Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

[Blood Moon in the sky, darkness descends]

Time flew by, and soon it was evening. Alex stepped out of the bathhouse, droplets of water cascading down her breasts. She tilted her head, toweling her hair dry. Feeling that drying her hair with a towel was a waste of time, Alex released a wave of heat from her body, instantly evaporating the remaining moisture around her.

After packing her belongings into her ring, she left the room and headed towards the palace.

Robert, dressed in formal attire, waited patiently at the palace gates with his guards.

His face lit up as he saw her approach.

"Miss Alyssa, you've finally arrived. Please, come in."

"Am I late?"

"Not at all, you're right on time."

Robert ushered her into the palace.

The grand hall bustled with nearly a hundred nobles and royals, elegantly dressed and engaged in polite conversation. Despite the crowd, the atmosphere remained surprisingly subdued.

They greeted Alex with respectful nods as she entered. In such formal settings, a mage in their robes commanded a certain level of deference, especially among the royals.

Knowing her dislike for such gatherings, Robert led her to a private chamber.

"Miss Alyssa, the banquet commences at eight. Please make yourself comfortable while you wait."

With a wave of his hand, servants appeared, laden with trays of exquisite refreshments and a selection of beverages that surpassed even the offerings outside.

"Miss Alyssa, these are some of the Starfallen Empire's culinary specialties, quite different from what you might find in the Celestian Empire. Please, try some."

Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:50. Ten minutes to eight. Her gaze swept over the spread, the intricate craftsmanship of the refreshments certainly appetizing.

"Well then, I won't stand on ceremony."

"Please, make yourself at home."

Robert smiled. As expected, even powerful mages couldn't resist the allure of delectable treats.

Ten minutes later, the banquet began. Robert led the procession to the main hall.

The nobles were honored by his personal escort. Typically, such duties were delegated to servants. The prince's direct involvement signified the importance of the occasion.

They basked in the implied significance, showering Robert with gratitude and praise.

A crimson carpet stretched the length of the grand hall, illuminated by ornate wall sconces that cast a warm, inviting glow. Intricate carvings adorned the walls, seemingly shimmering under the golden light.

At the center stood a massive table, easily accommodating dozens of guests. Two smaller tables flanked it, reserved for those of lesser standing.

The main table was occupied by individuals of high status: royalty, Mage Guild members, and nobles whose lineage and contributions to the empire were beyond question.

The other nobles watched with a mixture of envy and admiration.

As the last guest found their seat, the King of the Starfallen Empire entered the hall.

Everyone rose to greet him, mages included, paying their respects to the aging king.

A long-winded speech followed, which Alex politely ignored, her mind elsewhere.

"Father, may I present Miss Alyssa?"

Robert's voice startled her from her thoughts. She turned to face his father.

A flicker of surprise ran through her.

The King of the Starfallen Empire was an ordinary human!

Her senses couldn't be mistaken. His frail appearance and lackluster aura were genuine.

Her surprise stemmed from the fact that his children, several sons and daughters, possessed considerable strength. Most were Commanding level, with a few reaching Monarch level.

However, compared to Robert's status as a Monarch level mage, their strength paled in comparison.

"Miss Alyssa, your talent and beauty are truly remarkable."

The king spoke, his voice raspy with age. As one of the six strongest individuals present, Alex outranked even him. Even as Starfallen Empire's king, he addressed her with respect.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty."

Alex responded politely. This exchange pleased the old king, raising Robert even further in his esteem.

The other princes seethed with envy. They had tried every tactic to curry favor with the five mages present, but their efforts were met with indifference.

Robert, on the other hand, had effortlessly befriended an Honorary Mage, one who clearly held significant sway within the Mage Guild. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

The banquet commenced, and Alex found herself bombarded with attention. But she couldn't be bothered with these ordinary humans.

Only Robert, seated beside her, seemed to understand her disposition, refraining from any overtures that might annoy her. Their easy camaraderie did not go unnoticed, fueling speculation about their connection.

As the evening drew to a close, the old king made a surprise announcement. Robert would be named his heir apparent.

The news wasn't entirely unexpected, but it extinguished any lingering hopes the other princes might have harbored.

Alex had been contemplating her escape, trying to come up with a plausible excuse.

"Miss Alyssa, may I borrow you for a moment?"

Robert's request, voiced for all to hear, surprised her. She nodded and excused herself.

"Miss Alyssa, you're leaving Glory City tonight, aren't you?"

They stood on a balcony, overlooking the city illuminated by moonlight.

"Yes," Alex confirmed, seeing no reason to hide it.

"Then go. I'll handle the explanations."

"Thank you, Robert. You're a true friend. Until next time."

Under the cover of darkness, Alex slipped out of Glory City. While it was a human kingdom, it couldn't compare to the amenities offered by the Mage Guild.

Although it possessed a teleportation array, it only connected to major cities. Tomb City, a small, remote settlement, was too far from any major hub to make teleportation viable.

The name itself, Tomb City, was unsettling. Alex suspected it might resemble Clayton City: sparsely populated, an ideal location for the Liberty Church to hide their headquarters.

She had scrutinized the map of the Starfallen Empire. It had twelve border cities, each strategically placed to counter potential threats.

