(Book 2 Complete!) Tales of the Endless Empire [LitRPG Apocalypse]

The chamber roared with sound as magical blasts and steel clashed against the corpse pillar. Thalion and the rest of the crew unleashed everything they had on the towering pillar, but it refused to break. Over twenty minutes had passed. Even the detonation of ten wallbreakers barely left a scratch. Kargul stood atop Vorlok's broad back as the beast hovered near the peak of the pillar. With both hands gripping his massive mace, Kargul hammered the top of the structure again and again. He believed striking from the highest point would have the greatest effect. Thalion doubted it mattered. The pillar felt eternal, unmoved by brute force or magic.

The team had already sent three of their support members back to fetch stronger explosives. Thalion had never imagined he would struggle so much to bring the thing down. At one point, he had tried sinking his hands into the stone, like he had done with the black pillar in his basement, but this one was different. The embedded skulls hummed with power, and he could feel them pushing back, reinforcing the structure. He had hoped to pry one free and unravel the enchantment from within. That plan had failed too.

"Man, this is exhausting," Jack muttered, rubbing his temples. His telekinetic blasts had struck the pillar again and again without success. He looked stunned, as though reality had broken its own rules.

"No kidding," Kaldrek added while brushing sweat from his forehead. He looked up toward the top of the pillar and shouted, "Kargul, how's it going up there?"

Kargul was standing on Vorloks back and swung his mace in rapid sucesion against the corpse pillar.

"I'm loving this," Kargul yelled back with a booming laugh. "I could smash this thing all day!"

Thalion remained silent. His movements were precise and measured. Red Slash after Red Slash carved at the same line of stone, over and over. Each time, he focused all his strength into a single crack, trying to widen it by force. Around him, the chamber trembled under repeated shockwaves. Two large stone doors loomed at the far end, likely leading deeper into the catacombs. Perhaps one tunnel connected to the palace. Maybe another reached one of the other pillars. Even so, it would be wiser to travel by skyship. As long as the pillars stood, enemies would come. They could not afford to be interrupted.

Before the reinforcements had arrived, they had barely left a mark on the pillar. Now, with more wallbreakers and bombs placed at its base, the chamber became a storm of fire and sound. The explosion that followed shook the entire cavern. A column of flame shot upward, licking the ceiling. Skulls shattered in the blast and fragments rained down, but still the pillar endured.

It took over eight hours of relentless attacks before anything truly changed. At first, a few skulls dropped from the structure. Then, the black stone between them began to crack and crumble. Slowly, the entire construct collapsed in on itself, revealing what had been hidden within. To the others, it appeared to be a collection of bodies. They were strangely intact, unnaturally preserved. To Thalion, it was something else entirely.

Through his title, he could sense the truth. A mass of souls had been compressed into a single twisted construct. The energy radiating from it screamed in pain. Thousands of voices cried out in silence, their agony bound together in one tight knot of condensed spirit. This was the engine that had powered the pillar. This was the core of the resurrection ritual.

He saw the soul sphere clearly in his mind. As the pillar continued to fall apart, the bodies within dropped to the floor like discarded puppets. But one did not fall. One figure remained suspended in the air, carved with glowing runes. A small, flickering soul hovered above it. It was different from the rest. It pulsed with power and potential, quiet but unmistakably strong.

The soul sphere began to drift toward Thalion. Drawn by his amulet, it approached with growing speed. Though vast in size and radiant with energy like a newborn star, the mass of souls moved effortlessly through the air. The lone spark above the rune-marked body resisted. It quivered in place, refusing to move. Thalion's eyes narrowed with curiosity.

His amulet had grown in strength, absorbing countless souls over recent weeks. But he had never encountered anything like this. He wasn't even sure if it could contain such power. Still, his grin widened. The soul sphere would grant him a massive boost. Even if it broke the amulet, the risk was worth it.

Yet something felt off. The lone spark seemed to dim the closer the larger mass came. The screaming faces within the sphere twisted and turned, as if trying to escape from the ball. They looked like the same tormented visages that had once lined the pillar. The moment the sphere touched the amulet, the chamber shifted.

A surge of power struck Thalion like a wave. His legs gave out and he dropped to one knee, breath ragged and shallow. Energy tore through his body. It was pure, overwhelming, and unfiltered. The light dimmed. The air grew heavier. And for the first time in hours, silence settled over the chamber.

