Chapter 088: Transforming the Undead

After the Shadow Wraith died, the crossbow he held was confiscated by the undead, whom Karen promptly named "Shadow." The Shadow Wraith's sudden appearance and generous offering of both his life and equipment left Karen sighing with admiration—this world was indeed filled with (naive) people! Yet, this unexpected sacrifice was but a minor episode in the grand scheme of war, insignificant in its impact on the overall outcome.

The tide of battle remained unfavorable for Karen. The undead army he dispatched was fiercely held back by the Ghost Lord and the soldiers of Moon Worship City; the fighting was locked in a stalemate, but the situation with the goblins was starkly different.

Compared to the Ghost Lord, Ryan was far more ruthless. Most of his main force was gathered around him. Besides Ryan, who was suspected to be a fourth-tier powerhouse, there were six third-tier and a hundred second-tier warriors. On the goblin side, Uron was also suspected to be fourth-tier, with seven third-tier and nearly two hundred second-tier fighters. On paper, Uron's side appeared to hold the advantage, but reality told another story.

Ryan was overwhelmingly dominant. His soldiers were hardened veterans, their combat prowess far superior to the goblin second-tiers. They were fully equipped—not only with weapons but also with armor—whereas the goblins had only iron weapons and almost no armor. Uron could hold his own for a while in battle against Ryan, but he was no match. Their duel lasted barely seven minutes before Ryan unleashed a devastating blow, sending Uron flying a dozen meters with a single sword strike, his fate uncertain.

With Uron fallen, Ryan swept into the goblin ranks unopposed. Neither second-tier nor third-tier goblins could withstand him; their morale collapsed, and they began to rout. Once morale broke, defeat was only a matter of time.

“Looks like the goblins are done for,” Karen remarked, somewhat disappointed, as if blaming the goblins for not exhausting Ryan any further.

Perhaps the goblin army heard Karen's discontent, for as Uron was defeated and Ryan rampaged, a third-tier goblin mage who had previously followed Uron suddenly raised his wooden staff. Blood streamed from his eyes as he chanted a mournful, history-laden battle song.

As the song echoed, the goblins around the mage’s eyes turned crimson, and they grew wild, launching a frenzied assault on the warriors of Moon Worship City.

Karen perked up at the sight. “Interesting—these goblins might still have surprises for me…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when Ryan, brandishing his two-handed sword, charged at the third-tier goblin mage. A fourth-tier charge was unstoppable. Though the goblin mage shrewdly marshaled defenders, it was futile. Ryan, shrouded in a faint aura of battle energy, reached the mage in mere moments and struck him down with a single sword blow.

Watching this, Karen was nearly left breathless. “Damn, could the goblins catch a break? They finally worked up a big move, finally had a glimmer of hope, and it was snuffed out just like that? Did it really have to be so cruel?”

While Karen grumbled, the battlefield situation settled decisively—the death of the third-tier goblin mage spelled complete defeat for the goblins. Ryan led his troops in a merciless slaughter. It was clear he harbored hatred toward the goblins, his methods ruthless, determined not to stop until he wiped them out completely.

Meanwhile, Karen seized the opportunity, recalling his undead army and gathering his forces, silently observing Ryan’s rampage.

With Karen’s cooperation, Ryan’s unfettered slaughter lasted half an hour, leaving not a single goblin alive. Despite the overwhelming victory, it was no easy feat—of his two thousand Moon Worship soldiers against over three thousand goblins, Ryan lost three or four hundred men, and many survivors were wounded and exhausted.

Yet, the Moon Worship army’s morale soared to unprecedented heights. From Ryan down to the lowest soldier, an aura of invincibility pervaded the ranks.

This formidable force, after annihilating the goblins, moved to encircle Karen’s position. Their intent was unmistakable: to eliminate him as well. Ryan was confident in his ability to do so, yet Karen showed no sign of panic; instead, he stepped forward with a smile.

“I’ve long heard that the Moon Worship City’s army is among the elite of the Bourbon Kingdom. Seeing it today has truly opened my eyes!”

But Ryan responded with chilling indifference: “I have no interest in pointless talk. Out of respect for the One-Armed, I’ll give you a chance—surrender and I’ll spare your life.”

Karen’s face wore a mocking smile. “So generous? You’ll spare me? I thought you were determined to kill me. Since you’re so kind, I’ll offer you a deal: leave all members of the Ghost Lord behind, and I’ll let you leave my territory. How about that?”

“Don’t waste my time!” Ryan’s brow furrowed as he raised his greatsword. “Full assault—leave no undead alive!”

As Ryan gave the order, Karen’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Looks like there’s no avoiding this battle! But are you sure you can wipe out all the undead? That sounds quite difficult to me!”

With those words, Karen snapped his fingers in an ostentatious flourish.

“Alright, gentlemen, time to get to work!”

The moment he finished, two system notifications chimed in his ears:

[Ding, you have consumed 69,480 territory energy to successfully convert 4,632 undead {Rotting Goblins} (Tier 0 Elite)!]
[Ding, you have consumed 62,020 territory energy to successfully convert 3,101 undead {Rotting Goblins} (Tier 1 Trash)!]

In an instant, one hundred thirty thousand territory energy was spent. The goblins who had fallen now staggered to their feet once more; over seven thousand surrounded Ryan’s force of just over a thousand.

Faced with this unbelievable scene, Ryan and his men were stunned, while Karen’s smile widened in delight.

“Since you enjoy killing undead, I have 7,733 here for you. If it’s not enough, let me know—I can summon as many as you like!”

With that, Karen gave the order, and the freshly summoned undead launched a frenzied assault on Ryan’s army…