Mo Han and Dai Li’s entrance point was indeed on a main street, but the avenue was now steeped in a deathly silence, utterly devoid of any sign of life.

Mo Han dared not let his guard down. After instructing Little Mo and Little Han to revert to their original forms, he sent Little Mo ahead to scout the path while Little Han covered their rear. Mo Han took Dai Li’s hand, positioning her between the two guardians, and they proceeded slowly down the empty thoroughfare.

Without the sun, Mo Han had no measure of time, but he estimated they had been walking for a considerable duration. By his pace, they should have traversed the entire city by now, yet the road seemed endless. In all this time, they hadn’t seen so much as a shadow—which caused Mo Han private consternation. By his reckoning, tens of thousands of civilians should still be here, so where had they all vanished? As Mo Han pondered this, Dai Li tugged at his sleeve. “I find this very strange, Mo Han. How can there be no one at all? Something feels unusual,” she frowned in confusion. “According to those Kardik officials, there should still be tens of thousands of civilians here. But now, not a single soul is visible.”

“Heh, it seems we’ve been discovered. Look, someone has come to greet us?” Mo Han said with a smile, pointing straight ahead.

Little Mo also let out a low, alert growl. A high-level magical beast’s innate intuition warned him that the figure before them was far from simple.

Dai Li followed Mo Han’s gaze and saw, about fifty meters away, a figure cloaked entirely in black standing where there had been nothing before, as if they had always been there, utterly motionless. It stood like a statue, eerily still, sending a chill up Dai Li’s spine. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on Mo Han’s wrist.

Mo Han noticed Dai Li’s reaction and sent her a gentle look, smiling as he spoke. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. It’s all just some cheap theatrics. Nothing to fear.”

Dai Li relaxed slightly at Mo Han’s reassurance and nodded, her fear seemingly receding.

Just as Mo Han’s voice faded, a grating, horrific cackle echoed from the dark figure opposite them. “Welcome to my realm of death, young ones. I haven’t seen a living soul here in days. It’s been quite nostalgic.” The surrounding landscape, paired with that hideous, chilling voice, sent shivers down the spine.

Yet Mo Han seemed entirely unfazed. He smiled and took a few steps forward, speaking loudly. “Oh? A realm of death? And who might you be then? Death itself?” “Hee-hee. I am not the Grim Reaper,” the shadow replied, punctuating his words with that unpleasant laugh. “But I am close. Here, I am the sovereign. Do you understand?”

Mo Han scoffed at the claim. “I was just wondering why the sky here was so dark. Turns out there are cows flying overhead!” The cloaked figure looked utterly bewildered by Mo Han’s non sequitur. “What do you mean? Have I scared you senseless? What cows flying overhead?” “Scared senseless? By you? What a joke,” Mo Han retorted dismissively. “Want to know why? It’s simple: because you’re blowing smoke down here, so naturally, the cows fly up there. In short, you’re just boasting, understand? Idiot.”

Hearing this, Dai Li couldn't help but smile. The momentary panic the dark figure had induced vanished with Mo Han’s dark joke. She truly admired him; no matter the time or the level of danger, he could always make people feel at ease, removing all fear and inspiring complete trust. This, she mused, must be part of Mo Han’s irresistible charm.

The shadow, instead of getting angry at Mo Han’s retort, burst into more cackling laughter. “You’re quite amusing, boy. I’ve decided—I’ll make an exception and take you as one of my subordinates. I’ll spare your lives. How about that? You should be thanking me!” The shadow spoke with an air of smug satisfaction, as if bestowing a massive favor upon them.

Mo Han laughed heartily in return. Seeing Mo Han apparently ignoring his generous offer, the dark figure grew curious. “Are you accepting, or what? If you wait until I change my mind, it’ll be too late!”

Mo Han bypassed the question, a smile still playing on his lips. “How about I give you a chance? I’ll make an exception and take you as a lackey. You can wash my floors, do the dishes, something like that. What do you think? You don’t need to thank me too much; I’m generally an easygoing person.”

“Hmph, boy, you refuse the chance I offer. Don't regret it,” the dark figure said coldly, fixing Mo Han with a stare. “Don't think I’m afraid of you just because you have an Earth Bear. Let me tell you, a magical beast of that rank is utterly useless in my eyes. One last time: are you willing or not?”

Mo Han’s voice turned equally cold. “What do you think, idiot?” He finished by ostentatiously flashing an insulting gesture toward the shadow.

Seeing this, the dark figure said nothing more, only stating coldly, “You had better start praying for yourself. Don't say I didn't give you a warning.” With that, his entire form began to fade, dissolving until he vanished completely, as if he had never existed.

Witnessing this, Dai Li exclaimed in astonishment, “Is he truly a god? What just happened?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a magical illusion,” Mo Han explained. “People who reach the rank of Arch-Magister can use this kind of spell, though it’s been lost for ages. I never expected to run into it here. It seems our opponent isn’t ordinary, so we need to be cautious. What we just saw was only his shadow, not his true body. His real self is definitely hiding somewhere in this vicinity. Once I find him, I’ll make him pay—damn it, playing these tricks in front of me.”

Reassured by Mo Han’s explanation, Dai Li felt less anxious. As long as he was a person, he had weaknesses, and she just needed to find them.

At that moment, a chorus of disorganized footsteps echoed all around them. Mo Han heard it and shook his head, muttering, “Trouble. Let’s go, quickly.” He then turned and sprinted forward with Dai Li, with Little Mo and Little Han following at a rapid pace.

Though Dai Li didn’t understand Mo Han’s sudden action, she trusted every decision he made implicitly, convinced he had a reason. She didn’t ask any questions, simply keeping close as she ran alongside him.

After running for some time, Mo Han and the others finally outran the chaotic footsteps, and they stopped. “Let’s rest here for a bit. We should be clear now.” Mo Han took Dai Li’s hand and walked toward a nearby building, telling Dai Li and the two creatures to wait for him by the entrance. Only after confirming the building was completely safe did Mo Han beckon Dai Li inside.

As soon as they sat down, Mo Han began. “Those footsteps we heard were likely made by the residents of this city who have been infected by the virus. While we aren't afraid, they are troublesome. Some civilians might still be salvageable if they find the immune factor, so we can’t just kill them outright. It’s better to avoid them for now.”

Dai Li nodded at his explanation. “If that’s the case, it is indeed troublesome. Thank goodness we ran fast, or I don't know how we would have handled those mutated civilians.” Just then, Mo Han gave a wry smile. “Looks like our trouble has arrived. Be careful.”

Little Mo and Little Han also sensed the approaching danger, both roaring as they rushed toward the entrance. Dai Li and Mo Han reached the doorway and saw that the space before them was suddenly filled with mercenaries—easily over a hundred of them. A closer look revealed they were members of those mercenary groups that had entered the city earlier and subsequently vanished. But now, the light of emotion was gone from the eyes of these mercenaries, replaced only by a chilling, bloodthirsty gaze.

And the dark figure reappeared slowly before Mo Han and Dai Li, laughing triumphantly. “I hope you enjoy this little gift I’ve prepared for you. Don’t disappoint me; I have so many more things yet to use. I hope your strength isn't entirely exhausted already.” After saying this, the cloaked figure slowly vanished, but not before his voice, which Mo Han now deeply resented, echoed one last time: “Oh, I forgot to tell you—the strength of these mercenaries isn't what it used to be. Their power has been significantly enhanced after my modifications. Don't be too careless, ha ha ha…”