Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch - Chapter 314

Chapter 314: Light Titan
Xiao Mu shot Xiao Hui a confused look, wondering what had gotten into her.

Alex stood up and opened her system interface, claiming the two rewards.

The Titan Bloodline Power materialized as a ball of golden energy, while the Barracks took the form of a dark gold crystal.

Even from a distance, Alex could feel the heat radiating from them, searing her skin.

“Whoa, Big Shot, what are those?” Sophie asked curiously.

“These are the rewards for defeating the Titan Lord: his bloodline and his Barracks,” Alex explained, using spatial magic to handle the objects without directly touching them.

“What?!” Xiao Hui shrieked, rushing over from Xiao Mu’s side to get a closer look. The others followed suit, their curiosity piqued.

“You can absorb those things?”

“So you’re saying you can directly gain a Titan Lord’s bloodline abilities and his Barracks?”

Alex nodded. “That’s right. And Xiao Mu, these are for you.”

“Oh, man, Miss Alex, I want some too!” Xiao Hui exclaimed, her eyes filled with envy.

“Sorry, but these are light-aligned. Neither you nor I can absorb them,” Alex explained. Xiao Hui pouted, her gaze lingering on Xiao Mu with a mixture of envy and anticipation.

Xiao Mu accepted the two objects, surprised by the sheer intensity of the holy power emanating from them.

“Leader, I know bloodline power is a Lord ability, but what exactly does it do?” he asked, a hint of apprehension in his voice. He had never encountered a Lord with such a powerful bloodline before and worried about potential side effects.

“It’s probably similar to Drake’s ability, some kind of transformation,” Alex speculated. She wasn’t sure if titans could assume human form.

Besides, bloodline powers varied. Some altered the user’s race entirely, while others granted them access to the abilities of that race.

Lucian and Raphaela were examples of the former, while Titus and his ilk exemplified the latter.

“I fought this Titan Lord back when I was at Monarch level. His power felt like a transformation,” Alex recalled, adding, “So, does the system say you can absorb them?”

Xiao Mu nodded, setting the Barracks crystal aside for the moment. “It does. I can absorb them right here.”

“Alright. We’ll be right here if you need anything,” Alex assured him.

Xiao Mu opened his system interface and selected the absorption option. The ball of golden energy slowly rose and surged into his body.

A blinding golden light erupted from him as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head, his face contorted in pain.

The others backed away, watching anxiously as Xiao Mu grappled with the bloodline power coursing through his veins.

His brow furrowed, his clothes becoming damp with sweat. The golden light showed no signs of abating.

“Let’s give him some space. It looks like it’ll take a while,” Alex said, taking a seat at the large meeting table in the hall.

With the system’s assistance and the compatible attributes, the absorption shouldn’t fail, right?

[Blood Moon in the sky, darkness descends]

They waited patiently as the hours ticked by. Sophie, curled up in a chair, was dozing off. Only Xiao Hui remained alert, her eyes glued to her brother, eager to witness the transformation’s outcome.

Xiao Mu’s breathing gradually steadied, and the golden light pulsated rhythmically. Alex sensed that it was almost over.

Suddenly, his skin began to bulge and darken, taking on a rough, brown texture.

The transformation was still in progress.

His limbs thickened, and strange, intricate patterns spread across his body.

Alex’s eyes widened. This was eerily similar to Titus’s transformation.

She braced herself, expecting him to grow even larger. She was ready to use spatial magic to move him if necessary.

The palace wouldn’t be able to contain a full-grown titan. The ceiling would cave in.

But just as she was about to intervene, the transformation halted. Xiao Mu’s body, no longer expanding, began to shift, gradually molding itself back into a humanoid form. The golden light slowly dissipated, and he opened his eyes.

“How do you feel?” Alex asked, approaching him with a smile. Xiao Hui hurried over as well, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Leader, this bloodline is incredible. Top-tier races are something else,” Xiao Mu replied, flexing his arms, testing his newfound strength. He opened his system interface to review the changes.