Tomb City, however, was surrounded by nothing. Even Robert couldn't explain its purpose.

Three hours later, Alex arrived at the outskirts of Tomb City.

She didn't rush in. Three hours of sustained flight had depleted her mana reserves. Caution dictated she enter the city at full strength.

Besides, she couldn't use her Honorary Mage status here. Her goal was to gain control of the Liberty Church from the shadows, turning them into her eyes and ears.

Alex had already activated her Invisibility mode by the time Tomb City came into view. At this moment, even if she stripped naked and ran around the outskirts of Tomb City, she wouldn't be noticed.

...

After storing her mage robe in her ring, Alex changed into a set of attire. While not exactly her style, it wasn't hideous either. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and sat down, focusing on replenishing her mana and stamina.

An hour later, fully recovered, Alex stood and headed towards Tomb City. The city gates were closed, but that posed no obstacle. The defenses of a border city were weak, easily bypassed without raising any alarms.

Once inside, Alex stood atop the wall, her gaze sweeping across the city.

There were no distinctive landmarks, no grand structures hinting at the Liberty Church's headquarters. Even the familiar sight of a church, like the one in Glory City, was absent.

"Is the Liberty Church headquarters really here?" Alex wondered, a flicker of doubt creeping in. This organization was incredibly discreet. No landmarks, no obvious signs, and the city was shrouded in darkness. Where was she supposed to find them?

Then it struck her. She could ask the city's Castellan!

A blue light flashed in her left eye, and the two guards stationed at the gate froze, their eyes glazing over.

"Where is your Castellan?"

"In the barracks near the east gate," they replied in unison, their voices flat and emotionless.

Alex vanished in an instant, leaving the guards to snap back to reality, their memories of the encounter wiped clean.

The east gate, nestled beside the barracks, was the most heavily guarded of the four entrances. However, it was late, and even the increased guard presence couldn't fight off the drowsiness that came with the late hour.

An invisible wave of soul magic washed over them, plunging them into a deep slumber.

Alex approached the barracks, her senses on high alert. She quickly located the strongest presence within, a level 1 Monarch. This had to be the Castellan of Tomb City.

With a resounding crash, the door splintered, ripped from its hinges. The Castellan, startled awake, tried to react, but his body refused to obey.

"Tell me, where is the Liberty Church headquarters?" Alex's voice, cold and sharp as a winter wind, sent a shiver down his spine.

The room was pitch black. Alex held him bound with spatial magic. Humans lacked night vision, so the Castellan could only discern that his captor was female. Her appearance remained a mystery.

"Who are you? Why are you trespassing in a city of the Starfallen Empire?"

Instead of answering, the Castellan tried to intimidate her with the empire's name.

A spatial blade sliced through the air, leaving a deep gash across his side.

"No more games. I'll ask again. Where is the Liberty Church headquarters?"

Alex's voice was laced with steel. She couldn't believe the Castellan, of all people, wouldn't know about the Liberty Church.

Unless he was a member himself?

A new line of questioning formed in her mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You'll face the wrath of the Starfallen Empire! We are under the protection of the Mage Guild. Their powerful mages will hunt you down!"

Despite the pain, the Castellan remained defiant, resorting to threats.

"Oh, so you're one of those Freelancers, are you?"

Alex's words hung in the air, causing the Castellan's pupils to constrict. His composure faltered for a moment, but he quickly schooled his features. He didn't believe she could see him in this darkness.

He was wrong. Alex had sensed his every micro-expression, every flicker of emotion. She was now certain the Liberty Church was hidden within Tomb City.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he repeated, his voice a notch weaker than before.

He couldn't deny her power, and her knowledge of the Liberty Church suggested she wasn't here on a whim.

He made a silent vow. He wouldn't betray the others, even if it cost him his life.

She was asking about their location, which meant she didn't have concrete proof. He would deny everything. Death was preferable to betrayal.

He was prepared to die. His role as Castellan included protecting the Liberty Church. He wouldn't fail them.

"The Liberty Church spans seven continents, yet each branch only has a few dozen members? I find that hard to believe."

Alex abandoned her direct questioning and began talking to herself.

"There must be at least a billion Lords who became Freelancers. That's over a hundred million per continent. Even if not all of them joined the Liberty Church, there should still be hundreds of thousands."

She paced the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence. The Castellan watched, his heart pounding against his ribs. He feared she was getting closer to the truth.

"Freelancers have nowhere else to go. They have to integrate into human society. And with the guidance of the previous generation of Freelancers, gathering them wouldn't be difficult, would it?"

The Castellan's jaw dropped. How did this assassin know so much?

She even knew about the previous batch of Freelancers. Who was she?

Could she be a survivor from the previous generation, or rather, is she a Lord?

The thought of her being a Lord was too absurd. No Lord would be foolish enough to venture into a human city, courting death.

"If I'm not mistaken, this entire city is populated by Freelancers, isn't it?"

Alex's words, a bombshell dropped into the tense silence, hung in the air. She watched the Castellan intently, searching for any telltale signs.

He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to engage.

"Silence? That's fine."

Alex stepped closer, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"I'll just kill you. The system will confirm your identity for me."

The Castellan's face paled. He couldn't contain his shock.

"Impossible! You're a Lord?!"