As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

Above the sky, a massive steamer sailed through the air, shrouded by a great umbrella of gray mist that eclipsed the sun entirely. On the deck, figures shifted, minuscule as ants in the foggy expanse.

"This is the freighter that leads to the Mist Instance, shuttling the chosen among various ghost cities," a familiar voice spoke from behind. Alexander turned, his face colored with surprise.

"Mr. Edward, aren’t you tied up with pressing matters? Louis’ succession ceremony is just a month away. How come you’re here?"

The man who arrived was Edward, dressed impeccably in a tailcoat.

"I took a leave, of course! Don’t worry about Louis. The succession ceremony has been postponed. The Endless Abyss City has sought reinforcements. If they gather, they’ll attack our Dark Hell. Initiating the ceremony now would make many hesitant to support us. But most importantly,"

He paused, "you’re the first to enter the Mist Instance. You’ll be in the spotlight, and I worry for your safety."

Alexander was silent for a moment, then solemnly said, "Thank you."

Edward’s favorability had reached 90 points, not obtained through gifts or deliberate networking, unlike others like Sam, Terence, and even Su Rong.

With Edward, Alexander felt a pure friendship akin to what he had with Tony. Edward’s presence during the busiest time at the mansion genuinely touched Alexander, especially considering Edward had just ascended to the rank of Ghost King.

"Moved, are you?" Edward smirked, adjusting his collar. "Rest assured, I’ll keep you safe."

"If you’d act less arrogant, I’d be even more touched," Alexander retorted with an eye-roll.

"Likewise! I heard about your antics at the mansion’s banquet, impersonating me. You even promised group intercourse with Anlan and other sexy female ghosts. Tsk, why didn’t I think of that?" Edward countered.

They locked eyes for a moment before bursting into unrestrained laughter.

The melancholic wail of the steamship’s horn sliced through Edward and Alexander’s banter, as the colossal steamer came to a halt above the Dark Hell.

Beams of white light shot down from the steamer, spreading in all directions. One beam pinpointed the rooftop of the Fierce Ghost Apartment.

"Don’t worry. Those are the ship’s tethering beams. Stand in one, and you’ll be pulled up. Just keep a low profile and don’t act impulsively," Edward advised, standing behind Alexander.

Nodding, both men moved toward the beam. The moment they entered the white light, an irresistible force of attraction whisked them upward into the hovering steamer. They passed through a transparent white barrier and materialized in a spacious deck hall.

Around them stood a formidable assembly of ghosts, each emanating terrifying, kingly energy.

"We’re in the lower deck. Participants below the ’King’ rank are brought here; the upper level is for the ’Imperial’ ranks. The top deck, reportedly, is only for ’Emperor’-level beings.

We just wait here until we reach the Mist Zone, where the tethering beams will scatter us randomly into the instance," Edward whispered.

"Such a large ship; this can’t be the only cargo hold?" Alexander quickly scanned the room and questioned.

"Of course not. This ship gathers all the chosen from every world. Those here are merely from our Third Ghost Realm," Edward explained.

Edward’s words didn’t alleviate Alexander’s confusion. His invitation to the Mist Instance had come from Selena, as did the boarding notice. Yet, Selena was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be that because Selena entered from reality, her location differed from his? Or had she fulfilled her task of luring him into the Mist Instance? Alexander was already aboard; perhaps her mission was complete.

After all, the fact that Selena could directly issue him a boarding notice was irregular, raising questions about whether the Mist Instance operated under rules similar to the horror instances he knew.

"Everyone, come see what I’ve found—a living, breathing human!" Just as Alexander was deep in thought, a voice pierced through the air, brimming with astonishment.

Instantly, all eyes in the cargo hold swiveled toward Alexander. A collective gasp and murmur filled the space:

"So this is a living human? A chosen one from the tales? We haven’t had one in our Wailing Hell for decades!"

"Tell me about it! Now, only Dark Hell remains connected to the world of the chosen, and even that’s limited to the Solar System. We, in the Reincarnation Hell, are the unluckiest; our realm links to the Calais Galaxy, which scarcely has any living beings and hasn’t seen a human in centuries. I’ve heard human flesh is particularly tasty."

"Tsk, tsk, people from the Dark Hell sure live large, still connected to the last bastion of living beings. Look at them, even bringing a ’hamburger’ to the Horror World."

