Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 333: Sword of Judgment

Meanwhile, at the Angel City.

Alex, with Raphaela still imprisoned, had reached the palace, locating the Angel Resurrection Pool in a side chamber.

The room pulsed with holy energy, making Alex uncomfortable. She could even sense Raphaela's strength increasing slightly.

But it was futile. This minor boost wouldn't break Alex's hold.

Alex had refrained from killing the angels initially because of the Angel Resurrection Pool. Its resurrection ability meant they wouldn't provide her with experience points unless she completely obliterated their souls.

That was too much of a hassle. It was easier to destroy the pool and then eliminate them.

She stepped closer, examining the Angel Resurrection Pool.

It was similar in size to her Blackwater Altar, but circular. And instead of liquid, it contained a swirling mass of golden energy.

A golden holy sword was embedded in the pool's center, only the hilt visible, the blade submerged within the golden energy.

The energy seemed to revolve around the sword. Had the pool created the sword, or was the sword the pool's core?

Alex frowned, her curiosity piqued.

Raphaela, noticing Alex's interest in the sword, panicked. She had never revealed the pool's true nature to anyone.

This Angel Resurrection Pool... it didn't seem like a structure. It felt more like an item, or a weapon.

Alex, her suspicions growing, decided to experiment.

She approached the pool's edge, conjuring a black orb of energy in her palm. She tossed it into the pool.

She wanted to see how the energy that transformed creatures into undead would react to the Angel Resurrection Pool.

The black energy, like a drop of ink in clear water, spread rapidly, tainting the golden energy.

For a moment, it seemed to be working. But Alex had underestimated the pool's power.

The holy sword at the center blazed with light, and the pool's energy intensified, the entire structure glowing brightly.

In an instant, the black energy was purged.

Raphaela breathed a sigh of relief. Alex, however, was stunned.

"This thing's got some kick to it, huh?" she muttered, impressed despite herself.

But her experiment hadn't been entirely fruitless. She had identified the pool's true core: the golden holy sword.

She flew towards the pool, hovering above it, her right eye glowing red.

She extended her hand, spatial energy enveloping it as she grasped the sword's hilt, attempting to pull it free.

Raphaela gasped, her eyes widening in fear.

But Alex's attempt failed.

The sword remained firmly embedded in the pool's center, unyielding.

"Strange. Why can't I pull it out?"

Even with her King level strength, she couldn't budge it. But Alex suspected that Raphaela, a mere Monarch, could have easily removed it. Was this thing bloodline-specific?

But that didn't make sense. Alex's scythe, a Companion Weapon, a future Divine Weapon, could be wielded by anyone, although they wouldn't be able to unleash its full power.

Why couldn't she pull this sword out? Was it truly an integral part of the pool, a mere ornament?

Wait, why was she being cautious?

She had Life Link. This thing couldn't harm her.

Realization dawned, and she flew towards the pool's center, deciding to try a more direct approach.

As she reached the center, Alex glanced back, catching Raphaela's surprised expression and the faintest hint of a smile playing on her lips.

To be safe, Alex avoided touching the golden energy, extending her arm and grasping the sword's hilt.

A coolness spread through her palm, but nothing else happened. She had suppressed her dark energy, just in case.

She pulled, her muscles straining. The golden holy sword slowly emerged from the pool, its true form gradually revealed.

The golden energy below churned violently, swirling like a whirlpool, converging on the sword in her hand.

As the last vestiges of energy drained from the pool, the sword came free.

"I see," Alex murmured, a knowing smile on her lips.

The Angel Resurrection Pool wasn't a structure. It was a weapon. The holy sword in her hand.

And as a weapon in her possession, she could examine its properties using the system.

[Companion Weapon: Sword of Judgment]

[Quality: Monarch Level Weapon (Upgradeable)]

[Soul Concentration Level: 15%]

[Current Attribute: Holy]

[Active Skill 1: Transform into a special summoning structure (Currently: Angel Resurrection Pool)]

[Active Skill 2: Judgment. Consumes 80% of current Mana Points to unleash an unavoidable, powerful soul attack, enhanced by the wielder's attributes.]

[Passive Skill 1: Adapts to the wielder's primary attribute, changing its attribute accordingly.]

[Passive Skill 2: Absorbs faith power to enhance the structure's energy.]

[Passive Skill 3: When transformed into a structure, the wielder receives a vassal weapon of the same level, possessing all the original weapon's abilities (excluding structure-specific abilities).]

[Owner: Raphaela]

A Companion Weapon?!

Alex stared at the description, her heart pounding. This was the first Companion Weapon she had encountered besides her own scythe. And Raphaela had one!

She carefully read through the skill descriptions. A Companion Weapon that could transform into a special structure, with a powerful active skill... It was incredible.

She wondered if it had any hidden attributes, like doubling her attribute points.

"How do I claim it? Do I have to kill Raphaela first?"

The system interface allowed her to view the Angel Resurrection Pool's features, but she was more interested in claiming the weapon itself.

[Notice: A Lord can only possess one Companion Weapon at a time.]

"Damn!"

She immediately abandoned that idea. The Sword of Judgment was impressive, but it couldn't compare to her scythe.

It was a weapon. If it wasn't in her possession, killing Raphaela would result in a random drop, with no guarantee of obtaining it. But since she was holding it, it was essentially a guaranteed drop.

