Gael and Zane no longer needed to hide in the shadows; their bones were on the verge of the Qi limit they could accumulate. Unfortunately, they didn't possess meridians to store more energy, so this was their current limit, but it was already sufficient for their intentions.

The people pretending to be chained watched the strange movements and saw the demonic skeleton approaching the soldiers. That sight would make any normal person tremble with fear, but they were filled with excitement to see that being who was a savior to them.

Zane didn't want to waste any time. A reanimated body with the Yin power of death would suffer serious damage during the day, as the energy from the sun was the opposite, the Yang, and was contaminating their existence. He then grabbed a rudimentary spear and advanced like a god of death.

With a simple and merciless movement, the soldiers, who already had battle experience, raised their weapons. However, the spear resembled a venomous snake, impossible to predict. A single blow was enough to make blood gush from the first victim's body, impaled without mercy.

Screams of despair echoed, and another soldier fell, his skull completely shattered. The others almost fell to their knees, but their survival instincts forced them to turn and flee. The skeleton seemed to grin diabolically at this foolish move, and several arrows flew, quickly ending the massacre.

Only the soldiers who had been put into a deep sleep shortly after their arrival were spared. There were just over a dozen of them, and they remained asleep for another day.

These few lucky ones returned to the base, where they reported how they had been subjugated without resistance by the mysterious black cultivators and how their outpost had been completely wiped out. This would generate growing tension in the other two battle posts, forcing them to consider more drastic measures that would accelerate Zane and Gael's plans.

Without hesitation, the skeleton, which appeared to be engulfed in flames, gave the order for everyone to flee. Zane and Gael immediately ran into the forest, heading in the opposite direction of the sun, seeking shadows to hide in.

Zane had a clear idea of where they were going, thanks to the map he had received from the soldiers. There was a distant point that had caught his attention; it was isolated and very close to the territory of the black cultivators.

The black cultivators faced the same challenge as he did. Although they had techniques that could cover an entire area with darkness, turning day into night, it was more practical and economical to wait for the arrival of the night. Therefore, that location seemed ideal for Zane to prepare without straying too far from his future mission.

Choosing a large mountain as their refuge, the skeleton quickly entered a natural and deep cave. A few minutes later, a group of approximately a hundred people arrived at the site.

In the dimness of the cave, they could only see two pairs of red eyes gleaming in the depths of the darkness. The younger members of the group shivered, but none of them backed down.

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They had been stripped of everything they owned by the living, who were supposed to be their allies in the fight against the black cultivators. Their homes had been destroyed, and any resistance was met with ruthless violence and death. The future appeared dark and hopeless. However, this sinister creature, with a threatening appearance, was their last hope.

In the midst of the crowd, a child stood out. With determination, the child took a step forward and respectfully entered the cave. Zane and Gael watched the child attentively, now illuminated by the daylight.

The child had long hair flowing down to the shoulders, casually tied. His eyes were a deep blue, seeming to contain a world of wisdom and compassion. His face displayed fine and beautiful features, revealing a look that contrasted with the dark and hostile environment around them. He radiated an aura of hope amidst the darkness, like a promise that better days could come.

'We should have a good-looking body like that, not that giant sack of shit we ended up with,' Zane grumbled.

'A beautiful face would be ruined by your expressions and sinister aura. It would be a waste; don't be jealous,' Gael retorted mentally.

With a stern and dry voice, the skeleton leader ordered everyone to stay outside the cave, keeping themselves safe. He proclaimed, with a voice that seemed to emanate from the depths of hell, that he would soon put an end to the conflict and that during the day, that location shouldn't attract much attention, making it safe for all of them to temporarily survive there.

Neither Zane nor Gael noticed the tears of hope that welled up in the eyes of all those people. The hope of survival had been reignited in their hearts, and in their minds, that sinister figure made of bones transformed into a divine and sacred being. In the future, the legend of a divine skeleton would be known throughout the universe as a sacred protector of life, even though, ironically, he was a creature of death himself.

Shortly after, a diverse group of women representing various races entered the cave, carrying bloody objects that resembled human bodies.

Zane advised them to have fun without killing them and asked them to bring the captives with them during the escape. As soon as they left, Gael wore a serious expression as he looked at the half a dozen bloody sacks of flesh that surprisingly still showed signs of breathing. 'They really had quite a bit of fun,' he thought.

However, Gael and Zane noticed one of the women stayed behind. It just so happened to be the woman Zane touched when he tried to annoy Gael. "What is it?"

"Divine Skeleton, if I am of your liking, this one is willing to give herself up," said the woman. "How can I please you?"

Gael's attention went straight to Zane as they talked in their minds. 'Well, you got a lover in the end. How is it, is she to your liking? Sir Divine Skeleton sure has some Divine interest, right?.'

'Fuck you! I have no interest in her,' Zane rebuked.

Gael laughed inwardly and spoke back to the woman with his dark voice. "Sorry, I touched you in that way just to check something. You got the wrong idea."

The woman was a little lost. "C-Could it be it's because you don't have... you know... I can try to please you in other ways. Just teach me, Divine Skeleton!"

Gael burst into laughter. 'See, she also knows you don't have it.'

Zane was already losing his patience. 'You also don't have it, idiot!'

Finally, Zane rebuked the women. "Just get out! You don't need to remind me of what I don't have!"

The woman quickly ran out, afraid she would offend the Divine Skeleton even more.

Gael laughed a little more before finally returning to the task at hand. Without a trace of mercy, Gael and Zane examined the memories of those bodies, putting an end to the scant life that remained in them.

They spent a considerable amount of time analyzing all the information, realizing that these commanders held crucial knowledge on the other side of the equation. The advantage of being undead skeletons was that they didn't need sleep and didn't suffer mental or physical fatigue, allowing them to explore the information patiently. Soon, they were surprised by their findings.

'This queen, the leader of the black cultivators, isn't the same one we're hunting. However, one of them has faced her army directly and survived.'

'The golden Qi around her in his memories is very similar to our universe's hero. It seems like she's being controlled by the queen we're hunting. The hero always acts as the supreme emissary of the queen's will in other universes,' Gael commented calmly. 'This queen is simply another one of them.'

'A hero... with only a Core Formation Realm cultivation. It's a great opportunity to eliminate another hero,' Zane spoke with a sinister tone in his voice.

'We must make the preparations with precision and composure; we can't afford to make mistakes. So far, we only have information from one side, so it seems we'll have to pay another visit to our necromancer summoner,' Gael said with a tone of amusement.