Chapter 87

Chapter 87
## Chapter 87: The Sovereign’s Seat

“Just as I thought…! I knew it the moment I heard your name. It had to be you.”

The Death King gave a slow, knowing nod.

In that same heartbeat, the surrounding area erupted.

“The ruler of the Abyss Labyrinth is actually the Fifth Lord?”

“Ha! He’s barely settled into the seat of the Fifth Lord, and he’s already pulled this off…”

“Well, this should shut everyone up.”

“The ones plotting to steal his position won’t have a leg to stand on now.”

“But is he really a match for the White King’s strength?”

I felt like an animal in a zoo. We were standing at the threshold of Cramdel, a gateway constantly choked with high-level monsters moving to and fro. The Death King was a magnet for attention on his own, but his proclamations were spinning a web of wild assumptions about my identity.

“Was that the question burning in your mind, caw?”

The Death King shook his head.

“Not exactly… though more pressingly, I detect a sinister pressure emanating from you, far grimmer than before. This vibration—could it belong to ‘Baal’ of the Four Evils?”

The attributes of the Baal Helmet stayed in effect as long as I didn’t swap it for another piece of gear. Still, he was a sharp one. I hadn’t expected him to sniff it out so easily. Since things had progressed this far, there was no point in playing coy.

“You’ve got a keen nose, caw.”

The Death King’s voice took on a tone of genuine astonishment.

“Astounding. You’ve actually harnessed the shard of Baal? Then the sudden surge in your winged subordinates must be a manifestation of Baal’s dark sovereignty.”

*Caw! Caw!*

A literal cloud of corpse crows swirled in the sky above. These were no longer the scavengers they once were; tempered by the Baal Helmet, they had reached a state of ultimate reinforcement.

The evolved corpse crows began to mirror my own abilities. When I triggered ‘Advanced Corpse Crow Summon (2Lv)’, the eleven elite crows I called forth each independently activated ‘Basic Corpse Crow Summon (10Lv)’. The result was a staggering 110 crows blotting out the sun—all achieved without draining a single extra drop of star power. This was the true efficiency of ultimate reinforcement.

“One of the Four Evils?”

“That mythic being from the legends?”

“Unbelievable!”

The buzz from the crowd intensified. To these monsters, the Four Evils were figures of religious awe, much like how the Sword Saint of the Ancient Empire was a figure of myth to human history.

Regardless, I understood the situation now. I knew exactly why the Death King had personally come to welcome me.

“Death King, caw. I don’t have the remains of Sword Saint Riley on me at the moment, caw.”

He had invoked Riley’s name the second he saw me. It was obvious he was desperate for news of the body. He’d been circling the topic, waiting for me to bring it up.

Predictably, the Death King’s posture deflated slightly.

“I see.”

“It simply isn’t in my possession right now, caw. But a thorough sweep of the labyrinth might reveal it, caw.”

The depths of the labyrinth remained a mystery. Much like how the Ruins City continually coughed up new secrets, I needed more time to map out the Abyss.

A flicker of hope returned to the Death King’s voice. “Then you mean…?”

“We can discuss the details as we move, caw.”

“A wise suggestion! This is an emergency convocation—we have no time to dally.”

He regained his stride instantly. His obsession with Riley’s corpse was even deeper than I’d suspected. Perhaps his own attempts at the labyrinth had been fueled by that single goal. This worked in my favor; I could use the promise of Riley’s remains as leverage to secure the Death King’s cooperation. If I actually found the body, I’d hand it over gladly—having a debt of gratitude from someone like him was a powerful asset.

“Do you have any inkling why this emergency meeting was called, caw?” I asked as we navigated the path. A little insider knowledge wouldn’t hurt.

The Death King rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “The specifics are vague. I only know there are two primary topics. One is almost certainly regarding your new city.”

“I didn’t think the White King cared much for the labyrinth, caw.”

“It isn’t for the reasons you might assume. However…”

“…?”

“Actually, forget I mentioned it. It doesn’t concern you.”

“Saying that only makes me more curious, caw.”

