; its entire body glowed a ghostly white, resembling a demon from Hell.

The Necromancer skill – [Raise Skeleton].

“Ah? You…!” Evans trembled like a leaf in the wind, utterly horrified. “You are… a… an evil Necromancer? I… I… I…”

Sun Fei slightly frowned.

To his surprise, he sensed a familiar aura emanating from Evans – it was also a chilling trace of death energy, hidden deep within the Mage’s body. Though extremely faint, it couldn’t hide from Sun Fei, who currently wielded the power of a level 6 Necromancer.

“Hah! Truly unexpected, Master Evans,” Sun Fei laughed, “To think you are also skilled in Necromancy! Then there’s nothing more to hide. Hand me that map obediently, and we can still cooperate happily to explore the Divine-Demon Ruins together… Otherwise, you know, for a Necromancer like me, even if you’re dead, your soul won’t escape my grasp. I have many ways to refine and torment your soul. Dead or alive, you’ll hand over that map. It’s just a matter of whether you suffer extra pain. Why bother?”

The white death energy spun wildly in his palm. Sun Fei tried hard to project an image of pure, malicious cunning, threatening fiercely.

In his heart, though, an absurd thought popped up – this feels strangely like those scenes from ancient movies where Nationalist bastards torture revolutionary martyrs: “Talk or I’ll kill you!” Ha! Good thing I’m not that ruthlessly evil villain Nan Batian, and this guy isn’t the unyielding heroine Jiang Jie!

The black-robed Mage Evans stared at the menacing skeleton. After much hesitation, he finally conceded, pulling the map out. Though half-dead from torture, he still had enough Magic to retrieve it from his Storage Ring. Sun Fei’s mix of threats and promises swayed him; ultimately, he decided to gamble, gritting his teeth as a map crafted from some mysterious material appeared in his hand: “Young man, the map is here. Honor your word. Without a Four-Star Mage, it’s impossible to excavate Divine-Demon Ruins. Kill me, and you gain nothing.”

Sun Fei took the map, carefully unfolding and inspecting it.

It was not a small map, covering roughly three square meters when fully opened. Made of an unknown yellow material, it was incredibly lightweight with a slight, natural buoyancy. Sun Fei gave it a gentle shake, and the map suspended itself mid-air. Detailed mountains, rivers, landscapes, great rivers, forests, lakes, and hills filled its surface; the territory depicted was vast. Amidst the endless terrain, countless brightly colored dots were densely marked, labeled with unfamiliar script that seemed oddly familiar to Sun Fei, though he couldn’t place where he’d seen it before.

Even though seeing the map for the first time, an instinct told Sun Fei that Evans hadn’t tried to swindle him with a fake.

Sun Fei waved his hand. With a crunch, the summoned skeletal horror shattered into a pile of bone dust. Simultaneously, he switched back from [Necromancer Mode] to [Barbarian Mode]. The thick death energies swirling around him instantly vanished completely, as if they had never existed.

The effortless transition made Evans’s eyes light up.

Talent-wise, Evans was mediocre. After more than twenty years studying under the Nine-Star Moon-level Expert Ferdinand, he’d only reached Four-Star Mage strength, becoming a laughingstock in the Manchester Empire. Later, driven by greed for power, he succumbed to temptation and cultivated forbidden Necromantic Magic – anathema to the Holy Church, the continent’s hegemonic religious power. Terrified of being discovered by Divine Masters and burned at the stake, he hid constantly, rarely seeing people. His choice to leave his master Ferdinand and journey to other countries wasn’t entirely free of the desire to escape the powerful Divine Masters at the Empire’s core. Now, Sun Fei’s method of concealing Necromantic aura filled him with sudden hope. If he could master such concealment, he could cultivate Necromancy openly without fearing the Church’s detection.

Seeing the scattered white bone dust on the floor, Evans felt a flicker of relief.

