At some point, the people of Komeideng discovered a strange substance. Believing it could elevate their combat strength, they began to research it. Little did they know, this would be the beginning of all disaster.

’Holy shit, this plot is so cliché. Isn’t this just your typical story where some mad scientist recklessly creates something they can’t control and ends up destroying the world?’

Li Ziyu clicked his tongue, ranting internally, but on the surface, he maintained a look of rapt attention, not interrupting the King of the Wraith.

And yeah, he’d guessed right.

That bunch of lunatics from Komeideng used the strange substance on living organisms, causing them to mutate. The resulting creatures had incredibly resilient Life Force and possessed a special Energy, but they lacked all reason. They were a horde of manufactured, completely uncontrollable biological weapons.

And the worst part was, for reasons unknown, Komeideng had somehow made the substance contagious...

Li Ziyu’s eyes narrowed as he heard this. ’Great,’ he thought. ’Isn’t this just an Otherworld version of Zombies?’

When they found these mindless biological weapons were impossible to control, the lunatics of Komeideng came up with another terrible idea. They decided to forcibly shatter the barrier to the Void, seeking a means of control from other dimensions. This idiotic move directly led to hordes of Undead and Demons pouring into their world.

The Undead released by Komeideng weren’t the kind Li Ziyu controlled; they were Undead filled with pure malice toward the living. Add to that the destruction-loving Demons and the uncontrollable mutated Monsters, and the world was thrown into complete chaos.

At this point, Komeideng could no longer hide what they had done. Every nation learned of their "good deeds."

As he reached this part of the story, the King of the Wraith’s emotions surged. He nearly lost his human form, flickering rapidly between his terrifying Wandering Soul state and his humanoid shape. It took him a long moment to compose himself and suppress his fury.

Back then, several nations were actually at the height of their power. If they had united against the enemy, it wasn’t a fight they couldn’t win. After all, the Undead, Demons, and mutated Monsters weren’t united either; they were all just fighting each other in a chaotic free-for-all.

The problem, once again, was Komeideng. Instead of thinking about uniting to clean up the mess they’d made, they were busy scheming how to protect their own nation. They decided to divert the disaster onto others, stirring up trouble everywhere as if the world wasn’t chaotic enough already.

The outcome is obvious. One look at the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground, at these countless Skeletons, and you’ll understand. Komeideng succeeded. Every nation was dragged into the muck. The once rich and peaceful lands welcomed the darkest era in history. Not a single Race living here could escape it.

War and slaughter, blood and screams, spread across the land. All manner of devastating attacks left the people in ruin and Corpse Remains scattered everywhere. The environment itself became hostile to life. And finally... the decisive battle came.

The King of the Wraith’s story stopped abruptly there, because they had all died in that final battle, becoming Wandering Souls. By the time they regained consciousness, they were already living in this place filled with dry bones.

Living in the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground, they had nothing to do but replay the events of the past. Even as Undead, they worried whether the outside world had found peace. After all, their descendants were still out there. They didn’t want to be forgotten, even if it meant being used as a cautionary tale for future generations.

At least it would prove that we lived, that we once tried to make the world a better place.

At least it would be a warning: stay away from such dangers. Don’t repeat our mistakes.

They were just a group of pitiful Wandering Souls, imprisoned in this place.

Li Ziyu and Liu Xingxing finally understood why the Wandering Souls had reacted so strongly when asked why they were here.

Looking up at the Wandering Souls in the sky, the waves of sorrow emanating from them were impossible to ignore.

"I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of Borhan, nor of Komeideng. In fact, I’ve never heard of any nations existing in this land at all." Li Ziyu looked at the King of the Wraith, whose face was a mixture of hope and sorrow, and shook his head as he spoke softly.

"Ai..." The King of the Wraith let out a long sigh.

After waiting for countless years, he had finally received news from the outside, and it was like a bolt from the blue. The people of the world had completely forgotten them; they hadn’t even left a ripple in the tides of history.

The King of the Wraith turned to look at the Wandering Souls behind him and saw the resolve in their eyes. He seemed to make a decision. Turning back to Li Ziyu, he said, "If you have need of them, you may take everything here. We no longer have any use for it. We don’t want to be imprisoned like this any longer. Grant us release."

