Twenty-five.
Who would have thought, you bushy-browed guy, that you're a twenty-five.
The phrase that Apprentice Grim Reaper Lance once used to describe a certain traitor suddenly surfaced in Death God Solomon's mind.
Quitting the position of Apprentice Grim Reaper to go take the Light Knights' exam at the Temple of Light, isn't this the act of a twenty-five?
"I've been so good to you, and you're going to play the twenty-five? Do you live up to my cultivation of you, my expectations, the salary hell has paid you? You've been loafing on the job for hundreds of years, have I ever said anything?
I'm dying for you to die every day, hoping you'd kick the bucket so I can promote and raise your pay, treat you to good food and drink, show you the beauty of hell.
And look at you, after not seeing you for hundreds of years, the first thing you do is to play the twenty-five. Have you ever thought about the feelings of your partner? This is too much, really too much.
Put your hand on your heart and ask if it hurts."
Death God Solomon was deeply troubled. Isn't being a Hell Grim Reaper more comfortable than being a Light Dragon Knight at the Temple of Light?
Can you live forever as a Light Dragon Knight at the Temple of Light?
You cannot.
When the time comes, you still have to die.
After death, don't you still end up in hell?
Okay, powerful Light Dragon Knights may go to Valhalla.
Even if Lance dies and goes to Valhalla to become a somewhat famous Dragon Knight spirit,
when the temple staff in the Human World fight, won't they still be able to summon him from Valhalla to assist in battle?
What's the point of being this kind of spirit?
It's different when you become a Hell Grim Reaper; you're the boss of necromancers and Apprentice Grim Reapers in the Human World.
If you want to get something done in the Human World, you can completely have the necromancers or Apprentice Grim Reapers go do it for you.
If you want to eat some delicacies from the Human World, the Apprentice Grim Reapers can also get it for you.
As a Temple Knight, you work for the temple in life and after death as a spirit... you still work for the temple.
As an Apprentice Grim Reaper, you work for hell in life and after death, you can be the "boss," with the Human World's necromancers and Apprentice Grim Reapers working for you.
No matter how you compare, being an Apprentice Grim Reaper has more prospects than being a Light Dragon Knight.
The most important point, Lance, you're a necromancer. You, a necromancer, run off to the temple to be a Dragon Knight...
Aren't you afraid that one of these days a temple official will secretly off you, a twenty-five?
"Just switching careers for fun, and taking the opportunity to network."
"....."
"You're a necromancer, didn't you even think whether the Temple of Light would want you? You can't even pass the background check."
"Besides being a necromancer, I'm also a warrior. Did you forget?"
"That's a Dark Warrior, though."
"I'm also a Druid."
"But you're also a Dark Druid."
Lance was exasperated by Solomon and laughed. If he continued, all his professions might as well be turned "dark."
Going to the temple to be a Light Knight was just something he said offhandedly. There were too many powerful beings in the temple, and if his identity were revealed, who knows what the temple officials might do to him as a Black Dragon.
They might even send someone strong to hunt him down for "blasphemy against the deity."
Furthermore, he recently had to take care of a Young Dragon, so he didn't have time for temple antics, not for the next thousand or two years at least...
By that time, the Young Dragon would be close to adulthood, capable of protecting itself, and might even evolve into a Pureblood Giant Dragon.
Then, he would transform into a human and as a knight, take part in the temple's exam to see if he could network there.
"If it's nothing important, let's end this projection call. Me joining the Light Knight exam was just to tease you. But it's true I don't have much time for missions lately, as you saw, I have to train the Young Dragon. For a long time to come, my main focus will be on the Young Dragon."
"Really?"
Death God Solomon was somewhat dubious of Lance's words.
The longer one lives, the more cunning one becomes.
Lance had lived for over a thousand years. When he lied, no one could tell.
"You didn't deceive me?"
"Hmm."
"Worthy of being the apprentice Grim Reaper I admire most. I've already released you from the contract I originally signed with you. You won't die anytime soon anyway, so I'll focus on fostering a few outstanding apprentice Grim Reapers and see if, aside from you... I can find another one that I admire.
Ah, to be honest, as a Grim Reaper, the apprentice I admire most is still you. You once brought me glory and made me the envy of most Grim Reapers in Hell.
As you lived longer and longer... the glory faded... the envious glares towards me vanished... Other Grim Reapers of my era... even those not of my era got promotions and pay raises. Yet, here I am, still marking time...
Forget it, having known each other, I still wish you an early death. That's my hope and a blessing from a Hell Grim Reaper.
Lance, may you... report to Hell soon. I'll be waiting for you."
With a final blessing, Death God Solomon ended the projection call. He needed to hurry and sign an apprentice Grim Reaper contract with an outstanding necromancer he had scouted recently.
Other Grim Reapers mentioned that Hell was apparently preparing to expand its business into the Demon Realm.
Grim Reapers who were posted there lived a carefree life, playing cards with succubi and Snake Women every day.
There were also unfortunate Grim Reapers who had to deal with powerful Demons in their areas.
The Demon Race... they enjoy toying with souls, devouring them.
In life, they are formidable enemies of apprentice Grim Reapers.
In death, they are archenemies of Hell's Grim Reapers.
Risks and opportunities coexist.
Recently, he had wanted to take charge of the area in the Demon Race's territory, because there were Demons there, and the death rate of apprentice Grim Reapers was extremely high.
Lance, a powerful apprentice Grim Reaper, would face Demons during missions... The probability of death in battle was quite high.
That would be the perfect time for his promotion and pay raise.
Normally, that's what he would have thought, but after nearly a thousand years together, there were some feelings involved.
Killing Lance would bring him no guilt.
But he feared that a Demon might imprison Lance's soul...
Preventing Lance from reporting to Hell.
Luckily, he reached out to Lance today, and he had resigned. He wouldn't need to go to the Demon Race's territory for now.
He can just wait for Lance to die of old age in Hell.
At that time, he must strongly recommend him to become a Grim Reaper, and then be his boss.
With his status as a level two Grim Reaper, he could recruit three level one Grim Reapers to serve him.
Lance was his most favored apprentice Grim Reaper, without a doubt.
His goal was simple: to get a promotion, a pay raise, and to hope for Lance's death.
........
Absurd.
The status of Evil Dragon as an apprentice Grim Reaper seemed preposterous to Lucia.
An apprentice Grim Reaper.
Why could an Evil Dragon also become an apprentice Grim Reaper?
To achieve that status was one thing, but he had just given up the position of the apprentice Grim Reaper.
Apprentice Grim Reaper, this position is quite similar to that of apprentice Angel.
It's not easy to acquire; yet the Evil Dragon just quit like that.
And from what the Grim Reaper said earlier, it seems like the Evil Dragon can become a Grim Reaper directly after death.
What a wonderful arrangement.
Were it a human, they would probably long for death... to become a Grim Reaper in Hell.