The 'Extra' Lord (Unlimited Plunder) - Chapter 64

You have plundered The Grinning Devil x1.

| Claimed materials: Summoning Tickets: 4x Warrior, 5x Hunters, 3x Knights, 1x General.

| Stats gained: 15 Strength, 20 Vitality, 5 Dexterity, Magic 20, Mana 10

| Skills gained —

Symbiotic Surge: Connect to a host and empower them with your Mana and Vitality, making them stronger. When the host dies, depending on how much damage the body has received, empower yourself.

Fragment gained — 

[Saint Aldria's Cross]

| Tier: Elite

| Type: Relic

| Description: This ancient cross once belonged to Saint Aldria, a legendary healer whose touch could mend even the most grievous of wounds. In her final moments, she poured all of her remaining power into this relic, leaving behind a one-time blessing capable of restoring life from the brink of death. After its use, the cross will crumble to dust, its power spent.

| Runes: Divine Restoration (one-time use)

First, Owen felt the stats take effect—a warm sensation he never got tired of. That feeling of growth, knowing he was getting stronger, was addictive. But the excitement he should have felt after defeating such a powerful monster was dimmed by what had happened with Claire.

They had survived, but they’d also lost.

The Summoning Tickets he’d earned were incredible. Knights were a tier above Warriors—more specialised and with stronger class evolutions. They also came with better starting stats.

Then there was the General. Generals were like a lesser version of Lords, but specialised in war. They could strengthen the troops under their command, boosting their morale or making them less likely to flee. A strong General could turn a good army into a terrifying force.

Before gaining Claire’s Lord Emblem, Owen had lacked that kind of commanding power. Unlimited Plunder was powerful, but it didn’t make his units stronger by itself. Some Lords had Emblems that could completely change the course of a battle just by entering the field.

Now, Owen had one too. All his troops who used blunt weapons were significantly stronger. It didn’t enhance him, since he fought with swords, but for Lome and the rest of his army, who would switch to clubs and hammers, it was an incredible asset.

I’ll make it count, Claire. Thank you, Owen thought, clenching his fists.

He’d read about different monsters, but summoning a random Lord from the Cursed Lands, dominating their mind, and forcing them to fight each other? It felt wrong. Too cruel. And with so little time having passed, not many had killed another human yet.

If Owen hadn’t pushed past his hesitation with the drakzun, could he have made the decision to face Claire? He wasn’t sure. And he didn’t want to know. 

Lai’s words echoed in his mind. You just have to keep going. For them.

Finally, there was the skill: Symbiotic Surge. Owen hesitated. Taking it felt... wrong. But he'd already crossed that line. The real question was: did he even need it? The ability to empower someone else, likely Lome, at the expense of his own strength—what good would that do?

He pondered it further. What if Lome breaking apart counted as a death? But Owen dismissed the thought. His System was clear. If Lome truly died, it would say so.

It was a gamble, no doubt.

Owen preferred passive skills, like Condensed Muscles. They levelled up continuously, always making progress. Unlike Swordsmanship, which required constant fighting, sparring, or training. He had only 12 skill slots—precious, limited. Wasting one on this, no matter how powerful, didn’t sit right with him.

After much thought, he decided against it. If Lome's next evolution allowed him to summon an undead—if he could become a Death Knight—then Lome could use the skill on his skeleton summon, gain strength as it died, and empower himself. That would be the perfect outcome.

Next, Owen summoned the Fragment. It appeared instantly: a small white cross, gilded in gold, no larger than his hand, stained with blood. Just holding it filled him with awe. He could feel its history, hear distant, heavenly chimes echoing in his mind.

He glanced at Pyris. With this, he could cleanse her of the corruption, restore her to full strength. But if someone was on death's door later, and he’d already used it… he would never forgive himself. With a sigh, he willed the cross back into his soul.

Owen rose, taking a deep breath.

"How's everyone doing?"

“Don’t have any mana left,” Gorath said, still standing, barely. “Need a rest.”

“We all do, my Lord,” Draed said, using his bow to prop him up.

Owen was in agreement. “Pyris? How’s the corruption?”

“I feel it flaring up,” She said, moving her collar to the side, showing veins of purple. “I can still move. Just can’t use my War Skills.”

So that’s what she calls her abilities, Owen thought. 

Owen nodded. “Lome,” he said to the skeleton warrior who was currently repairing himself near the door. “Give the door a good push, will you?” 

Lome listened and pushed the door. It groaned open. Owen sighed in relief. It was over.

Finally able to take in his surroundings, he noticed just how destructive their battle had been. Thunder marks marred the floor, or what was left of it, anyway. Most of the tiles had shattered, revealing broken rock beneath it. 

One of the stone pillars had shattered, crumbling to the floor. He didn’t want to be in this room any longer than he had to. With his stamina drawn, Owen stored the rest of Claire’s body with great struggle.

He did a final check of the room, just in case there was anything hidden. But there was nothing. The room was empty.  

With that done, he led everyone out of the room, and glanced over his shoulder. He took one last glance of the room, the blood stains on the shattered floor where he had ended Claire’s life. Then, he sighed and left. 

***

Up on the surface, Owen spotted at least twenty new figures standing in the sands, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty. These were Claire’s people—now, they were his. Once again, he had claimed another Lord's followers.

Pushing past the discomfort, Owen approached. Whether by the System's design or something deeper, every one of them looked at him with trepidation. As he drew closer, they all bowed, except for one. A bug-man hybrid stood defiant, his expression tight with resistance. He was struggling against the System’s hold—the force that demanded obedience from new Units.

Owen didn’t need to guess his strength. The System revealed it clearly: a 6-Star Warrior named Kilk. His long, braided hair fell down his back, and his legs, curved like a cricket's, hinted at his agility. In his spiked-knuckled hands, he wielded a clubbed weapon similar to his former Lord's.

Kilk's Class had already evolved. From Warrior to Leaping Striker, specialising in devastating jumping attacks that crushed enemies beneath his blows. He was powerful but wary, dragged into this chaos. One moment he had a master, and in the next, he was notified she was dead—and now he stood before a new one.

Owen explained everything to them, leaving out nothing. The details of Claire’s death, their new reality—everything.

As he finished, Kilk’s expression hardened. Only then did he kneel. “This one greets his new Lord.” His gaze locked onto Owen. “Did she die bravely?”

Owen stood tall, fists clenched behind his back, and nodded. “She died a warrior. She died a Lord.”

Kilk bit his lip, lowering his head in silence.

Owen stepped forward, drawing her weapon from his soul and offering it to Kilk. “Will you bear her weapon in her memory? I need a Warrior as powerful as you, Kilk.”

Eyes filled with resolve, Kilk took the weapon, his hands steady. “I will fight on for her memory, my Lord."

“That goes for all of you,” Owen said, eyes meeting every single new unit. “This is your new home now. I will fight for you, protect you. All that I ask is you do the same for me. Look to your left. Now to your right. They are your family.”

“My Lord!” 

The people shouted. 

And next, were the Summoning Tickets he had gained during the fight. Together with Claire’s units, that was a lot of mouths to feed, and bellies to fill with water. 

Bimpnottin wasn’t going to be happy.