Transmigrated with my corruption system

Just as Ulric’s voice dawned, a deafening silence fell, lingering for a few seconds as everyone stared blankly.

The elders even more so, alternating between the grand battlefield and the dark-robed figure.

As their minds swirled with countless thoughts, summoning a legion of undead was already way beyond impressive. But this... what they were staring at was just stupendous!

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say a single peak D-rank expert was valued far more than thousands of lowly soldiers. And with good reason.

The damage they could unleash was worlds apart. But now the youth had somehow managed to compress the tens of thousands of undead into fifty peak D-rank experts. And from the aura alone, they were each just as strong, if not even stronger than Thunderblade when he was still D-rank. At least the heavy dark energy radiating from them attested to it.

Trying to regain his breath, Rysten slowly snapped out of his daze. His gaze falling toward the clan’s ancestral tombs as a faint smile stretched across his face. Greyson’s figure coming to mind.

He had seen the dark-robed figure as the future of the Greysons. Looking back, he couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Ever since he took the position of lord, the clan had soared to heights they couldn’t even have imagined before.

And now with this addition, the future seemed boundless. With all these thoughts racing through his mind, his fists clenched slightly. His heart heavy with emotion as he sighed quietly beneath his breath.

"You were right... you were always right."

***

At the side, Mistress Aria stared entranced for a while. Before slowly repeating the youth’s words.

"Guardians of the clan..." A warm feeling stirred deep inside her chest. As she looked at the shadow guardians, their faces blurred before her eyes for a moment, flashing with hundreds of their fallen clansmen and others. All with one singular will: protect the Greyson residence.

Walking forward, her breath stilled for a moment. Before a slow smile carved across her lips as she mused inwardly.

To be imparted the honor of protecting their loved ones even in death... she doubted if there was a greater honor than this. Perhaps it would give the fallen peace in the afterlife. She thought, sensing no trace of life force in their beings. It was all just too mystical.

As the thought took root, her gaze tilted slowly to stare at the dark-robed youth. A wistful smile spreading across her face as she saw the maniacal smile on his face.

All too similar to when he awakened his monstrous talent. In that moment she had known his future was bound to be special. Even more so when he cleared the Wolf Den Dungeon alone. And now this.

With power so vast he easily stood as the overlord of Tempest, even if uncrowned. As the depths of his feats circled repeatedly, her eyes widened as a glint of genuine curiosity flashed across them.

Did he even truly know the sheer monstrosity of his potential, or were all these just normal gestures in his eyes? Perhaps she would have pondered the question all her life. But seeing the unbothered look in his eyes, she got the answer instantly.

***

At the side, Amber’s and Lyra’s eyes fluttered rapidly. Staring at the fifty shadowy figures. Before Amber slowly muttered,

"Woah... so strong." Her expression flickered. Just when she thought she was getting closer to him, her eyes were opened to new power levels, leaving her astonished.

Beside being almost at the same rank, the gap was just unbridgeable, making it entirely irrelevant.

Looking back, her face flushed slightly at the thought of one day being as strong as him. But it didn’t matter now as a smile flashed across her face.

Rushing forward to inspect the undead in close detail, Lyra seemed to share her train of thought. Her face welling with multiple emotions at the gesture. But soon she discarded them all as she trailed after Amber.

She had stayed close enough to him for a while to realize... there were no ends to his shocking feats.

At the back, Aelira didn’t seem as happy as the rest as her face scrunched at the sight.

Ever since her defeat at Ulric’s hand, she had sworn to grow stronger for a rematch where he wouldn’t have to hold back. It had been an already elusive goal back then... but now it was just straight out impossible.

Let alone him, she couldn’t even defeat Amber. The thought only fueled her frustration as her fists clenched tighter. Once revered across the city for her strength, she had never felt so... weak.

But it wouldn’t stay that way for long. She breathed, rubbing her hands mischievously as her gaze fell on Amber and Lyra. He had done something to them... she just didn’t know what.

Before they couldn’t even be considered geniuses from everything she’d picked up, but in the span of one month... they had changed drastically. With every thought, her knuckles cracked.

The grip on her massive hammer tightened as she barely managed to suppress herself from smashing the secrets out of him. But even if she did, she doubted it would work anyway. She mused as she spiraled deeper into her thoughts.

The crowd broke into soft murmurs that intensified with every passing second.

"Wait, are you seeing what I am?"

"A... battalion of fifty D-rank powerhouses?"

"What kind of power is that... is the lord’s shadow talent really that powerful?"

"I don’t think... I’ve ever seen anything like this before in my entire lifetime."

"You think if I awakened a shadow talent... I would wield even a little percent of the lord’s power?"

"Hmph.... In your dreams!"

"Yeah... I don’t think his abilities emanate from his talent alone... even talents have limits."

"Then... how?"

***

As everyone slipped into a mental barrage, Ulric smiled faintly. His gaze falling to the crowd and all the others.

Despite their thoughts, most of them held happy expressions. But Ulric only felt a tinge of it. He drew happiness from absolute strength, and this was just the beginning. He had a feeling he could achieve so much more.

He appraised the shadow guardians for a moment, then gave a small nod.

Their combat power, he surmised, would be impressive. He was even confident they could easily take on a low C-rank powerhouse combined.

They should be sufficient. He nodded slightly. Before reaching into his robe and pulling out a note he had found after he awakened.

He had been surprised it had survived the onslaught of corrosive darkness. But he didn’t have much time to look at it before.

But now as he read it, his brows couldn’t help but arch slightly. It was directions to a certain spot in the city, asking him to come before he left Tempest.

He would have been surprised at how the figure knew part of his future plans. But that wasn’t what piqued his attention as he read who signed the note.

"Your loving grandpa." He breathed. His lips twitching rapidly. He knew only one person shameless enough to call himself that.

Pausing for a moment, he contemplated for a while before an equally shameless smile spread across his face.

As everyone else was caught in the moment, Ulric exhaled softly. His figure vanishing into the shadows.