Tales of the Endless Empire
Chapter 182: Path to Dominion (2)

Kael was deeply frustrated with how things were unfolding. This time, they had managed to locate the undead, but the information seemed almost useless. Around the massive black castle, every beast had been turned into an undead creature, and the few vampires or other undead they had spotted coming and going were extraordinarily powerful. Kael wasn’t even sure if he could defeat one of them in a duel.

The undead had a numerical advantage and the elite forces of the vampires, also might be even stronger. Judging strength based solely on aura was always tricky, as it could be manipulated, but either way, an attack didn’t seem feasible. The only silver lining was that Kael was now certain the catacombs were located in the desert, given the undead's steady movement in that direction. It wasn't actionable intel for now, but it was still good to know.

Since arriving on the fifth stage, Kael and Kai had become remarkably skilled in stealth. This was far from how Kael had imagined the fifth stage would be. They were beaten down, unable to participate in the special quest, and hadn’t encountered any other humans or survivors aside from undead. Still, their progress hadn't been entirely stagnant.

Both had evolved to E-grade to stand a chance against the undead. Their evolution hadn't been ideal, with both receiving ancient classes rather than the superior ones they had hoped for. It was frustrating, but according to the gods, they had actually been lucky. Their F-grade classes had been unusually strong, and the system judged people more harshly if they failed to meet those expectations.

Despite the setback, they were now level eighty-seven and had already acquired an E-grade skill. Along the way, they had also learned about the variation in class rewards. Some classes granted only a few skills, but those skills were exceptionally powerful. Others provided more skills, but each was relatively weaker.

Regardless, an E-grade skill was still significant, and the extra stats that came with the levels after the evolution were valuable. Both Kael and Kai had heavily invested in body tempering, but there was a limit to how much one could push their body. Eventually, the resources required became astronomical for diminishing returns.

This limitation was one of the reasons they had evolved to E-grade earlier than planned. Ideally, Kael would have preferred to remain in F-grade throughout the tutorial, but the sheer number and strength of the undead forced their hand. They needed every possible power boost.

Kai was in an even more precarious position than Kael. Kael still had one last potential power-up: Thalion's Sanguine Thorn. With it, he would undoubtedly secure a high-ranking position within the faction led by the chosen of his patron. Kael could bring Kai along, but even with his help, Kai wouldn’t get the same rank. That, however, was a concern for the new world. There would be many more system events, making it manageable in the long run. The most pressing concern now was ensuring they took their time before advancing to D-grade. They would have to spend a lot of time in E grade but it should be nothing compared to the time they would be in D grade.

The transition from D to C-grade could easily take thousands of years, and only a rare few managed to rush through those levels. Having a powerful class during that prolonged period was crucial for anyone aspiring to become a god. Without a strong foundation, even reaching B-grade was rare, let alone ascending further.

But Kael didn’t just want to become one of the strongest. He had no intention of stopping at S-grade. He wanted to become a god. His patron had told him that some S-grades had reached a level close to divinity, allowing them to live through multiple eras. That, too, was something Kael would accept if true godhood eluded him. Achieving such heights, however, required relentless effort and a fair share of lucky encounters.

For now, Kael was in a solid position. His early evolution would turn out as setback in the long run but a necessary one, and his patron would help him recover. His training had also gone well, making him an expert with the dagger, shortsword, and bow. He had even experimented with dual blades, though they proved too fast for his fighting style. Kai, however, excelled with them.

They had also succeeded in rallying the remaining fighters at the base to their cause, leaving them with a few hundred combatants to stand against the undead. Attempts to find the elves had so far yielded nothing, and locating the catacombs remained difficult. Any approach toward the desert would result in immediate detection. There were still a few days left until the catacombs could be entered. Perhaps they could send one of the few shapeshifters left to fly over the desert and search for the entrance. The risk, however, was significant—the shapeshifters were not particularly strong, and if a vampire decided to attack, the scout would likely die. Even so, they remained their best hope, aside from deploying a scouting vessel when time grew short.

