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

Alexander was but a mere foot soldier in terms of his abilities, and yet the opponent he faced was no less than a Ghost King!

Throughout the grand hall, not a soul, save Edward, had anticipated that the situation would turn so taut with tension.

Incensed by Alexander—or perhaps seeking to make a show for the crowd—Alaric deployed his unique talent: Nightfall. This was a most extraordinary and terrifying power.

Harnessing ghost energies, he enveloped himself in a space of darkness, a genuine pocket realm. While it was small, anyone stepping into it would be completely cut off from the external world. This talent may not have been as stunning as Edward’s, but it was petrifying nonetheless.

Alaric’s display of his talent was mere theater; his true objective was to settle matters with Tony standing nearby. Even if he couldn’t kill him outright, crippling him would suffice.

However, as Alexander made his move, everyone was taken aback—Alaric most of all.

Initially, when Alexander reached toward Alaric’s throat, the latter scoffed. Due to the effect of his unique ability, Alaric seemed enveloped in a mere thin layer of dark mist.

In reality, it was a space of night. Unless Alexander’s arm could stretch forty meters, he couldn’t possibly touch Alaric.

But then, as Alexander’s arm ventured into the sphere of darkness, ghost energy enveloped it. As his arm moved through, the ghostly energy that constituted Alaric’s talent began to destabilize, crumbling and dispersing until the entire pocket realm collapsed in a matter of moments.

Alexander’s hand encountered no resistance and firmly clasped Alaric’s throat.

To the onlookers, it appeared as if Alexander’s hand had lightly touched the sphere of night and then effortlessly grasped Alaric’s throat. Immediately afterward, the dark space surrounding Alaric could not hold and shattered.

Every face in the hall changed color, including those of the Ghost Imperials present.For Alexander’s feat was spectacular, something they could not replicate.

Shattering a pocket dimension like Nightfall was within the capabilities of any Ghost Imperial, but to do so with such seeming ease and in the process catch Alaric by the throat was beyond terrifying.

By comparison, Alaric was even more shocked, bordering on horrified. For only he could see what had transpired within his own sphere of night.

Forbidden power!

Alexander actually possessed forbidden power!

Among those who had witnessed Alexander acquire this enigmatic force were Kassadin, Edward, and a few other participants from the Ghost Realm.

Without Karin’s consent, no one dared to spread word of such a phenomenon. After all, no one was eager to test the mettle of Karin’s twin blades, capable of annihilating an entire Ghost Realm.

While discussions aboard the airship were hushed, even if news did escape, it would take a considerable amount of time to circulate in the expansive Dark Hell. The third Ghost Realm would likely remain oblivious.

Alaric’s eyes widened as he tried to speak, but it was apparent Alexander wouldn’t afford him the opportunity.

With a crisp snap, Alaric’s neck broke. The forbidden power infiltrated his body, sealing away all his ghostly energy, rendering it ineffective or, more accurately, beyond his control. For a ghost, this was lethal.

Alaric twitched violently for a moment before his body slumped, his consciousness dissipating. Even if Alexander were to lift the forbidden power’s seal at that instant, revival was beyond the realm of possibility for Alaric.

"You dare to kill here? This is the city lord’s mansion!" exclaimed a Ghost King.

"And what of the city lord’s mansion? Was my last visit here not bloody enough? Do you think I would spare anyone who threatens my friends?" Alexander retorted disdainfully, leaving his accuser at a loss for words.

"Last time, you were just participating in the instance; this is different! As a ghost citizen, you have to abide by the rules of our world.

Do you think killing Alaric will go unpunished? Thaddeus is not someone even the city lord’s mansion dares to provoke!" said Octavian Imperial, who had initially tried to prevent Edward from intervening.

"I think he won’t mind," Alexander responded unfazed, tossing Alaric’s lifeless body aside and taking a seat in the center of the hall.

"Imperial Thaddeus of Yama did defeat Kassadin and Seraphina in succession. I have great respect for him. But it’s unlikely he’d clash with me over a traitor who’s already pledged allegiance to the Endless Abyss. He might even thank me for cleaning house."

"What do you mean by that?" Octavian stood abruptly.

