Chapter 13: Horde

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Horde [First hunt successful!] [Calculating reward...] Those words greeted Blaze when he woke up. At least it felt like waking up. In truth, he just regained control over his actions after he un-frenzied. However, he couldn’t worry about that as he stared down at his bloodied hands. Beside him was the girl’s half-eaten corpse. Chunks of her flesh were missing and the entire alley was stained with her blood. I did this? He could still feel the raspy taste in his mouth. Her blood was as sweet as honey. He couldn’t help but lick his lips before licking his fingers. It was a strange feeling. A part of him was disgusted, but a part felt... liberated. it was like an invisible anchor was holding him down before, but now he was set free. That anchor was the last bit of morals he had. After eating a human, he no longer had any qualms about devouring humans. I’m a zombie. The sooner I get it through my head, the better. He might feel awkward, but for nature, it was the most normal thing. Humans had been eating a plethora of animals and enjoyed being at the top of the food chain. However, now a new predator had arrived, so it was normal for humans to vacate their spot as the apex predator and join the rest at the bottom. That’s why Blaze didn’t feel bad about devouring a human. He was merely fulfilling his role in the greater scheme of things. That and... I quite enjoyed it. Blaze’s stiff lips almost curved upwards with excitement. Although he wasn’t in control of his body during [Frenzy], he still heard the girl’s pleading and thrashing about. The dominance he felt at that moment excited him. So much so that he almost didn’t notice the flashing screen before his eyes. [New Function Unlocked: Horde Management.] +++ Horde Management (Level 1) Type: Passive function Description: The Subject has taken the first step towards embracing your zombie heritage. As a reward, you have gained an opportunity to tame the undead and form a horde to rule over. Horde slots: 0/2 Effects: >> Horde members can follow simple commands (attack, guard, patrol, follow, etc.) >> Horde members stop decaying unless destroyed in battle. >> Horde members can evolve alongside the Horde Master. >> To tame an undead, they must be weaker than the Horde Master, or they can break free from control. Worst-case scenario, they’ll become the horde’s new leader. >> Undead can be tamed via necrolink. Additional features: • [Bind]: Allows an undead to join the horde. — Cooldown: 5 minutes. — Note: Failure to bind will make the undead aggressive towards the subject. • [Unbind]: Expels an undead from the horde. — Cooldown: None. • [Devour]: Similar to [Unbind] but instead of expelling the undead, other horde members devour them, enhancing the overall horde stats. — Cooldown: 1 day. Note: More features, horde slots, and abilities unlock as the subject evolves. +++ This was Blaze’s reward for his first kill. While it wasn’t what he had expected, it was a much-needed function for him. I can’t fight properly. Blaze had realized it after nearly dying at Amanda’s hands. No matter how smart he is, there are things he doesn’t understand, especially when it comes to the chosen individuals. They got superpowers, and all I got is this shitty body that keeps spilling its guts out. It wasn’t fair, but then nature wasn’t known for its fairness. That’s why having a horde would benefit him, especially since it would bypass the risk of backfiring like Necrolink does. This isn’t bad. Though there are only two slots and I can only tame the undead weaker than myself... wait, are there any undead weaker than me? Blaze just remembered that he was a walker, perhaps the weakest kind of the undead. How the hell was he supposed to tame weaker beings while he was at the bottom rung of the evolutionary ladder? "Skree..." A sudden growl interrupted Blaze’s thought. He looked below to see a small fleshy thing crawl out of the gutter. Is that a zombie rat? The creature’s body was thin and almost entirely made of bones. One could see tiny pieces of flesh sticking here and there, and that was it. Sharp white bones stuck out from its back like spikes, probably for defense from other predators. The tail shared the appearance and looked more like a whip made of bones, ending in a rapier. The legs were thin but strong, but not as strong as its sharp jaw that looked like it could tear through anything. In place of eyes, the creature had glowing red orbs. Perhaps it was a gift of evolution for the little rat. All in all, the rat had evolved into a predator of its own. Blaze was stunned for a moment. So many things had changed in the world, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that other beasts had undergone similar changes. You’ll do nicely. The rat had evolved quite a bit, unlike Blaze, yet it was small and easy to kill. Just one hit from the metal bat would’ve been enough to crush it. Hence, logically, it was weaker than him. With that thought in his mind, Blaze reached for the corpse beside him and tore a piece of flesh from Amanda’s leg. The rat tilted its head as he offered the flesh to it. The small creature sniffed the flesh and cautiously reached forward, snatching it away from Blaze’s hand. It scurried to the side before devouring it in one gulp. Blaze remained patient. He didn’t want to use the Necrolink just yet, fearing the backlash. Instead, he kept offering small bites to the rat and soon it got comfortable around him. It wasn’t running away to hide and eat anymore and began eating right out of Blaze’s hand. Only then did Blaze attempt to tame the creature. +++ [Eligible for binding: Yes.] [Success rate: 98%] [Slot Available: 2/2] [Bind unidentified rodent?] [Yes/No] +++ Yes. The rat convulsed as soon as Blaze agreed to it. The next second, a buzzing sound, like the one they had heard when the sun first changed, erupted in Blaze’s head. And then... [Binding successful!] [Available slots: 1/2] +++ Subject: ??? (Subject Code: ZR#002) Race: Undead Rodent Status: Tamed Class: Scavenger [Attributes:] — Strength: Negligible — Agility: High — Durability: Low — Intelligence: Non-sentient (Can only follow commands/instinctual actions) [Evolution Potential: Detected (20%)] (Note: Feed more to increase evolution potential.) [Hunger Level: 0%] [Regeneration Rate:] Very Low [Decay Rate:] Slowed [Special Traits:] — Fester Aura: Emits a faint cloud of rot that weakens nearby living creatures (−1% Max HP per minute, stacking up to 5 times). Does not affect the undead. [Other Information:] Avoids direct conflict unless ordered to since its weak durability. Prefers ambushes, scavenging corpses, and targeting open wounds. Consuming dead flesh regenerates durability over time. +++ What a nasty little critter you are. Blaze praised the zombie rat, and it clattered its jaws in response. Hm... let’s give you a name. How about... Fester? Fester banged its bony claws on the ground, accepting the name. Once that was done, Blaze turned towards the girl’s corpse. Since she hasn’t risen, I should be able to tame her, right?