Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons-Chapter 152: Learning the Hard Way.

"Ahh!"

A sharp cry escaped Fenric’s lips as he staggered backward. His face was filled with shock as he stared at the calm boy before him.

How is this possible?! He screamed inwardly.

The piercing pain in his soul terrified him. This was the first time he had suffered backlash from attempting to take control of someone else’s undead servant.

His talent was related to the soul.

Because of that, he had always been able to override the mental connection between a necromancer and their undead servants. Yet now...

His soul had been injured. If he did not perform a sacrificial offering quickly to mend the damage, he would be unable to maintain his power for long.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to steady his breathing and composed his expression. When he looked at Thoren again, there was no trace of arrogance left in his eyes, only caution and gravity.

From that single exchange alone, he had realized something horrifying.

He was far weaker than the boy standing before him.

That realization unsettled him deeply.

He had conducted countless inhuman experiments to strengthen his soul.

Through torture, rituals, and forbidden knowledge, he had elevated his spiritual strength far beyond that of any ordinary awakener.

Because of this, he had believed that no one could rival him in terms of mental power.

But the reality unfolding before him forced him to admit a bitter truth.

He had been nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well.

While Fenric struggled to suppress the pain wracking his soul and desperately searched for a way to capture the boy before him, Thoren regarded him as though he were a fool.

The moment Thoren sensed Fenric attempting to hijack his undead, he had deliberately done nothing. He had allowed Fenric to try, curious to see the outcome.

And the result was exactly as he had expected.

His spirit attribute had already reached its maximum level. Moreover, he possessed an SSS-rank talent in the field of the soul.

Attempting to attack him through spiritual means was the greatest mistake Fenric could have made.

Although Thoren did not understand where Fenric’s confidence had originated, he had no interest in finding out.

"Kill," he commanded calmly.

Instantly, the previously sluggish undead Royalty Stonewall regained complete control of its body and lunged forward.

Bang! Bang!

It crossed the short distance between them in the blink of an eye and unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes.

For the first time in his life, Fenric realized that he was facing a truly powerful opponent.

Even if he had severed his connection with the abyss or so he believed and even if his physical abilities had increased dramatically, he was still, at heart, a necromancer.

How could he possibly compare to a battle-hardened undead warrior forged for slaughter?

Bang!

Fenric was sent skidding backward across the ice. His staff snapped cleanly into two, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

His hands trembled violently from the force of the impact.

The members of the Slave Trade Guild stared in stunned silence as their leader struggled against a single undead servant.

Fenric had become their spiritual pillar. After the success of his grand experiment, they had believed he would effortlessly crush the insignificant necromancer standing before them.

But reality was far harsher than their expectations.

"Something’s wrong with the leader," muttered a Level 18 Hunter as he stepped forward.

His eyes burned with killing intent.

He unsheathed his dagger, and in the next instant, he vanished from his spot. His speed was astonishing.

Behind him, the other Level 18 awakener—an assassin furrowed his brow and locked his gaze onto Thoren.

A second later, he too disappeared.

Watching the two Level 18 awakeners vanish into thin air, the remaining guild members wore grim expressions.

Although they could not comprehend why their leader was struggling against a mere undead servant, the addition of two Level 18 elites to the battle restored their confidence.

They were eager to see Thoren brought to his knees.

However, Thoren reacted faster than they could have imagined.

The moment the Level 18 Hunter moved, Thoren summoned two more undead.

The Level 18 Undead King Kong Ape.

And the Undead War Tide Lion.

The instant the two colossal undead beasts materialized on the frozen plain, everyone present felt their breath catch in their throats.

Howl!

The two undead roared loudly, announcing their presence with overwhelming ferocity.

The massive body of the Undead King Kong Ape shot forward like a cannonball.

Bang!

A shadowy figure was violently hurled backward, a deep groan escaping his lips.

It was the Level 18 assassin.

He wiped the blood from his mouth and stared at the towering ape in disbelief.

How did it detect me? he cried inwardly.

His stealth ability was among the finest of his rank. Unless his opponent greatly surpassed him in strength, his presence should have been undetectable.

Yet in a single exchange, he had been exposed.

Roar!

The Undead King Kong Ape gave him no time to think. It pounced again with savage force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The frozen plain trembled violently beneath their clash.

Ice shards shot into the sky.

Cracks spread in all directions like spiderwebs.

The battle intensified with every passing second.

Fenric had believed that with the two Level 18 awakeners supporting him, he would gain enough breathing room to unleash his hidden trump card.

But he had been mistaken.

Their enemy was far more prepared than they had anticipated.

The agony in his soul worsened with each passing moment. If he did not perform the sacrificial offering soon, the damage might become permanent.

Bang! Bang!

The Level 18 Hunter barely managed to block a blade strike from the undead Royalty Stonewall. His eyes flickered with horror.

Now he understood the true terror of this undead servant.

"Leader, go! I’ll hold it back!" he shouted grimly.

Fenric nodded and retreated, coughing up blood as his face turned deathly pale.

At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted behind him.

When he glanced over his shoulder, his heart sank. The Hunter was being besieged by both the Undead War Tide Lion and the undead Royalty Stonewall.

Within only a few exchanges, he had already sustained multiple grievous wounds.

"I need to release it..." Fenric muttered urgently.

He dropped to his knees on the frozen ground and tore open his robe.

Using his own blood, he began drawing strange and complex symbols across the ice.

The crimson markings contrasted starkly against the white plain.

As he completed the final stroke, he closed his eyes and began chanting in a low, guttural tone.

The air trembled.

An oppressive aura spread outward from the blood-drawn symbols.

Instantly, the atmosphere across the frozen plain shifted.

The temperature plummeted even further, yet a suffocating heat seemed to pulse beneath the surface of the ice.

The wind stopped howling.

The battlefield grew eerily still.

Even the undead paused momentarily, as though reacting to a change in the natural order.

The blood symbols began to glow with a sinister crimson light.