The sound of wind sweeping across the wasteland was oddly soothing.
I and Shalltear walked side by side, our boots crunching against the cracked, dry earth. The remains of civilization lay scattered around us—broken cars, shattered concrete, skeletal remains of buildings standing like gravestones against the gray horizon.
There was no sign of life.
No birds, no animals, not even the hum of insects.
Only the faint whisper of the dead world.
Shalltear held her parasol over her shoulder, shielding herself from a sun that barely gave light anymore. Its pale glow made the land appear drained of color, like an old photograph fading away. Despite the bleakness, she looked… content.
Every now and then, I caught her glancing at me from the corner of her crimson eyes. When our gazes met, she quickly looked away, pretending to study the ground.
For someone like Shalltear, whose existence was forged from battle and bloodlust, this quiet walk was something rare. She wasn't marching under orders or protecting Nazarick; she was simply walking beside me.
It was strange—peaceful, even.
The sound of her heels clicking against the stone had a rhythm to it, soft and steady. She adjusted her parasol slightly, humming an old tune she must have remembered from her NPC memories. I didn't interrupt her.
We must have walked for nearly an hour when the silence broke.
At first, it was faint—a distant chorus of groans, a sound like dragging feet scraping over concrete.
Then it grew louder, harsher, the noise of decay coming to life.
Ahead, just beyond a pile of overturned vehicles, something stirred.
The stench hit us first—a foul, rotten air thick enough to taste. Then came the sight.
A horde.
Dozens of figures staggered into view, skin gray and peeling, eyes glowing faintly green under the broken sky. Their movements were jerky and unnatural, but when their gazes locked onto us, every single one of them turned.
And then, as if some primal instinct had taken hold, they started running.
Not shuffling.
Not stumbling.
Running.
Their limbs flailed as they sprinted toward us, mouths hanging open, emitting grotesque screams that echoed through the wasteland.
"Ah… Alastor-sama," Shalltear said, tilting her head slightly. "Should I take care of them?"
She didn't even sound alarmed. If anything, she was almost disappointed that something so weak dared to rush at us.
But I raised a hand. "No. Let them come."
Her crimson eyes widened faintly. "My lord?"
"I need to test something," I said, watching the oncoming horde. "One of the quests mentioned 'killing zombies by natural means.' I want to know what qualifies as natural."
Shalltear blinked, then nodded. "Understood, my lord. I shall stand by."
The first wave was close enough now that I could see the details—the torn uniforms, the flaking flesh, the strange green veins pulsing beneath their translucent skin.
One of them screamed and lunged first.
I lifted a hand lazily and muttered a low incantation. "Flame Pillar."
A column of fire erupted from beneath the zombie, engulfing it and a dozen others in an instant. The air hissed, the scent of burning flesh filled the area, and the creatures collapsed into blackened ash.
The rest hesitated for a moment—but then continued running forward, relentless.
I opened my System Interface with a thought, pulling up the Quest Page.
Quest #3: Kill zombies by natural means
Progress: 0 / ???
"Huh," I said, frowning. "No change."
So using magic didn't count.
Shalltear looked at me curiously. "Did something happen, my lord?"
"Just verifying something."
I closed the system window and watched the remaining undead. There were still plenty of them, maybe around eighty or so. Good enough for an experiment.
I let one of them approach—a former soldier by the look of it, its uniform still clinging to its decayed frame. Its jaw hung loosely as it rushed at me.
When it got close enough, I clenched my fist.
No mana. No aura. No skill.
Just a single, straightforward punch.
My knuckles met its skull.
There was a wet, cracking sound. The zombie's head caved in like a rotten melon, and its body flew backward several meters before collapsing into the dust.
I exhaled softly, shaking off the residue from my glove.
Then the familiar blue window flickered in front of me.
Quest #3: Kill zombies by natural means
Progress: 1 / ???
Reward: +0.25 Quest Coins
~~~
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