It was completely surrounded.
Steady footsteps echoed behind it. The rat looked up into the cold eyes of its most hated executioner—Fethan—who pointed his wand.
“Arcane Bullet.”
BANG!
A gray blast pierced the rat’s chest. The second and third shots followed immediately, obliterating its spirit.
[You have acquired Cursed Spirit: Unnamed Death Rat – Grade: Blue]
[Congratulations. You have leveled up.]
[Arcane Bullet upgraded to Level 5. Damage +5%]
[You have slain a Cursed Parent. Cursed Zone purified. Everland Territory expanded by 2,654 sqm.]
[You have collected 1,000 souls. Reward: 10 Soul Coins, 1x XL Soul EXP Card]
[You have expanded Everland’s territory to 25,000 sqm. Reward: 10 Soul Coins, 1x Purple-Grade Spirit Advancement Card]
“Phew... Finally leveled up.”
Fethan looked at his updated level—finally 31. He’d had to eliminate nearly ten cursed spirits just to push past 30. Luckily, the sewer housed more than one spirit like the Rat King.
“Let’s swing by the supermarket before heading home.”
Fethan swore he’d never return to this cursed sewer unless absolutely necessary. Killing sewer rats, enduring the filth and stench for a week straight had seriously worn him down. The whispers in his ears gave him constant migraines.
He ran toward the light at the end of the tunnel, unaware that glowing red eyes were watching from the shadows. A giant cockroach tracked him silently—but even if Fethan had noticed, he’d have assumed it was just another Hollow Zone spawn.
He delivered the cores to the guild and dropped by the market. His motorcycle roared into the driveway of his house—normally dark and somber. But tonight, the lights were on before he even opened the door.
Inside, he found a young girl with a bandana, holding a mop and diligently cleaning the floor.
She looked up with a smile.
“Welcome back, Mr. Fethan! I haven’t cleaned the bathroom yet—just let me finish the floor, then I’ll get right on it.”
“No need! You don’t have to clean everything.”
Fethan was flustered. Stella, small and frail enough to be blown away by the wind, was once again overexerting herself. Lumi looked on, awestruck by the girl’s dedication—something she could never match.
“I want to help! Please let me work,” Stella begged with pleading eyes. Fethan sighed but nodded.
“How about this: I’ll give you a salary, separate from your allowance, for helping with housework.”
“No! That’s too much!” she protested, but Fethan insisted.
“Work should be rewarded. You help take care of the house—I should pay you. Our finances are tight until Jonathan’s support comes through, so I’ll start with 50 dennis a day.”
“Even allowance is too much... I can’t accept a salary.”
She looked miserable. Fethan was puzzled—why did she fear getting paid?
“Why not?”
“I’m living here for free. Helping out makes me feel better. If I get paid, it doesn’t feel right.”
“I see. You don’t want to feel like a freeloader, so you’re working to earn your place?”
Stella nodded shyly. Fethan sighed and smiled.
“We’re family now. Families rely on each other. I don’t expect you to help with chores—just be happy. I won’t stop you from cleaning, but don’t overdo it.”
Stella visibly relaxed and patted her chest. Unbeknownst to her, she wouldn’t be getting a salary—but her allowance would mysteriously increase.
Fethan went to the kitchen, pulled out premium ingredients, and began preparing dinner. The aroma of rich sauce mingling with marbled meat filled the house, luring Stella down from upstairs.
On the dining table: golden stir-fried carrots and beef, crispy flying cabbage dumplings, hot rice topped with black sesame, and bonito broth soup. Stella’s silver eyes sparkled.
“Smells so good,” she thought.
She had seen good food before, so she kept her manners in check.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Stella, you’re here! Come sit. I made this for you—to celebrate you moving in.”
“For me…? Really?”
“Of course. It’s for my little sister.”
Stella looked away, cheeks puffed like she was holding back a smile.
Little sister.