Everything would depend on the coming week and how many more would join their cause. Kael could only hope that Thalion would attempt to enter the catacombs as well. If that happened, it would be the perfect opportunity to finally kill him.

<--

"Don't use fire skills! Are you stupid, or do you want the undead to find us?" Sylas shouted at one of the mages who had just hurled a fireball at a giant boar.

He was out hunting with a group of ten mages, all E-grade. Like Kael and Kai, Sylas had also evolved into E-grade. It was simply necessary for survival. Holding off on evolution only made sense if you had the luxury of time, which none of them did. The catacombs were set to open in just over a week, and when that happened, all hell would break loose. For now, Sylas was focused on training mages loyal solely to him. They trusted him completely, and he might need them in the battles ahead. He had no particular desire to kill anyone, but being prepared for a fight was essential in this new reality. If things went south, they could always serve as fodder for the undead. Ordering them to hold the line might buy him just enough time to escape with his life.

It didn’t help that they had lost all their craftsmen. Only a few had enough credits to make the jump to the fifth stage, and unfortunately, none of them were skilled artisans. No one could improve Sylas’s legendary equipment, and buying new legendary items was out of the question. Prices had skyrocketed, and even the strongest could only afford one if they skipped purchasing from the system shop for a few weeks. If only Thalion hadn't escaped.

Sylas could have claimed the legendary amulet that not only granted powerful boosts but could even revive its wearer. It was one of the most coveted items for a mage in the system shop. Boosting speed, reaction time, and reducing the need for sleep. That amulet would have given Sylas a significant edge, but Thalion had slipped through their grasp. Both he and Kael were eagerly awaiting Thalion's arrival on the fifth stage, ready to end things once and for all. Sylas wanted the amulet, and Kael wanted something within Thalion's body. With those power-ups, they might finally stand a chance against the undead.

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Sylas smirked at the thought of Thalion's progress or rather, the lack thereof. That fool had barely leveled at all. If Thalion continued at this snail's pace, Sylas would absolutely annihilate him. It wouldn’t even be a fight. Not even that fancy red sword of his would save him. Another thorn in his side was Evelyn. His patron had ordered him to kill her. Not that Sylas was opposed to it, but she was one of the few skilled healers they had left, and her expertise was invaluable. The fifth stage was vast, making it unlikely they'd find her before the special event began. The gods had assured them that everyone would eventually be teleported to the fifth stage, but Sylas doubted it would happen before the special quest started.

Upon entering the fifth stage, they had started receiving occasional tutorial quests. Challenges like killing five titan boars. The rewards were usually generous, offering a lot of credits and, rarely, discounts in the system shop. But the beasts they had to hunt were extremely dangerous. Sylas had already lost one mage to a snow tiger, a level eighty-four monster that moved with terrifying speed and was surrounded by a constant snowstorm. The storm made it nearly impossible to spot, and worse, all non-ice skills were weakened within its domain. While Sylas and his mages had ice skills, they quickly discovered the tiger was nearly immune to them. It took creating a counter-domain to dispel the snowstorm before they could even land a meaningful hit.

There were other enemies Sylas was completely unprepared to fight. Marine beasts and burrowing creatures. The latter were a nightmare, as earth magic was particularly effective at blocking his spells entirely. Water-based enemies were another challenge, as most spells didn’t penetrate deep enough and quickly lost their potency. Some fish had evolved to kill flying prey with condensed water beams, making aerial combat equally dangerous. Sylas hated fighting such creatures. They used their environment as a natural shield. Sure, he could fly, but it drained mana, and dodging skill shots while airborne was exhausting. Most beasts also possessed specialized skills for taking down airborne targets, further complicating things. It would have been so much easier with the amulet.

His patron had mentioned special quests that would appear after the tutorial. Quests for treasure hunts, arena battles, and more. Sylas would have enjoyed such challenges under normal circumstances. But instead, he found himself forced to contend with an undead faction that was stronger, better prepared, and ruthlessly efficient. His thoughts were interrupted when another explosion shook the ground. A mage had just unleashed a lightning bolt at the boar.

