Chapter 2731: Story 2732: The Graves of the Forgotten

Ronan stared across the horizon.

The world was changing.

Graves opened across frozen fields, ruined villages, forgotten battlefields, and ancient cemeteries. Skeletons crawled from the earth. Rotten soldiers dragged themselves from broken tombs.

Millions of dead were awakening.

Lyra slowly lowered her bow.

“There are too many.”

Kael looked toward the distant mountains.

“This isn’t an army.”

Ronan glanced at him.

“Then what is it?”

Kael swallowed.

“A resurrection.”

Aren suddenly grabbed Ronan’s arm.

“They’re calling me.”

Ronan looked at him.

“Who?”

Aren pointed toward the horizon.

“The dead.”

A massive roar shook the earth.

The ground beneath them rose.

Ronan stepped backward.

“Everyone move!”

The earth exploded.

A gigantic undead creature burst from beneath the field.

Its body was covered in ancient armor and twisted roots. Its skull-like face had four red eyes.

Lyra fired.

The arrow struck its forehead and shattered.

The creature turned toward her.

Ronan raised his shield.

“Lyra, get back!”

The creature charged.

Ronan met it head-on.

The impact threw him several meters across the ground.

He rolled, grabbed his sword, and stood.

Elias appeared beside him.

“Together?”

Ronan nodded.

“Together.”

They charged.

Elias struck first.

His black blade cut through the creature’s armor.

Ronan followed, driving his sword into its chest.

The creature screamed.

Black blood erupted.

But it did not fall.

Instead, every corpse across the battlefield suddenly stopped moving.

Aren’s eyes turned silver.

“Ronan...”

“What?”

“They’re waiting.”

“For what?”

Aren looked terrified.

“For him.”

The creature slowly turned its head toward Aren.

Then it dropped to one knee.

Millions of dead followed.

Ronan stared in disbelief.

The battlefield became completely silent.

The enormous creature lowered its head.

“THIRD KING.”

Aren stepped backward.

“No.”

The creature spoke again.

“OPEN THE WAY.”

Aren shook his head.

“I won’t.”

Black veins appeared beneath his skin.

Ronan grabbed him.

“Fight it!”

Aren screamed.

“I am trying!”

The ground behind them suddenly cracked.

A massive black gate rose from beneath the earth.

It was covered with ancient symbols.

Kael approached it slowly.

“I’ve seen this before.”

Ronan looked at him.

“Where?”

Kael’s face was pale.

“In the oldest records of the First Kingdom.”

“What does it do?”

Kael stared at the gate.

“It opens the road between the living world and the kingdom of the dead.”

Elias looked toward the awakened corpses.

“Then the Ancient King wants the gate opened.”

Kael nodded.

“And Aren is the key.”

Ronan stepped in front of Aren.

“No.”

A deep voice suddenly echoed from beneath the ground.

“YES.”

The black gate began to open.

Cold darkness poured through the widening gap.

Lyra raised her bow.

“Something is coming.”

Ronan lifted his shield.

The darkness moved.

Two enormous red eyes appeared beyond the gate.

Aren whispered:

“That isn’t the Ancient King.”

Elias looked at him.

“Then who is it?”

Aren’s silver eyes filled with fear.

“The one who created him.”

The gate opened completely.

And something ancient stepped into the living world.