The Dark Crypt hummed with dark energy as Lucas stood before the summoning circle, weighing his options. His resources had grown steadily throughout the day as his zombie laborers worked tirelessly in the fog-shrouded wasteland. Wood and stone accumulated in neat piles along the courtyard walls, and his death energy reserves had swelled from passive regeneration and the occasional corrupted creature that wandered too close to his territory.
Selena lounged against one of the courtyard pillars, watching him with those ancient crimson eyes. She'd been mostly silent for the past hour, content to observe as Lucas familiarized himself with the various functions of his lair. Occasionally she'd offer a comment or correction, but for the most part she seemed genuinely curious to see what decisions he'd make without her guidance.
"You're hesitating," she finally said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Why?"
Lucas gestured at the interface only he could see. "I have enough resources to summon more basic units. Ten more skeleton warriors, maybe fifteen if I push it. Or I could invest in infrastructure—build defenses, upgrade the lair itself, unlock new facilities." He paused, considering. "Or I save everything and aim for one of the elite units. A Death Knight or Blood Moon Archer."
"And which option calls to you?" Selena asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"All of them. None of them." Lucas closed the interface with a thought. "I keep thinking about that flesh amalgam. Level fifteen, and it nearly killed me even with you and the skeletons helping. If something like that shows up during the monster wave..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear.
Selena pushed off from the pillar and walked toward him, her movements fluid and predatory. "You're thinking like someone who wants to survive, Lucas. That's... disappointing." She stopped directly in front of him, close enough that he could see the inhuman patterns in her crimson irises. "I thought you wanted to win."
"Winning requires surviving first."
"Does it?" Selena tilted her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "The greatest conquerors in history didn't win by playing defensively. They won by taking risks that terrified their enemies. By being unpredictable. By striking when and where they shouldn't have been able to strike at all." She turned away, her wine-dark hair flowing behind her like liquid shadow. "But perhaps I misjudged you. Perhaps you're content to build a modest little kingdom and hope the world passes you by."
Lucas felt a flash of irritation—which was exactly what she wanted, he realized. Selena was needling him, testing him, seeing if he'd rise to the bait.
He surprised her by laughing instead.
"That's not going to work," he said. "I'm not some insecure lord who needs to prove himself to his vampire queen."
Selena glanced back at him, and for just a moment, genuine respect flickered across her features. "Good. You have more sense than I gave you credit for." She walked back to him, this time her expression serious. "But I'm not entirely wrong, am I? You are hesitating. And hesitation in war is death."
Lucas was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right. I am hesitating." He looked at the piles of resources, then at the four remaining skeleton warriors standing guard at the gates. "I'm trying to optimize. Trying to find the perfect path forward. But there is no perfect path, is there?"
"No," Selena agreed. "There's only the path you choose and the consequences that follow." She gestured at the summoning circle. "So choose, my Lord. And live with what comes after."
Lucas made his decision.
He spent half his resources on infrastructure and half on units, refusing to commit entirely to either extreme. First, he upgraded the Dark Crypt itself, feeding death energy and materials into the lair's core systems. The walls grew thicker, rising another five feet and sprouting wicked iron spikes along their tops. The gates reinforced themselves with additional layers of black metal. And most importantly, a new structure emerged in the northeastern corner of the courtyard—a barracks of sorts, though it looked more like a mausoleum than any normal military building.
[Dark Crypt upgraded to Level 2]
[New facility unlocked: Graveyard Barracks]
[Unit training speed increased by 25%]
[Death energy generation increased to +8 per hour]
[New construction options available]
The Graveyard Barracks would allow him to house and maintain larger numbers of units without cluttering the main courtyard. More importantly, units stationed there would slowly regenerate damage over time—not true healing, since undead didn't heal in the traditional sense, but a gradual reassembly of broken bones and torn flesh.
