The Recruitment Campaign

"So fragile."

Gazing at the piles of corpses before her, Angela chuckled softly as she slowly walked across the blood-stained ground. All around her were blood-soaked bodies. Just an hour ago, this was a bustling village; now, it had become a horrific death trap. In the small square in the center of the village, gruesome corpses lay scattered everywhere.

"Humans are such fragile things, that's why they're the worst of the worst."

Angela leaped over the wrist of a corpse, stood on the central fountain, and looked triumphantly at the body before her, as if she were inspecting her soldiers.

"However... it's not entirely useless."

Squinting slightly, Angela stretched out a slender, white finger, then gently glided it across her fingertip.

A drop of bright red blood slowly emerged from it, falling downwards under the influence of gravity, eventually merging into the sea of blood below. Angela withdrew her small hand, the bright red light in her eyes growing even brighter.

"Arise, my slaves, my servants, my pawns... Undead awakening in the darkness, heed my command. Awaken!"

On the ground, the already darkened river of blood rippled faintly. Then, the blood, which had turned dark, began to flow back slowly, returning to the corpses. In just a moment, the ground, which had been a river of blood, was clean again, without even a trace of blood. Then... the corpses that had been lying on the ground began to slowly stand up one by one.

Although Angela understood that these corpses were of great use, she didn't continue her usual style of dismembering them. Even so, the wounds on the bodies were still exceptionally obvious; some had gaping holes in their chests, while others had their abdomens completely cut open. Of course, these "flaws" weren't a problem when they were lying on the ground, but now that they were standing, they detracted from the aesthetics—although these corpses weren't exactly beautiful standing up anyway.

"Angela... is too violent... not good-looking..."

Hearing the low complaints coming from beside her, Angela pouted in dissatisfaction.

"What do you know? This is the army I desire. Humans can kill their own kind without a scratch, but when faced with a corpse whose heart has been ripped out or whose belly has been cut open, can they still fight so calmly? Appearance is very important. I can guarantee you will soon see the fighting power of these soldiers. They have not undergone any training, yet they can still take on a hundred men. Apart from that damned divine power, no method can inflict a sufficiently fatal wound on them."

As she spoke, Angela turned her gaze to the hillside not far from the village, where a tall castle stood silently.

"Now I will show you just how powerful my undead army truly is."

As she spoke, Angela turned around, looked at the hundreds of villagers who had been completely transformed into Ghoul, and whistled.

Without a sound, hundreds of corpses turned around in an orderly fashion and walked slowly and resolutely toward the castle.

The weather is getting colder.

The captain of the guard couldn't help but shiver and exhale a cold breath. This damned place was truly bizarre; it was unbearably hot during the day and freezing cold at night. He couldn't understand why the lord would choose such a godforsaken place to build his castle. For the nobles, being in this deep forest was a luxury. They could lie on soft, comfortable bearskin mats, sipping ice-cold wine while enjoying a warm fireplace barbecue. That was the privileged class. Guards like himself could only endure this wretched state, enduring the damned night wind, striving to ensure the lord's peaceful sleep.

However, this was precisely why he could earn dozens of gold coins every month. Just wait, after he retired, he'd learn from these old men, find a place to live a comfortable life, and then hire a few greenhorns like himself to guard him, and even get some fun... Thinking of this, the guard captain couldn't help but glance down the mountain. Normally, every night, the villages below would have some lights twinkling, a unique sight in this mountain forest. But tonight, it was pitch black, not a single light could be seen.

What's going on? Are those farmers slacking off and going home to sleep?

Slightly surprised, the captain of the guard withdrew his gaze. Just as he carefully surveyed the surroundings and was about to return to the castle, a slight rustling sound caught his attention. It sounded like the wind blowing through the trees, but a well-trained soldier would not be mistaken.

What happened?

The captain of the guard waved for the two soldiers following him to stop, then led them back to the entrance and looked down at the dark slope below.

In the firelight at the castle gate, the captain of the guard could barely make out several dark figures slowly walking upwards.

Who is it? Why would they show up at this time?

