Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1806: Wind Rider

-----

"Since when did they arrive here?" Maria asked.

"Like a day or two ago..." the man replied. "Ah, forgive me, I didn’t even introduce myself. I am Hawken, warrior of the Wind Talon Tribe."

"Are there any survivors?" Emeraldine asked.

"We’re taking refuge on the island where the tower stands right now..." Hawken sighed. "The one you came from..."

"Hm... what is that thing, though?" Nia wondered, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"We don’t know. The elders say it’s an evil spirit the Vampires left behind!" Hawken explained. "It kills anyone who gets too close... It sometimes moves around, hunting for more prey."

"Hm..." Maria nodded and summoned Xarion to her side. "Hey, mustache, do you recognize that thing?"

"Hm?!" Hawken gasped at the sight of the vampire appearing. "What is...!"

"Calm down!" Nia said quickly. "Maria is a Necromancer. That man is actually dead—she turned him into her undead servant."

"That’s... possible?!" Hawken stammered, visibly shaken.

"Hmm. Ah, that’s... I recognize it from somewhere," Xarion said, nodding slowly. "Yes, yes... That’s known as a ’Shadow Specter,’ created by a member of House Thornveil. A strong one at that."

"So another house got here just now. Were they rushing because of us?" Partner wondered.

"I don’t care. Let’s destroy that thing," Lucifer declared.

"Let’s take care of it," Jonathan agreed with a firm nod.

"Alright, you two should be enough," Maria said.

Lucifer and Jonathan leaped toward the specter while Hawken panicked.

"Wait! Don’t get too close! It can attack instantly with shadows!" he shouted.

But before he could finish his warning, the specter struck.

Its entire body twisted violently, sprouting giant spikes that surged toward the pair.

The spikes slammed into them with tremendous force, shaking the ground beneath.

However...

"Weak."

"Haha, that tickles?"

Lucifer and Jonathan stood mostly unscathed. The Shadow Specter’s spikes had barely scratched them.

The two charged forward. With Lucifer’s blazing claws and Jonathan’s blinding blade, they tore the monster apart in a furious onslaught. It exploded in a final burst of dark energy.

BOOOM!

"S-So quickly?!" Hawken gasped in disbelief. "Just who are you people? You’re so strong!"

"Yeah, we are," Maria replied with proud confidence. "We are professional vampire hunters, god killers, pyramid robbers—you name it."

"You’re lucky we arrived," Nia added with a light giggle. "Could you tell us where the Vampires went?"

"A-Ah..." Hawken quickly regained his composure. "It’s... I didn’t see clearly. The elders may know. We should ask them. Come with me—you’re welcome in our refuge."

Hawken flew upward, leading them back to the previous floating island. A cave entrance came into view, guarded by a few bird people standing watch outside.

Once inside, Maria and her family met the survivors. Families huddled together, little chicks chirped softly, and females cradled their eggs protectively. They had spread thick layers of plants and herbs across the hard stone floor, transforming it into a soft, nest-like refuge.

Ignoring the wary, angered stares from the bird people, they pressed deeper until they reached the elder. An old figure with gray feathers and weary eyes sat playing gently with a group of tiny chicks.

"Aahh, Hawken— Huh? Who are these people?"

"Elder, I apologize for the suddenness. These people just vanquished the evil spirit plaguing our village!"

"Say what?!"

Hawken, Maria, and Nia quickly explained what had happened.

Nia was usually quiet, content staying close to her new family and her son, preferring the role of silent observer while leaving negotiations to the more charismatic members. But here, where mastery of wind was everything, her exceptional skill made her stand out. Not even Emeraldine or Maria could match her proficiency with elemental magic.

Proving herself a true "Wind Rider" instantly earned the trust of the Wind Talon Tribe.

"I see! So you’ve come to liberate us! I am deeply grateful, otherworldly Wind Rider!" the elder exclaimed, kneeling before Nia. "I saw them! The giant crimson tower rushed toward the nearby island to the northwest. They were accompanied by a massive white temple floating in the sky! I overheard people in the temple saying they needed to gather as much Wind Stone as possible before someone else arrived... Someone called Maria! Is it you? It seems that... hahaha! They fear you!"

"Wait, what?!" Maria’s eyes widened in shock. "So they hurried here to plunder this world before I could arrive and protect it? Damn, they’re growing desperate."

"It seems our presence is seriously disrupting their resource gathering across the tower," Jonathan observed. "Which is good. We should keep doing that."

"Alright, let’s get moving then!" Maria declared. "Hawken, you coming? We’ll need a guide to tour this place. Ferleen and Melianna were only here briefly."

"Yeah, sorry, we don’t know much about the area," Ferleen admitted with a nod.

"Sure thing! If the elder approves..." Hawken said.

"Of course! This is your time to shine, young man! Go! If you can help our saviors and the Wind Rider in any way, do it without hesitation!" the elder urged. "Here, take this—my old shield. It’s imbued with Wind Stones. It will create a wind field to protect you and your allies."

The elder handed Hawken a shield of green steel embedded with transparent jewels.

"Thank you, Elder! I won’t disappoint you!" Hawken vowed.

He led Maria and her family out of the refuge island and northwest toward Wind Slicing Mountain Island.

It was the largest floating island in the region, dominated by towering mountains with razor-sharp peaks that the locals said, "sliced the wind."

A great city once thrived there, populated by various bird tribes but ruled primarily by a sacred lineage of Shamans and Wind Riders.

Hawken explained that Shamans in Aetherion communed and danced with the wind, earning its blessings and favor.

While Wind Riders fought fiercely using the winds and appeared nearly invincible, Shamans petitioned the winds for protection, lifting objects, defending people, or even healing.

"This world is truly unique..." Maria murmured.

She could sense it now—nothing existed below except more floating islands. The entire world formed a vast sphere, with an endless thunderstorm at its core unleashing powerful electromagnetic energies.

This storm created a strong gravitational pull within the bubble of atmosphere.

If someone ventured too far, they would reach the opposite side of the world and risk crashing into another island... or perishing in the relentless core storm.

But that wasn’t all.

"This world’s alive, isn’t it?"

The winds weren’t mere air currents, nor were they exactly spirits. Yet they carried a distinct "life" within them. Maria struggled to describe it fully, but it felt as though every gust across this world belonged to a single living entity, flowing endlessly in every direction.

Perhaps this was the "God" of the world.

"That must be it!"

After traveling swiftly through the skies for nearly an hour—riding the winds with Nia’s guidance—they reached Wind Slicing Mountain Island.

Beautiful forests blanketed the land, and majestic mountains rose high. At the center stood a great city built by the bird people, crowned by a large castle.

But the city had clearly been attacked. The central plaza lay in ruins, and the heavy scent of blood hung thick in the air.

-----