As Chris and Momo made their way through the harbor, clearing out one warehouse after another, the two had started racking up a respectable kill count. Chris had already slain fifty more zombies, while Momo was close behind at forty-five. The pair now sat by a small campfire inside one of the cleared warehouses, the faint crackle of burning wood echoing through the empty docks.
Chris tore open a protein bar and took a bite, his expression thoughtful as he looked out at the flickering light. "So," he began between chews, "I think we'll just keep capturing the outer parts of the city before moving inward. The harder monsters are likely deeper in, so this method'll let us grow stronger and expand our territory at the same time. What do you think, Momo?"
Momo, sitting across from him, simply stared into the flames with her usual vacant expression. Her glowing purple eyes reflected the firelight, empty yet strangely calm.
Chris blinked, then let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, right—you can't talk. My bad." He waved it off with a sigh. "Oh well. In the meantime, I think our already captured turf should be processed."
He stood up, brushing the dust off his coat, and extended his hand. Blue-white light began to swirl around his palm as he focused his mana. "Let's see… one hundred mana should do."
The ground around them shimmered with glowing brown sigils that formed intricate circular patterns. Moments later, twenty small, imp-like creatures emerged from the magic circles. They were hunched and leathery, their skin a rough brown color with crooked grins stretching across their faces. Long claws tapped against the floor as their glowing yellow eyes darted around curiously.
Being freshly summoned, they could barely form proper words—but one of the little creatures managed to step forward and rasp out, "What be bidding, Master?"
Chris smiled faintly, amused. He lifted his wrist, projecting his holographic map into the air, the blue glow illuminating the small group. "Alright, boys, go to my already captured land and start tearing down the buildings and other structures. Process them into useful materials."
The lead brown tilted his head, his expression confused. "What 'process' mean?"
Chris sighed and rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath. "Right… newborns." Then, more clearly, he said, "Never mind. Just destroy all the buildings and structures, then sort everything you collect—stone, metal, wood, glass—into separate piles. Got it?"
The little imp's ears perked up, and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Master! Me understand!"
With that, the twenty brown minions scrambled off, their clawed feet clicking against the concrete as they rushed out into the streets, eager to carry out their task. Chris watched them go with a small, satisfied grin before sitting back down beside the fire. Momo, silent as ever, turned her dull gaze toward him, her tail twitching faintly as the firelight danced in her empty eyes.
Chris glanced over at Momo and decided to check her stats.
Name: Momo Belia Deviluke
Race: High-Zombie – Level 9
Job: None
Health: 300
Mana: 150
Strength: 34
Perception: 0
Endurance: 39
Charisma: 0
Intelligence: 0
Agility: 19
Luck: 24
Skills: None
Abilities: Instinct, Chlorokinesis
Spells: None
Chris rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So none of the stats that require the use of her brain are going up… not even her mana. That must mean mana's tied directly to intelligence. He sighed and muttered", "Guess I'll just have to figure some stuff out. Alright, let's check my stats real quick."
He swiped across his watch's screen, opening his own stat page.
Name: Chris (Nihil)
Race: High Human
Job: Warrior – Level 25
Overlord Level: 2
Health: 800
Mana: 500
Strength: 70
Perception: 35
Endurance: 75
Charisma: 45
Intelligence: 35
Agility: 25
Luck: 35
Skills: One-Handed Weapon Mastery, Shield Mastery (New)
Spells: Fireball
Abilities: Minion Summoning, Subordinate Contract
Chris frowned slightly, scanning the display. "No new skills, but otherwise… not bad." Cracking his neck, he stood and rolled his shoulders. "Come on, Momo. Let's finish off this area and go challenge the boss."
Momo didn't respond—she never did—but she silently followed behind him. By the time the day came to an end, they had cleared out every remaining warehouse. Not a single undead had shown up.
Chris narrowed his eyes at the empty harbor. "That's strange. I thought we'd find at least a few more."
Before he could say anything else, both his and Momo's watches beeped simultaneously. The holographic text that appeared made his blood run cold.
---
Emergency Quest Issued: Survive the Horde
Objectives: Slay 50 Zombies, 15 High Zombies, and 1 Area Boss
Reward: +1 Overlord Level, Momo +10 Racial levels
Time Until First Wave: 10 Minutes
---
Chris stared at the screen, jaw dropping. "Fuck me… Momo was a High Zombie, and I struggled against her. Now I've gotta fight fifteen of them—plus whatever the area boss is?" He dragged a hand down his face, groaning. "Okay… okay. If I summon some minions and me and Momo split the fighting, we can do this."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "I currently have four hundred mana left. It costs one hundred to summon twenty browns, so… let's start with that."
