Dark, oppressive, dangerous—such adjectives were often used to describe the Umbral Depths, yet each and every one fell short.

The world of the Umbral Depths was far larger than the surface, with its own ecosystem and laws. And among those laws, one stood above all: if you encountered the undead or Black Rose, you had to immediately prostrate yourself. Only by groveling like an insect might you survive.

Do not attempt to run. Black Rose would catch you and turn you into one of the dead.

Lately, however, someone had begun challenging the authority of the undead and even Black Rose herself.

Vast, open spaces were rare in the Umbral Depths. Most tribes lived within labyrinthine tunnels, scurrying like burrowing rats.

Only the largest factions, with massive populations, could reshape the subterranean terrain and construct great structures to sustain their numbers.

Beyond those strongholds lay a brutal world where only the strong survived.

A convoy bearing the insignia of a black rose advanced through a winding tunnel. It was transporting ore. The materials were mined from various veins, roughly processed on-site, and then shipped to the City of Mercury, where they would be forged into metal ingots.

Minerals had always been a specialty of the Umbral Depths, but the mistress of the City of Mercury was attempting to turn them into her particular specialty.

Dozens of rotting zombies dragged massive carts forward. Iron chains pierced through their bodies and hooked directly into their spines, reducing them to little more than livestock.

Judging by their attire and their not-yet-fully-decayed faces, these zombies had once been drow.

On top of the carts stood two leather-armored zombies wielding whips—deep gnomes, by the look of them. Once, the deep gnomes had been slaves to the drow. In death, their roles were reversed.

As the convoy reached a fork in the tunnel, two massive shadows suddenly dropped from above.

Furry legs pierced down, skewering several of the drow zombies pulling the carts.

They were spiders, each as large as the carts themselves. But where their heads should have been, there were instead the top halves of drow bodies.

These driders—drow-spider abominations—were created through a cruel ritual that fused the two species into a monstrous hybrid.

They retained the agility of elves and the deadly traits of giant spiders. The pair had been lying in ambush on the tunnel ceiling, waiting for the carts to pass before striking.

Their objective was clear. After crushing several zombies, they lunged at the gnome zombies atop the carts, scimitars flashing.

With swift, elegant strikes, they hacked the gnomes to pieces in moments.

Once the escorts were eliminated, the driders smashed the carts' wheels.

That way, even if the undead from the City of Mercury arrived, it would take hours for them to clear the wreckage and reopen the route.

Attacks like this had been happening for days.

The city's ingot production had already dropped by at least fifteen percent.

The drow were retaliating against Black Rose. No one knew why they had suddenly found the courage to resist, or where they had obtained so many driders.

But their hit-and-run tactics were causing serious trouble.

This time, however, things were different.

The moment the cart was destroyed, a trap was triggered. In a flash of azure light, a death knight clad in heavy black armor appeared before the driders.

"A death knight..."

Frankly, the two driders weren't alarmed. If it had been a group of death knights, they would have fled immediately. But just one? That was nothing.

They had encountered death knights from the City of Mercury before, none of whom were particularly impressive.

Cruelty and malice were in a drow's nature, and becoming a drider only amplified those traits. Seeing only a single opponent, they charged forward.

Venom and webbing shot from both sides, sealing off every possible escape.

Their venom was highly corrosive, capable of eating through armor. Their webs were so sticky as to be able to immobilize a death knight completely.

Then, all they needed to do was decapitate it.

They had used this tactic to kill several death knights to date.

But this time, they failed.

The venom struck the black armor, but instead of sizzling, it simply slid off without leaving a mark.

The webs were blocked by a spear. With a twist, the spear tangled the threads into a useless mass.

Before the driders could react, the spear, still wrapped in webbing, lashed out. Crack! It struck one drider square in the head.

Despite the cushioning web, the blow snapped its neck instantly, sending its massive body flying into the tunnel wall.

The corpse convulsed violently, its eight legs scraping sparks across the ground and briefly illuminating the darkness.

The black rose emblem gleamed on the death knight's chest.

One of her eyes glowed the pale blue of soulfire. The other burned a blazing orange.

The remaining drider realized the danger instantly. This was no ordinary death knight. It abandoned its dying companion and retreated at full speed, its spider legs carrying it faster than a sprinting human.

Within seconds, it had vanished into the shadows.

At the edge of total darkness, its body seemed to melt away, slipping into the shadows as it fled.

The death knight watched with her burning eye. To her, the fleeing drider appeared as a moving shadow, impossible to hide.

"Mother was right. This eye can see through everything."

Milena had only been born a few days ago, yet Black Rose had already entrusted her with an important mission: to find the mastermind behind these attacks and end the threat to the City of Mercury.

Though she lacked combat experience, her body and soul had been meticulously crafted.

Her right eye could pierce all concealment. She wore the finest magical armor. And she possessed a unique mount grown from a whisperwood.

These alone were enough to overwhelm the driders.

What was more, her body had been forged from the remains of three legendary orcs. Her strength and agility far exceeded that of a typical death knight.

Given time, she might even rival the Dullahan Gareth.

But for now, she was still inexperienced. This hidden mastermind was her first trial.

Milena was deeply grateful to the mother who had given her life. She was determined to complete this mission flawlessly.

After allowing the drider to flee, she summoned her mount and gave chase. She had let it escape on purpose.

"If I follow it... it should lead me to the mastermind, right?

"I'm so smart!" Milena said to herself happily.

After chasing through the labyrinthine tunnels for dozens of kilometers, she arrived at a vast cavern. The moment she entered, dozens of driders dropped from above, surrounding her completely.

The drider that had fled earlier laughed triumphantly. "Haha! Did you really think I didn't notice you following me?!"

Milena's eyes widened in shock. Her perfect plan... had been discovered?!

"How did you find out? I stayed so far away!" she demanded.

The drider sneered. "Idiot. Do you have any idea how far hoofbeats carry underground? The sound travels for kilometers down here!"

Milena flushed with indignation. "I'm not an idiot! I'm really smart!"

The drider laughed even harder. "Haha! What a moron you are—just like a newborn child!"

The other driders joined in, cackling cruelly. They loved nothing more than trampling on others' dignity.

But in the midst of their laughter, a black whirlwind erupted.

Milena charged. Her mount thundered forward, smashing straight into the driders.

Their bloated lower halves burst like water-filled sacks under her spear. Limbs and gore exploded in all directions. In a single charge, she killed over a dozen driders.

The remaining driders tried to fire webs to trap her, but to their shock, the threads fell limp after traveling only a short distance.

"Why isn't webbing working?!" a drider exclaimed.

A drider's web-spitting was partially biological and partially based on magic to ensure the accuracy of its shots.

But now, their magic was completely sealed. The webs came out weak and useless, like a certain embarrassing condition middle-aged men preferred not to discuss.

It wasn't just webbing. They couldn't even escape. Their shadow-walking abilities were suppressed as well.

Only when the last drider was impaled did it finally recognize the truth. That faint blue glow was that of a whisperwood.

How could a Death Knight possibly use a whisperwood as a mount?!

It never got its answer. With a flick of her spear, Milena tore it apart into dozens of bloody fragments.

Looking at the field of corpses, she was about to smile in satisfaction, only to freeze. "Oh no... None of the bodies are intact. I can't even use Speak with Dead now. How am I supposed to find the mastermind?"

For the first time in her life, Milena began to question her own intelligence. "...Am I actually an idiot?"