Eagles hovered above the Sand Capital, while Samuer was led by Captain Quint into the strangely styled palace before him.
The building's exterior design is strikingly different from the common architecture of the World of Disorder; no similar structure can be found in either the kingdom or the empire.
The peculiarity of its internal structure is even more apparent --
The architect of this building seems to have completely disregarded the issue of natural lighting; there are no windows on either side of the long corridor.
In a typical building, areas without natural light would need to be fitted with structures like torch holders or lamp bases, but none of these can be found here.
Seemingly noticing Samuer's confusion, Quint was leading the way, explained:
"The members of the Skeleton Alliance have exceptional dark vision, so they don't need a light source."
"It might be a bit dark here for you... Would you like me to get you a torch?"
"No need."
Samuer shook his head, looking at Quint's empty eyes that emitted Psionic Energy glow, and silently turned the withered branches behind him, causing a glowing lantern grass to grow in front of him.
Quint looked at Samuer, making undisguised envious clicks of his tongue. The two walked side by side, passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints before arriving at a council hall.
"Is there anything I should be aware of before going in?"
Samuer asked the captain of the guard earnestly.
"If I had to say, there's nothing. I wish you all the best."
After saying this, the guard who had gone to report had already left the council hall again. Quint completed the handover with the man, then turned and disappeared into the corridor.
Samuer was led into the room before him, where a blinding darkness greeted his eyes.
However, darkness is not absolute. In the pitch-black vision, Samuer could see five skeletons staring at him.
This is the "senator" of the Skeleton Alliance.
The five skeletons not only emitted a clear Psionic Energy light from their eyes, but their entire skeletons were also emitting a fluorescent green glow.
Their skeletons appeared to have completely shed their bone structure, transforming into a translucent crystalline substance resembling jade.
Even more striking than these two things was the fact that something was emitting light above and behind these five people.
Samuer looked closely and discovered that apart from their eyes and bodies, the other parts of these people that were glowing were all different.
However, it can be vaguely seen from the light that these luminous parts are constructed of pure Psionic Energy and do not have a physical form.
He looked from left to right and saw that the first person on the left was wearing a layered halo that resembled Triple Crown.
Because it is a semi-transparent structure woven from Psionic Energy, it is possible to see from the front to the back, making one feel as if they are trapped in a quagmire of optical illusions at a glance.
The second person from the left had three pairs of huge, symmetrical wings on his back. These Psionic Energy wings looked full and powerful, even more magnificent than the wings of the giant eagle that had just taken flight not long ago.
Even the edges of the lowest pair of wings were drooping to the ground; if activated with Psionic Energy, Samuer had no doubt that this skeletal frame could rise from the ground like a raptor.
These two members of the Skeleton Alliance were the most conspicuous, but the other three were actually quite formidable.
The third person from the left has two skeletal arms and two Psionic Energy Giant Arms, which immediately reveals his combat prowess.
The fourth person's body was covered by a thick layer of Psionic Energy shell, which even had a slight fluidity, acting as a barrier to isolate the skeleton from the outside world.
The fifth person's upper body was normal, but his lower body had a fishtail woven from Psionic Energy that was intertwined with his legs.
Samuer looked at the scene before him, his face showing no change in expression, but he was somewhat surprised.
He roughly knew the power structure of the Skeleton Alliance.
When I first entered the Skeleton Alliance and arrived in Sand Capital, the ordinary passersby I saw were all skeletons. Although their eyes flashed with Psionic Energy, the brightness was very low, and they would occasionally have embarrassing incidents like dislocating their jaws.
These should be Low Tier features.
Upon reaching the Middle Tier, like Captain Quint, his eyes seemed to become more spirited, and his body began to crystallize.
The five people in front of them were clearly high- High Tier; not only had their bodies been completely replaced with those crystals, but they also had different Psionic Energy limbs.
This isn't exactly bad news, since it means that within the Skeleton Alliance, one can determine an enemy's rank and approximate strength simply by their appearance, effectively preventing situations where someone pretends to be weak and is taken advantage of.
"Envoy, please introduce yourself."
"That's what the skeleton wearing the Psionic Energy Crown said."
Samuer bowed slightly:
"I prefer to be called a 'visitor' or 'traveler' rather than an envoy."
"I came to the Skeleton Alliance mainly to tell you about something that could change the world."
"Speaking of which..."
"I know that everyone in the Skeleton Alliance has always yearned for the integrity of life—"
Samuer's tone was full of confidence:
"The dead are the dead, and if you wish to be reborn, you will need new Authority to strengthen yourselves."
"The Empire's two secret treasures are said to be able to do anything, as long as a sufficient price is paid. This is one of the reasons why you have been confronting the Starlight Empire all this time. Am I right?"
The skeletons nodded, then continued to stare intently at Samuer.
The young man paused for a moment and then continued:
"Whether you acknowledge it or not, the territory of the Skeleton Alliance originated from the Starlight Empire. Compared to the Theocracy to the north, the Empire is clearly more hostile to the Skeleton Alliance you lead."
"Since successfully integrating with the animal kingdom, Leo VII has begun to reverse the decline of the empire. Defeating the empire on the battlefield will not be an easy task for you all."
The five skeletons remained silent, but it was clear that Samuer was right.
Tell me your thoughts.
After a moment of silence, the Crown skeleton spoke first.
My thoughts are very simple.
Samuer straightened up and looked at the crowd:
Why must everyone limit their focus to the empire?
There is more than one way to make life forms more complete.
Upon hearing Samuer's statement, the skeletons all showed what appeared to be surprise on their faces:
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be a traveler from the Theocracy, right?"
Samuer nodded, and the winged skeleton asked:
"Since you've told us not to continue coveting the Empire's treasures, are you suggesting we turn our attention to the Theocracy?"
"There are rumors that a large-scale rebellion has recently broken out within the Theocracy. Could it be that you've actually come to ask for help?"