Surprised, the older soldier didn't become wary; after all, the other person moved slowly, appearing more like a leisurely stroll. Although some mischievous kids from the villages below had been sneaking over to peek lately, this person didn't seem suspicious at all. They looked more like people leisurely attending a party... While he hadn't received any orders from the lord about any distinguished guests arriving soon, it seemed strange to expect the lord, who seemed indifferent to everything except wine and women, to consider such matters. In any case, the other person must be a distinguished guest from afar. He'd better find the tall, thin steward; after all, he was the best person to handle the reception.

Thinking this, the guard captain turned around, intending to order his men to call for help, but a foul stench enveloped him at that moment. Suddenly, a pale, withered face appeared behind the guard captain, its lifeless eyes staring indifferently at the man before it, its white pupils flashing with an eerie red light.

"Who goes there?!"

Years of training had made the guard captain instinctively draw his sword and leap backward, dodging the strange man's first attack. Only then did he see the man clearly, causing the guard captain to widen his eyes in astonishment. Standing before him was clearly a farmer from the village below, as evidenced by his tattered clothes, but...

What kind of person is he?

The man's ripped abdomen had stopped bleeding; his intestines protruded from the wound, swaying and writhing like uncut threads in the firelight. His skin was now a pale, bluish-green hue—the color of death!

Who exactly are you...?

Before the guard captain could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg. He instinctively looked down and saw a naked baby tightly hugging his leg and gnawing on it.

"Monster! Monster!! Stay away from me!!"

The guard captain screamed and kicked wildly, trying to shake off the baby who was clinging tightly to his leg. But as he struggled, another small figure pounced, wrapping its limbs around his body and restricting his movements. It was a girl, her neck broken. But that didn't stop her from turning her head with an impossible motion and biting the guard captain's neck.

The older soldiers instinctively wanted to call out, to summon their men, and to call upon their colleagues in the castle for help.

Where did they all go?

Just as he was being pinned to the ground by the girl, the captain of the guard caught a glimpse of his men out of the corner of his eye. They were already lying on the ground, dead with their eyes wide open. And on their bodies, several creatures just as terrifying as the man from before had appeared, frantically devouring them.

Ah... so you all died too.

This was the last thought that flashed through the guard captain's mind the moment the girl ripped his throat out.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh... Look, Anna."

Standing on the tree branch, gazing at the scene below, Angela could not hide her smugness.

"These are my soldiers, forever loyal, cruel, and terrifying. They will devour all life and then turn it into their own comrades... Is there any more efficient breeding method? No training, no conscription, no morale boosting, and no fear of desertion! They will become my most capable assistants, turning the entire world into Abyss of death!"

"I know what Father said..."

Anna appeared silently beside Angela, her dark eyes fixed on the corpse being torn apart and devoured below, her expression blank.

"It works very well... cough... Anna... doesn't dislike it..."

"Hehehe, how about that? I knew you would never refuse such a good consumable."

As she spoke, Angela looked at the brightly lit castle and once again revealed a smug smile.

"Well then, ladies and gentlemen, the mad carnival is about to begin. I will serve you the most delicious feast, please enjoy."

As she spoke, she lightly snapped her fingers.

The Ghoul, who had been frantically fighting and tearing at the three soldiers' corpses, immediately raised their heads. They looked at the brightly lit castle, then quickly transformed into streaks of light and rushed into it.

"This will be a magnificent feast; I guarantee they will eat their fill..."

Angela smugly to herself, then looked at Anna beside her.

"But speaking of which, what illness do you have? This is the first time I've heard of weapons getting sick."

It's no wonder Angela had such questions. During the time she and Anna were on their mission, Anna always seemed sickly, coughing frequently, and even during battle, she appeared as if she might collapse at any moment. Although Angela didn't care about Anna's life or death (presumably because weapons couldn't possibly die), the fact that Anna wasn't human piqued Angela's curiosity.

Anna... is not... sick...

After coughing lightly a few times, Anna answered the question very briefly, as always.

"It wasn't... Father's... fault..."

"How could the master possibly make a mistake?"

Although both men expressed their approval of Li Lin in their own ways, their approaches were clearly diametrically opposed.

A scream shattered the tranquility of the night sky, interrupting Anna and Angela's conversation, which seemed to be either parallel or intersecting.

"It seems the banquet has already begun."

Angela raised an eyebrow.

"Then, I'll also go see the performances at the banquet... What about you?"

Anna... is going... to prepare...

"Then, whatever you like is fine."

