A wave of relief washed over Dean's body for a few seconds, but something quickly snapped him back to reality.
Several noises came from downstairs, making him get up and look out the window to confirm.
What he saw was an entire horde of zombies surrounding his house, breaking down the door in an attempt to get in, while some were throwing themselves through the window where the first zombie had entered.
"Damn, I need to get out of here—fast," Dean thought as he ran toward the zombies' corpses to retrieve his arrows.
He also gave his skeletal knight a command to stay on the stairs and not let any zombies pass while he recovered his arrows.
It didn't take long before some zombies began climbing the stairs, but all of them were knocked back down.
Taking advantage of the moment, Dean checked his previous notifications.
Congratulations, you defeated 19 zombies
+19 EXP
19/10
(You can now level up)
Congratulations on capturing your first monster!
First Tame Reward:
Collector's Box
(Description: You can store your monsters inside this box and summon them whenever needed.)
After reading that, Dean got excited. Not only could he finally level up and become stronger, but he also had a way to store his monster when necessary.
Level Up
EXP: 9/20
(to next level)
Status:
Level: 2
Name: Dean
Race: Human
Class: Monster Tamer
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 15 + 1
Charisma: 12 + 1
Free Attribute Points: 2
Skills:
Monster Tame: When used on a monster, there is a chance of taming it. (Note: Chances are higher if the monster is unconscious, weakened, or has a strong bond with you.)
Tamed Monsters: Skeletal Knight Lv.1
Info +
Dean was surprised to see another stat appear, but even more concerned that it had 12 points.
"Looks like I get 2 free attribute points per level, while also gaining points from my class," he thought briefly, then continued checking his monster.
Status: Skeletal Knight
Name: …
Strength: 8
Agility: 13
Vitality: 5
Intelligence: 1
Skill:
To the Last Fragment (Passive) (Unique):
As long as a single fragment of its bones remains, this skeleton cannot be fully destroyed. Immune to instant-death effects and unable to die from exhaustion or conventional wounds, it will continue to rise until its bones are completely pulverized. True death only comes when there's nothing left but dust.
Dean's eyes nearly popped out of his head reading that description. His first monster was nearly immortal. His worries dropped significantly.
"The only thing missing is a weapon for him, and I'll have a safe EXP farm. Damn, I'm so lucky!" His joy was written all over his face.
But a sound pulled him out of that brief moment of happiness.
Looking where the skeleton was, Dean saw several zombies piling on top of the knight, trying to force their way past. The zombies tried to bite and tear apart every part of the skeleton.
It would have been a disturbing scene if a human had been in the skeleton's place. But since it was only bones, the zombies couldn't do much beyond piling on top of it and tugging at its limbs.
Looking closer, Dean noticed the skeleton had already lost an arm.
"Damn, I have to act fast before they completely dismantle my skeletal knight," Dean said, pulling back his bowstring and firing at the zombies. With each of his attacks, one more zombie fell.
You defeated 7 zombies
+7 EXP
16/20
(to next level)
Soon, there were no more living zombies. Dean quickly ran over and pulled the undead off the skeleton, retrieving the arm that was in one zombie's mouth.
When Dean handed the arm back, he swore he saw a grateful look in the skeleton's eyes, as if it was happy to have its arm returned.
Dean used the moment to recover his arrows, but something caught his attention when he pushed one zombie body aside.
There was a card glowing green underneath it.
Curiosity took over, and he instinctively picked it up to inspect.
Uncommon Item
(Rip to use)
Short Sword:
Attack: 10
Durability: 100/100
(Made from common materials but forged by skilled hands, making it an excellent weapon for a beginner with great power and durability.)
"Holy shit, this really is a game. There's even item drops," Dean said, his mouth forming an O shape. He quickly ripped the card, making a sword appear in front of him.
Dean grabbed the sword quickly, afraid it might fall and get scratched—it felt like his greatest treasure.
After swinging it a bit, he fully agreed with the description. Despite being a complete beginner, it felt easy to handle.
Still, after a few test swings, he tossed the sword to the skeletal knight, who caught it effortlessly.
As soon as the skeleton held the sword, it completely changed. It performed several sword strikes with impressive mastery for a few seconds.
"Makes sense. He is a skeletal knight," Dean admitted, feeling completely outclassed by his own monster.
A smile crossed his lips just as more noise came from downstairs.