Damn it!

Listening to these ghosts’ chatter, Alexander seethed with indignation. He knew that, to these specters, chosen ones were low in rank. But being referred to as Edward’s ’hamburger’ was pushing it too far.

"Hey!" The ghost king who first spotted Alexander stepped forward, peering down at Edward. "Newcomer from Dark Hell, right? How about we split the ’hamburger’? I’m Rayden, the Ghost King from the Endless Abyss."

Endless Abyss?

Alexander’s pupils contracted sharply. This was someone he ’knew.’

Low profile. Must keep a low profile.

Alexander silently reminded himself. After all, Edward had explicitly told him to remain inconspicuous. Picking a fight right upon arrival was out of the question.

"Ghost King Rayden?"

Edward chuckled softly, unhurriedly taking out a pack of cigarettes. With a light flick, a cigarette soared out of the pack and landed in his mouth. A snap of his fingers, and the tip ignited instantly.

Taking a deep drag and exhaling a few rings, Edward’s eyes fixed on Rayden as he said icily, "What trash are you? Never heard of you! This is my brother, here for the Mist Instance! Got it?"

Alexander’s eyes widened. Was this what Edward had meant by ’keeping a low profile’? Edward had stressed that Alexander should remain inconspicuous, but here he was, putting on airs himself.

And that gesture—wasn’t it Alexander’s signature move? Had he paid royalties for that?

Feeling Alexander’s gaze, Edward quickly snapped back to reality and chuckled awkwardly. "Couldn’t help myself, couldn’t help myself."

"Dark Hell scum, you’re nearing your end and yet remain blissfully unaware—how audacious," Rayden’s face turned stern. "Recently promoted to Ghost King? Fraternizing with a bug; how laughable! Disrespecting me, Rayden? Fine, since fighting is forbidden here, if you’re gutsy, meet me at the Dueling Arena."

The Dueling Arena was a specific setting on the steamboat, part of the Horror World’s makeup. While ghosts here, even those at the ’king’ rank, could control their emotions no matter how malevolent or resentful they were in life, they still preferred not to.

Bloodlust was innate for them, and resolving disputes through duels was common in this unsettling realm.

The arena could be summoned via the Mist System, specifically for life-and-death battles. At the mention of a duel, all the ghosts present erupted in excitement. The crowd began to roar and cheer, some even looking eager to jump in.

Compared to verbal jibes, bloody combat was far more enticing. After all, few came here fearing death, and for these evil ghosts—even the kings—blood and battle were cravings rooted in their very nature.

"Scared, Dark Hell scum?" Rayden’s excitement crescendoed with the crowd’s clamor, a massive blade materializing in his hand. "Come, scoundrel, let me slice you into pieces on the Dueling Arena!"

"Scared of you?" A shimmering ice sword materialized swiftly in Edward’s hand. With a sly grin, he retorted, "Care to make a wager? I bet your blade isn’t sharp enough. Let’s stake your head on it."

"Got some guts! But your repulsive visage makes me even more eager to slaughter you!" Rayden licked his lips, his eyes ablaze with murderous intent. Raising his blade, he shouted, "Infinite Abyss, Rayden! Requesting the Dueling Arena!"

Just as Edward was about to respond, lifting his own sword, a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find Alexander’s somewhat excited gaze and a black sword in his hand.

"What... what are you up to?" Edward was taken aback. This guy wasn’t thinking of stepping in himself, was he? What a joke! Rayden was a Ghost King from the Infinite Abyss!

As for Alexander? A mere Soldier-tier Chosen One. Even if he aimed to punch above his weight, he should be challenging a Ghost General at most. The power gap between Soldier-tier and King-tier was as vast as the Pacific Ocean!

"I’d like to give it a try. If I lose, you can take over," Alexander said, almost causing Edward to choke with disbelief. Try? If he ’tries,’ he could end up dead—this was a duel to the death!

As Edward was about to rebuke him, his eyes met Alexander’s resolute gaze. "Are you sure?" His face grew serious, a mix of awe and incredulity filling his eyes.

He knew Alexander well. They had met at the Ghost Restaurant and had been paying attention to each other ever since. He knew Alexander would never act without assurance.

