Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Luo Cheng was slightly nervous, with Zane by his side as he met up with the rival sect. Though Zhao Qiu had vouched for the man, assuring Luo Cheng that Zane's power was indeed enough to kill the Houhai Lake Monster he couldn't help but feel anxious about the whole ordeal.

On the one hand, Zane was an unknown quantity. A literal foreigner, who appeared out of nowhere, and held great strength. In addition to this, his appearance was a bit unusual, and he had a cold demeanor almost as if all life on earth was simple disgusting to look at.

Perhaps he wasn't an awakened human Afterall, and was rather one of those mythical Horde Kings that he had heard about. Undead that were absurdly powerful, commanders of the undead, and were intelligent enough to counter humanity.

In addition to this, there were rumors that some of these so called Horde Kings looked like humans, and were even capable of blending in with human society. If such things really existed, then could this strange foreigner be one of them?

Luo Cheng was mostly right about this. Zane was indeed a Horde King, a Tier II Horde King at that, and the chosen heir of Death herself. He was an entity that Luo Cheng and his Divine Sword Sect could not offend.

But at the same time, Zane could easily be lying about his abilities to scam the man and his faction. After all, Zhao Qiu owed him a great deal of debt, and if she could run away with this foreigner wouldn't that benefit her?

Quite frankly, Luo Cheng didn't know what to think about Zane. All he knew was that the man was a threat. He, of course, could not understand just how much of one Zane was though. And because of this, he walked beside Zane silently eying him throughout the entire journey to their destination.

In the end, Zane, Zhao Qiu, Luo Cheng, and the man's cronies all arrived at a meeting point in between the two competing sects. The men standing across from him were all wearing black robes that were embroidered with bright orange and red flames. No doubt their sect specialized in some kind of Fire skill.

Or perhaps they only accepted people with the fire element among their ranks. Either way Zane didn't really care because at the end of the day he could kill everyone here and walk away without anyone being aware of what happened. His power was absolute when it came to humanity.

There was no human in this world that he was aware of who could challenge him, and if nobody in the area could kill the Lake Monster of Houhai, then this was proof that he need not fear the abilities of those who had gathered.

Instead, Zane stood quietly, no doubt the odd man out due to his foreign appearance, both in terms of his facial features, but also his armor and weapons. As for the locals, they began to holler and scream at one another. Both sides posturing as if they were the ones who would walk away the victor of these negotiations.

"Luo Cheng I see you brought your dogs with you? And lady Zhao Qiu no less? Has she finally fallen into your hands? I pity, a fairy like her would do well in my sect! And who is this? A foreigner?

In this day and age? Just where did you get your hands on such an exotic pet?"

Luo Cheng remained calm and reserved on the surface, but was quite obvious from Zane's perspective, seething inside. Whereas Zhao Qiu appeared rather dismayed by the words spoken to her, disgusted no doubt by what the leader of the opposing sect had said.

But at the same time, knowing that it would be an inevitability that she would indeed eventually end up a slave of the Divine Sword Sect. Zane, however simply looked upon the men in front of him with indifference, as if they were nothing more than insects, easily squashed beneath his feet.

This look of contempt only further outraged the leader of the opposing sect, who was about to lash out Luo Cheng for the disrespect that his so called "pet was showing him" when Zane finally deigned it necessary to speak.

"Luo Cheng, these are your rivals in the area are they not?"

Luo Cheng was just as caught off guard by Zane's sudden interruption as the opposing sect leader was. So much so that there was a twitch of confusion in his voice as he stumbled over his words.

"T…That's right, why do you ask?"

Zane's voice was filled with a chilling tone as he gazed upon those in front of him as if they were his prey, which he would soon devour.

"So…. Then is there any need to negotiate with them? I'll just wipe their entire sect out here and now for you. You can have whatever remains when I'm done with them."

Zane's absurd statement caused the man across from him, as well as his lap dogs to break out into uncontrollable laughter. Wipe out their sect? This guy? He couldn't help but say the last few words that she would end up regretting.

"You want to destroy my sect? You and what army?"

Zane simply raised his hand into the air and clenched his fist. When he did so, his entire horde, and all of his companions. Whether they be Death Knights or Horde Kings immediately appeared before him, surrounding everyone in the area.

Luo Cheng, Zhao Qiu, and the members of the opposing sect alike broke out into sweat as they realized tens of thousands of undead had appeared out of nowhere. All of which were between Tier IV and V.

As for Zane, he found Gwen and his other companions kneeling before him where the young horde king that had previously taken the form of a high school cheerleader was quick to ask the only question that was on her mind.

"What is your command my Prince?"

Zane's look as was cold as his voice, his words filled with ice and venom as he spoke the orders that would seal the fate of those who had just moments ago mocked him.

"You see those men in the black robes with the flame embroidery? Kill them all and bring me their hearts…"

Gwen's smile grew eagerly wicked as she stood up, and pulled out her blades, as did the other Horde Kings and Death Knights beneath Zane's command as Gwen responded back to Zane's orders before going off and committing her slaughter.

"I am your blade, my Prince. You point and I kill!"

After saying this, the Horde of Undead began to rampage in the area. Felling upon those who Zane had ordered to die. Even if they were all between the level of 30-40. When faced with such overwhelming numbers of level 15-20 undead, along with their commanders who were all above level 25.

They barely managed to slay only a few of the undead beneath Zane's command before their hearts were presented to the man.

As for the undead that were slain, Zane merely voiced a single command and they quickly raised from the dead once more. Continuing with their onslaught of the sect. Even if the average level of Awakened humans had risen to above that of the lowest level of Tier I Horde Kings, under such an endless onslaught, which continued to come at them over and over again.

It was only a few hours before the Sect, which had rivaled the Divine Sword Sect was left in a state of utter desolation.

In the end, Zane turned to Zhao Qiu, Luo Cheng, and the members of the Divine Sword Sect who had accompanied them here and said a single word.

"Rise…"

After doing so, the thousands of awakened humans who had been butchered by Zane's army rose from the ground as new soldiers in his army. He had not used the Raise Death Knight command. Instead, Zane chose to raise these awakened as regular foot soldiers in his army of the dead.

In addition to this, the levels of his Horde increased to a point that they were all now capable of evolving to Tier V after the battle they had just engaged in. As for his Death Knights, they quickly gained multiple levels for slaying thousands of awakened humans who were much higher levels than them.

Making all of his Death Knights on par with Tier I Horde Kings. Zane's strength had grown significantly from such an easy harvest. And his losses were nothing at all, as he appeared to be capable of raising his servants, which fell in the field. Something that only his mother was ever previously capable of doing.

Having watched all of this unfold in front of them with wide and bulging eyes. Luo Cheng, Zhao Qiu, and the members of the Divine Sword Sect fell to their knees and begged Zane to spare them all.

"Please… Don't kill us!"

Zane however gazed upon them all as if they were pathetic for even falling into such a dreadful state. His words conveyed this sentiment as he asked them all a very simple question.

"Why would I kill you when I still need your help to get back to North America?"

It was only after Zane said this that the witnesses of this massacre realized they had overreacted.