Lucas woke to the sound of whispers.
They weren't real voices—not exactly. More like echoes of something that had once been voices, now reduced to wordless murmurs that seemed to emanate from the very stones of the Dark Crypt. He opened his eyes to find himself still in the courtyard, his back against the cold wall, his body stiff and aching from sleeping in armor and blood-stained clothes.
The crimson sun hung in the same position as before, offering no clue as to how long he'd slept. Time felt broken here, elastic and unreliable.
He stood slowly, joints popping, and found Selena standing at the edge of the courtyard, staring out through the iron gates into the fog beyond. She hadn't moved from that spot, as far as Lucas could tell—standing perfectly still like a statue carved from pale marble, her crimson eyes fixed on something he couldn't see.
"You don't sleep," Lucas said. It wasn't a question.
"I haven't needed sleep in a very long time," Selena replied without turning. "Though I confess, I sometimes miss it. Dreams were... interesting." She finally looked at him, her gaze traveling over his disheveled appearance with mild amusement. "You, however, clearly needed the rest. You look marginally less terrible than you did last night."
Lucas ignored the comment and checked his interface. The resources had regenerated somewhat overnight—death energy in particular had grown significantly, now sitting at 142 units. Wood and stone remained at zero, but that was expected. They'd need to actively gather those.
"We should start building," Lucas said, dismissing the interface. "Summon some units. Get the infrastructure running."
"Agreed," Selena said, finally turning away from the gates. "But first, you need to address your... presentation." She gestured at his torn, blood-crusted clothing. "You are a Lord now, Lucas. Whether you like it or not, image matters. Your units will follow you, yes—they have no choice in that. But respect? Loyalty beyond the system's compulsion? That must be earned. And it begins with looking like someone worth following."
Lucas looked down at himself. She had a point. He looked like a survivor of a massacre, which wasn't entirely inaccurate.
"The system provided basic supplies in the starter pack," Selena continued. "Including, if memory serves, a change of clothes. Perhaps take advantage of that before we begin raising an army of the damned, yes?"
Twenty minutes later, Lucas returned to the courtyard wearing the spare clothes from his starter pack—simple but functional. Black trousers, a dark gray shirt, and a leather vest that offered minimal protection but at least wasn't shredded. He'd also managed to clean most of the blood off using water from a barrel the system had provided.
The Frost Blade—the sword he'd taken from the corrupted knight—now hung at his hip in a makeshift scabbard he'd fashioned from rope and leather. It was crude, but it worked.
Selena nodded approvingly. "Better. You almost look like a proper warlord now." She walked to the center of the courtyard where a stone platform had risen from the ground overnight—some function of the lair that Lucas hadn't triggered consciously. "This is a summoning circle. Basic function of any military lair. Channel your death energy through it, select your units, and the system will handle the rest."
Lucas approached the circle. It was perhaps ten feet in diameter, carved with those same writhing runes that covered everything in this place. When he stepped onto it, the runes flared to life with cold blue light, and his interface expanded, showing the unit recruitment menu in greater detail.
He had 142 death energy to work with. Not enough for the elite units—those Death Knights and Blood Moon Archers were far too expensive. But he could afford basic troops.
"Start with zombies," Selena advised, reading over his shoulder. "They're terrible fighters, but they can gather resources. We need wood and stone before we can expand properly."
Lucas selected five Zombie Laborers. The cost—25 death energy and 10 food—was deducted immediately. The summoning circle blazed brighter, and the ground at its center began to crack and split.
What emerged was disturbing.
They clawed their way up from beneath the stone, five humanoid shapes that had clearly been dead for some time. Their flesh was gray and rotting, hanging loose on skeletal frames. They wore the tattered remains of peasant clothing—rough tunics and breeches that were more hole than fabric. Their eyes glowed with that same sickly yellow light Lucas had seen in the corrupted wanderers, but these creatures were different. These were bound to him. He could feel it—a connection, faint but present, like a thread linking his mind to theirs.