“Hmm. I suppose as the Fifth Lord, you have a right to the history.” After a brief pause, the Death King continued. “A few years back—to our eternal regret—we were bested by a lone human. The White King lost one of his fangs in that encounter.”

And so, the legend of Wilhelm began. No one else had ever humbled the Four Lords and walked away with a piece of the White King. Seeing how intently I was listening, the Death King shrugged.

“The Third Lord Gungki hypothesized that the fang might be hidden within the Abyss Labyrinth. We laughed it off as a delusion at the time, but perhaps there is a connection after all.”

“Understood, caw.”

“Does it not pique your interest? The identity of the man who brought us to our knees?”

“Not particularly, caw.”

“…You truly are a rare breed.”

There was no reason to be curious about my own autobiography. The Death King seemed impressed by my stoicism. Still, it was a revelation that the White King was still hunting for his lost tooth.

*‘The White King’s fang is still sitting in the Golden Rule shop.’*

It was priced at a staggering thousand-hour fragments. I wasn’t sure if returning it was worth the investment, but if the King was truly desperate, it was a card worth holding.

Engaged in this idle talk, we eventually reached the towering spires of the White King’s palace.

—

The air inside was thick enough to choke on. Once again, I found myself standing among the assembly of lords. The Great Earth Dragon, the Death King, Gungki, and Medusa. Every single one of them was a predator at the peak of existence.

*‘As suffocating as ever.’*

My nerves were taut, but I refused to shrink. Just like the Death King, the others were now aware that I had conquered the labyrinth. The way they regarded me had shifted fundamentally. The skeptical, dismissive glances were gone, replaced by eyes that acknowledged me as a peer of consequence.

“Everyone is present.”

The White King made his entrance, his features hidden behind that familiar white tiger mask.

“You are likely wondering why I have called an emergency session of the Fifth Lords. I shall be brief.”

The White King’s eyes swept across the room, locking with each lord in turn. Finally, his gaze settled on me. With that same unreadable expression, he spoke.

“The primary agenda is the Abyss Labyrinth. Fifth Lord Randolph. Is it true? Have you claimed lordship over it?”

Under the crushing weight of their collective attention, I nodded.

“It is true, caw.”

“To seize the labyrinth before even the Death King could—it is a feat worthy of note.”

“What is the White King’s interest in my domain, caw?”

“Precisely this: I intend to formally recognize the Fifth Lord’s labyrinth city under my protection. We will establish a warp gate link to Cramdel and announce this alliance to the world.”

“…!”
“…!”

“White King, a formal proclamation? You have never extended such recognition to any territory outside of Cramdel,” the Great Earth Dragon rumbled, voicing the shock felt by everyone.

Cramdel was the only city the White King had ever officially claimed. That singular status was why the northern territories remained untouched by outsiders. The White King offered a weary sigh to the dragon’s query.

“It connects to the second reason for this gathering. The Black King’s activities in the south have become… erratic.”

“The Black King…?”
“Is he attempting to push past his southern borders?”

The Black King. If the White King was the undisputed sovereign of the north, the Black King was his dark mirror in the south. As Gungki and the Great Earth Dragon reacted with alarm, the White King nodded.

“The man is moving with dangerous aggression, expanding his influence with bold confidence. I have a premonition—and it is not a pleasant one.”

The White King’s ‘hunches’ were legendary for their accuracy. If he felt an ill wind, a storm was surely coming.

“Should he choose to strike at me, he will target the Fifth Lords first to weaken my foundation. Furthermore, since your labyrinth sits on Ancient Empire soil, the Arhon Empire will surely attempt to reclaim it. A formal declaration in my name will serve as a shield, making both the Black King and the Empire hesitate before they move against you.”

I had only come here to set up a transit gate. This offer of official protection was a massive, unexpected development. If he followed through, the labyrinth would become a true sanctuary. There would always be small-time lunatics, but no major superpower would risk an open war. It was a perfect deterrent. For a moment, the White King’s looming presence felt as comforting as a guardian’s shadow.

“The final purpose of this summons is to appoint a representative from among you to investigate the Black King’s true goals.”

