Cao Huang received a sudden notification.

System: Unique Legendary Quest "????????" Initiated. 

Quest Details: Pass Poisonous Rat's Test.

Rewards: ??????

Failure: Unable to log into Absolute Supremacy for 30 days. All Stats Reduced By 200% after logging in for 5 days. 

When Cao Huang received the notification, he got even more nervous. If he failed he couldn't login for 30 days and still receive such vicious penalty after logging in. Even the quest name and rewards were hidden from him. The difference between him and the mainstream players after 30 days would be like difference between heaven and earth. Even if he wanted to start over and change to a different account, he still wouldn't be able to login as the system always ensures that the penalties and punishments are properly delivered to the players. He would have no choice but to leave Playing Absolute Supremacy for 30 Days. As he doesn't have a backing of a big Financial Group behind him, he will never be able to recover from the loss that he would suffer from during those 30 days. 

Cao Huang stood there nervously while thinking what the test would be. He only had one chance, one chance to change his destiny so didn't want to cause any blunder. 

Poisonous Rat took Cao Huang upstairs of the abandoned house.

"Your test is waiting for you in the room upstairs. Now come quickly, I don't have that much time." he said sternly. 

Cao Huang arrived before the door and slowly opened it. Inside the room he saw a figure hanging from the ceiling bounded by ropes. 

Under Poisonous Rat's lead he arrived before the figure and recognized it to be a man. He was unable to speak as he was gagged. He had average looks which a person would forget as soon as they saw it. 

"This person's name is Mark, an ordinary guard of this town. He is a simple man, living a peaceful life. He has a good and gentle wife, a good looking son and a cute and lovely daughter. He donates money to the poor and never speaks about people behind their back. He is extremely compassionate to everyone around him. Over all this guy can be classified as a very good natured guy. He is so good that he was getting on my nerves. I had decided to kill him while torturing him slowly until his life fades out. But now as you are here, this task of torturing and killing him will be handed over to you. Kill this good guy and you would have passed the test. If you fail, well I will cripple your soul." explained Poisonous Rat. 

Soul Crippling is another punishment in the world of Parallax. This type of punishment is for those who had committed great and heinous crimes. Although Cao Huang is a player and can  revive after being killed, if his soul is crippled he may not be able to log into his game account for a week, month, two months or even never log into his account again. If this happens to a player, he will have no choice but to restart his progress from scratch. 

Cao Huang was startled after realizing what the test was. He unsheathed his daggers but stopped after gazing at Mark's innocent face which had already had a smile signifying that he was ready to die. Cao Huang clenched the daggers in his fist so tight that his veins started showing. He was having a great struggle in his heart whether to kill or not. His mind told him to do so but once he made the resolve to kill, the scenes of Mark's beautiful wife, his children and his innocent and smiling face started to appear in his mind."

"Brat, I don't have time to waste here. Kill him quickly or I will cripple your soul." threatened Poisonous Rat. 

Cao Huang after a moment of struggle, gripped his daggers and take a great stride forward. 

Slash!

He aimed his dagger at Mark's head and suddenly shifted his strike towards the ropes binding him. 

"Run!!!" Cao Huang shouted. 

Although Mark was free from his bindings he still stood there. 

"Why aren't you running? Go I will hold him for the time being so RUN!!." Even after all his shouting Mark still stood there with a blank expression. 

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Cao Huang turned around and saw Poisonous Rat clapping. Cao Huang quickly shifted to a battle ready stance. Even if he died here today he won't let an innocent be harmed. He made his resolve. 

"Vicious but not vicious enough. Will to become a tyrant but a righteous heart. Good, Very Good. You are the most suitable candidate to become my successor. Even if you aren't strong enough to carry my mantle for now, I will train you until you are strong enough to do so." Said Poisonous Rat who looked at Cao Huang like he found a treasure. 

"Wait! Did I just pass the test?" Cao Huang had no idea what was going on. 

"Yes, you passed it with flying colors. You completely exceeded my expectations. It would have been enough to pass the test, when you didn't kill Mark. But even I didn't expect that you would free him from his bindings and stay back to stop me, even when you knew that it was all futile." he explained excitedly. 

"Does that mean you will help me to become a dark player now?" asked Cao Huang expectantly.

"No, I won't. You don't deserve to become one as I have taken you to be my successor. Don't you want to know who I am?"

When Cao Huang heard the answer, he was depressed but he still decided to answer him. 

"Aren't you a spy from the dark faction?" Cao spoke what Vilariun had told him before. 

"Whaaat! Who told you that?" Poisonous Rat asked dumbfounded to know that Cao Huang only drew his attention because he considered him a measly spy from dark side. 

Seeing his reaction, he thought that Poisonous Rat was puzzled of how he knew of his identity. 

"Am I right? It was a friend of mine who told me this." he answered truthfully. 

