"Your wish is my command, Master," said the woman who used to be Miss Ivy. Now the Blossom Queen, her voice smooth and flat as she knelt before Hazel.
Hazel felt a rush of pure joy seeing her alive, truly real. "Ivy!" he cried, moving quickly to hug her. But his arms met only a cold stillness. Blossom didn't hug him back, and there was no hint of knowing him in her eyes. A cold feeling spread through Hazel, replacing his happiness with a confusing sadness.
He stepped back, his eyes searching her face for the warmth he remembered, the gentle spark in her eyes. Instead, he found a perfect, blank face, as unreadable as a polished statue.
"Ivy... what's wrong, it is me?" Hazel asked, his voice barely a whisper, filled with a growing worry as anxiety grips his heart.
"I am perfectly fine Master, if there is anything you need, I will grant it, whatever it takes," she replied, her voice steady, without any feeling.
"Do you... do you remember anything? From before?" Hazel pushed, a tight knot of worry and fear forming in his chest.
"I...I...I....", Blossom voice flinching as she fell to the ground.
Hazel face filled with fear and disbelief; he couldn't process what he was seeing.
Ivy got up and saw the expression on Hazel's face and said, "If I cannot do what you brought me back for, then please let me return to nothing," Blossom stated, her hand moving with a quick, unsettling grace to the handle of the sword at her hip.
Hazel reacted at once, catching her wrist. "Do you... do you not want me to end myself?" she asked in confusion.
"No," Hazel said, his face filled with disbelief, the person he once knew is now someone else entirely.
Something is wrong, Hazel thought, his mind racing. I don't understand what happened to her, is she not the same person, why can't she remember. Hazel's mind flooded with questions.
Just then, another loud explosion shook what was left of the hospital. The sound echoed the chaos in Hazel's own mind.
"What is that, Hazel asked". his thoughts interrupted by the explosion.
Hazel rushed out of the morgue and checked the window out in the corridor of the hospital, and that was when he saw it. The entire city was in ruin and destruction as unrecognizable monster like creature roam around, causing more destruction.
Hazel fell to the ground in disbelief and terror, then he heard a strange sound by his side, and when he looked, it was a small, short monster with skin looking green, and above its head was a name, and Hazel still shaking looked to the name and called it out.
"Go..Gob..Goblin", Hazel said. his voice shaking.
The Goblin then pulled out a knife from behind and charged to attack Hazel.
Hazel saw is life flash before his eyes, but just then Ivy stabbed her sword into the head of the Goblin, killing it instantly.
"Are you ok master", Blossom asked Hazel.
Hazel who was socked in terror then got up and said, "Yeah, thank you".
"I guess this is the world now", Hazel said to himself as he began to calm like he was starting to adapt and make up his mind that, that is the future they have to face now.
A sudden sound rang in Hazel's head.
~ting~
A strange interface suddenly appeared before Hazel right after the sound, and it had a message written on it. It was just like the one that appeared just before the apocalypse.
~System notification~
You have gotten 3 EXP point
Your subordinate as received 2 EXP points
Your subordinate EXP will be share with you
~End notification~
"It's just like a game', Hazel said to himself.
Hazel then had a wild thought, he then decided to try it out, he then focused his thoughts, he said the words aloud, "System window.
A see-through window appeared before him, digital words just like with the system notification showing plain:
~Player Information~
* Welcome, Player, to your system window.
* Name: Hazel Willow
* Age: 21
* Job Class: Grim Reaper
* EXP: 0/100
* Level: 10
* Souls Taken: 0/100
* Health: 25/25
* Strength: 20/20
* Speed: 15/15
* Stamina: 15/15
* Agility: 15/15
* Skill: Dead Summon Lv1
* Weapon: Scythe
Hazel's breath caught. "It... it actually works," he mumbled, a mix of disbelief and a strange excitement running through him.
Driven by a sudden need to know more, he focused on his skill. "System, tell me more about 'Dead Summon'."
The system replied instantly: [Dead Summon Lv1]: Allows you to call forth dead beings, like warriors and monsters, to fight by your side. warriors can only be summoned when their soul is still intact. The more you level up this skill, the more creatures you can summon at once.
A new question formed in Hazel's mind. If it only summons warriors and monsters... then Blossom is a warrior? But how?
He turned his attention to his weapon. "System, describe my weapon."
[Weapon: Scythe]: This weapon is deeply connected to the Grim Reaper job class. You can use it in different ways, like slashing or throwing it like a boomerang. This weapon can get stronger as you level up and use it more.
An idea sparked. If it's connected to me... "Scythe, I summon thee!" he commanded, a wave of excitement running through him.
The ground before him shimmered, and a scythe appeared. It looked sleek and dangerous – a blade of pure black, with a sharp, thin line of red on its edge.
Hazel reached out, his fingers closing around the smooth, cool handle. An unexpected connection, a feeling of power, flowed between him and the weapon. "This is... amazing."
A new determination hardened his face. "It's time to see what this new world holds."
Blossom let's go, Hazel said as he and Blossom walked together through the Hospital with the intent to find the exit, and it was not long before a ugly creature scurried into view – short, hunched over, and holding a rough knife.
Pointed ears, green skin... Just like the earlier one, they are goblins, Hazel thought, a strange feeling of unreality washing over him, who could think that the web novels were right about the look and discription of these creatures, it's almost strange.
The goblin saw them, let out a high, raspy laugh, and charged with surprising speed.
"My lord," Blossom said, her emotionless gaze fixed on the creature, "should I destroy it?"
"No," Hazel replied, a strange mix of fear and excitement bubbling within him. "Let me try."