Michael was on his way to the feast hall when he met Raylene. She greeted Michael with a relieved sign. She was worried sick about him while he was gone.

"Master" Raylene almost called him 'Master Ghost' as usual. Realizing he was called the Dark Lord by everyone here, she swallowed her words. She awkwardly smiled at Michael. Michael relieved the tension with a friendly hug.

"I am glad you chose to come here," said Michael.

"It's the least I can do,"

"You can call me Master Ghost as usual," Michael whispered into her ears. Michael put his arm around Raylene and walked toward the feast hall. Even from the outside, he could sense the liveliness inside. The air smelled of baked buns and roasted meat. Michael felt hungry just by taking a whiff of the air.

"Is everyone okay for you here?" Michael asked Raylene.

"I have no complaints, Master Ghost. Except for the weather, it's always dark and gloomy here,"

Michael chuckled.

"Well, it comes with the territory of being the God of Darkness,"

Raylene's eyes widened. Her body shivered.

"So is it true, Master Ghost? Are you really a god, as Lady Gaya says?" asked Raylene.

"Yes," said Michael. He saw no reason to hide his true identity anymore. But after hearing Michael's words, Raylene's face lost its color. Her mind went completely blank. Michael expected this reaction. At first, even he was shocked. Who would think of them as a god? When Michael learned he was the God of Darkness, he couldn't even think straight. Fortunately, Michael had a long time to come to terms with his true nature.

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"Don't worry. You will get used to it soon," Michael rubbed Raylene's shoulder. He was about to open the doors when Michael heard a commotion outside. The sound of metal clashing and blood splattering resonated in the air. Michael turned around.

"Go inside and stay with the others," Michael said. The gentle smile disappeared from his face. Instead, he seemed cold and murderous.

Raylene did not argue with him. She immediately opened the door, squeezing herself into the hall. After Raylene closed the door, Michael slowly made his way outside.

"Intruder!"

"Kill her!"

"Don't let her into the castle!"

"Sound the alarm!"

"ARGHHHHH!"

Michael heard screams. As he was nearing the exit, Michael saw the dwarves running toward him, seeking shelter in the underground.

"My Lord," Michael heard Azazel's voice in his head.

"It's her," said Azazel.

"I will take care of her," Michael said. He was nonchalant. Michael faced an army of guardians without breaking a sweat. So what could a single woman do to him? In fact, Michael had been expecting this ever since he revealed himself. He was surprised it took a year for her to decide to do something.

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When Michael stepped outside, he saw a smoky black figure attacking the vampires in the sky. The vampires in the air were at the Soul Refining stage. Hence they stood no chance against a Fusion stage cultivator. However, the energy radiation around the smoky figure was unstable. It was as though she had used some forbidden method to boost her cultivation.

"YOU!" The smoky figure noticed Michael on the ground. Michael saw a pair of ruby-like eyes glimmering under the dark hood.

The figure resembled banshees in the legends. On top of its smoky figure, it had a screeching voice that hurt everyone's ears when it screamed.

Before it could descend to the ground, a vampire tried to attack the figure from behind. The figure clutched the vampire's neck without even turning around. The vampire squirmed under the figure's clutch. The figure slowly turned around as though it wanted Michael to watch what was about to happen.

Michael watched the figure bite the vampire's neck. The vampire's body shriveled as the figure sucked all the blood from the vampire. The more blood the figure sucked, the stronger it became. However, Michael didn't even bat an eye. Unless the figure could somehow become level 10 Immortal, Michael had no worries.

He waited for the figure to stop drinking blood.

"What in the actual fuck is happening here?" Michael looked over his shoulder to see Gaya walking toward him with several black armored soldiers.

"Let me deal with this," Michael raised his hand, stopping them from attacking the figure.

"Dark Lord," the figure turned its gaze back at Michael. It slowly removed its black hood, revealing grayish skin and blood-red eyes. Unlike Gaya, Michael immediately recognized the figure. The last time he met the figure, she was in her bridal clothes.

"Fabia Viriduis," Michael calmly uttered her name. The name rang a bell in Gaya's mind. Gaya thought Fabia died in the explosion along with her father, Viridius, and the other senators. Despite the messy gray hair, vampire fangs, and gray skin, Gaya recognized Fabia. There was no mistaking. It was Fabia Viridius. Gaya wondered where the hell she came from.

