Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 170: Powerful self-healing

The castle interior began to shake, growing more intense by the second.

Ivy was completely frozen into an ice sculpture, her face twisted in terror, her skin turning purple as she suffocated to death.

Samson sighed deeply, but Ruby paid him no mind. She teleported outside the castle.

There was still one Lord left to deal with. As Alex's first request, Ruby felt she had to complete the task perfectly.

The simultaneous collapse of so many castles naturally caught Grom's attention. He was shocked and stepped outside to see Ruby floating in the air.

Indeed, only a Monarch-level could instantly kill these Lords.

This Monarch-level might be an ally of the Elemental Alliance or a subordinate of the undead Lord, but it didn't matter.

The goal was to cut off their escape route, leaving them no way out.

Without their castles, the Lords would be forced to abandon everything and become Freelancers.

Although Grom had Monarch-level strength, his troops weren't strong enough to reach Monarch-level, so he had to take matters into his own hands.

Grom's muscles bulged rapidly, his body enlarging until his clothes tore apart. A row of bone spikes grew along his spine, transforming him into a blue giant.

However, his size wasn't as exaggerated as Magnus's, only about the size of a normal werewolf.

Grom gripped a large, chipped blade, the iron rings on its back clinking.

Without a word, he leaped towards Ruby, swinging his blade at her.

Ruby teleported to dodge Grom's attack and countered with spatial magic.

But the expected result didn't occur. Grom wasn't blown away; his chest merely dented before quickly returning to normal.

Grom activated his domain. Everything around seemed unchanged, but when Grom attacked Ruby again, she found she couldn't teleport.

An invisible barrier blocked Grom's blade, and countless ice spikes surged towards him. He didn't dodge, letting the ice pierce his body, blue blood oozing out.

Blue flames ignited on his blade, his arm muscles bulging with immense strength, nearly shattering the spatial barrier.

Clang!

A white, curved blade appeared in Ruby's hand, radiating cold and spatial energy, blocking Grom's blade.

Grom tried to push Ruby back but found she was immovable, her small body containing astonishing strength.

Grom withdrew his blade and attacked again. Ruby parried gracefully, their blades clashing in a flurry of strikes. Grom couldn't find a single opening.

Grom was surprised. He had assumed Ruby was a mage, vulnerable in close combat, but she turned out to be a warrior.

Ruby spun elegantly, her blade infused with spatial energy, striking Grom and sending him crashing to the ground.

A white spatial blade formed from her sword, descending towards Grom, giving him no time to react.

Falling, Grom barely managed to counterattack, his blade glowing blue as he swung a massive slash at Ruby, intending to trade blows.

But Ruby's spatial blade pierced Grom, pinning him to the ground, while she swapped places with a stone, dodging his attack.

Pinned, Grom unleashed his domain, shattering Ruby's attack. He stood up, his wounds healing instantly.

Trolls' regenerative abilities were even more terrifying than werewolves' and vampires'.

Grom's eyes turned blood-red, bone spikes emerging from his shoulders, arms, and thighs, his strength increasing. He slashed the ground, causing it to crack, but couldn't hit Ruby.

In her domain, Ruby could freely change positions, manipulate objects, and enhance her combat power.

Grom's domain was more of a support, while Ruby's every strike carried spatial energy, making it impossible for Grom to react in time. If not for his powerful self-healing, any other Monarch-level would have died.

Ruby manipulated countless rocks to attack Grom. As he prepared to counter, she swapped places with a rock, severing his arm with a single strike.

Grom seemed unfazed by pain, immediately swinging his remaining arm at Ruby. She blocked with her curved blade, retreating and creating distance.

In his berserk state, Grom's attributes were fully enhanced. Ruby struggled to face him head-on, relying on her agility to gain an advantage.

But her strikes seemed ineffective, as Grom's arm regenerated instantly.

"How disgusting is this ability?"

Ruby was frustrated. Grom's self-healing seemed limitless, rendering her attacks futile.

This could turn into a battle of attrition, seeing who would tire first: Ruby or Grom's healing.

Alex had told her to leave if she encountered a Monarch-level, but Ruby didn't listen, insisting on fighting.

Reaching Monarch-level meant none of these Lords were simple.

Stubbornly, Ruby continued battling Grom. Her agility far surpassed his, making it impossible for him to catch her if she chose to flee.

Ruby had initially planned to destroy Grom's castle, but its strong shield, numerous defenses, and countless troops made it difficult.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of Ivy's castle, a slightly recovered Samson crawled out, standing unsteadily and watching Ruby and Grom's fight from afar.

As a Commanding level, even severely injured, he couldn't be crushed by the rubble.

Samson limped towards Earl's castle, not returning to his own.

He remembered Ivy's gentle healing, feeling a mix of emotions. He couldn't understand how things had come to this.

What a joke this All-Races Battle Royale was. Fuck that.

Reaching Earl's castle, Samson dumped all his resources.

Earl stepped out, puzzled.

"What are you doing?"

"Earl, do you think coming to this world is a blessing or a curse? It's brutal, bloody, survival of the fittest, with no laws. The strong can dominate everything, while the weak are trampled. But do the weak not deserve to live? Are some people born strong?"

Samson rambled, lost in thought. Earl remained silent, unsure how to respond. Samson continued transferring his castle's resources until his Warehouse was empty.

Finally, Samson looked at Earl, a relieved smile on his face.

"Earl, I'm leaving the Alliance."

"Samson, why?"

Earl was puzzled. This Alliance was Samson's brainchild, but due to his lack of strength, he had handed the leadership to Earl.

As a founding member, Earl had watched as more members joined and the Alliance grew to its current size. He couldn't understand why Samson would suddenly want to give it all up.

Was it because of Ivy?

No, Earl didn't think so.

He hoped Samson would give him an explanation. Otherwise, the original purpose of forming the Alliance—to help each other and grow together—would seem like a sham.

"Earl, I'm sorry. I'm just a weak person."

As Samson finished speaking, Earl suddenly felt a tremor coming from the left side of the castle, where Samson's castle was located.

Earl turned sharply and saw Samson's castle covered in cracks, shaking violently, and gradually collapsing. Samson, however, seemed unaffected, standing in the castle with Earl, watching the scene unfold.

Earl had never seen anything like this but quickly realized what was happening.

"You're becoming a Freelancer?!"

In Earl's shocked exclamation, Samson nodded and turned to leave the castle. He could feel the changes in his body, his strength diminishing.

Earl wanted to say something more but didn't know how to begin. He could only watch as Samson's figure disappeared from sight.