Westminster Bank

Chapter 183: Chapter 126: Rot and Undead

"Gang Leader Ferdinand, how dare you!!!"

Those words plunged the entire hall into a dead silence. For a moment, the sound of breathing became startlingly clear.

Ferdinand’s brows shot up. Anger flared across his face, yet he maintained his composed demeanor:

"Lord Marquis, do you realize what you’re saying?"

His gaze paused, lingering on the Demon Hunters newly hired by the Rose Hunting Group standing behind her, and on the Undead Cultist from the Immortal Church they held in their custody.

"Though I, Ferdinand, have a reputation for philanthropy in Fude City, I am not someone the Lord Marquis can simply bully with her authority."

"I know perfectly well what I’m saying."

Yalilan said coolly, "This dead man is one of the Undead from the Immortal Church. I found him in a warehouse."

"As for which warehouse, I believe Gang Leader Ferdinand knows exactly which one I mean."

Ferdinand’s expression turned cold.

Baron could clearly see a vein throbbing on his temple. He was obviously suppressing his shock and rage.

Lewis nudged Victor with his elbow. Victor stepped forward and asked, "What warehouse?"

"Warehouse 307 on Helen Avenue. A burial ground for the sons of the rich and young maidens. Where skeleton rests upon skeleton, and coffin leans against coffin."

Andre, the temporary vice-captain of the Rose Hunting Group, approached from outside the hall, dragging a young man with him. The man was pale and dressed in rich clothes that were now somewhat disheveled.

A long, sharp cry suddenly erupted from the crowd:

"Is... is that Kazela?"

"Kazela! My son! So this is where you’ve been!"

The crowd naturally parted to reveal a richly dressed couple. They were wealthy merchants—the owners of the largest horse farm in Fude City.

Ferdinand’s expression became utterly grim.

The couple hesitantly stepped forward, as if wanting to confirm something.

Andre stopped them. "Until Kazela gives his testimony, he is our witness."

"Rest assured, he is your Kazela... although judging by his current state, there are some... slight differences."

"Oh, no, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying he’s on the verge of death. It’s just that he may have been... granted a blessing from the Immortal Goddess."

Seeing the Kazelas’ pitiable state, Andre tried to comfort them with what he thought were kind words.

But perhaps this mysterious man, accustomed to a pampered life of being waited on hand and foot, was too focused on his mystique to remember how to comfort a couple who had just recovered their lost son.

Only after hearing this did the Kazelas realize something was wrong with their son.

From the very beginning, their son’s expression hadn’t changed at all in response to their calls.

His expression was identical to the Undead who had been killed by the Canaan Tree Spike earlier—the same vacant indifference to everything...

Even Mr. Kazela, always a man of iron will, couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face.

But that indifference shattered the moment he saw the Tree Spike in Yalilan’s hand! Kazela’s son’s face twisted in terror. He began to struggle in Andre’s grasp, letting out a long, drawn-out hiss.

He seemed to be overcome with a profound sense of dread.

Now, it wasn’t just the Kazelas; everyone in the vicinity could see something was wrong.

To be terrified of a Canaan Tree Spike, a weapon specifically used to kill the Undead...

And then they remembered Andre calling him a ’witness’...

Zod’s expression was grave. "It’s the Undying. Kazela’s son has begun the process. Soon, he will degenerate into one of the Undead. It’s an irreversible process."

"The only solution is to use the wood of the Canaan Tree to put him down now, before the touch of the Immortal spreads completely."

"The Immortal contagion? Is it an infectious disease like the Blood Madness Disease?" Hearing Zod’s explanation, Maguire subconsciously backed away a few steps.

"It’s not an infectious disease, but it’s far more terrifying," Morey said.

’Huh? Morey? What’s he doing here?’

Facing Maguire’s questioning gaze, Morey, disguised as an Attendant, stuck an unlit cigarette in his mouth and explained, "I was bored. Decided to take a stroll."

’Just out for a stroll, huh.’ Maguire nodded, accepting the explanation.

Any normal person would have been suspicious. A Blood Loss Knight, who should be laying low, wouldn’t just casually stroll into the City Lord’s Mansion for sightseeing.

But Maguire was a simple creature, a man of Burning Blood. Once he decided what was right, he stopped caring about the details. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

He considered Morey a friend, and he would never doubt a friend.

Maguire was the kind of man who would take a knife in the ribs for a brother, and if that same brother stabbed him twice more, he’d just ask for a heads-up next time.

Zod figured that with a personality like that, Maguire was bound to get burned badly sooner or later in his career as a Demon Hunter. The only question was when.

Zod relaxed his hand on his sword. Morey glanced at the gesture and smiled before continuing his explanation for Maguire:

"There’s a reason why the Immortal Church, despite being outlawed by generations of Prole Emperors, has thrived for a thousand years like a stubborn weed that can’t be rooted out. It’s because their immortality is real."

"After an initial, brief period of Undying, an Undead’s body gradually reverts to the appearance of a normal person. From then on, they stop aging, forever preserving the appearance they had at the moment they became one of the Undead."

"Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?" Morey said. "But every exchange comes with a price."

"In return, they must pay a price to the Goddess, one equal to the gift of immortality."

"[Immortality] is a struggle against decay and death. Decay stems from the First Law: [Time]. As for [Death]... need I say more? The best proof is the [Death Sword] itself, which slew numerous Gods and now lies buried in the Prole Royal Capital, holding a third of the fragments of the [Death Law]."