Territory: Unnamed
Level: Level 1 Tribe
Area: 11.52 square kilometers
Buildings: None
Residents: 0/—
Zhao Lun glanced at the newly updated territory page and closed it without much interest. Now wasn't the time for him to be focused on the details of the page. With the pain in his soul's flame alleviated, he had bigger things to do!
"The second mutated-level skeleton servant is about to be freshly made!"
Zhao Lun looked at the skull of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton on the ground, rubbing his bone hand with some excitement. He stared intently at its soul fire, confirming that the once arrogant flame had now diminished, before he raised his staff and began chanting the "Servant" spell.
Since Zhao Lun had already inherited the "Territory Will," the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton had some fear of him. It dared not resist Zhao Lun's "Servant" spell and was easily controlled.
"I think today is worth celebrating!" Zhao Lun grinned broadly, feeling the new mental connection established through the soul fire. From now on, he would have two mutated skeleton servants under his command. He had witnessed the immense strength and overwhelming power of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton firsthand. With this addition, Zhao Lun was now confident that with Ollis and the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton as his subordinates, he could dominate the land of bones!
However, as the saying goes, great joy often leads to great sorrow.
Before Zhao Lun could even fully bask in his success, his head suddenly felt like it had been struck by an iron hammer. His mind went blank, and for a moment, he couldn't even tell which direction he was facing.
"What's happening? What is this?!" Zhao Lun clutched his head, confused and furious.
"Could it be the backlash from 'Servant'?" Zhao Lun groaned in pain. "But I succeeded! Why would there be a backlash? Didn't it say that the 'Servant' spell only causes backlash when applied to level 5 or higher undead? Does that mean the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton has reached level 5?"
Gripping his head, Zhao Lun tried to reason through the intense pain.
He quickly pieced the truth together. Indeed, the backlash he was feeling was the result of the "Servant" spell. But it wasn't just due to capturing the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton—it was also because of Ollis.
Zhao Lun's strength was barely enough to capture a level 4 skeleton. He had only managed to subdue Ollis and the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton thanks to the "Territory Will." In other words, Zhao Lun didn't have the capability to enslave a mutated skeleton of Ollis' caliber. Now that he had captured both Ollis and the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton, the strain on his soul's fire was too much to bear. Even though Ollis and the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton hadn't resisted, just containing their soul fire had overwhelmed him.
Although Zhao Lun didn't fully understand the underlying mechanics, he could guess the cause with reasonable certainty. He was now faced with a dilemma: abandon Ollis or the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton to prevent the backlash from overwhelming him.
"Damn it, I knew it! Fate is never this kind to me!" Zhao Lun cursed angrily.
Without hesitation, he raised his staff and plunged it into the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton's skull. With a swift strike, the mutated skeleton was destroyed.
While the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton was certainly stronger than Ollis in terms of raw power, Zhao Lun was still human. At the very least, he knew how to prioritize. Even though Ollis' power wasn't as formidable, Zhao Lun had personally nurtured him, and there were certain qualities in Ollis that Zhao Lun found admirable, even if his intelligence was lacking.
Of course, Zhao Lun would never admit that part of the reason he killed the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton was due to the disdain it had shown him earlier with that look.
However, Zhao Lun might have been overestimating his understanding of the situation. The backlash was far from over.
"Boom!"
As the soul fire of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton shattered, Zhao Lun's own soul fire was violently shaken. A pain far more intense than anything he had experienced before surged through him, causing Zhao Lun to collapse instantly without even a chance to scream.
This pain was a hundred times worse than the agony he had felt when he lost three skeleton archers. The intense suffering drained all his energy, and the pain lasted for a full thirty minutes. The length of this torment left Zhao Lun's mind in a daze, and on several occasions, he nearly drove his staff into his own soul fire.
"It feels like… I've experienced all the suffering I was supposed to endure in my past life in just a few days. Sure enough, crossing over is dangerous. Joining the fray requires caution!" Zhao Lun groaned through the pain.
After more than thirty minutes, Zhao Lun finally endured the excruciating pain. As he weakly stood up, still grumbling, it was clear that he had survived the worst of it.
Dazed and unsteady, Zhao Lun surveyed the surroundings. His eyes immediately landed on the skull of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton, its soul fire extinguished.
"Such a pity…" Zhao Lun sighed, feeling a pang of regret as he looked at the skull he had just destroyed.
He then noticed several fragments of soul fire on the skull and quickly ordered Ollis, "Ollis, devour those soul fire fragments. Don't let them go to waste."
The obedient Ollis nodded and moved forward, munching the fragments with a loud crunch.
Zhao Lun nodded in approval and glanced around once more. His remaining skeleton servants were busy with the remains of the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton. Anger surged in his chest.
"Big Sword No. 1 and Bone Shield Skeleton, stop messing with that skeleton's bones! It's dead—what use is its skeleton now?" Zhao Lun barked.
After confirming that there was nothing else worth noting in the area, Zhao Lun decided it was time to leave.
This place had become Zhao Lun's "unlucky ground." The first time he came here, he was nearly overwhelmed by the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton. He had barely escaped with his life and lost three skeleton servants in the process. The second time, he thought he had gained the upper hand after defeating the mutated Giant Axe Skeleton and capturing its will. But then, the backlash from the "Servant" spell forced him to kill the very skeleton he had just tamed and nearly killed him in the process.
This cursed place was better left behind. It was time to return to his base and focus on establishing his Territory Altar.