Chapter 581: Inside the Muster Ground.

Thoren stopped in front of the Muster Ground’s massive gate, his eyes betraying no expression.

The gate itself was enormous, built from thick reinforced metal and backed by several layers of defensive structure.

Tall walls stretched in both directions until they disappeared into the distance with watchtowers standing at regular intervals along the perimeter.

This was the heart of Suncrest City’s military.

Hundreds of soldiers moved along the walls. Heavy weapons occupied several defensive positions, soldiers standing ready at their posts. Even in the middle of the current crisis, the military ground was quiet and in order.

It was as if the chaos was not happening in the same city as the Muster Ground.

In front of the gate stood several soldiers armed to the teeth, weapons already loaded. Their expressions grave as they stared at Thoren.

A few had their hands drift subconsciously toward the triggers.

They had all received the reports.

They knew what had happened in Glimmer District, how his undead had cut through the strange black creatures that had terrified both police and soldiers.

Now the man responsible for all of it stood directly in front of them.

Along the wall, hundreds more soldiers held their positions, eyes fixed on Thoren. Some were nervous, some curious, a few openly wary.

Against such an intimidating presence, an ordinary person might have felt fear. Unfortunately, Thoren was far from being ordinary.

To him, their weapons meant nothing to him.

He didn’t so much as glance at the barrels pointed at him as his expression remained unmoved. He had walked through the Bleeding Desert, fought beasts far more terrifying than any soldier here.

For several, the muster ground gate was still, quiet like a graveyard. Then, a young man stepped forward from the ranks.

His uniform was neat, his posture straight, though a trace of nervousness lingered in his eyes. He stopped a couple of feet from Thoren and offered a respectful salute.

"Young Master, welcome to the Muster Ground. How may I be of help to you?"

Thoren regarded him without any change in expression. "I’m investigating some matters, and I need to check this place." His voice was casual.

His gaze drifted briefly toward the soldiers on the wall before returning to the young man.

"I don’t think that will be any problem, right?"

The words were simple, carrying no overt threat, yet the soldiers within earshot tensed at that final word. Right?

It could only mean one thing: stop me, and you will bear the consequences.

Several soldiers swallowed hard, a few narrowing their eyes.

They were veterans who had survived countless battles, but here and now, they stood before a Necromancer commanding undead servants powerful enough to cut down creatures that ordinary weapons couldn’t touch.

A threat from such a figure could not be taken lightly.

As for the young soldier, he felt the pressure more than anyone. He held his respectful posture, though his palms had already gone sweating.

Staring at Thoren’s unreadable face, he thought, half in terror,

’Why do I feel like saying the wrong word might actually get me killed?’

He suppressed the shiver that ran through his spine and forced himself to calm down. There was no reason to provoke this man.

The orders had been clear.

Give him no trouble, cooperate fully.

Still, standing this close made following those orders far harder than he’d expected.

He took a breath and forced a smile. "Young Master, that won’t be any problem."

Stepping aside, he gestured toward the gate.

"Please follow me."

The soldiers near the entrance stepped aside at once.

Nobody tried to stop Thoren and no one dared to question him.

Worse, they did not even ask for identification.

The gate began to open, the heavy mechanisms clanking loudly across the compound as Thoren walked through as the soldiers watched in silence while some stayed tense until he’d fully passed.

Only once he had moved deeper into the base did the atmosphere around the gate begin to ease.

The young soldier followed a few steps behind, his heart still racing despite having handled the exchange well.

He’d never imagined a simple conversation could make him feel like his life hung by a thread.

Glancing at Thoren’s back, he noted the ordinary build, the absence of any visible weapon, the lack of overt killing intent.

Yet he couldn’t shake the sense that he was walking behind something dangerous, something capable of turning the entire Muster Ground upside down if provoked.

He looked forward again quickly, with no intention of testing that instinct.

"Young Master, where would you like to go first?"

Thoren didn’t answer immediately, his eyes sweeping across the compound.

Large buildings spread out in every direction. He saw training grounds, vehicle depots, and even communication centers.

Military personnel moved everywhere, some carrying equipment, others rushing between buildings with serious expressions.

Despite the chaos gripping the city, the Muster Ground was still fully operational.

Thoren let his perception spread outward, not aggressively, simply extending his senses through the surroundings.

He felt the presence of hundreds of people, then thousands, the sheer scale of the base larger than he’d expected.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

This was indeed the true military headquarters of Suncrest City.

Whoever wanted control of the city’s forces would need to control this place first.

He kept walking, his gaze moving from building to building. He wasn’t here to cause trouble, not yet. He was here to find the strange group that had appeared.

The young soldier walked beside him at a careful, respectful distance, noticing how Thoren’s eyes kept moving across the compound.

"Young Master, if there’s anything you need, please let me know."

Thoren finally looked at him. "Take me to your dormitory. Let’s start from there."

The young soldier froze for half a second, then nodded.

"Yes, Young Master." He changed direction at once.

As the two moved deeper into the Muster Ground, the soldiers along their path watched in silence.

While the soldiers had their eyes on him, Thoren also had his eyes on every one of them.