Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Although the knights of the Silverbeard Clan were among the bravest and most fearless warriors, they had never encountered such bizarre creatures before.

The two Ethereal Wraiths hovering above were motionless, yet a single curse from them could kill a dwarf knight, leaving the dwarves utterly helpless. Unable to strike back and being randomly slain, fear began to spread through the ranks of the dwarves.

As the dwarf leader struggled valiantly, his feet suddenly froze—Alex had made her move.

The necromancer's twin bone spikes pierced through the joints of the dwarf leader's arms, pinning him to the ground.

It must be said, the dwarf leader's armor was tough; the necromancer's bone spikes only sparked against it and couldn't fully penetrate, hence why they targeted the joints.

Their boar mounts were nothing special, but the dwarves' gear was top-notch for its class. Seeing their leader captured, the dwarf knights didn't choose to flee; instead, they all attempted to rescue him.

As a result, they were all frozen by Alex, losing their ability to move. It was like moths to a flame, and the battle ended in this strange manner.

The dwarves inside Sophie's castle also suffered some damage; after all, facing the dwarf knights was practically a suicide mission. However, the main force was on the undead side, and the battle was resolved quickly, so there were no significant casualties.

Alex kept these dwarves alive, actually hoping to recruit them to join Sophie's castle as her auxiliary troops.

"Milord, are you thinking of recruiting them?" asked the only commanding level dwarf in Sophie's castle, approaching Alex.

Seeing that Alex had subdued them without killing them, even a fool could guess her intentions.

"Yeah, got any advice?" Alex wasn't in a hurry and wanted to hear what the local dwarf had to say.

"Milord, these dwarves are all members of the Silverbeard Clan, immensely proud at heart and unlike us commoners. They would rather die than surrender," the dwarf explained. How could clan members be like ordinary folks? The turmoil in the dwarf kingdom was stirred up by them, brainwashed by their clan leader, fanatically following him. Such dwarves would never surrender.

"Is that so?" Since that was the case, Alex didn't waste any more words. These dwarves were all under the control of Frost Magic, their lives hanging by a thread.

A glint flashed in Alex's right eye, and in an instant, all the dwarf knights were impaled by ice spikes, earning Alex a hefty batch of experience points.

"Summon them all!" Alex commanded her necromancer.

"As you wish, my queen."

Alex led the dwarf towards the castle, suddenly struck by a thought. Since the noble dwarves couldn't be recruited, perhaps the common dwarf folk wouldn't be a problem.

"What's your name?"

"Milord, Balin Forgeheart."

Balin Forgeheart followed behind Alex, curious about what the beautiful Lord wanted with him. Having risen to the commanding rank after surviving a beast tide since arriving at Sophie's castle, his background was clear and trustworthy.

"Considering the oppression that other dwarf kin have suffered under the Silverbeard Clan, I'm eager to rescue them and establish a land of peace, free from exploitation and oppression," Alex said, and Balin Forgeheart's face lit up with joy.

Alex suddenly changed the topic.

"But unfortunately, I can't find the right person to lead these wandering, suffering dwarf kin. It's not that there aren't candidates, but I can't fully trust them. After all, who knows if they might become the next Silverbeard Clan? Surface promises hold no weight, as people's hearts can change. Otherwise, the major clans wouldn't have rebelled."

As she spoke, Alex sighed deeply, her face clouded with worry.

"Poor friend of mine, naturally simple and kind-hearted, so easily trusting others. What if he gets swayed by other dwarves with ulterior motives down the line?"

Alex painted a picture of a perfect future for Balin Forgeheart, who was initially thrilled. But as Alex voiced her concerns about loyalty, Balin wanted to argue that dwarves are loyal and straightforward, never betraying allies. Yet, recalling the chaotic dwarf kingdom and the Silverbeard Clan that came to kill them, he found himself unable to voice his objections.

In Balin's eyes, Sophie had sheltered them and was their benefactor. But to the clans, they were traitors for siding with extraterrestrial visitors, completely ignoring the clans' exploitation and oppression of ordinary dwarves. The root cause of their displacement was clearly the wars stirred up by the clans.

Suddenly, Balin thought of a type of contract that could enforce loyalty, where betrayal would result in death by the contract's backlash. Surely, such a contract could prove his loyalty?

Balin had the heart to save his fellow dwarves; otherwise, he wouldn't have become the hardest-working and strongest dwarf in Sophie's castle.

"Lord, I've heard of a contract that ensures absolute loyalty. I'm willing to sign it voluntarily. Please, take action to save our suffering dwarf kin!"

With that, Balin Forgeheart knelt on one knee and spoke earnestly to Alex, who nodded. To recruit dwarves, relying on a dwarf was essential.

"Balin Forgeheart, you needn't do this. Saving dwarf kin is my duty, and I'm truly heartened by your willingness. If a contract is necessary, sign it with my friend here."

Inside the castle, Sophie watched as Balin Forgeheart and Alex approached, unsure what Alex was so pleased about.

Although Balin wasn't familiar with master-servant contracts, Sophie had a system to help. A voluntary submission between a creature and a lord was just like any other submission, resulting in a forced signing of the contract.

Balin Forgeheart submitted to Sophie, and Sophie submitted to Alex, which meant Balin Forgeheart also submitted to Alex.

With Alex's assistance, Sophie and Balin Forgeheart signed a master-servant contract. Alex even gifted all the confiscated dwarf cavalry equipment to Sophie's dwarves.

Previously, they had only worn ordinary armor and wielded the poorest weapons. Now, they all received a significant upgrade.

Balin Forgeheart donned the black armor of the dwarf leader, a commanding-level suit that greatly enhanced his combat abilities. Alex also equipped each of them with a musket, in addition to their war hammers.

Sophie's combat power saw a tremendous boost. The only slight regret was that the dwarves' boar mounts had been killed by Alex's undead.

Although there were no boars left, Alex looked towards the distance at Sienna, only her head sticking out of the ice.

Well, there were still griffins available.