024 Transformation

When Ogoron finally tracked Karen down, Karen was still deep in discussion with Cliff regarding the promotion of "Whispers of the Dead." At that moment, Karen’s focus was entirely on the marketing campaign, leaving him indifferent to other matters, including the murder of Bailey.

Cliff, however, viewed the situation with grave concern. He understood clearly the potential consequences if Karen failed to handle this incident properly. Under Cliff’s persistent urging, Karen made a rare and personal appearance at the market. By the time he arrived, the situation had escalated to such a point that over ninety percent of the merchants in the market were aware of why he was there. They watched with bated breath, eager to see how the matter would be resolved.

It was under this intense scrutiny that Karen began to address the issue. He already knew the full story. He was also aware of the strategy Ogoron wanted him to use to break the deadlock, but Karen did not resort to it immediately. Upon arriving at the market, his first act was to meet with Kado.

Karen was no longer the man he had been when he first transmigrated—a person desperately clinging to any means of survival. Now that he had established a foothold, he was temporarily secure. His management style had shifted significantly; he had traded some of his former ruthlessness for a more tempered, gentle approach. His initial instinct was to resolve the conflict as softly as possible, which was why he chose to meet with Kado first.

He found Kado at his lodging.

"Honorable Necromancer, it is a pleasure to meet you!"

"The pleasure is mine. I trust you know why I have come to see you at this time?"

Karen had no intention of beating around the bush, but Kado chose to speak in circles. "Honorable Necromancer, your will is as unpredictable as the clouds in the sky. How could a humble merchant like Kado possibly—"

"My arrival is an opportunity for you, and you should be well aware of that!" Karen cut him off, making a final attempt at persuasion. "I do not care about the truth behind this incident. Hand over the service contract, and I will let this matter slide."

"My apologies, Honorable Necromancer. This is my legal right, and I will not give it up easily. However, if you insist on violating my interests, I have no power to resist and shall yield."

Karen’s attempt at diplomacy only served to harden Kado’s resolve and consolidate his stance. Once those words left Kado’s lips, Karen lost all desire to continue the conversation. If someone was determined to court death, what reason did he have to stop them? As Karen turned and walked away, Kado’s face was wreathed in a triumphant smile. He knew full well that he was offending Karen, but with profit at stake and the firm belief that Karen dared not—and could not—truly move against him, the risk seemed worth it.

Half a day after this unpleasant meeting, Ogoron had finished all the preparations.

In the plaza of the Undead Market, Kado, his inner circle, Bailey’s corpse, and Bailey’s own subordinates were gathered. Since this affair had drawn everyone’s attention from the start, Karen decided to handle it publicly. As soon as he announced his intent, a massive crowd of merchants flooded the plaza.

As the crowd grew, Kado’s subordinates began to grow nervous. Although their boss was certain of his victory, the scale of the spectacle was ballooning; should Karen lose too much face, no one could predict what might happen to them.

Amidst the growing anxiety of Kado's men, Karen took the stage. He did not immediately address the incident, choosing instead to make light conversation.

"Gentlemen, we meet again, and once more over a trivial matter. In truth, I had no intention of coming. It’s just one death, isn’t it? What is the big deal? But Ogoron wouldn't let it go. He insisted that this involved your rights, arguing that if a merchant dies in my market and we fail to protect him, it is our dereliction of duty. He demanded that we provide an account to the deceased."

"So, I am here. I am here to provide an account to the dead, and an account to all of you. First, let us discuss the murder. In my market, I will not let a killer go unpunished!"

Almost as soon as Karen finished his sentence, a whistling sound cut through the air above the market, and a corpse was thrown down from the sky. The faces of Kado’s men shifted instantly, for they recognized the body as the guard who had killed Bailey.

Kado, however, remained calm, having made full preparations. Sure enough, Karen frowned and said, "This man is the guard who killed the deceased. My undead found him immediately, but alas, when I arrived, he was already dead. More than that, just like the victim, he had been pumped full of water containing concentrated holy energy. This gave me quite a headache; it is very difficult to use necromancy on a corpse eroded by holy energy."

Hearing this, Kado’s men let out a collective sigh of relief, though it was cut short as Karen continued.

"However, difficult as it may be, and costly as the price is, since this concerns the rights of the market's merchants, I must pay it. This is a vial of dark energy water, infused with the essence of tens of millions of 'Whispers of the Dead.' It can cleanse the wretched holy aura from the corpse."

As he spoke, Karen produced a bottle from his robes and poured the so-called 'dark energy water' over the body. As the black droplets fell, an undead mage behind Karen raised a bony finger. A terrifying aura of darkness spread out, and the corpse erupted with a fierce, blinding holy light.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, the light was dissolved into nothingness. Simultaneously, Karen began to chant a mysterious incantation. As he chanted, a system notification chimed in his mind:

[Ding! You have consumed 30,000 points of territory energy to convert a special Tier 3 undead!]

Then, before the eyes of the stunned crowd, the corpse wobbled and stood up.