《Global Lord: Lord of The Crimson Throne》 Chapter 1 In a dark room, the only thing proving it to be a tiny bedroom is the light from a brightly lit computer screen. Seated before the screen was a skinny man, seemingly no older than 25, though his rugged appearance made it hard to tell. The man stared at the screen with such intensity that most people would believe he had won huge amounts of money. Though, that is nowhere near correct. ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Why is the thesis still unfinished!?¡± All the sudden the man jumped out of his chair and started grumbling, almost seething. ¡°Fine, I need to eat either way.¡± He slowly left the room whilst grumbling under his breath. Looking closer at the screen, there was a thesis consisting of hundreds of pages on the military formations used by the Qin Dynasty and why they were so successful. In just a matter of minutes the man entered the room again, but this time turning on the light. Still grumbling, he sat down at the computer again, though this time with a bowl of ramen noodles in hand. This scrawny and rugged man was Atlas. A dropout of the major Harvard University, that is now living off food stamps. Few would expect that beneath his rugged exterior was a seldom-seen genius, one whose brilliance had never once worked in his favor. Atlas soon began eating his ramen as he put on a YouTube documentary about the ancient Roman Empire. Through the documentary, there came times when he argued with the screen about inaccuracies in it. Even though there were times he got annoyed at the inaccurate facts, he still got to the end of it. Though just as he was about to finish his bowl, his consciousness began slipping slowly but surely. The entire world spinning around him, not seeming to be able to make out sound thoughts except wondering in disbelief. ¡®What¡¯s happening?!¡¯ In just a few seconds his body slumped over the desk and his consciousness just barely hanging on. ¡°Why¡­ can¡¯t anything ever work for me?!¡± Desperation clinging to his mind as he thought about his life. ¡°Everyone¡­ calls me a genius¡­ so why¡­ why can¡¯t I do anything?¡± His chest tightened and tears slowly seeped out of his eyes. ¡°If¡­ only¡­ I was born in another time¡­ I could¡¯ve been¡­ more...¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Was the last thing Atlas though before his life left his body. What he didn¡¯t know was that he wasn¡¯t special. Everyone on his world, aged between 15 to 80 suddenly died right where they were. Leaving the cities and homes almost barren, with more than 80% of the population dead. Not only did it happen to earth, but it also happened to worlds and entire universes beyond the milky way. The next time Atlas regained some form of consciousness, his soul would have jumped out of his body, that is if he had one. Darkness, pure and absolute, no sight, no sound, no touch, only the void. Panic surged. Was he blind? Dead? He quickly sharpened up at his fear, thinking he had become blind or something. Before he had time to think about anything, a small blue box with text inside appeared right before his eyes. ¡®A hologram?¡¯ Was the first thing he thought of when he saw it, he is not wrong though as it does resemble an advanced hologram to detail. [ Welcome ] [Are you ready to pick your Major Source Star?] [Yes/No] It looked like something out of a game, and he couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the text either. For a small amount of time, Atlas fell into desperation and fear. Though he still steeled himself and decided to go with the flow, he would find out in the end. In that short time, he found out he had no body or anything, he could look around and all, but there was nothing there except pure darkness. As he had no body to click it, he thought about interacting with it and accepting. And just as he thought, it changed. [Choose Major Source Star] [Chosen: 0/1] [Awaiting selection¡­] ¡®So, I have to pick one of what?¡¯ Before he could react, the void split open. The void turned and writhed fiercely until his entire field of view was filled to the brim with lights. The magnificent view stunned him as he stared at the sea of star like lights filled everything around him. He would never be able to count it as it was well up in trillions or quadrillions of stars. He realized, for the first time, that he was nothing. Not a genius. Not a failure. Just a flicker, one of countless souls before this endless sea of light. ¡®I just got to pick one?¡¯ ¡®Are some better or what?¡¯ He questioned himself as he stared wide eyed at the magnificent view. To his surprise, the text in front of his eyes changed again. [It will determine your being] Was all it showed before it went back to the same screen about waiting for selection. Atlas was stunned as he thought about the meaning of the answer. ¡®Like our existence? Or what does it mean?¡¯ ¡°What if I pick wrong? What if I end up as something bad¡­ or worse?¡± Seeing him not getting an answer, he decided to just choose one like it told him. He would have to see the consequences later. ¡®Do I really have to do this without knowing?¡¯ Looking around awed, he felt insignificant as he tried to pick a star. ¡®Are the brighter ones better?¡¯ ¡®No, there is no way it works like that.¡¯ ¡®But what if?¡¯ Finally snapping after wavering for some time. ¡®Fuck it!