The dim glow of the Abyssal Core pulsed beneath the throne, a dark beacon in the ruined Black Spire. Its undying energy surged, pouring power into the fortress, and through Caius, the new Lord of the Abyss. As he sat on the bone-carved throne, the sound of cracking bones and shuffling armor filled the hall. His undead soldiers rose, their eyes flickering with unnatural light as they formed ranks before him.
He surveyed them, all shapes and sizes: skeletons, zombies, ghouls—beasts and men, all bound to his will by the dark power of the Abyss. His heart raced with a thrill he hadn't expected. The System had given him a gift, not just in power but in the realization of his full potential.
His gaze drifted over his first army, standing still as statues, waiting for his command. There was a beauty in their silence, in the simple purity of their obedience.
But there was no time to linger in contemplation. He had a purpose now, a reason to act.
Caius rose from the throne, his dark cloak flowing behind him, his fingers brushing the air as if he were commanding the wind. The System responded to his thoughts, a flood of information racing through his mind, filling the void with possibilities. He had no true experience with war on this scale, but the knowledge that flowed into him was enough.
[Quest: Bone March]
– Objective: Mobilize the Undead Army to begin the expansion of your domain.
– Reward: Increased Territory Control, Unit Growth, and Resource Generation.
– Danger: Rival Lords may notice the rise of your strength.
Caius frowned. It was time to show the world who had awakened from the Abyss.
He took his first step forward, the weight of his decisions heavy on his shoulders, yet a strange thrill surged through him. His army followed him, each step taken in perfect unison, as if the earth itself trembled beneath the march of death.
Outside the Black Spire, the world awaited. The land was barren—long-scorched by war and forgotten by time. Yet there was potential in its emptiness. The land was his to claim, to conquer, and to reshape as he saw fit.
His eyes swept over the horizon. There, in the distance, were the remnants of what once might have been a great kingdom, its broken spires rising like jagged teeth from the earth. The ruins were a tempting sight, filled with old magic and untapped resources. Perfect for his first conquest.
[Scouting Reports]
– Nearby Ruins: Old Castle of the Ashen King.
– Potential Resources: Ruins are rich in minerals, enchanted artifacts.
– Risk Level: Moderate. Potential resistance from rival Lords.
Caius raised a hand, signaling his army to halt. His undead soldiers immediately stopped, their heads tilting toward him in silent expectation.
"Prepare yourselves," Caius said. His voice was calm, cold, but beneath it, there was a fire burning—an ambition to rise higher, to reach further than any of the so-called Lords that would dare stand in his way.
He snapped his fingers, and from the blackened soil, a large banner emerged, the insignia of the Abyss now flying proudly above his army. It was simple but bold—a skull shrouded in flame, crowned by a dark sun.
"To the Ashen King's Castle," Caius commanded, his voice ringing across the undead ranks.
The march began again.
The journey to the ruins was long and filled with eerie silence, save for the rhythmic clanking of armor and the occasional scrape of skeletal feet across the cracked ground.
The undead were relentless, their purpose unwavering. Yet, it wasn't just their obedience that Caius admired—it was their efficiency. They didn't need rest, didn't falter in the face of fatigue. In their world, they were death made flesh, and they existed for one reason: to serve.
By the time the first hints of twilight bled across the horizon, the Castle of the Ashen King loomed before them. The crumbling remains of the once-proud fortress rose high, its towers slashed through by time and conflict, its walls weathered and broken.
Caius stopped before the gates, scanning the battlefield ahead. He could feel the pulse of power emanating from within the castle, a stronghold that once belonged to another Lord. The memories of its fallen ruler lingered in the air like a curse, but Caius was not deterred. His eyes narrowed. This place would be his now.
As his army spread out, he could sense something stirring within the castle—residual magic, perhaps, or an ancient trap waiting to ensnare the unprepared.
He raised a hand, halting his forces once more. "Scout ahead," he ordered. His undead sentinels, agile and swift, sprinted forward into the ruins to probe for danger.
It didn't take long for the scouts to return. They were shattered, but not without purpose.
[Report]
– Resistance: Ashen Knight Legion, Level 15 Elite Force (Undead).
– Composition: Highly advanced skeletal warriors, enchanted blades.
– Status: Inactive for centuries. Weakness detected—reanimation required.
Caius smirked. It seemed he had found his first challenge—an elite force of undead, long dormant but now beckoned back to life by his power. The Ashen Knights, a force once serving the Ashen King, were loyal only to strength. And strength was something Caius possessed in abundance.
"Reanimate them," he ordered.
At his command, the ground trembled again as his power flowed into the remains of the Ashen Knights. Bones reassembled themselves, flesh and sinew formed anew under the influence of the Abyss. A deep groan of ancient magic filled the air as the undead knights slowly rose from the ground, their hollow eyes glowing faintly.
They stood before him—an army of elite warriors, ready to follow his command.
"Your King has fallen," Caius said, his voice cold as ice. "But I am your new master."
The knights didn't respond in words. They simply raised their weapons and stood at attention, awaiting orders. And so, the first step of Caius Veralt's grand design had been taken.
The rise of the Abyssal Lord had just begun, and already his forces had expanded, his power growing, and the foundations of his kingdom taking root in the ruins of an ancient world.
But far beyond the blackened spires and the decaying lands, other Lords stirred in their own domains. Some would come to challenge him. Some would come to seduce him. And others... would simply kneel before him.
For now, Caius felt the world bend before him.
And he would see it bow further, with every step he took in his Bone March.