[5 Zombie Laborers summoned]
[Total units: 5]
The zombies stood motionless, awaiting orders. They made no sound, showed no initiative. They were tools, nothing more.
"They're not smart," Selena said, wrinkling her nose slightly at the smell of decay. "But they're tireless and surprisingly strong. Point them at a forest and they'll chop wood until there's nothing left standing. Just don't expect them to defend themselves if something attacks."
Lucas issued mental commands—something that came surprisingly naturally through that thread connecting him to his units. Three zombies would gather wood from the twisted trees beyond the walls. Two would search for stone in the ruins surrounding his territory.
The zombies shambled off without complaint, moving with that characteristic awkward gait of the animated dead.
"Now," Selena said, "you need defenders. Warriors. Something that can actually fight when the inevitable attacks come."
Lucas checked his remaining resources. 117 death energy. He could afford ten Skeleton Warriors—they cost 10 death energy each plus wood and stone he didn't have yet. Or he could wait, gather more resources, save for something better.
"Don't overthink it," Selena said, reading his hesitation. "You need bodies between you and whatever comes through those gates. Quantity has a quality all its own, as they say."
Lucas made his decision. He'd summon five Skeleton Warriors now, keep the rest of his death energy in reserve for emergencies.
The summoning circle flared again. This time, what emerged was different from the zombies. Skeletons—actual animated skeletons—pulled themselves up from the stone. They were faster than the zombies, moving with jerky but coordinated motion. Each wore rusted armor and carried a notched sword and wooden shield. Their eye sockets glowed with cold blue fire, and unlike the zombies, they seemed to possess at least rudimentary intelligence.
[5 Skeleton Warriors summoned]
[Total units: 10]
The skeletons formed a line without being ordered, standing at attention like proper soldiers. Lucas felt the connection to them as well—stronger than with the zombies. These units could actually think, at least on a basic level.
"Better," Selena said approvingly. She walked along the line of skeletons, inspecting them like a general reviewing troops. "Weak individually, but they don't tire, don't feel fear, and don't question orders. They'll hold a position until destroyed or commanded otherwise." She stopped in front of one skeleton and tilted her head. "They're also completely worthless against holy magic or blessed weapons, but that's a problem for later."
Lucas studied his small army. Ten units. Pathetic compared to what he'd eventually need, but it was a start.
[System Announcement]
[Protection Period Status: 6 days, 14 hours remaining]
[Warning: First Monster Wave will commence immediately after Protection Period ends]
[Current Monster Wave Difficulty: MODERATE]
[Recommendation: Prepare defenses and expand your army]
Six and a half days. Lucas filed that information away. Not much time, but enough if he worked efficiently.
"The zombies will take hours to gather meaningful resources," Selena said, apparently also reading the system announcement. "In the meantime, we should continue scouting. Map the territory, eliminate threats, gather more soul fragments." Her eyes gleamed with that predatory light. "And perhaps find some neighbors to visit."
"Other Lords?" Lucas asked.
"Of course. You saw how panicked they were when we arrived. Most will be huddling in their pitiful wooden forts, praying to gods that can't hear them." Selena's smile was cold. "Some may have resources worth taking. Others may be... persuaded... to serve. And a few—the weak ones who built in poor locations—will simply be eliminated."
Lucas considered this. The system had mentioned inter-Lord warfare would be enabled after the protection period. But Selena was suggesting starting early.
"We can't attack them directly," Lucas said. "The protection prevents that."
"True," Selena agreed. "But the protection only extends to direct violence between Lords. It says nothing about claiming territory they've abandoned. Nothing about stealing resources they've left unguarded. Nothing about... encouraging... them to make poor decisions." Her smile widened. "Politics and manipulation, my dear Lucas. Far more effective than simple slaughter, though admittedly less satisfying."
Before Lucas could respond, one of his zombies—one of the ones sent to gather wood—suddenly vanished from his awareness. The connection severed like a cut string.
[Unit Lost: Zombie Laborer]
[Cause: Combat]
Lucas's attention snapped to the direction the zombie had gone. Something had killed it. Something in his territory.