¡¯ Atlas voiced as he randomly decided for one of the quadrillions of stars. As the selection was complete a sense of relief washed over him, or it might have been regret. ¡®Anyway, there is no turning back now.¡¯ [Choose Major Source Star] [Chosen: 1/1] [Selection complete] The text changed and it showed complete for a second before changing again to his dismay. [Choose Minor Source Star] [Chosen 0/1] [Awaiting Selection¡­] This time, he tried to ask about it again but got no answer or even reaction from it. The stars had not changed at all, and they all sat there, their presence commanding him. If the first one was what kind of being he was going to be, then this had to be important as well. ¡®I really can¡¯t afford to pick something bad.¡¯ Atlas swallowed his doubts, he had no choice but to go forward. He lamented before succumbing to the pressure and deciding on a bright star very far away. [Choose Minor Source Star] [Chosen 1/1] [Complete] [Major Source Star has altered your Minor Source Star.] The notification left him perplexed, was that supposed to happen? Atlas went against his beliefs again and went with the flow instead. He could feel his consciousness fading again as new text appeared. [Welcome to the Realm of Sovereigns] [Lords Shall Rise or Perish] [Command. Expand. Rule] [Your Throne Awaits] The words burned into his mind as the darkness took him once more. Chapter 2 Atlas eyes snapped open. A cold, suffocating stillness pressed down on him. The ground beneath him was cracked and dry with barely any semblance of soil, more like hardened clay. Steadily, he pushed himself up, his hands scraping on the rugged and brittle surface. The sting didn¡¯t even register as his gaze swept across the surroundings. ¡°Fuck!¡± The words burst out but did nothing to ease the storm within. Regret, nervousness, horror and anger all surged inside him like a torrential wave. He tried to steady himself, but it was useless. He stood there, rooted in place, taking in the landscape for what felt like an eternity. Sparse patches of gray-green grass clung to life among withered trees, jagged boulders, and scattered bones, some far too large to be human. ¡®A fucking wasteland!?¡¯ Before he could dwell on it further, his nose was assaulted by a stench, a pungent, vile, like rot marinated in death. He staggered, nearly doubling over to retch. His stomach twisted, but his body adapted unnaturally fast. Within seconds, the smell dulled to a faint, lingering discomfort. Relief began to creep in that is until he looked down. His skin was pale, almost grayish, with long black nails curving slightly at the tips. He felt taller, his limbs leaner, yet stronger. ¡®Right¡­ my being.¡¯ The memory of the source star selection struck him like a hammer. His chest tightened, he had a rough idea of what he had become but he needed to be sure. As the thought formed, a strange sensation washed over him like reality shifting to answer his call. A blood red screen appeared Infront, the same type of screen as in his memories. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the screen, both at the 3d image of himself, but also lots of rows of text. Though the text was of secondary concern as his eyes were glued onto the man on the image. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ His chest tightened, but as his eyes lingered on the image, he couldn¡¯t deny¡­ he looked good. Pale skin, lean but strong and there was an elegance to the predatory form. Compared to himself from earth, there was not even any competition. For the first time in his life, he felt¡­ powerful. Dangerous His thoughts began turning in a weird direction, so he switched his attention. [Zareth (Set Lord Title)] [Race: Vampire (Noble)[?] ] [Power: Stone ¡ï] [Territory: Set Territory Name[?] ] [Lord Talent: Bloodforged Empire[?] ] Understanding what little he could of it, with his brain he could guess and predict what everything meant by just remembering the words seared into his brain. ¡®I am a Noble Vampire¡­ And I have a new name.¡¯ Thinking about it for some time was all he needed to adapt. ¡®This is for the better, I finally have a new chance!¡¯ You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. His thoughts started to race as he thought of the endless possibilities. ¡®But what exactly is this Power?¡¯ Zareth directed the question towards the system hoping for clarity. It had given him pointers before, maybe it would again. A familiar, mechanical response echoed in his mind. [Power represents your rank along the Path of Power.] ¡®Path of Power? What is that?¡¯ [The Path of Power reflects an individual''s strength and growth.] [Advancement is commonly achieved through: Killing, Training.] [Alternative methods may exist depending on circumstances.] [As a Lord, you gain 10% of the energy accumulated by your subordinates.] [Energy is the essence required to advance in rank.] [Each rank advancement results in a significant increase in strength and overall capabilities.] [Ranks are as follows:] [Ordinary ¡ú Stone, Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire, Mithril, Obsidian, Adamantite, Diamond, Celestial, Divine, Transcendent] [Each rank is divided into 3 stages:] [¡ï - Initial Stage] [¡ï¡ï - Intermediate Stage] [¡ï¡ï¡ï - Peak Stage] Feeling that he had finally understood the main part of the place he had been transported to, he sighed. He understood it was a strength-based society, where the strong prosper and the weak die. Deciding to understand everything it showed him, he interacted with the