I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 98 --Servant of the Death

"James, in life you were tireless and wise, both a teacher and a warrior. You are perfectly suited to be a general and commander. From now on, you shall also serve as a deputy commander of the Infernal Domain, tasked with managing and training all Infernal Envoys."

Owen spoke slowly and calmly.

Compared to Tommy’s responsibility of gathering and overseeing ghosts, commanding the Infernal Envoys was undeniably more significant. Whether during times of peace for exploration or on the frontlines during Divine War, a seasoned, fearless leader was indispensable.

James—who had once sacrificed everything for humanity—was clearly the ideal candidate.

From this moment on, James would oversee all external affairs, leading the Infernal Envoys into battle, while Tommy would handle internal order by managing ghosts and maintaining the Infernal Domain’s stability.

Only by safeguarding the underworld could greater growth be achieved in the future.

James nodded solemnly. "Deus Initium, rest assured. Leave the Infernal Envoys to me."

Back in his youth, James had led men into battle against spellbeasts countless times. There wasn’t a fight too brutal or an ambush too strange for him to handle. These tasks were second nature now.

More importantly, he understood the strength and purpose of the Infernal Envoys. As their new commander, he would lead them to exterminate spellbeasts plaguing the territory.

Not only would this serve to train the Envoys, but it would also help eliminate threats to his fellow humans.

Just the thought of it filled him with purpose and excitement.

His heart had always belonged to humanity. Even in death and resurrection, that hadn’t changed.

Seeing James so fired up, Owen smiled and handed over 1,000 divine points and a pile of Hellish Artifacts.

"If you wish to hunt spellbeasts, you may coordinate with Thomas. A synergy between human Awakeners and Infernal Envoys will certainly be more effective in slaying spellbeasts."

Owen understood James’s heart—and so he made the offer directly.

After speaking, Owen waved his hand, signaling that they were dismissed.

Now that he had Vassal Gods, many duties no longer required his personal attention.

And whether it was out of faith or ambition, both of them would surely go all out to complete their missions.

"Great Deus Initium, we take our leave!"

James and Tommy bowed respectfully, then exited the divine statue.

...

Within Black Iron. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

A middle-aged man in somewhat worn clothing rode into the city atop a black-furred dire wolf.

The man’s aura was concealed and murky, but the beast he rode was anything but subtle—its bloodthirsty presence kept everyone at a distance, instilling fear with a glance.

In this world, anyone who used a spellbeast as a mount was undeniably a ruthless individual.

As he entered Black Iron, the man glanced around curiously, examining the bustling city—one of the most prosperous in the region.

The streets were packed with people. Though his fearsome appearance drew stares, most locals only gave him a second glance before moving on.

They’d seen worse.

Spellbeasts often treated humans as food. Naturally, there were some people who made a habit of subjugating spellbeasts instead.

Such people were rare—and usually very powerful. Not to be provoked.

After wandering the streets for a while, the man seemed to grow bored. With a lazy yawn, he allowed the black wolf to carry him to a secluded estate on the city’s outskirts.

The people within the estate looked lifeless and defeated, their expressions devoid of energy.

As the man approached, the head steward of the estate hurried over in small, quick steps to greet him—but just as he was about to speak, the middle-aged man cut him off.

"Where’s the master of this estate? Wasn’t he supposed to be waiting for me here at this time?"

There was a trace of irritation in the man’s tone. Even the dire wolf beneath him narrowed its eyes menacingly.

"M-Master Fox... his soul flame has gone out. We’ve searched high and low, but found nothing. He... he must be dead..."

The steward trembled as he spoke.

He knew full well that this man before him was someone even Master Fox had treated with great respect.

Such a figure was not someone they could afford to offend.

"Dead?"

The man’s indifferent expression darkened, replaced by a glint of cold malice.

"Heh... if your master is dead, what’s the point in you worthless servants still living?"

As soon as he spoke those chilling words, the dire wolf beneath him lunged forward like a shadowy blur, pouncing toward the steward.

Its massive maw opened wide, and its expanding jaws devoured the steward in a single gulp. The beast licked its lips, clearly not satisfied.

The other estate workers froze in terror at the sight.

Just as they turned to flee, the dire wolf opened its abyssal mouth once more—not a single one escaped.

After devouring them, the dire wolf visibly grew larger, its expression sharper and more energized.

The man patted its head approvingly.

"Well done. These useless fools’ only worth was becoming your food."

Then, his expression grew grim.

"Fox may’ve been trash, but he was supposed to serve his purpose before that trash got discarded. He died before completing my plan?!"

"How could he just die like that? Is my entire decades-long scheme about to be ruined because of him?"

The man’s brow furrowed tightly. That ruined pocket dimension and the ten bloodwolves were all carefully prepared by him—designed so that Fox could absorb their bloodline, break through to tier-5, and eventually serve as his stepping stone to tier-6.

He had been stuck at tier-5 peak for far too long. He needed this breakthrough.

But now, after decades of planning, everything had come to a halt because of Fox’s death.

Fox had been his greatest hope.

"All those years... and now I’m the oldest among our mentor’s students, yet I’m still the weakest. Even those junior female disciples who joined later have already reached tier-6!"

With a deep sigh, he clenched his fists.

"With Fox’s strength, especially in this backwater place, he should’ve had no opponents. How could he just suddenly die? Could he have been targeted by a spellbeast?"

Considering Fox’s reclusive base outside the city, the man’s mind began to churn.

"Who dared ruin my plans? Who had the guts?!"

His fury grew.

With his tier-5 peak strength, there should’ve been no one in this backwoods region who could oppose him.

He was just about to head out on his dire wolf to investigate Fox’s secret base outside the city—but paused.

"Fox was strong in his own right—and with various life-saving techniques, the one who killed him can’t be an ordinary foe..."

Coming from a major city, he was a cautious man by nature. His earlier rage quickly cooled.

He decided to investigate first, before making his move.

...

[Path to Godhood – Phase 11 Quest]

[Congratulations! You’ve become a 2-Star Ancient God. You’ve begun sheltering more and more devotees and even have Vassal Gods assisting you in managing your territory. As an Ancient God, you must not only elevate devotees—but also command your own Vassal Gods!]

[Quest Objective: Possess two Vassal Gods.

Reward: Hell Statue, Servant of the Death (Artifact), 300 Divine Points.]

Seeing the quest marked as "Reward Claimable," Owen clicked Accept without hesitation.

There had also been a Phase 10 quest requiring at least 50 Infernal Envoys, which he had completed with ease—earning 20 tier-3 Hellish Artifacts, 3 tier-4 Infernal Artifacts, and 200 divine points as rewards.

As for Phase 11, he had already fulfilled the requirements in advance. All that remained was to claim his reward.

As Owen confirmed the reward, a Hell Statue materialized before him, along with a special ring engraved with the symbol of a death scythe, exuding an aura of eerie dread.