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

After a brief round of introductions and pleasantries, Untold casually inquired, "I haven’t seen you in a few days, Mr. Alexander, and you’ve already become the Ghost Emperor. You must have quite a few friends in Dark Hell to have ascended so rapidly."

"Fair enough," Alexander nodded. "I do have a knack for making friends. A few of them have been rather supportive."

"Your extensive network of friends is enviable, Mr. Alexander," Untold remarked. Yet internally, he was scheming about how to lure Alexander back to the First Ghost Realm. Once there, Alexander would be a caged beast, at their mercy.

"Untold Ghost Emperor, you’re too kind. We are friends now, aren’t we?" Alexander replied sincerely, even though what he was really pondering was how to manipulate Untold into inviting him to the First Ghost Realm.

"As the Chosen One, don’t you feel confined in a place like Dark Hell?" Untold probed.

"Not really, but I do have a penchant for traveling. Not being able to explore the world has always been a regret," Alexander seized the opportunity to follow Untold’s line of questioning.

Untold’s eyes brightened, "That’s an admirable aspiration. I’d love to help."

Alexander’s eyes lit up, "I would be more than grateful for your help. What do you have in mind?"

"It’s simple. I am the Lord of Lake City in the First Ghost Realm. We are on this airship, and once we reach the Third Ghost Realm, you can opt to stay on board and accompany me to my Lake City."

Afraid his eagerness might arouse suspicion, Untold quickly added, "Of course, if you have pressing matters to attend to, we can always reschedule."

"No worries, I have plenty of free time," Alexander replied almost instinctively, afraid to lose this hard-earned opportunity. But then he realized he might’ve been too eager.

Worried that his eagerness would raise Untold’s suspicions, he hastily added, "That is, of course, assuming you’re not busy yourself. I wouldn’t want to impose."

"Nonsense, there’s no imposition. As long as you don’t look down upon Lake City, you’ll find a warm welcome waiting for you."

"In that case," Alexander responded, "I can’t wait to take advantage of this generous offer to explore your realm, Untold Ghost Emperor!"

Both men wore sincere smiles, yet beneath those smiles, both were chess players contemplating their next moves.

The two men locked eyes, each sensing a strange kind of kinship with the other.

Both were somewhat surprised. Was everything going a little too smoothly? Could the man before them actually be a kindred spirit?

Should they pull their punches when the time came to act?

"Stop calling me Untold Ghost Emperor. If you don’t mind, just call me ’big brother,’" Untold offered, even as he inwardly sighed.

Alexander was a man who couldn’t be left unattended. If he summoned his guardians, what then?

And even without that concern, just the fact that Alexander had soared to the rank of Ghost Emperor in one or two Instances indicated an enormous potential that couldn’t be allowed to flourish. Once he had what he needed, Alexander would have to be dealt with.

"If you don’t mind having me as a little brother, I’d be more than happy to," Alexander replied, likewise sighing inside.

This Untold couldn’t be left to his own devices. The man had enough sway over multiple Ghost Emperors in the First Ghost Realm to possess a reputation that might even be more dangerous than that lord K.

If Untold managed to get out and work against him, it would be a massive waste of time—something that Alexander could ill afford. Once they reached the First Ghost Realm, Untold would have to be taken care of, one way or another.

"Haha, you’re straightforward, Alexander! A man worth befriending," Untold laughed heartily.

"And you’re equally forthright, Untold! I regret that we didn’t meet sooner," Alexander responded in kind.

For a moment, both sensed a strange camaraderie. After a brief pause, Untold ventured, "It’s a pity, though, that this is only our second meeting. Extending an enthusiastic invitation might seem a bit rash on my part. Otherwise, I’d have definitely invited you to be a guest at my Lake City."

"Absolutely," Alexander agreed, nodding his head with a face full of approval. "Since we’ve only just met, I’d actually love to visit Lake City sometime and take in the local scenery."

With that, both men fell silent.

They were both, by any standard, smart men—intellectuals who had relied on their wit from a young age to solve problems. This often led to a predisposition to overthink things. They were skeptics, not prone to believing in coincidence or luck, trusting only their own intellect.

So it was now. Both were thinking the same thing: This is going too smoothly. It’s all coming together too easily.

When things go too well, doubt naturally creeps in. Both sensed that their respective goals could be achieved with a single sentence but remained involuntarily silent.

Had it just been the two of them, this impasse might have lingered, perhaps leading them to reconsider their plans. Luckily, they were not alone.

Growing somewhat impatient with their mutual silence, Isolde, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but interject, "If one wants to play host and the other wants to be a guest, what’s the hold-up? Let’s all go to the First Ghost Realm!"

"Wouldn’t that be too forward? After all, we’ve just met. What do you think, Alexander?" Untold said cautiously.

"I would love to, but wouldn’t it seem too presumptuous?" Alexander also feigned hesitation for a moment.

"Not at all! We’d be honored to have someone as distinguished as you, Alexander," Untold insisted.

"You’re too kind! If you’re not against it, then let’s head to Lake City tonight!"

...

Finally, after a prolonged period of mutual probing, both men seemed to have achieved their respective objectives. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew livelier.

Soon, the airship came to a halt above Lake City in the First Ghost Realm. Following Untold’s invitation, a beam of light transported Alexander, and they both appeared on the rooftop of a towering skyscraper.

Looking down from the skyscraper, Lake City appeared as a forest, with steel buildings jutting out from the thick foliage, lending the city a sense of decay and an altogether unique charm.

The area of Lake City was not much smaller than Dark Hell, yet its population was obviously far greater.

"What a place! Truly, what a remarkable place!" Alexander couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Glad you like it!" Untold casually replied. With a beaming smile, he walked up to Alexander and said, "Let’s save the sightseeing for later, brother Alexander. The building beneath us is where I usually reside. Why don’t we go in for a drink? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you."

Untold was already eager to press Alexander for his secrets.

"That sounds great! Let’s head down and talk. I also have something I’d like to discuss with you," Alexander was equally eager. He too could hardly wait to negotiate with Untold about the transfer of control over Lake City.

The building where Untold resided didn’t seem particularly luxurious; it was neither ostentatiously gilded nor strewn with violent decorations.

As the group walked through the building, both Alexander and Untold unconsciously quickened their pace. Soon, they arrived in the top-floor hall.

The moment he entered, Alexander immediately realized something was off.