The throne room was silent.
The Eternal King's question echoed through the ancient hall.
"What does death mean to you?"
Blue soul flames drifted lazily through the air.
Every undead knight remained perfectly still.
Even time itself seemed to pause.
Sam didn't answer immediately.
He thought back.
To Earth.
To the battlefield.
To the day he died.
To the day he awoke in this world.
Then...
He looked the Eternal King in the eyes.
"Death..."
"It isn't the end."
The King remained silent.
Sam continued.
"I've seen too many people die."
"Good people."
"Soldiers."
"Children."
"They all wanted one more tomorrow."
He clenched his fist.
"I couldn't save them."
"But now..."
"I have the power to make sure fewer people die."
"My undead aren't slaves."
"They're soldiers."
"They protect the living."
"They fight so my people don't have to."
"They're another chance..."
"...for someone else's tomorrow."
Silence filled the throne room.
The Eternal King closed his eyes.
For several long moments...
He said nothing.
Then...
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"Heh..."
"Heh..."
"It seems..."
"I did not wait all these centuries in vain."
Sam frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The King's eyes opened once more.
"They called me a tyrant."
"They called me a monster."
"They believed I desired a kingdom of the dead."
He slowly shook his head.
"They never understood."
He raised one hand.
The blue soul flames surrounding the throne gathered above his palm.
"They believed necromancy was the power to command death."
"They were wrong."
The flames transformed.
For a brief instant...
Sam saw countless men and women.
Warriors.
Farmers.
Children.
All smiling.
Then they vanished.
"Necromancy..."
"...is the responsibility to remember those who came before."
"To ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten."
The Eternal King's voice grew heavier.
"I created this kingdom..."
"...so no soldier who gave everything would ever be abandoned."
Sam stood silently.
For the first time...
He no longer saw a terrifying undead monarch.
He saw...
A king.
One who had carried the weight of countless lives.
The Eternal King stepped down the final stair.
"You carry the same burden."
"You build walls."
"You protect your people."
"You mourn every life lost."
His gaze became sharp.
"But your path has only begun."
With a wave of his hand...
The air above the throne shimmered.
An image appeared.
A battlefield.
Millions of undead.
Millions of monsters.
Entire kingdoms burning beneath a crimson sky.
At the center of it all...
Seven colossal figures watched from the heavens.
Sam's eyes widened.
"What is this?"
"The future."
The Eternal King's answer was immediate.
"A war that will decide the fate of every race in this world."
The image disappeared.
"You are not ready."
"No Commander is."
"But one day..."
"You will stand where I once stood."
The King turned toward the massive throne.
"I no longer possess the strength to fight that war."
"My time ended long ago."
He looked back at Sam.
"But yours..."
"...has only just begun."
The blue flames throughout the throne room suddenly blazed brighter.
The Eternal King slowly extended his hand.
Floating above his palm...
Was an ancient black key.
Runes glowed across its surface with an eerie blue light.
"This..."
"...is the Key to the Royal Mausoleum."
"It contains the legacy of my kingdom."
"I will not give it to you."
Sam looked surprised.
The King smiled faintly.
"You must prove you deserve it."
A golden screen suddenly appeared before Sam.
---
HIDDEN LEGACY QUEST
The Eternal King's Trial
Objective: Complete the Trial of the Royal Mausoleum.
Difficulty: ???
Failure: Unknown
Reward: Qualification to Inherit the Legacy of the First King of Death.
---
Sam looked at the glowing screen.
Then back at the Eternal King.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"So..."
"A trial."
The Eternal King nodded.
"A king is not chosen by power alone."
"He must prove his heart."