Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

"Who are you?" Skyplume glared at the newcomer. The man didn't waste time with words. He yanked on the chain, and the flames engulfing it flared intensely.

His entire body, including the man himself, transformed into a skeleton, every bone ablaze with crimson fire.

A terrifying aura erupted, instantly shattering Skyplume's wind field.

Flames engulfed the surroundings, consuming everything in their path.

Skyplume, startled, broke free with all his might and soared into the sky. He glanced at his right wrist, now a mangled mess of flesh and bone. His pristine white feathers were scorched black.

Without hesitation, Skyplume turned and fled, vanishing in an instant.

Xiao Mu and Drake watched in astonishment.

This clearly demonstrated that Skyplume was no match for this man. Capitalizing on the advantage of his wind sphere, he had chosen to flee.

"Thank you for saving us!"

Drake immediately expressed his gratitude to the man.

The man withdrew his flames, returning to his human form. Even the skeletal warhorse beneath him transformed back into an ordinary steed.

"You're welcome. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Garethor, King Death Knight, one of the seven former race kings under the previous undead lord."

Garethor dismounted, removing his cowboy hat and holding it to his chest as he nodded in greeting.

With his flowing brown hair, blue eyes, and distinctive attire, no one would have guessed that this man was an Emperor level undead.

"Are you, like Torin, here to pledge allegiance to the undead empire?"

Relief washed over them. It seemed that this Garethor was at least an ally.

"Indeed. I teleported from the Mossvale continent to the south of the Eldoria continent, evading angels along the way. During my travels through human territory, I learned of the ongoing war between the undead empire and the Beastman Empire. I rushed here with all haste, and it seems I'm not too late."

Garethor smiled politely.

"I never expected to find my old friend still alive."

They recounted Torin's situation to Garethor, who frowned upon hearing the news.

"The King Ghoul, his name is Zarvox. He was always a ruthless scoundrel, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. I never liked him. So he's come to the Eldoria continent as well."

"As for Torin's injuries, I'm afraid I can't do much. But rest assured, this is a problem we brought upon you, and it's my responsibility to resolve it."

When speaking of Zarvox, Garethor's face showed no signs of worry. This reassured the others that Zarvox was no match for him, especially after being severely wounded by Torin.

"Have the humans been informed? What was their reaction?"

Xiao Mu was concerned about the humans' stance and inquired directly. Their conflict with the Beastman Empire hadn't lasted long, yet the humans had already received the news.

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He was worried about whether the human forces would intervene. If they did, it would spell disaster for the undead empire.

"As for the humans, their inaction speaks volumes."

Garethor reassured Xiao Mu.

The humans, upon learning of the undead empire's existence, had chosen not to interfere in the affairs of the two empires. This indicated their tacit approval of the undead empire's presence.

Moreover, the human division of the Eldoria continent into north and south actually worked in their favor, effectively blocking the troublesome Angel race. This was a good thing.

As for the reasons behind the humans' stance, Garethor could only offer speculation. It was best to keep it confidential until they had concrete information.

"It must have been the Beastman Empire who leaked the news. Why didn't you stop that birdman earlier?"

Drake was also puzzled. Based on their previous encounter, it was clear that there was a significant power gap between Skyplume and Garethor.

Skyplume had fled in fear, and Garethor clearly had the opportunity to stop him, yet he had let him go.

Garethor maintained his smile, addressing the group.

"That's a long story. It involves a friend I met upon arriving on the Eldoria continent. He advised me against making a mortal enemy of the Beastman Empire. He, too, hails from the undead empire. I believe you must remember him..."

===

Due to the arrival of the Ice Cream, while Xiao Mu was now safe, Xiao Hui remained in peril.

She faced an Emperor level Gnoll, putting her at a severe disadvantage.

Against Alpha Gnoll's relentless assault, Xiao Hui wielded the Sword of Judgment with all her might, prepared to fight to the death.

A smug look crossed Alpha Gnoll's face. She dared to kill his subordinate; he would make her pay!

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere, landing a foot on the side of the descending giant axe.

Bang!

A deafening roar echoed as the giant axe veered off course, missing Xiao Hui.

A massive crack split the ground beside her, extending for hundreds of meters. Even now, Xiao Hui's heart pounded in her chest.

Alpha Gnoll, his face filled with confusion, turned to face the newcomer.

Xiao Hui, seeing the figure standing beside her, also turned to look. She didn't recognize this person.

He appeared to be a young man with short black hair and a muscular build.

He exuded the aura of a lv9 King, a fact that Alpha Gnoll sensed clearly. However, he couldn't understand how this person had managed to deflect his attack.

Alpha Gnoll scoffed. If the newcomer were an Emperor level being, he might have been wary. But a mere King level, even ten of them, posed no threat.

With this thought in mind, Alpha Gnoll prepared to attack again without hesitation. He rarely wasted time with words before securing victory.

However, as he was about to strike, he noticed a glint of azure light in the young man's eyes!

He froze, a realization dawning upon him.

"Are you a dragon?!"

Xiao Hui was also taken aback. She couldn't tell that this young man was a dragon, but this was the first time the Gnoll had spoken since the battle began.

