Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 289: Absorb the Source of Fear

Edgar's meaning was crystal clear. He would temporarily seal the Source of Fear, waiting for Ruby to reach King level. Then, he would transfer the seal to Ruby's weapon. At that point, the Source of Fear would become either her greatest opportunity or her gravest danger.

As a father, this was a last resort. Given a choice, he wouldn't want Ruby to shoulder the burden of the Source of Fear. After all, if she couldn't control it, it would consume her. The risk was simply too great.

Alex's arrival was perfectly timed.

"So you found me for this reason?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," Edgar replied patiently. "Even he admitted that the undead lord's weapon was incredibly powerful. You're not only his successor but also a Lord yourself. With the system's help, you're the most qualified person for this." Since he was asking for help, he needed to be upfront about the stakes.

"I see," Alex murmured, pondering the situation. If the system couldn't neutralize this ticking time bomb, wouldn't it pose a serious threat down the line?

Suddenly, something struck Alex as odd. Ruby was only a teenager, which meant her father had died roughly a decade ago. But the Dark Forest had existed for far longer. The timeline didn't add up.

"Was the Dark Forest created because of the Source of Fear's sealing?" she inquired.

Edgar wasn't surprised by Alex's sharp mind. He knew exactly what she was getting at.

"Yes," he confirmed. "He died over three hundred years ago, and I've been sealing the Source of Fear ever since. The original forest was consumed by it, twisted into what you see now."

"Ruby was infused with primal power by her parents at birth, a legacy to accelerate her cultivation and ensure her safety. She's been asleep ever since, only waking up a few years ago."

"So, Ruby is actually over three hundred years old?" Alex exclaimed, astounded. No wonder she was betrayed and hunted by her own kind. The tiger being queen's followers from three centuries ago would be long gone.

"You could say that," Edgar chuckled. "Mentally, though, she's still a teenager."

"Three hundred years of sealing has taken its toll. My power has dwindled to Sovereign level, while the Source of Fear has grown to King level. Now is the perfect time to reseal it."

"Although your weapon differs from the previous undead lord's, the lineage is the same. Your power won't be any weaker. In fact, you're far stronger than I was at your stage."

"As compensation for sealing the Source of Fear, I'll pass on the spatial magic he entrusted to me. This Dark Forest will be yours to command."

Alex's eyes lit up at the offer. This was turning out to be quite the deal. Still, she needed clarification. "I'll be using my weapon for the sealing. Won't really need spatial magic, will I?"

"Don't worry, you won't be bound here like I was. It won't affect you in any way. With your talent, suppressing the Source of Fear will be child's play. Consider it a reward for helping Ruby," Edgar reassured her, a wistful smile gracing his lips. Looking at Alex, he was reminded of their old Lord companions.

"Alright, let's do this," Alex agreed, eager to learn more about Lords from Edgar once this was over.

"Good. When the time comes, touch the seal with your scythe. It should trigger a system prompt. Just follow the instructions. That's the beauty of being a Lord," Edgar explained, forgoing any detailed instructions. He knew the system would guide her.

Alex watched as Edgar, who had remained motionless, suddenly raised his hand. As he moved, the surroundings grew dark. His meditating body slowly levitated, and the boulder beneath him crumbled, revealing a bottomless tunnel.

A King level aura erupted from the chasm as a dark figure shot out. But just as it emerged, Edgar clasped his hands together, freezing the space around them. The Source of Fear was trapped, unable to move.

Alex finally got a clear look at the Source of Fear. It was a grotesque mass of black energy, distinct from both death energy and dark attributes.

She drew her scythe and approached it, effortlessly passing through the spatial barrier. With the back of the blade, she tapped the Source of Fear.

**[Special lifeform detected. Use Grim Reaper's Scythe to absorb?]**

"Absorb!" Alex commanded, tapping the confirmation on the system interface.

The top of the scythe pulsed with an unseen force, greedily devouring the immobilized Source of Fear.

It was then that Alex noticed a crack in Edgar's spatial seal. It had only been a few seconds, yet his temporary seal was already on the verge of breaking. Once it shattered, the Source of Fear would vanish into thin air, becoming impossible to track.

Fortunately, the system was powerful enough. The Source of Fear was essentially an evolution of Ruby's father's troops, and troops were summoned with the system's aid. There was no way it could resist.

Within moments, the Source of Fear was completely extracted from the spatial seal, absorbed entirely by Alex's scythe.

**[Congratulations! Your weapon's Soul Concentration has reached 100%. Do you wish to designate the Special lifeform as your weapon spirit?]**

**[Note: Any soul can become a weapon spirit. The weapon spirit's abilities will be bestowed upon the weapon. Each weapon can only have one weapon spirit, and the choice is permanent.]**

Was there even a question? The Source of Fear had accompanied Ruby's father through countless battles. Its soul had to be at least Emperor level. Where else would she find a weapon spirit like this?

