The violet river shimmered with a soft, faint glow, subtly illuminating the surroundings in a dreamlike light.
Daniel had never seen anything quite like this. A glint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.
On the far bank of the river lay another world—silent, still, yet strangely inviting.
Spanning the river overhead was a narrow bridge, a delicate structure linking the two worlds together.
A peculiar expression appeared on Daniel’s face. Though he knew it was likely just his imagination, the small bridge before him looked oddly familiar—almost like the legendary Bridge of Forgetfulness from myths of his past life.
Shaking his head to dismiss the fanciful thought, Daniel refocused himself.
Without hesitation, he stepped onto the bridge and crossed it, officially entering the true realm of the Undead Lands.
When he looked back, he noticed that the bridge remained behind him, unchanging. And just behind it, hovering silently in space, was a pitch-black portal.
Daniel immediately understood—once he crossed that small bridge, he could return to the world he had come from.
After confirming the location and its structure once again, he began his exploration of the Undead Lands.
To his surprise, the scenery was far from what he had imagined.
He had expected a bleak landscape strewn with rotting corpses, drenched in the stench of blood and death.
Yet reality painted a completely different picture.
None of those imagined horrors existed here. In fact, this realm felt... tranquil—serene even. It gave Daniel the uncanny feeling of stepping into a hidden paradise, an untouched sanctuary.
Only now did he notice that the clouds drifting overhead weren’t mere vapor—they were teeming with souls.
These souls possessed translucent, ethereal forms. Their gazes were vacant, devoid of thought or awareness.
After a moment of careful observation, Daniel turned his eyes away.
Because that’s when he realized something truly strange—this place was utterly silent.
There was no wind, no rustling, no distant cries—nothing.
Even when he tried to speak, not a single sound emerged. It was as if he had entered a dimension where sound itself had ceased to exist.
The sensation was eerie, but oddly fascinating.
He immediately expanded his mind power, activating his Eye of Insight to scan the area around him.
His abilities still functioned within the Undead Lands, although certain rules imposed unique limitations. For example, Flashback could only be used to traverse within the Undead Lands—it could no longer return him to the outside world.
Still, Daniel decided to test something else: Time Stream.
This God-ranked skill didn’t disappoint. In an instant, it transported him back to the very moment he first entered the Undead Lands.
That alone removed a major concern from his mind—he now had a reliable way in and out.
Re-entering the Undead Lands again, Daniel tested several of his other abilities.
The Dagger of the God of Thieves still worked, and he could even create new avatars within this realm. However, the avatars from the original world remained disconnected and unusable.
Fortunately, the dark portal was bidirectional—he could return to the physical world at any time.
After a series of successful tests, Daniel confirmed the scope of his abilities.
Then, his Eye of Insight fully activated.
He cast his perception across the land. His mind power spread like invisible tendrils, enveloping the area in all directions.
What unfolded before him was a vast, unending plain. Distant hills rose and fell gently under the watchful gaze of the violet sky.
The clouds—those drifting congregations overhead—were indeed made of countless souls.
Elves, orcs, dwarves... even a few species Daniel had never seen before.
These souls retained vague outlines of their former racial features, but their faces were blurry, their expressions blank.
They drifted aimlessly like dust in the wind, their will and purpose completely eroded.
A shiver ran through Daniel’s chest.
These... aren’t they exactly the kind of top-grade materials needed to synthesize God-ranked skills?
Moreover, there seemed to be no limit to their number.
Without further hesitation, Daniel acted.
He extended his right hand, and in his palm appeared a tiny black vortex, spinning steadily like the eye of a storm.
An invisible suction force erupted from the vortex in an instant.
The souls floating in the sky above began to stir—drawn as if by a magnetic command they could not resist.
Streams of translucent spirits formed into flowing currents, all surging toward Daniel.
In mere moments, they were absorbed by the swirling vortex.
[You have collected [Soul of Elf] x127]
[You have collected [Soul of Orc] x251]
[You have collected [Soul of Dwarf] x89]
...
A series of notifications cascaded across Daniel’s vision.
He stood at the gateway to the Undead Lands like a perfect harvesting machine, pulling in the souls at astonishing speed.
There were so many souls it was overwhelming—more than he could’ve ever imagined.
In just a few minutes, he had already collected over a million souls.
And yet, the cloud of souls above showed no signs of thinning.
Daniel even began to wonder—if he truly desired it, could he take all the souls in the Undead Lands for himself?
This place felt like a treasure vault crafted specifically for him.
Just as Daniel was reveling in his rapid success, a sudden disturbance broke the rhythm.
A figure appeared in the distance—clearly distinct from the aimless drifting souls.
This soul was different.
It did not float without purpose—it moved with intent, heading directly toward Daniel’s location.
Daniel immediately ceased his absorption. His eyes narrowed, becoming razor-sharp.
The small black vortex vanished silently from his palm.
He turned a cautious gaze to the approaching entity.
This soul had a more solid, well-defined form than the others. Daniel could even make out the details of its attire—an antique ceremonial robe, regal in its simplicity.
Though its face remained slightly blurred, Daniel could sense an aura of authority and nobility that came only from long-standing rulers.
Then, a voice echoed directly in his mind—not through sound, but through soul-level communication.
"Greetings, newcomer."
Daniel’s pupils contracted slightly.
He instantly activated his Eye of Insight.
A panel of information materialized over the figure:
[Name: Kafka]
[Race: Human (Soul Form)]
[Identity: Seventeenth King of Humanity (Deceased 1,800 years ago)]
[Status: Fragmented Soul – Conscious]
[...]
One of humanity’s ancient kings—from 1,800 years ago?
Daniel felt a ripple in his heart, though his face remained calm.
A monarch who had died nearly two millennia ago—yet still retained awareness and will?
This Undead Lands... was far more complicated than he had imagined.
Kafka’s soul stopped ten meters in front of Daniel, observing him closely.
There was a hint of admiration and curiosity in his eyes.
"Unbelievable. I can sense the power and completeness of your soul," Kafka said slowly. "If possible, I’d like to get to know you better."