Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 1108: Building, Where The Pillar Stood [2]

By all indications, Rank Five creatures simply shouldnʼt exist here. Otherwise, the Fourth Layer would become an impossible death trap for Rank Four awakeners.

Even so, Michael didnʼt allow himself to become careless.

Just because there shouldnʼt be Rank Five monsters didnʼt mean there couldnʼt be something equally troublesome.

With that thought, Michael had activated his stealth ability before entering the newly discovered Level 3 region.

The moment he crossed its invisible boundary, Michael immediately sensed the difference. The density of energy rose dramatically.

Even the vitality of the surrounding vegetation became noticeably richer. The ancient trees growing here towered several hundred meters into the sky. Their trunks were thicker than castle walls, and the air itself carried a faint oppressive pressure.

”…As expected.”

The higher the region, the more extraordinary everything became.

Michael carefully advanced deeper. For nearly ten minutes, nothing happened. Then Michael suddenly stopped.

”…Hm?”

His sharp senses picked up movement.

”A hundred creatures in one place?”

His expression became thoughtful. The strange thing wasnʼt merely the number. It was that every aura belonged to the same species.

Thinking a monster nest was nearby, curiosity followed caution. Instead of retreating, Michael concealed himself even further before silently approaching.

But the further he advanced, the denser the monster population became.

The creatures he saw were large wolf-like beings covered in dark gray scales instead of fur. Their eyes burned with crimson light while jagged bone spikes protruded from their backs.

Every single one possessed strength at least comparable to an early Rank Four monster. Yet there were hundreds. Perhaps close to a thousand.

”This is no ordinary nest. Could it be related to the Origin Battlefield itself? This region is a newly discovered Level 3 for me, so perhaps itʼs not surprising that things are different here…”

Michael had encountered monster groups before. But never on this scale. It didnʼt resemble a hunting pack. It resembled an organized colony. The monsters werenʼt wandering randomly.

Many continuously moved toward a single direction before returning moments later, almost like workers performing assigned tasks.

”…What are they guarding?”

Michaelʼs curiosity deepened. Keeping his breathing perfectly steady, he slipped between the countless monsters without disturbing even a single one. Minutes passed. The nest became increasingly dense.

Eventually he reached the center, and what he saw there made him even more shocked.

”Epic Grade Level 100 monsters? And there are four of them?”

Michael narrowed his eyes as his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

”…Thatʼs strange. But why does it look like theyʼre defending something?”

He turned to look around and observed that at the very center stood a structure. It rose nearly thirty meters high, resembling an ancient stone tower weathered by countless years. Its surface was covered in mysterious black runes that pulsed rhythmically, almost like a beating heart. Countless cracks spread across its walls, while thick chains extended from its foundation deep into the earth, disappearing beneath the surrounding stone.

Michaelʼs expression slowly became serious.

”…What exactly is this thing?”

To be honest, Michael already had a fairly good idea. From Level 1 to Level 2 regions, monster nests frequently contained treasures. It wasnʼt guaranteed.

Some nests offered nothing beyond the monsters themselves, but a lucky nest could still provide valuable corpses, rare raw materials, and a generous amount of experience.

If the creature ruling the nest was powerful enough, it could also produce a Treasure Orb after death. In other cases, the monsters gathered resources naturally over many years and stored them within their dwellings.

Regardless of which situation applied, monster nests were rarely without value. Michael was willing to bet the lives of his enemies that the enormous colony before him followed the same pattern.

The strange tower was either a treasure itself, or it concealed something extremely valuable.

Unfortunately, though the possible treasure was right in front of him, Michael didnʼt dare act rashly.

The four creatures standing before him were all Epic Grade Level 100.

Michael remained hidden, his entire presence suppressed as his glowing green eyes carefully studied the nestʼs center.

Surrounding the ancient tower were four enormous figures. Despite their differences, they all clearly belonged to the same species.

The first possessed three massive heads, each with a different pair of glowing crimson eyes. Its body stretched nearly twenty meters long, while dark metallic scales covered its limbs and back instead of fur. Thin streams of scarlet flames escaped from its three mouths with every breath.

The second was noticeably bulkier. It stood on four colossal legs with broad shoulders and an exceptionally muscular frame. Thick black bone plates naturally covered its neck, chest, and spine, giving it the appearance of wearing heavy natural armor.

The third was the fastest-looking of the four. Its body was lean and streamlined, with long powerful limbs built for explosive bursts of speed.

Two pairs of black feathered wings rested neatly against its sides, while razor-sharp bone blades extended from its forelegs like natural weapons. Even standing still, faint gusts of wind continuously swirled around its body.

The final wolf was by far the largest. Its dark silver fur shimmered faintly beneath the dim light, while dozens of jagged bone spikes protruded from its shoulders and back.

A heavy black mist drifted endlessly around its body, obscuring its paws and making it seem as though it floated above the ground.

Of the four, its aura was the calmest, yet also the most oppressive. Even the surrounding monsters unconsciously kept a greater distance from it.

Michaelʼs expression became increasingly solemn.

For the first time, Michael finally understood what his enemies must have felt whenever they faced his strongest undead.

What stood before him wasnʼt simply a group of four Level 100 creatures. It was more like four different forces of nature wearing physical forms.

If Michael had never encountered Epic Grade creatures before, he might not have fully understood the danger.

Unfortunately, he was very familiar with them. At the same level, Epic Grade creatures were almost unrivaled except by their peers. Their attributes, bloodlines, skills, and natural abilities all surpassed lower-grade creatures by a frightening margin.

This held true across all ranks, but starting from Epic Grade, the difference began to become genuinely ridiculous.

These were precisely the type of creatures Michael would have expected the Origin Battlefield to reject from the Fourth Layer. Yet here they were.

Perhaps they had been weakened in some manner, or their abilities restricted. Or perhaps they were simply what the Origin Battlefield considered to be the extreme threshold of Rank Four.