race, Lord Talent, and Territory. [Noble Vampire] [Race Traits] [Regeneration - The vampire can regenerate if there is enough blood] [Blood Pool - Able to store immense amounts of blood in their body. Increases with power] [Night Crawler - Strength increased by 100% during nighttime] [Sanguine Arcana - Grants mastery over blood magic, uses blood as a medium to cast spells] [Swarmform - Can turn into a swarm of bats. Usage cost blood] [Crimson Thralls - Able to create and control lesser undead. Depends on Casters power and the being¡¯s power before death] [Crimson Sire - Grants the ability to turn willing creatures into lesser vampires with the lord¡¯s bloodline] Looking over his racial traits, a grin began to tug at his lips, this was good, better than he dared hope. Regeneration¡­ blood magic¡­ the power to create thralls and spawn vampires. This wasn¡¯t just a new life, this was a chance to build something. ¡®Looks like it was a pretty good pick.¡¯ He lamented about if someone would have been able to pick something like a slime or something. Shivering at the thought of it, he tried to open the next part but was stopped. [Set territory name] Thinking deeply about it, this was going to be his future so it couldn¡¯t be something stupid and had to fit. ¡®Crimson Keep¡¯ He finally thought of a fitting name for his territory that would represent him. Happy with the name, he scanned the information about his territory. [Territory] [Crimson Keep] [Rank: Ordinary] [Size: Tiny Camp] [Resources: Wood:0, Stone:0, Cores:0] [Population: 0] [Buildings: 0] [2 buildings awaiting placement] Everything was easy to understand, so he quickly thought of something. Looking around he saw a reddish curtain covering some area around him. ¡®Inside this must be my territory right now.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s really not much.¡¯ He sarcastically laughed at the tiny area before voicing out to the system. ¡®What buildings do I need to place?¡¯ [Buildings in need of placement] [Lord¡¯s Shelter: The core of the territory and the lord¡¯s personal area] [Blood Altar: Used to summon subjects at intervals] ¡®Pretty easy to understand, I will have to go over the summoning building later.¡¯ Looking around him he chooses the Lord¡¯s Shelter and placed it in the northernmost area. Seeing a timer appear in the system of ten minutes, he directly places the Blood Altar next to the shelter. Both buildings when waiting for the timer, was covered in a black and red eerie fog, probably until the construction was done. ¡®To kill time, I will check the last things.¡¯ ¡®It sounds like a powerful talent, but I can¡¯t get my hopes up.¡¯ Zareth interacts with his lord talent and sees all the information [Lord Talent] [Bloodforged Empire ¨C Diamond ¡ï¡ï¡ï] [The Strong Prosper - Can use the blood of creatures as a substitute for resources in the territory] [Blood Tribute ¨C Subjects and conquered lands offer blood as a tribute] [Blood Is Power - The more blood absorbed the stronger the lord becomes] [Crimson Rebirth - Fallen family members can be revived by the lord blood] Reading all this gave Zareth some things to think about. Diamond, his eyes lingered on the rank, it was high, very high. Each trait read like a promise of power, blood fueling his empire, his strength growing with every drop. Just by seeing all the effects of it, he was sure it would be of great use later down the line, but also now. Looking over at the timer for the buildings and seeing it still not done, a thought struck him. Zareth looked over at the reddish barrier covering his small territory and moved over to it. Slowly but surely, he reached out with his pale hand ready to touch it, but it went right through. Taking a few more steps, he arrived outside of it and felt no difference, so he made his way back to the buildings covered in red and black fog. ¡®What is the meaning of the red barrier?¡¯ [The Novice Lord Protection Barrier will be up for a maximum of one month] [Under the barrier no monster or enemy will be able to enter or attack you inside] ¡®Oh, thank you!¡¯ Thinking of having some time where he was safe, to understand this new place was a lifesaver for him. [The lords can choose to deduct time of the Novice Lord Protection barrier for a reward] [The more they shorten it the better the reward] ¡®A reward this early in the game would be a lifesaver, but is it really worth removing the safety?¡¯ Mulling it over he came to a conclusion as he remembered a quote from a famous general of his country. ¡°Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash¡± General George Patton Safety was a luxury. Growth was a necessity. ¡®Fifteen days¡­ That should be enough. Anything more was wasting time.¡¯ ¡®Half the Novice Lord Protection time.¡¯ He held his breath as even though it was somewhat calculated, it still made him uneasy [Ding, Claim the reward.] Chapter 3 Zareth stared at the text before deciding to hold off on claiming the reward. Stabilizing the territory came first, surviving came first. He would check it out after stabilizing and better understanding his territory. Looking over at the buildings under construction, there was only a few seconds left. ¡®Let¡¯s check this out first.¡¯ [Ding!] [Construction Complete] [Ding!] [Construction Complete] Two loud notifications sounded right after each other as he stared at the swiftly dissipating fog. ¡°Really?