Volume One: The Hell-Level Lord World Chapter 28: Resurrection of the Soldier

With his newly recruited subordinates in tow, Chen Gu walked out of the hunting lodge and looked to Allen.

“From here on, I leave it to you.”

“Very well. If you would, please hand me that crystal from earlier.”

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Gu produced the crystal in his hand.

“This contains the souls of the five hundred soldiers who once followed me. I hope they haven’t been ensnared by dreams, unable to wake.”

Allen took the crystal and entered the hunting lodge. Inside, he raised it aloft.

“Come forth, my comrades. You’ve slept for far too long. Awaken, and fight once more. Now, we have not only a new purpose, but a new direction.”

As Allen spoke, a fire spirit raven landed upon his shoulder. Its size was noticeably greater than that of an ordinary fire spirit raven. At his feet, a blood shadow wolf appeared, taller than most. The wolf had only one eye left, and some of its fangs were broken, yet it radiated a fierce murderous aura.

Then, the crystal in Allen’s hand shattered. Soul after soul drifted out, beginning as wood elves and finally transforming into elven hunters. For every ten elven hunters who emerged, they saluted Allen and walked out of the lodge. Allen greeted each one solemnly, calling out their names.

With more and more hunters stepping forth, Allen’s expression grew colder and grimmer. Until the last elven hunter exited, he still hadn’t seen the one he hoped to find.

Looking at the powder that remained of the crystal, Allen sighed, bowed his head, and left the lodge. Once outside, his demeanor returned to calm and ease, as though nothing inside had truly happened.

“My lord, four hundred and thirteen of my comrades have awakened; all have become elven hunters.”

Comrades?

Chen Gu listened to the word, glanced at Allen, and nodded.

“These seven elven hunters are yours as well. From now on, you will oversee all the elven hunters.”

“Understood.” Allen accepted without hesitation.

“My lord, please have these fourteen wood elves come to me.”

Chen Gu asked no questions, merely waved his hand, and the wood elves walked before Allen. Allen took out an object resembling a stone and placed it before them.

“Each of you, throw it upward.”

The wood elves stepped forward and obeyed. Allen explained to Chen Gu, “This is an early testing method from the elven kingdom. By observing how each elf throws the stone, one can judge their habits and talents. Nowadays, only the larger regiments use it when recruiting; most elves have long forgotten it.”

“Why? Isn’t this test quite simple?”

“Not exactly. The stones are special.”

As Allen spoke, Chen Gu noticed that no matter how the elves threw the stone, it always veered in a certain direction. He realized then that the stone was peculiar—when thrown upward, the habitual movements of the thrower would affect its direction.

Allen watched their actions closely, quickly making judgments as he spoke.

“Ambidextrous—can become a sword dancer.”

“Stronger left hand—can become an archer.”

“Spiritual energy influences the stone—you could be a mage or a druid.”

“Very agile—can become an archer.”

One by one, the wood elves’ talents were confirmed. Those suited for archery returned to the hunting lodge to be appointed elven hunters. The rest stood before Chen Gu.

“Are these also under my management?”

Chen Gu counted the remaining wood elves. “Yes, I entrust them all to you.”

Allen was somewhat surprised by Chen Gu’s reply. He had assumed Chen Gu would want to keep power tightly in his own hands. Yet he relinquished it all so easily.

Chen Gu paid no mind to Allen’s thoughts, but instead sat upon the ground and asked a serious question.

“With our current forces, what would happen if we tried to attack the Black Castle?”

“Black Castle? Where is that?” Allen had died before its appearance.

“It’s the undead capital. I’ve seen it once from the sky, roughly between two ancient battlefields.”

Chen Gu described its location. Allen fell silent, then spoke earnestly. “If we seal the gates of Silverpine Valley and quietly build up our strength, within five weeks we could amass enough troops. We could try to take nearby cities, and by accumulating forces, perhaps claim local territories. But to attack the Black Castle you described—I don’t think it’s possible. From your description, it should be where the human capital once stood.”

“How do you know?” Chen Gu asked, curious.

“I fought in the first great war against the humans. We marched in that direction. Human cities prioritized defense—without a powerful siege force, there’s no way in. Back then, we reached the gates of the human capital, but were driven back. Now, if that place is the undead capital, it’s even more troublesome.

Everyone knows the undead never have to worry about manpower. They will surely strengthen their defenses. To muster enough troops for a direct assault on the undead capital—it’s extremely difficult.”

“However hard it is, we must try. Help me devise a plan. If you succeed, I’ll grant you Silverpine Valley.”

“No, I don’t have such ability. If I did, I wouldn’t have been merely the commander of an archer unit under a legion. If you wish to fight the undead, I’ll fight with you—we’ll die together if need be. But if you want me to come up with a strategy, I truly cannot.”

Chen Gu understood that their current forces were insufficient. If he had enough troops, Allen would surely be more willing.

“Then let’s do this: we rest here for a day. I’ll let my subordinates recuperate, and tomorrow we’ll set out to search for cities not yet turned to undead. The more cities we find, the faster we can replenish our forces. Once we have enough, we’ll be able to confront the undead.”

“You make a good point. We can check the council hall. Though Silverpine Valley now belongs to you, the orders issued by the elven kingdom still stand. Before the city was closed, all kinds of intelligence were sent to the council hall. You might find useful information there.”

Allen offered his suggestion.

“Alright, take them to their appointments. I’ll go to the council hall and see what I can find.”