While dealing with Colin's questions, [ Aluode ] was actually quite busy.
Although he appeared calm, he was currently frantically catching up on his studies in the forum.
Previously, this mercenary mission was just a small task developed by two misguided players, so naturally no one said anything about the fabricated settings in it.
But now, this small, mercenary task has been officially incorporated into a large, long-term mission, so I have to be careful with my words and actions.
It would be disastrous if I said something wrong and it led to an information leak.
Thinking this way, [ Aluode ] began to frantically Drain the hypothetical scenarios previously posted by [ Clear Soup Master ] on the forum, like a sponge absorbing water.
He read through all the posts, such as " Ed and Adrian are two different people," " Ed and Adrian don't get along," and "The ungrateful Theocracy cannot tolerate loyal ministers and generals, and battle-crazed outcasts are hard to find a new home."
"I wonder, have Ed and Adrian broken up now?"
Colin looked at [ Aluode ] seriously and said:
"I know you've been here for a while now, so before you left, did you hear anything?"
[ Aluode ] thought for a moment and said:
"When I left the Theocracy, the Son of God ( Ed ) and the Soul Reaper ( Adrian ) had not yet broken ties, but their relationship seemed to have become less harmonious."
"Just as you said, the falling out between those two officials may have happened around this time, or it may have already happened, but the news just hasn't reached us yet."
"As you can see, this is why more and more Soul Returner are flocking to the Alliance. We are doing so much for you so that you can have a place to rest in the future."
Colin nodded, then asked again:
"So, if I want more Soul Returner to join my ranks and help me hold the line, how do you think I should recruit them?"
Upon hearing this question, [ Aluode ] suddenly felt a jolt:
"No need to behead him, no need to behead him!"
He quickly said:
"I can go there myself. At this point, Lord Adrian only cares about the results. He has no say in whether we go to the Empire or the Alliance. You have treated us very well, so we are all willing to stay under your command and naturally we are willing to bring more people over."
"But if you use this method to have us deliver messages, the other Soul Returner will inevitably feel uncomfortable, since not everyone has the chance to be resurrected..."
Colin loosened his grip on the bone knife:
"That makes sense. Then go and do it right away."
He patted [ Aluode ] on the shoulder and said:
"I've already obtained permission to expand the army. If you can recruit another hundred Soul Returner, you'll be their captain!"
"After the expansion of the force, I plan to devise a plan to launch a preemptive attack on the Imperial army camp. In the current situation of full-scale defense, if we can achieve a victory in a preemptive strike, it will surely prove my worth."
"As time goes on, I will be able to recruit more and more Soul Returner, and your status will naturally rise accordingly."
"Yes, sir."
"[ Aluode ], my task for you is to recruit as many Soul Returner as possible for me before the Son of God and Adrian completely break ties!"
"Yes, sir!"
[ Aluode ] lowered his head, his tone firm as if he were making a vow:
"I would die for you, my lord!"
After seeing off the ambitious [ Aluode ], Colin walked to the highest point of the sandcastle and looked down at the mercenaries and skeleton warriors he had brought, who were doing various tasks.
Facing the scorching midday wind of the desert, which could almost bake a person alive, he suddenly murmured:
Is it possible that Ed and Adrian are the same person?
Colin returned to his room and immediately wrote a document requesting an inquiry, which he then sent out using the unique method employed by the Fortress Knights.
Soon, he received a personal reply from the councilor [ Hard Armor ]:
[This possibility exists, but cannot be confirmed at present. Make the most of resources, but be cautious.]
"You're awake?"
A message entered my mind, but it wasn't conveyed through sound.
Slowly, vision returned to the body, and the field of vision gradually brightened from darkness.
He instinctively tried to blink, but felt nothing; the visual presentation was merely like pure information.
Everything seemed so reasonable, yet I always felt something was off.
What exactly went wrong?
"You're awake after all."
New information has arrived:
How do you feel?
"What... feeling?"
"Oh, it seems you haven't fully regained your senses yet. Let me ask you, do you remember who you are?"
"Who I am?"
He sat up groggily, staring at the skeleton before him.
This is a skeleton made entirely of crystals, as if it were made by polishing and piecing together all the most precious gems in the world.
And on his head he was wearing a triple crown that was emitting a faint light.
Several people stood behind this person; most of their bodies were indistinguishable from human skeletons, differing only slightly in details.
One had six wings on its back, another had a long, flowing tail, and yet another was simply a skeleton wearing armor. The latter two were constantly flickering, clearly indicating that their true forms were not present.
"I am..."
After careful consideration, the person who had awakened finally uttered that name:
"I am, [ Nether Crossing ]."
The room, almost entirely composed of crystal clusters, fell silent for a moment, then [ the Crown ] suddenly spoke in a loud voice:
"Excellent! You've fully adapted to the new skeleton!"
Upon hearing this, [ Nether Crossing ] subconsciously looked at his shoulders and indeed saw four strong and powerful Giant Arms.
He panicked for a moment, but quickly realized he could control the four arms at will, which put him at ease.
At that moment, [ the Crown ] spoke again in a loud voice:
Although [ Hard Armor ] and [ Whale Tail ] couldn't come in person due to the war, they are watching this place—
"Gentlemen, let us welcome the new fifth councilor of the Skeleton Alliance— [ Nether Crossing ]!"
The restrained applause from the four people quickly dissipated in the empty crystal cluster hall, sounding somewhat out of place.
And with the welcome of the others, [ Nether Crossing ] finally regained full consciousness:
"Have I been asleep for a long time? Replacing my bones has such side effects...?"
"Only ten days."
[ The Crown ] waved his hand and said:
" High Tier bone transformation is not that simple. As long as you can awaken, it means you can withstand this power, this power inherited from the [ Giant Arms ]!"
"So now..."
[ The Crown ] approached [ The Nether Crossing ] and asked earnestly:
"Are you in good enough condition to fight in the Demon Realm and hunt down the vampire grand dukes for the Alliance?"
"That's enough!"
For some reason, [ Nether Crossing ] suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of courage and responded loudly almost without thinking.
"Good!"
[ Crown ] looked at the person beside him:
"[ Divine Wings ], take him to [ Whale Tail ]."
Let's go.
The skeleton with six wings on its back walked in front, leading [ Nether Crossing ] from the deep, crystal-filled cavern to the surface.
The illusory wings behind him suddenly solidified, and the feathers manifested from Psionic Energy Manifestation on them became clearly visible.
A hurricane enveloped [ Nether Crossing ], then carried him at an unimaginable speed, cutting through the waves to the other side of the Floating Corpse Sea.
At that moment, another eerie roar suddenly echoed in [ Nether Crossing's ] mind:
"I am... a congressman... [ Giant Arms ]..."