Fires began to erupt in scattered corners of the chamber as, for a fleeting moment, Thalion lost control of his aura. It burst from him like an unleashed storm, lashing against the walls and sending ripples through the air. He quickly reined it back in, straightened his posture, and acted as if nothing had happened. Despite the chaos, he maintained the illusion of calm, his expression unreadable. The amulet pulsed against his chest, its influence enhancing every facet of him like reflexes, strength, speed, regeneration, and more. Yet when he checked his status screen, not a single number had changed.

This wasn't new. The first time he had worn the amulet, he'd noticed the same thing but dismissed it. Now, after all he had experienced, it puzzled him deeply. Why did such overwhelming power not affect his stats? It wasn't just the amulet. Body tempering made him undeniably stronger, but it never showed in the numbers. Even improving his affinity had drastically increased his capabilities without influencing his visible stats. Thalion was beginning to suspect that body refinement might be more critical than leveling itself. Perhaps it was a flaw in the system. The voice had hinted at inconsistencies before, especially regarding skills that applied across different forms.

Whatever the cause, the sensation was undeniable. Thalion felt reborn. Power coursed through him like molten fire, not forced, but natural, as though his body had simply remembered what it was always meant to contain. This wasn't a slow awakening. It was an eruption. The energy rushed through his veins with reckless intensity, like a storm tearing through a battlefield. The last time he had felt anything close was when he had gone all out against the vampires at his base. But even then, he had relied on the Heart of the Sanguine Archon. Now, without invoking a single ability, he was overflowing with power.

His gaze fell back on the faint spark of a soul resisting absorption. It shimmered briefly, then faded into silence, vanishing without a trace. All eyes turned to the body that had stood upright at the heart of the ruined pillar. As the spark vanished, the figure finally collapsed to the ground. This corpse, carved with runes and clearly prepared for Ankhet's resurrection, bore an eerie resemblance to a human. Yet its proportions were subtly wrong. Its neck was too long, and where eyes, nose, and mouth should have been, there were only smooth patches of skin etched with strange runes.

"What in the hells was that thing? They should have named it 'Corpse Tower' instead," Kaldrek muttered, his face pale. The others looked equally shaken, except for Thalion, who stood motionless, drunk on the rush of power still flooding his system. His aura shimmered faintly, difficult to contain.

"Thalion, what are you doing?" Maike's voice rang out, sharp and high, as she saw him calmly walk over to the corpse and place it inside his spatial ring.

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"Who knows," Thalion said with a shrug. "Might come in handy someday. Either way, we need to move. There's one catacomb with all the undead. Has anyone asked what's happening above?"

Maike blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "Actually, yes. I just got a message. The elves have arrived."

Thalion turned sharply, fire still dancing in his eyes. "They're already at the walls, or do we have time?"

"No, not yet," Maike answered quickly, checking the token in her hand. "They've only just entered the range of the scouts. They'll be here in a few minutes. Apparently they want to 'discuss the situation.'"

"We don't take chances," Thalion replied, his tone hardening. "Tell everyone to prepare for battle. Reinforce the portal and get our defenses ready. I won't let those elves catch us vulnerable."

Without another word, he activated Mistform and surged forward. The walls of the tunnel became a blur as he shot forward, the air humming around him with raw energy. Within moments he reached the surface and raced toward the outer wall of the base. Fighters were pouring from the massive skyship like a flood, armor glinting in the sun as they scrambled into position.

The air was thick with tension. No one trusted the elves, not after their last visit. Proud and powerful, they had already tried to seize the base once. There was no reason to believe they wouldn't do so again, especially after Thalion had killed one of their own. Their sudden interest in the undead was strange. They had ignored the threat for so long, and now they arrived in full force. It felt too convenient.

Thalion narrowed his eyes as dust rose in the distance. A massive caravan approached, white horses galloping across the sand. Though the elves had skyships of their own, none were as large as his. That surprised him. Then again, elves likely valued speed over brute force. They were already stronger than most. Travel was probably just another battlefield to them.

As the army came closer, he counted over five hundred elven warriors. Each one was clad in glimmering armor, riding pale steeds that looked like they had stepped out of legend. Their banners fluttered in the wind, beautiful and foreboding.

Thalion tightened his grip on his weapon.