It seems this young man truly has no intention to kill him now. Very likely, he genuinely needs a Four-Star Mage to excavate the Divine-Demon Ruins. Good then. Once my strength recovers, I’ll pretend to cooperate with this Kingdom, slowly take control of Shampoo City from the shadows, seize that technique for hiding Necromantic aura… and then strike him down suddenly… heh heh… unseen and unnoticed, the Divine-Demon Ruins’ resources can be mine alone.

“Young man, I’ve delivered the map. Heal my wounds now, please… I cannot hold on…” The Four-Star Mage Evans pleaded urgently.

“Ah? Right, right, a promise is a promise…” Sun Fei mentally stored the map rolled into a small square within his Barbarian’s Belt Space. He then retrieved a [Health Potion], crouching down. “Master Mage Evans, a pleasant partnership. Together, we will dominate these Divine-Demon Ruins! Hah!”

“Hah! You made the wise choice, young man.” Finally reassured, Evans offered a strained smile, though an almost imperceptible calculation flickered deep in his eyes.

“Sadly, your choice wasn’t so wise…” Sun Fei’s expression froze with deadly coldness. With lightning speed, his hand shot out and snapped around Evans’ neck.

CRACK!

Evans’s spine and throat bones shattered instantly.

“You…?”

The lifeblood rapidly faded from Four-Star Mage Evans’s eyes. Even at the brink of death, they held utter disbelief. His frozen smile seemed to mock his own delusion. He could never have fathomed why this young King dared kill him. After all, without a powerful Mage standing guard, opening a Divine-Demon Ruin was enormously difficult. Where could a small place like Shampoo City find a suitable Mage?

Of course, had Evans known Sun Fei had the confidence to advance to Four-Star Mage level quickly via the powers of the Diablo World, he’d likely never have surrendered the map. Furthermore, Sun Fei had sworn using Alexander’s soul as witness – a soul Evans had no way of knowing was long since obliterated.

“Teaming up with a viper like you? Preposterous.” Sun Fei shook his head, muttering to himself.

This Mage named Evans possessed both terrifying personal power and significant connections. Added to his ruthless cunning, Sun Fei wouldn’t dare truly heal him. A single misstep later could spell disaster, allowing this viper to bite back instantly. Shampoo City’s destruction and its people’s demise could happen in moments. Slavery ended millennia ago, along with the lesson from the fable about a farmer and the snake. Sun Fei wouldn’t be foolish enough to be that kindhearted farmer, foolishly trying to save a greedy viper only to get bitten in return.

The secrets of the Divine-Demon Ruins map, Shampoo City, and the death of Prince Kolzak of the Sande Empire would all be buried with this Iron Prison Water Dungeon from today onward. None would know besides Sun Fei himself. He couldn’t blame his own ruthlessness; the Azeroth Continent operated by the unforgiving law of the jungle. Any carelessness would be fatal.

“Perhaps we are the same breed… Too bad your luck ran dry.”

Sun Fei retrieved a [Magic Restore Potion] from his Barbarian Belt Space, took a sip to replenish the magical energy he’d depleted by using [Find Potion]. He then pressed his palm flat against Evans’s lifeless form and murmured the incantation to activate [Find Potion] one last time.

Tink!

A sound light chime, like a heavenly melody, reached Sun Fei’s ears.

“Success.”

Ecstasy washed over Sun Fei. Hovering in the air was another vial of [Hulk Potion], radiating a soft emerald glow. Its luminous shine seemed dreamlike. An innocent, baby-like strand of Mental Power clung playfully to the test-tube-like vessel, giving Sun Fei an odd but pleasant sense of familiarity.

Sun Fei carefully stored the precious [Hulk Potion] back into his Belt Space. Pausing briefly in thought, he switched to [Mage Mode] and summoned several [Firebolt]s. The magical flames consumed the remaining corpses, including the piled bone dust left after his skeleton disintegration and Evans and Kolzak’s remains, incinerating everything to ash—eliminating all evidence.

