Lucas Nightveil stood atop a hill of bones, looking out over the barren plains below. The Nightveil Legion lined up in perfect formation behind him—twelve Skeleton Warriors and a Death Knight Commander towering like a shadow of death. The red light of the dark sky reflected off their bone armor, creating a sight that would make even the strongest of souls tremble.
But Lucas felt no fear. Only burning anticipation.
"They are coming," the Death Knight Commander whispered, his voice like a wind blowing through a graveyard. "A Lord with his army. Weak. Afraid."
Lucas smiled, his teeth gleaming in the darkness. "Perfect. The first lesson in hierarchy begins tonight."
In the distance, the light of torches moved closer. A small group—perhaps fifteen or twenty—moved in a disheveled formation. Even from this distance, Lucas could sense the fear emanating from them like a stench.
[RIVAL LORD DETECTED]
[NAME: DAVID CHEN]
[LEVEL: 2]
[ARMY COMPOSITION: 8 MILITIA, 6 ARCHER, 4 SPEARMAN]
[MORALE STATUS: SHAKEN]
[TACTICAL ASSESSMENT: INFERIOR]
Lucas studied the data with cold satisfaction. David Chen. A common name for a fate that would end tragically. From the composition of his army, it was clear that this man still clung to conventional human tactics. A mistake that would be fatal.
"Commander," Lucas whispered to the Death Knight. "Take up position on the left flank with six skeletons. The rest follow me. We will teach a lesson in what it means to be a true predator."
The Death Knight nodded with absolute respect. "As you command, Master."
Lucas moved down the hill with fluid, deadly movements. Every step was calculated, every movement a part of the choreography of death that was about to begin.
As the distance narrowed, he could make out a trembling figure amidst the enemy formation. David Chen—a thin man in his thirties with eyes darting nervously in every direction. His clothes were in tatters, his hands shaking as he held a sword that was clearly unfamiliar to him.
"Who dares to invade my territory?" Lucas shouted, his voice echoing across the barren plains with terrifying authority.
David Chen stepped forward, voice cracking with barely concealed fear. "I-I... I am David Chen. This is not an invasion. I am... merely seeking resources to survive."
Lucas laughed—a sound that made David's militia take a step back. "Survival? In this world, there are only two kinds of creatures: predator and prey. And you, David Chen, have clearly chosen your role."
"Wait!" David raised his hands in desperation. "We can work together! Exchange resources! No need for bloodshed!"
Lucas' eyes narrowed with sadistic pleasure. "Bloodshed? Oh, David. You really don't get it, do you?"
He raised his hand, and the Nightveil Legion began to move. The Skeleton Warriors advanced in silent menace, their bones creaking in a hypnotic rhythm. The Death Knight Commander emerged from the darkness of the left flank like a reaper risen from his worst nightmare.
"This isn't about resources," Lucas said, stepping closer. "This is about hierarchy. About your place in the food chain. And unfortunately for you..."
He drew his dark metal sword, the blade seeming to absorb the light around it.
"You're at the bottom of the heap."
The battle began with the panicked cries of David's militia. They fired arrows desperately, but the Skeleton Warriors moved with supernatural agility, dodging the projectiles with terrifying ease.
Lucas moved through the chaos with elegant brutality. His sword sliced through the first spearman with such a clean stroke that the man stood still for a moment before realizing that his upper body had been severed from his lower half.
[ENEMY SLAIN: SPEARMAN]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 45 XP]
[KILL STREAK: 1]
David Chen screamed in horror, backing away as Lucas approached with predatory grace. "You're crazy! You're a monster!"
"A monster?" Lucas tilted his head in mock curiosity. "No, David. I'm just honest about my nature. As for you..."
He lurched forward, his sword piercing David's thigh with surgical precision. The man fell with a cry of agony.
"You're still pretending to be a civilized human being."
Lucas knelt beside David as he writhed in pain, his voice a terrifying, intimate whisper. "Tell me, David. How does it feel to realize that you've been living in an illusion? That the world doesn't care about your cute morals?"
David cried, blood pouring from his wound. "Please... I have a family..."
"Family?" Lucas laughed with genuine amusement. "They're in this world now, too, aren't they? Somewhere, fighting for survival like you. Or maybe..."
He leaned close to David's ear.
"Maybe they're dead. Killed by predators more efficient than I am."
David's screams echoed across the barren plain as Lucas slowly turned the blade in his wound. Not to kill—yet. To teach.
"The system in this world rewards strength, David. Cunning. Ruthlessness. The traits you consider 'evil' are essential survival traits."
[PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMINATION ACHIEVED]
[FEAR GENERATED: 156 POINTS]
[ENEMY MORALE: BROKEN]
[BONUS EFFECT: ENEMY SURRENDER AVAILABLE]
The remaining militia and archers had dropped their weapons, trembling with absolute terror. The Death Knight Commander stood among the corpses with grim satisfaction, his dark aura making even the bravest souls catatonic.
Lucas stood, his blade still dripping with David's blood. "Now, David. You have a choice. Die slowly and painfully, or..."
He pointed at the remaining survivors.
"Kill your own men. Prove that you can be a predator."
David stared at him in absolute horror. "I can't... they..."
"They're already dead, David. You only chose the method of their execution."
Lucas stomped on the wound in David's thigh, making the man scream. "Or I'll make their deaths... creative."
With shaking hands, David reached for the fallen sword. His eyes were blank, broken by systematic psychological torture. One by one, he cut the throats of his own men as they knelt in mute terror.
[MASS EXECUTION COMPLETED]
[DOMINANCE POINTS GAINED: 234]
[PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE MASTERY UNLOCKED]
[NEW ABILITY: FEAR AURA]
When the execution was complete, David collapsed with a hysterical sobbing. Lucas stood over his body in complete satisfaction.
"Excellent work, David. You have learned a valuable lesson in survival."
Then, with a single merciful stroke, Lucas ended David's suffering.
[ENEMY LORD ELIMINATED: DAVID CHEN]
[TERRITORY ABSORBED: CHEN'S CAMP]
[RESOURCES GAINED: 400 GOLD, 200 WOOD, 150 STONE]
[SPECIAL REWARD: NECROMANTIC RITUAL UNLOCKED]
Lucas felt a surge of power as the system acknowledged his conquest. But the real reward came with the following notification:
[CORPSE ANIMATION AVAILABLE]
[RAISE DEAD: GHOUL FOOTMAN]
[COST: 50 MANA]
[PROCEED? Y/N]
With a terrible smile, Lucas placed his hand on David Chen's corpse. Dark energy flowed from his fingertips, seeping into the dead flesh. Slowly, horribly, the corpse began to twitch.
David Chen—or what was left of him—rose from the ground with jerky movements. His eyes glowed with unholy light, skin mottled with decay. But the intelligence was still there. Twisted, corrupted, but aware.
[GHOUL FOOTMAN CREATED]
[SPECIAL UNIT: RETAINS TACTICAL KNOWLEDGE]
[ABILITY: INFECTIOUS BITE, REGENERATION]
[LOYALTY: ABSOLUTE]
"Master," the ghoul spoke in a voice raspy with decay. "I serve."
Lucas examined his newest creation with artistic appreciation. David Chen, the coward, had become the perfect weapon. All his tactical knowledge intact, but now driven by unquestioning loyalty and a hunger for flesh.
"Welcome to the family, David," Lucas whispered. "You'll be much more useful now." The Nightveil Legion now numbered fourteen units, with this terrifying addition. But as Lucas stood amidst the carnage, the system gave a notification that made his smile widen:
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST LORD KILL]
[TITLE GAINED: LORDSLAYER]
[BONUS: +10% DAMAGE AGAINST LORDS]
[SPECIAL ABILITY: DETECT LORD WEAKNESS]
Lucas felt the change immediately. His senses sharpened, and he could feel a faint presence in the distance. Other Lords in this area, each with their own territories and armies.
Hunting season has begun.
But as he stood triumphant amidst the massacre, the system gave an alert that made even his predatory instincts prickle with anticipation:
[URGENT ALERT: MULTIPLE LORDS DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 5-8 KILOMETERS]
[ALLIANCE FORMED: 'NORTHERN COALITION']
[TOTAL STRENGTH: 127 UNITS]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
[ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 18 HOURS]
Lucas stared at the notification with a mixture of excitement and calculation. One hundred twenty-seven units against his fourteen. Odds that were impossible for most Lords.
But Lucas Nightveil was not most Lords.
"Commander," he called to the Death Knight. "We have guests coming. Many guests."
The Death Knight approached with heavy footsteps. "Orders, Master?"
Lucas looked out over the wasteland spotted with fresh corpses, his mind already calculating strategies that would turn overwhelming odds into a beautiful massacre.
"Prepare the defenses. And send scouts to monitor their approach."
He paused, his smile becoming something truly terrifying.
"It's time to teach a true lesson about what it means to be an apex predator."