Alex could also see her subordinate’s system interface, and her excitement grew with each line she read. This was even better than she had anticipated.

It seemed that unique troops weren’t the only ones with special qualities.

Elemental Lords, like Xiao Mu, possessed their own unique traits.

Their elemental power could seamlessly fuse with any bloodline power.

In essence, their elemental power acted as a catalyst, enhancing and complementing the bloodlines of unique troops.

Xiao Mu’s light elemental power had merged with the Titan Bloodline Power, creating a brand new bloodline race:

The Light Titan.

“Wait, does that mean the Barracks can fuse too?” Alex retrieving the Titan Barrack crystal.

As Xiao Mu initiated the absorption, a prompt appeared:

[Your Light Phoenix Crystal can fuse with the Titan Barrack Crystal. Fuse?]

[Fusion Result: Light Titan Barrack]

Xiao Mu looked at Alex, seeking confirmation. With a nod from her, he selected “Fuse.”

Moments later, the fusion was complete. Xiao Mu was no longer just a Light Element Lord.

He was now a Light Titan Lord!

The others erupted in cheers and gasps of amazement.

“I had no idea elemental Lords had this hidden ability,” Alex admitted. This was a game-changer.

If Cain or Earl had absorbed the bloodline, they would have likely become Flame Titan or Rock Titan Lords, respectively.

Of course, certain opposing elements were incompatible. If Xiao Hui had tried to absorb it, she wouldn’t have become a Dark Titan Lord.

Titans were inherently light-aligned. Attempting to fuse their bloodline with a diametrically opposed element would likely result in rejection or worse.

Alex exchanged a knowing look with Xiao Hui. Whether Xiao Hui truly grasped the implications of this discovery remained to be seen.

This solved their earlier dilemma of finding ways to help the siblings reach their full potential.

Now, the question was, which troops possessed an innate darkness affinity?

Xiao Mu’s power surge lifted everyone’s spirits. Alex’s forces had just gained a significant advantage.

Xiao Mu was now a true top-tier Lord, on par with Demon, Angel, and Dragon Lords.

Alex knew for a fact that many Lords possessed unique Barracks, at least those ranked within the top ten.

Whether this bloodline and troop plundering was linked to top-tier troops remained to be seen.

It seemed slaying elemental Lords came with its own set of unique rewards.

“This system is cleverly pushing us towards annihilation,” Alex mused. Even with the current power balance, she had a feeling the system would continue to find ways to pit Lords against each other.

“It seems bloodline Lords can be further categorized, perhaps into half-bloodline and pure-bloodline. And then there are the elemental Lords. Who knows what other types of Lords are out there,” Xiao Mu pondered.

“What about ordinary Lords who don’t have any of that?” Xiao Hui voicing a valid concern.

“They’ll have to rely on system rewards or the world’s existing cultivation systems,” Xiao Mu explained. This was precisely why such Lords remained at the bottom of the food chain.

Xiao Hui, her eyes shining with longing, couldn’t help but envy her brother’s newfound power.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about either of you,” Alex assured them. She had an idea, but it needed further testing.

If only elemental Lords possessed this unique trait, then they couldn’t let Xiao Hui’s potential go to waste. It meant not only enhancing her abilities but also potentially gaining another top-tier Barracks.

Reassured by Alex’s promise, Xiao Hui’s mood brightened considerably. She skipped over to Xiao Mu, her curiosity bubbling over. “So, did you level up after absorbing the Titan Bloodline?”

“Just one level. I’m lv7 Monarch now.”

It seemed the bloodline primarily enhanced talent and bloodline strength. The experience gain was minimal.

Xiao Hui had secretly hoped he would reach at least lv9 Monarch.

“Xiao Mu, once Drake’s Barracks reach max level, we’ll focus on upgrading your Light Titans,” Alex announced.

