Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 223: Soul Hunter

Satan felt incredibly fortunate. He hadn't expected to gain two top-tier subordinates on this outing. This was far superior to Alex's acquisition of that Commanding-level woman.

Earl and Cain remained silent. They had no choice but to quietly accept Satan as their master.

They had initially believed they could escape from Satan with their own strength.

Reality, however, was often harsh. They couldn't even handle 50% of Satan's power.

The two submitted to Satan, but he didn't immediately accept. Instead, he smiled and said, "Don't rush. Let me help you both ascend to Monarch level first, then you can submit."

With a flash of red in his eyes, Satan's demon followers were compelled to walk towards them.

"Don't just stand there. Kill them all."

Earl and Cain were stunned. What kind of operation was this? He wanted them to kill his own troops to help them ascend to Monarch level?

Wasn't Satan afraid that once Earl and Cain reached Monarch level, they might turn against him?

Was this confidence or arrogance?

Satan didn't mind. These demon followers weren't technically his troops. He only had twelve true demons, so he didn't care if these followers died.

If he waited for Cain and Earl to submit and then level up, it would take too long. This method was much faster.

Seeing their confused expressions, Satan said earnestly, "I trust you both are men of your word. Since you've decided to submit to me, helping you ascend to Monarch level is my gift to you."

Earl and Cain nodded, saying nothing as they began to slaughter the unresisting demon followers.

In this manner, they quickly ascended to Monarch level.

With their newfound strength, Cain and Earl didn't attempt to rebel. Satan, as a top-tier Lord, was no fool. His confidence stemmed from absolute faith in his power. Cain and Earl dared not take the risk.

"Excellent, you truly are wise men."

Satan smiled as he signed the contract with them. Only then did four hidden demon figures emerge from the shadows.

All of them were Monarch level.

Cain and Earl's faces tightened. Their suspicions were correct; Satan had a backup plan.

They were also relieved by their decision. If they had shown any resistance after ascending to Monarch level, they would have sealed their fate.

...

[Blood Moon in the sky, darkness descends]

Alex returned to the palace from the Dark Forest. She had circled the forest's outskirts but found nothing unusual. It was just like any other forest.

The only difference was that there were signs of undead presence everywhere, severely damaging the environment. Large swathes of forest had been cut down, making it look nothing like a forbidden area.

"The secrets must be hidden deep within the Dark Forest."

Alex murmured. So far, there had been no significant changes in the Dark Forest, indicating nothing had happened.

The forest currently didn't hinder Alex's development, only blocking her eastward expansion.

"For now, I'll head north. The forest's depths are too dangerous... better to wait until I reach King level."

To be safe, it was best to wait until she ascended to King level before venturing deeper. She just hoped nothing would change in the forest before then.

"Right, the leaderboard refreshes tonight."

Alex cared about this. The leaderboard rewards were crucial. Besides her own efforts, system rewards were the fastest way to grow stronger.

Back at the palace, Alex took a bath and changed clothes.

Soon, with her hair still damp, she wrapped herself in a towel, sat casually on a chair, and used her scythe to trim her nails.

She then idly browsed World Chat.

After a few days of not checking, Alex noticed World Chat had become quieter, indicating many Lords had died recently. Or perhaps those from Earth had realized the world's harshness and were less willing to speak.

The trading post was still bustling, but it was filled with low-tier items. Alex, now far ahead in development, had no interest in these goods.

Midnight approached, and as the system's numbers hit zero, signaling a new day, Alex received a mandatory system notification.

[Esteemed Lords, the leaderboard has been refreshed]

[Special Announcement]

[This leaderboard will no longer be divided into five tiers. Instead, it will use an Alliance-based ranking system (Lords without an Alliance will be ranked individually. This ranking includes all Lords, Traitors, and Freelancers)]

[The Soul Hunter has awakened and will devour your souls!]

[Your presence has attracted a certain creature's attention. They are powerful and lonely, numerous and omnipresent. They enjoy consuming high-quality souls, and you will be their prime targets!]

[You will be hunted by these creatures, whose strength ranges between Monarch level and King level. Killing them will earn points. The faction with the highest points (all members) will receive exclusive rewards!]

[Lords, go forth and fight, grow stronger through slaughter, and good luck!]

At that moment, every Lord worldwide received the system announcement. World Chat fell silent as everyone processed the information.

No Lord who had survived this long was foolish. System messages were crucial.

Alex understood the message clearly. The previous event had Lords hunting Traitors; this time, an unknown creature would hunt all Lords.

"But the final faction ranking rewards include all members. If I understand correctly, subjects should be included too, right?"

Alex mused over the system message.

This meant not only Alliance members would receive rewards, but even subordinate Lords of Alliance members would benefit. The system was being unusually generous.

"I wonder how strong these creatures are. But with their strength between Monarch level and King level, even the weakest are Monarch level."

Alex decided not to worry about it. The ranking system was different this time, and the system had stated that without points, rankings were based on overall strength.

Since no one had points yet, it was a good time to see which Alliances were strong.

Alex opened the leaderboard, which was simple and straightforward, showing only rankings.

First place: [Light Alliance].

Second place: [Justice Alliance]

Third place: [Mythril Alliance].

...

Your current rank: First place.