When I woke up in Amori, I was placed in a cold, dark room. Left alone with just three loaves of bread and a large bottle of drinking water—barely enough for five days.
Well, five days had passed. Five days and twelve hours, to be precise. The weather was scorching now, and all I had left was a single drop of water.
Of course, there's a river nearby. Its current is strong enough that I can hear it during the day. Maybe two kilometers away. I could reach it in under ten minutes.
Unless something gets in the way.
And something was in the way—right now, just outside my door. Knocking. Banging. Louder at night.
Zombies. The Undead. Whatever you want to call them. They can sense human presence not just through blood, but something that exists within every living being.
Something called Ether. The core of magic. The source where blood, water, even mana flows. A sophisticated natural system that keeps living things functioning.
And the zombies want that.
Well, at least I have a new power to use… if it can actually be used.
"So, uh... restoring their consciousness? Is this like Necromancer magic?"
[Necromancer magic is about soul materialization.]
[It's a filthy ability that pulls back souls that should've passed on to the afterlife, enslaving them unfairly, and forcing them into a fate that was never written for them.]
"And this isn't?" I asked, confused. Where's the difference?
[Those who've turned into zombies are not entirely dead. Not yet.]
[Because of a vile particle, their Ether becomes corrupted—pushing every desire, every will, and every ounce of consciousness to focus solely on instinctual urges: hunger, violence, destruction.]
[The Mad Frankenstein System will cleanse that corrupted Ether. It will purify them.]
"And making me the one enslaving them in the end?" Not that I hated the idea.
[Those who've been 'purified' are people you've 'saved.' Serving you becomes a form of gratitude—a debt repaid, which they'll even enjoy.]
"That sounds like total Stockholm Syndrome."
Not that I really knew what Stockholm Syndrome was. Probably a leftover memory from Maheswara.
I walked toward the door and swallowed. I could hear the inhuman growls and the sound of my wooden door being beaten from the outside.
Normally, around ten of them would show up at night. But when I peeked through the door…
There was only one.
A girl—or used to be one. Now? Her face was swollen, bluish. One of her eyes had been gouged out, leaving an empty socket with rotting muscle strands. Blackening veins stretched across her pale skin.
"Ggggrrrr..." Drool leaked from her jagged, fang-filled mouth.
Was this really a good idea?
I swallowed again… no, I didn't even have enough fluid in my throat anymore.
Stand here another 30 minutes, and I'd die of dehydration.
So I opened the door. The zombie stared at me—surprised, if she could even make an expression.
Then she growled. "Rrrragghh."
She lunged at me, snarling and flashing her blood-hungry teeth.
I rammed my elbow into her chest—enough to stun her—then quickly slammed the door shut before more zombies got curious.
"Okay, now what?"
[Touch her and turn her back into a living human.]
"Touch what?"
"Rrrragghhhhhh."
The zombie charged again, and this time I wasn't ready.
WHAM!
I was knocked to the floor. The zombie pinned me down, trying to claw, bite, and tear me apart.
"Shit." I held her off with my hands. Her cracked nails were digging into my skin.
I could keep her back—for now. But for how long?
She lunged for my neck. Almost bit me. I headbutted her throat, and that stopped her—briefly.
"Are you trying to turn me into one of them or what—"
[Hostile intent detected in subject 'Zombie Girl A'.]
[Hostile intent has been converted into 50 Redemption Points.]
[You now have the minimum Redemption Points required to purify 'Zombie Girl A'.]
[Would you like to proceed?]
Would it stop this damned zombie from attacking me?
[Would you like to proceed?]
Of course I would, damn it!
[Thank you for your confirmation.]
[Initiating purification process… 1%]
The zombie stared at me—her one eye filled with agony, seeming even more furious than before.
[Purification in progress… 15%]
She snarled again, lunging toward me, trying to bite me once more.
[Purification in progress… 50%]
Screw this. I pushed her harder, throwing her off me.
Or that's what I tried to do. Because, just like when I fought Luka...
I was utterly helpless. Her strength kept me pinned down. And there was no escaping her next move.
[Purification in progress… 75%]
She bit me. Right on the shoulder. And the shock of pain made me scream.
I could feel her jagged teeth tearing into my flesh—violently, unevenly—ripping it apart.
Transforming me. Turning me into something like her.
[Purification in progress… 90%]
Not just the burning pain in my body—something else stabbed into my head from the inside. Like a poisoned dagger driving straight into my brain, setting it aflame with unbearable agony.
[Purification in progress… 99%]
[Purification in progress… 100%]
[Purification complete.]
Dehydration and pain flooded me in a wave of despair. My consciousness began to drift.
[All debuffs within purification radius (current radius: 10 meters) have been removed.]
['Zombie Girl A' has now been reidentified as 'Kyra Watts.']
[To complete purification and turn Kyra Watts into an 'obedient servant,' you may initiate the optional Bonding Process.]
[Would you like to proceed?] (If no response is received in 10 seconds, the System will choose the most ideal option for you.)
"..."
"..."
"..."
[Confirmation received.]
[Bonding process initiated…]