Brown sigils flared around him as twenty brown minions clawed their way into existence, cackling and snarling as they awaited orders. "Enemies incoming, boys!" Chris barked. "Find anything you can use as a weapon and take up defensive positions!"
"Yes, Master!" one of them screeched, and the group scattered through the surrounding warehouses. They scavenged whatever they could find—pipes, wooden planks, broken boards, even stones—turning them into crude makeshift weapons. Soon, they were lined up around the perimeter, hissing with anticipation.
Chris, meanwhile, asked his watch, "Oh yeah—do their kills count toward my EXP as well?"
The watch beeped. 'Yes, but the amount gained is reduced by half.'
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.The minions, unfortunately, didn't gain experience through kills—they only grew stronger by obtaining better equipment.
He sighed and muttered, "That was always fun in the game, since gearing up your army was easy… but in a modern world harbor?" He looked around at the ruined docks, grimacing. "Yeah. Not so much."
He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the tension in the air thickening as the distant groans of the undead began to echo across the dark harbor.
The timer hit zero, and the first wave began shambling out from between the warehouses. Chris raised his hand, ready to cast Fireball, but one of his minions piped up, "No, Master! Be saving fireworks for emergencies!"
Chris paused, lowering his hand slightly before sighing. "You're right… give them a volley."
The brown nodded eagerly, and he and the other minions hurled their makeshift spears into the oncoming horde. Several zombies were impaled, a few collapsing in twitching heaps while others were wounded but still dragging themselves forward. His watch beeped.
Zombies slain: 5 out of 50
"Forty-five more to go," Chris muttered, gripping his axe tighter. "Alright, minions! Stay on the outside of the horde—take down as many as you can and fall back if you get overwhelmed!"
With a chorus of guttural cheers, the browns rushed forward, following his command. Chris turned to Momo, his expression hardening. "Alright, Momo, you and I will stand in the center. We'll take out anything that gets too close to our defensive line. But save your strength for the real fight ahead."
Momo didn't respond—her eyes were blank yet focused—but she still moved to his side, obeying without hesitation. Together, they stood at the center of the chaos, cutting down any zombies that slipped through the outer line.
Chris's axe rose and fell in brutal rhythm, cleaving through rotting flesh and bone, while Momo's hands tore through undead bodies with terrifying strength. Blood and viscera splattered across her face, but she didn't even flinch.
Zombies slain: 15 out of 50
Just as the battle began to feel manageable, a sharp screech split the air. Chris's eyes snapped forward, spotting a faster, leaner zombie sprinting toward them. It tore through the horde with frightening speed before leaping high into the air—straight at him.
Before it could reach him, Momo lunged, catching it by the ankle mid-flight. Without hesitation, she slammed it into the ground with bone-crunching force, then stomped down and snapped its neck with a sickening crack.
High Zombies slain: 1 out of 15
Chris blinked in surprise. "Huh… well, that figures. She's not human, so her stats must've been higher from the start."
Reinvigorated, he charged back into the fray, Momo following like a silent shadow. The minions pushed the defensive line forward while Chris and Momo tore through more of the undead.
Zombies slain: 30 out of 50
Another wave of screeches echoed, and six more High Zombies burst from the horde. Chris didn't hesitate—he raised his hand and fired off two Fireballs. Explosions lit up the battlefield, vaporizing clusters of zombies and taking down two High Zombies in the blast.
Zombies slain: 40 out of 50
High Zombies slain: 3 out of 15
Momo dashed ahead, grappling with two High Zombies at once. The browns, armed with scavenged poles and planks, surrounded and overwhelmed the remaining ten normal zombies. Chris engaged two more High Zombies, narrowly dodging their clawed swipes before driving his axe deep into one's gut. The weapon stuck fast, but he didn't waste a second trying to pull it free. Instead, he held his sword in both hands and slashed through the second High Zombie's torso, cleaving it clean in two.
When he turned to check on Momo, his concern evaporated into mild disbelief—she was holding a decapitated zombie head, blood dripping from her fingers, looking completely unfazed.
"Yeah… never mind," he muttered, shaking his head.
He retrieved his axe with a grunt, kicking the corpse away to free the blade. His watch beeped again.
Zombies slain: 50 out of 50
High Zombies slain: 7 out of 15
"Head count, boys!" Chris shouted over the din. "How many of you are left?"
The smartest of the bunch raised a clawed hand and yelled, "Sixteen, Master!"
"Good. Get ready for the next wave!"
Right on cue, more shrill screeches echoed from the shadows. The remaining High Zombies rushed them, claws flashing. The browns split off four to intercept, managing to take down their targets—but only after losing half their number in the process.
