Chapter 145: Recruitment and the Crypt

Luo Xiaohu’s emotions were currently riding a rollercoaster, his mind reeling as he struggled to process the situation. It took him a long while to regain his composure.

"You... you are also an outlander adventurer? How do you know the title 'Tiger King'?"

In this world, Luo Xiaohu was known only as the Blood Tiger. 'Tiger King' was his alias within the virtual reality combat arena—something known only to his academy instructors and a few close classmates back in reality. Though he still didn’t understand how Lando knew this name, it was clear that the person before him was indeed an outlander.

He had felt a bit nervous earlier, thinking he had encountered a master of this world when he saw Lando controlling a legendary lich. Now, while still cautious, he felt somewhat relieved.

Lando smiled faintly, waved his hand, and summoned a sentry golem. "Do you recognize this?"

Looking at the familiar design, Luo Xiaohu exclaimed, "A sentry? You are its creator?"

"As you can see, I have a rather deep impression of you, so I recognized you immediately. Are you here for an adventure? How did you end up in this state?" Lando asked.

Realizing that this was an 'acquaintance,' Luo Xiaohu set aside his wariness for the moment—at least on the surface. He briefly recounted his string of bad luck and, with a hopeful look, asked, "Could you give me a ride when you go back?"

Seeing Luo Xiaohu looking at him with eager eyes, Lando replied nonchalantly, "No problem, but I don't know how long I'll be staying in this world. I have my own matters to attend to."

"Then... is there anything I can help with? My strength isn't bad; I can handle ninth-level powerhouses of this world." After saying this, he recalled his recent flight from pursuit and added sheepishly, "The ordinary kind of ninth-level, that is."

Luo Xiaohu’s words stirred a thought in Lando. He had never been particularly concerned with subordinates or factions. On one hand, given his understanding of this world—having an Archmage as a teacher—he knew exactly what individual power could achieve.

An Archmage with their own floating city and dependents could easily crush dozens of legendary mages; a legendary mage equipped with standard resources and a magic tower could easily handle four or five peers at once; and legendary powerhouses could generally crush non-legendary beings with ease.

Each step up in power level brought an exponential explosion in combat effectiveness, and combat prowess was only a small fraction of an Archmage's capabilities.

On the other hand, this was a habit from his past life. You couldn't expect a 'cog' from the bottom of society to possess command experience, so during his previous explorations and travels, he had acted alone, rarely even contemplating forming a group—with the exception of the Crystal World.

Now, Lando suddenly realized this was a good opportunity. He could try to cultivate his skills in this area, which would at least help him develop a broader perspective—something that might prove useful in the future.

"As it happens, I do have some tasks I need help with. It will also help me finish my business faster. You want to get home quickly, don't you?"

Looking at the smiling Lando, Luo Xiaohu shuddered instinctively, feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of panic.

...

Luo Xiaohu left with the communicator Lando had provided. According to Lando's instructions, he needed to return and consolidate the rebels he had previously ignored, selecting any usable talent among them.

Although Luo Xiaohu didn't see the point in gathering a group of useless slaves, he was familiar with such tasks. Since Lando had asked, he would do as told.

Having recruited a temporary subordinate, Lando felt even more cheerful, to the point that even the zombies he encountered on the road began to look rather pleasant.

Because he did not know the exact location of the Zombie King, Lando had to wander the Zombie Plains, heading toward areas with higher zombie density. After a few days of roaming, he finally discovered some clues.

The Zombie Plains were shrouded in an inexplicable force field and covered in year-round storm clouds, creating an environment almost entirely devoid of the sunlight that undead creatures detested. Even so, it was still easy to distinguish between day and night.

For low-level zombies without a shred of intelligence, day or night made no difference; they merely wandered aimlessly. But for those above the seventh level, who possessed a sliver of animalistic instinct, avoiding harm became a priority. Although daylight would not truly harm them, they still avoided it whenever possible.

Consequently, in areas where high-level zombies gathered, there were many excavated underground tunnels. Fortunately, even though this was a plain, the ground below a meter deep was quite solid. Besides, even if the tunnels were to collapse, it would likely only cause the zombies to 'sleep' a little longer.

The existence of these underground tunnels increased the difficulty of Lando's search. Fortunately, with the help of his liches, his newly joined Wraith Lord, and his current mastery of the Mindscape for tracking undead, Lando soon discovered traces of a legendary-level zombie in a massive underground cavern.

Just as he prepared to sneak into the 'village' to abduct the Zombie King and depart, something unexpected occurred.

Inside the vast yet uncomplicated underground cavern, thousands of high-level zombies slept. The Zombie King lay at the very center, guarded by dozens of ninth-level zombies.

Facing these tank-type undead, Lando walked among them without concern, not believing that zombies with such pathetic mental power could detect him. He only needed to reach the vicinity of the Zombie King, pull the target into his Mindscape, and upon reappearing, he would easily possess a zombie army to perfectly pave the way for his subsequent plans.

Just as Lando was smugly contemplating his next steps, a sharp, piercing shriek suddenly echoed throughout the cavern. It not only gave him a start but also jolted the sleeping zombie army awake.

Lando looked toward the source of the sound in surprise and saw a small, thin zombie standing beside the Zombie King, staring straight at him with strange, glowing eyes. While the other zombies were still bewildered, the eerie light from the thin zombie's eyes erupted, instantly dispelling the camouflage of Lando's Mindscape.

In an instant, the gaze of every zombie in the cavern was fixed upon Lando.

"Hi there!" Lando offered an awkward yet polite greeting.

"ROAR!"

Lando was met with the enthusiastic roar of the Zombie King and the frantic swarming of its 'fans,' as if inviting him to join the 'party' about to begin!

"Hey, hey, I'm not Dave! You don't need to be so interested in my brains!"