The words echoed sweetly in her heart. She removed her gloves and bandana, then sat across from Fethan. The two siblings—who looked so alike despite having different mothers—began eating silently.
Lumi’s stomach growled. She inhaled deeply, but couldn’t smell a thing.
“Ugh… even though it looks delicious, I can’t touch it. Can’t even smell it. Spirits don’t need food or sleep—but why is it so painful? So this is what they mean by ‘lifeless.’ I’m dead, and I’m not allowed happiness? Waaah…”
She sobbed in the corner.
Fethan ate a bite and watched Stella curiously. She pierced a dumpling with her fork, dipped it in soy sauce, and took a bite. The broth inside exploded with flavor. The scent of flying cabbage danced down her throat.
Her silver eyes welled up.
“Eh?” Fethan and Lumi froze. Stella started sobbing uncontrollably.
“W-what’s wrong? Is it bad?” Lumi asked nervously.
“Stella, are you okay? Is it the cabbage? Do you have allergies?”
“No! It’s just… it’s been so long since I had something this good. And it’s from you, Fethan. I don’t know why, but it makes me so happy. It feels warm here…”
She clutched her chest, tears streaming down.
Fethan smiled.
So this is what it feels like to have a family.
He’d wanted a family for so long. Since losing his mother and being abandoned by his father, he’d dreamed of growing up with someone. And now—he had a sweet little sister to protect.
“Eat as much as you like. No need to hold back. I’ll make more in the future.”
“Huu… huuhuuu!” Stella cried harder at Fethan’s kindness. Fethan and Lumi stared at each other, helpless.
Raising kids… wasn’t easy.
Fethan entered his private room and activated the Everland gate. He rushed to the Lord’s Office.
[Everland] [Glory Level: 1] [Territory: 25,000 sqm] [Population: 1,000 (Orange: 1, Purple: 3, Blue: 55, Green: 388, White: 553)] [Soul Coins: 3.84] [Tax Revenue: 51.725 Soul Coins/month] [Structures: 3 (General: 0, Special: 3, Miraculous: 0)]
- Everland Castle LV1
- Immortal Barracks LV1
- Everland Shop LV1 [Blueprints Owned: 2]
[Upgrade Requirements for Glory Level 2: ? Met]
[Upgrade now?]
“Upgrade.”
The entire realm changed. Hellhounds howled, Death Rats danced, Werewolves howled with joy. Soul energy density surged—every breath refreshed the body.
[Upgrade Complete. Everland Glory: Level 2.] [Population Cap: 2,500. Territory Cap: 50,000 sqm.] [Unlocked: Special Structure – Cursed Prison.] [New Skills: Spirit Sigil (A), Curseflame Hex (A)] [Undead Army Capacity +50 (Now 150)] [+2 Levels, +50 Soul Power, +2 to all stats, 1x Special Authority Card (+10), 1x Special Structure Upgrade Card] [Soul Energy Density x2. Tax Bonus +5%] [Castle Facilities +1 Level.]
[Next Glory Upgrade requires payment.]
Fethan’s breath caught. The benefits were massive. Unlike other Slayers, his growth came through Everland. He opened his stats menu.
[Spirit Sigil (A) LV1: Borrow Soul Power from Everland citizens. Repay with interest in Soul Coins. Max loan: 1,000 Soul Power.]
“A backup pool of 1,000 Soul Power? That’s huge.”
Like government bonds, citizens lent power in exchange for repayment. In a crisis, he could tap this reserve.
But then he reviewed his new spell:
[Curseflame Hex (A) LV1: Costs 100 Soul Power. Unleashes deadly flame curse. User gains cursed burn scars—the longer endured, the stronger the spell becomes.]
“I won’t use this unless I have no choice.”
Curse spells were powerful—but damaged both the enemy and the caster. Prolonged use led to madness. Fethan refused to walk that path.
‘I have Soul Fusion and Death God’s Descent. No need for curses.’
He exited the office. Outside, spirits celebrated the realm’s growth. Hellhounds danced, Death Rats spun in circles, the Werewolf ran laps, and the Reaper basked in the sun.
