Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 336: Clayton City

[Night retreats, dawn arrives.]

Time: 6:00 AM

Alex woke up feeling refreshed and energized, her mana points and soul force fully replenished. Her cheeks were flushed, her complexion radiant. She was in peak condition.

As she was about to head downstairs, she paused, a thought striking her.

"Almost forgot."

She shed her clothes and changed into a fresh set.

Ruby had slain over two hundred thousand enemies at the Angel City. While most were Standard units, and Ruby had taken a share of the experience points, Alex had still leveled up.

She was now lv.4 King level.

It was just one level, but it was a significant milestone, marking her transition from early King level to mid-King level. Her power had increased exponentially, far beyond the simple addition of attribute points.

She went downstairs. The others were still asleep. Their biological clocks were set for sometime between six-thirty and seven.

She took advantage of the quiet time, pulling out the earth magic book and immersing herself in its contents. She wanted to master these spells before they continued their journey.

They had completed the Yellowrock City vice president's request in less than a day. It had been too easy.

She would take her time, mastering this mid-level magic book before returning.

Ruby, her eyes still half-closed, stumbled down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She seemed oblivious to Alex's presence in the main hall, heading straight for the dining room.

Time: 7:00 AM

Alex and Ruby were ready to leave. Xiao Hui and Sophie had finally woken up.

"Miss Alex, you're leaving already?" Xiao Hui asked, her voice laced with disappointment.

"Yeah, we just came back to drop off your goodies."

They had dealt with two minor issues. Their real journey was about to begin.

"Okay. Leave everything to me," Xiao Hui said confidently. Sophie waved goodbye.

Alex and Ruby vanished from the Undead Imperial Capital.

Sophie, watching them leave, headed towards the palace entrance.

"Hey, where are you going?" Xiao Hui asked, curious. She had always assumed Sophie had a lot of free time.

"I'm going out. You should come with me. You're undead now, right?"

"Huh?" Xiao Hui stared at Sophie, confused.

"Haven't you noticed? Alex has a ton of undead now, but most of them are just cannon fodder. Useless. And all those corpses... it's a waste not to summon them, but summoning them just makes the Undead Imperial Capital more crowded.

And the Dark Forest is only so big. We can't let all those low-level undead roam free. It'll increase our chances of being discovered. The best solution is to develop some kind of special structure, like a bone pile or something, to power them up."

Sophie's sudden burst of seriousness caught Xiao Hui off guard.

"You know, you actually have a point."

She had to admit, Sophie was right.

"I have a feeling Alex will be gone for a while. When she gets back, if everything's still the same, won't she think we're slacking off? We should surprise her, you know? Look at all she's done for us. We haven't done nearly enough in return. We can't let her carry all the weight."

Sophie's words resonated with Xiao Hui.

They could relax when Alex was around, but now that she was gone, they had to prove their worth, to show her they were capable.

"You're right. Everyone else is working hard. We can't just sit around and do nothing!"

They left the palace, heading towards the outer city.

The alchemy warlocks had already made some progress on developing new structures, but they hadn't achieved any breakthroughs before Alex's departure.

Now, with the dwarves and hobgoblins as vassal troops, most of the artisans had reached Monarch level, expanding their capabilities.

Several alchemy warlocks had also broken through to Monarch level. As their levels increased, their research would progress faster.

After all, the system wouldn't provide any more special rewards after establishing an Empire. They were on their own now.

...

Meanwhile, on the Arsen continent, at Stone Pillar Mountain...

Alex and Ruby emerged from the undead fortress, stepping onto the mountaintop.

With no races left within Stone Pillar Mountain's range, faith power had ceased to gather.

The countless corpses that had littered the mountainside were gone, the area seemingly returned to its former state.

"Alex, are we heading back to Yellowrock City?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, but let's take our time. No rush."

They flew southeast, their pace leisurely.

An hour later, they left the rocky wasteland behind, a small oasis appearing in the distance. And near the oasis, a human city stood tall.

"Let's check out that city," Alex said, her curiosity piqued.

She had noticed it on their way to Stone Pillar Mountain, but they had been focused on reaching their destination.

"Sweet!" Ruby exclaimed, excited to explore a real human city.

Mage Association branch cities were too sterile, too boring.

The city, called Clayton City, had a massive gate, only half of it open. Dozens of human soldiers, clad in brown armor, stood guard on either side.

The walls were lined with various high-tech gadgets, remnants of the Republic's technological prowess, designed to repel invaders.

Yellow triangular flags fluttered atop the watchtowers. The city itself was primarily constructed from a locally sourced type of rock.

As they approached, Alex noticed the city's sparse population. The guards at the gate seemed tense, their focus on defense. There was no sign of civilian traffic.

But they had come this far. Alex wasn't about to turn back now, especially with her Mage Association credentials.

As Alex and Ruby descended from the sky, the soldiers tensed, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons. Even the commanding general was alerted.

Alex, with a single glance, assessed the general's strength: lv1 Monarch, on par with Baldwin.

"Who are you? Why have you come to Clayton?" the general shouted from atop the wall.

Alex raised her golden badge, and the general and his soldiers' faces lit up with relief.

"Greetings, honorable Magus!" they shouted in unison, kneeling on one knee.

The general hurried down from the wall, his face apologetic.

