Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 331: Helpless Raphaela

Alex quickly grasped the vice president's intentions.

If things went south, the Mage Association could easily distance themselves, claiming she had acted independently. They could even revoke her Honorary Mage status, severing all ties.

But it was just a request. She had every right to refuse.

However, as the vice president described the location of the angel beasts, Alex's eyes widened in realization.

It was Stone Pillar Mountain!

So Raphaela hadn't left after all.

She kept her composure, careful not to betray her knowledge. As a first-time visitor to Yellowrock City, knowing about Stone Pillar Mountain was suspicious.

And Knight City, the location mentioned by the vice president, was where the Holy Court's branch was located. Every Holy Court branch on every continent was called Knight City.

Why these Holy Court-aligned races had suddenly turned on the humans was a mystery, but Alex had a feeling this was just the beginning. Something bigger was brewing.

The vice president's request aligned perfectly with her own objective. This was her chance to eliminate Raphaela.

"No problem. I accept," Alex said.

The vice president nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Excellent. I await your good news."

He turned to leave, but then he paused, turning back to face Alex, a mid-level earth magic book in his hand.

"Consider this a token of our appreciation. Once you've mastered it, I'll provide you with the subsequent high-level earth magic books. As for your Honorary Mage badge, I'll have someone customize one for you."

The Yellowrock City vice president was pulling out all the stops to recruit her. Alex graciously accepted the book.

"Thank you for your trust," she said politely.

"You're welcome. I have matters to attend to. Farewell."

This time, he truly departed, his steps hurried.

Alex suspected that the Yellowrock City branch's shortage of personnel wasn't solely due to the war. Perhaps it was the weakest branch on the seven continents.

He was likely trying to bolster their ranks, to elevate their status.

"Madam, please forgive our earlier disrespect," the two mages who had been guarding Nori said, approaching Alex with apologetic expressions.

They hadn't known they were protecting an extraterrestrial visitor.

"It's fine," Alex replied dismissively, turning to leave.

She headed back to the eatery, where Ruby was likely waiting impatiently.

The crowd, which had gathered to witness the confrontation, had dispersed upon the vice president's arrival.

As Alex passed by, she noticed a newfound respect in their eyes.

"Alex, what happened?" Ruby asked anxiously as Alex returned.

"Nothing serious. Just a dwarf. I took care of him," Alex replied casually, glancing at the half-eaten food on Ruby's plate.

"Finished?"

"Yep," Ruby said, nodding.

"Let's go then."

Alex led Ruby out of the eatery, tossing a gold coin to the owner as they left.

"Honorable mage, your change!" the owner called out, rushing after them.

"Keep the rest. It's a tip."

Alex and Ruby vanished before he could protest, leaving the bewildered owner staring at the gold coin in his hand.

The war was raging in the north, in the giants' territory, bordering the Storm Elf kingdom. Lilith's city was likely located in the northernmost reaches of the Arsen continent.

Alex and Ruby, having left Yellowrock City, were heading northwest.

As they flew, Alex casually flipped through the earth magic book, her brow furrowing at the complex incantations.

She couldn't rely on the system's instant learning feature this time. It would make the book disappear, raising awkward questions.

She had to learn it the old-fashioned way.

"Alex, why did he give you a magic book?" Ruby asked, her head tilted in confusion. She had glanced at the book's contents and found them utterly incomprehensible.

"He wants to recruit me to the Mage Association."

"What? Did you agree?" Ruby asked, her eyes widening in alarm. She thought Alex was about to abandon them and join the humans.

"Of course not."

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief.

"But why did he give it to you then?"

"He asked me for a favor. And his request happens to align perfectly with our objective," Alex said, a sly smile on her face.

It was a stroke of luck. She would have gone after Raphaela regardless of the vice president's request.

"Oh, right. I haven't even asked where we're going," Ruby said, realizing she had been blindly following Alex without knowing their destination.

"To kill a Lord."

Alex suppressed her killing intent, reminding Ruby to do the same. They had to avoid triggering Raphaela's senses.

Their speed slowed slightly, but it didn't matter. They were flying over a desolate, rocky wasteland. Visibility was excellent.

According to Drake, Stone Pillar Mountain wasn't a mountain in the traditional sense. It was a colossal stone pillar, more like a giant rod jutting out from the earth, its peak piercing the clouds. It should be easy to spot.

They flew for hours, the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and red. The setting sun cast long shadows across the land, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

They continued westward, the sunlight glinting off their robes.

"Strange. Shouldn't we have seen the pillar by now?" Ruby asked, her voice laced with confusion.

Alex was puzzled as well. Surely they couldn't miss such a massive structure.

She double-checked their direction, using the sun as a guide. They were on the right track.

"Don't worry. Maybe it's just further than we thought," Alex said, reassuring Ruby.

They pressed on.

Suddenly, Alex felt a subtle shift, as if they had passed through an invisible barrier. The space ahead shimmered, and Stone Pillar Mountain materialized before them.

Ruby hadn't noticed the barrier, but Alex, with her heightened sensitivity to light-aligned energy, had detected it instantly.

Without her dark affinity, she would have missed it entirely.

"Alex, look!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the towering pillar.

Alex, however, frowned.