If Alexander dared to step forward, it meant he was confident. Could it be that he had some item that worked against a Ghost King?

Convinced by this, Edward relinquished his insistence. Patting Alexander’s shoulder, he stepped aside.

Sword in hand, Alexander felt a surge of excitement within. The exhilarating battle he had been awaiting was about to begin. A Ghost King would be a fitting opponent to consecrate his sword.

Alexander didn’t actually have any special items against Ghost Kings. Even the tools he had for dealing with prince ghosts were mostly depleted in his work for the City Lord’s mansion. But he had to fight this battle.

The reason was simple. Rayden was not the only Ghost King who had come from the Infinite Abyss; he had three companions with him earlier when he faced Edward.

Alexander was not concerned about Edward’s strength. Even though Edward had recently ascended to Ghost King level, his talents were remarkable. Furthermore, having worked for Louis and the City Lord, he would undoubtedly have some aces up his sleeve.

But what about the battles that would come after this? Even if Edward showed a sliver of weakness or couldn’t resolve the fight cleanly, not just Rayden’s allies but other Ghost Kings might start throwing challenges.

That was why Alexander had stepped up. If he could bring down this Ghost King, no scoundrel would dare to harass them anymore.

After all, the impact of a mere Soldier-tier figure defeating a Ghost King would undoubtedly be far more shocking than if Edward did it.

In an unavoidable battle, Alexander wanted to find out the limits of his full strength. Lifting his Underworld Sword, he too called out coldly, "Dark Hell Alexander, requesting the Dueling Arena!"

As his voice dropped, the room shook with a tremendous noise. Rising from the ground between the two men were one transparent screen after another.

All the surrounding Ghost Kings were pushed back by an immense force, revealing a large empty space. Four screens rose, forming a massive barrier that shot straight to the ceiling of the room.

Inside this makeshift arena stood Alexander and Rayden, along with several large beams of varying thicknesses that acted as terrain obstacles. Some ghosts could only fully realize their potential in such settings.

"The system of this Mist instance seems much more advanced than the Horror instance," Alexander couldn’t help but think to himself.

While Alexander was busy assessing the Dueling Arena, Rayden didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, he glared at Edward beyond the screens, his face twisted in rage. "You bastard, did you send this peon to insult me?"

"Why don’t we wait until you manage to walk out of this alive?" Edward shrugged indifferently.

What a joke. If Rayden knew that the chosen one before him had killed hundreds of Ghost Generals, more than a dozen Ghost Princes, and a Ghost King in the City Lord’s mansion, would he still have time for such trivial banter?

"Mr. Edward hardly has time to insult a piece of trash like you."Alexander’s voice drew all of Rayden’s ire.

Pointing his great sword at Alexander, he sneered, "You little worm, you’ve got guts! Don’t worry, I won’t let you die easily. Take your shot; this is your only chance to wield a weapon!"

Ignoring Rayden’s words, Alexander calmly took out a cigarette, puffed deeply, and then pointed his Underworld Sword at Rayden. "This blade of mine is three feet and three inches long. Forged in the Underworld, it’s more than enough to claim your ghostly life."

Outside the Dueling Arena, Edward’s eyes were ablaze. "I’ve learned something!" he thought. The poise, the grandiosity—this was what he had been striving for all along! It seemed like he would have to relinquish his nickname of ’Show-off’ to someone more deserving.

On the Dueling Arena, Rayden lost his composure entirely. "Enough with the chatter! If you’re afraid, just say so!" he roared.

Alexander shook his head, speaking calmly, "Your emotions are already out of control. How can you be a match for me if you can’t even master yourself?"

Alexander’s demeanor wasn’t just for show, nor was it solely for Edward’s benefit; primarily, he sought to incense his opponent. In a life-or-death battle with a Ghost King like Rayden, there was no room for complacency.

Alexander had achieved his goal—and then some. Rayden was absolutely livid, his mental state shattered.

The promise was for a duel to the death, and yet this "Chosen One" sauntered in and started showing off. Worse still, he spouted lines that appeared eloquent.

The problem? Rayden only had a kindergarten-level education; he’d never been to school since. How could he possibly come up with something to match this? His dignity as a Ghost King was at stake!

"Fuck your mother! Just die already!" Rayden finally spat out, believing this to be the most literary phrase he could muster.