Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 225: Desperate Drake

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Arsen continent, atop a steep mountain range, two figures—one yellow and one black—were engaged in a high-speed chase.

The fleeing man had a pair of large, fleshy wings on his back, with endless rock energy swirling around him, propelling him forward at great speed. Yet, he couldn't shake off the black figure pursuing him.

The black figure, wearing a hood and wielding a firearm, continuously attacked the fleeing man. It floated in mid-air with incredible speed, accompanied by a crow that followed closely behind.

"Damn it, I can't shake this guy off," the man cursed. He couldn't understand how this strange figure had appeared on the continent. These Soul Hunters had many bizarre weapons, making them difficult to defeat even at the same level.

The man abruptly changed direction, diving straight down. Under the puzzled gaze of the Soul Hunter, he burrowed into the ground and disappeared.

The surroundings fell silent, as if the man had vanished into thin air. But the Soul Hunter didn't stop. It seemed to know where the man was hiding and continued its pursuit.

From within the Soul Hunter's black robe, two tridents emerged, spinning in the air before being charged with immense energy. They shot towards the distant ground at an exaggerated speed.

Boom!

The rocks exploded, dust and debris flying everywhere. As the smoke cleared, the man reappeared, his arms transformed into massive claws covered in earth-colored scales, blocking the tridents.

Drip—

Red blood dripped to the ground. Although the man had blocked the attack, his arms were still injured.

The figure in the sky raised its firearm, aiming at the man. As the trigger was pulled, a lava projectile shot out. The man quickly used rocks to shield himself, but they were easily shattered.

Boom!

A massive explosion rocked the ground, creating a large crater filled with cracks. The rocks and soil melted into scorching lava.

The Soul Hunter looked ahead, seeing the man taking a desperate gamble. Using the force of the explosion to propel himself, he protected his vital areas and flew far away. At the critical moment, he spread his wings and accelerated, quickly escaping.

The Soul Hunter, undeterred, donned a black, pointed mask and entered a strange state.

The Soul Hunter's figure vanished, leaving only a black feathers drifting down.

The fleeing man was none other than Drake from the [Justice Alliance].

Since his last battle with Alex, Drake had moved his castle from Stone Pillar Mountain. The area lacked resources for development, and hunting required long journeys.

His troops were dragons, and in such a resource-poor area, development was difficult. The teleportation gates couldn't accommodate his large dragons, limiting his growth.

After discussing with his allies, they agreed that staying there would hinder Drake's development, so he temporarily moved.

Drake relocated to the Arsen continent, to a place called the Desolate Mountains, the very mountains he was now fleeing from.

This area bordered the dwarf kingdom to the east, with the Medusa tribe to the north and the Azure Cloud Giant Eagles to the south. These were the known factions, making it a strategic location for development.

The Desolate Mountains were barren. Unlike the White Rock Mountains, which had minerals, the Desolate Mountains had nothing.

No creatures lived there. The mountains ran north to south, forming the eastern border of the dwarf kingdom and separating it from other races.

Drake had only been there a few days, just getting his development on track, when the leaderboard event updated. Unluckily, he encountered a Soul Hunter and was no match, being chased all the way here.

If not for the earth dragon's resilience, he would have died already.

Soul Hunters were strange. They didn't kill troops or destroy castles, only targeting the Lords themselves.

When discovered, Drake wasn't in his castle and couldn't call for help. The Soul Hunter appeared on his way back, and after a brief fight, Drake was quickly defeated and forced to flee in the opposite direction.

Drake continuously called for help from his allies, who agreed to assist. But as he got further from his castle, he feared his allies wouldn't arrive in time, leaving him with no escape.

Desperate, he fought the Soul Hunter to buy time for his allies.

After half an hour of fighting, covered in wounds and still without help, Drake realized his allies wouldn't come.

He had a hunch why.

Drake decided to stop fighting and fled west. Among the nearby factions, the dwarf kingdom was the strongest, offering his best chance of survival.

His plan was simple: hide in a dwarf city, burrow underground, use the Soul Hunter's attacks to break the shield, and slip into the city, causing a battle between the dwarves and the Soul Hunter, allowing him to escape.

Drake had flown out of the Desolate Mountains, with the Soul Hunter close behind.

"A river!"

Drake, battered and bruised, was relieved to see a rushing river at the border of the Great Wasteland and the plains.

A river meant a dwarf city downstream.

Drake wrapped himself in his wings, diving into the water like a cocoon, creating a huge splash.

He submerged beneath the riverbed, using his ability to avoid breathing, though it consumed Mana Points. He swam rapidly downstream.

The Soul Hunter hesitated only briefly before following.

Drake clung to this lifeline. In the distance, the river flowed rapidly, and a dwarf city stood on the high cliffs by the river.

Drake accelerated, reaching the cliff base and leaping out of the water, burrowing into the soil outside the shield.

The Soul Hunter attacked as Drake emerged, its lava projectile destroying the riverbank, causing large rocks to fall and creating massive splashes.

Boom!

The explosion and ground tremors alerted the dwarf guards, who saw the figure floating above the river and sounded the alarm.

The figure ignored them, sensing Drake near the dwarf city, and fired again.

The spinning lava projectile shattered the dwarf city's shield in one shot. It wasn't that the Soul Hunter was exceptionally strong, but its weapon was designed to break energy shields.

Drake was overjoyed. Hiding in the soil, with the dwarves' attention on the Soul Hunter, he slipped into the city through the broken shield.

Dwarf gunners fired back, but their attacks were like mosquito bites to the Monarch level Soul Hunter.

The Soul Hunter ignored the attacks, sensing Drake in the city, and prepared to enter. But several figures on the wall blocked its path.

"Anvilcliff is not a place for your mischief!"

The dwarf speaking was the city's ruler, flanked by two guards, all Monarch level.

The Soul Hunter didn't respond, either unable or unwilling to speak. If these dwarves blocked its path, it would take their souls too.

Lord souls were delicious, but native souls would suffice.

The two dwarf guards, wielding hammers, flew up to fight the Soul Hunter. Using agile movements and a variety of weapons, the Soul Hunter easily countered them.

Harpoons, firearms, scythes, bombs—each weapon had different features, making it hard for the dwarf guards to defend.

But their superior equipment allowed them to hold their ground, avoiding immediate defeat.

The dwarf ruler, observing the battle, seemed to recognize something. The crow beside the figure felt familiar.

"It seems I've read about this figure in some ancient texts."

Though humanoid, the figure's weapons and fighting style indicated it wasn't human.

"I remember now. This is a Soul Hunter!"

The dwarf ruler was surprised. Why was a Soul Hunter here? They hadn't appeared in years.

Why had one suddenly come to Anvilcliff?

Ancient texts described Soul Hunters as creatures that fed on souls, with an insatiable appetite for them. No one knew how many there were, where they lived, or why they appeared.

The only certainty was that when a Soul Hunter appeared before you, it wanted to devour your soul!