¡± He muttered to no one, whatever expectations he had were crushed to ashes the moment he laid eyes on the buildings. The Lord¡¯s Shelter was¡­ sad. A black stone stool beneath a sagging leather roof, held up by four brittle sticks, something a child might throw together and call a fort, if that child hated comfort. ¡®That¡¯s underwhelming¡­¡¯ Suppressing his sigh, he checked the system screen. [Lords Shelter] [Rank: Ordinary] [Upgrade Requirements] [10 Wood, 10 Stone, 1 Stone Core] [Functions] [Lord¡¯s Rest - Enhances the lord¡¯s recovery speed by 5% while within the territory.] ¡®Simple and easy to understand, but how is materials measured? It just says 10?¡¯ [Units represent standardized resource measurements] Hearing the answer made him speechless, he didn¡¯t get an answer at all. At least not what he was looking for, the only way to find out is to gather some. ¡®Great help you were.¡¯ Scoffing at the system he moved his eyes over to the tiny cup on a black stone pedestal. Looking at the small altar, it looks like it might break if someone touches it. With cracks running all along and pieces chipped away from corners, it fully matched the shelter in his opinion. Suppressing a sigh, he checked its information. [Blood Altar] [Rank: Ordinary] [Upgrade Requirements] [10 Wood, 10 Stone, 1 Stone Cores, Lord¡¯s Shelter ¨C Stone ¡ï] [Functions] [Can summon 2 subjects by offering a blood sacrifice] [Notes] [Max summoned rank equivalent to building rank] [Summon Reset ¨C Resets at dusk each day.] [Summoned Subjects ¨C Primarily aligned with the Lord¡¯s race and affinity, but variations may occur] The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Higher quality blood increases the chance of summoning stronger subjects] Reading it all thoroughly so he could understand everything, he found it increasingly interesting. It also lit a fire in his heart, being able to have followers and someday build an army. Deciding to make the summons right away, he walked up to the dilapidated altar before hesitating a small second staring at the palm of his hand. Using his sharp nails, he slashed it and poured the sparkling dark red blood, filling the cup. [Summoning Subjects] The blood started fizzling and whirling around before a small crack appeared in the ground just a bit away from him. Taking a fast step back, the crack increased in size before it became wide enough to fit a person. Zareth froze at the sound. A faint, wet scraping echoed from the crack, before he could react, a hand lurched up gripping the edge, rotten flesh hanging loosely with bone peeking through gaps. The stench hit him like a wave. He knew what it was before the rest followed. A corpse, twisted and decayed, dragged itself into view. Greenish skin stretched over bulging black veins, chunks of flesh missing, eyes sunken and clouded. Rags clung to its withered frame, barely a reminder it was once human. A zombie. Before he could gather his thoughts, another hand clawed its way up. A second one was coming. ¡®It¡¯s weird.¡¯ Zareth thought he would expect himself to be completely appalled and maybe wretch at the appearance and smell of them, but nothing of sort happened. In his past life he would probably have fainted already, though he can¡¯t compare his weak human self to what he is now. And now, it weirdly felt familiar to him, like something you smell at home. Taking in appearance of them, they stood quietly waiting for some sort of command. [Zombie] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Stone ¡ï] [Profession: None] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] [Zombie] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Ordinary] [Profession: None] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] ¡®Potential?¡¯ [Max power the subject can achieve] ¡®It really doesn¡¯t like to waste its breath.¡¯ Snickering to himself he thought of that interesting mechanic. ¡®So not everyone can achieve great things.¡¯ Then something hit him, he quickly checked his stats. [Zareth (Set Title)] [Race: Vampire (Noble)] [?] [Power: Stone ¡ï] [Territory: Crimson Keep] [?] [Lord Talent: Bloodforged Empire] [?] Just as he remembered, there is no potential in his stats. Before his thoughts could drift any further, the all considerate system showed up again. [Lords have unlimited potential] At least he got a real answer this time, and it was a pleasant surprise. ¡®In my last life, I could never become anything, and here I can become everything!¡¯ he smiled then looked at his name. ¡®Set title?¡¯ A sudden idea popped into his head, and he quickly decided on his title. ¡®Set title to Lord of The Crimson Throne.¡¯ Something unique and fitting to him, he though. ¡®Though, I only have a shitty stool right now¡­¡¯ [Title Set] Going back to the zombies, he told them to wait there as he turned around and scanned his territory. There were a few trees here and there within the small barrier and the same with rocks, so in all honesty, there was nothing stopping him from gathering a few materials within safety. Though life never works as expected. ¡®How am I or them supposed to fucking gather it?¡¯ Cursing at the realization, he glanced at the zombies'' empty hands ¡®No axes, no pickaxes, no gathering equipment.¡¯ ¡®What am I supposed to do now then?¡¯ This time, something interesting happened, the system told him something without him asking for it. [Check the other tabs] ¡®huh?¡¯ ¡®What other tabs?