As soon as the words were spoken, the branch swayed slightly, and then the two figures that had been standing on it completely disappeared.

It was obvious that these Ghouls were extremely hungry, and by the time Angela entered the castle, most of them had already become food for the undead.

"Looks like these guys are really hungry."

Angela chuckled softly as she gazed at the woman in a glamorous evening gown lying on the edge of the luxurious corridor, her body now mangled beyond recognition. She then strode forward. Just then, the woman whose neck had been severed and whose heart was gone slowly began to move. As if sensing Angela's presence, she slowly and resolutely rose to her feet, approaching the girl with unsteady movements, uttering meaningless roars. A faint red tinge appeared in her already dim pupils.

"Get out of my sight, you lowly thing."

Upon hearing Angela's voice, the noblewoman, who had been intending to turn the girl in front of her into food, suddenly stopped. Angela's immense strength and authority surpassed her instinct to eat, as if a giant hand had tightly gripped her remaining consciousness. Soon, the noblewoman knelt on the ground again, letting out a terrified scream, and then crawled away on all fours.

"Snort."

As the noblewoman's contorted figure disappeared, Angela out a disdainful snort.

"It seems the humans of this world are nothing special. I thought those with the potential to become mages would be more interesting, but aren't they all destined to be slaves? You have no value in life, so let me give you value in death... for the battle of my master, and for the war that is about to begin."

The screams gradually faded into the distance, and before anyone knew it, silence had returned to the castle.

"Huff... huff..."

She gently pushed open the door and gazed at the silent corridor outside, breathing heavily with fear. What had just happened was nothing short of a nightmare for her.

She had simply accompanied her father to the banquet at the lord's invitation. At first, the banquet went very smoothly. But soon, everything changed. The shock of seeing those raggedly dressed people appear in the banquet hall was deeply etched into the young girl's mind. These terrifying people bit anyone they saw, regardless of who they were. Even her highly skilled protector was pinned to the ground and bitten to death; the agonizing screams were like an endless nightmare!

How could this be? What happened here?

The girl couldn't comprehend any of this. Her last memory was of being shoved into this tiny room by her father, after which she fainted...

It's so quiet, is nobody here anymore?

The girl tiptoed out of the room and came to the empty banquet hall. There was blood everywhere, but not a single person could be seen, not even a corpse.

After all...

"Humans?"

Just as the girl was deep in thought, a clear and lovely voice suddenly came from behind her. The girl turned around in surprise and saw an incredibly beautiful girl with long, silver-white hair looking at her with great interest. Those bright red eyes radiated a chilling aura that made the girl's blood freeze.

"You, you are..."

"How interesting, I never imagined that humans still survive... and..."

The girl twitched her nose, then licked her lips.

Still a virgin...

"What... what do you want to do...?"

The girl didn't finish her sentence; her last words turned into a faint, leaking sound as the dark, unyielding blade easily sliced through her throat, mercilessly taking her life.

"Anna! Why did you kill her?!"

Angela cried out in dissatisfaction as she looked at the girl who had silently appeared beside the girl's corpse.

"Father... no... living people..."

"Master doesn't want it, but I do! Really... It's not easy to find a beautiful virgin, at least let me have a few bites to taste her."

Frowning, Angela glared at Anna with considerable displeasure, then walked to the girl's corpse, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her up.

"You're quite the professional... You're completely dead now..."

"Father's... enemy... is... dead..."

"Hmph, there's no other way."

Looking regretfully at the girl's pale neck, Angela sighed deeply. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she threw the girl's corpse out of the castle, slamming it heavily onto the ground outside. Soon, the Ghoul gathered outside sprang into action. Unlike Angela, they weren't "picky" about their prey; on the contrary, the warm blood of the recently Ghoul girl immediately aroused their instincts.

"It's all taken care of here."

Angela clapped her hands as she watched the Ghoul outside enjoying their "feast."

"Well then, it's up to you now, Anna. Dawn will break soon."

"Um..."

Anna nodded, then walked out of the castle to the balcony and looked up at the sky.

The sky remained pitch black.

Then, the clouds dispersed.

As the "something" that obscured the moonlight slowly appeared, the moonlight returned to this world occupied by darkness. A huge, pitch-black object appeared in the night sky, and then its enormous shadow enveloped all the undead creatures.

This is just the beginning.