Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 327: What if we had submitted to Alex back then?

The Undead Quintessence was absorbed in an instant. Alex barely registered the process before it became a part of her.

"That was fast."

Even Alex was surprised by the speed. Had the system always been this efficient?

She focused inwards, examining the changes. Her experience bar was full. She was ready to level up.

[Congratulations! You have successfully absorbed the Undead Quintessence (Complete). You have gained all inheritances and fixed experience points.]

[Notice: Your current level is insufficient to fully utilize the primal power!]

[Special Announcement: All rewards have been distributed. You will not receive any further special rewards, except for fixed event rewards. All other features remain functional.]

Alex paused, her brow furrowing. Her suspicions were confirmed. Upgrading her castle to an Empire was the end of the line, as far as the system's direct assistance was concerned.

From now on, she was largely on her own. The system's helping hand would gradually fade as her power grew.

It felt like the system was eager to wash its hands of her, to retire and leave her to her own devices.

But that seemed unlikely. There were still plenty of Lords who hadn't even upgraded their towns to cities. She still had a hundred years. Plenty of time.

The system's notifications were frustratingly vague. She had no idea what specific abilities she had gained from absorbing the Quintessence. The message simply stated that her current strength didn't match her status.

But that was fine. An Empire corresponded to Emperor level. Once she reached that level, all would be revealed.

She closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze from the open window wash over her. In the darkness of her room, she focused on the changes within her, the subtle shifts in her power.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, one glowing blue, the other crimson.

"It's my right eye!"

After absorbing the Quintessence, she was almost certain that her Annihilation Realm was primarily controlled by her left eye. She hadn't paid much attention to it before, as her left eye already housed all her undead abilities.

But now, she could sense another realm within her right eye!

The seven magic types she had collected were merging, forming a new, unique realm.

It was incomplete, however. She had only mastered six magic types, and only five were currently integrated into her right eye. Basic wind magic was still missing.

She could sense the flaws, the incompleteness of this nascent realm. It was merely a blueprint, a framework waiting to be fleshed out.

It was clearly linked to the number and level of magic types she had collected!

Without hesitation, she integrated basic wind magic into her right eye. As expected, the realm's framework solidified, becoming more defined.

But she still only had six magic types in her right eye. One was missing.

She couldn't fully unleash its power yet, but she could sense its potential. It was a realm as powerful as her Annihilation Realm, but entirely separate from her undead abilities.

"I need to complete my right eye's magic collection as soon as possible."

She gazed out the window, her mind racing. The Mage Association was the quickest way to acquire new magic books.

"My left eye's undead magic is all high-level. My right eye still has mid-level and even basic magic. I need to upgrade those."

She had initially assumed her right eye's abilities were merely a backup plan, a way to counter opponents who were resistant to her undead magic. But it was clearly more than that.

As an undead lord, her powers weren't limited to undead magic. This realization didn't surprise her.

With the primal power absorbed, she closed the window, shed her clothes, and slipped under the covers, ready for sleep.

The night deepened, the blood moon slowly drifting westward.

Upstairs, in another room, Ruby, fast asleep, twitched her ears, as if disturbed by a distant sound.

Time: 00:00 AM

A new day dawned. It was the seventh day, the day the leaderboard refreshed and the system distributed attribute points.

But the first notification that rang out wasn't about attribute points. It was a server-wide announcement that sent shockwaves through the community, stunning both Lords and Freelancers.

[Server Announcement]

[Congratulations to [Hamburger], the top-ranked Lord, for surpassing all others and establishing the first Empire on the Eldoria continent!]

[The Age of Lords has ended. The Age of Kingdoms has begun. Strive to establish your own kingdoms and conquer the world!]

[...]

[The Age of Kingdoms has ended. The Age of Empires has begun. Strive to forge your own Empires, achieve ultimate glory, and claim everything you desire!]

[Fixed attribute points have been distributed. The leaderboard has been refreshed. The Hundred Kingdoms War event has begun!]

[Hundred Kingdoms War Special Event Details: Establish a kingdom and participate in the All-Races Battle Royale. The event will last for 100 days. Any Lord who fails to establish a kingdom or join a kingdom faction within 100 days will be eliminated!]

[Note: Freelancers can choose to join either a Lord faction or a local faction. Those who fail to join a faction within the time limit will be eliminated!]

[Current Number of Kingdoms (Empires): 1/100]

[Time Remaining: 99 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 32 seconds]

The announcement, arriving in the dead of night, sent a wave of panic through the Lord community. Alex's achievement was awe-inspiring, but the system's message was a stark reminder of the pressure they were under.

One hundred days. Establish a kingdom or join a faction, or face annihilation.

This time, even Freelancers weren't exempt.

The few remaining Traitors, however, felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps their ranks would swell as Lords, faced with this ultimatum, chose to abandon their current paths.

Being a Lord offered a degree of security, a life free from hunger and the constant threat of death. Those who had survived this long had likely eliminated any immediate threats to their territories.

