Wishing An Early Death!

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

These were the words that Apprentice Death God Lance had once used to describe a betrayer. Now, they echoed in the mind of Death God Solomon.

To abandon the title of Death Trainee and venture off to seek the rank of Bright Knight at the Temple of Light, surely this is the whimsy of youth? "I've shown you nothing but kindness, and this is how you repay me? By aspiring to be a mere second-rate knight? Do you deem my nurturing, my expectations, and the generous pay you have received from the depths of hell as worthless? Reflect on the centuries spent under my guidance, what have I always told you?

"I eagerly await the day of your demise, not out of malice but hope, for then I could promote you, raise your salary, and have you feast upon the luxuries and behold the splendid vistas of hell."

"And yet, you choose to forsake all this for centuries of absence, chasing after the role of an insignificant knight. Have you considered how this betrayal affects me, your mentor? It is an affront, truly excessive.

Search your soul, does it not pain you?"

Solomon, the Sovereign of Souls, expressed his sorrow. "Tell me, is it not more fulfilling to reign as a god of death in hell than to serve as a mere dragon knight at the Temple of Light?

Can eternal life be granted by the title of dragon knight?

Certainly not.

In the end, you too shall pass away.

And after death, where do you suppose you'll go?

True, as a mighty Bright Dragon Knight, you might ascend to the Hall of Valor.

Even Lance, after his demise, found his way there, becoming a somewhat renowned Dragon Knight Heroic Spirit.

And when the human clergy wage their battles, is it not possible for them to summon him from the Hall of Valor to aid them in their earthly conflicts?

But what merit lies in being a heroic spirit?

To be a Death God from Hell is entirely different. You could command legions of Necromancers and trainee Death Gods in the human realm.

If there's a need to act within the human world, simply a necromancer or an apprentice reaper could carry out your will."

If you ever crave specialties from the human world, our apprentice Shinigami are more than capable of procuring them for you.

As a temple knight, your allegiance lies with the temple throughout your life. Upon death, you transition to a heroic spirit, yet you remain bound to serve the temple's interests eternally.

Conversely, as a trainee Shinigami, your service is to Hell while alive. After death, you ascend to a full-fledged Shinigami, commanding your domain. The necromancers and apprentice Shinigami in the human world will answer directly to you.

Undoubtedly, the prospects of becoming an Apprentice Death God surpass those of a Light Dragon Knight.

Crucially, remember that Lance is a necromancer. "If a necromancer like you attempts to join the temple as a dragon knight, do you not fear that the temple clergy might secretly plot against you, a necromancer potentially seen as a threat?"

"Consider changing your path and expanding your network."

"You are a necromancer. Have you not considered whether the Temple of Light would even accept you? Your background alone could disqualify you from passing their tests."

"Besides being an undead, I am both a mage and a warrior. Have you forgotten?"

"That's also a dark warrior."

"And a dark druid." Lance retorted with a mix of frustration and amusement. All his vocations may lead to darker paths. His casual suggestion of joining the temple as a knight of light was naive; the temple houses many formidable figures. If his true identity were revealed, the clergy might view him as a nefarious entity, perhaps even branding him a black dragon, and likely deploying formidable forces to hunt him down for blasphemy.

Moreover, he has recently taken on the responsibility of nurturing a baby dragon and lacks the leisure to entertain the temple with his presence. "Let's wait a millennium or two," he mused. By then, the baby dragon would have matured and be capable of self-defense, possibly even evolving into a pure-blood dragon. At that juncture, he might reassume human form and attempt the temple's knight assessment to foster connections within.

"It's a trivial matter. Just terminate the projection call. I mentioned the Bright Knight assessment merely in jest. But truly, I haven't had much time for tasks lately. As you see, I'm dedicated to nurturing the young dragon, which will be my primary focus for the foreseeable future."

"Really?" Death God Solomon's voice dripped with skepticism. He had seen many centuries unfold, and with each passing era, he had grown more discerning. Lance, having lived for over a thousand years, was adept in the art of deception, if he chose to lie, discerning the truth would be a formidable challenge.

"Didn't you just lie to me?" Solomon pressed, his tone a mix of curiosity and accusation.

"Yes," Lance admitted with a wry smile.

"You are indeed the Apprentice Death God I most admire. But I shall first sever the contract I signed with you. Since you're not destined to die soon, I'll use the time to mentor several promising Apprentice Death Gods. Let's see if I can find another who earns my admiration as you have."

Solomon's gaze softened slightly. "Honestly, you are the Apprentice Death God who has brought me great glory, the one who has truly shaped my legacy. Most denizens of Hell are driven by envy and jealousy. But as the eons have passed, the allure of glory has faded, and so has the bitterness of envy and jealousy. Those who were my contemporaries, or even later arrivals, have all received promotions and raises, while I remain static."

"After our encounter, I still wish for your early demise, this is both my expectation and a blessing from a God of Death in Hell."

"Lance, I hope you'll report to Hell as soon as possible. I will be waiting."

With those parting words laden with both sentiment and solemnity, Solomon terminated the projection call. He needed to act swiftly to forge a contract with a particularly skilled necromancer he had recently discovered.

Around him, whispers hinted that Hell was planning to extend its reach into the Demon Realm. The God of Death who had previously held this territory was quite the character, known for his bold escapades and card games with succubi and snake girls.

Yet, there was also the less fortunate God of Death, who found himself constantly battling a powerful demon that plagued his jurisdiction. The demonic race, known for their penchant for toying with and devouring souls, posed a significant threat, and yet, represented a profound opportunity.

Not long ago, Solomon himself had contemplated overseeing this perilous area, aware that the presence of demons meant a high mortality rate for trainee Shinigami. The stakes were high, but so were the potential rewards. Risks and opportunities indeed coexisted in the shadowy realms of the underworld.

Lance, a formidable Apprentice Death God, often encounters demons during his missions, which significantly increases his risk of falling in battle.

Initially, I thought it was time to offer him a promotion and a salary increase for his daring exploits. Yet, after nearly a thousand years of comradeship, I've grown fond of him, which complicates matters.

I harbored no guilt in manipulating the situation to protect him. My primary concern was that a devil might capture Lance's soul, preventing him from reporting to Hell as required.

Fortunately, I took the initiative to reach out to him today. He has resigned, which means he no longer needs to venture into demon territories for now. He can simply bide his time in Hell until he dies of old age.

When that time comes, he should be strongly recommended for the position of God of Death, then ascend to lead them. With his status as a Level 2 Death God, he would be able to recruit three Level 1 Death Gods to serve under him.

Lance is, without a doubt, my favorite Apprentice Death God, there is no one else who compares.

The ultimate goal is straightforward: secure a promotion and raise, and albeit grim, I hope for Lance's timely demise.

Lucia found the entire scenario astounding. The notion that an evil dragon could apprentice to the God of Death struck her as completely outrageous.

Why should an evil dragon even qualify to become a trainee god of death? He had only just resigned from the position of trainee Shinigami.

The role of a trainee to the God of Death is analogous to that of a trainee to the Angel, it's not a position easily secured, which did not explains why the evil dragon resigned.

And from what the God of Death mentioned earlier, it seems this evil dragon could directly ascend to the role of God of Death after his death.

What an incredible privilege that would be. If I were human, I might find myself wishing for an early death to seize such a prestigious position in Hell.