Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone

It was an imposing white castle that seemed to have materialized from the void. Its outer walls were entirely constructed from massive white stones, each appearing so hefty and solid it seemed forged from steel hammered a thousand times. The walls were wide enough for ten fully armed Warriors to march abreast, lending the structure an extraordinary grandeur.

Behind the battlements, a faint metallic gleam was visible, the reflection of countless arrows and weapons forged from fine steel, their sheer number beyond calculation. Guard towers stood densely packed along the ramparts, their sharp spires pointing toward the sky like innumerable long spears. Every corner had been designed with defense in mind, ensuring there were no blind spots. Most striking of all were the ballistae placed on the open-topped defensive towers. Thanks to intricate machinery, these siege weapons could hurl giant crossbow bolts, as large as spears, into the sky, forming an impregnable line of defense.

Seeing this, Vladimir felt a surge of irritation. He cursed under his breath; the sheer scale of the castle alone told him that this Soul Struggle would be no easy war. However, he harbored no doubt about his eventual victory.

Urging his Skeleton Giant Dragon to descend slowly, Vladimir leaped from the colossal beast’s head and began waving his skeletal arms. At his gestures, White Bone Altars rose one by one from the ground. Each altar was engraved with inscriptions praising death and the language of the Undead, making them appear particularly eerie under the ghostly green glow of the Undead Flame.

"No matter what castle it is, in the face of the Undead Calamity, it’s just a stone that can be moved at any time!" A horrifying smile crept across Vladimir’s skeletal face as a high-pitched, raspy evil incantation rose to the sky, seemingly summoning endless dark forces.

Meanwhile, on a high tower of the opposing castle, Fang Zhou held a spyglass, calmly observing the area where the Undead Aura billowed. The pervasive black smoke obstructed his view. Even using his Soul Eagle Eye, he could only vaguely discern two masses of deep purple light that indicated extreme danger.

Two extremely dangerous enemies. One is surely that Pseudo-Corpse Witch, but I don’t know who the other is.

Fang Zhou lowered the spyglass, his gaze turning solemn as he pondered. Is it a Bone Dragon or a Ghost Dragon?

A Bone Dragon was no ordinary opponent. Although this masterpiece of the Naraku Civilization’s Undead Magic fell short of a true Giant Dragon in terms of combat power, it remained a formidable adversary. Its skeletal structure was exceptionally solid and covered in a thick, almost impenetrable layer of Dead Bone Armor. More troubling was the Bone Dragon’s ability to fly, which gave it a massive advantage on the battlefield. It could easily launch attacks from the air, making it difficult for ground troops to counter.

If it really is a Bone Dragon, I must prepare in advance. Fang Zhou quietly calculated his options, noting there seemed to be no suitable choice among the Soul Warriors he had currently summoned. Long Spear Soldiers and Swordsmen would struggle against an airborne Bone Dragon. Griffins, though also aerial units, were too fragile and would likely not survive a single exchange. As for Archers, their use was questionable against a body that, despite being full of holes, was as hard as iron.

After some thought, Fang Zhou snapped his fingers. He channeled a large portion of his Soul Power, creating a new type of Soul Warrior—a squad of mighty Heavy Knights. This was an elite unit designed specifically to counter airborne threats.

These Heavy Knights, both rider and mount, were clad in heavy steel plate armor. The surface of the armor was coated in a fiery red enamel that shone like burning flames. Their helmets sported two pointed horns, while the metal gorgets and the discs protecting their knees and the backs of their hands were gilded in pure gold. The gold was polished to a dazzling sheen that caught the sun, blinding all who looked upon them. In their right hands, the knights held a special Knight’s Lance designed for a Charge, adorned with a red ribbon bearing a Griffin emblem. In their left hands, they carried steel shields with golden spikes, capable of effectively fending off enemy attacks. A Heavy Sword hung from the right side of each saddle, ready to be drawn after the lance was discarded, ensuring they remained battle-ready under any circumstances.

This was the most formidable unit of the Longxia Federation: the invincible Celestial Court Knight Order!

「...」

While Fang Zhou made his preparations for battle, the Pseudo-Corpse Witch Vladimir was not idle. His black-robed body swayed back and forth, his bones trembling and clattering. His jawbone opened and closed unceasingly, issuing fervent, evil incantations from between rows of menacing teeth. These incantations solidified in the air into twisted, sinister, ghastly green Soul Words that flew, as if alive, into the surrounding White Bone Altars.

With the addition of each Soul Word, the Undead Flame burning on the altars blazed even more intensely. Within the flames, pale Bone Claws began to appear, scratching wildly as if trying to break free from their bonds. The Undead runes carved on the altars’ surfaces gradually lit up, emitting the same ghostly green glow. The skeletal framework of the altars began to shudder as if imbued with life, and anguished moans rose from the mouths of the skulls that formed their structure.

Nearby, the Skeleton Giant Dragon lay quietly at Vladimir’s side. Its two ghostly green flames had retracted deep into its eye sockets, and its spike-laden bone wings were folded lethargically against its back. Though it appeared outwardly calm, the Undead power surging within the dragon resonated with Vladimir’s incantations, forming a powerful aura. The dragon’s bones cast long shadows on the ground, a dark premonition of the impending doom.

Vladimir’s chanting grew higher and louder until it became as sharp and grating as the scream of a fabled Banshee. With the final word of the incantation, he ceased his frenzied swaying. A brilliant green light erupted from his eye sockets, like two streaks of green lightning slicing through the night sky. He abruptly extended his arms. Each of his ten bony fingers emitted a cyan-white aura that gathered in the air to form an eerie, ethereal face.

Vladimir raised his head, staring at this visage formed of light. Suddenly, he threw open his arms, each word he uttered spreading a fervent aura of death.

"Open the gates of the Country of Eternal Night! Unleash the power of all-consuming oblivion—Undead Calamity!"

The ethereal face in the air underwent a subtle but malevolent change. Its sinister grin stretched impossibly wide, the corners of its mouth splitting to reveal the teeth beneath. Finally, the muscles and skin of the face eroded and peeled away, transforming it into a terrifying skeletal visage!

A stream of cyan-white aura spewed from the flying skeleton’s mouth, landing on a White Bone Altar. The Undead Flame on the altar immediately let out an explosive roar and swelled into a towering pillar of ghostly green fire. More streams of cyan-white aura rained down, causing the flames on every altar to erupt upward. These ghostly green columns converged in the air, forming a massive ball of fire.

In the next instant, countless Skeleton Warriors, clad in tattered armor and wielding rusted swords, surged forth from the fireball. Among them were Heavy Armored Skeletons bearing heavy Bone Shields and War Axes. They were followed by numerous hulking figures shambling out. At a glance, they looked like immensely strong humans, but closer inspection revealed their skin was severely ulcerated, with patches of dead-white muscle showing through. Mournfully crying Ghosts emerged from the top of the fireball, their semi-transparent forms hovering between reality and illusion, disturbing the very air.

Following the Ghosts were towering figures wielding Giant Swords.