Every second the zombie remained alive meant death for Lucien.
It meant his SP was decreasing.
It meant his life was fading away.
It meant his time was running out.
Lucien had to end this but this was an elite zombie for a reason.
His battle with the elite zombie left the building collapsing into ruins.
Dust filled the air.
Only one could survive.
And that survivor would be...
Smoke rose into the sky as a tall silhouette emerged from within it.
Slowly, the smoke cleared.
There he was.
His shirt was ripped apart, his blood mixed with dark, black ichor.
Behind him lay a terrifying seven-foot-tall zombie.
Its body was sprawled on the ground.
Its head—severed.
[1 SP remaining]
The message was a blinding reminder of how close Lucien had come to death.
If he had been even a second late…
If he had taken just one more hit…
If he had hesitated even once
He would be the one lying dead.
Lucien bent down and picked up the massive zombie's head with both hands.
The smoke finally cleared completely, but there was no sunlight in the sky.
Not anymore.
Only a green-hued sky remained.
"The world really has changed forever…" Lucien murmured as he walked forward.
Spotting a slightly taller building nearby, he leapt toward it in a few strides, wanting to see how far the world had truly changed.
From the top, the green-hued clouds stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Lucien took a deep breath.
He sat on the edge, one leg dangling freely, the zombie's head resting in his hand.
"System… where's Mai now?" Lucien asked.
His tone was neither angry nor sad.
Just neutral.
Indifferent.
[Host's slave is located a few kilometers northeast.]
A map appeared in Lucien's mind, clearly marking Mai's position.
At that moment, Lucien realized she had already moved away from their former base.
Looking down, Lucien saw the mangled bodies of the guards below.
No flies.
No worms.
Nothing.
Just lifeless corpses.
Had the world evolved this far?
Were even normal biological creatures, animals, insects...gone?
Where had they gone?
And why?
That was a question for another day.
"What was I thinking… believing cooperation was the key to survival?" Lucien muttered to himself.
"Look at them. Weaklings. They're no different from ants I could step on while walking to work. No matter how many there are, one stomp is all it takes to kill them."
"Cooperation won't work. I can't believe I was that stupid.".., lucien felt disgusted , he was once the only son of the jinog family, how many bowed before him seeking his favor. How many gave their daughters for marriages to him, how many worshipped him ? Hasn't he seen how the true world was ?
"No… the only system that works is one with a master and slaves."
"I have the Lust God System. I only need to take slaves. They'll work for me, disposable tools under my command."
As Lucien reached this realization, the system responded.
[Congratulations to Host for realizing a path toward Lust God Divinity.]
[Host has obtained an active ability.]
[All Must Bow Before Me] With this ability, the Host can automatically control all creatures weaker than himself. Controlled beings possess 100% loyalty. Note: This ability may not function on special existences. Further details will be unlocked in the future.
The system message echoed as Lucien's eyes radiated a faint, ominous light that spread across the surroundings.
This was the beginning of the rise of the Lust God.
---
A few kilometers away…
"This should be fine. Everyone, unpack and stay alert," Mai said.
Three hours had passed since she returned to the base.
The moment she arrived, they relocated immediately.
She appointed new guards under her command, and along the way gathered over a hundred survivors who formed a temporary shelter.
After witnessing Mai's power, they followed her willingly.
Now, she had nearly two hundred people under her leadership.
Sitting alone in her new office, Mai's hands trembled.
Now that everything had settled, she realized just how terrifying the world truly was.
A zombie over seven feet tall…
What if she encountered multiple ones?
Wouldn't she die?
The thought made her shudder.
Death.
She feared it deeply.
Then
"How about you become death… so you no longer have to fear it?"
A strange, grotesque female voice echoed in the room.
Mai shivered.
Her vision blurred for a moment.
"Am I hallucinating? Is it already this bad?" Mai whispered, her voice shaking as she clenched her fists.
Everything happening around her was too much.
Why was this happening?
What could she even do?
She needed power.
She needed to become stronger.
"I can give you power…"
"Who's there?" Mai asked again.
No response.
Her heart raced.
Was she losing her mind?
No.
This couldn't continue.
Mai stood up and walked out of her office.
Her building was separate from where the survivors stayed.
She was in a three-story structure, while the survivors occupied a five-story apartment complex stretching beside it.
Standing by the glass window, Mai looked down at the first floor.
She saw guards patrolling.
Survivors moving about.
Taking care of the surroundings.
Suddenly, her fear vanished.
Here...
She felt valued.
She felt important.
She felt like someone.
Wasn't this what she had always wanted?
Then someone waved at her.
Mai smiled and waved back
Until she saw the face.
"Lucien…?" she thought, shivering.
But when she looked again
It was gone.
"Am I really hallucinating… seeing a dead person?" Mai whispered, stunned.
How was this possible?
"Mai…"
A familiar yet unfamiliar male voice whispered behind her.
Hot breath brushed against her ear.
Mai froze completely.
Her body stiffened.
She couldn't move.
"Mai… oh, Mai."
The voice was clear now.
It was Lucien's voice.
How was that possible?
What had happened?
Wasn't he dead?
She had heard his scream.
Mai froze, questions flooding her mind as her eyes widened in fear.
No… no… what if she was hallucinating?
Her body stiff, Mai slowly turned around.
No one was there.
"Damn it… how can I be this mentally weak, hallucinating like th—" Mai choked on her words.
Lucien's face suddenly filled her vision.
He was smiling.
A radiant smile.
But his body was drenched in blood, red mixed with black.
Mai's eyes widened.
Her legs went weak, her body wobbling as she nearly fell.
"No… this can't be real. You died. I heard your screams," Mai muttered, shaking her head.
She clutched her head, trying to steady herself.
"Not possible…"
"Not possible…"
Her whispers trembled until she finally forced herself to stop.
"I understand now," she said quietly. "You're not real. You're just in my head."
With that, Mai straightened up.
A faint smile tugged at her lips as she walked toward Lucien and reached out, pressing her hand against his chest.
Her fingers pass through him.
"Yes… you're not real," she said again, smiling even wider—
Lucien had vanished at one point.
"Oh, I am very real."
A voice like it came straight from hell sounded behind her.
A rough hand grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.
Instantly, Mai couldn't breathe.
Her eyes flew open as she struggled, legs kicking wildly in the air.
There he was.
"Lu…cien…"