Alex took out the Kingdom's Tear and the race's Tear submitted by Drake. As the two touched, they instantly fused together.Ruby watched in awe, amazed by the system's power as she witnessed a race's Tear vanish before her eyes.
[Kingdom's Tear Current Upgrade Progress: 87/100]
"Only 6 points? Still 13 to go," Alex sighed. A Monarch-level force couldn't add more than ten points, so it seemed they'd have to wait another two days.
"Alex, was that a race's Tear just now?" Ruby asked, a bit unsure.
"Yes, Lords can obtain them by conquering races. Collect enough race's Tears, and you can establish a kingdom," Alex explained.
"Sounds like a task given by a god?"
"You could say that," Alex admitted. Ruby had a knack for understanding certain things.
"We might have to wait two days before we can set off. The Kingdom's Tear upgrade is almost complete. I need to transform Undead City into an Undead Empire before we leave, so I can be a hands-off leader," Alex said, not noticing Ruby's subtle movements beside her.
"Alex," Ruby called out.
"Hmm?" Alex turned, momentarily stunned.
"Here," Ruby said, handing over a white crystal.
"Have you lost your mind? Take it back. Building the Undead Empire is just a matter of time; I don't need your help," Alex refused outright, even a bit angry.
"No, I'm serious," Ruby said earnestly, her gaze fixed on Alex.
"Do you know what Submission means? It's madness. Following me could endanger your entire tribe!" Alex's voice rose, but Ruby remained unmoved.
Alex had made it clear before that Lords were destined to be lonely, to stand against the world, and the risks were immense.
"Ruby, you can't gamble your fate and your tribe's future on an extraterrestrial visitor," Alex said solemnly, reminding her that her father's fate could very well be Alex's future.
"No, without you, I might have died long ago, and I certainly wouldn't have united my tribe. I can't do much for you. I know your talent; I probably won't even have the chance to catch up to you, but this is all I can do," Ruby insisted stubbornly, ignoring Alex's advice.
Meanwhile, the three playing cards in the hall had stopped, secretly observing the argument. At such close range, they couldn't avoid overhearing, so they remained silent, listening intently.
"That's still not okay. Listen, even though you're the queen, the entire Arctic Tigerfolk tribe isn't just yours," Alex's tone softened.
"How about this: go back and ask Maulclaw and Shadowfang. If the whole tribe agrees, we'll talk. Is that okay?" Alex proposed a compromise, believing Maulclaw and Shadowfang would never agree.
Even if Maulclaw did, the hot-tempered Shadowfang wouldn't; it was a matter of principle. This was purely to placate Ruby. Her decision wouldn't benefit her and would only put her in greater danger, something Alex didn't want for Ruby.
"Fine, I'll go right now!" Ruby put away the race's Tear and stormed off.
Standing aside, Alex quietly summoned a Death Spirit. Instantly, a black mist formed beside her.
"Death Spirit, inform Maulclaw and Shadowfang in the far north not to agree to Ruby's Submission request."
The Death Spirit dissipated immediately. The Death Spirit had a Clone there and could relay the message to Maulclaw and Shadowfang instantly, more efficiently than Ruby could.
Alex valued her friendship with Ruby. The Kingdom's Tear upgrade progress was close, but it wasn't worth involving the Arctic Tigerfolk tribe. Alex's initial intention in helping Ruby wasn't to absorb her race's Tear.
Besides, the Arctic Tigerfolk's strength was average and wouldn't offer much help to Alex at this stage. There was no need to drag Ruby's entire race into it just to establish the Undead Empire two days earlier.
"Ah, still too young," Alex sighed, a bit helpless.
The three nearby didn't dare comment, nor would they interfere with Alex's decision.
For the Xiao siblings, Alex and Ruby had been close even before they joined, and their relationship was naturally strong. From the first day they met Ruby and from her attitude toward Alex, it was clear her identity was significant.
"Stop staring and go to bed," Alex said, giving them a look. The three slunk away quietly.
But just in case, Alex decided to work overtime tonight. She headed upstairs to change shoes; she couldn't fight in slippers, after all.
"Centaurs, tonight I'll deal with you!" Alex declared, sending a message to Drake to check on his situation.
Her plan was to personally eliminate three or four small races, max out the Kingdom's Tear, and upgrade Undead City to an Undead Empire.
Alex: "Do you have any races you're currently dealing with, or other targets?"
Drake: "There are a few, but they're all King-level forces. I'm not a match for them yet and need to proceed gradually."
Alex: "Get ready. In half an hour, I'll take them out myself. By morning, I want the Undead Empire established!"
Drake: "Understood."
Alex put on her shoes and socks, her figure disappearing from the bedroom, reappearing at the main fortress. She entered alone, not informing anyone of her whereabouts.
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Arsen Continent, centaurs' territory, undead fortress.
The fortress was pitch black, surrounded by dense forest. Looking up, Alex could vaguely see several massive Silverscale Leviathans hovering above.
The undead army stationed here was relatively weak, with only a few dozen Monarch-level members and a Death Spirit Clone. Of course, Alex wasn't relying on them.
As a King-level, Alex could conquer a Monarch race effortlessly. She stood on the bone wall, scanning the surroundings, spotting several hidden centaur sentries in the distant forest.
Her eyes flashed blue, and the centaurs were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, caught off guard.
Ϻ√∟ΕМРΥᎡ.ϲӨƜ
"Death Spirit, lead the way to the centaurs' royal family!" A black and a white figure simultaneously rose into the air, disappearing as they flew into the depths of the forest.