With his remaining resources, Lucas summoned eight more skeleton warriors and two ghoul scouts. The skeletons joined their four remaining brothers at the gates, forming a more respectable defensive force. The ghouls were different—faster, more bestial, with elongated limbs and mouths full of jagged teeth. They didn't stand at attention like the skeletons. Instead they prowled restlessly around the perimeter, their enhanced senses constantly scanning for threats.
[Total Units: 19]
[8 Skeleton Warriors, 4 Zombie Laborers, 2 Ghoul Scouts]
[Remaining Resources: Wood 12, Stone 7, Death Energy 89]
"Better," Selena said, examining the expanded forces. "Not impressive by any means, but better. The ghouls especially—they'll give you advance warning if anything tries to sneak up on your territory." She walked over to one of the ghouls and ran her fingers through its matted fur. The creature didn't react beyond a low growl that might have been contentment. "These were always my favorites. Loyal, vicious, and just intelligent enough to understand complex orders without developing inconvenient moral compunctions."
Lucas was about to respond when one of his ghouls suddenly went rigid, its head snapping toward the western edge of his territory. Through their mental connection, he felt a spike of... not quite alarm, but heightened attention. Something was approaching. Multiple somethings.
"We have company," he said, already moving toward the western wall.
Selena's smile was sharp. "How delightful."
They found the source of the disturbance twenty minutes later—a group of humans, five of them, picking their way through the fog-shrouded ruins at the edge of Lucas's claimed territory. They moved cautiously, weapons drawn, clearly nervous about what might be lurking in the shadows.
They were other Lords, Lucas realized. He could see the telltale shimmer of system interfaces around them, and each carried themselves with the awkward uncertainty of people thrust into combat situations they weren't prepared for.
"Don't engage," Lucas ordered his units through the mental link. The skeletons he'd brought as an escort froze in place, becoming indistinguishable from the many other bones and remains scattered throughout the ruins. "Let's see what they want first."
He and Selena moved closer, staying concealed in the fog. From this distance, Lucas could make out more details about the group. Three men, two women, all probably in their twenties or thirties. They wore a mismatched collection of starter gear and scavenged equipment. One of the men—tall, with dark hair and nervous eyes—seemed to be their leader.
"...should be around here somewhere," the man was saying, consulting some kind of interface map. "The system said there was a high-level territory in this sector. Maybe they'll trade with us."
"Or maybe they'll kill us and take our stuff," one of the women said. She was short, muscular, with her hair tied back in a practical ponytail. Her hand never strayed far from the sword at her hip. "We don't know anything about whoever claimed this place."
"That's why we're here to talk," the leader insisted. "Look, we're struggling. All of us. Barely enough resources to feed ourselves, let alone build proper defenses. But if we can establish trade relationships with stronger Lords..." He trailed off, but the hope in his voice was obvious.
"Weak," Selena whispered, her voice barely audible even to Lucas standing right beside her. "Desperate and weak. They've already accepted their position as lesser powers." She glanced at Lucas. "What will you do?"
Lucas considered his options. He could attack—five frightened Lords would be easy prey, especially with Selena's help. Their deaths would yield soul fragments and possibly useful equipment. Or he could send them away, avoid the complication entirely. Or...
"I'll talk to them," he decided.
Selena's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Interesting. And what will you say?"
"I don't know yet." Lucas stepped out of the fog before she could respond, making his presence known. Behind him, four skeleton warriors emerged as well, their bones rattling softly in the unnatural stillness.
The five Lords nearly jumped out of their skins. Weapons came up immediately, and for a tense moment Lucas thought they might actually attack. But then the leader—to his credit—managed to regain some composure.
"Wait!" he called out, holding up one hand. "We're not here to fight. We're just... we're looking for the Lord of this territory. To talk."
Lucas stopped about twenty feet away, close enough to converse but far enough to react if they tried anything hostile. The skeletons fanned out slightly behind him, a subtle reminder of the force he could bring to bear.
"You found him," Lucas said simply. "What do you want?"