"What do I mean? Octavian, you think your deeds are unknown?" Alexander sneered.

"The Horned Ghost King is with you, isn’t he? And you’ve been secretly supporting the motorcycle instance, correct? Kevin has managed to plant many spies in Dark Hell, thanks to your assistance. Without your help, he couldn’t have infiltrated our Dark Hell."

Alexander’s words sent shockwaves through the room. Previously, when the owner of the Rakshasa Street Apartments mysteriously disappeared, his close friend Thaddeus took over the search. He scoured the entire street, even suspecting the city lord’s mansion, and fought with Seraphina over it.

To this day, Thaddeus remains in the ghost house where the Rakshasa Apartment owner vanished. Unbelievably, the foe he had been seeking all along was Octavian, a nurtured Imperial of the city lord’s mansion, who had become a traitor in league with Lord K of the Endless Abyss. The gravity of this revelation was staggering.

"Nonsense! Sheer nonsense! Accusing me of treachery? Hilarious! I am famously loyal; even if I were a traitor, how would you, a mere chosen one, know?

You dare to falsely accuse me; do you have a death wish?" Octavian slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Alexander, poised to make his next move.

"Indeed, Mr. Alexander, you’ve gone too far!" someone added. "Octavian is an Imperial-level figure. You cannot insult him without evidence. If you have proof, speak up—where did you get this information?"

Ghost friendly with Octavian immediately began to question Alexander’s claims.

"If you don’t believe me, look at Octavian’s right arm! He bears the black spider brand unique to Kevin, which can be activated with ghost energy for communication at critical moments.

Octavian, you dare to betray Dark Hell? You truly deserve death!" Alexander declared coldly.

All eyes turned to Octavian, whose expression tightened. Seeing this, everyone understood—had Octavian been falsely accused, he would’ve simply rolled up his sleeve to prove his innocence right there and then.

"Damn you, speaking nonsense! I’ll kill you!" Octavian hadn’t expected Alexander to be privy to even such well-concealed information. Now, he had no way to cover it up. With bloodshot eyes, he lunged at Alexander.

His only course of action was to kill Alexander before the city lord arrived, and escape in the ensuing chaos. Once outside the lord’s mansion, he’d have a chance to flee using some magical item.

"Octavian, you indeed deserve to die," a young voice chimed in just then.

Frozen like a statue, Octavian stopped in his tracks as if time itself had paused.

A young man—wearing thick, oversized glasses and whose youthful face was still slightly naive—slowly walked out from the rear of the hall. His gaze swept across the room and finally settled on Octavian Imperial.

"Louis, do you believe me or him? He’s merely a soldier-class chosen one, while I’m an Imperial. I’ve given much for Dark Hell," said Octavian, his body trembling, his face as white as a sheet, and his legs shaking subtly.

"Good to see you, Mr. Louis!"

Everyone in the room immediately stood up, showing respect. Besides a few leaders from different factions, most present were there representing Imperials. Some even had shaky relationships with the city lord’s mansion, but their respect for Louis was undisguised.

Adjusting his large glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, Louis flicked his hand.

Swish!

Octavian’s sleeve shattered into pieces, revealing a black spider tattoo on his arm. Louis looked at the black spider; it seemed to corrode as if burnt, emitting wisps of green smoke.

"Any more doubts? Or perhaps, you’d like to offer some further excuses?" Louis calmly inquired.

Octavian’s face changed instantly. Against someone like Louis—who had once been in contact with the Lord K—he knew his excuses wouldn’t stand a chance. Thus, Octavian abandoned any thoughts of begging for mercy.

Betraying the interests of Dark Hell to collude with Endless Abyss, especially on the eve of impending warfare, was an unforgivable sin.

As an Imperial within Dark Hell, Octavian could have chosen neutrality; he could have ignored requests from the city lord or even participated in a collective censure against them. But conspiring with an external enemy was an entirely different matter, a line that could not be crossed under any lenient governance.

Gathering all the ghost energy he could muster, Octavian sprinted towards the hall’s exit with the utmost speed his body could achieve. Louis simply shook his head and sighed, as if he didn’t see Octavian’s desperate escape attempt.

He walked over to Alexander, exchanged a smile, and took a seat beside him.

