In truth, Zhao Lun's understanding of the dangers in the Underworld was still not deep enough. While a single skeleton's survival was indeed difficult, the survival of an entire skeleton tribe was even more perilous.
Once a skeleton reaches level five, gaining intelligence and learning how to avoid danger, their chances of survival improve significantly. But for a skeleton tribe, its strength may not guarantee safety; rather, it could bring deadly risks.
Take, for example, the previous Skeleton Overlord of the Bone Zone. In just 175 years, he unified the chaotic Bone Zone that had been in turmoil for thousands of years, amassing tens of thousands of level-five or higher skeletons under his command. Such a force was immensely powerful. Yet, within three minutes, this Overlord and his army were completely annihilated by a mysterious undead legion.
Now, reborn as a skeleton, Zhao Lun's danger might not be as ideal as he had imagined. His life as a skeleton would surely be fraught with challenges, and he was already facing an unprecedented one at this very moment.
"Ollis, let me down! Do you hear me? You're rebelling against me! If you don't let me go, I swear I'll get mad!"
Zhao Lun found himself in a rather embarrassing situation. He was being held by Ollis, his subordinate skeleton, unable to move.
What kind of nonsense was this? If Ollis had waited until Zhao Lun extracted his soul essence from the Soul Fire before rebelling, that would've made sense. But Zhao Lun hadn't even started yet. Why was Ollis so worked up?
Zhao Lun now realized he had underestimated Ollis. Even though Ollis had reached level five, Zhao Lun probably wouldn't be able to drive him away. All he had done was lightly touch Ollis's Soul Fire essence, and before he could even extract it, Ollis had thrown himself onto him and held him tight. While Zhao Lun appreciated the affection, it wasn't without its risks. The backlash of removing Ollis's soul essence could be catastrophic.
"Ollis, let go of me, that's an order!" Zhao Lun tried using an authoritative tone, but it was a line that sounded more like something from a television show.
*Stare.*
Ollis looked at Zhao Lun in silence, before his expression shifted to one of pure innocence. Within moments, Ollis's appearance had taken on an almost "cute" quality. Zhao Lun was taken aback. Was this really a skeleton? How could it be so… adorable? But it wasn't. Ollis wasn't cute; he was a skeletal warrior, and Zhao Lun just needed him to let go!
Zhao Lun was stunned. It seemed that TV shows were full of lies. This method didn't work at all.
Looks like he had no choice but to take a more underhanded approach, Zhao Lun thought mischievously.
"Good boy, Ollis, let go. Look, I'll let go of you too, see?" Zhao Lun pretended to give in, abandoning his plans to extract Ollis's soul essence for the moment. He reached out and gently petted Ollis's skull, adopting an unexpectedly gentle tone.
Ollis, naive as ever, succumbed to Zhao Lun's "sweet talk," relaxing his grip and slowly releasing him. However, Ollis remained cautious, enjoying Zhao Lun's affection while keeping a wary eye on him, just in case Zhao Lun suddenly changed his mind and abandoned him.
"You little rascal!" Zhao Lun smiled warmly as he noticed Ollis's behavior. He gave Ollis's skull a few playful rubs before turning to walk toward the altar.
Ollis, staring at Zhao Lun with his intelligent, fiery gaze, seemed saddened by the situation. Zhao Lun had underestimated Ollis's intelligence, and now he was paying the price.
*Click!*
When Zhao Lun stood on the altar and turned around, he found Ollis standing in the same spot, looking at him with a hurt expression, as though he had been abandoned.
"This damn little guy. How has he gotten so smart in just a few days?"
If possible, Zhao Lun really didn't want to extract Ollis's soul essence. Not only did Ollis look so pitiful, but more importantly, Ollis was the only being Zhao Lun could communicate with after a month of being a skeleton. Once Ollis's soul essence was removed, Zhao Lun wouldn't be able to interact with him as easily.
But some things couldn't be avoided. Zhao Lun steeled himself, turning his back to Ollis. With swift movements, he extracted Ollis's soul essence from his Soul Fire and hurriedly inscribed his soul mark on the Territory Altar, completing this difficult task.
---
**Separation**
---
Zhao Lun's "City of Bones" was located in the northern part of the Bone Zone, on the edge of the territory. Beyond that were the endless Black Mountains, home to countless terrifying "Underworld Beasts." These beasts were strong enough to easily wipe out anything in the Bone Zone with ease. Fortunately, these beasts rarely ventured out of their territories, mainly because the Bone Zone was a barren land with little of value to them.
However, nothing in the Underworld was certain. For example, a lost "Skeleton Horse" had accidentally wandered into the Bone Zone.
This particular Skeleton Horse seemed to have been born recently. It wasn't very powerful by the standards of its kind, but in Zhao Lun's case, this level 5+ Skeleton Horse was a formidable being, capable of overwhelming even some of his best skeletons.
As fate would have it, the Skeleton Horse crossed paths with a Skeleton Tribe that had just built a Territory Altar. The leader of this tribe, a well-established Skeleton Overlord with advanced intelligence, spotted the horse and decided to capture it as a mount. Without hesitation, the Overlord ordered his hundred-strong force to surround the confused Skeleton Horse.
At first, the horse was curious about the skeletons, examining them with interest. However, when the confident Skeleton Overlord expressed his intentions and attempted to threaten the horse into submission, the horse was enraged!
While Skeleton Horses were commonly used by powerful Undead Knights as mounts, they were not something a mere 5th-level mutated skeleton could claim. Though the Skeleton Horse appeared calm at first, it had a fiery temper, and it immediately went on the offensive.
The enraged Skeleton Horse was terrifying. Though its attacks were simple, its sheer speed and power were overwhelming. With a single charge, it sent a level 3-4 skeleton flying, and even the mutated Skeleton Overlord was hesitant to directly confront it. After a brief struggle, the Skeleton Horse decimated the Overlord's forces, leaving the once-confident leader devastated. Unable to match the horse's speed and ferocity, the Overlord could only watch helplessly as the horse rampaged, and after releasing its pent-up anger, it galloped away, leaving the scattered skeletons in disarray