"Which son of *** told you that I was a measly spy from dark side. Oh! my majestic image is ruined by such a bas*ard!" he said furiously. 

Cao Huang didn't know what to make of this. If he wasn't a spy then who was he?

"Now I will show you my real self. Behold! My glorious self." he shouted.

Outside the town, the sky became shrouded with dark clouds. The air was heavy with the intent of death. The birds stopped in their flight. The monsters started to tremble in fear. The people on the ground suffocated under the majestic pressure. This event lasted for five to ten seconds and soon returned to normal. 

"What was that?" shouted someone. 

"That was so scary." said someone who was still trembling. 

"Who can cast this kind of pressure only with his aura?" This was what everyone had in their mind. 

Oblivious to all this Cao Huang was seeing an entire different scene. Poisonous Rat who stood in front of him started to transform. His short height of 160 centimeters increase to 183 centimeters. His short green hair changed turned wavy and pitch black in colour and slowly started to increase in length till they reached his shoulders. His face which was previously ugly started to change to an extremely handsome one with sharp eyebrows, deep and unfathomable black eyes. His cheeks were sleek and his jawline sharp like a mountain peak. If his previous self was like a middle aged thug then his present self was like an arrogant Prince Charming. His looks can cause the girls to blush and guys to gnash their teeth in envy. 

The only Cao Huang had in his mind was. 

"I absolutely want this hairstyle." he thought in his mind. 

Snapping out of his stupor, he once again decided to inspect the person before him. 

[Emperor Of Death, Azurus] (Diamond Tier, Human) (Projection) 

HP ????? ????

MP ????? ????

Once he read his introducing, Cao Huang's mouth was left wide open. He was still unable to believe that the person standing before him was the Emperor of Death itself. This fact was further proven by heavy death intent present in the air. Although Azurus was doing his best to suppress it wasn't something a mere human like him can handle. 

The Emperor of Death, Azurus was a human. His legends were spread throughout the world of parallax. According to ancient records, tens of thousands of years ago, he was nothing but an ordinary human. When he was a child his entire family was killed by the previous Emperor of Death, Joghdur. Joghdur took a liking to Azurus's Sister and demanded to his family that they hand her over to him which his family immediately refused to do so. In anger, Joghdur to killed Azurus's Parents, he brought away his sister whom he also killed slightly after. His pride didn't allow him to kill a child himself so he picked up Azurus and left him to die in the Dragon Valley. Contrary to his expectations, the Dragons took a liking to his talent and raised him to be an excellent warrior. Fueled by his desire for revenge, Azurus grew by leaps and bounds. He soon became strong enough to kill Joghdur which he eventually did. Till then his legend remains vivid as daylight. No one has ever seen his complete strength. 

"So I shall introduce myself again. My name is Azurus also known by the people of this world as the current Emperor Of Death. I have roamed this land for ages in search for a suitable candidate who shall become my successor. Before meeting you, none caught my eye. But in you, I see all the qualities of someone who is bound to rise sooner or later. Now that you have passed my test, I shall ask you. Do you wish to become my successor? Do you wish for me to become your Master? For if you do you will face immense difficulties in path. For if you do, your path to peak of death, shall be littered with corpses. For if you do, you will have to persevere till the end and if you did then you shall become a Death God and for if you do then step forward." Said Azurus in awe inspiring majestic voice. 

Cao Huang wasn't the same as before. He didn't fear difficulties, in fact he welcomed it as it would help him in his growth. Even if he had to walk the path of corpses, he will gladly walk that path to fulfill his dream. 

So without any hesitation, he stepped forward. 

"I am willing." he said loudly to express his will. 

"Good. Then bare with this."

Azurus took a step forward and slightly touched Cao Huang's forehead. Cao Huang felt like someone was branding his forehead with a burning piece of metal. He clenched his teeth to stop himself from screaming out. 

The pain slowly faded away and with a flick of Azurus's finger, a mirror popped out of no where in front of Cao Huang. He walked to the mirror and saw a faint black mark depicting a five headed Dragon Mark appear where Azurus had places his finger.

"Since you passed the test exceedingly well. I have decided to reward you with something special."

"What is this?" asked Cao Huang. 

"You will know soon enough." said Azurus with a mysterious smile. 

System: Quest "Birth of a Death God completed (2%).

Rewards:

65000 Experience Points rewarded to the player. 

The title 'Death Gods Successor' rewarded to the player. 

A mystery box rewarded to the player. 

Bonus: Chaos Dragon's Origin blood awarded to the player. 

Cao Huang was stumped after seeing so many rewards. With this much Exp, he directly leveled up to Level five. 

Just as he wanted to check out his reward. 

System: Servers logging out in five minutes. Please save your progress at a safe place. 

CHAPTER TITLE: Birth of a Death God, Emperor of Death's Successor.