The Skeleton Archer

Upon returning to the Lich Castle, Allen swiftly recalled the skeleton archer who had intervened at pivotal moments, ordering Arno to bring him forth.

The skeleton before him was an ordinary one, tall but with a modest frame, carrying a handful of arrows of varying lengths. At first glance, he appeared unremarkable. However, Allen's keen gaze detected subtle differences that set this skeleton apart. Despite standing before Allen, the Lich King, this small skeleton maintained an air of calm and composure, unfazed by the tension that often gripped ordinary skeletons.

"What is your name?" Allen asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he studied the skeleton before him. His intuition told him this one was no ordinary being.

"Yisu," the skeleton replied.

It was rare for undead beings to have names, or even wisdom to recall their past lives. Yet, to Allen's surprise, this small skeleton paused for a moment and then spoke its name.

"Yisu?" Allen mused, intrigued. This revelation only strengthened his belief that the skeleton was unique. After a moment of contemplation, he retrieved a verdant longbow from within his dark ring. "Yisu, that's a good name. Accept this longbow. From this day forward, you will serve as my personal guard alongside Arno!"

The longbow, left behind by the former Skeleton King, was no ordinary weapon. Its power was formidable, and its potential far surpassed that of most weapons. With each enemy it felled, its strength grew even greater. However, while its power was impressive, Allen did not consider it essential. To him, the black magic pen—seemingly an ordinary writing instrument—was his sharpest tool.

"Thank you, my lord!" Yisu exclaimed, accepting the prized bow. Despite his usual calm, the skeleton could not suppress his excitement. Arno, standing nearby, could only watch in envy.

With such a powerful weapon, Yisu could hunt more enemies, consume more soul fires, and train even faster. The bow, gleaming with a green hue and inscribed with arcane runes, was a weapon of considerable worth, at least an inferior-grade magical item. No one would have expected Allen to so casually gift it away!

"Arno, issue the order—everyone is to move out immediately!" Allen commanded, his voice firm as he surveyed the castle's surroundings. Soon, nearly three hundred skeleton warriors set out to continue clearing resource points around the castle.

Their target this time was a mercury mine to the east, where scouts had reported a group of zombie warriors. Though formidable in strength, these zombie warriors were slower than their skeletal counterparts. Exploiting this weakness, Allen led his troops to funnel the zombies into a narrow cave entrance, where they were gradually eliminated. Once the task was completed, they moved on to the next objective, clearing out the skeletons in a nearby stone mine.

Dividing their forces, luring the enemy in, then concentrating their power to annihilate them, Allen would transform their fallen bodies into skeletons with his Great Soul Summoning technique.

This cycle continued for a month. During this time, Allen launched near-constant raids on surrounding forces. Not only did he acquire several resource points, but his army also grew, with the number of skeleton guards reaching over three thousand, and the "Skeleton Sea" tactic starting to take shape.

After devouring large amounts of undead soul fire, Arno's strength surged. With the longbow and his near-perfect archery skills, Yisu advanced from a second-tier skeleton warrior to the pinnacle of the third tier, surpassing even Arno in combat prowess. In terms of strategy, Yisu displayed exceptional calm and decisiveness, acting with lightning speed and becoming the supreme commander of the skeleton archer division.

With an abundance of resources and manpower, Allen began the slow process of repairing the damaged castle and reactivating its massive magical arrays. He entrusted Arno with the castle repairs and assigned Yisu to lead the task of harvesting enemy souls, while he withdrew to the Lich Throne Room for focused meditation, seeking to solidify his rapidly advancing powers and refine his magical and soul crystals, pondering the essence of magic itself.

"What is the true essence of magic? Why can a few runes swiftly unleash a powerful spell? Is it the unique material of the black magic pen, or…?"

Deep in thought, Allen held the cold black magic pen in his hand, casually carving mysterious symbols into a stone tablet. Each rune represented a powerful spell, its depth cutting into the stone with an eerie energy. Oddly, the more he gazed at these symbols, the more familiar they seemed—like something he had seen before but could not quite remember.

"Why have I come to this strange world? Could it be related to these mysterious runes?" Allen mused, his hand moving fluidly as he continued to etch the symbols. With each stroke, his doubts only grew.

In his past life, he had never believed in fate or supernatural forces. But now, thrust into this unfamiliar world, bearing the soul imprint of the former Lich King Ovysis, he could no longer deny that some things might not be believed, but certainly couldn't be ignored. As he meditated, a vision of an endless river of destiny seemed to unfold before him. Every person was but a speck of dust, carried along by its ceaseless flow.

"What is life? What is death? After millennia of cultivation, what is it all for?"

Muttering to himself, Allen's past life flickered through his mind. With a massive castle now at his command, he realized how laughable his previous life's struggles for a small, modest house had been. The relentless pursuit of power by the Lich King Ovysis, and his unyielding will in the face of death, flooded his thoughts.

