Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 31: Healing Herbs

Healing Herbs. Useful for other lords, but not for Alex or her undead army. Still, a huge market opportunity. Cooked meat was a temporary fad. Healing potions were a timeless necessity.

Alex, perched on John's skull, felt a familiar thrill. *Time to get rich.*

John flew swiftly, arriving at a small hill east of the castle within thirty seconds. Arthur, Baxter (the new Skeleton Dragon), the Zombie Titan, and the two Liches were waiting at the top.

"Master," they greeted Alex as she landed.

Arthur pointed a bony claw towards the base of the hill. "The Dirt Farmers are inside this hill, Master. Underground."

"Underground?" Alex asked. "Like... a subterranean civilization?"

"Yes," Arthur confirmed. "They're burrowers."

John, ever curious, whispered to Baxter, "What's a burrower?"

Baxter, the Level 1 newbie, dutifully replied, "A creature that lives in burrows, underground."

John squinted at him. "I thought *you* wouldn't know either." *Weird. All the other dragons knew that.*

Alex spotted several large holes in the ground. Entrances to the Dirt Farmers' underground lair.

"Are they strong?" she asked.

Arthur shrugged. "Not sure. The one we saw was maybe Level 4 or 5. But they're communal creatures. We didn't go inside. Could be stronger ones down there."

Alex nodded. Unknown enemy strength. No problem. Her Level 20 castle gave her a 15,000-meter Analyze range. This hill was well within that range.

She discreetly glanced at Arthur. "*Know thy enemy,* huh? This dragon has been studying Sun Tzu. He didn't rush in blindly. He sent for me, knowing I could Analyze them. Smart. Cautious. A true general." Alex was impressed.

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She cast Analyze. The Dirt Farmers' stats appeared before her.

[Dirt Farmer]

[Race: Humanoid]

[Life Hierarchy Rank: Elite]

[Level: Lv28]

...

[Skills: Bountiful Harvest, Accelerated Growth]

Bountiful Harvest: Passive. Increases crop yield by 15%.

Accelerated Growth: Reduces crop growth time.

[Equipment: Iron Hoe]

Iron Hoe: Rank 1 Normal weapon. +5 Endurance.

Over a thousand Dirt Farmers, led by a Level 28 Elite. And he had equipment! An Iron Hoe! A first for Alex. The Chief's stats were higher than any of her units, even Arthur. Arthur could outlast him, being undead, but he couldn't hurt him. His Strength wasn't high enough to penetrate the Chief's Endurance.

"Time to break out the big guns." Alex pulled out her Perfect Dragon Sparrow Saber. She'd sold all the others, but this one was too good to part with.

[Dragon Sparrow Saber (Perfect)]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rank: 1]

[Attribute: +23 Strength]

"Here. Equip this." She tossed the saber to Arthur.

"Thank you, Master!" The saber vanished into Arthur's bony form. His stats updated.

[Skeleton Dragon (Arthur)]

...

[Strength: 71]

...

[Equipment: Dragon Sparrow Saber]

"71 Strength! That should do the trick." The Chief's attacks wouldn't be a problem. Arthur was immortal.

"Arthur, John, I need them *alive*. Capture them. I need them for their... gardening skills."

"Yes, Master!" Arthur declared.

"Wait." Alex turned to John. "Go get Mike and the Elite squad. Surround the area. Don't let any of them escape."

"You got it, Master!" John puffed out his chest and zoomed off at supersonic speed.

*I should get John a weapon too,* Alex thought, making a note. She'd been so focused on profits that she'd forgotten to equip her dragons.

John returned quickly with Mike and the Elites clinging to his ribs.

"Master, Mike is ready to serve!"

"Mike, surround the area. No escapes." She pointed to the entrances to the underground lair.

"Yes, Master!"

With Mike and the Elites in position, Alex gave the order.

"Arthur, go! Capture them!"

"Yes, Master!"

Arthur roared, launching himself into the sky. Higher and higher he climbed, until he was a tiny speck against the clouds. Then, he turned and dove, a blur of bone and fire, a skeletal meteor hurtling towards the Dirt Farmers' lair. Alex saw a trail of fire ignite behind him as he broke the sound barrier.

*Boom!* A massive explosion rocked the ground. A crater, over a hundred meters wide, appeared where Arthur had landed. He'd practically caved in the Dirt Farmers' underground world, exposing a large section of their lair.

Alex's face palmed. "Seriously?! I just praised you for being cautious! I had Mike guarding the entrances! Now there are holes everywhere! And you buried Mike and his squad!" Her admiration for Arthur evaporated. She was *this* close to yelling.

The Dirt Farmers were also... displeased.

"Who dares attack us?!" The Chief, a red-skinned, irascible old man wielding a hoe, emerged from the rubble. He spotted Arthur in the crater.

"An Undead Skeleton Dragon?" he yelled. "Get out of my garden, you overgrown lizard! Go find your own dirt to play in!"

Alex looked at the Chief. A four-foot-tall, red-skinned, fully clothed old man with pointy ears. "So that's a Dirt Farmer..." she thought. "Looks like a Goblin's distant cousin."

Arthur climbed out of the crater, shaking off the dust. He looked down at the Chief.

"Our Master, the great Queen, offers you her protection in this dangerous world! Pledge your loyalty!"

The Chief raised his hoe. "I'm a farmer, not a knight! I don't need a queen! Tell her to get lost!"

"You dare insult the Queen?!" Arthur roared. "Dragon Flame!"

Diplomacy had failed. Time for fire.

The Chief leaped back, narrowly avoiding the flames. "There's a human on the hill! Probably the dragon's master! Capture her!"

Dozens of Dirt Farmers charged towards Alex.

"Dragon Flame!" John intercepted them with a blast of fire. Mike and the Elites emerged from the rubble, surrounding the Dirt Farmers. There was nowhere to run.

Arthur and the Chief clashed. Arthur had 71 Strength, but only 48 Endurance. The Chief had 56 Strength and 61 Endurance. Arthur's claws dealt 10 damage per hit. The Chief's hoe dealt 8. But the Chief had finite HP. Arthur had infinite HP. The Chief was getting frustrated. *Why isn't he dying?!*

Without the Dragon Sparrow Saber, Arthur would have only dealt 1 or 2 damage per hit. Negligible. But with the saber, his Strength had surpassed the Chief's Endurance, allowing him to inflict real damage. And he wasn't dying. The Chief was starting to panic.