"Full speed ahead! We might have been detected. We can't let her escape!"

In fact, her caution was unwarranted. Raphaela hadn't detected them. She didn't possess the ability to conceal such a massive structure.

It was Stone Pillar Mountain's inherent power, not Raphaela's doing.

At the foot of the pillar, Raphaela had gathered all the Lords under her command. As dusk settled, she began her speech, her voice echoing across the assembled ranks.

She spoke of unity, of cooperation, of survival. But it was all a carefully crafted facade, a means to manipulate them with her holy light.

Thanks to the leaderboard refresh, she had managed to subjugate twenty new Lords in a single day. The faith power they and their troops provided had allowed her to level up.

However, relying on the holy light had its drawbacks. She had to periodically "bless" her subjects, reinforcing her influence. It was a slow, subtle process, not a quick fix.

Fortunately, these Lords had submitted to her willingly. They were loyal, their minds open to her influence.

Her progress was accelerating. She had already reached lv7 Monarch.

She glanced at the leaderboard, a smug smile on her face. She could almost taste victory, envisioning the day she would crush the undead Lord.

Aside from the Behemoth Lord and the Troll Lord, who were still technically allies, all ninety-six Lords under her command were now her subjects!

Their combined forces, including their troops, numbered over two hundred thousand. A staggering number.

Almost one-twentieth the size of Alex's undead army.

But numbers alone were meaningless. None of them were King level, and even their Monarch level count paled in comparison to Alex's forces.

She had subjugated them for one purpose: to provide her with faith power. She didn't care about their development. She hoarded resources, prioritizing her own growth and using the rest to upgrade their Barracks.

Her goal was simple: to maximize their troop output.

She hovered in the air, her white robes pristine, her divine aura radiating outwards, inspiring awe and reverence.

Holy light bathed the land, seeping into the Lords below. They gazed up at her, their eyes filled with a fervent, almost fanatical devotion.

To them, she was a goddess.

As she basked in their adoration, a sudden jolt of awareness shot through her. She opened her eyes, her aura flaring, her expression hardening.

Intruders!

"Southeast! Enemies approaching! The time for unity is now! Eliminate the intruders!"

Her voice, cold and emotionless, echoed across the gathering. The Lords scrambled to their feet, directing their troops towards the southeast.

"Protect our goddess! Slay the invaders!"

"May the holy light guide us!"

A golden aura erupted from Raphaela, and the angel beasts, receiving her command, charged alongside the Lords.

Raphaela, however, didn't hesitate. She turned towards the Angel City atop Stone Pillar Mountain, her instinct screaming at her to flee.

She had sensed a dark presence, a powerful being shrouded in shadows. It had to be Alex.

"She found me!"

Panic surged through her. She could only hope the Lords would buy her some time, gather some intel.

If it weren't for Alex, she wouldn't be running.

The Angel Resurrection Pool and the city crystal were her most valuable assets. They couldn't be compromised.

As she flew towards the summit, a figure materialized before her, blocking her path.

Her heart skipped a beat. Fear, a sensation she had thought she had conquered, gripped her.

Alex stood before her, a faint smile on her lips. But it was a chilling smile, her eyes cold and calculating.

"It's been a while."

Raphaela's eyes widened as a strange red light emanated from Alex's right eye. Before she could react, the space around her solidified, trapping her in an invisible prison.

In a single instant, she was immobilized.

She struggled, her mind reeling. How could the gap between their powers be so vast?

She tried to activate her trump card, but her body was paralyzed by lightning magic, the space around her locked down. She couldn't even access the system, let alone activate her city teleportation ability.

She was helpless.

As Alex guided her towards the Angel City, her heart sank.

Alex knew her secret, the secret of her resurrection. Drake must have betrayed her!

"I wonder if you're even human anymore. What a waste of beauty and talent," Alex mused, her voice devoid of sympathy.

She wouldn't give Raphaela a chance to speak, to plead for her life. Not until she was dealt with permanently.

The system should have purged the angelic divinity from her. But Raphaela had chosen to retain it.

Drake and Alex, despite being partially influenced, had retained their humanity, their minds intact.

As for Raphaela's followers, their numbers meant nothing. Alex had learned, through experience, that Monarch level units, even in overwhelming numbers, couldn't defeat a King level opponent.

She wasn't worried about Ruby. She hadn't even sent any undead to assist her. Ruby could handle this on her own.

As her subject, Ruby, now a king, enjoyed the same benefits as the subjugated Lords. Her kills granted Alex experience points, albeit a reduced amount.

Her own people's kills, however, no longer contributed to Alex's experience. Instead, they benefited Ruby directly.

It was one of the perks of submitting to Alex. She gained access to certain system features, like experience gain from kills, allowing her to grow stronger faster.

They reached the summit of Stone Pillar Mountain, a perpetual cloud cover obscuring the peak, providing a natural veil of protection for the Angel City.

As the clouds parted, Alex finally saw it.

The city, bathed in a golden light, radiated an aura of divine power that made Alex's skin crawl. It was a magnificent structure, a fitting abode for a god.

She noticed faint streams of golden energy converging on the city from below, flowing towards the crystal at its peak.

"Is that faith power?"