Leo started organizing his subjects according to their roles. His workforce numbered thirty-five—a mixture of living humans and tireless undead. His standard militia was lean, consisting of three spearmen and five bonewalkers.
It was a functional start, but Leo demanded more. Using the bone fragments scavenged from the Ironjaw, he raised ten additional undead laborers to bolster his resource production.
'I have death essence from the ruins, but it's better to upgrade barracks to recruit higher units, ' Leo thought.
With the workers dispatched to the outskirts, Leo turned to his inner circle. Akul, the Fleshweaver, bowed his head, admitting that his talents were suited for the laboratory rather than the vanguard.
''Vespar, scout the perimeter. The territory's evolution has likely thinned the veil; find me a dungeon,'' Leo commanded.
''It shall be found, my lord,'' the shadow replied, melting into the dark.
Leo's gaze finally settled on the Hell Warhorse. The beast stood with a radiant, hellish arrogance. Though its loyalty sat at a stable 70 percent, it looked at Leo as a partner of convenience rather than a master.
Leo let out a dry, predatory snicker. ''So, you believe you are serving a weakling?''
The warhorse snorted, a stream of scorching vapor blasting from its nostrils.
In response, Leo willed the Ring of Sovereign to cease its suppression. The artifact, which had masked his terrifying bloodline from even the most ancient remnants, shivered with delight.
A crimson, suffocating pressure erupted from Leo, an aura of pure sovereignty that crushed the air in a ten-meter circle.
Captain Goblin, despite his new Hobgoblin strength, was driven to his knees, clutching his skull in agony. Malphas knelt by choice, his face twisted into a manic, worshipful grin. ''Magnificent,'' he hissed.
Akul was pinned to the earth as if by a physical weight, his mind screaming in shock: 'What forbidden horror have I sworn myself to?'
The warhorse trembled. Its pride warred with the primal fear of a superior predator until, finally, it lowered its flaming mane in total submission.
[The Hell Warhorse has formed an Eternal Bond of Sovereignty.]
A flood of information poured into Leo's mind. Emotions. Instincts. A link forged through Authority rather than dominance.
Leo smiled and mounted effortlessly. Despite the flames licking along its body, the heat did not harm him.
Nearby, the Captain mounted his bloodhound, his eyes gleaming with a savage hunger to prove his worth.
''Malphas, try to stay within sight,'' Leo teased as they reached the edge of the barrier.
''I would not dream of falling behind, my lord,'' Malphas replied with iron-clad confidence. The warhorse snorted in offense and, at Leo's command, ignited. They vanished into a blur of speed, leaving a trail of scorched earth in their wake.
***
Across the Umbra expanse, the announcement of the Double Harvest had turned the trial into a feeding frenzy. Lords of all races were overextending themselves, desperate to maximize the 12 Hour window.
Hye-na was one such Lord, nearing E-Rank, who had pushed her population to its limit. Her core strength rested on two beast-kin and a subjugated High Orc named Gareth.
'My lady! A dungeon has been sighted!'' a scout cried out, his voice a mix of terror and greed.
Gareth watched his captor with hidden disdain, certain she would flee from such a challenge. Instead, Hye-na's eyes burned with resolve. ''Lead us there.''
The Green Portal loomed before them - a low-rank dungeon with a strict ten-person entry limit. Hye-na acted decisively, sending forty of her common troops back to safety while she led her elite circle into the swirling mist.
'O mighty Khelag… bless this pitiful one.' Gareth prayed to his god as he followed her in.
The moment they crossed the threshold, death greeted them. Rotting corpses littered the dungeon floor, necrotic energy thick in the air.
"Bloody seven hells," Gareth muttered, gripping his axe as the monsters attacked immediately with savage fury.
"Gareth, hold the center! Spearmen, form the line!'' Hye-na commanded, her voice cutting through the gloom.
As an undead raptor clawed at her face and a serpent corpse lunged for her throat, Hye-na centered her focus. "Fire Fury!" she cast, kicking the back of her spear into the ground. A ring of incinerating heat exploded outward, staggering the horde.
Moving with the grace of a phantom, she activated "Burst." Her spear pierced through the reptile's skull. Before the body even hit the ground, she was already lunging toward her next victim. Though thirty undead had swarmed them, Gareth held the line at the vanguard while Hye-na personally decimated half the force.
Gareth drew ragged breaths, his eyes fixed on his captor. 'Such monstrous talent. Between her aether capacity and those innate combat skills, it is no wonder my own forces were slaughtered,' he thought, observing the lord who stood tall despite her bleeding wounds.
The group took a breather to collect all the corpses for their lord.
Hye-na waited for her internal reserves to replenish before whispering, "Radiant Embrace." A surge of golden light washed over her men, sealing gashes and mending broken bones in an instant. She stepped toward the heap of remains and reached out. "Dismantle."
[Double Harvest Applied]
[Death essence x 120, F grade Aether core x8, E grade Aether core x2, Bone fragments x 250 .....]
The thrill of the double harvest began to lift her spirits, but the feeling was cut short by a gurgling scream. Hye-na whirled around, her expression hardening into a mask of cold steel.
SLICHH
One of her spearmen had collapsed on the ground, his throat torn open. He was dead before he hit the dirt.
"Form a defensive circle! Now!" Hye-na barked.
The terrified soldiers drew together, their eyes darting through the gloom for the silent killer. A dark claw lunged from the darkness toward a scout, but Hye-na was faster, her spear clashing against the invisible limb. The creature melted back into the dark before she could strike.
"It is a stalker. It moves through the shadows!" she warned.
"Shadow Kin," Gareth grunted, his grip tightening on his weapon. "D rank at least."
With the threat identified, the group tightened its coordination. They turned the dungeon's own darkness against the beast, baiting its lunges and punishing every slip. After a grueling exchange of blood and steel, the shadow finally dissipated, leaving the Boss-monster defeated.
A green chest manifested in the center of the room, pulsing with a soft emerald glow. Hye-na reached out and lifted the lid.
[Dungeon Clear Rewards — Double Harvest Applied]
[Acquired: Shadow Walk Skill Book x2, Moonlight Ring (Uncommon) x2, E Grade Aether Core x4 , Acquired: Gold coins x1000 ]
Hye-na felt a rush of excitement. 'The double harvest even works on dungeon chests. This is insane,' she thought. If she had cleared this tomorrow, she would have only received half of this.
Gareth leaned in, his eyes widening at the sight of the Aether-grade cores. ''With those cores, you could push your rank to the next level tonight, my lady,'' he said.
Hye-na nodded. She handed one of the Moonlight Rings to the beast-kin scout who had almost died. ''This is for your bravery. It will help you see better in the dark.''
The scout bowed deeply, his tail wagging with gratitude. ''Thank you, Lord!''
Hye-na stood up and looked at the exit portal that had appeared. ''We cannot waste time celebrating. We still have ten hours of the blessing left. Let's move back to the territory, rest for ten minutes, and head out again.''
''As you command!'' the soldiers shouted in unison. They were tired and wounded, but the sight of the doubled rewards gave them a second wind.