Chapter 17: Learning
Evernight Territory
A villager from Bone Village stood helplessly next to an earthen pit.
Inside the pit, a Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier lay peacefully, its posture perfect.
"Mr. Skeleton, not like this... planting vegetables means putting the seeds in, not lying in there yourself."
The villager's voice was filled with resignation. His name was Buck, formerly a hunter, now one of the agricultural technical instructors of Evernight Territory.
The Skeleton Soldier in the pit was unmoved. It even adjusted its posture to lie more comfortably.
Its Soul Fire was calm and waveless, seeming to say: I'm just a little skeleton; I don't understand what you're saying.
Buck didn't dare persuade it further.
Just yesterday, a villager teaching another squad of skeletons next door shouted once because he couldn't stand it anymore. He ended up getting bonked on the head three times with a hoe handle by that skeleton student.
Although he wasn't injured, the experience of being "educated" by a bone rack gave him nightmares all night.
Just as Buck was at a loss, a figure walked over.
It was a Tier 2 Skeleton Soldier. Bound to its left arm was a bone plate carved with ivory-colored runes—the symbol of a Safety Officer of the State Affairs Legion.
The Safety Officer walked to the edge of the pit. Its empty eye sockets first looked at the skeleton lying flat, then turned to the villager Buck.
The Skeleton Soldier in the pit seemed to sense the arrival of a superior. It sprang up from the pit instantly.
It snatched the hoe from Buck's hand, then turned to Buck, jaw clacking open to emit a loud Gah!
The sound was full of grievance and blame.
As if saying: Why didn't you dig me out sooner! You delayed my learning progress!
Buck was completely dumbfounded.
The Safety Officer ignored Buck.
It faced the Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier and also emitted a short Gah!
That was an interrogation.
Then, the Safety Officer grabbed the Tier 1 skeleton, who was a head shorter than itself, and strode to a patch of land nearby that had been specifically left empty.
That land was the Re-education Demonstration Zone designated by the Lord himself.
The Safety Officer got to work personally. Using its hard bone shield, it quickly dug a deep hole in the ground.
A deep hole just big enough to bury a skeleton, leaving only its head exposed.
Then, it took the errant Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier and planted it straight in like a radish, tamping the soil around it solid.
Having done all this, the Safety Officer patted the dirt off its bony hands, turned around, and scanned the entire farmland with its eyeless sockets.
The skeletons who were slacking off just moments ago—mimicking the villagers by digging twice then poking an earthworm once, or gesturing with bone swords to see if they were sharper than hoes—instantly became incredibly focused.
Their hoe-swinging movements were as standard as a textbook.
The depth of the holes, the spacing of the seeds—everything strictly followed the villagers' demonstrations, daring not deviate by a millimeter.
Buck watched this scene, then looked at the "Radish Skeleton" with only its head exposed, staring blankly at the sky. He swallowed hard.
The Kingdom of the Undead was truly... unique.
On the other side, inside the wooden cabin prepared specifically for high-level education.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as a solidified swamp.
BANG!
A bony hand slammed heavily onto the wooden table.
The table groaned under the unbearable weight.
"Damn humans! Why do I have to return something I snatched with my own strength!"
The Tier 3 Skeleton Knight, Wrath, stared dead at the two humans before him with eye sockets burning with crimson fire.
Rosen and Lloyd, the two former squires of Iron Fortress and current Common Knowledge Instructors of Evernight Territory, felt their blood freezing.
"Gen... General."
Rosen's voice shook uncontrollably.
"This... this is the concept of Private Property. It is one of the most basic rules of human society."
"It's not saying you have to return what you snatched, but... but that an object has its own owner."
"Owner?"
Wrath's Soul Fire flared up.
"Only the Lord Ruler is qualified to say such things!"
Hearing this, Lloyd quickly added:
"Yes! Yes! General! With your strength, you can naturally become the owner of anything!"
"But... but if you snatch a piece of bread, the original owner of the bread will go hungry, and he will resent you."
"If everyone were like you, where the strong can snatch things from the weak at will..."
"Then the entire society would collapse. No one would produce bread because it would just get snatched anyway. In the end, everyone starves to death together..."
Rosen and Lloyd took turns speaking, trying to use the simplest logic to explain this complex rule of human society.
They dared not say this rule applies to you too, General, so they could only beat around the bush describing the function of the rule.
This was the experience they had summarized over these days.
When facing these noble Generals, you couldn't tell them what they should do.
Instead, you had to say what benefit doing so brings to the Lord Ruler.
Wrath's Soul Fire flickered uncertainly, seemingly trying to understand this convoluted logic.
This sounded... like it made a little bit of sense.
Just as Wrath's Soul Fire subsided slightly and Rosen and Lloyd were about to breathe a sigh of relief...
A mocking voice came from the doorway.
"Hmph. Foolish. Unable to comprehend even such simple reasoning."
"I hope your empty skull won't bring trouble to the Lord Ruler in the future because you forgot this common sense."
