**Chapter Three: Prologue (Part 3)**

  "Ah... finally, I can come up for some fresh air! I’d really love to come here for a vacation!"

  From the eerie green fmes of hellfire, a figure gradually emerged. It wasn’t a bat-winged demon or a horned, axe-wielding minotaur, but rather a handsome British gentleman dressed in a sleek, high-end suit, complete with a cane and slicked-back hair. However, the gentleman’s face was deathly pale, almost paper-white.

  As soon as he appeared, he stretched zily and gnced around casually. "Oh, everyone, I didn’t expect to see you all again so soon. It’s only been five years since our st meeting. What’s the matter? Did you miss me already?"

  Huang’s face was even paler now, as if all the blood had been drained from his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood and weakly cursed, "Go to hell! Who missed you? I summoned your master, not a dog like you!"

  The young gentleman wasn’t bothered by Huang’s insults. Instead, he smiled warmly. "Oh, dear Huang, I don’t mean to belittle you, but with your lowly soul, it’s absolutely impossible for my master to come personally. If it were Lin Tao, though, even my master’s master would come in person!" As he spoke, he elegantly pointed his cane toward Lin Tao.

  Lin Tao responded by flipping the gentleman the middle finger, forcing a grin despite his injuries. "Heh, poor Andrew. I missed you. Do you still remember how I kicked you back to that damn hell of yours st time? And why aren’t you wearing that white suit from before? It looked so good on you. Oh, I know why—it’s because there’s a big footprint of mine on the back, and there’s no water in hell to wash it off! Haha... cough... haha..."

  Despite coughing up blood, Lin Tao couldn’t stop his wild ughter. Andrew’s face twisted in rage, and he suddenly lost all composure. He smmed his cane into the ground, embedding it halfway into the soil, and shouted, "You damned human pig! If it weren’t for the fact that I can only borrow a shell to enter your world and can’t even use 20% of my power, you wouldn’t dare act so arrogantly! Just wait, boy. It won’t be long before my true form descends into this world. When that happens, I’ll slowly torture your soul and make sure you and your true self, Rasiel, are both destroyed! Haha..."

  Andrew’s st words were practically spat through gritted teeth. As he finished speaking, his face began to rot, his skin withering and shrinking. In an instant, the dashing gentleman transformed into a horrifying zombie, a sight so terrifying it could make one’s guts churn.

  Seeing Andrew’s true form, Lin Tao showed no fear. Instead, he taunted, "Yes, yes, that’s more like it. This is your real face, you ugly devil!"

  "Andrew..." Wolf, who had been able to move since Andrew’s appearance, had been quietly observing. But as soon as he spoke, he was met with a furious outburst from Andrew.

  "Andrew? You dare call me by my name? In hell, no one but my master dares to address me so casually! Do you understand, you filthy insect? No one!" Andrew raised his right hand and made a cwing motion in the air. Wolf was instantly pulled toward him, his thick neck gripped tightly in Andrew’s hand. Wolf dangled helplessly in the air, kicking his legs like a child.

  "Who gave you the courage to call me by my name? Huh? You dirty, lowly 'skinwalker'! Who gave you the nerve?" Andrew, like a scorned woman finally finding an outlet for her rage, poured all his fury into Wolf. Fortunately, devils don’t produce saliva, or Wolf might have drowned in it.

  "I... I didn’t mean to... Please don’t kill me... Ah..." Wolf’s plea was cut short as Andrew lost patience. Andrew leaned in close to Wolf’s mouth and inhaled deeply. Two wisps of white smoke, faintly forming the shapes of two figures—one resembling Wolf and the other indistinct—were sucked into Andrew’s nostrils. The four small skinners, witnessing this, immediately scattered in terror, though Andrew seemed uninterested in chasing them.

  "Mmm, the soul of a corpse collector tastes excellent—so powerful! But that filthy 'skinwalker' was rather bnd," Andrew said, tilting his head back in satisfaction. He then turned to the barely conscious Huang and sneered, "I’ve done what you asked. Now it’s time for you to go. Let’s get cozy on the road to the underworld!"

  With that, Andrew bent down and spped Huang’s head hard. A translucent white figure, identical to Huang, appeared above his body. The figure floated there, looking around in confusion, as if unaware of who it was or why it was there. Meanwhile, Huang’s head slumped to the side, lifeless.

  Tears streamed down Lin Tao’s face. He desperately wanted to rush forward and save Huang’s soul, even if he couldn’t bring him back to life. At least he could spare him from eternal torment in hell. But he couldn’t. His body was too broken, and the fact that he was still conscious was a miracle in itself. All he could do was bite his lip to keep from crying out.

  Huang and Lin Tao shared an extraordinary bond. In the small, elite team of corpse collectors, which numbered only a dozen, they were the only two Chinese members. Huang was both a mentor and a brother to Lin Tao. Coming from the same country, they had shared everything, from secrets to life-saving moments. Lin Tao had saved Huang’s life more than once, and Huang had repaid him with scars and loyalty.

  Huang had once joked that if he couldn’t repay Lin Tao’s kindness in this lifetime, he’d do it in the next. Now, his good brother was gone, having repaid all his debts with his soul.

  "Andrew! Even if I have to chase you into hell, I’ll never let you go!" Lin Tao’s eyes burned with fury, veins bulging on his forehead. His words were filled with determination and conviction.

  Andrew, leisurely dragging Huang’s soul toward the hellfire, turned back and gave Lin Tao a cold smile. "Oh? When I find your true self, Rasiel, I’ll be sure to pass on the message."

  With that, Andrew disappeared into the green fmes, dragging Huang’s soul with him. The hellfire, which had been burning fiercely, also vanished.

  The forest returned to its original silence and appearance, as if the eerie green light had never existed. It was as if everything had just been a dream, something that had never truly happened...