Assembly of the Undead

Chapter 42: The Undead Gathering

The Underdark, a region hidden deep beneath the earth, vaster than all the Nine Kingdoms combined. In this place where sunlight never reaches, illumination comes only from the unique bioluminescent moss and crystals found underground.

Yet, despite such harsh conditions, many races rarely seen on the surface call this place home.

Races like the drow elves, svirfneblin, grey dwarves, and myconids are all well-adapted to this peculiar environment.

But when it comes to adaptability, none of these races can compare to the Undead.

Because the Undead do not need to breathe, do not need food, and are immune to most toxins, they can thrive in even more extreme regions where these subterranean races cannot survive.

In a certain area of the Underdark, there is a massive lake made entirely of mercury.

The lake's surface reflects the glow of luminous ores, shimmering brilliantly like a myriad of stars.

But this stunning beauty hides terrible danger; the pervasive mercury vapor is highly toxic to most species. Only the Undead can live by this lake, building colossal castles and mining precious ores.

Within a magnificent castle, a noble Undead queen is meticulously reviewing account books. Her skin is pale and flawless, while her lips and eyes are a striking crimson. She is the Withering Rose, the wealthiest member of the Mourning Poetry Society.

By classification, the Withering Rose is also a Lich. When she was alive, the Withering Rose was relentlessly pursued by the Lyne Empire, forcing her to flee into the Underdark's mercury lake and ultimately to jump into it.

Master Morgan retrieved her body and soul from the mercury lake, assisting her in transforming into a Lich. Mercury had permeated every inch of the Withering Rose's muscles and bones, preventing her physical form from decaying. She looked much like a living person, and her body was far more durable than a typical skeletal frame.

Subsequently, the Withering Rose followed Master Morgan, learning necromancy, and returned to the surface with him, establishing her own Mage Tower in a desert kingdom.

Later, Master Morgan was slain by a Paladin of the Lyne Empire, and the Withering Rose was forced to return to the Underdark, back to this mercury lake.

Then, over many years, the Withering Rose finally established her own Undead kingdom here.

It was difficult at first. The young Lich was alone, trying to seize territory from the subterranean races. The Withering Rose's Soul Fire nearly extinguished completely several times, but she managed to persevere thanks to the Lich's immortal nature and the strategic advantage of the mercury lake.

What followed was endless conquest. Drow elves, grey dwarves, myconids... countless deaths allowed the Withering Rose to build a vast Undead army, eventually driving the surrounding races to the brink of extinction.

The drow elves were the first to beg for mercy, signing a contract akin to servitude with the Withering Rose, becoming her vassals. The grey dwarves followed, but their hesitation cost them dearly, and they became slaves.

The myconids, after suffering heavy casualties, abandoned their territory and fled elsewhere.

The Withering Rose conquered a vast kingdom, its territory nearly a quarter the size of the Lyne Empire.

The reason the Withering Rose dared to offer Amber Xiu a partnership worth billions of Gold Coins was precisely because her territory possessed extremely rich mineral resources. Millions of Undead worked day and night excavating ores, allowing the Withering Rose to accumulate immense wealth. With such a massive volume of ore trade, it wouldn't be difficult for the Withering Rose to control the ore prices of the Nine Kingdoms, provided she was willing to pay a certain price.

While this might be an unimaginable loss for mortals, for the Withering Rose, money was merely a tool to achieve her desires, and her desire was the destruction of the Lyne Empire. She would spare no expense to achieve this goal.

After carefully calculating the ore market, the Withering Rose made a grand gesture, handing the account book to her drow elf maid.

The Withering Rose calmly said, "Lower the ore export prices for next month and increase the shipment volume according to the figures I've calculated."

The dark-skinned elf maid replied respectfully, "As you command, Your Majesty."

The Withering Rose waved her hand, dismissing the maid, and then muttered to herself, "This quantity of dumping should impact the ore prices of the Nine Kingdoms, causing them to drop rapidly in a short period. Given the economic situation of Alchemy City, it's almost a certainty that those small mines will go bankrupt.

"Then, I'll transfer him three million Gold Coins. That should be enough for him to take over a small mine. It's a shame; if he were willing to work for my kingdom, it wouldn't be this troublesome."

The Withering Rose was very pleased with Amber Xiu's design and admired the young man's intelligence and talent. However, when she extended an invitation for Amber Xiu to relocate to the Underdark, he flatly refused.

The reason Amber Xiu gave was also very direct—the money wasn't enough.

Billions of Gold Coins could buy his long-term cooperation and ensure he prioritized working with the Withering Rose over other jobs, but to make Amber Xiu completely subservient, that amount of money was far from sufficient.

A Freeman who could only farm and couldn't earn a single silver coin a year would still require a hundred times the price to be bought as a slave.

For a Lich who could earn billions of Gold Coins and possessed infinite lifespan, the value of buying her out would be more than a hundredfold. The price Amber Xiu quoted was something even the Withering Rose couldn't afford; perhaps the entire wealth of the Lyne Empire would be needed to make Amber Xiu willingly submit.

But the Withering Rose hadn't given up. The Undead had infinite lifespans, and anything could happen. Bone Dragons could marry headless knights, and Vampires could form unions with humans. With enough patience, she would eventually find an opportunity to make Amber Xiu willingly serve her, or perhaps, he could even marry into her kingdom.

A perfect translation, checked and verified!

Speaking of Bone Dragons and headless knights, the Withering Rose took out the Necronomicon, opened the group chat, and sent a message.

[Withering Rose: Little Sister Cang Gu, is your significant other behaving himself recently?]

She had originally intended to ask this young lady of the Bone Dragon family how to subdue a powerful and arrogant Legendary Undead.

Unexpectedly, the Bone Dragon lady's reply surprised the Withering Rose.

[Pale Little Skeleton: That ungrateful bastard, he ran away from home! I'm going to catch him and whip him soundly with my tail!]

[Withering Rose: Huh? Ran away from home? The Dragon's Tomb is far from the Continent, where could he have gone?]

[Pale Little Skeleton: I don't know, but I know he escaped through a teleportation array. I suspect it has something to do with that Tiga Ultraman. I'm going to Alchemy City to find that ungrateful bastard!]

The Withering Rose pondered for a moment, then a bold idea struck her, and she sent a message.

[Withering Rose: I'll go with you. Coincidentally, I also want to meet young brother Tiga.]