After summoning the five [Undead Reapers] and observing their forms, movements, and power firsthand, Alex turned his attention to the final summon listed under his [Undead Lord Talent], the one Astolf had mentioned, and the one even the system panels hinted at being the strongest of all, the [Undead Lord].
[New Summon Type: Undead Lord]
Just reading the name gave the impression of something overwhelmingly powerful.
And based on everything he had seen so far, from the skeleton warriors to the Reapers, it was clear that each level of summon was a leap in power.
But this one was supposed to be different.
This wasn’t just a tier above, it was the final, apex form a necromancer could hope to command.
[Undead Lord: You may only summon up to one of these units at a time. Each one consumes the equivalent of 300 skeletons from your max summon limit. If this summon dies, a five-minute cooldown is required before summoning another.]
Alex let out a quiet hum as he read that.
That was… strict.
Especially compared to the [Undead Reapers], which only counted as 100 each and could be summoned freely, without any sort of penalty or cooldown.
The [Undead Lord] was clearly on another level.
Not only was it a solo summon, but it also burned up nearly a third of his total capacity in one go and punished him with a wait time if it died.
He tapped the side of the panel as he scrolled further down, curious to see just what this being was supposed to do.
[Description: The Undead Lord, the most powerful of the undead, may be summoned from your aura and follows your commands with absolute loyalty. It has full control over the domain of skulls. This being possesses 95% of the user’s total stats.]
“Ah.”
His gaze narrowed slightly.
That alone was worth taking a pause.
The [Undead Reapers] had 80% of his stats, which was already impressive, but this one, this lord, had 95%.
It might sound like a minor bump, but in the world of stats and power scaling, that difference could be massive.
Especially considering it was likely to have skills far more destructive than the Reapers’ [Dark Magic].
Power wasn’t just numbers.
It was ability, it was control, it was presence.
Alex didn’t hesitate. He’d seen enough.
He raised one arm, fingers slightly curled as dark aura began to spiral around it like thick smoke gathering for a storm.
“Arise… Undead Lord,” he called, his voice strong, his eyes sharp with anticipation.
But nothing happened.
“…Huh?”
He blinked, surprised.
For the first time since unlocking the [Undead Lord] talent, the undead did not respond to his call.
Not even a flicker of presence. Not even resistance.
Just… nothing.
Not even the [Undead Reapers] had delayed when he summoned them.
They had appeared instantly, answering his aura’s call like it was law.
“Am I missing something?” he muttered, brows furrowing, “Is it mana…? Did I not use enough?”
Before he could get lost in his own thoughts, Astolf, who had been standing nearby with arms crossed and his towering figure looming silently, finally spoke up.
“Use both your hands,” the undead king said, his voice deep but calm, “and more power. One won’t be enough. Not for that one.”
Alex looked up at him.
“That really matters?”
Astolf gave a firm nod.
“It’s not just a summon. It’s the embodiment of your power. You need to will it into existence.”
“Right.”
It made sense.
If it truly represented the peak of what his undead army could be, then it wouldn’t come crawling from the ground with half-hearted effort.
It would need to be brought forth with full authority, true command.
For the first time since he had received the talent, Alex raised both his arms at once.
Dark aura coiled around each of them like living tendrils, and as he focused more of his spirit into it, the energy reacted violently, swirling in spirals of black and violet, thick enough to distort the air.
“ARISE, UNDEAD LORD!” he roared, his voice shaking the ground beneath his feet.
The ground trembled.
Half of the aura crashed downward into the earth like a torrent, but the other half suddenly changed, turning a sharp, deep purple that gleamed with power.
It hovered mid-air, directly in front of Alex, before also descending, colliding with the part that had vanished into the ground just seconds earlier.
The dark and violet merged together, and something began to form.
Fwish, fwish, fwish!
Bone came first.
Skeletal feet took shape, large and heavy as they slammed into the ground.
