030 Klein

After sending off Old Jack and the masked woman, Karen began his wait for Krain. In truth, Karen did not need Old Jack to tell him; he was well aware that Krain was coming, and he knew just as clearly that the Silver Hand would arrive shortly thereafter.

The reason he had kept Cliff and Flor at the market was precisely to turn those two factions into his eyes and ears between the two kingdoms. Karen had no desire to be deaf and blind; trapped as he was in the cracks between powers, keeping a watchful eye on all directions was the most basic survival skill he had to master. Cliff and Flor had performed their duties admirably, and thanks to them, Karen was able to receive intelligence ahead of time.

Based on the information he held, Karen knew he had reached a critical juncture. When the undead market was first established, both the Silver Hand and the Bourbon Kingdom had adopted an attitude of wait-and-see. Under their indulgence and tacit approval, Karen’s market had successfully opened. However, now that the market was operational and had gained a certain scale, the two kingdoms would no longer stand idly by. To them, the fruit was ripe for picking, and now came Karen’s trial.

If he could manage the reach of the Silver Hand and the Bourbon Kingdom, only then could Karen be considered truly established. From that point on, he could rely on the massive resources generated by the market to grow. But if he failed to handle this encroachment, his path forward would become perilous, and a single misstep could lead to even more terrifying consequences. It was precisely because he understood his situation so deeply that he had refused Old Jack’s request for an alliance without hesitation. It was a joke—he could barely protect himself as it was, and to meddle in the internal struggles of another kingdom? That would be inviting death.

Three days after Karen rejected Old Jack, the party from the Bourbon Kingdom arrived first. As his intelligence had indicated, the person who came was the Bourbon Kingdom’s Marshal, Krain. Yet, upon his arrival, Krain did not go to see Karen immediately; instead, he went first to the Undead Market. To them, that was the orchard, and Karen was merely the caretaker.

After visiting the Undead Market, Krain was quite satisfied. Although it had been open for only about three months and the market was still under construction, the vibrant, bustling scene of development pleased him greatly. Only after inspecting the "orchard" did Krain, accompanied by Ryan, head toward Karen’s undead territory.

...

Accompanied by Krain, Ryan arrived at the undead territory for the second time. Compared to his first visit, the territory had changed significantly. During his first visit, the land had lacked even a semblance of proper facilities, resembling a battlefield more than anything else. This time, however, the perimeter was enclosed by walls, the once-uneven roads had been paved, and within the walls, there were flower fields and training grounds. It could not be called fully equipped, but it was far better than before.

What surprised Ryan even more were the undead under Karen’s command. Although Karen knew Krain was coming, he had not deliberately consolidated his troops to put on a show of force. He had come out to greet them with only a few fourth-tier undead, leaving the second and third-tier undead to their own devices. Thus, what Ryan and Krain witnessed was the undead in their natural state. Some were patrolling, some were tending to the third batch of newly planted Whispers of the Dead, some were diligently practicing various skills, and a small group was even gathered together chatting.

The scene unfolding before them was astonishing. If not for the fact that most of the undead in Karen’s territory were skeletal frames, it would have been hard to believe this was an undead domain rather than a human military camp. All the undead carried a human-like aura, devoid of the cold, terrifying nature of legend. This situation left Ryan and Krain casting sidelong glances at one another.

While the two were observing the territory, Karen’s focus was on them. He had seen Ryan before; although his Insight Eye had not been upgraded at the time to reveal stats, he had gauged Ryan’s strength at around the fourth tier. Now, half a year later, Karen could see that Ryan had advanced to the fifth tier. As for Krain, before Karen’s Insight Eye could even take effect, the Marshal’s gaze had already locked onto him.

The moment Krain’s eyes fell upon him, Karen felt as if he were being hunted by a terrifying magical beast. An indescribable pressure erupted within his heart. In that instant, Karen realized with clarity that if this man so desired, he could kill him in a heartbeat. This chilling sensation caused sweat to dampen his back instantly.

"Roar!"

As Karen was enveloped by that primal fear of death, the undead around him sensed it instinctively. Though they did not understand concepts like 'if the master is humiliated, the servant dies,' they possessed a more primal, pure, and loyal bond with Karen. The moment they felt a threat to his safety, they grew furious.

With a chorus of terrifying roars, the dozen fourth-tier undead around Karen immediately assumed combat stances. This anger spread, and following another series of roars, the thousands of first and second-tier undead in the territory behind him also entered a combat state. The roars rippled outward, and within minutes, the entire Land of the Dead echoed with the sound of undead fury. Anyone hearing those roars could clearly sense the anger of the undead, and Krain and Ryan, standing before Karen, understood all too well that if anything were to happen to him, the entire Land of the Dead would likely erupt in a violent riot.

Amidst this chaotic display, Karen finally broke free from Krain’s aura. He wore his signature smile and strode up to the Marshal.

"Welcome, Marshal Krain!"