After spending nearly fourteen hours in his new cave, Zhao Lun finally ventured out again. This time, he was determined to familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain.
During those hours, Zhao Lun had made up his mind: he was staying here for a while. Naturally, he needed to understand his "territory." Additionally, he hoped to find a skeleton to bring back as a servant.
He had considered using the skeletal mage as a servant, but after some thought, he realized that servant positions were limited. Given his current magical power, he could control no more than five skeletons. As for the skeletal mage, he dismissed it. While it might grow stronger later, it was too weak at the moment. Of course, that didn't include him.
But Zhao Lun wasn't about to let any resources go to waste. Instead of taking the skeletal mage as a servant, he decided to focus on its magic. The reason he'd spent those hours in the cave was to gain that magic.
During his time there, Zhao Lun used every trick he could think of to scatter the skeletal mage's soul fire, and eventually, he succeeded.
Surprisingly, the method was simple: consume the skeletal mage's soul fire. Zhao Lun was ecstatic upon this discovery and decided that if he ever encountered another skeletal mage, it would be slain on sight—all for the sake of magic!
The spell he obtained was called Stun, a level 0 magic. As its name suggested, it could stun an enemy, making it a very practical spell.
However, Zhao Lun didn't have an easy time learning it. This spell wasn't a natural, awakened talent but rather something he'd found in the skeletal mage's soul fire. He had discovered a magic circle and chant associated with Stun—essentially, a spellbook. To use it, Zhao Lun would need to learn it.
After several attempts, Zhao Lun realized that it wasn't going to be easy. He estimated that it would take at least three to four days to fully master this new spell. So, he temporarily put off learning it and decided to first explore the surroundings. Since he planned to settle here for a while, understanding his environment would be wise. Plus, if the area was safe, his magic training would progress faster.
Leaving the cave, Zhao Lun spent over two hours inspecting the area within a mile of his home. He found it strangely quiet. In all that time, he hadn't encountered a single skeleton, which, while providing safety, also brought a grim realization.
The good news was that his safety was ensured. The bad news was that the soul fragments in his soul fire were nearly exhausted. Once they were fully absorbed, it would be much harder to find new "food."
Without soul fragments, he couldn't level up, and without leveling up, his strength wouldn't grow. That also meant he couldn't awaken new spells, which was nearly unforgivable for Zhao Lun. He could not allow himself to remain at level 1, so he had to act.
"Since there are no skeletons here, I'll head further out and check other areas. I remember I came from the south. I didn't encounter any skeletons there, so I'll head north and see what's there."
Zhao Lun wasted no time. Once he made up his mind, he set off immediately.
"What's that?"
Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Lun felt an eerie darkening in the sky. He looked up and saw a sight he had never seen before in his life.
The sky, once dark but clear of clouds, now seemed as if it had been dipped in red ink. Blood-red clouds rapidly spread across the sky, like a snow avalanche in reverse—an overwhelming and powerful sight.
"What is that?"
Before Zhao Lun could recover from the change in the sky, he noticed several rapidly approaching black dots. As he focused, these dots quickly grew from the size of sesame seeds to the size of peanuts, then expanded further to the size of fists. Soon, their outlines were clearly visible.
"Undead!"
Zhao Lun's eye flame contracted, and he gripped his staff tightly, preparing for whatever came next.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
The sound of hooves grew louder. In no time, the undead army appeared in full view.
The creatures' mounts had sharp black horns, crimson eyes that radiated a cold, lifeless aura, and wings made of black feathers. These were unmistakably dark unicorns, with their signature traits.
The riders wore faceless masks, black, unadorned cloaks, and carried thirteen blood-red spears. Although their appearance was striking, Zhao Lun couldn't recognize them and didn't have time to try. The undead army was already at his doorstep.
There were at least a thousand of them. They moved with incredible speed and ferocity, as though nothing could stand in their way—not even a mountain. Their presence alone made Zhao Lun feel like they could flatten anything in their path.
A sense of helplessness began to well up inside Zhao Lun. He knew that facing this terrifying undead legion, he would be little more than dust beneath their hooves—his strength would be no match for them. A wave of fear, like a flood, overwhelmed him.
Get down. Fall to the ground. Surrender!
The enemy was too strong. Resistance was futile. Perhaps by surrendering, he would have a slim chance of survival.
The urge to survive surged within him, whispering in his mind. Dropping to the ground wasn't shameful. The enemies were too powerful, and running for his life was the only rational choice.
Get down, and I'll survive.
Get down, and I'll live to become a great mage.
Get down...
"Enough!" Zhao Lun finally shouted, his voice shaking. "I'm not going to lose to you again!"
Confronted by the fear closing in on him, Zhao Lun exploded in defiance.
"Yes, it's true. In front of such powerful enemies, bowing down isn't shameful. But in front of you, fear, I, Zhao Lun, will never bow down again! Even if I have to die, I will prove that I defeated you!"
With a determined voice, Zhao Lun slowly raised his staff, preparing to chant the spell.
Just then, a calm gaze fell upon him, and for a brief moment, Zhao Lun stood frozen, as if bound by some invisible force. He was paralyzed as the terrifying undead legion closed in.
"Am I going to die? How pathetic."
In that moment of surrender, Zhao Lun became eerily calm. Staring at the undead legion, he whispered, his voice tinged with both nostalgia and resignation, as well as an unshakable trace of fear.
Flap!
Just as Zhao Lun gave in, the undead legion suddenly took to the sky with a mighty flap of wings, soaring high above into the clouds!