Hazard stood atop his favorite mountain peak, gazing down at the battlefield alongside his dragon, who once again pretended to be asleep.

In the center of the battlefield, corpses had become a feast for crows and vultures. Two armies, each having lost half their forces the previous day, stepped onto the field once more, but this time, it seemed the battle would be decided by their commanders alone.

Count Solar unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Maximan."You will pay for yesterday's blood!"

Maximan spun his spear in the air."Your tongue is too long—let me do you a favor and shorten it."

...

Hazard watched the duel between the two warlord-level fighters with interest. He could say with confidence that even if they joined forces, he could still defeat them.

The battle radiated intense magical waves, and Solar's powerful sword techniques were clearly visible. However, Maximan's agility and raw strength placed him on another level. After an hour of intense combat, Count Solar's severed head rested atop Maximan's spear, while the victor drank his blood.

With Solar's defeat, his forces ceased their attack and began retreating. Maximan's dark forces, too, withdrew to their own territory at his command. As both armies departed, Hazard's gaze fell upon the corpses and, more importantly, their equipment. However, he noticed that forces from both sides were collecting the dead. Despite his great interest, he chose not to intervene or reveal himself. He knew that if either side discovered his existence, he would be swiftly eradicated, just like other demon kings before him.

Some time passed. Seated upon the throne in his fortress's highest chamber, he gazed greedily and regretfully at the remaining points needed for his next upgrade. Yet, he held no regrets about staying out of the war. The consequences of interfering in such conflicts were not trivial, even for some of the most powerful beings.

After a few minutes, he left the chamber and, following a trade filled with dread, purchased a new structure and placed it in the sanctuary hall.

[Building: Death Spirit Guardian – Level 4]A vengeful archlord-level spirit ensures that no enemy within a hundred meters can approach the building's core.

Hazard nearly coughed up blood upon seeing the cost—but even if he had blood in his golden veins, he would have been immune to such things. The construction required only a Death Jewel and a significant amount of gold, completely depleting his balance. But when the structure finally appeared, Hazard nodded in satisfaction.

Above the massive sanctuary, a dark crystal core pulsed like a heartbeat, releasing waves of dark mana with each throb. A towering twenty-meter-tall specter, wielding a death scythe, floated in the air. A black crown rested upon its head, while its tattered black robe fluttered ominously.

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Satisfied with its power, Hazard left the fortress. Along the way, he rescued Cerberus from yet another mare's jaws and ordered it to hunt nearby. A hellhound appearing on a battlefield or in its vicinity wouldn't arouse suspicion—something that reassured Hazard. With a simple nod to the flesh-covered beast, he made his way back to the fortress.

If things continued like this, the day when even Cerberus's skeleton wouldn't be found due to the mares' hunger would soon arrive.

Upon returning, he checked the undead giants being produced in the tombs. These provided him with a significant number of lord-level troops at no cost. Satisfied, he finally retreated to his bedchamber, allowing himself to sleep once more in the embrace of the mares.

...

High above the fortress, Hezhna soared through the sky alongside an undead witch. She looked at the creature, once considered her sister, with disgust.

"You don't understand anything anymore, do you?"

There was no response, only a sigh escaping from Hezhna's lips. She then turned her gaze toward the demonic undead dragon, which lay coiled atop the fortress crown, feigning sleep.

"This demon king's power has grown too much. It's only a matter of time before either the Empire or the Darkness learns of his existence... If he doesn't reach the legendary level by then, he's done for."

She scouted the surrounding lands for several kilometers but found nothing unusual—only undead moving in and out of the fire jewel mines. Returning to the fortress, she saw her other sisters arriving as well, none accompanied by an undead witch. The witches continued their night patrols, returning only to replenish their mana.

Luci, standing nearby, approached and whispered into Hezhna's ear.

"Our food is running out."

Hezhna frowned. This moment had been approaching for some time. Even though they ate sparingly, food and water were still essential.

"No wine to lift their spirits, no decent food or water... Someone is bound to make a reckless move soon."

She simply nodded and headed for the fortress. This issue needed to be reported to Hazard. She at least expected the demon king to provide them with sustenance.

Upon reaching the fortress, she was stopped by two demonic undead giants, each equal in power to her. She couldn't even communicate telepathically with them, as their resistance to mind magic was too high.

She had no choice but to turn back. Meeting Hazard without prior notice or entering through his balcony, as he had said before, was tantamount to courting death. Flying too close to the fortress was forbidden, and if the bone dragon spotted them, it would surely attack.

With no other choice, she returned to the small houses where they were stationed—each shared by two witches. Upon arrival, she longed for a hot bath, but such luxuries didn't exist. Instead, she simply removed her clothes and collapsed onto the bed, watching Luci drift into sleep.

"One day, we'll be free..."

Unaware that a small, eye-like creature was observing from the corner of the room, she soon fell asleep.

Every word, every movement was being watched by the Eyes of Death.

Hazard, having awakened in his chamber, lay among the sleeping mares. Receiving the reports from his liches, he could only sigh in frustration.

The undead witches, due to their lower levels, had little intelligence compared to the living witches under his command. Those with centuries of experience had forced him to trade fire jewels for gold coins, searching for things he never imagined he would spend his wealth on.