Chapter 8: The Cultivator's Resurrection

The battlefield was eerily quiet, the air still thick with the residue of mana and the stench of death. Ral Zareth stood over the body of the fallen mana cultivator, his dark eyes cold and calculating. Her once formidable power had been no match for the Void Conquest System's might, and now her body lay motionless before him, her essence slowly dissipating into the Abyss.

But in death, she was still valuable. Perhaps more so.

Ral knelt beside her corpse, his mind already turning to the next phase of his plan. This mana cultivator had been a powerful defender of the settlement, wielding abilities that could have rivaled many of the weaker lords he had conquered. Her knowledge, her skills—everything she had possessed in life—was now his to claim. The Void Conquest System hummed quietly in the back of his mind, eager to consume what was left.

Ral stood and raised a hand, his fingers curling as tendrils of dark energy began to swirl around him. He could feel the pulse of the Abyss beneath his feet, the fractured realm's chaotic power feeding into the Void Conquest System. His control over death was growing, and with each life he claimed, he unlocked deeper and darker powers within the system.

With a quiet command to the system, he initiated Soul Servitude.

[New Command Initiated: Soul Servitude – Target: Mana Cultivator]

The shadows around Ral grew darker, more intense, as they coiled around the body of the fallen cultivator. The process of binding her soul to his will was delicate—her power was not to be wasted, but it had to be subdued, controlled, and molded to serve him without question. Dark energy seeped into her body, twisting through her veins like poison, binding her essence to the Void.

Her eyes flickered.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as her chest rose in an unnatural rhythm. Her body jerked, the life returning to it not by her own will, but by Ral's command. The once proud and defiant cultivator now lay on the ground, her soul chained to the system, her eyes no longer filled with mana-driven power but with hollow obedience.

Ral watched her resurrection with cold satisfaction. Soul Servitude had not failed him yet, and this mana cultivator—once a threat—was now a puppet, a tool he could use in his growing army.

"Rise," Ral commanded, his voice quiet but carrying an undeniable authority.

The cultivator's body slowly obeyed, standing on shaky legs, her face a mask of emptiness. The glow of mana that had once burned brightly in her eyes was gone, replaced by the faint glow of the Void Conquest System's control. She was no longer a person, no longer the fierce defender she had been in life. She was now a Void Puppet, her will broken, her power bound to Ral's command.

Ral stepped closer, inspecting his newest servant. Her power was still there, lurking beneath the surface, but now it was twisted, corrupted by the dark energy that flowed through her. She had been a skilled cultivator in life, and in death, her knowledge and abilities would serve him well.

"Your name?" Ral asked, though he already knew the answer.

The cultivator's hollow eyes flickered as she responded. "Kaelin," she said, her voice a monotone echo of what it had once been.

"Kaelin," Ral repeated, as if testing the sound of it on his tongue. "You served this settlement with loyalty and strength, yet you failed to protect it. Now you will serve me with the same dedication."

Kaelin's head dipped in a slow nod, her body stiff and unnatural as she accepted her fate. Her will was no longer her own, and Ral would see to it that she remained a loyal servant—bound by death to serve his ambitions.

"Your power is not insignificant," Ral said, his voice cold but thoughtful. "In life, you commanded mana with great skill. Now, in death, you will use that power to destroy those who once fought beside you."

Ral's gaze swept over the ruined settlement, where his Void Legion was finishing the last of the cleanup. The battle had been fierce, and he had lost more soldiers than he cared to admit. This settlement had cost him dearly, but the knowledge and resources he would gain from it—and the addition of Kaelin to his army—would make it worthwhile.

But even as he stood over the wreckage, Ral's mind was already moving to the future. He had learned from the previous battles and the scattered fragments of information he had gathered. There were cities in the Abyss—massive, ancient cities hidden deep within the realm. These cities held the keys to understanding the full depth of the power systems that governed the Abyss. If he could find them, if he could claim them, his control over this broken realm would be absolute.

Ral turned his attention back to Kaelin. She had been part of the settlement's leadership—perhaps she knew something about these cities. And even if she didn't, the information she had about the region's power structures would be valuable.

"Kaelin," Ral said, his voice sharp. "You were one of the leaders here. Tell me what you know of the Abyss's cities."

Kaelin blinked, her expression blank, as if her mind had to process the command before she could respond. "The cities… are hidden," she said slowly, her voice hollow. "The old cities. They are remnants of the ancient rulers who once controlled the Abyss. Their power systems are… different from the settlements. Stronger. More dangerous."

Ral's eyes narrowed, his interest piqued. This was what he had been searching for—the confirmation that there was something more to the Abyss than the scattered settlements and broken power systems he had encountered so far. The cities held deeper secrets, older power systems that had been sealed away by the ancient rulers.

"Where are they?" Ral asked, his voice low but commanding.

Kaelin hesitated, her hollow eyes flickering with faint recognition of the knowledge buried deep in her soul. "There is one… far to the north," she said slowly. "A city built into the bones of a fallen giant. It is said the rulers there still hold sway over the primal forces of the Abyss. The path is dangerous. Few who venture that far return."

Ral's lips curled into a thin smile. The prospect of danger only intrigued him more. The Abyss was vast, and his conquests thus far had only scratched the surface. If there were cities that still held power over the deeper forces of the realm, he would find them, claim them, and bend their rulers to his will.

"Good," Ral said, his voice filled with cold satisfaction. "Then that is where we will go."

Kaelin's head dipped again in obedience, her will completely bound to Ral's command. She would be a valuable asset in the battles to come—her power, though diminished by death, still potent enough to turn the tide in future conflicts.

Ral turned to his Void Legion, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who had survived the battle. They were fewer now, but still formidable. The addition of Kaelin to their ranks would bolster their strength, and the knowledge she carried would help him unlock the next phase of his conquest.

"Prepare to march," Ral commanded, his voice echoing through the ruined settlement. "We head north. There are cities in the Abyss that await our conquest."

The Void Legion moved with practiced precision, gathering their weapons and supplies as they prepared for the next march. Ral watched them for a moment, his mind already turning over the possibilities that lay ahead.

The Abyss had proven itself to be a realm of chaos and fractured power, but it was also a place of opportunity. With each settlement he conquered, Ral grew stronger, and the Void Conquest System fed off the chaos and death that followed in his wake.

And now, with Kaelin bound to his will, Ral's power was greater than ever.

But the cities to the north… they would be different. Ral could feel it in the air—the closer he came to these hidden places of ancient power, the more volatile the Abyss became. The deeper he ventured, the more dangerous it would be.

But danger was nothing to Ral Zareth. He thrived on it, fed on it, and used it to fuel his ambition.

And soon, the cities of the Abyss would fall before him, just as the settlements had.

Ral Zareth would stop at nothing until the Abyss—and the multiverse beyond it—was his.