As Damian sat on the rooftop of the ruined station, his mind still buzzing with the new abilities etched into his status screen.
"System," he said, rubbing his temples. "What exactly are these Minions and this skill Frenzy Call? Don't just throw words at me and expect me to figure it out."
The familiar chime echoed in his mind. "Minions are Permanent subordinates under Host control. The current cap is 0/5. Host may contract up to five zombies at his current level. Controlled minions will obey basic commands through Pack Link."
"Permanent subordinates, huh… so like my own little army." Damian grinned, baring teeth that looked far too sharp now. "And Frenzy Call?"
"Frenzy Call is the temporary battle frenzy skill. Host can force up to ten nearby zombies to attack a chosen target. But there is a risk factor, if target dies, Host has 40% chance of backlash. Backlash varies depending on target and nearby zombie intelligence."
Damian smile faltered. "Wait, so I call them in, they attack my target, and when it's dead… they might just rip me apart instead?"
[Correct.]
"Tch. Figures. So Minions are safe, Frenzy Call is gambling."
"Correction, Minion contracts depend on Host Intelligence versus the target's Intelligence. If Host INT is higher, success rate increases. If Host INT is equal or lower, contract fails and a backlash will occurs."
Damian leaned back. "So that's the trick. Dominate the dumb ones, avoid the clever ones. Got it."
He dropped from the rooftop, his claws scraping the rusted railing, and landed on the cracked street below. It didn't take long before he spotted one lone Level 2 Walker, dragging its broken leg across the asphalt.
"Perfect test subject," Damian muttered. He closed his eyes and focused, reaching out with the new link the system had unlocked.
A burning sensation ran through his skull as if he were headbutting a wall. The Walker stopped, its cloudy eyes flickering.
[Attempting Minion Contract… Success.]
The Walker stilled, then turned to him, shoulders slumped in unnatural obedience. Damian's grin widened. "One down. Four to go."
But he didn't want a pack of weaklings. If he was going to be an Alpha, he needed muscle. So he set his eyes on a Level 4 Runner he had spotted earlier prowling near the collapsed overpass.
He reached out with Pack Link again. This time the pressure was heavier, like someone driving nails into his brain. The Runner froze, growling as its instincts resisted.
[Attempting Minion Contract… Failed.]
Pain flared in his head, his HP dropping.
[-50 HP]
"Argh—dammit!!" Damian staggered, clutching his skull. The Runner shrieked and sprinted at him, claws raised. He barely dodged, cursing as he rolled away.
[Warning: Higher INT than expected. Host contract failed.]
"Yeah, no sh*t," Damian growled. "So this is the backlash."
He escaped and decided to settle for another Walker. Within the hour, he had filled three of his five slots, all low level zombies, shambling behind him with empty eyes. Not impressive, but at least it was a start.
After filling his slot the next he wanted to check out what the so called "Frenzy Call" could do. He spotted a Level 5 Walker across the street, lumbering near the ruins of an abandoned bus.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the Frenzy Call. The effect was instant. A shrill pulse echoed in his skull, and a deep and profound roar came out from his mouth. What occur next was a wave of guttural roars appearing around him. From alleys, broken windows, and behind the bus, about a dozen zombies jerked toward the target as if drawn by a silent command.
They pounced on the Walker, tearing and biting with wild fury. Damian eyes widened as the creature's health plummeted.
[-50]
[-70]
[-30]
In less than a minute, the Level 5 Walker was torn to pieces.
Damian felt a rush of satisfaction , until the feeding frenzy stopped. The zombies turned their heads. One by one, their eyes shifted toward him.
[Warning: Frenzy Call backlash. Chance of hostility triggered.]
"Oh… crap." Damian clenched his claws, ready for the fight.
The guttural growls echoed around the broken street. Damian counted quickly a dozen zombies, maybe more, closing in, their rotting feet dragging, some running with jerky movements, others swaying side to side.
"Great," Damian muttered. "So much for testing."
