Master's TerritoryTerritory: UnnamedLevel: Level 1 TribeArea: 4.51 Square KilometersBuildings: NoneResidents: 00/——
To Zhao Lun's surprise, the page he found was quite simple and lacked much detail. At the bottom, however, there was a simple map that appeared to represent the territory, though even this didn't meet Zhao Lun's expectations. He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
"Huh, there's a next page?" Zhao Lun suddenly noticed the 'Next Page' text in the bottom-right corner. His mind sparked with curiosity as he clicked on it.
"Ah, what's this?" The moment he clicked, Zhao Lun felt something new added to his soul fire. Upon careful examination, he found that these were some organized pieces of information, most likely from the mysterious entity he had encountered earlier.
Skimming through the information, Zhao Lun learned that the mysterious flame he had touched earlier was called Territorial Will.
This entity was incredibly common throughout the Underworld. Its origins were lost to time, but its purpose was well known across the realm.
The name Territorial Will seemed to have been coined by someone, though Zhao Lun felt it was quite fitting. Its purpose was to govern a particular territory, and some even claimed it was the work of an ancient underworld god, created to enhance the unity and combat power of the realm—although this theory had never been proven.
By receiving this Territorial Will, Zhao Lun had obtained a fragment of a much larger Territorial Will, one that controlled a 4.51-kilometer radius. This was why, after shattering, it had returned to this place, with Zhao Lun becoming its new possessor. In a sense, Zhao Lun now controlled every inch of land within that 4-kilometer range.
Zhao Lun gave the information in his soul fire a quick glance before returning his focus to the page he had opened.
Possible Buildings:
Territory Altar
Territory Walls
Level 1 Territory Altar:
Materials Required: 1800 High-Quality White Bones, 30 Level 2 Soul Fires
Function: To gather the soul imprints of territory residents and incubate the Territorial Will.
Level 1 Territory Walls:
Materials Required: 100 White Bones to construct 1 meter
Function: Defense against simultaneous attacks from 10 level 3 skeletons.
The second page's contents were just as simple, and it left Zhao Lun somewhat confused. However, he was able to comprehend it thanks to the information already in his mind.
"Looks like this system isn't entirely useless. At least I can treat it like a game and it helps me keep track of data. Not bad, not bad."
After closing the page in his soul fire, Zhao Lun exited the cave.
Stepping out, Zhao Lun suddenly realized that he felt an unexpected sense of safety, almost as if the land beneath him now belonged to him.
This feeling was comforting, but Zhao Lun didn't let his guard down. He instructed his skeleton minions to remain vigilant and then focused on the information in his soul fire.
After reading carefully, Zhao Lun discovered that the construction methods for the Territory Altar and Territory Walls were included in the details. To his surprise, these methods were astonishingly simple, requiring only a single incantation. However, there was a prerequisite: he must have inherited the Territorial Will, and the construction had to be done within the boundaries of his territory. Without these conditions, the buildings could not be created.
Furthermore, Zhao Lun realized that after inheriting the Territorial Will, all skeletons born within his territory would instinctively fear him. Even level 3 skeletons stronger than him would not dare to attack him.
The information in his soul fire contained many other details, and Zhao Lun spent quite some time reading through it. Once he finished, he sank into deep thought.
"It seems I've stumbled upon something significant."
After fully understanding what he had gained, Zhao Lun hesitated. He wasn't sure whether he should keep this newfound power or abandon it. This power, after all, came with complications.
Zhao Lun discovered that the Bone Lands currently had a total of 197 Territorial Wills. Once he inherited one, he would be pulled into a massive vortex of conflict. The only ways to escape were either to defeat all the other Territorial Will bearers and become the great lord of the Bone Lands, or to be defeated, have his Territorial Will stolen, and be killed.
No matter the outcome, one thing was certain: after this, Zhao Lun would never be able to focus solely on his magical research. This was something Zhao Lun could never accept.
Thus, deep down, Zhao Lun didn't want to get involved in this conflict. But when fate reaches out to an unprepared soul, whether with good or ill intent, there is no escaping it.
When Zhao Lun touched the Territorial Will, he had already sealed his fate. There was no turning back, no way to avoid it.
"Damn it! Don't skeletons have any rights?"
Although Zhao Lun was accustomed to the unpredictable nature of the world, anger surged within him after learning the truth. Yet, no matter how angry or frustrated he felt, his fate was already sealed. If he wanted to avoid death, his only option was to fight.
Becoming a skeleton lord was not something Zhao Lun had ever planned, but he had learned to adapt. After spending an hour regaining his composure, Zhao Lun took his first step on this new path.
Whether he liked it or not, Zhao Lun was now a skeleton lord. And as a skeleton lord, the first thing he needed was a Territory Altar. Without it, he would just be a powerless figurehead. Only with the Altar could he claim the skeletons in his territory as his minions.
Thus, after collecting his thoughts, Zhao Lun's first task was to gather 1800 bones.
This wasn't a difficult task, considering the current state of the Bone Lands. With a bit of effort, Zhao Lun could easily amass the required bones. However, if the Altar were constructed with such common bones, it would be of poor quality, which would directly affect the number of soul imprints it could hold and the quality of the Territorial Will it could nurture.
Zhao Lun understood the importance of these details—they could make or break his future success.
From the information, Zhao Lun learned that the best material for the Altar was the skeleton's entire bone frame. He thus decided to use full skeletons to build his Territory Altar.