Alister’s eyes locked onto a figure in the distance, a humanoid zombie. Its body was entangled in decayed vines, and it seemed to be holding an old, blue-and-white, techy bow.
Its eyes were red, glowing, and despite its undead appearance, its movements were far sharper than all the other monsters Alister had dealt with so far. As he gazed at it, a talent window materialized before his eyes:
Monster: Ethan
Class: Archer Zombie (A+ Rank)
Size class: Medium
Talent: Gust Impact Shot (Poison Arrow) (A Rank)
Total Combat Power: 64,700 (S-Rank)]
Alister narrowed his gaze. “An A-ranked monster with S-rank stats… interesting.”
He clenched his fists, feeling the rush of adrenaline as he spoke with a cold tone, his eyes glowing. “Good, once I take you down, I’ll be even closer to my goal.”
Suddenly, his focus shifted as two more figures emerged from the shadows, flanking the archer.
One was massive, a zombie with rotting muscles bulging as it hefted a gigantic hammer over its shoulder. The other was a sleek, female zombie, her sword wrapped in vines, eyes glowing brightly as she walked toward him gracefully. Two more talent windows materialized: Monster: Brutus
Class: Juggernaut Zombie (A rank)
Size class: Large
Talent: Strength Enhancement (A + Rank)
Total Combat Power: 67,300 (S-Rank)[]
Monster: Lysandra (Field Boss)
Class: Blade Dancer Zombie (A+ rank)
Size class: Medium
Talent: Cleave (S rank)
Total Combat Power: 69,800 (S-Rank)[]
Alister’s eyes widened slightly as his gaze flickered between the three enemies.
‘They’re strong…’ he thought.
“The more, the merrier,” he finally said, his claws flexing, dragon eyes becoming focused.
Suddenly, the bulky zombie, Brutus, let out a massive roar that echoed through the ruined city, shaking the ground beneath Alister’s feet.
With a thunderous stomp, the juggernaut zombie charged toward him, hammer raised high, eyes glowing with murderous intent.
Alister gazed intensely as he said, “Eager now, are we?”
As he spoke, black-and-white scales began to ripple across his body, forming a protective, gleaming armor.
His yellow eyes shone brightly, while his tail grew out from his spine, twitching slightly as heat emanated from his body, his size increased slightly. His claws extended further, the ones from his legs digging into the earth, and his crest flared along the back of his hands.
Golden mana radiated around his body, also visible through the cracks in his scales, pulsing. The transformation sent waves of his mana rippling through the air.
[Draconic Rage activated.]
[All stats increased by 100%]
[Draconic Body activated.]
The system’s notifications flashed briefly before his eyes as he crouched low, muscles coiling, the claws on his feet grasping the earth tightly.
Then, with a burst of speed, he leaped forward, closing the distance in an instant, his powerful legs propelling him straight into the path of the charging zombie.
Brutus swung his hammer down with devastating force, aiming to crush Alister in one blow.
With reflexes far surpassing the undead brute, Alister twisted his body, then leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the hammer as it smashed into the ground, creating a crater where he had stood just moments ago.
The shockwave from the impact sent debris flying, but Alister used it to his advantage, flipping off one of the airborne chunks of stone, claws glowing as he came down on Brutus’s exposed back.
His claws slashed deep, cutting through the rotting flesh like butter. Blackened blood spurted from the wound, but that didn’t stop Brutus, roaring in fury as he swung his hammer again, trying to shake Alister off.
“Not so easy, huh?” Alister said, his maw didn’t open but his voice vibrated the air around him.
He wrapped his tail around Brutus’s arm, yanking the hammer off balance. The zombie staggered, struggling to regain control, but Alister was already on the move again, his claws flashing as he aimed for Brutus’s neck.
Just as he was about to land the finishing blow, a sharp gust of wind tore through the air. Alister barely had time to react, leaping backward as an arrow from Ethan’s bow zipped past him, slicing into the ground where he’d been standing.
He landed a few feet away, narrowing his eyes as the archer zombie notched another arrow, its red eyes fixed on him with intense focus.
[Notice! The player’s movements are slowing due to poison!]
[Notice! Player is also experiencing weakness due to hunger.]
[The player’s hunger is rising…]
[Draconic Hunger is reacting violently!]
Alister felt his stomach tighten, his vision dazed for a moment. ‘Damn it, all that food I ate at
the welcome party, yet I’m still hungry…’
‘It’s obvious the system wants to make me eat a monster.’
‘Although I don’t like the thought of having to compromise…’
Finally gazing back at the archer, he spoke up, saying, “You’re persistent…” wiping some
purple blood from his lip as he steadied himself.
Alister slowly noticed that other smaller undead zombies and skeletons began to pop up, some with weapons, others unarmed.
‘Company…’ Alister thought as he looked around. ‘I don’t have to worry about them dealing any physical damage; instead, I should try to see if I can find any poisonous ones.’
Lost in his search, the female zombie seized the moment. Lysandra moved with a burst of speed, her sword wrapped in vines glowing with red mana as she charged from the side, intending to catch him off guard.
Alister returned his focus towards her, flexing his arms, his body crackling with golden mana. “You know what? Come at me, all of you!”
Alister’s gaze suddenly focused as he noticed the female zombie closing the distance between
them instantly.
Her eyes glowed a deep red and blue as she moved. Unlike the others, there was something off about her, an aura that sent a chill through his spine.
[Notice! You have entered a starved state!]
[Your dragon instincts will slowly begin to cloud your reasoning!]
Suddenly, beyond his control, Alister began to salivate, a single drop escaping his closed
dragon maw, dropping to the floor.
‘This isn’t good…’
‘I’m starting to feel… Really hungry.’