Alex selected "Yes" without hesitation. Another message popped up.

**[Designating the [Special lifeform] as your weapon spirit will erase its sentience. It will be fully integrated with the weapon, becoming inseparable. It will grow alongside the weapon's level. Do you wish to proceed?]**

What?

Alex was taken aback. It gets even better? Wouldn't that make it an inherent part of the weapon?

She hit "Proceed." The scythe pulsed with an eerie black energy, gradually solidifying.

Alex examined her weapon, noticing a faint black aura clinging to the blade. The blue flames within the skull's eye sockets at the top of the hilt had turned black.

She swung it experimentally, leaving a black trail in its wake.

As Alex admired her enhanced weapon, Edgar gently landed. Years of constant meditation had stiffened his body. Every movement elicited a symphony of pops and cracks.

As he slowly straightened up, the seal that had bound him for centuries finally dissipated. Yet, instead of elation, he gazed at Alex's scythe with awe.

He could tell that this wasn't solely the system's doing. The power emanating from her weapon was undeniable. The system had merely assisted; with any other Lord or weapon, the outcome wouldn't have been as impressive.

Meanwhile, Alex was engrossed in her scythe's updated information, her eyes gleaming with delight.

**[Companion Weapon: Grim Reaper's Scythe]**

**[Quality: King level weapon (upgradable)]**

**[Weapon spirit: Source of Fear]**

**[Active Skill 1: Enter the soul realm, instantly severing the target's soul regardless of distance.]**

**[Active Skill 2: Absorb target's fear, summoning fear troops: Scarecrow (strength capped at weapon's current level)]**

**[Passive Skill 1: Attacks inflict soul strike and withering effects. Victims slain by the scythe will be converted into undead.]**

**[Passive Skill 2: The weapon can be enchanted without chanting or magic circles.]**

**[Passive Skill 3: Increased soul strike range and damage.]**

**[Passive Skill 4: The weapon can cut through anything (based on current level and below)]**

Two new Active Skills! Alex immediately activated Skill 1, eager to test it out.

The world shifted. Every living being appeared as a white silhouette, each with a faint white shadow trailing behind them. Everything seemed frozen in time.

Alex focused on a nearby tree and swung her scythe. The shadow behind the tree vanished, and a wisp of black energy flowed into her weapon.

That was the fear value for Skill 2, used to summon those special troops. So, it wasn't just about instilling fear; killing them directly also yielded fear value. The more fear Alex accumulated, the stronger the summoned troops would be. It was similar to sacrificing, with the summoned being's strength capped at King level.

But it could reach level 9 King level!

Edgar, observing from the sidelines, saw Alex swing her scythe at a pine tree. The tree instantly withered and decayed, ready to crumble into ash at the slightest breeze.

Its soul was gone, devoured by the same soul-piercing ability as the Source of Fear!

Even Edgar was stunned. Not only had the Source of Fear not become a burden, it had actually made Alex stronger.

Alex deactivated the skill, and the soul realm faded from view. With this ability, she could launch surprise attacks that bypassed physical defenses.

"It seems the Source of Fear is no longer a threat. Could I have a look at your weapon?" Edgar asked, curiosity piqued.

Alex handed him the scythe. As he took it, he offered her a book on spatial magic. Alex accepted it without hesitation, learning it on the spot and storing it within her right eye.

Edgar merely chuckled at this, reminiscing about his own struggles with deciphering magic books. "Having the system's help sure is nice," he remarked.

"Huh? Aren't you a Lord too? Why don't you have the system?" Alex tilted her head, looking up at Edgar.

She was half a head shorter, getting a clear view of his face beneath his messy, graying hair. He was surprisingly youthful, with sharp features etched with experience. His eyes were deep and alert, defying his age.

Besides, she had seen the system interface in his eyes earlier.

"The system only lasts for a century," Edgar explained, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. "Once that time is up, it disappears. We can't even summon Barracks anymore; troops can only reproduce naturally. All the other features vanish too. Even building an outhouse becomes a manual chore."

"Basically, after a century, we're no different from the natives. We've fully integrated."

Alex was stunned, speechless for a moment. The system...disappears?

But Edgar continued, as if a dam had broken, his gaze distant as he examined her scythe. Perhaps this was the joy of a man finally free after centuries.

"Do you know how many Lords survived in the end?" he asked, holding up his hand, fingers splayed, then closing them into a fist, except for his thumb and index finger.

"Eight hundred?" Alex guessed, thinking that was already a horrifying casualty rate. Billions of Lords reduced to a mere eight hundred.

"Eight hundred?" Edgar scoffed. "Try eight."