"You killed my father. You have a blood debt to settle," Fabia said, descending to the ground. The black armored soldiers and Michael's subordinates trembled with anger. Michael raised his arm, wordlessly telling them to back off. Usually, Michael would simply let his men deal with threats like this. But Fabia's matter was different. She came to his domain and challenged him. It would be a sign of weakness if he didn't accept her challenge.

"Face me in a duel," Fabia unsheathed a sword emanating a thick bloody aura. Michael could see the glowing runes on the blade. The sword seemed like it could kill an Immortal.

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"Suddenly, everyone has an Immortal killing weapon," Michael sighed. He just looked over his shoulder as everyone moved backward, making space for Fabia and Michael. Everyone thought Fabia was crazy to challenge the Dark Lord. Since it was a duel, neither of them could use spells or cultivation. Otherwise, Michael could kill her with a single spell.

"Come at me," Michael gestured at Fabia to make her first move. Without a single thought, Fabia dashed at Michael. Her eyes glistened with rage. It was obvious she was waiting for a year for this moment. Even Saber had no idea she was holding a grudge against the Dark Lord. He told her not to mess with the Dark Lord, but here she is, doing exactly what Saber told her not to.

When the sword was just a few inches away from Michael's head, he swayed his body to the side, evading the sword. She was quick but not quick enough to attack Michael.

"Too slow," Michael slapped the back of her head. The force of Michael's slap sent her flying a couple of meters. As she hit the ground, she coughed up blood. The sword almost slipped off Fabia's hands. The subordinates weren't surprised by the Dark Lord's power. After all, it was expected of him.

Fabia managed to pick herself up. Her grip on the sword tightened. Yet again, she dashed at Michael. There was no finesse or technique in her movements but utter rage. She hoped to hit Michael as she swung the sword left and right. Michael evaded every single slash with ease. He waited for an opening to finish this duel without dragging it. He saw no point in it.

In a few seconds, Fabia swung her sword at least fifty times. After a while, her movements slowed. Michael simply grabbed Fabia's sword hand. He lifted her off the ground by her hand and threw her in the air. He waited for her to come down. When she was within his arm's reach, Michael swung his body, kicking her in the head.

Michael slowly walked toward her. Fabia looked over her shoulder and swung her sword at lightning speed. Her vampire powers gave her speed beyond any mortal limits. Unfortunately for her, Michael was a god. He saw through her move even before she made it. He slightly bent backward, evading the sword.

He just flicked the sword as it flew out of Fabia's hand. Michael felt pity for Fabia deep down. According to Saber, she was a talented scholar and a freaky scientist who made the plague possible. He could have used her expertise only if she forgo her hatred toward him. But when Michael put himself in her shoes, he could understand her feelings. He killed her father and destroyed her entire life. Every time she woke up and looked at herself in the mirror, her hatred only grew stronger.

But now that she challenged him openly and killed one of his men in front of him, Michael had no choice but to kill her.

He decided to absorb her soul using the Soul eater.

"It'll be over quick," said Michael. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her closer. To Michael's surprise, she spat a mouthful of blood at Michael. The blood temporarily hindered Michael's sight. He quickly used a flash of dark flames to vaporize the blood on his face. Fabia felt an intense heat on her face for a moment. She tried to escape his hold, only to fail. At that moment, she knew she was going to die.

"HAHAHAHA"

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Suddenly, she broke into a devilish peal of laughter. It surprised everyone as there was no reason for her to laugh. An ordinary person would shiver in fear. But she was no ordinary man at all. In fact, she expected defeat at the hands of the Dark Lord. Her end goal was not to kill the Dark Lord but to avenge her father by any means necessary. If her death could avenge her father. She would gladly die.

Michael was about to use the Soul Eater when he saw a bright glimmer in her eyes. His neck hair stood up, warning him about a threat. The space around him was distorted. This feeling was familiar to Michael. He immediately cast the Silenes to slow down the time.

"Gaya, do not do anything while I am gone. It's an order," Michael said to Gaya through the earpiece. The words reached her as the Silenes spell's effect faded away. The very next moment, Michael and Fabia were sucked into a vortex that appeared suddenly in the air. Before they disappeared completely, Fabia coughed up blood.