Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons-Chapter 63: Meeting Minerva Again.

Thoren sauntered out of what remained of the ancient city, his steps unhurried and relaxed, as though he had just finished a leisurely stroll rather than survived a massacre.

Around him, his undead minions marched in disciplined formation, their movements precise and relentless, forming a fortress that surrounded him from all sides.

Cracked stone and broken pillars lay scattered behind him.

The ancient city, once shrouded in cursed illusions and oppressive darkness, now stood exposed in ruin.

Its secrets had been torn apart, its purpose destroyed.

Thoren stopped at the edge of the ruins.

For a long moment, he simply stood there, gazing back at the city he had conquered.

His silver hair fluttered faintly in the dry wind, catching the strange light of the Abyss.

"I was chased out of the town once..." he murmured.

A smile, one that carried no warmth or joy slowly crept across his face. It twisted unnaturally, sharp and cold.

"And now," he continued softly, "I’ll return."

Turning his back on the ruined city, Thoren began his journey toward the human town. When he fled before, he had been weak.

But now.

After walking for several minutes, he suddenly halted.

"Why am I walking by myself?" he muttered aloud, tilting his head slightly as though the thought had just occurred to him.

Whoosh!

Dark mist swirled as space rippled open.

From within the Undead Space, a massive skeleton scorpion emerged, its ivory carapace gleaming dully under the strange sky.

Its many legs clicked against the ground as it lowered itself obediently.

Thoren stepped forward and sat atop its back with casual ease.

"Who dares call my profession useless?" he chuckled, a grin spreading across his face.

The scorpion skeleton surged forward, its speed far surpassing that of ordinary travel.

Thoren leaned back against its bony ridges, one arm resting behind his head as he stared up at the bright sky overhead.

This world had no sun.

And yet, the light was blinding.

The sky burned white and blue, radiating heat as though a sun hung just beyond perception.

It was unnatural, like everything else in the Abyss.

After traveling for over an hour, a familiar sensation stirred at the back of Thoren’s mind.

A mental transmission.

His undead minions.

Thoren slowly lifted his head, his relaxed posture tightening slightly. His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon.

There.

A party was approaching.

They walked with slow, steady steps, their formation disciplined. With every stride they took, their momentum grew heavier.

Thoren narrowed his eyes.

Although he did not yet know who they were or why they were here, one thing was unmistakable.

Their hostility was directed at him.

"What’s this?" Thoren murmured, tapping his temple thoughtfully. "How did I offend you?"

He searched his memory, running through recent events. He could think of no reason for random hostility.

His enemies were clear.

The Slave Trade Guild.

The Silver Crest Guild.

And neither of those would escape him.

He intended to hunt them down to the very last member.

His return to town was never about food, rest, or safety.

It was about blood.

And vengeance.

So who were these fools?

Despite his curiosity, Thoren did not slow his advance. The scorpion skeleton continued forward without hesitation.

He was curious.

Truly curious.

While Thoren observed them with mild interest, the approaching party was anything but calm.

Sebastian’s expression was grim as he watched the undead servants draw closer. His earlier confidence when he had assured Minerva they could capture Thoren had begun to crumble.

Idonea’s words echoed relentlessly in his mind.

’If you value your lives, leave him alone.’

Sebastian tightened his grip on his staff, his knuckles whitening. The wooden shaft creaked faintly under the pressure, as though sharing his tension.

Just looking at the boy seated casually atop the scorpion skeleton made his instincts scream.

This was no ordinary opponent.

Beside him, Rowena’s usual carefree demeanor was completely gone. Her jaw was set, her eyes sharp and alert.

As a paladin, she was exceptionally sensitive to undead and corrupted energies.

And yet.

Thoren’s body radiated none.

Apart from the undead minions surrounding him, his presence was disturbingly pure.

Unblemished.

Clean.

Rowena’s heart pounded.

’How is this possible?’ she screamed internally. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

’How can a necromancer not be tainted by undead energy?’

She had encountered necromancers before, many of them. All had carried the stench of death and corruption, their souls warped by prolonged contact with the undead.

But Thoren?

There was nothing.

It was as though the Abyss itself had acknowledged him.

While Rowena struggled to process the impossibility before her, Minerva was barely containing her rage.

Her teeth were clenched so tightly her jaw ached.

Veins stood out along her forehead, pulsing with fury. Righteous anger burned in her chest, spreading like wildfire.

Images of her junior’s broken body surged to the forefront of her mind.

The undead.

The slaughter.

The necromancer responsible.

’This time,’ she vowed silently, ’I won’t let him escape.’

Across the Glorious Path Party, expressions varied.

Curiosity.

Shock.

And beneath it all.

Fear.

Before, they had only heard stories.

Now, the monster stood before them.

Unmoving.

Unfazed.

Their hearts hammered violently, sweat dampening their palms despite the dry heat.

As the distance between the two sides shrank, a suffocating tension settled over the battlefield.

The air grew heavy.

Silence stretched painfully thin.

Every crunch of boots against stone echoed like a countdown.

With less than five meters separating them, Thoren rose smoothly from his seated position as the scorpion skeleton continued forward. His silver hair swayed gently in the breeze as he stood tall.

His deep blue eyes swept over the group, calm and cold.

’You never learn,’ he thought.

’Then I’ll use you to send a message.’

He had never been a forgiving man.

Minerva had escaped him once, back when he was weak.

But now?

She had returned.

And this time, she would not leave.

"Thoren Starfall," Minerva declared, stepping forward. "You are under arrest for the murder of innocent people and for choosing the path of evil."

Her blade hummed as mana surged through it. A subtle wind gathered along its edge, sharpening its presence.

Thoren stared at her for a moment.

Then his gaze shifted to Rowena.

"A paladin?" he said thoughtfully. "You really came prepared."

Amusement laced his voice, unmistakable and mocking.

"I’ve been meaning to test my undead legion against one," he continued, his lips curling into a grin. "What do you think? Are you ready?"

Thud!

Thoren leapt from the scorpion’s back.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the atmosphere changed.

If they had thought him dangerous before.

Now, they understood.

This was no boy.

This was a monster walking in human skin.

And they had just challenged him.