Seth didn't hesitate. He moved in, his body bursting forward with such speed that the High Goblin's eyes could barely track him. To the creature, his figure blurred, and panic flickered across its monstrous face as it realized it couldn't keep up.
Before the goblin could even lift its sword to defend, its head was already sailing through the air, severed in a single clean strike. A heartbeat later, Seth's blade flashed again, reducing the second body to pieces.
From the remains, two crystals tumbled free—one glowing blue, the other pulsing with a faint red light. Seth crouched down, his attention immediately caught by the unfamiliar hue. Without hesitation, he picked up the red crystal, curiosity sharpening his gaze. It was new to him, and new meant valuable.
[Skill Crystal] – This crystal holds an unknown E-tier skill. Absorb it to learn the skill.
Seth studied the description, frowning. The lack of information irritated him; he had no way of knowing what the skill actually was until after absorbing it. That kind of blind gamble wasn't his style. Pulling out his phone, he quickly searched for more details, unable to help himself from questioning how the internet was still working. Within minutes, he found his answer.
There was, in fact, a strict limit to how many skills a person could learn at each stage. Talent level didn't matter in this case; the rules were the same for everyone. At tier zero, an individual could only learn three skills in total. The cap increased by one with every tier advancement, meaning that conserving slots was just as important as the skills themselves.
Seth clicked his tongue softly. "Well, this would be a waste," he thought, setting the red crystal aside. His gaze shifted instead to the prize that mattered more—the tier two monster crystal resting in his hand. This one was worth far more, granting a full 100 XP per absorption, with the daily maximum raised to 10,000.
Sighing, Seth turned and began walking across the carpet of corpses that covered the ground. Each step squelched faintly against the remains, but he paid it no mind. His sharp gaze wandered toward the houses lining the street, where doors were creaking open and curtains were cautiously drawn aside. One by one, people stepped outside, their faces pale, eyes wide with shock at the carnage they had witnessed through their windows.
"Those who took the loot from my kills, I would expect you all to repay me for my losses," Seth said softly, his tone calm yet carrying a weight that made several people flinch.
Even in the middle of the slaughter, he had already grown accustomed to his Nexus Eyes. His perception had expanded into something constant and unbroken, a living map of the world around him. Every movement, every hidden action was tracked and recorded. He knew without doubt who had taken advantage of the chaos, snatching monster crystals while he fought. And with his supercomputer-like mind, he remembered every single detail, every single thief.
"But everyone should gather up. Hurry, before these guys return as undead," Seth said, his voice carrying enough weight to cut through the tension. He pointed toward a few younger men lingering nearby, motioning for them to run around and bring the rest together. They hesitated at first, but the authority in his tone pushed them into action.
Seth lowered himself onto a seat, his eyes scanning the group that was slowly forming. Most of them were older men whose bodies no longer allowed them to flee, or parents who had stayed behind because of their children. Among them were even a few children themselves, their frightened faces peeking out from behind protective arms. All of them looked uneasy, their wary gazes fixed on him. They had spent weeks watching the worst of humanity unfold through their phones—raids, betrayals, greed—and that memory lingered as they studied the man sitting before them.
"I have been asleep for the past seven weeks, so I need an update," Seth said calmly. His tone was steady, not threatening, just matter-of-fact. "I have no plans to kill you or anything like that. Instead, I want to create a camp where everyone can gather. It will benefit me, and it will benefit you all."
His words eased some of the tension, shoulders loosening slightly, but the doubt didn't vanish. Their eyes flicked toward the ground around him—still blanketed with the corpses of monsters. Trusting the man who had caused such carnage was not going to come easily.
It took close to thirty minutes, but eventually the streets filled with people. More than five hundred survivors gathered together, their numbers totaling 531. The group should have been larger, yet countless had already died, and many of the stronger or more fortunate had managed to escape long before. What remained were those without the ability to run—families with children, the elderly, ordinary people who simply had nowhere else to go, and also managed to save enough food.
Seth sat before them and began to speak, outlining his plans for the neighborhood with a calm, steady tone. He spoke of building order in the chaos, of creating a camp where people could live under protection instead of hiding in fear. His words carried weight not just because of his strength, but because of the battlefield of corpses around him—a reminder of what he could do if anyone doubted him.
To their relief, his demands were far lighter than expected. Seth declared that all monster crystals would belong to the people, while he would only collect a small fee as payment for his leadership and protection. Compared to the brutality they had seen others commit in the past weeks while becoming Overlords of a region, this sounded more than fair. Gratitude spread through the crowd, and voices murmured with relief. For now, at least, they were glad to have Seth as their backing.
As for those who had stolen what he hadn't given them? The solution was simple. Seth demanded a higher fee from them, a punishment meant to sting. Predictably, some tried to argue, raising their voices in protest. That was exactly what Seth wanted. Without hesitation, he cut them down where they stood, showing no mercy and no second thoughts. Their deaths sent a clear message—no one would use him, and no one would take from him without consequence.
Fear settled over the group. The lesson was brutal, but it was effective. Seth knew how people worked. Help someone once, and they would expect that same kindness again and again, twisting gratitude into entitlement. He had no intention of allowing that mindset to grow here.
To drive the point home, he laid out their portion clearly. Every month, he would provide them with a set amount—fifty thousand tier-zero crystals. It was more than generous, enough to give them stability and keep them alive. But it also set boundaries. They would understand their share, and they would know not to push beyond it.
They were his labor force now, and Seth provided them with the means to grow stronger. If they had talent, they could put it to use by venturing out and slaughtering monsters. If they didn't, then they could still serve in other roles. He made it clear that anyone unwilling to follow this arrangement was free to leave. Yet not a single person walked away.
Satisfied, Seth left them to their work. He returned home, body heavy, and allowed himself to rest. Five hours of nonstop battle had taken their toll—not just on his body, but on his mind. Every moment had forced his brain to process staggering amounts of energy and information. Even with his supercomputer-like brain, the strain was immense.
The next day arrived quicker than he expected. Stepping outside, Seth immediately noticed the change. The streets were no longer clogged with bodies; most of the monsters had already been harvested for crystals and burned to ash to avoid them turning into undead. He barely gave it a glance, uninterested in the clean-up. What caught his attention instead was the sight of people working together.
Some patrolled the edges of the neighborhood, cutting down the monsters that tried to force their way inside. Others had been pushed into more basic tasks, gathering food and supplies to keep everyone alive.
Seth nodded lightly, shifting his focus away from the people and back to what mattered most—his own growth. He needed to find reliable ways to raise his combat power. Testing first, he consumed a single monster crystal, waiting to see what would happen. Sure enough, the result appeared instantly. His combat power ticked upward, from an even 100 to 100.1. And that was with nothing more than a basic tier-zero crystal.
It worked, but the gain was painfully small. He frowned. At that rate, he would need far too many to see any real improvement. His eyes narrowed as he considered alternatives. If crystals weren't enough, then he would have to rely on the most traditional method of all—training his body.
Although he had never been one to work out seriously in the past, things were different now. Life wasn't boring anymore. For the first time, he had the power to reach for things he had once thought impossible, to maybe… no, he would be able to step on the heads of his enemies, getting revenge for all of those years they had left him broken and locked away in his home.