T/N: previous Underworld -> Negative Energy Plane.

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In the endless darkness.

Marvin's consciousness was sometimes fuzzy, sometimes clear.

He could feel his body being attacked by the curse.

His nebulous soul was drifting, apparently wanting to struggle free from the bindings of his physical body and leave this world.

'This… Is it death?'

Marvin was unwilling.

Pain came like a flood as an even more powerful force tried to pull his soul away from his body!

It was a call from the Underworld!

Marvin's body was truly on the brink of death.

His soul was gradually floating and rising into the empty air, looking at his body with reluctance.

"Ba-dumb! Ba-dumb!"

Marvin's clothes burst and a black dot was growing on his heart.

Gradually, an extremely thin line spread out.

The Black Death Curse!

'I won't be able to beat this curse after all…'

Marvin's soul sighed inwardly.

Cold wrapped around him as his consciousness gradually became fuzzy.

But he was startled by a sound at that time.

"Woof!"

The Hellhound.

The eyes of Marvin's soul were wide open as he saw the Hellhound looking at him anxiously.

He could see Marvin!

The Hellhound had the ability to see souls. He could sense that Marvin was dying.

Dying by this Death curse was a gradual process.

Marvin only felt light as a feather, but this feeling was extremely uncomfortable.

He grew very weary.

After transmigrating, he had always been busy. He had never rested properly.

Maybe it was time to rest.

He had already done so much in this world.

He deserved to rest.

His eyelids gradually closed, falling into a slumber.

But at that time, a mournful howl roused Marvin!

Following this howl, the Hellhound's scarlet eyes stared intensely at him!

Marvin felt as if his face had been doused with water.

He completely shook free from his muddleheaded state and felt alert again!

'How could I die like this?'

'I still have many unfulfilled wishes.'

'I still have many things to protect.'

Marvin's willpower gradually strengthened.

But as his soul was still floating around, a white shadow slid over.

That was the Underworld's Grim Reaper!

Marvin didn't believe in any god. After his death, his soul would inevitably fall to the Underworld.

The Underworld was endlessly cold. Marvin had only gone there once in the past, after ascending to Godhood.

That kind of desolate feeling was something that others who hadn't experienced it were unable to imagine.

He didn't want to die!

The desire to survive suddenly surged, and Marvin's misty soul became richer.

But that expressionless white shadow had already arrived in front of Marvin.

He threw an invisible soul shackle and tied Marvin up firmly.

Marvin couldn't speak as he was pulled by the shackles.

He went all-out, but couldn't resist.

'What can I do?'

'Even if my soul is powerful enough, if I go to the Underworld, it might be hard to avoid being enslaved by a Spirit World's Sovereign.'

'I can't die!'

He fiercely resisted and the soul shackles surprisingly began to tremble.

At that moment, the Hellhound, who had devoured the Shadow Prince's avatar, suddenly grew larger!

From a puppy, he reached the size of a person. Even if he was still a lot less impressive than his previous form, he had clearly recovered a lot of power!

He suddenly rushed toward the white shadow while barking furiously!

That white shadow froze.

"Hellhound?" The white shadow mumbled, "Hell and the Underworld have boundaries. This is a mortal soul, so it should be under the Underworld's responsibility."

"Roar!"

The Hellhound bared his fangs as an ominous glint appeared in his eyes.

In an instant, Marvin's soul broke away from the shackles, and before Marvin could understand what was happening, his soul was swallowed whole by the Hellhound!

...

On the cold floor, the white shadow was silent.

His aura gradually became frosty. "You stupid Insignificant pup... you actually dare to challenge the Underworld' prestige?"

'"I gave you a chance. Do you think I won't drag you to the Underworld too?"

The next second, the soul shackles appeared in his hand once again!

But this time, the soul shackles became a lot more solid and locked onto the Hellhound's soul!

The souls of Hell's lifeforms had never been harvested by the Underworld.

But the Underworld Sovereign never feared Archdevils. If that Hellhound was determined to fight over this soul, then he would obviously be disposed of.

The Hellhound felt a powerful pressure.

This was a soul attack.

The young Hellhound's soul wasn't powerful. He was a bit slow-witted after all.

But he only had one goal.

And that was to protect Marvin's soul!

In this magical world, as long as the soul didn't expire, there would inevitably be a chance to reincarnate. But if it went down to the Underworld, who knew what end awaited Marvin.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The Hellhound barked three times.

He used the most powerful soul attack he had mastered.

But the white shadow was motionless, as if he didn't even feel it.

"Idiot!" the white shadow sneered.

He then ruthlessly threw his soul shackles.

The target this time was the Hellhound's soul!

The cold shackles tried to pull on the Hellhound's soul. But a ray of light suddenly rose up and melted the shackles!

The Hellhound was completely oblivious.

The white shadow was shocked!

'Divine Source!'

'What kind of Hellhound is that, for it to have Divine Source?'

The white shadow was both startled and angry.

The Underworld's Reaper couldn't stay in a material realm for too long. This was an iron rule. He had acted twice, and been defeated both times... this was simply humiliating!

It would have been fine if it had been a powerful existence.

But it was only a Hellhound!

It was an immature Hellhound with only one head, and from his appearance, he should have been born not too long ago!

'How could there be such a strange Hellhound? What kind of fucking breed is that?'

The Grim Reaper had doubts. Few Hellhounds would appear in the material planes, and even if they did, they wouldn't be this baffling and wouldn't be so intimate with a mortal.

He had learnt something new today.

But he had no intention to stop.

He had sensed the fall of a powerful soul with great difficulty; if he didn't take it back, how could he be rewarded?

A huge scythe faintly appeared behind him.

The white shadow's expression became extremely sinister. 'So what if he has Divine Source? It looks like he swallowed it ignorantly and doesn't know how to use it.'

'I'll deal with the rest after killing that dog.'

The white shadow slowly moved forward. The Hellhound slowly retreated.

He could feel the other side's terrifying killing aura.

But at that time, six identical silhouettes appeared around the Hellhound and the white shadow.

"I finally caught up…"

"Fuck! That kid already died?" The six silhouettes shockingly said.

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T/N: another name change, hurray. As I already mentioned before, Hell, Abyss, Underworld, and Negative Energy Plane are basically too similar to be able to differentiate them without context. The most troublesome one is the "Evil Spirit Plane" which was translated as Underworld previously since Underworld is a part of the spirit world. We are switching it to Negative Energy Plane now that the true Underworld appeared… (also fit the negative energy part.)

Anyway, hopefully it should be the last time we change those.