Wait, hadn’t he said there were only two items? In essence, he wanted a spy. Someone to sneak into the southern heartland and uncover the Black King’s secrets. It was a suicide mission, plain and simple.

“Do I have a volunteer?”

The White King’s eyes scanned the lords. Silence reigned. No one was foolish enough to step forward. The Black King was the antithesis of the White King—not a measured ruler, but a slaughterer who erased anything that annoyed him.

Slowly, the White King’s gaze drifted toward me… and stayed there.

*‘Wait a minute.’*

This was unspoken coercion. He was telling me that in exchange for his official protection, I had to be his scout. Or perhaps it was deeper—maybe he wanted to see me clash with the Black King directly. Everything he’d said so far felt like a meticulously laid trap for this very moment.

*‘…You’re testing my limits?’*

So much for a mother’s embrace. I stared back, refusing to look away. I had no intention of being a puppet in the White King’s transparent game.

*Caw! Caaaaw!*

My corpse crows shrieked with a new, jagged edge. I slowly lifted my hand. The lords knew exactly what that motion signaled.

“Hmm.”
“What is the meaning of this, Fifth Lord!”

Low growls and protests filled the room, with the Great Earth Dragon’s voice booming above the rest. It was a necessary provocation. This was a gamble to dismantle the White King’s aura of mystery.

“White King. If you value your life, stop playing these games, caw.”

**True Throne (Revised)**

I was bluffing. It’s the art of holding a weak hand while betting like you have the world, hoping to intimidate your opponent into folding. That was my reality. Any one of these lords could likely crush me, and the White King was on another level entirely. A bluff without a foundation is just a death wish.

But a bluff built on a foundation?

*‘The board looks very different than it did when I first breached the peak of Mystery.’*

I had heard the whispers at the entrance. The rumors surrounding my name were spreading like wildfire. There was no way the Four Lords or the White King hadn’t heard them too. Furthermore, the Death King had inadvertently set the stage perfectly. He had likely spent hours regaling the White King with tales of the Abyss Labyrinth and the fall of Sword Saint Riley. The King himself had called it ‘impressive.’

Even when I had performed past miracles, no one could truly pin down my combat strength. But this latest feat gave them a terrifying yardstick. To conquer the labyrinth faster than the Death King and to slay Sword Saint Riley? To them, Riley was a figure who could stand against the Four Evils. Therefore, in their eyes, my minimum power level had to be enough to threaten a legendary entity.

And that wasn’t all.

*‘The White King wouldn’t miss what the Death King saw.’*

The Baal Helmet. A relic of the Four Evils. The White King surely realized I was wielding a portion of Baal’s divine authority.

*‘And finally, the White King is a pacifist—because he’s a coward.’*

This was the clincher. I knew his personality inside out from my time as Wilhelm. Whenever he sensed a threat, he hid. Even when his lords were being picked off one by one, he stayed in the shadows until a deal was struck. He had admitted to having a bad hunch today—he would do anything to avoid a direct confrontation that might shatter his own mystique. If he tried to kill me, he knew he would lose something precious in return.

“…‘If you value your life, stop playing these games’? You truly dare to speak those words to me?”

The White King spoke, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop to absolute zero. To threaten him with death in his own throne room was an unprecedented transgression. He couldn’t ignore it. To do so would make his kingship look like a farce in front of his subjects.

*‘Damn!’*

My throat felt like it was filled with sand. If it weren’t for the Eternal Lord’s Heart, I’d be shaking visibly, my pulse thundering in my ears. I might have even collapsed under the pressure. This was all based on psychological projection; only the White King knew what he was actually going to do.

“I was quite clear, caw. The lords and the White King are of equal standing, caw. I am not your servant, so this ‘emergency summons’ strikes me as incredibly disrespectful, caw.”

I couldn’t stop now. A bluff is a runaway train; it either reaches the destination or derails. I was asserting that there was no hierarchy here. The ‘emergency summons’ was a power move that only the White King was supposed to have, and I was publicly telling him that his display of authority made me ‘uncomfortable.’