She had decided to entrust Xiao Mu with overseeing their expansion on the Arsen continent. It would not only hone his leadership skills but also accelerate his growth.

Light Titans had a life level cap of at least Sovereign level, possibly even Divine level.

“Alright, everyone, get some rest,” Alex said, dismissing the group. They dispersed, returning to their respective quarters to rest and recuperate.

[Night retreats, dawn arrives]

The following morning, everyone was bustling with activity. Alex, after reminding them to prioritize conquering new races and accelerating their development, departed for the far north.

Once the Kingdom’s Tear reached 100% progress, she could establish the Undead Empire. And once that was stable, she could finally take a step back from the constant strategizing and micromanaging.

However, the Featherfolk were proving to be formidable opponents. Most of her undead forces were tied up on that front, and she doubted the centaur race crystals would be enough to fully power up the Kingdom’s Tear.

“Looks like it’s up to Drake. Hopefully, he’s having better luck conquering those races,” Alex mused, gazing out the window at the endless expanse of ice and snow.

Just then, the door swung open, and Ruby entered, her face beaming with excitement.

“Alex, guess what? I’ve taken care of everything here!”

“Already?” Alex turned around, surprised by her swift efficiency.

“Of course! I delegated everything to Maulclaw. Shadowfang is assisting him and overseeing the tribe’s defenses.”

Ruby had already achieved Alex’s goal and transitioned into a hands-off leadership role.

“Make sure they’re extra vigilant against the Beastman Empire. They might come looking for trouble,” Alex cautioned.

“Already taken care of. We fight if we can; we run if we can’t,” Ruby replied, her approach far more pragmatic than Maulclaw’s constant worrying.

She knew that the higher the level, the rarer the powerhouse. The Beastman Empire wouldn’t have an unlimited supply of King level individuals, and their Emperor level count wouldn’t exceed three.

Besides, the major factions kept each other in check. The Beastman Empire wouldn’t launch a full-scale assault with Emperor level combatants just to eliminate them.

Moreover, the Beastman Empire’s rule resembled a federation. Those alpha Emperors had their pride. Ordering them around wouldn’t be a walk in the park for the Beastman Ruler.

“That’s a good strategy. Uprooting the Arctic Tigerfolk from their ancestral home after all these years would only breed resentment,” Alex agreed.

Most of the tribe was unaware of the recent events and the precarious situation they were in.

It wouldn’t be wise for Ruby, still solidifying her position as their new leader, to rock the boat.

“Alex,” Ruby began, her expression turning serious.

“Yes?”

“After I ascended to King level, my bloodline awakened, and some of my sealed memories surfaced. It’s about my father. Do you know anything about him?” Ruby asked, her gaze unwavering.

Her fragmented memories pointed her towards the Dark Forest, hinting at answers regarding her father’s past.

And Alex’s undead city just happened to be located within the Dark Forest. She wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence, but she trusted Alex’s judgment and abilities.

“Yes, I do know a few things,” Alex confirmed, gesturing for Ruby to sit down. She pulled up a chair beside her.

“You know we have a name for ourselves, right?”

“You mean… extraterrestrial visitors?” Ruby asked, confused.

“No, that’s just what you call us. We call ourselves Lords,” Alex explained patiently.

Ruby frowned, trying to process this new information. What did “Lord” even mean? And why was Alex telling her this?

“Every millennium, Lords descend upon this world. We fight amongst ourselves, against the native races, against each other. It’s a battle for survival.” Alex tried to explain it in a way Ruby could understand.

Suddenly, it clicked.

“I remember now. When we first met, you killed one of those… extraterrestrial visitors. No, you called him a Lord.”

“That’s right. We’re enemies. It’s kill or be killed.”

“But what does that have to do with my father?” Ruby asked, still puzzled.

“Your father… was one of the Lords who descended upon this world a thousand years ago,” Alex revealed, her voice grave.

Ruby’s eyes widened in shock.

“What? My dad was an extraterrestrial visitor?”