"Yep," Chris muttered grimly, watching their bodies hit the ground. "Finding equipment for the minions just jumped up the priority list. Even a few damn kitchen knives would help at this point."
He and Momo pressed forward, taking down the rest of the High Zombies in a brutal exchange of blows. Once the battlefield finally went quiet, Chris caught his breath and summoned twenty more browns. Glowing brown sigils flared to life across the cracked pavement, birthing new minions that quickly armed themselves with the weapons of their fallen brethren.
His watch chimed again.
High Zombies slain: 15 out of 15
Remaining Mana: 190
"Wait, is that right?" Chris frowned, counting under his breath. "Let's see… summoned sixty browns, shot two Fireballs—yeah, that adds up. A hundred and ninety left."
He exhaled slowly, gripping his axe. "Alright, people. Only the area boss left. Let's finish this."
A deep, guttural roar erupted ahead, shaking the ground. Heavy stomps followed, and out of the smoke lumbered a massive zombie—its muscles bulging grotesquely beneath torn flesh, bloodshot eyes glowing faintly red. Blood and viscera dripped from its mouth, splattering the cracked concrete with every step.
Chris pointed his watch at it, his expression tightening. "Appraisal, please."
Thug – Level 25
Origin: Dead Island
Description: A very strong and resilient undead monster, easily capable of breaking bones and shattering concrete with its fists. However, despite its immense strength, it moves very slowly.
Chris's jaw tensed. "You've gotta be kidding me… that's the same thing from Dead Island? It's so much worse in real life." He inhaled deeply and barked, "Alright, minions—stay out of its reach and keep its attention while Momo and I attack from the flanks!"
"Yes, Master!" the browns cried in unison, charging forward without hesitation.
While the minions distracted it with thrown rocks and steel pipes, Chris circled behind the creature and slashed deep into one of its legs. Momo followed up, darting in and slamming her fist into its face with enough force to make it stumble backward.
As the monster roared in rage, the minions pelted it again, further enraging it and drawing its focus. Chris seized the moment, hurling multiple Fireballs that exploded across its body, igniting its rotting flesh.
The Thug turned toward him, engulfed in flames, and bellowed in fury as it lumbered closer—each step leaving scorched footprints in the dirt. Chris waited until it was nearly upon him before he reared back and hurled his axe. The weapon spun through the air, embedding itself deep into the monster's skull with a wet crack.
The giant swayed for a second before collapsing forward, dead before it hit the ground.
The watch on Chris's wrist beeped rapidly, its tone sharp and triumphant as lines of glowing blue text appeared one after another:
Emergency Quest Complete
Reward: Overlord Level +1, Momo Racial Level +10
Quest 4 Complete
Reward: Harbor District Captured, Overlord Level +1
New Abilities Added
Blue Minion Summoning: User can now summon blue minions for 6 mana each.
Advisor Summoning: User can now summon Gnarl.
New Spell Added
Slow
Description: Slows your enemies and decreases their defense.
Cost: 2 mana per second.
New Skill Acquired
Battle Instinct
Description: A natural combat sense that lets the user react faster and anticipate enemy moves.
The holographic map above his wrist flickered and shifted—red hues slowly fading into a deep blue, marking the entire harbor district as captured territory.
Chris exhaled in relief and slumped against a broken crate, wiping the sweat and grime from his face. "Take five, boys," he said, voice weary but satisfied. "Then clean up the corpses. I'm gonna nap."
The browns snapped to attention, their crooked grins wide. "Yes, Master!" they shouted in unison before scattering to follow his command.
Before sleep could claim him, Chris glanced down at his watch once more and opened the status screen.
Name: Chris (Nihil)
Race: High Human
Job: Warrior – Level 48
Overlord Level: 4
Health: 1100
Mana: 700
Strength: 116
Perception: 58
Endurance: 121
Charisma: 68
Intelligence: 58
Agility: 48
Luck: 58
Skills: One-Handed Weapon Mastery, Shield Mastery, Battle Instinct
Spells: Fireball, Slow
Abilities: Minion Summoning, Subordinate Contract, Blue Minion Summoning, Summon Advisor
He swiped to the next page to check on his companion's progress.
Name: Momo Belia Deviluke
Race: High-Zombie – Level 33
Job: None
Health: 900
Mana: 200
Strength: 58
Perception: 0
Endurance: 63
Charisma: 0
Intelligence: 0
Agility: 43
Luck: 48
Skills: None
Abilities: Instinct, Chlorokinesis
Spells: None
Satisfied, Chris gave a faint nod. His eyelids grew heavy as he laid back on the cold ground, hands resting behind his head. As he listened to the faint sound of the browns cleaning up the aftermath of battle and went to sleep.