There was no dramatic, ground-shattering landing.
How could there be when Michael had only jumped from his second-floor apartment?
If it had been a skyscraper, perhaps such theatrics would have been justified.
A cracked ground would have signaled that Michael had put too much force into the landing—an overzealous use of strength or pure vanity.
But in a situation where a massacre was unfolding, who was there to impress?
Monsters?
The dying?
Corpses?
Michael didn’t want to waste even a moment.
The instant his feet hit the ground, he summoned his weapon from the storage space. In a fluid motion, effortlessly decapitated three green-skinned creatures charging toward him.
The green figures weren’t unfamiliar to Michael.
Hobgoblins and goblins, with the latter appearing in greater numbers.
The goblins, he had hunted himself in the Level 1 Crack, the Goblin World, and brought from the Association from the real world.
The hobgoblins, however, were creatures he hadn’t seen in the real world or in the Land of Origin, but thanks to the evolution of his talent, he had been able to evolve his one-star undead goblin to three-star common rank hobgoblin, making him quite familiar with them.
Their presence only confirmed his earlier theory: there existed an evolutionary path for the monsters in nature.
Unfortunately, the monsters now were all high-leveled.
*****
[ Hobgoblin Lv 11 ]
[ Rank: Common★★★ ]
–
[ Goblin Lv 6 ]
[ Rank: Common★ ]
–
[ Goblin Lv 5 ]
[ Rank: Common★ ]
*****
For weaker supernaturals, these creatures would be deadly.
But to Michael, they were nothing more than experience points that were waiting to be harvested by his spear.
*****
[ Venomfang Spear ]
[ Rank: Rare★ ]
[ Type: Poison Spear ]
[Inflicts a potent poison on the target, dealing continuous damage over time and weakening their defenses.]
The spear’s razor-sharp edge was as deadly as its venomous bite.
Michael wasn’t planning to idly stand by while these experience points—sorry, monsters—continued their rampage.
Drawing on his mana reserves, he activated his summoning skill.
Greenish-black circles appeared around him, and moments later, towering figures emerged from the void.
Michael could summon a total of twelve undead from the Netherworld.
Three wolves, one ape, and eight orcs.
With Beginning—the first goblin he had evolved—guarding his family, Michael called forth nine more.
His summoned army consisted of a verdant wolf, five male orcs, three female orcs, and a blue-furred ape.
Each one of them was a one-star rare-ranked creature, their power rivaling that of a peak elite cultivator (Rank 2) at least.
Michael didn’t summon Lucky or Prince for now.
Without hesitation, Michael issued a cold, unwavering command.
“Kill every monster in sight.”
The moment his voice echoed, his undead army—along with Michael as the lead—vanished into the chaos.
It didn’t take long for the people in the surrounding area to notice the sudden shift in the battlefield.
After all, how could they not?
Ten humanoid figures, each radiating immense power, tore through the hordes with ruthless efficiency, relentlessly killing everything that came in their path.
Michael’s spear had become an extension of his will, its venom claiming one goblin life after the other. In fact, he had lost count of how many times he had swung his spear, yet despite his relentless effort, the decrease in monsters he had anticipated never came.
The good thing was that thanks to his efforts, his undead, and the other Supernaturals in the area, they had managed to immediately stop the carnage, even allowing some ordinary citizens to seek shelter in the still-standing buildings nearby.
However, even those buildings weren’t entirely safe.
From time to time, agonizing screams echoed from within, piercing the air.
Not all the level 1 cracks that unleashed monsters appeared directly above ground.
Some had erupted on rooftops.
The monsters emerging from those cracks were at an advantage, as they didn’t fall far.
They could find multiple ways to infiltrate the buildings, and when faced with even weak monsters like goblins, ordinary people didn’t stand a chance.
Fortunately, Michael didn’t have to worry about his family.
By frequently circling the vicinity of his apartment building and checking his connection with Beginning, he was reassured that his family remained safe and there were no breaches around them.
His aunt, though naturally kind-hearted, understood the severity of the situation and refrained from causing unnecessary trouble.
And although Michael hadn’t noticed any sign of monsters breaking into his apartment building since no screams had erupted so far, he didn’t want to take any chances.
He stationed one undead to actively patrol and clear the area around the building while another stood guard for potential emergencies.
He also hadn’t forgotten Brian’s warning about the possibility of demonic Supernaturals sowing more chaos.
But after remaining vigilant for so long and finding no signs of their presence, Michael concluded two possibilities: they were either hiding and biding their time, or they were targeting more significant locations than the old estate, where Michael lived.
Minutes passed as Michael mulled over his thoughts, issued commands to his undead and continued to fight the monsters raining from the crack tirelessly.
Eventually, the immediate area was cleared.
However, no one celebrated.
Corpses—both human and monster—were strewn across the ground, painting a grim scene of devastation.
It resembled the aftermath of an apocalypse.
Among the supernaturals, only a handful now remained standing, and even then, just barely.
The ones who had reacted to the chaos appeared far older than Michael, a clear sign they had awakened their powers much later in their lives.
The only thing distinguishing them from ordinary citizens was the life seed embedded within.
But what truly gripped the crowd with dread was the sight above.
The cracks in the sky had thinned, but their ominous presence remained.
There were fewer of them now—not because they were closing, but because their density had dispersed, revealing a sprawling, interconnected network.
“Will the next cracks to break be Level 2s?” Michael muttered, his expression souring at the thought.
He wasn’t worried about the monsters themselves.
Against those from Level 1 cracks, he hadn’t even bothered using his skills—just his raw physical stats and spear. He doubted much would change with the next wave.
At most, his killing speed might slow down slightly.
But what truly concerned him was the sheer volume of monsters and the escalating pattern of the cracks.
The first wave had unleashed Level 1 cracks.
If this second wave were to bring Level 2 monsters, what would follow? Level 3s? Level 4s?
Michael doubted he was overthinking.
Some cracks that were high in the sky and distant from his immediate vicinity radiated with a chilling, oppressive aura.
Even now, they sent chills down his spine.
Yet, amidst the growing dread, Michael couldn’t ignore a part of himself that was relishing this unfolding chaos—a realization that left him feeling a pang of guilt.
‘Status’
*****
[ Name: Michael Norman ]
[ Class: Adept Necromancer ]
[ Level: 15 ]
[ EXP: 16,644/17,718 ]
*****
Michael felt conflicted.
But knowing that he was just minutes away from leveling up made him wonder what kind of heaven-in-hell he had stumbled into.