Everyone benefitted.
‘I need to use my new resources wisely. I have one Special Structure Upgrade Card. Castle and shop are stable. Immortal Barracks will increase army EXP—that’s priority.’
He used the card.
[Immortal Barracks (Special) LV2: EXP and skill gain +10%. Unlocks convenience features. May now hire a commander.]
‘Commander? New feature?’
He also inspected his newest structure.
[Cursed Prison (Special): Holds up to 100 Cursed Spirits. Purifies them over time. Costs 1 Soul Coin per cell. Converts curse energy into Curse Medals as tax. You may hire a warden to improve efficiency. Area: 5,000 sqm.]
‘It can purify cursed spirits. This is valuable.’
He placed the prison far from other structures. A gloomy fortress of cracked stone, barbed wire, and ominous aura appeared. No one wanted to go near it—except the Reaper.
“Bring him.”
Two Hellhounds dragged the cocooned Rat King, still bound, before the prison.
“Cheeeee!” It shrieked in terror.
The aura told it—if it entered, it would never be the same again. But someone else found joy in its misery.
“Heehee… heehee…” giggled the Reaper.
Fethan considered making it the prison’s warden. He had other cursed spirits too. Purifying them would boost Everland’s power.
“By the way, what do you spirits use Soul Coins for?” he asked.
{We pay taxes.}
Fethan facepalmed.
He paid them for battle—and they used the coins to pay him back.
“What if I don’t hire you? Where do you get the coins then?”
{We convert cultivated Soul Power into coins. It slows leveling, but fulfills the tax. Hiring us saves us that effort.}
“So if I hire you regularly, you’ll level up faster since you don’t need to convert power into coins?”
{As expected of one blessed with divine intellect! Truly a reincarnated Socrates! I see boundless wisdom—}
The Reaper’s text rambled on until Fethan stopped reading.
‘He wants something. Got it.’
“I appoint you as the Cursed Prison Warden.”
{Really?}
“Yes.”
The Reaper knelt and praised him in a foreign tongue. It may have even cried tears of joy. It grabbed the Rat King and dragged it into the prison.
“Cheee! (You traitor!)”
The gates closed. The Reaper’s laughter echoed through the air.
The Werewolf sulked, jealous of the Reaper’s new job. But its upkeep was too expensive.
“Awooo…” it whimpered, pointing at itself.
“You’re to level up quickly and await my summons.”
“Whine…”
It slumped sadly. Hellhounds licked its fur to cheer it up.
“So pitiful. You’ve got an open staff slot—why not assign it?” Lumi asked.
“I need the right fit. But… actually, I’ve got an idea. Werewolf, come here.”
It perked up instantly.
“I’m assigning you as Barracks Commander. Train Hellhounds and Death Rats. Two Soul Coins monthly. Deal?”
“AWOOOOO!!”
Its joy was contagious. The Hellhounds joined the howl, dancing upright.
[Everland Shop LV1 – (No staff)]
[Immortal Barracks LV2 – Werewolf (Purple-Grade, Commander): Training +5%. Canine training +15%. Salary: 2 Soul Coins/month.]
[Cursed Prison LV1 – Reaper (Orange-Grade, Warden): Purification +10%. Salary: 5 Soul Coins/month.]
“I’ll assign the shop to Lumi—no tax then.”
“Really?! Sure you’re okay with that, Fethan? I’ve never worked retail.”
“It’s just a title. No real work yet. As a purple-grade spirit, you owe 1 Soul Coin monthly. I’ll pay you 2. You keep 1 for personal expenses.”
“Understood. I accept my role as spoiled housewife!” Lumi laughed.
Fethan pinched her cheek playfully.
He gazed across Everland, now bustling with new potential. He planned to build Rat Village and Dog Village—but needed more materials and coins.
His goal: evolve his forces, boost levels, and create an ecosystem that could support a thriving undead empire.