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Chapter 23: The Trail of the Undead
Chapter 23: The Trail of the Undead
Qin Muye continued to refine his plans for the mana spirits, and before he knew it, the sky had darkened.
He had made significant progress, but the data he had gathered was far from enough to create a champion-level mana spirit or to advance them to the next stage. This was not a short-term project but a long-term endeavor. He needed to develop a stable method for creating champion-level mana spirits and to elevate the mana spirit troops from Tier 1 to Tier 2—a daunting task indeed.
"Master, I'm back. Many more wild creatures have migrated to the area, all of them from the undead. I suspect there might be a necropolis nearby," Ma Xue reported with a serious tone.
Qin Muye furrowed his brow. "The undead, huh? We need to be more vigilant. If this is true, then the skeletal warriors that attacked today weren't random spawns but were sent by the local undead population."
"Let's keep an eye on things tomorrow. If it's still the undead, focus on finding any traces after the monster siege."
Qin Muye wasn't a fool. He could sense that the monster siege was more complex than it seemed. It was likely a deliberate action by the system, relaxing its rules to test the native inhabitants of the magic continent, and in turn, the natives were testing the newly appointed lords. Those who failed the test were eliminated, and those who succeeded were also dead.
He checked the leaderboard. There were 561 lords initially, but now the number had dropped to 497. Most of the deceased lords' territories were in ruins, while a few, like his, were still at Tier 1.
From his analysis, the reason for their downfall was simple: insufficient combat strength.
'Survival of the fittest,' Qin Muye thought to himself.
However, a more pressing issue loomed before him. There might be an undead force nearby, which explained why Morick Copperbeard had been so impatient when Qin Muye had intercepted him. After all, the undead were the enemies of all living beings. Encountering them over a minor issue, even with a powerful caravan, could bring bad luck.
Besides, it was always better to avoid unnecessary conflict. Not everyone was a battle junkie, and even Ma Xue yearned for a peaceful life. But peace was elusive, which was why he went out every day to clear the area.
This time, the harvest was meager. The resources that used to scatter along the path were gone, and the treasure chests had disappeared. Most of Ma Xue's gains came from slaying wild creatures.
Fortunately, the primary goal this time was to clear the area and gain experience, not to search for resources.
However, he was still a bit short of the experience needed to level up. Unlike Qin Muye, who had skill and talent boosts that increased his experience by 65%, Ma Xue's training efficiency was much lower.
"Yes, Master," Ma Xue replied, then hesitated before speaking again. "Master, I would like to allocate 100 mana spirits to the training ground to quickly develop a batch of elite units."
Qin Muye understood the need but also recognized the practical challenges. Most of the mana spirits had already spent the day working and wouldn't have the energy for training. Moreover, it was too late to start now.
"Understood," Qin Muye said. "But we need to consider the mana spirits' current state. Most of them are exhausted from today's work, and starting training now wouldn't be effective."
"Your idea is good, but can the other mana creatures really handle it? It's not that I'm unwilling, but the workload is too heavy," Qin Muye said. He wanted to push them to their limits, but the mana creatures were not mechanical constructs. Even if they didn't complain, he didn't want to drain them completely.
"Master, I understand your compassion, but compassion won't protect our territory. The monster siege tomorrow will be even more intense, and there are rumors of the undead watching us closely. If we don't quickly form a strong elite force, the consequences will be dire!" Mo Xue said again.
Qin Muye was quite hesitant. Life was indeed important, but overworking them would lead to problems. A few days of intense training might not show immediate issues, but seven days of continuous training to turn them into an elite force was no small feat, especially when they had to work during the day and train at night.
Even if they managed to train, they would likely be too exhausted to fight effectively.
"Please rest assured, Master. With the healing magic, there won't be any major issues. If something happens, I can treat them promptly. Besides, with the training methods you taught me, just three hours a day are enough, not eight hours," Mo Xue pressed, seeing Qin Muye's hesitation.
In the end, with Mo Xue's promise of three hours of training and the use of a Level 1 Water magic for healing, Qin Muye agreed.
"Alright, they should be resting now. Go and recruit a hundred mana creatures for training. I'll handle the healing. Save your magic for tomorrow. My magic power isn't much use anyway, so I might as well use it."
Qin Muye's agreement brought a sigh of relief to Mo Xue. "Yes, Master. Rest assured, in just three days, I will train these hundred mana creatures into an elite force."
"Three days? Three hours a day? Isn't that a bit too fast? There won't be any long-term effects, right?" Qin Muye was still concerned.
"Thanks to the training manual you taught me, 'The Blood Warrior Training Manual,' and the training ground, I have this confidence. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare make such a claim," Mo Xue said with determination.
Since Mo Xue was confident, Qin Muye had no choice but to let him proceed. He could help with the healing magic and perhaps observe Mo Xue's training methods to gain some experience. Theory was his strong suit, even if he wasn't as good at practical application.
After all, Mo Xue had learned the 'Blood Warrior Training Manual' from him.
"Alright, let's do it your way. Shall we start now?" Qin Muye asked.
"Let's start now. Time waits for no one. I'll go recruit the mana creatures immediately." Mo Xue was decisive, and with that, he went downstairs to the first floor of the mage tower.
The first and second floors of the mage tower were where the mana creatures and Mo Xue lived, while the third floor was Qin Muye's private residence, a small privilege.
"Maybe I should use the last of my points to get a better living space?" Qin Muye thought. It wouldn't be good to have the mana creatures sleeping in cramped conditions.
"Let's see how it goes. I can decide later."
Originally, he had his eye on the market. This building could facilitate trade and attract caravans, which he needed to establish a well-rounded territory. Relying solely on fighting monsters wouldn't be enough.
(End of Chapter)
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