¡¯ Going back to his stats, he found three extra tabs. There is no way he would have missed them, or maybe he had. [Forum] [Trade] [Event] Two of the tabs were interactable but the event tab was greyed out, but what he found most interesting was the forum tab. Opening it he was assaulted by text scrolling by faster than his eyes could catch up. Thinking about it stopping, it did so, and he could read a bunch of the text. [Miraeth ¨C Lord of The Whispering Vale: How are we supposed to survive here! It¡¯s impossible!] [Avelis ¨C Lady of Sunfire Haven: I¡¯m a Rothchild, whoever can get me home will get everything I have!] [Kaelith ¨C Lord of the Ebon Crest: Anyone know of any way home! I¡¯m scared!] [Eryndel ¨C Lady of the Twilight Glade: Oh shut up! If we knew, we wouldn¡¯t be here still!] Looking at all the messages Zareth understood something. He wasn¡¯t the only one here, from the looks of it, these people were also from earth. Though he differed from most of them in one specific way. ¡®Why would I want to go home?¡¯ While they all clung to the past, desperate to return, he felt nothing. No longing, no sadness, only hunger. This world offered him everything he had never been, power, potential, freedom. Home? Why would he ever want to go back? He had no desire to go home at all, and this thought furthered his acceptance of the new him. A Noble Vampire with crazy strong ambition. Finding nothing interesting there, he moved onto the trading tab. [Seller: Kragmire ¨C Warden of the Ashen Depths] [Offer: 10 Units of wood] [Seeking: Food] [Notes: I¡¯m starving, please help!] [Seller: Varnok ¨C Lord of Ironhowl Bastion] [Offer: 20 Units of Stone] [Seeking: 10 Units of Wood] [Notes: Willing to negotiate. Urgent need.] Skimming through the trade tab, he found tons of different postings, some begging for food, others looking to have a steady stream of resources. ¡®I can get equipment here!¡¯ Feeling ecstatic that his problem was resolved a new thought hit him. ¡®What do I trade with¡­¡¯ Looking around, he has nothing from what he can see, so he decided to try something out. He looked at the zombies and gave them an order. ¡°Go grab all the stones you can carry from within the barrier and bring them to the Lord¡¯ Shelter.¡± Watching his undead stumble into motion, he could only hope it would work, because if it didn¡¯t, survival might be near impossible. Chapter 4 Sitting down on the stool in his shelter, he watched as the two zombies arrived with two big rocks and dropped them at his feet. He signaled for them to wait, his heart was in his throat as he nervously opened the territory panel. [Crimson Keep] [Rank: Ordinary] [Size: Tiny Camp] [Resources] [Wood:0, Stone:1, Cores:0] [Population: 2] [Buildings: 2] [Lords Shelter, Blood Altar] ¡°Yes!¡± Zareth stood up and exclaimed in relief as he saw the difference. His heart returned to his chest where it was supposed to be, and the anxiousness in his limbs released. He quickly ordered the zombies to bring all the stones within the barrier to him. All of a sudden, a loud notification sounded, and a large text appeared in front of him. [Lord of The Emberhold has been the first to advance his territory to Stone ¡ï] ¡°What!?¡± Exclaiming out loud in surprise. Staring at the notification left a bad taste in his mouth. It was almost as if he could taste dirt. ¡°I am struggling to survive, and he has already advanced!?¡± A sour expression stayed on his face for some time before he ultimately came to a conclusion. ¡®He may be first now, but I will make sure I¡¯m above them all!¡¯ ¡®Just you wait.¡¯ After shaking off the bad feeling he went back to what he was doing. ¡®Now, let¡¯s figure out this new body of mine.¡¯ Anticipation slowly built up within him as he stood up and walked out to a flat area. ¡®A normal workout routine should give me a rough understanding.¡¯ Starting with a small sprint, he rushed as fast as possible to the nearest withered tree. Within a second he arrived and almost slammed right into it, unable to handle his speed. ¡®What the fuck!¡¯ Staring at where he started, his mind drifted off to the fantasy movies he watched on earth. He was way above even the fastest men on earth, not letting his excitement and surprise stop him, he did the next exercises until failure. Pushups came first, he hit 300 before his arms even burned, sit-ups followed, 250 without a pause. Then, testing his legs he jumped, soaring over two meters with ease, it was beyond human. He had never felt this achieved before, something nobody on earth could ever hope to do, he had just done easily. Last was the most important test. Zareth walked up to a thick withered tree. ¡®It won¡¯t hurt, it won¡¯t hurt, it won¡¯t hurt.¡¯ He kept telling himself, as his mind still somewhat stopped him from hitting the trunk of the tree. Without thinking too much, he hit it with all his might. ¡°Crack!¡± With a loud crunch, splinters were sent flying, and he removed his fist. Staring at the tree in disbelief, the image of the fist print on the surface of the tree would stay with him for a long time. ¡®This power is enough to kill a normal human¡­¡¯ Thinking back to his old self, he felt nothing but gratitude for whatever brought him here. ¡®Just crushing the ones who go against me.¡¯ A sinister smile flashed on his face but disappeared just as fast. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Before long he looked at his fist and saw that it was a bit bruised but didn¡¯t hurt. He then remembered his racial trait, trying to activate it mentally he could feel blood pumping through his hand and the bruises disappeared within seconds. ¡®It feels like I have done a short sprint.