In life, one must be a hero; in death, a mighty ghost!

The world of the Lich King knows no tears; only by reaching the pinnacle of divine power can one look down upon all and control their fate!

Reflecting on the life of the Lich King Ovysis, a sense of inexplicable enlightenment filled Allen. He carved the final rune and slowly settled into a meditative position.

...

Days passed in stillness. One week later, Allen's quiet contemplation was interrupted by a routine report from Arno and Yisu. He rose from his deep focus.

Dressed in an immaculate black robe, his eyes now sharp and profound, Allen seemed as though he had experienced eons of change. Before, he had been like a newly wealthy individual, imposing and commanding; now, he was a practitioner returned to his roots, his essence contained. Without deliberately channeling the magic and soul crystals within him, his aura was faint, giving him the appearance of an ordinary magical apprentice.

Though he had not broken through the barrier during his seclusion, the change in Yisu and Arno was unmistakable!

"My lord, all resource points within a hundred miles of the castle have been secured. The only one left is the crystal mine occupied by the Skeleton Mage Sarathos!" Yisu reported, her usual calm and composure undisturbed as she handed Allen a skull containing the souls of thousands of the dead.

Yisu, clad in a green bone longbow and dark red battle armor, her face hidden by a mask, seemed unaffected, though her troops had just experienced a blood-soaked campaign. The forces surrounding the castle had either joined Allen's undead army or been mercilessly slaughtered.

"Oh, the Skeleton Mage Sarathos?" Allen responded with a hint of indifference, sitting down leisurely.

According to Ovysis's memories, Sarathos was the most powerful force in the region surrounding the Lich Castle, having held control of a sizable crystal mine for over a thousand years. Once a low-tier skeleton, Sarathos had evolved into a fifth-tier mage, mastering fire magic to an extraordinary level.

"My lord, that old bastard Sarathos is too strong. We should focus on clearing the eastern canyon first, while positioning heavy troops in the west to prevent a surprise attack," Arno said, his tone grave.

During Allen's seclusion, he had left the task of castle repairs in others' hands, often accompanying Yisu on raids. They even ventured deep into enemy territory with small squads, fearless in the face of danger. However, Allen had never dared approach Sarathos's domain, fully aware of the terrifying power that the ancient mage had accumulated over centuries.

"Offense is the best defense. We'll destroy him directly!"

Slamming his hand down on the crystal skull, Allen activated the Great Soul Absorption technique, absorbing the spirits trapped within. His power surged, bringing him closer to breaking through to the eighth tier of a magic apprentice. His robe fluttered without wind, and a surge of oppressive energy emanated from him.

The time for breakthrough was near!

What is true cultivation? It is not about relying on fate or simply staying isolated in a quiet study. It is about honing one's will, strengthening one's conviction, and battling on the field of conflict. In the vast and perilous wasteland, everyone is both a hunter and prey. Killing and plundering—this is the true path of cultivation and the eternal theme of the wasteland!

With Allen's command, the Lich Castle sprang to life. While others scrambled in preparation, Allen calmly walked to one side, retrieving numerous high-tier demon bone frames from his dark ring. Directing the undead to piece them together using fiery magic, he created something far beyond the ordinary.

"My lord, are you crafting a treasure, or...?" Arno muttered, confused as to what Allen was up to, as he watched the magical demon bones being discarded.

"Arno, chop this rib in half, and you will soon find out!" Allen said with a mysterious smile, urging the undead to work faster. After over half an hour,

a peculiar carriage emerged before them.

Unlike the usual heavy, towering carts, this one had a sleek, aerodynamic design, made from resilient and lightweight demon bones. The entire vehicle shimmered with magical energy and was no heavier than a regular cart, though it was inscribed with intricate wind magic runes. With five ghostly warhorses hitched to it, the carriage sped across the gates, leaving only a fleeting afterimage behind, moving at a mind-boggling speed.

After a brief tour of the wasteland, Allen returned, leaving the undead stunned in silence. Even Yisu, who was typically emotionless, widened her eyes in astonishment.

"My lord... what... is this treasure?" Arno asked, his jaw agape. He had seen many carriages before, but none that could travel at such a speed. The velocity was beyond belief!

"A Ferrari? No, this is a Ferrari war chariot!"

Allen grinned, his soul crystals surging as he etched runes with his black magic pen in the air, leaving deep soul marks in the minds of the ghostly warhorses. With a deeper connection, he now commanded them effortlessly. He paused, then said firmly, "Arno, gather the Lich Legion in half an hour. Today, we will ride this war chariot and crush every unbound force around the castle!"

With his decision made, the ancient Lich Castle erupted into activity. As his orders rang out, squads of skeleton warriors surged through the gates, their eyes filled with battle-hunger as they entered the perilous wasteland.