Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 293: Misunderstanding

Deep within the Dark Forest, Alex hovered in the air, surveying the vast expanse below. The heart of the forest was far larger than she had imagined, easily capable of accommodating several fully upgraded Undead Cities.

"This is perfect," she murmured. Undead City's sudden appearance wouldn't disturb the surrounding ecosystem. With a tap on the system interface, she initiated the construction.

The ground rumbled as if awakening from an ancient slumber. Ravines were effortlessly filled, trees vanished into motes of light, and a vast clearing emerged, ready to receive its new master.

A moment later, Undead City materialized in all its imposing glory.

Alex and her companions watched from a safe distance.

"Alright, guys, welcome home!" she announced, a satisfied grin on her face.

"Woohoo!" The twins erupted in cheers, their earlier worries forgotten.

As they explored their new domain, everything seamlessly resumed its functions. Outside, the undead army, led by Death Spirit, continued their march towards the heart of the forest.

Suddenly, Alex noticed something peculiar. A nearby cedar tree, once withered and lifeless, sprouted a single, vibrant green leaf.

"It seems the Source of Fear's demise has breathed new life into the Dark Forest," she mused, a hint of wonder in her voice.

Back in Undead City, Xiao Mu and Xiao Hui prepared for their next conquest, leading a contingent of undead towards the Savage Plains. The four race kings, meanwhile, had split up and ventured into the dwarf kingdom, aiming to subjugate the surrounding races.

With the Kingdom's Tear upgrade already past the halfway point, Alex was confident that it wouldn't be long before she could establish her undead empire.

Meanwhile, on the continent of Mossvale, Drake soared above the primeval forest surrounding Dragon City, his keen eyes scanning the landscape below.

He had already cleared out the nearby races. Now, only wild beasts remained. He needed to venture deeper, seeking out new lairs to conquer.

"Northwest," he commanded, his voice sharp. "I sense two races clashing."

The Rock Dragon beneath him responded instantly, diving towards the source of the commotion.

Crash!

The dragon's massive form slammed into the forest floor. The two battling factions, caught off guard, froze mid-fight, their gazes fixed on the unexpected intruder.

One group consisted of massive rhinoceroses with twin horns protruding from their snouts. The other was a pack of sabertooth-like predators, smaller than the rhinos but clearly holding the upper hand. They had the rhinos surrounded, herding them like cattle.

Drake didn't care who started it. "Kill them all!"

The Rock Dragon obliged, unleashing a torrent of searing dragon breath.

The rhinos, caught in the blast, were instantly petrified. The agile sabertooths managed to dodge, but they were no match for Drake's follow-up attacks.

Within moments, the clearing was littered with corpses. There were about thirty of them, the strongest barely reaching Commanding level. They were nothing more than insects before Drake's might.

As he prepared to interrogate the few survivors, a system notification caught his eye.

**[Congratulations, Lord! You have slain enemy Lord troops: Level 4 Commanding Swamp Rhinos. You have gained 140 experience points!]**

"A Lord's troops?" Drake muttered, surprised. He hadn't encountered any other Lords since arriving in this continent. It dawned on him that rhinos weren't exactly native to a primeval forest. They must have been brought here.

He landed and quickly subdued a sabertooth, demanding information. Their nomadic nature and the distance to their current camp made them a low priority for now. Drake was more interested in this mysterious Lord.

Before he could press the rhino for answers, he sensed movement in the distance. A figure was charging towards them from the depths of the forest.

A moment later, a young man with short, spiky hair burst into the clearing, his eyes locked on Drake, rage burning in their depths.

"Well, well. Looks like someone's eager to join the party," Drake chuckled, unfazed by the newcomer's fury. He casually swatted the rhino aside, its body splitting in two, and strode towards the approaching figure, ready for a fight.

The Rock Dragon moved to flank him, its massive wings unfurling.

The young man, consumed by anger, paid no heed to the dragon. He urged his rhino mount forward, a battle cry escaping his lips.