¡¯ Feeling his stamina taking a small hit, and becoming a tiny bit tired was all because he used a portion of his blood to heal. Seeing the potential in this trait, his smile was wider than it had ever been today. After becoming somewhat familiar with himself, he checked the territory panel again. [Crimson Keep] [Rank: Ordinary] [Size: Tiny Camp] [Resources] [Wood:0, Stone:14, Cores:0] [Population: 2] [Buildings: 2] ¡®If I¡¯m lucky I can get one of the equipment¡¯s.¡¯ Lamenting over the little resources, he looked over at the waddling zombies. Still carrying big rocks and dropping them off before starting again. By looking at the pile of rocks before his shelter, he could roughly understand what a unit was. ¡®I should be able to get around 20 more from inside the barrier.¡¯ Scanning the area one last time before opening the trade tab. Seeing no one selling equipment, he put up an order. [Trader: Zareth ¨C Crimson Throne Lord] [Offering: 14 Stone] [Seeking: Axe | Pickaxe] [Notes: Either will suffice] Satisfied with his order, he closed the panel and checked on the zombies¡¯ progress ¡®They only follow orders until another order is given, huh.¡¯ The zombies moved with mechanical precision, blank eyes staring ahead as they hauled stone after stone. He spent some time going around and gathering the bigger stones that the zombies couldn¡¯t carry. After several trips back and forth, a crisp notification broke the silence. [Ding] [Order has been completed] [Do you wish to claim] ¡®Yes.¡¯ The crude stone axe materialized at his feet, rough and simple, yet o Zareth it was worth more than gold. He let out a breath he had no idea he was holding and thought about how it just appeared. ¡®No reason to overthink it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not like I can understand either way.¡¯ He handed the axe to one of the zombies and ordered it to chop down the few trees within his territory. The movement of the zombie was sluggish and inaccurate, but still, it was chopping down a tree. He hadn¡¯t thought of it until now, but he could see something with a striking resemblance to the sun going down across the horizon. And within just a few minutes as he watched the zombies work, the surroundings darkened. Expecting it to be hard to see, he found he could see just as good as before, if not even better. Right then, he felt power gushing through his limbs at an incredible speed. ¡®This should be the other trait.¡¯ He clenched his fist and felt the power rushing through it. ¡®hahaha, I could do double of what I did before!¡¯ Zareth was reveling in the sense of power that surged within him. Before he could try something out, he heard a loud bang a bit further from him. Looking over he could see something moving about at the barrier, so he got closer to check it out. Not without bringing his two zombies. Arriving, he saw something that resembled a wolf. A gaunt, hairless wolf-like beast, skin cracked and oozing black ichor, with glowing red eyes and elongated fangs. ¡°Hmm, what should we do with you?¡± [Blightfang Hound] [Power: Stone ¡ï] [Traits] [Pack Hunters: They stalk in groups of 3-5.] [Blight Bite: Their bite inflicts a minor infection that saps stamina.] [Unnatural Speed: Faster than zombies, capable of quick lunges.] [Notes] [Once loyal hunting dogs, warped into predatory pack hunters by the necrotic fog. Their hunger is endless, their bodies driven by rot and madness.] Looking at its information, he could see it was one rank higher than the zombies, but the same rank as him. ¡®Hunt in packs¡­ The others can¡¯t be too far away, better get this done quick.¡¯ Closing in but still within the safety of his territory, Zareth looked around to see if there was anything else close. ¡°Well, of course we have to welcome you!¡± Staring at the rabid beast, Zareth¡¯s whole face twisted into a sinister smile at the thought of his first kill. Taking the axe from the zombie he barked orders with the same grotesque facial expression. ¡°Restrain it for me!¡± Zareth¡¯s adrenaline was at an all-time high, he was sweating with excitement as he watched the zombies approach the barrier. The zombies exited the barrier and the mad hound that had been pounding the barrier for some time lunged at the first zombie it could. Quickly biting onto its arm and violently shaking, trying to tear it apart. The bite did quite a lot of damage, but both zombies rushed at it and grabbed it. All three are now locked in a biting and thrashing competition. ¡®Looks like you can¡¯t just oversee their rank.¡¯ Zareth concluded as he saw the zombies were on the losing end. Even though the hound had wounds over its body, the zombies were still in way worse shape. One of them had lost their arm, and the other had a deep puncture through its stomach. ¡®Let¡¯s not keep our guest waiting for long!¡¯ Clenching the axe, he sprinted at the hound from behind. With his axe held high, he swung down at its neck with all his might. The sound of the axe piercing flesh could be heard as the hound yelped. ¡°Keep him stuck!