No.1 Golden Wheat Street, Count Konstantin's Manor

Count Konstantin was forty-eight years old this year.

Wearing a loose robe, with sunken eye sockets and a sickly purple complexion, his beer belly protruding prominently, he perfectly embodied the image of a nobleman who had overindulged in debauchery.

Perhaps it was cliché, but most of these parasitic nobles who inherited their titles were just like this.

At this moment, there were three people in the master bedroom of the count's manor.

On a bed large enough for four people lay an alluring young woman, covered only by a thin veil that barely concealed her bewitching curves.

The woman curled up at the head of the bed, her jade-like feet trembling as they extended from beneath the veil. She watched the unfolding scene with terror in her eyes.

Sean, the auction host, was kneeling tremblingly on the ground, facing the pale-faced Count Konstantin.

Just moments ago, Sean had burst into the count's bedroom despite the guards' attempts to stop him, interrupting the 48-year-old count's impending carnal pleasures.

Count Konstantin flew into a rage, immediately wanting to drag this ignorant fool out and have him chopped to pieces.

However, he noticed that the usually well-dressed and courteous host now had disheveled hair, was drenched in sweat, and couldn't hide the panic in his eyes.

Something had gone terribly wrong!

Konstantin immediately suppressed his anger and inquired about the situation.

Then, he heard the most shocking news of his life.

Sean grabbed his own hair violently, his voice almost breaking into tears.

"My lord, I warned you before! That Hilton Hoover is nothing but bad luck. His slave trade is extremely risky. Nothing good could come from working with someone like him."

"Enough, shut up!"

Konstantin desperately tried to maintain his composure, but the terrifying facts made it impossible for him to stay calm.

(I've been targeted... targeted by a Meilan! How is this possible! How did he discover all of this?)

He glanced at a cloth-covered mirror on the dressing table and made an immediate decision.

"Both of you, get out! Don't breathe a word about this to anyone!

Especially you, Wena. If you dare speak of this, your husband is dead!"

"Yes! Yes! I understand!"

Wena, the commoner woman, nodded repeatedly like a pestle.

Count Konstantin had long desired her and finally found an opportunity recently, coercing her compliance by threatening her husband's life.

Unfortunately, before anything could begin, they were interrupted by Sean's dreadful news.

Sean and Wena left the room one after another.

Konstantin no longer concealed his inner panic. He scrambled to the dressing table and tore off the cloth covering the mirror.

It was a strange-looking dressing mirror. At its top was a weeping skull, with a crescent scythe encircling the mirror frame and piercing through the skull's crown.

He began to chant an odd prayer to the mirror:

"Death is the equal destination for all living beings. We yearn for death, we fear not death, we live towards death..."

Then he tentatively whispered:

"Your Eminence, are you there? I am your devout follower, Konstantin. I have an urgent matter to report."

For a long while, the mirror showed no change.

Just as Konstantin was about to stamp his foot in anxiety, ripples appeared on the mirror's surface, and a pitch-black, indistinct shadow emerged.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Konstantin's face lit up with joy.

"Your Eminence, your humble lamb Konstantin greets you."

"Cut the nonsense, Konstantin! You'd better have a real emergency to report."

The bishop's voice on the other side was hoarse and cold; he was in a very bad mood.

This fool Konstantin had used a highly unsafe method to contact him.

Scrying through magic mirrors didn't belong to any elemental magic and was considered black magic in the kingdom. It could easily be detected by the Sun God's clergy.

Usually, he would contact Konstantin through a one-way channel, taking precautions to prevent magical fluctuations from leaking out. Konstantin clearly lacked this awareness and ability.

Count Konstantin shuddered, his speech becoming somewhat stuttered:

"Y-Your Eminence, there's a... there's a..."

"Speak up! I don't have time to waste!"

"It seems a Meilan has arrived in my city..."

As soon as Konstantin finished speaking, he heard a series of crashes and shattering sounds from the other side of the mirror.

Then came a long silence.

A deathly stillness filled Konstantin's bedroom.

After a while, a voice came from the other side.

"Are you... certain?"

"Well... I'm not sure, I haven't seen him personally. But my subordinates saw a black-haired, black-eyed man at today's auction. He killed two guards in a very bizarre manner, and then... then..."

"Then what?"

Konstantin swallowed hard.

"He took away those two ice elves..."

"What did you say?!"

"I'll send people to search for him right away!"

"Search your head! If he really is a Meilan, do you think those idiots of yours can find anything? They'll only find death!"

"Then... then what should we do?"

"What should we do? You're asking me what to do?! I'd like to ask how you've been handling things! How did you let a Meilan catch on to us?!"

"I... I don't know either. The auction invitations were distributed secretly, and every participant was recorded."

Count Konstantin was on the verge of tears; he felt truly wronged.

This affair was originally planned to be foolproof.

First, use the auction guests to conceal the whereabouts of the two elves, then use Hilton's hand to reclaim them, and finally quietly eliminate this group of slave traders to complete the recovery.

It was supposed to be a ghost-and-god-knows-not escape from the Ice Elf King's tracking.

Who could have anticipated that a Meilan would suddenly appear out of nowhere?

This family usually operates in the Ophis Empire and rarely comes to places like the kingdom where magical creatures are scarce and weak. Who knows what possessed this Meilan to come here for an adventure.

The black shadow on the other side of the mirror sighed, "What else did that Meilan do?"

"He said my days are... are numbered..."

"............"

"Your Eminence, why aren't you saying anything? You must save me!"

"Quiet!

I'll withdraw all our followers from the city in the next couple of days. You're still a nobleman of the kingdom after all. Without evidence, even that Meilan can't do anything to you."

"Alright, is there anything else I need to do?"

"If you don't want that Meilan to storm your manor directly, don't do anything, including your usual... activities."

"Yes, yes, I understand. I apologize for disturbing you so late at ni-"

Before Konstantin could finish his sentence, the mirror returned to its original state, reflecting his ghastly pale face.

.....................

"Damn it!!"

Undead Bishop Robert smashed the mirror before him with a punch, helplessly roaring:

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! How did he discover it? How on earth did he find out?!"

Robert clutched his head tightly, pulling at his pale gray hair. He could no longer contain his fear and anger.

"Days are numbered..."

That Meilan's words weren't meant for that fool Konstantin; they were clearly a warning to himself!

The appearance of a Meilan signified the complete failure of the plan, and he, a deeply hidden high bishop of the Undead Cult, could be exposed at any moment.

This plan had been in the works for three years, a full three years.

The entire Undead Cult had almost emptied its ranks, running east and west across the Qilan Continent for this plan.

Finally, after paying a huge price, they captured those two ice elves, and the plan had reached its final stage.

But right at this moment, they encountered the most terrifying accident.

A Meilan!

It was precisely to prevent such an accident that the cult had chosen to set up the altar in this remote earldom of the kingdom.

But what was the result?

"No, this isn't an accident! This monster, does he come sniffing around? This is simply cheating! How can such a creature exist in this world!"

Robert looked at the hair in his palm, and suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh filled with bitterness, helplessness, and madness.

"Hahahahaha!

So what? So what!

The plan won't end. How could we possibly terminate it because of one person after all this preparation!

Just wait, when that Great One descends upon this place,

Even if you are a Hero,

You won't be able to escape unscathed!"