Octavian, now nearing the hall’s exit, allowed himself a grin, thinking he had narrowly escaped. But just as he began to revel in his perceived victory, his speed inexplicably slowed. His very color began to fade.

A wisp of gray mist flashed by. Immediately, the colors of Octavian’s clothes, skin, and very essence began to dissipate, leaving behind a black and white outline.

But even that started to distort—morphing into a silhouette made of sketch-like lines. And before the look of surprise could vanish from his face, the lines composing his form seemed to be pulled away, one by one.

In that chilling moment, Octavian vanished from this world, his last trace of essence disappearing without a trace.

The eerie spectacle left everyone in the hall profoundly shaken. Alexander’s brow furrowed.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Louis wield forbidden power; Guardian Karin had also utilized forbidden abilities in his presence. Yet, Alexander felt the forbidden power emanating from the Guardian seemed categorically different from what he knew.

Just as Alexander was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps resonated through the hall.

Adorned in white form-fitting battle armor and black over-the-knee boots, Alice emerged from the back of the hall. Her eyes scanned the room before she began to speak.

"As everyone present is aware, Kevin from the Endless Abyss has already assembled a considerable force, and he has allies. Although I don’t know the strength his allies will contribute, it won’t be insignificant. I understand your are concerns, but now, Dark Hell needs the unity of all its factions to repel this external threat!"

"That’s only right! Dark Hell is our home. Given that it now faces a life-and-death crisis, it is natural that we stand united against the invading armies of the Endless Abyss!"

Several factions that had good relations with the city lord’s mansion quickly expressed their loyalty. Even a few groups not of the same tier as the Imperials looked ready to lend their full support to the city lord’s mansion.

However, this support wasn’t enough. What really mattered was the reaction of the top-tier powers. Some were skeptical, some undecided, and some, standing in for the absent Imperials, had no real decision-making power. They all looked at a loss.

"Dark Hell is indeed our home," began a lavishly adorned beautiful female ghost among the Imperials, "but it seems that the crisis is threatening your city lord’s mansion, not us. Is it appropriate for us to deal with a problem you’ve created?

After all, I heard that this young man is the one who stirred up the trouble," Female ghost said, her eyes locking onto Alexander.

At that moment, a whispered voice, belonging to Edward, filled his ears. "That’s Kui, an Imperial-level figure who people usually refer to as the Emperor. She owns Dark Hell’s Rose Apartments. These apartments house twenty million female ghosts and forbid the entry of males. Each resident is said to be incredibly attractive."

"Kui possesses dual talents. Along with her charm, she has a terrifying talent named ’Devil Baby,’ allowing her to plant Devil Baby inside female ghosts.

These Devil Babies let the ghosts borrow a portion of Kui’s powers while also lending their strength to her temporarily. Though she isn’t a Ghost Emperor, her fighting abilities are on par with one, making her the only ’Emperor’ in the third Ghost Realm who isn’t an actual Ghost Emperor.

Moreover, her talents can bring her back to life through these Devil Babies and rapidly recover her strength."

The information rendered Alexander spellbound. The Devil Baby talent was extremely potent. A droplet of saliva inadvertently escaped his lips as he wondered if consuming Kui would allow him to inherit her powers.

The next instant, he snapped back to his senses and hastily wiped his mouth.

"Little brother, were you just drooling?" Kui said, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. In one smooth leap, she was atop the table, propping herself up with one hand. Her other fist rested gently against her temple as she lounged diagonally, her face angled toward Alexander.

"Naughty boy, this is the City Lord’s mansion; no sexual thoughts allowed. Or would you prefer to come with me to Rose Apartments?"

As she spoke, Alexander distinctly felt a collective shiver course through every male ghost present—Edward included—all except for Louis and himself.

Among them was a lustful Ghost King whose roving eyes had never settled. He’d been stealing glances at the bosoms and skirts of female ghosts. However, he’d never dared to even look at Alice or Kui.

Whenever his eyes did meet theirs, he’d quiver and avert his gaze. Could Rose Apartments really be that terrifying?

"Sister Kui!" At that moment, Louis, who had been keeping his head lowered, looked up and met Kui’s eyes.