¡± The hound thrashed around as if it felt the danger, trying to break free with all its might. Unfortunately, zombies are quite resilient. The second axe swing cut through a third of its thick neck, blackish blood tainted the axe, ground and even Zareth. The thrashing got even more intense, as it desperately tried to find a way out. Before it had time to do that, another heavy swing hit its neck. The axe bit into flesh with a sickening crunch, vibrating through his hands. Warm, black blood splattered his face, and its guttural yelp turned into a wet gurgle The hound stopped thrashing and started twitching instead. ¡°Let it go.¡± It collapsed onto the ground, covered in its own blood, but also the blood of his zombies. As the hound collapsed in a pool of black ichor, a sick joy coiled in Zareth¡¯s chest, the thrill of dominance, the power to end life As the final blow severed the hound¡¯s neck, Zareth stood over the corpse, breathless. His heart pounded, not from exertion, but from triumph. He had won, He had taken a life, and it felt good A joy he knew was not normal, but why should he care. This is him now, he thought as he stared at the head of the hound. It barely hung on to a bit of fur as it finally stopped twitching. [Ding] [Killed a Blightfang Hound] Glancing at the notification before turning to look at the zombies. The damage was severe, one zombie dragged its stump where an arm used to be, while the other leaked black ichor from its torn gut. They were barely half as effective as before, if that. ¡®They won¡¯t suffice. Can they heal? Or will I need to replace them?¡¯ The thought stirred unease, resources were scarce, and weak troops meant death. ¡°Drag it back to the lords shelter.¡± Staring at his bloodstained hands, he wonders. ¡®Is this really who I am now?¡¯ ¡®Or is this who I have always been?¡¯ Shaking his head and following closely behind the zombies. ¡®This is who I will be!¡¯ Remember his reward for shortening the time of Novice Lord Protection Barrier. ¡®Maybe I can get something more useful than these zombies.¡¯ ¡®They are basically useless in another fight.¡¯ ¡°Claim the reward!¡± [Ding] Chapter 5 The familiar chime of the system rang out, and Zareth¡¯s heartbeat quickened. His whole body tensed with anticipation, this reward could be exactly what he needed to fix his current predicament. [You have gained a summoning cooldown reset scroll] Reading the message, he could already guess its function. There was a flicker of disappointment, it wasn¡¯t anything rare, but the usefulness outweighed that feeling. ¡®This is exactly what I need right now. Those two broken zombies won¡¯t cut it anymore.¡¯ A slightly weathered scroll materialized in his hand. [Summoning Override Scroll (4) (Rare)] [Effect ¨C Allows an immediate summoning of 4 subjects, ignoring daily reset. Scroll consumed upon use] [Rip to use] Zareth studied the description with satisfaction. Without wasting a second, he stepped toward the altar and tore the scroll in half. The image of his battered zombies crossed his mind, one dragging a stump where its arm should be, the other spilling ichor with every step. They were as good as done. Nothing seemed to happen immediately, but he knew what came next. He used his nails and sliced a deep line across his palm. Warm, rose-colored blood dripped down his fingers, pooling into the altar¡¯s cup. His jaw tightened at the familiar sting, but the pain barely registered, he¡¯d heal it soon enough. ¡®This time, I¡¯m ready.¡¯ Zareth let out a quiet, self-deprecating chuckle as he braced himself, eyes locked on the ground, waiting for the first crack to appear. His anticipation building for each second it took for it to appear, and within a couple of seconds the ground cracked. Slowly expanding he heard the same scraping sound as last time, and within a few seconds, two zombies had crawled out. ¡®Even if it¡¯s just more zombies, it¡¯ll still be a relief¡­ but I need more.¡¯ He ordered them to step to the side for the next two subjects to appear. Soon another hand grabbed the ledge, even though it was the same decayed hand, there was something special. ¡®A pickaxe?¡¯ Zareth exclaimed as the zombie dragged its body above ground, not having time to study it, another hand appeared, this one also special. It gripped a broken and splintered wooden club in its decaying hand. As all four zombies stood lined up, he checked their information. [Zombie] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Ordinary] [Profession: None] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] [Zombie] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Ordinary] [Profession: None] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®The exact same as before, huh.¡¯ They were a carbon copy of the now half crippled zombies in his territory, though the next two surprised him a bit. He first checked the zombie clutching a pickaxe. [Zombie Laborer] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Ordinary] [Profession: Miner] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] Still ordinary with the same potential, but it¡¯s got a profession. ¡®My first subject with a profession, and it¡¯s one of the most important ones right now.¡¯ Checking the notes for it, he found some interesting traits. [Dull Precision - Excels at repetitive tasks like mining and excavation, slightly increasing resource yield from stone and ores] [Blunt Endurance - Slightly increased resistance to blunt force but more vulnerable to slashing attacks] ¡®Nothing special but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ Checking the grunt, what seemed to be his first combat-oriented zombie. [Zombie Grunt] [Race: Lesser Undead] [Power: Ordinary] [Potential: Stone ¡ï] [Profession: Grunt] [Loyalty: 100 (Dead Loyal)] [Notes] [?] ¡®Stone Potential¡­ Again!