Chapter 328: A Long Time Coming

If he left... Vrethka could collapse. His new territory could become unstable. The surviving warriors could scatter. Enemies could exploit his absence. Someone could still obtain the Kulidii’s power while he was away. And he could return to Percvale only to discover that another problem had already started.

Darion stared at the map for several seconds. He needed to secure Vrethka. He needed to return to Percvale. He needed to bring Garren here. And somehow, he needed to keep an eye on the threat represented by the Kulidii.

He couldn’t personally be in two places at once. He was trapped by his own conquest.

Then a thought occurred to him. Darion slowly turned toward Seren.

Seren was still standing near the war table, studying the maps. Darion looked at her for a moment. ’What if she goes?’

What if she goes back to Percvale to bring Garren?

The idea actually made sense at first. Seren was an elite archer. She was stealthy. She knew how to survive in the wilderness. She was observant, cautious, and capable of moving without attracting attention. She had already survived everything Darion had thrown at her during their journey to Vrethka. If anyone could travel through dangerous territory without being noticed, it was probably her. She could slip past the patrols, avoid the main roads, and reach Percvale in a fraction of the time it would take a formal envoy.

Meanwhile, Darion could remain in Vrethka, begin organizing the territory, and eventually return to Percvale with Garren once the situation here was stable.

For a few seconds, the idea seemed almost perfect.

Then Darion remembered what had happened on their way here. The hunters. The hybrids. Their speed. Their strength. The way those creatures had nearly overwhelmed him before he summoned his undead. The memory of their twisted, monstrous forms sent a cold spike of fear down his spine.

Seren had been there. She had seen it herself. And the way back wasn’t exactly safe. There could be wild beasts. Rogue Vrethkan warriors. Bandits. Monsters. Magical creatures. Things neither of them had ever heard of.

Darion’s expression slowly changed. Seren was an elite archer. But she was still human. What would happen if one of those hybrids attacked her while she was alone? What if several enemies surrounded her? What if she encountered something stronger? What if she was injured? What if she couldn’t escape?

She would be too far away for Darion to help. He wouldn’t even know she was in trouble until it was already too late.

Darion’s stomach tightened. He knew exactly what he had just considered. He was thinking about sending Seren into dangerous territory because he didn’t want to deal with the problem himself. He was treating her like a tool, a messenger, rather than the woman who had stood by his side through hell.

’No. Absolutely not.’

He wasn’t willing to gamble her life. Not after everything they’d already been through. Not for the sake of a message. Darion immediately discarded the idea.

Seren noticed his expression. "What?"

Darion shook his head. "Just deep in thoughts, nothing else."

"Oh," she said, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. She knew him well enough by now to know when he was wrestling with a bad idea.

He looked back toward the map. The idea was dead. He wouldn’t send her.

---

Darion stood there, staring at the map. For once, brute force wasn’t solving the problem. He couldn’t leave Vrethka unsecured. He couldn’t send Seren back to Percvale to call for Garren. He couldn’t simply walk up to some unknown magical entity and hope it didn’t immediately neutralize him. And he couldn’t afford to let another enemy obtain a weapon specifically designed to counter his Necromancy.

He was stuck. Completely and utterly stuck.

Darion rubbed his face. ’This is annoying.’

He had conquered an entire settlement, gained hundreds of warriors and resources, and yet he felt completely paralyzed. It was a bitter irony. The strength of his undead army had won him the battle, but it couldn’t solve a logistical nightmare.

Then—

Ding.

The familiar sound suddenly rang inside his mind. Darion froze. A blue screen appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations.]

[A major settlement has been successfully conquered and integrated.]

[Your achievements have been recognized by the system.]

[You have leveled up.]

Darion stared at the glowing text, his eyes widening.

’No way.’

He had almost forgotten what it felt like to receive a system notification. It had been so long—weeks, maybe—since the last time the system had acknowledged his progress. The last time it had done something like this was when he had revived those birds in the forest and awakened the Borrowed Sight ability. Since then, the system had been mostly quiet, only showing up for minor notifications.

But a level up? This was different. This was huge.

Now, the full status screen appeared.

[STATUS]

Name: Darion

Title: Baron of Percvale

Class: Necromancer

Rank: Master [NEW!]

Territory: Percvale (Border Domain)

Territorial Resonance: Low (Starving-aligned — Improving)

[ATTRIBUTES]

Strength: 121

Agility: 107

Endurance: 125

Vitality: 108

Perception: 110

Intelligence: 150

Willpower: 127

[Knight Undead Inventory: 136/250]

[Animal Undead Inventory: 129/200]

[Skills:

Death Perception

Distant Command

Borrowed Sight]

Darion studied the stats, his heart pounding in his chest. The first thing that crossed his eye was the rank.

Master.

He wasn’t an Acolyte anymore. He wasn’t an Adept. He had climbed through the ranks, grinding his way up from a novice who couldn’t even raise a single grave, to a Master Necromancer.

Climbing through the ranks had certainly taken a toll on him. It had cost him blood, sweat, and countless sleepless nights. But seeing it now, written in glowing blue text, made him proud. Immensely proud.

He looked at his attributes. Everything had jumped up. His Strength was now 121. His Endurance was 125. His Intelligence, his highest stat, had jumped to a staggering 150. He could feel the power flowing through his veins, his body reacting to the sudden surge of energy. He felt faster, stronger, smarter.

’Hell yeah,’ Darion thought, a slow grin spreading across his face. ’It’s been a long time coming.’

But as he looked at the screen, he knew there was more. The system hadn’t just ranked him up for nothing.