All the children were standing together in an arena especially prepared for the ceremony.
The high priest in the fancy ceremonial robes and a funny hat was chanting some sort of prayer that was supposed to start the initiation but was actually only a purely cosmetic choice that was supposed to add to the splendor of the occasion.
Zombie was not looking around at all, standing behind Cranberry, lowering his head with a mostly indifferent, although slightly bored, expression.
The reason was simple.
Just as before, the whole initiation was taking a place in the prepared spot in the arena- and the arena, as a place where people came to watch things happen, had the seats for the audience.
The whole first kill party was an event in which the main objective was to use the kids to show off the wealth and power of their families by showcasing the powerful monsters the children would be slaying – that could not happen without the members of said families being present to watch it all.
And those were all seated around the arena.
...including two people that Zombie would really like to see dead.
First, was obviously his sister, Caramel – the reincarnated girl with the knowledge of the system who was the main reason behind Zombie's gruesome experience in his life in another world.
The other one was the mother of the weakling prince Roan.
The queen herself.
The memory of that treacherous filth first showing goodwill to Zombie and Cranberry just to be fully prepared to stab them in the back at the moment's notice deserved far more painful death hen what she got in the first playthrough, erased from existence by the outburst of the flames of the end.
But in both cases, it would be very unwise for Zombie to openly antagonize either of them – especially the treacherous queen – so what was left for him was to endure.
|I could send out Kopia in her dagger form and stab her in the neck while everyone would be busy watching the kids play around – Claymore's turn would be perfect for that.|
Zombie tried to bargain with the sealed overseer inside of him...
|For the last time – Zombie, no! This isn't up for discussion! You cannot kill the queen during the first kill party her son is attending!|
...but it was not going well for him.
|But she isn't an essential character!|
The blue undead argued back.
|Could you hold back even for a moment and think about it?! Like, actually?! Roan isn't the registered heir of the throne of Greed as of yet! We can't be sure that he will get the title of the avatar if anything happens to his mother – what would you do if someone like Durian would get it instead?! With the queen alive we – or rather I – at least know how things should be playing out and we can prepare accordingly! Remember – to get the secret true ending we need to complete all the secret events that will trigger only AFTER all the capture target including you, will become avatars of sin! Don't try to change it! This isn't the same thing as with Baron!|
It seemed like Patience wanted to talk Zombie's ears off with that one scolding – and she was on the right track to do so.
"Do you accept the System?"
Thankfully, right then after way too many minutes of praying and casting various blessings, the high priest spread his arms open and asked the children.
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"We do!"
Said everyone – Cranberry, Mary, Claymore, and Roan included.
"Hey, system, I want to receive quests too, you know? Come on, I accept you too! Be a pal and cut me a deal."
The blue boy grinned mockingly and murmured under his breath, making fun of everyone who thought that the system was a sentient being and not an impartial force that simply helped the gods guide the worlds in the direction they wanted to.
The next moment, a bright light filled the area.
And the same message showed up in front of everyone who responded to the words of the high priest.
/Initiation complete
/Welcome, new player!
|Hey...! HEY! HEY! HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE?!"
Yes – everyone – that included the little blue undead currently losing his mind over a message that although he saw before, was never meant for him up until now.
|I... I don't know...|
Even Patience was stunned, sounding as if her jaw dropped from the shock.
/You become a player character
/You receives a quest (level 1)
Upgrade any skill to level 2
Reward: +1 free status point
/Quest completed
Reward granted
/System detected at least one maxed out skill
Special reward granted
Title: Hardworker
/Error
/Hard worker title detected
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/Changing the reward
/Calculating...
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/Multiple maxed out level skills detected
Overlevel skill detected
/Special reward granted
Title: Workaholic
/You receives a quest (level 1)
Gain at least one physical offense skill
Reward: +1 ATK
/Quest completed
Reward granted
/System detected at least one maxed out physical offense skill
Special reward granted
+10 ATK
/You receives a quest (level 1)
Use any skill 10 times
Reward: +1 free status point
/Quest completed
Reward granted
/System detected at least one skill used over 1,000,000 times
Special reward granted
Free tier-two skill
/Do you want to select a skill now?
|Just what in the world is going on here...?!|
Zombie could not help but be taken aback but the sheer weirdness of the situation – he was an undead – a monster – monsters do not become player characters or receive quests!
|...! ZOMBIE!|
|WHAT?!|
Patience suddenly panicked and screamed inside the boy's head and he screamed back instantly.
|THE SEAL OF THE ETERNAL!|
The sealed overseer cried out in panic.
|N-no! No way! Don't tell me it's breaking?! Is it because of me?! But the system has made me player character all on its own!|
Zombie roared back.
|N-no... It did not break – but it suddenly dropped from 98% all the way to 85%!|
Patience sounded as if she shook her head from left to right rapidly and declared in a very worried voice.
|Wha...?! That's it?! It's nothing! I almost had a heart attack, you know?!|
Even though the sealed overseer sounded just as worried as before, Zombie breathed out in relief and complained as the children began to walking back inside, to allow the organizers to disassemble the little area so that all the fighting could commence on the big arena.
"Zombie, come on, let's go back."
Cranberry tugged on Zombie's sleeve, making him furrow his brows – it looked like she did not receive any sort of a message informing her about the abnormality in the system that somehow turned her familiar into a player character just as herself.
|Zombie! Don't be an idiot! A monster as strong as bicorn appeared when the seal was only at 98%! Imagine what monstrosity would show up now!|
|...!|
Zombie flinched hearing the bad news that Patience had for him.
Still...
|The seal isn't broken yet so we're fine – and as for whatever sigil monster will appear – we are not obliged to fight it – there are plenty of strong player characters in this world, let's give them a chance for the ridiculous amount of experience that those freakish beast give.|
Zombie scoffed in a tired voice.
"Zombie...? Don't tell me that you are mad at me...?! I forbid you from doing that!"
Cranberry became worried with the lack of reaction she got from her undead familiar and complained, tugging at his hand while fidgetting anxiously.
"Ah, sorry for that – I got lost in thoughts, undead stuff, I didn't mean to make you worry."
Zombie shook his head and declared with a smile, pushing the possible danger of the next sigil monster to the corner of his mind as something to worry about later, and smiled apologetically to the red-haired girl.
With that, the two of them followed the other kids and get back into the waiting room for a little while.