The throne was cold.
But unlike death, its coldness brought serenity.
As I sat upon it, something stirred in the stones, in the dust, in the withered roots crawling through the walls. This wasn't merely a ruin—it was a memory carved into the bones of the earth. A place that had forgotten the sun... but not purpose.
Netherhold.
The name etched itself behind the throne in faded runes, glowing faintly only when I laid claim to this forgotten seat. The system didn't just register my presence—it accepted me.
I was no longer just another undead.
I was Azrael—the one who would rebuild from the ashes.
The Dark Monarch.
---
"Za… Za… Azarel?"
A small voice echoed up from below the throne's steps.
Gob stood there, head tilted, wide eyes shimmering with effort and hope.
He tried to say my name.
Not because he was told to. But because he wanted to remember it.
I descended the steps and placed my bony hand on his head. "That's right. Azrael. Remember it. One day, even the heavens will tremble at that name."
Gob nodded solemnly, then pounded his little chest with a tiny fist. "Za… Za. Strong."
A hollow chuckle escaped my skeletal jaw. Strange… for a creature without flesh, I felt warmth I hadn't known in ages.
---
Over the following days, I explored the halls beyond the main chamber. The walls were cracked, corridors littered with collapsed debris and half-melted glyphs. But buried beneath the decay was something more—potential.
> [Connected Chambers Detected: 7]
[Status: Inactive, Repairable]
[Recommendation: Clear – Restore – Repurpose]
With the soul energy I'd gathered, I summoned three Skeleton Workers. They rose from the purple mist—fresh, obedient, their eyes glowing faintly with mindless resolve. I directed them to clear the main corridor, erect barricades at broken junctions, and fortify what remained of our stronghold.
Meanwhile, I conjured a mental map using the system. Room by room, hallway by hallway, the foundation of Netherhold took shape.
Gob helped where he could—carrying small stones, sorting fragments, handing me bones like precious treasures and asking, "Build?" or "Use?"
His gestures were clumsy, but his spirit unwavering.
---
By the fourth day, I had formed a basic healing chamber around the soul altar.
Gob had developed a mild infection in his leg—a remnant from earlier wounds. I used simple regenerative magic and crafted a salve from glowing black mushrooms growing near the ventilation ducts.
> [Familiaran 'Gob' has received Buff: Minor Regenerative Stability]
[Soul Growth Rate: +1%]
[Bond Deepened]
He slept for nearly twelve hours afterward, curled up like a child, holding a splintered rib as if it were a stuffed toy.
---
That night, the first outsider arrived.
It wasn't a beast or a threat—it was a Mist Wraith.
A drifting, translucent spirit with starlight eyes. It hovered near the altar, trembling slightly, drawn by the warmth of the aura surrounding this place. When it sensed me approaching, it flinched—ready to flee.
But I reached out with my will.
> [Unbound Spirit Detected]
[Status: Unclaimed, Non-hostile]
[Aura Compatibility: High]
[Would you like to accept this entity as a Resident of Netherhold?]
[〘Yes〙 | 〘Ignore〙]
"Yes," I whispered.
The spirit shimmered, then bowed its ethereal head.
It didn't speak—but it followed me silently from then on.
I named it Luma.
---
By the fifth day, more came.
Two pale-green slimes rolled in, making bubbly squeaks as they explored. A skeletal wolf with a twisted spine limped through the west corridor. A golem-like creature made of cracked stones crawled from the rubble, faceless but clearly sentient.
They didn't come to conquer.
They came to belong.
---
> [Netherhold Population: 26]
[Territory Stability: 42%]
[Safety Rating: Rising]
[Refuge Aura Strengthened – Four additional beings detected within 2km radius]
That night, I gathered them all in the main hall.
I stood before them—undead, cloaked in shadow and silence, my staff radiating with bone-deep power. Around me, creatures of every kind sat, squirmed, floated, or rested.
"You owe me nothing," I said, voice echoing through magic and air. "I am no god. No savior. But so long as you live here... you are under my protection."
They said nothing. Even the slimes stopped wobbling.
"I am not human. I never want to be. But I will build something better."
I raised my staff.
"From this night forward, the first laws of Netherhold are written."
> [Law One: No being shall be judged for form, weakness, or past.]
[Law Two: Those who harm without cause shall be banished... or destroyed.]
Silence. Then movement.
Luma spiraled through the air in glowing circles. The slimes bounced happily. Gob smiled and placed his tiny hand on my leg.
---
But peace is never absolute.
On the seventh day, I heard a crash in the western tunnel. I rushed there with two Bone Wraiths at my side.
A twisted ghoul burst from the shadows—skin melting, eyes wild, mouth frothing with dark spittle.
It wasn't just mad. It was infected.
> [Corrupted Ghoul – Lv. 4]
[Status: Hostile – Parasite Detected]
"Not a random beast," I muttered. "Someone... sent this."
I cast Necroflare—black fire wrapped its limbs, but it howled and fought through it.
I switched to Soul Rend. A blade of soul-splitting energy cleaved its essence.
The ghoul screamed.
Then exploded into a puddle of black blood and rotting mana.
> [Threat Eliminated]
[Infection Contained]
[Alert: External Influence Detected]
I stared into the dark corridor beyond.
Something—or someone—was testing us.
---
That evening, I sat once again upon the throne.
The creatures of Netherhold slept peacefully, guarded by silent watchers. Luma drifted above. Gob lay curled by the altar, still holding his bone-toy.
A new system prompt appeared.
> [Territory Stabilized. Expansion Now Available.]
[Nearby Target: Ruins of Seraph-Nal – 1.2 km East]
[Status: Sealed. High Potential. Medium Risk.]
[Designate as Next Expansion Site?]
[〘Yes〙 | 〘Postpone〙]
The map shimmered—Netherhold in the center, surrounded by shadows yet unexplored.
I wasn't ready for war.
But I wasn't running, either.
"I'm not a conqueror," I said quietly.
"But I won't hide forever."
I selected:
> [Postpone]
Let the surface slumber a little longer.
Let them believe this place is empty.
Because when they finally notice us...
It'll already be too late.
---