SSS Talent: My Undead Evolve Without Limits

"I’m nobody’s mistress, little brat. So watch your tongue."

The next instant, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Lilith’s aura spread without warning, pressing down on the room with a weight that made the air itself feel sharper, like everything around her had suddenly taken on an edge.

Kael’s face went pale. Some of his weaker aides took an involuntary step back. Even a few of the Lumel Temple knights’ expressions shifted under the pressure.

Some of them couldn’t hold out for long. They dropped, unconscious.

Shaye, though, stayed exactly where she was sitting. Her smile never once wavered.

The next instant, one of the knights standing behind her moved.

He was a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in pristine white armor, its golden edges catching the light as he stepped forward.

His face was handsome and sharply defined, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and calm blue eyes that carried a quiet intensity. Long blue hair fell loosely around his face, its deep color standing out against the pale armor.

His expression remained calm, but the moment his aura erupted, the atmosphere in the room changed.

His aura surged from his body, carrying a strength far beyond that of an ordinary Ascendant. It swept across the room before colliding head-on with Lilith’s.

An Ascendant...

Malrik’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

He’s strong.

Very strong.

The knight stood firm, his white armor barely moving beneath the pressure. His aura was dense and heavy, pressing against Lilith’s without showing the slightest sign of giving way.

The two auras collided, sending a wave of pressure through the room. The floor beneath their feet groaned softly, while several of the weaker people present instinctively backed away.

Neither side gave an inch.

Malrik’s expression grew more serious.

An Ascendant this strong... just how powerful must the Lumiel Temple be to have knights like him?

Just from his aura, I could tell he could have taken Biggie down in a few moves.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed, her expression growing colder as she stared at the knight. The knight remained equally still, his aura continuing to press against hers.

For a few seconds, it felt as though the entire room was holding its breath. One wrong move, and the standoff would turn into a battle.

"My lady, we didn’t come here to fight."

Shaye’s voice cut through the tension between the two sides, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the room.

She tilted her head slightly. "It seems you’ve misunderstood my words. I had no intention of offending you."

Lilith didn’t answer right away. Her eyes stayed fixed on Shaye for a few seconds before she finally pulled her aura back. Then the knight did the same immediately after.

The air returned to normal, like nothing had happened at all.

"Choose your words carefully next time, little brat. The next time you cross the line, I won’t stop at a warning," Lilith said, her tone unusually sharp.

The knight’s expression hardened.

"How dare you threaten the Holy Daughter?"

"It’s fine, Jace."

Shaye’s voice stopped him before he could say anything more.

"There’s no need to make a fuss over it."

She smiled, looking between Malrik and Lilith with interest.

"I think being here is going to be more entertaining than I expected."

Neither Malrik nor Lilith answered. The two of them stayed silent for a moment.

Then, at the same instant, a smile spread across both their faces.

Malrik spoke calmly.

"Alright, everyone. I think today’s meeting is going to be postponed a little."

Then he looked into Shaye’s golden eyes.

"Excuse me, Miss Shaye. Yesterday’s battle was exhausting. I need some rest."

Malrik didn’t wait for her answer. He turned and left the room, with Eliza following closely behind.

Lilith cast one last glance at Shaye, a knowing smile crossing her lips, before turning to leave as well.

The others soon began filing out one after another, until only Shaye and her knights remained.

Shaye stayed where she was, her gaze lingering on the doorway through which Malrik and Lilith had disappeared. The smile on her lips never faded.

"Seems the Seventh Banner Bearer is far more interesting than I’d heard."

"Jace." Shaye spoke without taking her eyes off the door.

"Yes, my lady."

"I want to know everything about that woman."

"Understood, my lady."

Outside, Malrik kept walking in silence, Eliza and Lilith following behind him.

"Seventh Banner... please!"

Kael’s voice came from behind them, tension clear in it.

Malrik stopped and turned to face him. "What do you want?"

Kael swallowed before speaking.

"I swear I did it out of desperation. My father left me with everything while taking the strongest soldiers with him."

Malrik kept his eyes on him without saying a word.

"He told me the Duke would send reinforcements, otherwise..."

