The abandoned village, once lifeless due to the monstrous outbreak in the Forbidden Mountain between the Empire and Castlevania, had now stirred back to activity. At its center, where a grand altar stood, a skeleton draped in a tattered robe sat at the edge of the dark water basin, his hands submerged as he read the floating system messages visible only to him.
The system had numerous capabilities, and within just five hours, he had grasped them all. His favorite feature was a chatroom with nearly a million online users.
"Where is this place?""I fell from a building, and now I've turned into an orc.""This place is crawling with strange monsters! Can someone help me?""I'm so confused by what's happening. Can anyone explain?""I was almost killed by a human! What's going on here?""I killed a human in self-defense. Does that make me a murderer? I had no choice!""Uh…""Uh…"
The flood of messages was overwhelming, but the information Hazard had gathered—combined with the system's explanations—confirmed that five thousand worlds had each been assigned a million Demon Kings of various races. The chat function likely connected the Demon Kings within each world. Another feature that captivated Hazard was the trading and exchange system between Demon Kings.
At the moment, the marketplace contained nothing but stone and wood at cheap prices. However, since these materials were readily available around him, he had no need to purchase them.
Just then, he felt a faint tremor in the ground, causing him to rise and assume a defensive stance. As the vibration grew closer, he finally saw its source. The ruined village lay in a valley, and its only entrance was a narrow passage where a black wolf-like creature stood. It bore a striking resemblance to a dog, making it difficult for Hazard to determine its exact nature—until the system came to his aid.
[Elite Hellhound, Rank 2]
Health: 50Strength: 25Agility: 40Mana (???): 5Stamina: 17Talent: Enhanced Sense of SmellSkills: Strong Claws (D), Powerful Jaws (D), Scouting (E), Wild Rage (E), Hunter's Instinct (F)
Terrifying. The creature resembled a wolf with short black fur, a grotesque face, and uneven fangs. It stood a meter tall and stretched three meters in length—a formidable opponent for the current Hazard.
[Status: Hazard]
Final Race: Demon Arc Lich KingLevel: 1Health: 100Strength: 30Agility: 20Dark Mana: 350Stamina: -Talent:Undead Resurrection: Allows the resurrection of dead creatures using Dark Mana, proportional to the strength of the deceased.
From a statistical standpoint, the Hellhound was far stronger than any undead unit he could summon. Its superior close-combat strength and agility sent a shiver through Hazard. Realizing the danger, he immediately summoned two demonic undead warriors.
"Demonic Undead (Basic)"
Level: 1 (Common)Health: 9Strength: 6Agility: 4Dark Mana: 0Stamina: -Cost: 5 Gold Coins
Two white skeletons with small horns protruding from their skulls emerged from the altar, bowing before Hazard. However, he had no time for formalities and quickly summoned another undead.
"Demonic Undead Swordsman"
Level: 2 (Common)Health: 20Strength: 12Agility: 7Dark Mana: 0Stamina: -Skill: Swordsmanship (F)Cost: 15 Gold Coins
As it materialized, the altar exuded a faint black aura. This undead resembled the others but had longer horns and wielded a half-meter-long rusty sword.
Hazard glanced at his remaining gold—only two coins left—but there was no other choice. The Hellhound fixated on a pile of three bloody corpses, clearly drawn in by the scent of blood. However, it moved cautiously, sensing a threat from both Hazard and the altar.
Realizing the creature's intelligence, Hazard knew this wouldn't be an easy battle. He couldn't afford to abandon his loot, but his mind wasn't that of a one-day-old undead—he still retained the memories of a forty-year-old human.
Strategizing quickly, he stepped back toward the altar, ordering the two basic undead to drag the corpses farther away. The Hellhound hesitated at this unexpected move. Such offerings were typically given to Hellhound packs by intelligent creatures to prevent conflict. Reassured, the Hellhound cautiously approached the corpses and began dragging them away—completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Hazard felt it—his connection to the corpses was faint but present, growing stronger the closer they were. Now, with the prey in the Hellhound's jaws, if he had a face, he would have been grinning wickedly.
[15 Mana Consumed]
The Hellhound growled, yanking the corpses—only to feel unexpected resistance. In the blink of an eye, the dead bodies moved, their motions defying the natural structure of their anatomy. They began gnawing at its limbs.
A thunderous snarl erupted from the beast as it thrashed violently, tearing at the corpses. But the undead did not relent. Even with shattered jaws, they continued biting. Even with broken fingers, they dug into its flesh.
For ten grueling seconds, the Hellhound fought off the undead clinging to its body—only to find itself in even greater peril.
Hazard, having successfully resurrected the three corpses as basic zombies, lunged at the weakened beast, wrapping his skeletal legs around its throat and pounding its skull with his fists and elbows. The assault continued, choking and pummeling the Hellhound.
With its prior wounds and the relentless blows, the creature's health dwindled to a mere nine points. The final blow came when the demonic undead swordsman arrived, delivering a clean slash across its throat.
[You have defeated Elite Hellhound, Rank 2. Reward: 87 Gold Coins]
Gold! Gold! Gold! The sound of coins being added to his inventory filled Hazard with delight. His glowing eyes fixated on the Hellhound's corpse as he reached toward it.
[Resurrection failed. The selected target's level is higher than the caster's.]
A painful notification that made Hazard scowl—but it was logical. If someone could resurrect legendary creatures at a low level, this ability would be completely broken.
After a moment, he ordered the basic undead to carry the Hellhound's corpse closer to the altar. As for the remains of the zombies? His plans grew more intriguing by the minute.
Hours passed, and by the time Hazard finished his preparations, the entrance of the village—nestled between the mountains—had become a deathtrap. The dismembered zombie corpses lay ten meters from the twenty-meter-wide passage. Two demonic undead archers stood in strategic positions, each guarded by a swordsman.
Hazard grinned at his creation. The hours he spent scouting for the perfect base had paid off. This abandoned village wasn't built here without reason.
Glancing at his remaining fourteen gold coins, he let out a sigh—if he could. A swordsman and two archers had drained his funds once again. The archers, similar in stature to the swordsmen, stood at 1.8 meters tall, with longer arms and thinner bones. Their crude wooden bows and low-quality arrows weren't impressive, but they were certainly better than throwing rocks.
Time flew, and though he felt no fatigue from lack of sleep, he marveled at the stars in the sky. A radiant celestial body, encircled by two glowing rings and three moons, illuminated the night.
The game had only just begun.