His claws twitched, but then he noticed something: among the shamblers, two Level 4 Walkers with sluggish movements and dull, empty gazes. Their stats flickered before his eyes.
[Level 4 Walker: INT 20]
[Level 4 Walker: INT 17]
Damian grinned. "Oh, you're dumb enough. Perfect."
He reached out with Pack Link, forcing the connection. A hot stab in his skull, then a sudden click as their will bent beneath his.
[Minion Contract Successful: 4/5]
[Minion Contract Successful: 5/5]
"Good. Now, chew on them, not me," Damian barked. His new minions lumbered forward, slamming into the wave of zombies with bone-cracking force. .
The street turned into chaos. His minions tore into the horde, claw against claw, teeth against flesh. One of his Level 4 Walkers ripped a Runner in half, only to get swarmed and dragged down by three others.
[-200 HP] [Minion Dead]
[-150 HP] [Minion Dead]
Damian cursed, ducking a swipe as he slashed at a stray zombie himself.
"Useless idiots! Can't even last a fight!"
Another one of his minions were overwhelmed, pulled apart in a frenzy of teeth and shrieks. By the end of the skirmish, corpses littered the cracked road.
Out of his five minions, only one minion remained , a Level 4 Walker, badly injured, one arm torn off, ichor dripping from gashes across its body.
[Minion Status: Injured | Loyalty: Stable]
Damian wiped black ichor from his mouth, panting. "So much for an Alpha pack. Down to one damn cripple."
As he complained, he noticed something odd. The surviving minion had crouched over a fallen corpse and was tearing into it, chewing flesh noisily.
Damian was about to scold it, but then he froze. A notification flickered in his vision.
[Biomass +10]
[Biomass +7]
[Biomass +12]
Damian blinked. "Wait… did it just,? System! Explain this sh*t right now."
"Host receives a percentage of biomass consumed by contracted minions. Efficiency depends on loyalty and minion's intelligence. Lower intelligence = higher share to Host."
His jaw dropped, then curled into a wicked grin. "So you're telling me… if I get a bunch of idiots under my control, they can eat for me, and I still get stronger?"
"Correct. However, transfer rate is slow and less efficient than direct consumption."
Damian laughed, clutching his stomach. "Oh, this is good. And I don't even have to get my hands dirty. I can just send them out to feast while I sit back and reap the rewards. Alpha indeed."
Still, as he checked his status, he saw that the gains trickled in slowly, far less than if he devoured the corpses himself.
"Tch. Figures there's a catch." He sighed, then stomped over to the nearest body. His jaw stretched unnaturally wide as he dug in, devouring what remained of the battlefield.
One after another, the notifications rolled through his vision.
[Biomass +100]
[Biomass +120]
[Biomass +80]
By the time he finished licking ichor from his lips, his counter had climbed steadily upward.
Damian checked his status screen again, wiping gore from his lips.
[Biomass Consumed: ~1,000/100,000]
He frowned. "Tch. Barely a drop in the ocean… 100,000, huh? At this rate I'll
be chewing corpses until next century."
The lone Level 4 Walker minion dragged itself beside him, one arm missing but still loyally staring at him with cloudy eyes. Damian sighed, cracking his neck.
"Fine. Let's rebuild the pack. Can't be Alpha with just one cripple following me around."
He stalked the ruined streets until he found fresh prey. It didn't take long before four Level 3 Runners crossed his path. Their INT values were low, easy targets for his dominance.
[Minion Contract Successful: 2/5]
[Minion Contract Successful: 3/5]
[Minion Contract Successful: 4/5]
[Minion Contract Successful: 5/5]
One by one, they fell into line, snarling quietly but bound to his will.
A grin spread across Damian's rotten lips. "Perfect. Back at full strength."
Just as he admired his freshly rebuilt pack, the ground beneath his feet shuddered.
BOOOOM.
A thunderous explosion rolled across the ruined city, echoing between broken skyscrapers. Dust plumed into the sky far to the east, followed by the faint crackle of fire.