The Sovereign Necromancer: System of the Dead

Not Dead Yet

The water taxi across the lagoon cost me my last two thousand Naira. I hid my face under a dirty hood, sitting among the market women. Nobody looked at a poor guy from the Mainland. Nobody noticed that my shadow on the wooden floor of the boat was twice as big as it should be.

Inside that shadow, my three servants waited. The two dead low-level Hunters and the giant bone gorilla were packed into the dark patch beneath my boots. I could feel their thoughts. They did not have minds anymore. They only had an endless hunger to obey me.

We landed at the Oriental Hotel docks on the Island. This was where the rich people threw their parties. The entire front yard was covered in red carpets and bright stage lights. Big television cameras were pointing at a raised platform.

Chief Segun stood there, his gold armor polished until it shone like a new coin. Chiamaka stood right beside him. She wore a beautiful new silk dress, her guild tracker badge pinned proudly to her chest.

"We lost a brave young man today," Chief Segun told the news reporters. He squeezed Chiamaka’s shoulder, looking directly into the camera lens. "Tobe Okafor was just a regular worker, but he gave his life so Vanguard Guild could secure the Lekki gate. We will make sure his name is remembered."

Chiamaka wiped a dry corner of her eye with a white cloth. "Tobe died a hero," she said, her voice completely smooth. "He told me to run. He said his life did not matter as long as the guild was safe."

My hands shook inside my pockets. My fingernails dug so deep into my palms that they broke the skin. She lay so easily. She had looked at my crushed legs and walked away, and now she was using my name to get famous on television.

"You lie well, Chiamaka," I said, stepping out from the edge of the crowd.

My voice was not loud, but the new power inside me made it carry across the lawn. It sounded like two heavy stones grinding together.

The reporters stopped talking. The big camera lights swung around, flashing across my face.

Chiamaka froze. The white cloth dropped out of her hand and fell onto the red carpet. Her face went completely white, her lips parting as she stared at me. "Tobe? No... that is impossible."

Chief Segun’s eyes went small and tight. He stepped in front of her, his hand moving down to the heavy iron sword at his hip. "You are supposed to be fish bait, boy. How did you get out of that hole?"

"The monsters in that hole are mine now," I said.

The security guards in blue uniforms rushed forward, drawing their batons. "Step back, kid! This is private property!"

I did not move. I just tapped my right heel against the concrete floor.

"Come out," I said.

The shadow under my feet spread out like spilled black ink across the red carpet. The air temperature dropped ten degrees instantly. The rich guests started running back toward the hotel doors, tripping over their long dresses.

From the black ink on the floor, the two dead Vanguard Hunters rose up first. Their gray eyes burned with cold fire. Then, the massive frame of the shadow gorilla lifted itself into the light. It gave a loud chest-beat that shattered three large glass windows on the first floor of the hotel.

[Sovereign Domain Active]

[Current Mana: 85/100]

"He is an unawakened necromancer!" a reporter shouted, dropping his heavy microphone as he scrambled away on his knees.

Chief Segun did not run. He was an A-Rank Hunter. He drew his massive golden sword, the blade glowing with bright yellow energy circles. "You think a few low-grade summons can save you from me? I built this city, boy. I can kill you twice."

He leaped off the stage, his sword coming down toward my neck with incredible speed.

"Block him," I commanded.

The shadow gorilla threw its massive arm forward, catching Segun’s golden blade with its bare black hands. The force of the blow made the concrete split under their feet, but the gorilla did not drop its grip. It squeezed, and the yellow energy circles on the sword started to blink out.

Chiamaka backed away toward the hotel entrance. She looked at my face, then at the giant beast holding her new boss. She reached into her pouch, pulling out a small, glowing green crystal device. It was a long-range emergency signal.

"If you press that, your family will not need that school f*e," I told her, my eyes locking onto hers. "Because there will be nobody left to go to school."

She stopped, her hand trembling over the button. For the first time in her life, she looked terrified of me. She saw the absolute coldness in my eyes. The guy who used to give her his half of the food was totally gone.

"Tobe, please," she said, her voice shaking. "Segun forced me. He said he would ruin my family if I did not follow him. I had no choice!"

"You always have a choice," I said.

Before I could tell the gorilla to crush Segun, a sudden red light flashed on my phone screen inside my pocket. A new text message appeared.

[Critical Alert: Mainland Public Hospital Ward 4 is under attack by an unranked dungeon break. Life support systems are failing. Time remaining: 8 minutes.]

My heart froze. Amarachi was still in that building.

I looked at Segun, who was struggling against my shadow beast, and then at Chiamaka. I wanted to tear them apart right here on the red carpet. But if I stayed to finish them, my sister would die.

"This is not over," I said, pointing my finger at Chiamaka. "I will come back for my change."

I turned around and jumped onto the back of the shadow gorilla. With one massive leap, the beast cleared the high security wall, diving straight into the dark lagoon water toward the Mainland.