The rest of the night passed in relative peace. When morning came, Alaric slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a glowing blue screen floating in front of him:
---
[First Night Survived]
[Quest Completed]
[Reward: 100 XP]
---
After reading the message, faint noises drifted from the kitchen. Curious, Alaric followed the sound. To his surprise, his mother had woken up earlier than everyone else and was already preparing breakfast. Without hesitation, Alaric joined her, lending his hands to the task. By the time the meal was ready, the others had woken as well.
Once they had eaten, Alaric glanced at his parents and Mason. His voice carried a firm resolve:
"If we stay here, our food will run out. I'll head into town with my zombies. I'll check on the situation, and if there are survivors, I'll help them."
His family and Mason immediately tried to dissuade him. But when they saw the determination burning in his eyes, words died on their tongues. It was Mason who finally broke the silence:
"Then I'll come with you."
Alaric considered this for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Fine. Stay close to me."
They prepared quickly, and soon the two of them left the safety of the cottage. Once outside the fence, Alaric summoned his controlled zombies to march ahead. With the undead leading the way, the two young men followed behind as they made their way toward town.
When they arrived, the sight was harrowing: the town was in ruins, the streets awash with blood, corpses, and endless shambling figures. Alaric commanded his zombies forward, carving a path through small groups of the undead, two or three at a time, while he and Mason advanced cautiously.
It wasn't long before another blue screen appeared before him:
---
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
(Lv. 3 → Lv. 4)
[Maximum Control Limit +1]
[You have gained +2 Random Stat Points!]
---
Without hesitation, Alaric seized control of another zombie from the street, bringing his total to four. He then opened his status window:
---
[Name: Alaric Dawson]
[Class: Zombie Emperor (Epic)]
[Level: 0/500]
[Skill: Zombie Control (Lv. 1) — Control Limit: 4]
[Stats]
• Strength: 7
• Endurance: 7
• Agility: 7
• Intelligence: 9
• Willpower: 7
[Controlled zombies inherit 50% of your stats.]
[Unused Stat Points: 2]
---
Alaric decided to hold onto his new stat points for now. With his undead vanguard, he and Mason pressed on until they reached a small market.
At Alaric's command, one zombie pushed open the locked door. Theree of his minions shuffled inside to scout. Within moments, Alaric realized the store housed more than twenty zombies.
"Kill them all," he ordered coldly.
Three minutes later, the groaning ceased. The store fell silent, save for the wet sounds of blood dripping from the lifeless corpses. Alaric and Mason entered cautiously. The interior was a mess of gore and shattered shelves—but, to their surprise, many supplies still remained untouched.
Near the back, Alaric noticed a locked door. He approached, Mason close at his side, and twisted the handle. Locked. He raised his voice:
"Is anyone in there?"
A faint, trembling reply came almost instantly.
"I-I'm here!"
The door cracked open, revealing the wide eyes of a young girl. She froze, her gaze locking first on Alaric—then shifting to the four zombies looming silently behind him. With a gasp, she slammed the door shut again.
"Wait!" Alaric called out quickly. "Don't be afraid. They won't harm you. I control them."
There was hesitation, then the door opened once more. Slowly, the girl stepped out, realizing the zombies truly were motionless. Recognition flickered across Mason's face—and then Alaric's.
"Emily…?"
She was indeed the same Emily who had attended elementary and middle school with them. She had always been bright, graceful—and now, even in this nightmare, she hadn't lost her beauty.
"What happened here?" Alaric asked.
Emily's voice shook as she explained:
"I came to get food. Then suddenly… people started attacking each other. Everyone turned into… into those things. I panicked and locked myself in the back room."
Alaric nodded slowly, then asked the most important question:
"What profession do you have?"
Emily's eyes met his, and for the first time, there was a spark of pride in her tone.
"I'm a Priest. Epic class. My ability lets me grant buffs to others."
Alaric's lips curled into a small smile. That was useful—very useful.
"Good," he said simply. Then his gaze swept across the shelves filled with food.
"How do we carry all this back?"
The answer came to him immediately. He didn't need to. His zombies could.