A heartbeat later, a deafening roar ripped through the air. Wind howled, carrying with it a storm of razor-sharp rocks that tore through the ranks of rhinos behind the young man, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake.

The young man, his blood running cold, slammed his heels into his mount's flanks, bringing it to a screeching halt. His anger evaporated, replaced by a chilling fear as he watched a cascade of system notifications flood his vision, each one announcing the death of another one of his troops.

This enemy...he was on a whole other level!

Realizing he was outmatched, the young man spun his mount around, desperate to escape. But it was too late. Drake stood before him, his expression cold.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" the young man blustered, trying to regain some semblance of control. He had recently sworn allegiance to a powerful Lord. Surely, his name would be enough to deter this attacker.

"I don't give a damn who you are," Drake snarled, his patience wearing thin. A blade of solidified earth shot out, narrowly missing the young man, who had leapt from his mount just in time. The unfortunate rhino wasn't so lucky.

Drake raised an eyebrow, impressed by the young man's reflexes. He was clearly at least Monarch level.

"My boss is the number seven ranked Big Shot! You'd better think twice before you mess with me!" the young man shouted, his voice trembling despite his attempt at bravado.

Number seven? Drake wracked his brain. Who was that? He didn't know Lilith or Satan's aliases, or even the twins' for that matter. But he could make an educated guess based on the ranking.

The Justice Alliance's names were well-known. That left only Alex's faction.

Seeing Drake hesitate, the young man mistook it for fear. His confidence swelled.

"Yeah, that's right! Now you're scared, huh?"

In reality, Drake was simply trying to avoid a misunderstanding. Attacking an ally wouldn't do anyone any good. But the young man's smugness was pushing his buttons.

A predatory grin spread across Drake's face. "You really think you're a big shot?"

"What are you doing? Stay away from me!" the young man shrieked, backing away, his bravado crumbling as the fear of death tightened its grip.

"You should know better than to kick a dog without checking its owner first!" a voice boomed from behind Drake.

A black-clawed hand shot towards him. Drake crossed his arms, deflecting the blow. Four gashes appeared on his arms, oozing with an eerie black mist. His flesh rapidly petrified, crumbled away, and then regenerated, good as new.

He turned to face his attacker. A demon, with leathery black wings, a barbed tail, and a single, wicked horn protruding from his forehead, hovered in the air. Despite the demonic transformation, Drake recognized him instantly.

"Satan!"

Satan stared back, his brow furrowed in confusion. This opponent...he was strong. Familiar, even. But he couldn't quite place him. And why did he seem to know who he was?

Drake hadn't revealed his true form during the rescue mission. Only Lilith had seen him then. However, Drake had seen everyone on Alex's side. It was no surprise that Satan didn't recognize him.

"Wait a minute..." Satan's eyes widened, a flicker of recognition igniting within them. "You're one of those Angel Lord's minions!"

His eyes blazed crimson as he activated his Berserk skill. A black greatsword materialized in his hand. Without another word, he lunged at Drake, giving him no chance to explain.

Drake instantly transformed into his dragon form, meeting Satan's attack head-on with a swipe of his claws. The force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the air, kicking up a massive dust cloud.

Demonic bloodline versus dragon bloodline.

The young man, who had been about to celebrate Satan's arrival, was sent flying by the sheer force of their confrontation. Clearly, he was just a fast Commanding level Lord, not a true Monarch.

Both Drake and Satan were level 5 Monarchs, both champions among their peers. Their strength was nearly equal.

Satan excelled in close-quarters combat, his attacks a whirlwind of demonic fury. Drake, on the other hand, relied on his superior defense and unmatched vitality.

For a while, they were deadlocked, neither able to gain an advantage.

The Rock Dragon watched from the sidelines, refraining from interfering. Drake had given the order, otherwise, the young man would have been reduced to a smear on the forest floor by now.

Drake wasn't in a hurry to explain. He wanted to test his strength against Satan, a worthy opponent who shared his level and pedigree.