Deep within the heart of this dense forest, there lay a massive cave, the gathering place of the centaurs' royal family. Even at night, the tunnel was brightly lit with reflected light.
Nighttime was when the centaurs reveled. Known for their brutality, love of drink, lust, and savagery, their celebrations were anything but wholesome.
Outside the cave, the scene was one-on-one mating, but inside, it was sheer madness. A fully aroused male Alpha had grown five penises, mating with five Omegas simultaneously in the night.
[I'm just trying this out, in fact, I'm still not very clear about the relationship between Alpha and Omega. Is there anyone who can tell me if my expression is accurate?]
The undead hadn't crushed them with sheer numbers of Monarch level forces because these centaurs lived like nomads.
Besides their formidable sexual prowess, they were naturally adept at running and archery. While Monarch level centaurs couldn't fly, they could easily lose a few undead in the dense forest.
Without eliminating their royal family, the system wouldn't consider the conquest successful. It wasn't that they couldn't win, but the undead were hindered by the terrain.
This had delayed the conquest until now, but the encirclement was complete. The entire forest was surrounded by undead, ready to close in and conquer them completely.
For the centaurs, tonight was unfortunate because Alex had arrived.
When Alex reached the cave, the Death Spirit's Clone dissipated. A white figure suddenly appeared outside the cave, unnoticed by the Alphas and Omegas who had just finished mating and were still lost in their lust, their vigilance greatly reduced.
Alex felt no disturbance at the debauchery around her. They weren't human, and aside from their unusually large genitalia, there was nothing appealing.
She'd seen enough. A spatial ripple emanated from her, instantly dismembering all the centaurs outside the cave.
"Who goes there!" came an angry shout from within the cave, followed by the sound of a centaur collapsing and the clatter of hooves.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Several flaming arrows shot out from the tunnel, aimed straight at Alex. But such primitive attacks were ineffective even against a Commanding level, let alone a King level.
The arrows halted before Alex, exploding in mid-air. In that moment, she vanished, charging into the cave.
Moments later, crimson blood trickled out of the tunnel, the internal fires extinguished, leaving silence in their wake.
[Congratulations, Lord, on successfully conquering the centaurs. Reward: race's Tear, Auxiliary Barrack.]
Alex's clothes remained pristine, untouched by the chaos. They hadn't even had a chance to lay a finger on her.
Back at the undead fortress, Alex appeared. "Death Spirit, lead the undead to continue expanding. As for those centaurs, kill any who don't comply."
Returning to Undead City, Alex immediately absorbed the Kingdom's Tear. The Auxiliary Barrack was constructed in Dragon City.
[Kingdom's Tear Current Upgrade Progress: 89/100]
"Damn, only two points. I shouldn't have expected much from them," Alex muttered, notifying Drake before entering the Portal of Transit. Her goal was to finish before midnight so she wouldn't miss her sleep.
Mossvale Continent, Dragon City.
Drake was already waiting for Alex at the Portal of Transit. He suspected her urgency was due to the Kingdom's Tear nearing its upgrade, eager to establish an Empire.
The thought excited Drake; Alex, the top Lord, was skipping straight to an Empire.
Arriving on Mossvale Continent, even in the dim night, the surroundings left Alex astounded. The trees were enormous, so much so that Dragon City seemed insignificant in the vast forest.
Drake had mentioned it was a primeval forest, but Alex hadn't paid much attention until she saw it herself.
"It's like a dreamscape!" Alex exclaimed.
"I was even more shocked when I first saw it," Drake replied, standing nearby.
"Let's not waste time. Lead the way, and let's head out," Alex urged, eager to get moving.
Drake nodded, both ready for action. He summoned two Rock Dragons, and they each mounted one, flying out of Dragon City.
On the way, Drake explained the situation, but Alex was distracted. She only knew the target was a weak King level force. Only the chieftain was King level, resulting in a Race's Tear worth ten points, perfectly stopping at 99!
This frustrated Alex, who had anticipated this outcome.
She considered changing targets, but all nearby forces were similarly weak King level, and not close by. Even at Monarch Rock Dragon's speed, it would take nearly two hours to reach them.
Alex couldn't leave them behind because she didn't know the way. With nothing else to do, she admired the primeval forest's scenery.
The target race, [Winged Bird Sub-Dragon], numbered around ten thousand, with the strongest at King level, residing atop the giant trees.
Sub-dragons, like dragons, had fewer numbers with higher bloodlines.
The Winged Bird Sub-Dragon's large numbers indicated a diluted bloodline.
"Better be cautious. This Winged Bird Sub-Dragon might not be a low-tier King level," Drake shouted from the dragon's back, warning Alex.
Alex nodded. If needed, she'd call for help. The stronger the opponent, the more race's Tear points they'd provide, saving the trouble of conquering a second race and saving time.
Soon, the Rock Dragons brought them to the Winged Bird Sub-Dragon's territory. Perched on the treetops, they spotted the intruders.
A sharp screech echoed, and the treetops of several towering trees shook, sending room-sized leaves fluttering down.
Instantly, thousands of Winged Bird Sub-Dragons took flight, charging at Alex and Drake, undeterred by the pure-blood Rock Dragons.
Drake and the dragons were ready for battle, but Alex remained unfazed. Seeing the swarm of Winged Bird Sub-Dragons, she smirked.
"Trying to outnumber me?"