Then the torso, spine, and skull formed in sharp, clean succession, each segment flowing into the next like clockwork.
The ribcage snapped into place, then the arms, shoulders, and finally the helm of its being.
But this wasn’t just a bare skeleton, it was adorned in armor.
Dark, ancient armor fused with the bones, pulsing faintly with ethereal light.
Then came the finishing touch, a crown.
Five purple gems rested upon it, glowing ominously with restrained violence.
The [Undead Lord] stood nearly four meters tall, an enormous knight with no flesh, no skin, just bone wrapped in plated darkness.
Its eyes burned with a cold purple light, and its skull face, though expressionless, exuded an authority that even Alex could feel deep in his bones.
[-15,000,000 Mana!]
The message popped up, but Alex barely glanced at it.
It didn’t surprise him at all.
The cost was exactly the same as the five [Undead Reapers] combined.
And honestly, it was worth it.
He grinned as he stepped forward slightly, eyes dancing between the Reapers and the towering Lord in front of him.
“Alright,” he said, “The six of you, let’s test your powers.”
All six undead stood at attention.
He’d lost the [Giant Skeletons], [Bony Knights] and [Spectral Wraiths], but this was a clear upgrade.
The Undead Reapers alone were terrifying, and now with this colossal creature standing before him, Alex felt a surge of confidence.
They weren’t just for show. These summons would matter.
Especially when he faced the Lich.
He raised one hand again and summoned a new wave.
“Arise,” he ordered.
Two hundred skeletons erupted from the ground, lining up in neat, perfect formation.
Ding!
[Max skeleton limit reached: 1000/1000]
Between the 500 consumed by the five Reapers and the 300 taken by the Undead Lord, he had 800 already used, leaving just enough room for the 200 normal skeletons now in front of him.
And what a sight it was.
An hour ago, his cap had been 100 skeletons.
Now, he could casually summon ten times that while having elites at his side.
The difference was night and day.
“Skeletons,” he said, looking at them without any real expression, “Sorry, but you’re going to be demonstration tools.”
There was no protest. They had no minds, no pain.
They existed only to follow orders, and that’s exactly what they did.
“Position yourselves,” he commanded, “Don’t move. No matter what.”
Within a minute, the skeletons obeyed, aligning in perfect ranks.
The Undead Reapers hovered silently, scythes raised, while the Undead Lord stood still as a statue, eyes locked forward.
“Reapers,” Alex said, “Begin.”
The moment the command left his lips, the five Reapers moved like blurs.
Fwish! Boom!
They dashed forward in perfect synchronization.
In an instant, the five of them reached the front line of skeletons and swept their scythes in wide arcs.
Each swing tore through ten skeletons at once, dark energy lingering in the air, forming crescent-shaped trails of death.
Alex whistled slightly.
“Not bad. Now use your powers, show me what else you’ve got.”
The Reapers nodded in unison.
One of them raised a hand, and shadows gathered into a coiling orb before firing forward.
The sphere expanded mid-flight, unleashing a shrieking vortex of slicing darkness that exploded on impact, instantly ripping through dozens of skeletons in one go.
Another Reaper stepped forward and raised its scythe skyward.
From the skies above, black energy rained down in the form of razor-sharp spears, impaling the skeletons with precise, coordinated strikes.
Within seconds, the 200 skeletons had been completely annihilated.
Alex clapped his hands lightly.
“Very good.”
Then, with a grin, he lifted his hand again, summoning another fresh batch of 200 skeletons.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said, eyes flickering toward the Undead Lord, “Don’t disappoint me.”
The towering creature stepped forward slowly, each step sending a small quake through the ground.
Its eyes began to glow brighter, the purple light intensifying as dark energy surrounded it like a cloak of destruction.
It stopped a few meters from the line of skeletons, its head slightly tilted down.
The [Undead Lord] raised one hand, and dozens, no, hundreds, of floating skulls emerged from the dark aura behind it.
They floated ominously, then snapped toward the enemy.