¡¯ Zareth smiled slightly at the potential and profession of the zombie before checking its traits. [Sturdy Frame - Tougher than standard zombies, with slightly increased durability and resistance to physical damage] [Battle-Driven - Exhibits increased aggression in combat, making it less likely to falter under pressure] Again, nothing special but enough to put a big smile on the face of the vampire. With this, he felt like throwing away half his safety time might help him in the long run. Though it will still need extreme caution from his part, he has something to work with now. Giving the axe back to one of the new whole zombies without a profession he ordered them all to start gathering resources. The one with the axe focused on cutting down trees, and the two half crippled carried the tree chunks back to the shelter. The miner and the other two went to start gathering stones. As his new subjects shuffled to their tasks, Zareth let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding. For the first time in days, he felt a sliver of control, yet he knew better than to relax. The forest watched, and time was still his enemy. ¡®I need to try my other traits.¡¯ Just as he was about to check his traits again, he spotted the corpse of the Blightfang Hound. Walking up to it to inspect the gory mess it had become he was stunned by yet another notification from the system. [Do you wish to extract the loot] [Yes/No] Not even thinking a second about it he commanded. ¡°Extract!¡± Tiny lights flickered as the corpse crumbled, eerie and almost beautiful. And in its place the lights morphed into a few different things. Looking at all the things he opened its information. [Putrid Meat x5 (Basic)] [Zombies can slowly recover by eating] [Stone Core] [Tattered Dark Hide (Uncommon)] Looking at the loot sprawled across the ground, something caught his eye. A small round ball blazing weakly with a grey light. Looking at the system, he asked it directly this time. [Cores exist from all power ranks] [Condensed essence of a being¡¯s power before death] [Uses - Currency, Building Upgrades, Crafting Material] He tightened his grip on it and could feel the faintest thrum of energy flowing through it. ¡®So, these things are the foundation of progress¡­¡¯ ¡®Do I have one?¡¯ Puzzled by the information he received he questioned the system. [Yes] Sighing, he checked his trait. [Swarmform] [Can turn into a swarm of bats. Usage cost blood] ¡®It should be the same as the regeneration.¡¯ Imagening himself morphing into a bat, he felt his blood turning inside him. Not the way he expected though, in a split second his body burst into a cloud of blood. From the dens blood cloud appeared five small bats. Coal-like black body with deep blood red eyes and sharp claws. Zareth felt his vision change and he appeared above ground. Moving around slightly to get used to it, he soon found out he can control the other bats as well. Spending some time to adapt to it, he morphed back into his vampire form. ¡®This can be a lifesaving card!¡¯ His excitement faded fast, fatigue slammed into him like a hammer. His knees buckling as he clutched his heart, his expression grimaced with pain. After spending a couple of minutes recuperating, he could finally stand up again. To which he sighed. ¡®Had I known it would take that much blood, I would have waited!¡¯ Staring at the other trait about blood magic. ¡®I¡¯m not even going to try before ranking up.¡¯ A disheartened expression sunk on his face as he thought about the possible outcome. Looking over at the stack of resources, it had visibly increased, so much that Zareth felt he might be able to upgrade his shelter. ¡®If I upgrade my shelter, I can summon subjects who are at the Stone¡ï!¡¯ Remembering the overwhelming difference between his zombies and the hound they killed, he really wanted a higher ranked subordinate. [Crimson Keep] [Rank: Ordinary] [Size: Tiny Camp] [Resources] [Wood:22, Stone:35, Cores:1] [Stone Core:1] [Population: 2] [Buildings: 2] [Lords Shelter, Blood Altar] ¡®If I remember correctly, I needed 10 of each to upgrade.¡¯ [Do you wish to upgrade Lord¡¯s Shelter] ¡°Upgrade it!¡± Swiftly backing away from it, he saw the same spooky fog decent upon the shelter. Zareth then saw a portion of the resources gathered disappear. His heart ached at the loss of resources, but this was progress, needed costly progress. Seeing the timer of 1 hour, he checked the blood altar but found out he needed to gather one more Stone Core. A seemingly imperceptible smile appeared on his face at the thought he needed to fight again. Looking at the zombies waddling about delivering resources, and staring at his territory, he realized something. The barrier¡¯s resources would last maybe twenty more units, then he¡¯d be forced out. And he had to kill another Stone ranked monster before dusk next day. So, he might have a chance of directly summoning a strong unit. ¡®Can zombies fight with weapons?¡¯ A thought just struck him. ¡®Nah, they just bite and claw. Not worth buying them weapons they won¡¯t use. And I need all the resources I can get.¡¯ Staring at the timer he felt he needed to do something to waste time, and dawn had just arrived, the sun peeking in above the horizon. Strength drained from his limbs, and irritation twisted his pale, handsome features. ¡®Well, time to help these bastards gather the rest of the resources.¡¯