Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Seven terrifying figures clashed in the sky, their immense divine power rippling outward, wreaking havoc on the surroundings. Mountains crumbled, the earth cracked, and the heavens themselves seemed to darken under the weight of their might.

Even from miles away, Alex could sense the terror of a pseudo-god's power. She couldn't even begin to imagine the immense devastation once caused by the battle on the continent of Arcadia.

The pseudo-gods' divine power was imperfect, tainted with impurities.

But Alex had no choice. She had used Godheads to create pseudo-gods as a quick fix for the undead empire's immediate needs.

She still had five Godheads, enough to create five more pseudo-gods, but that required slaying at least ten more Sovereign level or higher enemies.

As she pondered this, Skoll watched the battle intently, his gaze fixed on the weakening Dracula. He was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"So this is the extent of a pseudo-god's power without faith?"

Alex had noticed something peculiar. Pseudo-gods were heavily reliant on their divine kingdoms. Without faith power, their strength was significantly diminished.

If the undead empire wanted to become the dominant force, they needed a true god.

Suddenly, Dracula's eyes turned blood red, and he lashed out, his claws piercing through a death angel.

Alex, watching from afar, was startled. The impaled death angel retaliated, severing Dracula's arm with its sword before retreating swiftly.

Both wounds were tainted with divine power, preventing them from healing. But Dracula couldn't afford to rest. Five other pseudo-gods were closing in.

Fighting with reckless abandon, Dracula managed to injure three pseudo-gods, but his own power plummeted, leaving him barely able to stand.

As the death angels and death dragons closed in for the kill, Skoll still hadn't intervened.

Alex glanced at him. Skoll smirked.

"He's hiding his true power. He's saving it for me."

Alex's eyes widened in realization. Since they were allies, there was no need for secrecy.

Why was Dracula so confident that Skoll would intervene?

Moments later, realizing that Skoll hadn't taken the bait, Dracula let out a piercing shriek, unleashing his remaining power, blasting away his attackers.

Then, he gathered his energy, attempting to commit suicide!

"Stop him!"

Skoll's voice was laced with panic as he charged forward. But they had retreated to avoid being caught in the crossfire. It was too late.

"Death Spirit!"

Alex shouted. Six clones emerged from the six undead pseudo-gods, and a massive black void enveloped Dracula.

His claws, poised to strike his own forehead, froze. But only for a moment. The black void shattered.

Roar!

A black dragon's breath, like a laser beam, pierced Dracula's arm, halting his suicide attempt.

The other pseudo-gods arrived just in time. It was too late for Dracula to try again.

"You despicable cowards!"

Dracula finally realized that the six pseudo-gods had been toying with him. They had the power to kill him from the start. They had deliberately exhausted him.

"Face reality, Dracula. You've lost."

Skoll approached Dracula, his gaze fixed on his defeated foe, restrained by the six pseudo-gods. There was no mockery in his voice, only a cold statement of fact.

Dracula glared at Skoll, his face pale, his body weak and trembling. He had reached his limit.

They both fell silent. Skoll glanced at Alex, but she ignored him.

"She's the undead queen," Skoll explained calmly.

Dracula's eyes widened in realization. So that was it. No wonder he had lost. He had been defeated by the undead queen.

He should have known!

"So our fates were decided by our choices. You seem to have made the right one. I wish you luck."

Dracula laughed bitterly, closing his eyes. Skoll wasted no time, plunging his claws into Dracula's heart.

"It was a bit messy, but everything went smoothly. This is the best outcome," Skoll said, turning to Alex with a smile.

Seeing her frown, he realized it was time to fulfill his promise.

"I, Skoll, hereby declare that the werewolf clan of the Skyreach Mountains acknowledges the undead empire's dominance over the Eldoria continent!"

Skoll's voice boomed across the land. Golden energy materialized, converging in his palm, forming a sphere of light. He slammed it into the ground.

The earth trembled, no, the entire Eldoria continent seemed to shift. It was a subtle change, imperceptible to the naked eye, but both Skoll, Alex, and the six undead pseudo-gods could sense it.

The strange sensation lasted for several seconds before fading away.

"The core of will should have appeared in the undead Imperial Capital. You'll see it when you return," Skoll said to Alex. "I told you I was a man of my word. I look forward to our next collaboration."

"Farewell."

Alex didn't waste any more time, departing from the Skyreach Mountains with her troops, heading back to the undead empire.

Skoll vanished into the sky.

"What do you make of that werewolf?" Alex asked her death angels, a sense of unease lingering in her mind.

"My Queen, I believe it might be related to his God's Path," one of the death angels replied, a thoughtful expression on its face.

"That makes sense. It seems the vampires and werewolves have the same God's Path."

Alex understood now. Both races likely needed to eliminate each other to ascend to godhood. As the rulers of their respective races, they possessed immense power, creating a delicate balance between the two factions.

As for the core of will, their goal was to become true gods. It was useless to them.

They weren't powerful enough to unify a continent and create pseudo-gods at will, like the humans and the Angel race.

By acknowledging the undead empire's dominance, Skoll had secured his own chance at becoming a true god.

"I'll have to keep an eye on that werewolf," Alex thought, a sense of suspicion lingering.

Upon returning to the undead Imperial Capital, Alex wasted no time. She immediately dispatched the death angels and death dragons to the Sea Race battlefield.

Then, she looked up at the sky above the city, where a golden core of will had materialized.