And it seemed the only way to make it unowned was to kill Raphaela.

Her assumption was correct. That was indeed the system's rule. But if she hadn't discovered the weapon and had simply killed Raphaela, the Companion Weapon, in its structure form, wouldn't have a blueprint, making the drop rate zero.

It was also worth noting that Companion Weapons weren't indestructible. With Alex's King level strength, she could easily destroy this Monarch level Companion Weapon.

But destroying it seemed like a waste. Its ability to adapt to different attributes intrigued her.

Would it become a dark attribute weapon if she wielded it?

And would its transformed structure change accordingly, its effects altered?

It seemed this weapon's power lay in its unique features, not its direct combat capabilities. Its only offensive ability was a mana-intensive active skill.

The Sword of Judgment resembled a standard cruciform sword, but with a longer blade, adorned with intricate golden engravings.

Even without a wielder, it radiated a potent holy aura. But it was nothing Alex couldn't handle.

Alex released her grip, letting the Sword of Judgment hover behind her, held aloft by spatial magic.

She then led Raphaela away, her gaze sweeping over the chamber, searching for anything else of value.

Killing her outright would be too merciful.

With the Angel Resurrection Pool deactivated, Raphaela shouldn't be able to resurrect. But to be safe, Alex decided to test it out on the remaining angels.

Her left eye glowed blue, and several angels outside burst into flames, their souls and bodies consumed by an agonizing inferno.

She then unleashed a barrage of lightning spears, impaling several more angels, their lifeless forms collapsing to the ground.

The remaining angels, their fear overwhelming their loyalty, scattered, abandoning their attempts to rescue Raphaela. But before they could reach the city limits, an invisible spatial barrier halted their flight.

Alex had sealed the entire Angel City with high-level spatial magic!

She hadn't just been testing the resurrection ability. She had also targeted and eliminated all the Monarch level angels.

The remaining angels, all below Monarch level, were trapped, their escape routes cut off.

She opened her system interface, checking the experience points gained from the angel kills. She waited for fifteen minutes, her gaze fixed on the Sword of Judgment, ensuring they wouldn't resurrect.

Satisfied, she finally relaxed.

She couldn't be entirely certain about the Trolls or the Behemoths, but Raphaela, the Angel Lord, definitely had unique troops.

Killing her would grant her the angel bloodline and Barracks. She pondered how best to utilize them.

"If I transform her into an undead and then kill her, would I obtain the death angel bloodline and Barracks?"

The thought crossed Alex's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Death angels were classified as undead. And she was the sole undead Lord. Transforming Raphaela into a death angel might result in losing both the angel bloodline and the Barracks.

It was too risky. Killing her outright was the safest bet. Even if the angel bloodline was useless to Alex, she'd rather keep it in her Warehouse than risk losing it entirely.

Alex searched the city, but she couldn't find anything else of value. The city was too vast to explore thoroughly in such a short time.

The Warehouse was empty, its contents likely used to upgrade Raphaela's subjects.

But the Sword of Judgment was a valuable prize. Alex decided not to waste any more time.

The sky was dark now, the blood moon rising in the east, casting an eerie red glow over the land.

Stone Pillar Mountain, its peak piercing the clouds, offered a breathtaking view of the starry sky, the stars seemingly close enough to touch.

"The stars are beautiful on the Arsen continent," Alex murmured, her voice carrying on the wind.

Alex released Raphaela's speech restriction, allowing her to speak.

"Raphaela, if you had a chance to do it all over again, would you still join forces with them to attack me?"

Raphaela remained silent, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. She had never considered that question, never imagined this would be her fate.

"I only regret not submitting to the Angel race sooner," she finally replied, her voice cold and emotionless.

Even now, facing imminent death, she showed no fear.

Perhaps it was acceptance, Alex thought.

But then, Raphaela's final act of defiance began.

The faith power she had amassed surged into her, her aura flaring, her strength growing, threatening to break Alex's hold.

"Hah!" Alex scoffed, unimpressed.

With a clang, she slammed her scythe into the ground, reinforcing the spatial lock.

Raphaela was once again immobilized, her power surging, reaching half-step King level. Just one step away from becoming a true King.

But it was futile. A half-step King was no match for a true King, especially not against Alex.

She knew that system enhancements and skill boosts couldn't exceed one's current level cap.

Raphaela was a Monarch. No matter how much she boosted her power, she wouldn't reach King level. She could only approach it.

And Alex, with her scythe's attribute bonus, could easily overpower her.

"It's pointless. Stop struggling. It's over," Alex said, her voice cold and final.

Raphaela was beyond redemption.

Alex raised her scythe, ready to deliver the final blow.

As the blade descended, Raphaela's body went limp, her golden blood staining the ground.

The Angel City shuddered violently, its walls crumbling, its buildings collapsing. The once-pristine city was falling apart.

Alex rose into the air, her Death Domain expanding, engulfing the entire city, trapping the remaining angels within its deadly embrace.

Alex wouldn't let a single one escape.

As the Angel City crumbled into ruin, her domain retracted, returning to her.

The angels' bodies, consumed by black flames, plummeted from the sky, turning to ash before they could reach the ground, their remains scattering on the wind.