NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5: Chapter 5
[Mission Complete: Zombie Killer]
Objective: Kill 1,000 zombies in 1 week (Only Humans).
Reward: [Flash Step], [A New Title], [+5 to all stats].
Punishment: [-10 to all stats] (avoided).
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[New Skill Acquired: Flash Step]
A high-speed movement technique that boosts the user's speed by 50% and up to 100%.
Warning: This skill can cause self-harm if Durability is less than half of Speed. To use this skill at its fullest potential, Durability should be at least half of Speed.
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[Congratulations! You have gained a new title: Undead Slayer.]
[Undead Slayer] (Title Effect)
+25% to all stats when facing undead.
+10% to all allies' stats when facing undead.
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[STATUS SCREEN]
Name: Ashburn Blackheart
Race: Human
Age: 3 days and 8 hours old
Level: 11
Title(s): [Undead Slayer]
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[STATS]
HP: 460/460
MP: 330/330
HP Regen: 2.5 per minute
MP Regen: 8.8 per minute
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[ATTRIBUTES]
Power: 42
Speed: 32
Durability: 25
Intelligence: 22
Charm: 22
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[CLASS & SKILLS]
Job Class: Shadow Monarch
Skills: [Stealth], [Flash Step], [Shadow Inventory]
Job-Specific Skills: [Shadow Extraction], [Shadow Preservation (Lvl 1)],
Upon reaching Level 10, Ashburn had unlocked [Shadow Inventory]—a milestone reward. This ability granted him the power to store an unlimited number of items within his shadow and retrieve them at will.
Yet, despite all his progress, he sighed. "I didn't even level up."
These low-level zombies were no longer enough. If he wanted real growth, he needed a greater challenge, superhuman zombies. Shaking his head, he effortlessly dodged the clumsy attacks of the horde surrounding him, his movements fluid and precise. His gaze swept over the undead with clear disinterest.
With a Mind stat of 22, his cognitive abilities were 22 times sharper than the average human. Factoring in his Speed stat, his thought process operated at an astonishing 32 times the normal rate. Every movement, every attack, every feint—he processed it all instantly, reacting before his enemies could even register a change.
His skill with the daggers had improved immensely, as had his overall combat ability. But it still wasn't enough. If he wanted to complete his mission, he needed something stronger.
With a flash, Ashburn shot forward, weaving through the horde at blinding speed. In an instant, he reappeared behind them.
A beat passed… Then—thud, thud, thud.
Dozens of undead heads shot into the air, their severed hands falling alongside them. Ashburn turned to observe his handiwork before glancing down at his knives.
"I need better blades." He sighed, shaking his head. These kitchen knives weren't cutting it—literally. He needed real weapons.
Without wasting time, he gave the fallen zombies a new purpose, resurrecting them as shadow soldiers before leaping onto the rooftop of a nearby building. From his vantage point, he overlooked the city below, where his ever-growing army of shadow soldiers dominated the streets.
Reaching out through his connection, he called for his first human shadow. "Torch, have you found any mutants?"
Over the past few days, he hadn't just focused on mastering his daggers—he had also helped Torch refine his powers. Ashburn might not have flashy abilities like Torch, but he had knowledge, creativity, and a strategic mind. And he was putting them all to use.
"Sorry, my lord. Finding mutants is difficult if they don't reveal themselves. I could create a large fire beam to draw them toward me if you'd like." Torch's voice echoed through their link.
"No. I don't want any of those all-knowing guys catching wind of me."
Ashburn frowned, mind racing. There was at least one being in Asgard who could see everything that happened across the Nine Realms. Right now, Ashburn was likely within his line of sight. But just as a person could see every grain of sand on a beach without focusing on any single one, Heimdall wasn't watching him specifically.
Yet, the bigger an impact Ashburn made, the higher the risk of drawing unwanted attention. And he wasn't ready for that.
"Keep searching. I've cleared out this city, I'll be moving to the next one." With those parting words, Ashburn shifted his focus, scanning the distant skyline. The next city would bring new opportunities.
But just as he was about to move, a system screen appeared before him.
[New Mission: Mutant Hunt]
Objective: Hunt down 100 mutants and have them join your Shadow Soldiers. (1/100)
Reward: [6th Sense], [Will to Recover], [Mana Manipulation]
Punishment: [-15 to all stats]
"I wonder what Sixth Sense would be like…" Ashburn's thoughts lingered on the reward for a moment before he refocused.
Without hesitation, he sent a command to his shadow army. "Spread out. Find me more mutants."
The city was already cleared of undead, making it useless to him now. His forces, even the smallest among them, were at least twice as strong as a normal human—yes, even the frogs.
The city had originally housed 15,000 zombies—all of whom now marched as part of Ashburn's shadow army.
With such overwhelming numbers at his command, the likelihood of any mutant slipping past them was nonexistent. His soldiers had no need for rest, no exhaustion to slow them down. They could run at full speed indefinitely, scouring every inch of land for their targets.
Then, another system notification appeared.
[New Mission: New York City]
Objective: Go to New York and slaughter all zombies.
Time Limit: 6 months
Reward: [+5 Levels], [+10 to all stats], [A Skill]
Punishment: [Stuck in this universe until all zombies are killed.]
"Fuck…" Ashburn's mind raced. "How the hell am I supposed to kill someone like Deadpool?"
Forget Deadpool—New York was home to countless dangerous individuals he didn't even want to be near. How was he supposed to clear that city?
"Six months… fine. I'm not staying in this place forever." Ashburn clenched his teeth, frustration simmering beneath the surface. He exhaled sharply, scanning his surroundings before leaping off the rooftop.
While waiting for his soldiers to report back, he focused on gathering more weapons. He needed better gear if he was going to take on the challenges ahead.
It didn't take long before one of his shadow soldiers sent a report—they had found a mutant. Without hesitation, Ashburn took off.
He moved like a blur through the streets, his speed nearing that of the fastest cars—though not quite there yet. Still, he covered ground fast. In less than thirty minutes, he arrived at the city where the report originated.
What he saw was chaos. His shadow soldiers were locked in battle, clashing against a swarm of zombies.
What should have been an easy battle had become more troublesome. One of the zombies was a mutant and its ability? It could fire a beam—from its stomach.
A ridiculous ability, but effective. The beam wasn't strong enough to rip through a car, but it could still deal significant damage. That alone wouldn't have been a problem, but the mutant zombie wasn't just attacking blindly—it was smart. It used the other zombies as shields, keeping itself protected while it fired off its attacks.
"Well… at least the beam travels at the speed of light." Ashburn sighed, slightly disappointed. The ability had potential, but the raw power was lacking.
Still, light-speed attacks weren't something most could dodge. Ashburn gripped his knife, took aim, and threw. The blade cut through the air, striking the mutant zombie square in the head before it could react. The impact was instant, skull pierced, brain destroyed. The lifeless body collapsed as the knife continued its path, exiting cleanly through the back of its head.