The General of Punishment, Pride, was leaning against the door frame.
He didn't have classes today; he was just passing by but happened to overhear this lesson.
Wrath's Soul Fire instantly turned from crimson to deep red.
"Pride!"
He stood up abruptly, the chair beneath him crushed into splinters by his violent aura.
"Naturally, I won't bring trouble to the Lord. But right now, I want to bring a little trouble to you."
Pride straightened up from the door frame and walked slowly into the room.
"Oh? With just you?"
Pride clenched his bony hand, and the hideous bone-cleaving greatsword condensed into form.
"The Lord isn't here. I am invincible."
"You seek death!"
Wrath stomped his right foot heavily.
The ground cracked instantly. A skeletal warhorse burning with Soul Fire neighed and burst out from the shadows underground.
He mounted the horse, his lance pointing remotely at Pride's skull.
The death energy inside the wooden cabin boiled instantly.
Rosen and Lloyd huddled in the corner like two quails waiting to be slaughtered.
At this moment of swords drawn and bows bent.
"In the entire territory, you guys are the loudest!"
"I ask you to learn some knowledge, and it's either wind or rain with you two!"
The moment the voice rang out, the aura of Wrath and Pride—enough to destroy a small town—vanished instantly like a popped balloon.
They turned simultaneously and knelt on one knee, their movements perfectly synchronized.
"Lord Ruler!"
"Lord Ruler!"
Kaito stood at the door, looking at the messy room and the two human instructors in the corner about to faint from fright. He felt his Soul Fire throbbing.
Kaito felt that, as the Lord, it was necessary to let his Generals understand what "Discipline" meant more profoundly.
Kaito didn't say another word.
He walked in, ignoring the two Generals kneeling on the ground.
He reached out with both hands, grabbing one in each hand—like picking up chicks—grabbing Wrath by the back of the neck bone and Pride by the spine.
The two Tier 3 powerhouses offered zero resistance in Kaito's hands.
Not that they couldn't, but that they dared not.
The Lord's will was absolute truth.
Even if that will was to wipe them out completely.
"Lord Ruler?"
"My Lord..."
Confusion filled the Soul Fire of both Wrath and Pride.
Kaito didn't explain.
He carried the two Generals out of the wooden cabin and walked straight to the farmland that had just undergone re-education.
The Safety Officer supervising the work, and all the skeletons laboring, stopped their movements and silently paid attention to their supreme Monarch.
Kaito walked up next to the "Radish Skeleton."
He let go, dropping the two Generals on the ground.
Then, Kaito got to work personally.
His finger bones acted like the sharpest drills, quickly digging two deep holes in the ground.
Dimensions and depth were exactly the same as the one next to them.
Then, Kaito took Wrath and Pride, who hadn't reacted yet, and planted them in one by one.
Buried. Tamped solid.
All in one go.
Having done all this, Kaito clapped his hands.
Under the sun, three skeletal heads stuck out of the ground side by side, forming a unique scenic line.
On the far left was the Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier with a peaceful face, continuing to watch the clouds.
In the middle was Wrath, whose Soul Fire burned violently, his face written with It's all your fault.
On the far right was Pride, whose Soul Fire flickered uncertainly, seemingly engaging in some profound introspection.
Kaito looked at his masterpiece and nodded with satisfaction.
He turned and ordered the Safety Officer, whose bones were trembling in fear.
"Watch them. Before the sun sets, if anyone dares to climb out on their own, break his legs and bury him back in."
"Gah!"
The Safety Officer's Soul Fire was so excited it almost jumped out.
An order to guard two Generals given by the Lord personally!
What trust and glory this was!
It immediately walked in front of the three "radishes," puffed out its chest, and entered the highest state of alert.
Having dealt with all this, Kaito turned and left.
Managing a newborn empire was truly exhausting.
He needed to return to his Imperial Palace, lie in his coffin, and have some peace and quiet.
After Kaito left, the field ridge fell into a brief tranquility.
The Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier on the far left turned its head, looked at Wrath next to it, then looked at Pride on the other side.
It emitted a friendly Gah.
As if saying hello.
Hi, new neighbors.
Wrath's Soul Fire whipped toward it, responding:
"Hmph. Hello."
Pride's Soul Fire also flickered, responding similarly:
"Hmph. Hello."
Then, the heads of the two Generals turned toward each other simultaneously.
"Who told you to copy me!"
"I was responding to a colleague's greeting; what does it have to do with you? You, on the other hand, are so rude, lacking any demeanor of a General."
"Who are you calling rude! Believe it or not, I'll burn your skull with my Soul Fire right now!"
"You can try. It would be a good opportunity to verify whether your Soul Fire burns me first, or I crush your pitiful soul first."
"You..."
The Tier 1 Skeleton Soldier on the far left completely ignored the bickering of the two big shots beside it.
It looked up, watching the clouds drifting across the sky.
It discovered that being buried in the dirt... actually felt pretty nice.
Very cozy.
Just a little bit... embarrassing for a skeleton.