"Your wish is my command, Master," said the woman who used to be Miss Ivy. Now, she was the Blossom Queen, her voice smooth and flat as she knelt before Hazel.
Hazel felt a rush of pure joy seeing her alive, truly real. "Ivy!" he cried, moving quickly to hug her. But his arms met only a cold stillness. Blossom didn't hug him back, and there was no hint of knowing him in her eyes. A cold feeling spread through Hazel, replacing his happiness with a confusing sadness.
He stepped back, his eyes searching her face for the warmth he remembered, the gentle spark in her eyes. Instead, he found a perfect, blank face, as unreadable as a polished statue.
"Ivy... what happened?" Hazel asked, his voice barely a whisper, filled with a growing worry.
"I am working perfectly, Master. Please, call me Blossom," she replied, her voice steady, without any feeling.
"Do you... do you remember anything? From before?" Hazel pushed, a tight knot of worry forming in his chest.
"No, my lord. My past memories seem to be locked away. If I cannot do what you brought me back for, then please let me return to nothing," Blossom stated, her hand moving with a quick, unsettling grace to the handle of the sword at her hip.
Hazel reacted at once, catching her wrist. "Do you... do you not want me to stop you?" he asked, his grip firm.
"No, my lord," Blossom repeated, her gaze fixed straight ahead, completely uncaring.
Something is terribly wrong, Hazel thought, his mind racing. I need to understand what happened to her memories, and fast.
Just then, another loud explosion shook what was left of the hospital. The sound echoed the chaos in Hazel's own mind.
He knew, with sudden clarity, that surviving in this new world depended on understanding the strange system that had appeared. If I want to live through this, I need answers. Starting with this 'system'.
Focusing his thoughts, he said the words aloud, "System window."
A see-through window appeared before him, showing plain, digital words:
Player Information
* Welcome, Player, to your system window.
* Name: Hazel Willow
* Age: 21
* Job Class: Grim Reaper
* EXP: 0/100
* Level: 10
* Souls Taken: 0/100
* Health: 25/25
* Strength: 20/20
* Speed: 15/15
* Stamina: 15/15
* Agility: 15/15
* Skill: Dead Summon Lv1
* Weapon: Scythe
Hazel's breath caught. "It... it actually works," he mumbled, a mix of disbelief and a strange excitement running through him.
Driven by a sudden need to know more, he focused on his skill. "System, tell me more about 'Dead Summon'."
The system replied instantly: [Dead Summon Lv1]: Allows you to call forth dead beings, like warriors and monsters, to fight by your side. The more you level up this skill, the more creatures you can summon at once.
A new question formed in Hazel's mind. If it only summons warriors and monsters... then Blossom is a warrior? But how?
He turned his attention to his weapon. "System, describe my weapon."
[Weapon: Scythe]: This weapon is deeply connected to the Grim Reaper job class. You can use it in different ways, like slashing or throwing it like a boomerang. This weapon can get stronger as you level up and use it more.
An idea sparked. If it's connected to me... "Scythe, I summon thee!" he commanded, a wave of excitement running through him.
The ground before him shimmered, and a scythe appeared. It looked sleek and dangerous – a blade of pure black, with a sharp, thin line of red on its edge.
Hazel reached out, his fingers closing around the smooth, cool handle. An unexpected connection, a feeling of power, flowed between him and the weapon. "This is... amazing."
A new determination hardened his face. "It's time to see what this new world holds."
First Battle
As they stepped out of the damaged hospital, a ugly creature scurried into view – short, hunched over, and holding a rough knife.
Pointed ears, green skin... if those web novels were right, that's a goblin, Hazel thought, a strange feeling of unreality washing over him.
The goblin saw them, let out a high, raspy laugh, and charged with surprising speed.
"My lord," Blossom said, her emotionless gaze fixed on the creature, "should I destroy it?"
"No," Hazel replied, a strange mix of fear and excitement bubbling within him. "Let me try."
He swung the scythe, the movement surprisingly natural. The black blade whistled through the air. It cut through the goblin cleanly, leaving a sharp, decisive cut. The creature fell apart into two pieces.
[System Notification]
[You have defeated a goblin. +2 EXP.]
Two EXP? That's... not much, Hazel thought. But it's a low-level enemy, I guess.
Going down the crumbling stairs, they faced a group – five more goblins and a larger, more threatening figure holding a crude axe.
"Blossom," Hazel instructed, his voice gaining a new sense of authority, "take the smaller ones. I'll handle the leader."
Blossom moved with swift, terrifying skill. "Blossom Spiral Slash!" she declared, a pink energy swirling around her blade as she cut off the heads of the five goblins in one smooth movement.
Hazel faced the goblin commander. The creature's clumsy attacks were easy to see coming. He dodged its wild swings, his movements surprisingly quick.
With a swift, precise strike, Hazel brought his scythe down, cutting off the commander's hands.
The creature shrieked, trying to run away, but Hazel threw his scythe like a deadly boomerang. The black blade spun through the air, hitting its target and beheading the commander before flying back to his outstretched hand.
[System Notification]
[You have defeated a goblin commander. +10 EXP.]
Still not enough to level up, Hazel noted, his mind already planning.
[System Notification]
[Your subordinate, Blossom Queen, has defeated five goblins. You have gained +5 EXP. Blossom Queen has gained +5 EXP.]
A realization hit Hazel. Half the EXP goes to me when she gets a kill. That's not good for her to grow stronger quickly. From now on, she'll do most of the fighting. We need her to level up fast.
A New World
Coming out of the ruined hospital, they saw the true scale of the destruction. Buildings lay in rubble, and smoke still rose in the distance. The world they knew was gone.
Subordinate Stats
* Name: Blossom Queen {Ivy}
* Age: 20
* Job Class: Warrior
* Level: 5
* EXP: 5/100
* Strength: 10
* Speed: 10
* Stamina: 10
* Agility: 10
* Skill: Blossom Spiral Slash Lv1
* Weapon: Blossom Blade Katana
Hazel studied Blossom's stats, a grim determination settling in his eyes. We have a long way to go. I need to get her stronger, quickly.
With a silent understanding passing between them, Hazel and the emotionless Blossom Queen turned their backs on the ruined hospital and stepped into the desolate unknown, ready to face the monstrous new world.