They must have brought the beasts with them, and he had missed the opportunity to act back with the vinehorses. Why hadn't he asked Maike if there were any beast tamers stationed at the base? Why hadn't he asked around more? At the time, the pressure had been immense. He was still bulking up in preparation for the inevitable clash with the most powerful vampires of the tutorial. His confidence, once unwavering, had been shaken after that encounter with the eleven daughter. Her presence had left a scar, a deep wound to his belief that he stood among the strongest. He still felt bad for missing that opportunity.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the defenders as the elven army halted at a distance. Only a handful of riders advanced toward the gate. The horses moved with a grace and speed that caught Thalion off guard, closing the gap to the fortress in the blink of an eye. Their armor glinted under the sun, adorned with countless ornamental patterns that marked their lineage and pride. At the center of the group rode a tall, broad-shouldered elf who could have competed in a human bodybuilding competition with ease. Beside him was a female elf whose presence radiated barely contained rage. Her aura was heavy, nearly oppressive, as though the mere act of being here offended her. Perhaps it was the fact that the humans hadn't knelt and handed over command before?

Though the entire group carried power, it was clear those two were in a class of their own. Elites among elites. The male elf raised his voice, speaking with authority that rang out over the battered walls, still only half rebuilt after the last battle.

"We have come to assist with the pillar. The undead have sent all their reinforcements to a single location. Have you destroyed yours?"

So they had taken theirs down as well. Not surprising, but Thalion remained skeptical. He couldn't shake the feeling that their arrival was far too convenient.

"Yeah. The pillar's gone," he replied after a short pause, keeping his tone deliberately neutral. He watched as the female elf's eyes locked on him with pure hatred. Was she the mother of the elf he had captured? The timing fit. So did the rage.

"Good. Kael and his men have also completed their task. Only Logan hasn't responded yet. We need to reach his location immediately and ensure the last pillar is destroyed. Otherwise, we're all in serious trouble," the bulky elf continued, his voice steady but urgent.

Thalion didn't buy it. The whole thing smelled of conspiracy. He could practically feel the trap forming beneath his feet. And the woman's killing intent? That wasn't political. That was personal. One of these elves had to be one of the two monsters whose powerup had granted him a bloodline and a skill with divine rarity. He needed to tread carefully.

"Fine. Can you share the exact location or send us a copy of the map? We need to restock materials before moving out. Managing an army this size isn't easy," he said casually. Then, as if remembering something, he tilted his head and added with a mocking smirk, "By the way, are you perhaps the mother of that useless brat I killed?"

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The elves' eyes blazed with fury, and the woman's aura exploded outward like a tidal wave of wrath. The wind around her howled to life, stirred by the storm of her rage. That was all the confirmation Thalion needed. She was the one. She had the bloodline. And now she wanted vengeance.

"Bring me back my son," she hissed, every word laced with venom. Hatred oozed from her voice like poison, raw and feral.

"That little fucker's long dead," Thalion answered with a casual wave of his hand. "Screamed like a bitch when I cut him up."

Even his own words surprised him with how cold they sounded. His expression darkened as he turned to face her fully, voice dropping into something far more sinister.

"If that's a problem for you, I'm always open for a duel to the death. I guess that's what you're here for."

The female elf opened her mouth, her killing intent reaching its peak. She didn't even need to speak. Her answer was clear. Thalion could feel it in his bones. She wanted blood. But before the confrontation could ignite into violence, the bulky elf stepped between them and raised his voice in a thunderous command.

"Enough. The final pillar must fall. Afterwards, duel all you want. Until then, I suggest we place the human camp between our forces to prevent unnecessary casualties."

"Of course. We'll follow once we're ready," Thalion replied with a nod, though he hadn't truly expected to fight her today. Still it was good who one of the two monsters was.

"Fine. We ride ahead. One of your scouts will be given a map to follow," the elf huffed, clearly irritated by what had just occurred. With a final glare, the group turned and rode back toward their skyships. Thalion nearly laughed at the way the female elf hesitated before turning her back on him. It was obvious how much it pained her to walk away.

They would meet again. Of that, he had no doubt. And when they did, he would tear that bloodline from her. He already had the bloodline skill, which would give him much greater chances. All he needed was the opportunity. The only thing that could ruin his plans would be if she evolved to E-grade. If that happened, it would complicate everything.

Thalion stood on the walls, watching the elves vanish into the distance as the horses re-entered the sleek silver ships. His thoughts churned. Ahead lay a siege on the last undead catacomb, infested with powerful vampires wielding sanguine thorns. To his side would be Kael's base, another potential enemy and an elf filled with rage, power, and the bloodline he wanted.

Things were about to get very interesting.