Chapter 220: The Glowing Crystal

Thoren believed that becoming an Awakened Soul would only make him stronger, but he was wrong. It came with many restrictions that he had not anticipated.

For a brief moment, he did not know whether he should feel happy or frustrated. The realization left a bitter and complicated taste in his mouth.

Without the power of an Awakened Soul, the battle with the Elite Jackal Beastman would have been far more brutal.

No one could predict how that fight might have ended. Yet he had defeated the creature with relative ease.

That alone proved how valuable his transformation had been.

From that battle, he clearly saw the advantages of being an Awakened Soul. However, the cost of that power weighed heavily on him.

It was not a simple blessing, but rather a double edged blade that demanded a price.

Still, when he thought about the benefits, his mood gradually improved. Without becoming an Awakened Soul, he would never have gained access to the Abyssal Market.

That alone was worth a great deal. It opened opportunities that ordinary awakeners could never touch.

Shaking his head, Thoren forced himself to stop dwelling on the matter. There was nothing he could do to change it now.

Worrying about it would only waste time and energy. He needed to focus on what he could control.

With that thought, he shifted his attention to the remaining notifications floating before his eyes.

[Summoned Entities]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

Thoren was not surprised when he saw those messages.

He had already expected both the Undead Storm Tyrant and the Undead Royalty Stonewall to level up after such an intense battle.

Their experience had already been close to the threshold.

Now both undead servants had reached Level 21. That alone was enough to bring a faint smile to his face.

Their growth meant that his core strength continued to rise steadily.

If he had not expanded the number of his summoned entities, they might have gained even more levels.

Still, he felt satisfied with the outcome.

Growth was growth, and he would not complain.

More importantly, he had gained a large number of undead Jackal Beastmen. Combined with the rising strength of his original vanguard, his overall combat power had increased significantly.

This meant that he could continue pushing forward without hesitation.

“I should assign my unassigned attribute points,” he muttered quietly.

It had already become a habit for him to spend his attribute points immediately instead of saving them.

Without hesitation, he distributed the points between Intelligence and Perception.

[Intelligence 75 (+5) → 80]

Perception 57 (+5) → 62]

A faint sensation spread through his body. It was subtle but noticeable, like a gentle current flowing beneath his skin.

Within a few seconds, the feeling disappeared completely.

Thoren exhaled slowly and shifted his gaze forward. His attention settled on the largest structure in the village.

It was clearly the residence of the village chief.

“Let us see if there is anything worth selling in the Abyssal Market,” he said calmly.

With that, he began walking toward the building.

However, he did not forget to recall most of his undead servants back into his undead space.

He only kept the Undead Elite Jackal Beastman, the Undead Storm Tyrant, and the Undead Royalty Stonewall by his side. These three were more than enough to protect him in case of danger.

Even though he had already wiped out the village and turned its inhabitants into undead servants, he remained cautious.

Carelessness could easily spell death.

The wooden door creaked loudly as the Undead Elite Jackal Beastman pushed it open. Without hesitation, the undead stepped inside first.

Thoren followed closely behind them.

The interior of the building was simple and crude.

Rough wooden chairs filled the space, along with several mats that looked as though they had once belonged to humans.

In one corner of the room, a pile of bones lay scattered carelessly.

Thoren paused briefly and looked at the bones. He did not approach them.

There was no need to investigate something so obvious. He had already seen enough cruelty in this world.

Instead, he directed his undead servants to search the inner rooms.

The building contained two additional rooms.

Both were small and unimpressive.

There were no valuable items, no hidden treasures, and nothing that caught his interest.

A hint of disappointment flickered across his eyes.

“How can I expect to find anything useful in such a small village,” he said with a faint shake of his head.

Despite his disappointment, he noticed that there was still one last room that had not been checked.

Even though he did not hold much hope, he decided not to ignore it.

The door opened with a soft creak.

Inside, there was nothing but sand.

The entire room was filled with a mound of sand that rose toward the center. At first glance, it seemed completely ordinary.

However, something at the top of the mound immediately caught his attention.

A glowing crystal rested there, emitting a faint but steady light.

Thoren narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes burning with curiosity.

“Why would they leave something like this here,” he murmured.

Even so, he did not step forward. His instincts warned him to be cautious. Instead, he gestured toward the Undead Elite Jackal Beastman.

The undead stepped forward and approached the crystal. It reached out its hand and attempted to pick it up.

Nothing happened.

The crystal did not move at all. It remained firmly embedded within the sand as though it were rooted in place.

Thoren frowned slightly.

“What is going on here,” he muttered.

Before he could analyze the situation further, a sudden tremor shook the ground beneath his feet. The vibration was subtle at first, but it quickly intensified.

His heightened perception detected something powerful moving beneath the surface. However, he could not determine its exact location.

Then everything changed in an instant.

The ground beneath him collapsed violently.

A powerful suction force erupted from below, pulling everything downward with terrifying strength. The sand twisted and spiraled like a living entity, dragging every object and debris into its depths.

Thoren felt his body being pulled downward. The force was overwhelming and impossible to resist. Even his undead servants were caught in the pull.

The suction spread across a wide area, consuming everything within dozens of meters. The entire structure crumbled as it was swallowed by the shifting sand.

For several long seconds, chaos reigned.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the force disappeared.

The sand settled. The air grew silent once more.

However, the chief residence was gone.

And Thoren had vanished without a trace.

****

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