"Hahaha! Skeletal knight, kill every zombie that tries to come up the stairs!" Dean ordered, while standing behind with his bow at the ready.
Time to farm EXP. A maniacal smile stretched across his lips like an old-school RPG player obsessed with grinding.
All the zombies around the house suddenly felt as if a predator was watching them—chills down their spines, if they could even feel such a thing.
The zombies didn't take long to return. The sound of dragging bodies, moans, and the creaking floorboards below became a constant background noise. Dean's heart pounded—not with fear, but adrenaline.
Looking out the window again, he realized the horde was even bigger than before. Maybe they'd been drawn by the screams of the fallen… or maybe the presence of a new predator.
"How many more will come?" Dean whispered, though a smile curled his lips. One of those smiles that show you've accepted the madness of the situation.
He drew his bow again and stood by the stairs, where the skeletal knight now waited—short sword in hand, standing in an almost ritualistic pose. His movements were more fluid, as if simply wielding a weapon had awakened fragments of his former life as a knight.
Dean felt a chill. "This guy… was someone. A real warrior."
The first zombie to climb the stairs was impaled with precision. The knight didn't hesitate. A horizontal slash, then a vertical one—efficient, almost cold. Dean fired arrows behind him, covering any weak spots. Their coordination was instinctive, like they'd fought together for years.
With each zombie defeated, a new notification appeared.
You defeated 1 zombie
+1 EXP
EXP: 17/20
Two more zombies tried climbing at once. The skeleton struck one in the chest, sending it tumbling down, and spun to slash the other. Dean fired another perfect shot into the skull of the fallen one.
You defeated 2 zombies
+2 EXP
EXP: 19/20
By now, the stairs were soaked in dried blood and rotting remains. The air stank of dead flesh mixed with burning wood from the candles lighting the room.
But none of that mattered. One last zombie advanced—stumbling, but faster than the others. Its muscles looked more intact—probably a recent turn.
Dean knew that was enough to make it dangerous. He drew his bow, aimed, and—click. The bowstring slipped too early. The arrow veered and hit the wall.
"Shit!" he shouted.
The zombie reached the skeleton and bit down on its shoulder, trying to tear the bones apart with brute force. The knight didn't waver. It grabbed the infected by the neck and stabbed its short sword straight into its skull.
Dean took a deep breath.
Your skeleton defeated zombie level 2
+1 EXP
+1 EXP (Skeletal Knight)
EXP: 20/20
You leveled up!
The final notification came with a soft golden light, briefly illuminating the system screen before his eyes.
You are now Level 3
+2 Free Attribute Points
Dean almost cheered aloud but held back. Better to stay focused.
'Looks like when my monster finishes the enemy, the EXP is shared between us. That's an unexpected surprise—it means my monsters can grow stronger too.'
Dean smiled at the thought of building a team of powerful monsters—but shook the idea off for now and focused on the present.
He quickly opened his status and distributed the points:
> Strength: 10 → 11
Agility: 9 → 12
(Free Points: 0)
"Better sharpen my aim," he muttered, feeling the system's warmth adjust his body.
By the stairs, the skeletal knight stood silently, still gripping the sword tightly. His shoulder now had visible cracks, along with patches of rotting flesh stuck to his bones.
Still, he remained standing. Steadfast. As if saying: "You can count on me."
Dean approached and patted his shoulder lightly.
"You're unbelievable, man. With this new sword, you're going to become a zombie-killing machine."
The skeleton didn't respond—obviously. But Dean swore it straightened its posture a little more.
Before he could think of the next step, the system glowed again. A new window appeared.
---
Temporary Quest Activated: Desperate Defense
Objective: Survive 3 zombie waves
Progress: 1/3
Reward: Mystery Box + 50 EXP
---
Dean's eyes widened. He hadn't even finished catching his breath and already had more fighting ahead.
"Three waves… this is gonna be rough," he said, swallowing hard. But his eyes shone with a different light. Yes, it was terrifying—but also exciting.
He looked out the window and saw shadows moving in the distance. More zombies. Maybe dozens.
He grinned.
"Let them come. We're turning this place into an EXP farm."
Behind him, the skeletal knight raised his sword as if preparing to charge into battle once again.
And so, amidst blood, bones, and glowing notifications, Dean readied himself for the next wave.
With a bow in hand, a nearly immortal ally at his side, and the promise of growing stronger with every enemy defeated…
the game had only just begun.