The leader swallowed hard, his eyes darting between Lucas and the undead warriors. "My name is David Chen. These are..." He gestured at his companions. "It doesn't matter. We're from the territories to the west. We've been trying to survive since we arrived in this place, but it's... it's harder than we thought."
"And?" Lucas prompted when David hesitated.
"And we saw the system announcements. Your achievements. First to reach Level Five. First to kill fifty enemies. You're strong, or at least stronger than us." David took a breath. "We're hoping to establish a trade agreement. We have some resources—not much, but enough to be worth something. And in exchange, we'd like... protection, I guess. Or at least for you to not attack us when the protection period ends."
Lucas studied the group carefully. They were scared but trying to hide it. Desperate but attempting to maintain dignity. They reminded him of soldiers he'd known in his previous life—people thrust into situations beyond their control, doing whatever they could to survive another day.
Part of him—a small, distant part that still remembered what it felt like to care about such things—pitied them.
The rest of him saw only opportunity.
"Protection," Lucas repeated slowly. "You want me to protect you."
"Not actively," David clarified quickly. "Just... a non-aggression pact. Maybe occasionally trade resources. We're not asking you to fight our battles or anything like that. We just..." He deflated slightly. "We just don't want to die when the monster waves start. And we definitely don't want to die to other Lords once PvP enables."
Lucas was silent for a long moment. Behind him, he felt Selena's presence—a cold pressure that seemed to be waiting for his decision with predatory interest.
"I'll consider it," Lucas said finally. "But I need information first. How many Lords are in your group? What territories do you control? What resources can you actually offer?"
Relief flooded David's face. "There's seven of us total. Five here plus two guarding our main settlement. We've mostly built wooden forts, nothing special. As for resources..." He pulled up his interface and shared some data. "We have food mostly. Some wood and stone, but we've been using most of it for basic construction. Nothing like what you must have."
Lucas examined the shared information. They weren't lying—their collective resources were barely enough to keep themselves fed and their basic structures maintained. In military terms, they were a liability more than an asset.
But liabilities could be useful too, if leveraged correctly.
"I'll make you an offer," Lucas said. "Not trade. Not protection. Employment."
David blinked. "I... what?"
"Your group swears loyalty to me. Your territories become subsidiary settlements under my banner. You gather resources and send them to me, and in exchange, I provide military protection and guarantee your survival." Lucas kept his voice flat, businesslike. "You become part of my territory. Vassals, essentially."
The five Lords looked at each other, clearly shaken by the proposal. The muscular woman spoke up. "That's not trade. That's conquest."
"No," Lucas corrected. "Conquest would be killing you and taking your territories by force. This is an offer of employment with survival as the benefit package." He gestured at the ruins around them. "You've been here what, two days? Three? You're already struggling. What happens when the first monster wave hits? What happens when stronger Lords decide your resources are worth taking?"
He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "I'm offering you a chance to survive under someone who's actually capable of thriving in this world. Your alternative is to continue as you are and hope you get lucky. How do you like those odds?"
The group was silent. Lucas could see the calculation happening behind their eyes—weighing pride against pragmatism, freedom against survival.
Finally, David spoke. "Can we... can we discuss this with our group first? The other two Lords, I mean. They should have a say."
"You have until tomorrow," Lucas said. "Come back here at this time with your answer. If you agree, we'll formalize the arrangement. If not..." He shrugged. "Then you'll have to find some other way to survive."
The group left quickly after that, disappearing back into the fog. Lucas watched them go, then turned to find Selena regarding him with an unreadable expression.
"Bold," she said finally. "Very bold. You're already building a power base, and we're not even through the protection period."
"They'll accept," Lucas said with certainty. "They're too scared not to."
Selena's smile was approving and slightly terrifying. "Yes, I believe they will. And when they do, you'll have your first vassals. The first stones in the foundation of your empire." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to something almost intimate. "I'm beginning to think I chose my Lord very well indeed."
Lucas didn't respond to that. He was already planning his next moves, calculating how to leverage this new advantage, thinking three steps ahead.
The game was only just beginning, and he had every intention of winning.