"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you lot? Look around! There are trees everywhere, and you think lightning is a smart choice? Do you even know what happens when lightning hits the dry grass on the ground?" Sylas barked, immediately casting a water spell to extinguish the small fire spreading beneath him.

He sighed, surrounded by idiots. If they died in the coming war, Sylas would have no regrets.

<--

The water vibrated as Annie launched another ice spear at a giant underwater lizard. The beast was over ten meters long, one of the more powerful creatures in the depths. Seraphina's actions had infuriated her. Not just because the princess had likely killed all the humans from Earth in the palace, but because Annie was angry at herself. Angry for being too weak to make a difference, for not taking the initiative and planning ahead to save the human slaves. She had focused so much on her own growth that she had let it happen.

Sure, she hadn't known for certain that such a massacre would occur, but she should have cared more. Thalion had helped Jakob in his own way, while she had turned a blind eye. Ever since the day she fled from Seraphina, Annie had fought relentlessly, sleeping only a few hours every few days. Hunting at night was dangerous. It was pure carnage in the waters and only she survived by staying hidden, swooping in when two beasts were battling each other. It was an efficient way to gain experience, and it hadn’t taken long for her to reach level eighty.

Her goddess often urged her to evolve, but the system’s voice warned that doing so would kill her momentum. A powerful class mattered more than a temporary power boost. This drove her to work tirelessly on both soul and body tempering. The stronger beasts often provided valuable materials, enhancing her lethality and water affinity. Her body had changed significantly in the past few weeks. Like she had fast-forwarded through puberty and emerged as a fully grown woman, complete with striking beauty and sharpened features.

Thankfully, she hadn't run into Jakob or Thalion yet. The last thing she wanted was to deal with their slack-jawed reactions. There would be time for fun after the stress was dealt with. For now, she had to focus and make up for her past failures.

The salamander was her current target, and it didn’t take long to tear it apart. Annie loved controlling water. It was versatile, perfect for both offense and defense. She could shape it into mist to hide herself or freeze it for added lethality. Water-based skills weren’t inherently weaker, but the ocean’s beasts all possessed strong water affinity, which often translated to high resistance against water attacks. That was why ice skills proved more effective in underwater combat.

While most humans from the other planet had ignored ice magic, treating it as a secondary path, Annie had taken it much further. She could now impale beasts with icicles and rapidly freeze their bodies from the inside out. Against the salamander, the sudden drop in temperature was devastating. It thrashed around wildly, but its movements were already sluggish. Annie had fought these creatures many times before. They were no longer a challenge.

The real dangers in these waters came from high-tier variants lurking in the ocean’s deepest trenches or the swarming schools of mutated sardine-like fish. These fish had transformed into piranha-like predators, fast and relentless. Annie had no large-scale skill capable of wiping out an entire swarm. She excelled in duels or battles against larger beasts, not thousands of tiny, razor-toothed fish.

She could harden or freeze the water around her, but it wasn’t enough to eliminate the entire swarm. It killed dozens, but the rest kept coming. When that happened, Annie always retreated, launching herself into the air until the swarm moved on.

With practiced efficiency, she finished off the salamander and inspected its corpse. Large beasts like this often swallowed blue pearls or smaller crystals, which enhanced their claws, teeth, or scales. These materials were valuable for alchemy and body tempering. Without hesitation, Annie cut off the salamander’s claws and fins, storing them in her spatial ring before disposing of the rest of the carcass.

It was time. The teleport to the fifth stage awaited her. The special quest would start in one week, and Annie intended to find the catacombs. If she could locate them, she might also find Kael, Sylas, Kai, Thalion, Evelyn, Kargul, and Jakob. They had likely formed a powerful alliance by now and were dominating the tutorial.

With that last hopeful thought, Annie activated the teleport and vanished into the unknown.