"And he did. We’re standing right here. So why did you ask the Temple for support?" Malrik’s voice sharpened slightly.

"I swear I sent that letter before you arrived. I did it out of desperation. Nothing more."

Kael took a deep breath.

"I waited for a response from the Duke, but I never got one. The responsibility was more than I could handle, my lord. I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time."

"Please, Seventh Banner ... help me." His voice wavered for a moment before he added, "If this reaches the Duke, I’m finished."

Malrik stayed silent. He didn’t have an answer.

The responsibility placed on Kael’s shoulders had been immense, and his actions weren’t without justification. In the end, he’d only been trying to keep Blackthorn standing, and reaching out to whoever could help was a natural move once he’d run out of other options.

Malrik himself wasn’t sure what he would have done if he’d been in Kael’s position.

Wait... he sent the request for support before I arrived?

Until now, Malrik had assumed the Lumel Temple’s knights had arrived in response to the letter Kael sent shortly before, and that they’d used his request to embarrass the Duke in front of everyone. But now that he’d heard the full story, the picture looked completely different.

Those bastards never cared about Blackthorn surviving in the first place.

If they’d genuinely wanted to help the barony, they could have sent support a long time ago.

So why wait until now?

The Morveth had attacked Blackthorn yesterday, and the barony had been on the verge of falling. If not for him, Lilith, and Ronan’s team, the barony wouldn’t still be standing.

And now, they’d used Kael’s request to make it look, in front of everyone, like House Vesperion couldn’t protect its own territory.

Once the picture became clear in his mind, Malrik’s gaze hardened.

Damn it... those bastards.

"Kael, there’s nothing I can do for you right now. This is an extremely delicate matter. It doesn’t just concern the Duke’s reputation. It concerns the entire family’s. I’m sorry."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"Let’s focus on our current situation. If I get the chance to speak with the Duke, I promise I’ll try to bring it up with him. But don’t expect much."

Kael let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you... thank you, Seventh Banner. That’s all I’m asking for."

Malrik gave him a short nod, then turned and walked away, his mind still turning over everything that had happened.

Guess I need to end this ridiculous trial as fast as possible.

But first, I need to make a few preparations.

"Eliza, guard my room. Nobody gets in, and nobody interrupts me."

Malrik and Lilith entered the room. The three souls were still deep in the middle of their evolution, and it was clear they would need more time before the process was complete.

Lilith raised her hands slightly. Threads of purple mana spilled from her fingertips, spreading through the room until they formed an invisible barrier around it.

"What’s this?" Malrik asked, surprised. It was the first time he’d seen her do something like this.

"Don’t worry. Just a sound barrier, to make sure nobody hears us. Especially that brat. She’s nowhere near ordinary."

She paused for a moment, then narrowed her eyes.

"She’s planning something. I can tell just by looking into her eyes."

Malrik frowned.

"Yeah. I get the feeling they have another goal too, beyond just damaging the Duke’s reputation. But what?"

"Do they know about the Banner Bearer trial? Are they trying to sabotage it?"

The Banner Bearer trial wasn’t a secret within the family. Most of the Empire knew that the children of House Vesperion went through it, even if opinions on it varied.

Some saw no real value in it, while others thought it was excessive and cruel. The family, however, had never cared what people thought.

Lilith let out a mocking laugh.

"No. I don’t think the Pope, a Supreme-rank, is petty enough to bother sabotaging some trial."

"Then... what do they want?" Malrik couldn’t find an answer. He clenched his jaw slightly.

Damn it. This just keeps getting more annoying.

"Whatever their goal is, I don’t intend to give them the chance to achieve it."

Lilith’s face lit up.

"Oh? Are we doing something fun this time too?"

"Yeah, but I want to prepare a little first. There are a few things I need right now."

"Like what?"

Malrik didn’t answer. He simply raised his hands.

The next moment, a green summoning circle began to form on the floor.

A figure stepped out of it.

Its body was smooth, slender, and black, humanoid in shape but devoid of any real human features. Its long arms ended in curved black claws, while a single dark silver mask concealed its face.

Malrik looked at it, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"I think it’s time to copy a few skills."