With the bodies consumed, Sun Fei’s gaze rested upon the set of Magic Armor and several enchanted weapons he had stripped off the Silver Masked Man. Furthermore, amidst the charred mounds of ash, Evans’s Storage Ring remained intact – unscathed by flames, gleaming with an unnerving brilliance, offering a temptation hard to resist.

Sun Fei knew a Four-Star Mage with powerful connections would stash numerous treasures inside such a Storage Ring. The armor from the Silver Masked Man, a Prince of the Fourth-Level Sande Empire, was surely of immense value. If they could be retained and given to Shampoo City’s most trusted officers, immense strength would be added immediately. Even if he kept nothing personally, selling them through obscure routes could fetch enormous resources.

But… too dangerous.

Evans and the Silver Masked Man were prominent individuals. Their possessions bore traces. Should someone suspect their loss or disappearance, investigating threads could unravel secrets instantly. Such massive risk was something neither Sun Fei nor Shampoo City could afford. Sun Fei had to eradicate every potential leak, securing time for Shampoo City’s growth to continue largely unnoticed. He wasn’t formidable enough—not yet—to risk confrontation with the Fourth-Level Sande Empire.

Sun Fei winced with sharp regret.

Ultimately, with resolve hardening his resolve, he unleashed multiple [Firebolt]s. The magical flames devoured both the elegant armor set and Evans’s Storage Ring – fueled fiercely by Sun Fei himself – hoping to reduce these artifacts to worthless slag, eliminating these sources of future disaster.

Yet—

“Hmm? Unaffected by flames?”

Sun Fei discovered in wonder: Though the exceedingly hot [Firebolt]s entirely engulfed the armor and ring, moments passed with zero signs of melting or damage. The armor shimmered a resilient sapphire hue; the ring remained gleaming silver-white. However fiercely the mystical flames burned, not a single chip marred the precious objects.

“It seems true treasures cannot be so easily purged. But what now? Keeping these brings great peril…” Sun Fei tried again, this time with [Ice Bolt] and [Charged Bolt]. He even switched back to his [Necromancer Mode], swirling white deathly miasma around them. Still no result. Considering switching to [Barbarian Mode] to pulverize them with brute might flashed across his mind before being swiftly rejected – smashing such distinct artifacts to pieces seemed even riskier, increasing chances scattered fragments might be noticed one day. Forced into holding onto them, Sun Fei reluctantly stored both items within his Barbarian Belt Space. Keeping them hidden for now seemed the only viable move until he became stronger and discovered a method of destruction suited to these remarkably resilient relics.

At that moment, nothing remained within the entire underground chamber aside from several sets attached to walls designed to chain prisoners. Having spent three full hours descending into Iron Prison Water Dungeon, Sun Fei knew it must now be dusk outside – clear time had come to leave.

Before departure, one task still awaited: making Prison Warden Oleg grasp consequence.

“Oleg! Enter now!” commanded Sun Fei loud.

Prison Warden Oleg scrambled in immediately. At the sight of the almost empty dungeon chamber, save bloodstains coating walls where chains were fastened, and five dark piles littering floor ash – where recently corpses rested – shock ran through him. Gone were any remnants of three fallen mercenaries, the Silver Masked Man or Evans Mage himself – entirely erased! Fear rose deep in Oleg’s heart when he realized the ruthless effectiveness of the teenage King; terrified awe renewed in severity. Nervously he approached, scarcely daring to draw deep breaths, shivering under Sun Fei’s gaze before the young monarch.

“Oleg. Explain this: when you rushed down earlier, exactly what did you observe?” questioned Sun Fei almost casually.

Yet the seemingly simple question turned Oleg’s entire body cold sweat instantly drenched; he thought instantly execution was now near. Without hesitation, Oleg flung himself onto grimy stone floor, knocking his head repeatedly against rock in panic: “Your Majesty spare my worthless life! Mercy! I witnessed… absolutely nothing! Only saw… only saw Your Majesty himself… studying… those patterns etched into stone walls, nothing more… Mercy please King spare thy servant!” Desperation spilled from groveling form every plea.

