In a distant land Clark had never seen,
stood the City of Stars in the nation of Drangelic— ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⸺fire.net
known as the City of Lovers.
Its grand palace loomed over everything,
unmatched anywhere in the world.
A terrified secretary dashed through an artifact-lined hall,
bursting into the minister’s chamber.
The room was simple, far from lavish.
She spoke, voice trembling:
"Sir... the undead army is advancing."
"What? How? Report everything."
"They’re slaughtering everything in sight...
The sealed cave—the Inheritance—has appeared.
The Statue of Light and Darkness is glowing intensely."
"The prophecy unfolds. The heirs have come...
They will restore Drangelic’s glory and break the curse."
He recalled the ancient curse that plagued the city for centuries,
after the rulers of Light and Darkness, Ornstein and Lucifer, vanished.
Few families capable of magic and aura kept their gifts.
Those who still wielded magic held weak powers,
and worse, the Sunbreaker’s legacy had emerged.
The minister commanded:
"Send soldiers to hold back the undead.
Bring me any living thing you find in the forest."
But that was six hours ago...
Now, the battalion had arrived.
Clark and Jin stepped out to assess the chaos.
"Look... they’re searching for survivors.
Maybe we can’t trust them fully, but let’s see.
I think they’re here for us, not just to fight the undead."
"You’re right. We’ll watch from the ridge and assist if needed."
Clark charged down the hillside.
Their bloodlust still burned, hungry for battle.
Hidden among trees, Clark watched the fight with Jin beside him.
"They can’t win. It’s a lost battle.
Only their leader seems to know what he’s doing."
Jin replied in horror:
Undead corpses merged into a new form.
Bodies fused into a three-meter-tall monster.
Clark broke the silence:
"We have to step in. If they die, we’re next.
We can’t hide forever in some tiny cave."
A soldier stood before the beast.
His grip tightened as corpses squirmed in his hold.
Clark lunged, pulling the soldier back, saying:
"Get your squad over here while we handle this."
Clark cut cloth from his outfit,
wrapping it around his hand and sword hilt like a hook.
He leaped onto the monster’s chest, stabbing wildly.
But the bodies weren’t fused—just held together by force.
"How do we kill this thing?
If they’re separate, let’s burn them!"
Clark cursed their bad luck.
The monster attacked.
They dodged blow after blow.
Though large and strong,
it couldn’t land a clean hit.
Clark weaved away from a strike,
twisting like rubber—but couldn’t avoid a crushing blow
that sent him flying onto a corpse.
Someone pulled him up.
Clark shoved them back:
"Stop! I’m fine—just a cracked rib. Back off!"
"Who are you? You’re not one of us."
In truth, he wasn’t helping—he was looting the dead.
He’d mistaken Clark for a fellow scavenger.
"Clark? Let me treat you. I’m a medic."
"Think I’m stupid? I know your game—but thanks! Take me to your group!"
Jin watched, puzzled:
They reached piles of corpses
being dragged away by Fyodor.
Clark ignored it, eyeing the supply wagons instead.
The soldier introduced himself:
"Why so many dead? These your comrades?"
Fyodor panicked inwardly:
How’d he guess? I’ll play along—then kill him.
He pretended to stitch a wound,
but the "patient" was already dead.
He crept behind Clark, whispering:
He swung the sword hilt at Clark’s head.
Clark found tar oil in a wagon box.
He hid the oil, tied up Fyodor,
and cut his hand to draw the lion with blood.
Two minutes passed—no sign of the beast.
Then, footsteps thundered close.
Clark hauled Fyodor onto his back and ran.
The lion followed the scent, hunting its meal.
but Fyodor’s weight didn’t slow Clark’s powerful frame.
Back on the battlefield, Jin was exhausted.
He tossed Fyodor—who woke, screaming at the corpse pile—
and doused them both in oil.
Corpses tore into Fyodor as he shrieked.
seeing others stealing its prey.
It blasted lightning from its mouth,
igniting the oil in a fiery explosion.
The undead burned to ash.
Even the summoner felt it from afar.
Enraged, he decided to fight—
but the lion struck first, stabbing his staff into its back.
He tossed the beast aside like trash.
Clark and Jin stood fearless.
"Ready for round two?"