"Forgive our rudeness, honored Magus."

"It's fine. Is this city also facing conflict?" Alex asked, waving away his apology.

The general led them into the city.

"It's a long story. Clayton City, as the Republic's frontier city, has been plagued by strange creatures lately. They're elusive, shadowy figures, usually appearing in groups of two or three. They haven't launched any large-scale attacks, but they've caused widespread panic."

He led them to a small, sparsely furnished room within the city walls. It contained only a bed, a table, and a chair. It hardly seemed fitting for a general.

"Is this where you live?" Ruby asked, surprised by the room's simplicity.

"Yes, our city is a frontier town, scarce in resources. Moreover, we're threatened by those cunning creatures. As the city's only Monarch, I must remain vigilant, and it's only fitting that I reside in such a place. Once the danger has passed, I can move to somewhere more comfortable.

However, the Mage Association is currently assisting the Republic with the war effort and can't spare any support, so I have no idea when that might be," the general explained, his face etched with worry.

Alex settled into a chair, her brow furrowed in thought.

Why was Clayton City a frontier city? Knight City, the Holy Court's stronghold, was located further northwest. Did the Holy Court's human cities not fall under the Republic's jurisdiction?

She decided to keep her questions to herself. It was best not to reveal her ignorance.

According to the general, almost every frontier city was experiencing similar harassment from these mysterious creatures. Their objective was clearly to sow chaos and fear.

And Alex had never encountered creatures like the ones he described. It was either a new race she hadn't encountered before or some kind of summoned entity.

"This is likely the Holy Court's doing," she mused aloud.

The general, despite his limited knowledge, grasped her meaning instantly. His eyes widened in alarm.

"You mean... the Republic's sudden invasion is also their doing?"

"It's just a theory. And the Mage Association will handle it. You have nothing to worry about," Alex reassured him.

She wasn't here to clean up the Mage Association's messes.

Unless it directly affected her interests, of course.

"Honored Magus, I implore you to help us eliminate these creatures!" the general pleaded, his voice sincere.

Alex considered his request. If she could find evidence linking the Holy Court to these attacks, it could spark a conflict between them and the Mage Association.

And for Lords like her, chaos among the local factions was always a good thing. It created opportunities.

"I'll stay in Clayton City for three days. Then I must leave," she said, her tone noncommittal.

Alex needed time to master the earth magic book. Dealing with these creatures was just a side quest.

"Thank you!" the general exclaimed, his face beaming with gratitude.

He had no doubt about her abilities. A four-star Magus, a King level mage... With her help, they would get to the bottom of this mystery.

He then remembered something, retrieving a circular yellow badge from his room.

"Honored mages, please accept this general's badge. It will grant you free food, lodging, and transportation within the city. Shall I arrange accommodations for you?"

Alex declined, but Ruby, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of free food, eagerly accepted the badge.

"No need. We'll explore the city on our own."

They bid the general farewell and headed into the city. The soldiers at the gate, their spirits lifted by the mages' arrival, watched them go.

Clayton City, as a frontier city, had little in the way of human culture. Its inhabitants were mostly soldiers and their families.

But, compared to Yellowrock City, it felt more like a real human city.

The streets were wide and clean, paved with stone. The buildings, tall and imposing, with black, pointed roofs, resembled medieval castles.

As they approached the city center, the number of shops increased, but the streets remained deserted. Many shops were open, but their interiors were empty.

Windows were shuttered, the houses huddled together, their walls forming a continuous barrier, broken only by the main roads and a labyrinth of narrow alleys.

Ruby, her eyes wide with curiosity, wanted to explore every nook and cranny.

Alex, however, was unimpressed. This city was no different from the ancient cities she had seen in history books.

One thing puzzled her, though. If humans were originally summoned by Lords, and Freelancers had been integrating into their society for countless eras, shouldn't their architecture be more advanced?

Humans on Earth had entered the industrial age long ago. Why hadn't those technologies appeared in these human cities?

Was her assumption wrong?

They found a small inn near the city center. It wasn't fancy, but it was clean and unpretentious.

The rooms, like the shops, were empty. And since everything was free, they chose the largest room on the fifth floor.

The innkeeper, awestruck by the presence of two mages, treated them with the utmost deference.

Even without the general's badge, he wouldn't have charged them. Mages, arriving in Border Town at a time like this, were their saviors.

"This is your room, honored mages," the innkeeper said as he unlocked the door with a rusty key.

A musty odor wafted from the room, a testament to its long disuse.

The furnishings were sparse: two beds, a table with an oil lamp, and a bathroom. Everything was newly replaced and spotlessly clean. The room itself was surprisingly spacious.

Creak!

Alex stepped inside, the wooden floorboards groaning under her weight, as if threatening to collapse.

"You can leave now," she said, dismissing the innkeeper.

"Yes, honored mages. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

The innkeeper backing out of the room and closing the door.

Alex settled down at the table near the window, the sunlight streaming in, illuminating the pages of her book. The window offered a panoramic view of the city.

After a while, she closed the book, retrieved her badge, and handed it to Ruby.

"Go ahead. I knew you couldn't wait. I'll skip this one."

"Yay!" Ruby exclaimed, snatching the badge and rushing out of the inn, eager to sample the local cuisine.