His tone was laced with apprehension towards dragons.

"The undead race is an ally of the dragon race. Does your Beastman Empire have a death wish?"

The young man uttered the most audacious words in the calmest of tones, seemingly unconcerned that he was facing an Emperor level being.

Alpha Gnoll was stunned but not intimidated.

"Ally? Who would know if I killed you both right here?"

A dragon envoy? He didn't believe that the mighty dragon race would send only a single King level dragon. This was clearly a bluff.

"You're welcome to try. But I'm afraid that tomorrow, the Sovereign level Alpha Demihuman will be delivering your head to the dragon race as an apology."

The young man remained unfazed, meeting the opponent's imposing aura with unwavering confidence. His words were a clear threat.

This time, Alpha Gnoll was truly taken aback. Seeing the young man's unwavering confidence, he couldn't help but reconsider.

The Gnoll race had risen to become one of the five major races of the Beastman Empire through their unwavering loyalty and flattery towards the Demihuman Race.

It was thanks to the grace of the Sovereign level Alpha Demihuman (Archalpha) that he had achieved Emperor level and become the alpha of the Gnolls.

This was also why he was so enraged by the death of the lv9 King level Gnoll. As long as they continued to please the demihumans, there was a chance that the Sovereign level demihuman, in a moment of good humor, might bestow upon them another Emperor level being.

Alpha Gnoll was well aware of the resources the Alpha demihuman had expended to maintain relations with the major factions.

If he were to act rashly and kill a dragon envoy, incurring the wrath of the dragon race, not only would he perish, but the entire Gnoll race might be slaughtered by the demihumen as an offering of appeasement.

He had strived for so long to achieve his current status, and he had no desire to die.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Alpha Gnoll panicked. If this young man truly was a dragon envoy, then he wouldn't be able to kill anyone today.

"How can you prove that you are a dragon envoy?"

Alpha Gnoll feigned composure as he questioned the young man.

He feared the dragon race, but he feared the wrath of the Alpha Demihuman even more.

"Why should I prove anything to you?"

"You..."

Alpha Gnoll gritted his teeth in frustration, but he suppressed his anger and attempted to reason with the young man.

"My apologies, I was out of line earlier. However, it was the undead race who attacked us first, and we were merely defending ourselves. We were unaware that the undead race was an ally of the dragon race. Please, show us some proof so that I can report back to the Alpha Demihuman."

Despite his seemingly conciliatory tone, rage burned within him. For an Emperor level being to bow his head to a King level was a humiliation.

He was already contemplating how he would torture these two if they couldn't provide any evidence.

The young man, observing the slightly bowed head of the Gnoll, smirked.

He leaped into the air, his body enveloped in icy power and a formidable Dragon's Presence. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal Azure Dragon.

Recognition dawned upon Xiao Hui.

He was the Azure Dragon from Alex's castle!

Xiao Hui remembered clearly. Both Azure Dragon and Sophie were veteran figures under Alex's command.

Sophie had even mentioned that Ice Cream had been with Alex longer than she had!

A dragon scale fell to the ground before Alpha Gnoll, his pupils constricting in shock.

This young man truly was a dragon envoy!

Moreover, such scales were meticulously documented within the dragon race. In this moment, Alpha Gnoll was grateful that he hadn't acted impulsively.

If he had killed this dragon, the dragon race would have known instantly that it was the Beastman Empire who was responsible.

"Is that proof enough?"

Ice Cream didn't even bother to look at the Gnoll beneath him, his tone dripping with disdain.

Alpha Gnoll, his arrogance completely extinguished, adopted an exceptionally respectful tone.

"My apologies, I was blind. Please forgive my transgression. I shall return to the empire and report this to the Alpha Demihuman. On behalf of the Beastman Empire, I propose a ceasefire with the undead race, with the far north as the boundary. What do you say?"

Alpha Gnoll then turned his gaze towards Xiao Hui, knowing that she was the one who could make decisions for the undead race.

Xiao Hui knew that Ice Cream wasn't actually a dragon envoy, but the dragon race's desire to form an alliance with the undead race was genuine.

She didn't dare to make any excessive demands. Both sides had suffered losses, and the undead were currently weaker. A ceasefire was perhaps the best course of action. Everything else could wait until Alex returned.

"Agreed."

Seeing Xiao Hui's agreement, Ice Cream didn't press the matter further. After all, the dragon scale he possessed had been given to him by the lava dragon from the southern volcano.

Its purpose was to provide him with a means of self-preservation in times of danger.

The Gnoll couldn't possibly discern the authenticity of a dragon token, and the dragon scale wasn't fake. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, he was a dragon envoy.

"Very well, then it's settled. I shall take my leave."

Alpha Gnoll spoke respectfully and vanished in an instant.

This matter was of utmost urgency. He had to report to the Alpha Demihuman immediately. Although Ice Cream's identity seemed legitimate, they still needed to confirm it with the dragon race.

Each continent had a dragon presence, with their strength at least at the Sovereign level. Unable to cross continents themselves, beastmen could only seek confirmation from these dragons.