Release. That was the final plea of the Wandering Souls.

They had been here for far, far too long. They had exhausted every means just to maintain their sanity. Now, it was time to leave. Whether that meant fading away or passing on to the world of the Undead, it didn’t matter—so long as they didn’t have to stay here.

If it were any other Human before them, they might not have made this request. After all, they were now Wandering Souls, a type of Undead, and other people might not understand their kind.

But the Human before them was an Undead City Lord. Perhaps he had a way to grant them their release.

Li Ziyu was completely floored by the King of the Wraith’s words. His eyes widened as he scanned his surroundings. He took a sharp breath, his face flushing slightly.

’What? It’s all for me? To use however I want?’

’Holy crap, have I hit the jackpot or what?’

Li Ziyu had no idea how many Skeletons were in the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground. It was impossible to even estimate. They were all piled together, forming literal mountains, but the number was definitely no less than a million.

’If I converted all of these into Undead... forget Skeleton Warriors, even just turning them into basic Skeleton Undead would create an unbelievably powerful force!’

’Just thinking about a million-strong Undead Army... it gives me chills!’

’With a legion this massive, I’d even dare to take a crack at the powers in the Central Wilderness!’

"Alright! I accept your great gift! I will find a way to grant you release." Li Ziyu nodded emphatically. He had to accept this gift, no matter what.

’A way to grant them release, huh? Worst case, I’ll just turn all the Corpse Remains into Undead. Without the remains, the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground will cease to exist. Wouldn’t that count as release?’

Having received Li Ziyu’s promise, the Wandering Souls showed no reluctance to leave. They simply dispersed, like a group of utterly dejected old men with no remaining ties, departing in silence.

"Boss, shouldn’t we help them? They seem so pitiful," Liu Xingxing whispered, sidling up to Li Ziyu after the Wandering Souls had dispersed.

"I want to help, but I don’t know how," Li Ziyu said with a sigh. "They’re Wandering Souls. The Race under my command is Skeleton Undead. They’re not the same."

The Undead are a vast race, not limited to just Skeleton Undead; they also include Wandering Souls, Undead, Zombies, Liches, and various other branches.

Having received the Wandering Souls’ promise, Li Ziyu didn’t linger. He took Liu Xingxing and left quickly. He’d have plenty of time to convert the Corpse Remains later; there was no need to rush today.

On the way, Li Ziyu checked the system’s data on the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground and couldn’t help but feel relieved he’d made the right decision to leave.

A place like this wasn’t somewhere one could stay for long. For the Undead, the Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground was a treasure that could nourish their Soul Fire. But for the living, it was truly a forbidden land.

Li Ziyu now also understood the Curse that Tas Tuling had mentioned. The Corpse Mountain Soul Gathering Ground was Undead territory, filled with immense amounts of Death Qi, Magic Energy, and a special aura. All of this would imperceptibly affect any living creatures nearby.

It wasn’t so bad for Wild Beasts and Magical Beasts, but the effect on intelligent beings was the most severe. It could interfere with their consciousness, causing them to die without a sound. That was the Curse.

’Looks like if I want to develop this area, I’ll have to keep the fortress at a distance. Otherwise, even if I’m fine, Liu Xingxing and the Minotaurs won’t be able to handle it.’

By the time they emerged from the cave, the night was almost over. Li Ziyu didn’t hesitate; he immediately activated the Mobile Fortress and sped away from the Wraith Mountain Range before the sun could rise.

But even though Li Ziyu had moved quickly, Liu Xingxing was still affected. Not long after they left the cave, he fell ill and was confined to his bed. Thankfully, it wasn’t serious—just a cold and a fever. He had entered the cave where the chilling aura was too dense. There was nothing else to it; he would be fine after a couple of days’ rest.

The sun rose, and the Skeleton Architecture retracted into the ground, entering Hibernation Mode.

The Minotaurs, who had spent the night outside, spotted the familiar Bone Plate Platform and came running back joyfully, ready to start a new day.