"Finally," Selena said, her shadow blade materializing in her hand. "Something interesting."
They found the zombie's remains a quarter-mile from the crypt, torn apart and scattered across the gray earth. Whatever had killed it was still nearby—Lucas could hear it moving through the fog, something large and heavy, breathing in wet, labored gasps.
The skeletons had followed them, forming a defensive perimeter. They stood ready, weapons raised, awaiting orders.
The creature emerged from the fog like a nightmare given form.
It was massive—easily eight feet tall and half as wide. Its body was a grotesque patchwork of different corpses stitched together with what looked like barbed wire. Three arms, two heads, legs of mismatched length. Both heads had their mouths sewn shut with thick black thread, but sounds still escaped—muffled screams and moans of rage.
[Flesh Amalgam - Level 15]
[Type: Undead Abomination]
[Threat Level: HIGH]
[Warning: This creature is significantly stronger than you]
The amalgam spotted them and charged, moving with horrifying speed for something so large and malformed.
"Skeletons, engage!" Lucas ordered through their mental link. "Surround and strike from multiple angles. I'll draw its attention."
The skeletons obeyed instantly, spreading out in a semicircle. Lucas moved forward, the Frost Blade cold in his hand, and the amalgam focused on him—the nearest threat, the living thing it desperately wanted to destroy.
It swung one massive arm. Lucas ducked under it, feeling the wind of its passage, and slashed at its leg. The Frost Blade bit deep, and ice spread from the wound, but the creature barely slowed. It swung again with a different arm, and this time Lucas wasn't fast enough.
The impact sent him flying. He hit the ground hard, rolled, came up with stars dancing in his vision and his ribs screaming. The amalgam was already charging again, both heads shrieking through sewn mouths.
Then Selena struck.
She appeared from the fog like a ghost, her shadow blade singing through the air. She severed one of the creature's arms at the shoulder, black ichor spraying. The amalgam howled and turned toward her, and that gave the skeletons their opening.
They swarmed it from all sides, hacking at legs, stabbing at its back. Individually weak, but together they were death by a thousand cuts. The amalgam thrashed, crushing one skeleton into fragments, but the others pressed on without fear or hesitation.
Lucas recovered and rejoined the fight. He aimed for joints, for structural weak points, using the Frost Blade's magic to slow and weaken the creature's movements. Selena danced around it like a shadow, striking vital points whenever the amalgam's attention shifted.
The fight lasted three brutal minutes. When it finally fell, the amalgam collapsed into a pile of stitched-together corpses that immediately began dissolving into black smoke.
[Flesh Amalgam defeated]
[Soul Fragment (Rare) obtained]
[Death Energy +50]
[Experience gained]
[You have reached Level 6]
Lucas stood among the remains, breathing hard, his ribs aching where he'd been hit. One skeleton had been destroyed completely. The others stood ready, awaiting further orders, completely unbothered by their fallen comrade.
"Interesting," Selena said, examining the dissolving corpse. "That thing was created, not natural. Someone—or something—is making these abominations." She looked at Lucas. "Which means there's a source nearby. Perhaps a corrupted necromancer. Perhaps something worse."
Lucas wiped black ichor from his blade. "Can we handle it?"
"Not yet," Selena admitted. "Not with our current forces. But soon." She smiled, fangs gleaming. "Very soon, we'll be strong enough to hunt whatever created that monstrosity. And when we find it..." She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.
They returned to the Dark Crypt to find the other zombies had successfully gathered resources. Small piles of wood and stone now sat in the courtyard—not much, but enough to begin expanding.
Lucas checked his interface:
[Resources:]
Wood: 45
Stone: 28
Death Energy: 167
Soul Fragments (Minor): 23
Soul Fragments (Common): 8
Soul Fragments (Uncommon): 1
Soul Fragments (Rare): 1
It was time to grow stronger.
Time to build an empire.
And time to show this world what a true Lord of Death could accomplish.