Chapter 369: The Seas Settle

When Boulder led the army of undead sea beasts into the battle, the fate of the sea draconians was already sealed.

They didn’t even have the chance to mount a final resistance.

Their prolonged stalemate with the harpies had already drained most of their strength. Then, Wu Qingsong’s ambush shattered their formation and broke their will to fight. At this point, they were nothing more than a spent force. With fresh enemies blocking the bay’s exit, not a single one managed to escape.

Wu Qingsong watched the distant sea, where flashes of light flickered. He knew it was Boulder attacking the fleeing sea draconians. With that, he and Ling sat down. A moment later, the bay fell completely silent. Accompanied by the rhythmic crashing of waves, countless undead sea beasts emerged before them.

Boulder stood atop the tentacle of a massive undead octopus, letting it place him on the beach. Then, the other undead octopuses carefully laid out the bodies of the sea draconians on the sand, one by one.

“Twenty-six sea draconians. All accounted for.” Boulder said calmly.

“Any that escaped?”

“If there were, they didn’t escape tonight.”

Wu Qingsong nodded.

He didn’t even consider questioning or doubting Boulder. To a lich, such words were meaningless. They wouldn’t shake it in the slightest, and saying them would only reveal his own weakness.

“They will be your subordinates,” he said to Boulder.

Boulder had read The Book of the Dead, particularly the sections on philosophy and the nature of the living and the dead. However, when it came to the practical applications, Wu Qingsong had only allowed it to study the parts he had already mastered. He had withheld the sections on curses that Xeila had obtained from other sources.

He was certain that, given Boulder’s intelligence and insight, it had already learned how to collect and purify soul shards. It had undoubtedly mastered the techniques for raising skeletons, zombies, and ghouls.

The only thing it couldn’t do was what Wu Qingsong himself could—forcefully purifying soul shards while enduring their constant backlash and converting them for his own use. And that was the greatest leverage Wu Qingsong had to keep it under control.

He tossed a soulstone to Boulder, which it caught and gripped firmly in its hand.

Then, Wu Qingsong turned his attention to the sea draconians’ corpses. He reached into the remnants of their souls and used his spiritual power to erode their memories and any traces of their former selves.

After his battle of wills with Boulder, facing the weak souls of these sea draconians felt incredibly effortless. Only now did he realize—though he hadn’t absorbed soul shards in a long time since obtaining the soulstone—this process seemed far too smooth. Had his spiritual power grown stronger without him even noticing?

Ling leaned against him, fast asleep. Boulder stood silently, observing his actions. Further away, countless undead stood motionless in the darkness.

The scene was undeniably terrifying. The birdfolk didn’t dare descend the hillside to see the outcome of the battle. Even Morin and the others only crept halfway down before retreating, letting the birdfolk rest first.

“By Xuanyuan’s grace, the fishfolk have been completely exterminated by Lord Tagraedi. You may sleep peacefully now.” Morin told the birdfolk.

One by one, the sea draconians rose again, joining the ranks of the undead army. The transformation was silent and unseen—only Wu Qingsong knew what had truly changed within them. Of course, the ever-watching Boulder likely understood as well.

By the time the last sea draconian stood once more, the sun was already rising over the eastern horizon. Wu Qingsong finally got a good look at the creatures before him—mangled flesh, charred remains, bodies stitched together from severed limbs, and even some reduced to bare bones. If he hadn’t already grown used to such sights, he might have vomited on the spot.

They lacked the independent personalities of Boulder and Raman but were stronger than ordinary ghouls. If this were a game, one might classify them as standard liches, while Boulder and Raman would be considered elite liches.

“These sea draconian liches and the rest of the undead are now under your command,” he said, sighing slightly. “Unless absolutely necessary, don’t let them appear before the faithful. The birdfolk may have accepted that we use the undead as soldiers, but… their appearance…”

“I will find suitable materials to repair them,” Boulder replied. “There is a sea cave beneath the southern cliffs, carved out by the waves. I will house them there.”

For once, it spoke at length. Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but glance at it a few times.

“You should understand that you, too, were created, or rather, reborn, in the same way.”

Boulder didn’t respond.

“I wonder, what do you think about your current existence?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“I have lost many things,” Boulder replied. “But I have gained eternal tranquility and endless time for contemplation.”

Wu Qingsong was tempted to ask what it spent all that time thinking about—what questions could possibly be so profound that they warranted such endless thought? But in the end, he held his tongue.

He didn’t see Boulder as a mere slave, nor did it seem to think of itself as one. As long as it carried out its duties, it was a perfectly functional summon.

“Then, take them away.” He nodded.

In an instant, the thousand undead were gone without a trace.

With their departure, the birdfolk—who had not actually been resting but had instead gathered on the hillside at dawn, hesitating to come down because of the undead—finally took flight or waddled their way onto the beach.

“Lord Tagraedi.” They addressed him with reverence.

The scattered corpses and bloodstains on the sand stirred countless speculations about what had transpired the night before. However, the truth was far simpler. These marks were merely left by the undead as they emerged to ambush the fishfolk. The actual battle had only taken place in a few key areas.

“Your Majesty, how is your condition?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“I am fine now,” Queen Gale replied with a smile. “Xuanyuan’s blessing upon Kelly’s abilities is truly remarkable.”

“She still needs more training compared to Morin’s daughter, Alice.” Wu Qingsong casually remarked, lifting Morin’s prestige in the process. Morin couldn’t help but stand a little straighter.

“What about the sea draconians?”

“They are no longer a concern,” Wu Qingsong answered. “The next step is to construct the temple and conduct your initiation. Once there are enough believers on the island and Xuanyuan acknowledges them, I will have Morin and the others help you take the western archipelago. The Gale Kingdom will gain more land.”

He looked directly at Queen Gale. “Your Majesty, I trust you will uphold our agreement. You will see that when it comes to friends, I am very generous.”

“I understand completely,” Queen Gale nodded, gazing at the corpses scattered across the beach. “I understand completely.” She repeated.