Watching Oleg pound forehead against hard stone like pounding garlic cloves into paste, amusement touched Sun Fei’s lips slight. Then he finally spoke slow: “Stand. When have I uttered desire to kill you?”

“My eternal gratitude… Your Majesty!” All thoughts of defiance crushed. Shivering violently, Oleg managed to struggle upright despite trembling shaking body badly.

“When the God of War bestowed Divine Miracle four past days, restoring sound mind long absent – restoring intellect – my return has been marked by tumultuous change. Events unfolding permitted understanding fully conditions Shampoo City suffered over preceding dark three years: ambitious traitor Bazel tearing royal domain asunder. My people tormented without mercy! Adding to the betrayer’s tyranny, Military Judge Conca aided the villainous reign! Fleeing fear now pursues Bazel hiding like coward vermin. As for Conca… dispatched personally with my own hand…” Sun Fei spoke distinctly. Oleg heard word delivered like hammer-blows; heart feeling it teetered along a wire over sheer drop. He felt plunged into frigid ice chambers deep in ancient glacier caves; tremors shook frame unstoppably. Hearing mention yet untold, Oleg crashed onto knees once more begging for life wildly.

Sun Fei watched him momentarily before continuing: “Alexander am I not bloodthirsty tyrant desiring slaughter blindly. That day upon Stone Bridge, you stood beside me loyally battling foes; slaughtered FORTY FIVE Black-Armored Soldiers without hesitation despite receiving considerable wounds yourself. Moreover saved lives of FOUR comrade fighters beside you. These actions witnessed clearly by these seeing eyes.” A pause sharp: “Crimes you committed served against throne demand severe penalty… yet your valor that day stood as partial recompense. Hence you remained untouched here… until now. Rewards follow achievement; punishment metes justice! My governing principle! Brook! Pierce! Drogba – others each received generous rewards fitting service rendered kingly gratitude! Only YOU remained unchanged! Position stayed secure! But gained NO award! Tell me Oleg: did you grow resentful?”

“S-sire! Oleg dared not! Never ever dared imagine resentment towards kingly judgment!” Oleg hastened speaking quickly earnest: “Thy servant realizes entirely Your Majesty deliberately withheld punishment! Even sent valiant Sir Brook this morning relaying command providing me ample preparation time cleanse foulness from jail interior! Correct earlier faults!” Oleg’s tear-glistening gaze held sincere relief: “Royal mercy immense! Oleg cries tears thankful flow! Swears willing bleed dry fight enemy perish fighting serving kingly command!”

“Good.” uttered Sun Fei emotionless quiet: “Within Shampoo City boundaries now: Brook… wise… planning… virtuous… yet rigid. Unable turning necessary corners… Pierce… Drogba… others stand formidable fighter… slaughtering enemies upon battlefield… brains unfortunately poorly suited strategic thought… Uncle Lampard disdains political maneuvering… Uncle Best involved important tasks elsewhere… Thus gap exists needing figure displaying… how you present yourself: thick-skinned… cunning… scheming… precisely capable performing subtle task King requires… Re-use thy service contemplated… though…”

Sun Fei paused deliberately.

Oleg instantly understood implicit threat beneath words spoken. Chest thumped hard declaration spilled forth: “God of War witness oath! Oleg shall become Alexander’s loyalist hyena! Where royal fingertip points forward thrusts shall Oleg charge fearlessly first! Never second thought betraying liege! If vow broken shatter thy servant bones crush flesh paste! After death plunge damned soul Hell suffer torment everlasting without respite!”

“Oaths… curses promising eternity… hold small faith for me…” Sun Fei offered neither affirmation nor denial: “Actions manifesting loyalty speak loudest indeed! Certain undertakings require your swift action… Let thy deeds presently demonstrate true allegiance!”

“Command instruct freely Your Majesty! Oleg pledges exert utmost!”