The young man, meanwhile, watched in terror. He hadn't expected Drake to be this powerful. Even Satan couldn't overpower him.

Could he be a Big Shot too?

Satan was equally surprised. This Angel Lord's minion...he had grown strong in the few days since their last encounter. His demonic energy couldn't fully penetrate Drake's earth domain.

Drake's body pulsed with a golden light. Within his domain, a colossal dragon formed from solid rock, charging towards Satan.

"Roar..." Drake roared, unleashing a torrent of ancient draconic, incomprehensible to most. A blinding beam of golden light erupted from his maw, aimed directly at Satan.

Attack after attack crashed against Satan, who could only parry desperately, his demonic energy struggling to keep pace. He shattered the rock dragon with a wave of his greatsword, then raised his arms defensively, summoning a black energy barrier to block Drake's onslaught.

The impact sent him flying, half his body obliterated. But he regenerated instantly, twisting in mid-air to regain his footing, avoiding the indignity of crashing to the ground.

Satan, his chest heaving, was starting to feel the strain. Both his stamina and mana were nearing their limits.

Their eyes met. Satan, the battle-hungry demon, was eager to continue. But Drake had seen enough. He had gauged his current strength.

Satan lacked endurance. In a prolonged fight, Drake would inevitably win. Moreover, Drake was nearing level 6, while Satan had only just reached level 5. It was a small difference, but at their level, even the slightest edge could decide the outcome.

The system had ranked him fourth, Satan seventh. It wasn't just because Drake had more Monarch level troops.

Drake's abilities were a hard counter to opponents who relied on burst damage over sustained assaults. "This is a misunderstanding," he called out. "Stand down. I am [Sky Dominator] Drake, your ally."

The young man's jaw dropped. He frantically opened his system interface, scrolling through the rankings.

Number four!

Higher than his own master!

Satan, however, didn't buy it. "Lies!" he roared, ready to resume their fight.

Just then, Cain and Earl arrived, flanked by a contingent of Monarch level demons.

"Perfect timing!" Satan bellowed. "Kill him!"

Drake couldn't believe his ears. Was this guy serious? He wasn't even listening!

The demons, eager to prove themselves, charged towards the Rock Dragon. It seemed Satan was determined to fight Drake one-on-one.

Drake sighed. This was getting ridiculous.

"Death Spirit!"

A ripple of spatial distortion, and Death Spirit materialized beside him, its presence radiating an overwhelming King level aura that sent everyone, demons included, sprawling to the ground.

"King...King level!"

The stunned onlookers stared up at Death Spirit in terror. Its power was beyond anything they had ever encountered.

Death Spirit might not be a combat specialist, but it was a genuine level 2 King, more than capable of wiping the floor with a bunch of Monarchs.

"What are you waiting for? Run!" Satan screamed, wasting no time in beating a hasty retreat, his demon horde following close behind.

Drake stared after them, dumbfounded.

Death Spirit's appearance had been meant to defuse the situation. It wasn't about to attack Alex's allies. Besides, they couldn't outrun a King level entity even if they tried.

Within moments, only Drake and the young man remained. The young man, his face ashen, fell to his knees, begging for his life.

"I'm sorry! I was wrong! You're the real boss! Please spare me!"

Drake ignored him, shaking his head as he mounted the Rock Dragon and took off.

Well, that was one way to end a fight. He hadn't even needed to explain himself. Death Spirit had scared them off.

He couldn't very well kill the young Lord now. Drake sighed. It seemed he'd have to keep searching for a suitable target.

Still, the fact that a top-ranked Lord like Satan was only on par with him was reassuring. It seemed his level hadn't fallen as much as he had feared.

Long after Drake had disappeared, the young man finally dared to raise his head, his gaze darting around frantically. Once he was certain the coast was clear, he scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, fear lending speed to his steps.

"Number seven, my ass! He couldn't even beat a number four!"