Giving up everything they had worked for, regressing in power, venturing into unfamiliar territory, facing unknown dangers... it was a gamble most Lords were unwilling to take.

Joining human society was the true path of a Freelancer. Joining another race was essentially becoming a Traitor.

But simply entering human society wasn't enough to satisfy the system's requirements.

They had to join a specific faction, like the Mage Association, or integrate into a human Empire's structure.

Living as an ordinary civilian didn't count.

The Hundred Kingdoms War event had thrown the Lord and Freelancer communities into chaos. Not only did they have to choose a side, but the number of kingdoms was limited.

One hundred days, one hundred kingdoms.

Join a Lord faction or a local faction? The decision weighed heavily on their minds.

Becoming a Freelancer offered a better chance of survival, but it came at a cost. They would have to relinquish their bloodlines and abilities.

While this allowed them to integrate more seamlessly into human society, it also made them significantly weaker than their Lord counterparts.

The World Chat exploded with activity. The once-quiet channel was now a cacophony of voices, most of them cursing the system's unfairness, its blatant attempt to cull their numbers.

"Seriously? Is this what it means to be the top-ranked Lord? She's already established an Empire?!"

"I haven't even figured out what comes after a town, and you're telling me the top player has an Empire?!"

"Fuck this! I'm becoming a Freelancer! To hell with being a Lord!"

"Holy cow, you're serious? Your name's actually white now."

"I told you, aligning ourselves with the top ten Lords was the right call. One hundred kingdoms... the top ten will get at least one each, right?"

"Hah! Those smug Freelancers won't be so cocky now, will they?"

"Freelancers join local factions, Lords join other Lords' kingdom factions. Simple as that."

"First, it's the Hundred Kingdoms War, dividing us into factions. Next, it'll be Lords versus Freelancers, right?"

"You're overthinking it. Lords would crush Freelancers. Look at the top player. None of the top ten are Freelancers."

While they argued and debated, many Lords were already discreetly seeking potential allies, their survival instincts kicking in.

On the Arsen continent, at Stone Pillar Mountain, Raphaela, within her city, stared at the announcement, her eyes wide with shock.

"I underestimated you. You've come so far."

Her voice, cold and emotionless, echoed through the palace halls.

A sense of urgency gripped her. Alex was her nemesis, her greatest rival. While she was confident in her ability to establish a kingdom, this announcement highlighted the vast gulf between their current power levels.

But there was a silver lining. This announcement had instilled fear in every Lord, except for Alex.

She glanced at her system interface, noting the 999+ friend requests. A faint smile touched her lips.

This was an opportunity to amass faith power, to accelerate her recovery.

These Lords were coming to her, seeking her protection. Even Alex couldn't fault her for that.

"Inform all Lords seeking to join us that we only accept submission. Those who refuse will be turned away."

Her command spread swiftly through the ranks of Lords gathered at the foot of Stone Pillar Mountain. They abandoned their tasks, their focus shifting to recruiting potential followers.

Freelancers were welcome to join, but without castles, they couldn't teleport. Unless they were willing to travel to Stone Pillar Mountain and submit to her in person, they were of no use to her.

On the edge of the Arsen continent, where crashing waves pounded against the cliffs, Lilith, within her fallen angel city, stared at the announcement, her heart sinking.

"The gap between us widens with each passing day..."

She sighed, glancing at her city. It was still a ways off from reaching the level required to establish a kingdom.

"Alex's progress is terrifying. I need to catch up. Otherwise, this so-called alliance will become meaningless. No, it's already meaningless. Her sights are set on something far greater."

She opened her system interface, noting that the Lord who had submitted to her was still alive. She decided to reactivate her expansion plans on the Valoria continent.

She also began sifting through the influx of friend requests, aiming to select one Lord from each continent to submit to her, establishing a network that would facilitate her rapid growth.

Deep within the abyss on the Valoria continent, Satan seemed less surprised than one might expect.

If it had been anyone else, he might have been shocked. But this was Alex. Nothing she did surprised him anymore.

"I thought demons were the most badass creatures in existence. But this girl... she's on another level!"

He had just upgraded his town to a city that very night. And now, within hours, Alex had achieved something far greater.

"Alex, Alex, you sneaky little devil! You went and established an Empire without telling me!"

The demons, witnessing their leader's outburst, wisely kept their distance. Even Cain and Earl were used to his eccentricities.

But even they couldn't hide their astonishment. They remembered their first encounter with Alex, back when she was a mere Commanding level Lord.

The seven of them had fought Baldwin together, and it was Alex who had ultimately driven him away.

Cain had recognized her potential back then, but he hadn't expected her to become the most powerful Lord in such a short time.

"Damn," Cain muttered, comparing his current situation to Alex's meteoric rise. It was enough to make one weep.

"Don't worry. Knowing Satan, he'll establish a kingdom soon enough," Earl said, assuming Cain was worried about the deadline.

"Earl, do you ever wonder... what if we hadn't left? What if we had submitted to Alex back then? Would things be different now?"

Cain's question caught Earl off guard. He had no answer.