A week had passed since the decision.
The time I spent observing Nazarick and making sure every department, every Guardian, and every system was working properly had been exhausting—but necessary. After all, leaving a fortress like the Great Tomb unattended, even with beings like Albedo and Demiurge in charge, demanded absolute trust.
And now, here I was—standing in the Throne Room of Nazarick once again.
The grand chamber shimmered under the soft golden glow of divine chandeliers. The scent of sanctified incense mixed with the faint metallic tang of mana that constantly flowed through the structure. The room, large enough to host armies, felt almost intimate today.
Only three people were present.
Myself.
Shalltear Bloodfallen, standing faithfully by my side.
And Albedo, standing several meters away, her wings folded and eyes locked on me with a complex expression—one filled with pride, longing, and… possessiveness.
"Alastor-sama…" Albedo's voice trembled slightly as she looked at me. "Are you sure this is necessary?"
I gave her a faint smile. "You've asked that same question ten times already."
Her wings twitched in embarrassment. "Because you didn't answer properly even once."
"Then I'll answer properly now," I said, stepping closer. "Yes, Albedo. It's necessary. Nazarick has stabilized. You've done a perfect job managing everything. Demiurge and Cocytus are handling field operations. Mare and Aura are tending the forest perimeter. The Tomb is safe."
And I need to get my real adventure started.
Albedo lowered her head, her expression softening. "I understand. But… I still don't like it."
"Neither do I, if it makes you feel any better," I said with a light chuckle.
Shalltear giggled behind her hand. "Ara~ Albedo, it's not like Alastor-sama is leaving forever. It's just a new world. I'll make sure he's… taken care of."
The playful tone in Shalltear's voice immediately caused Albedo's wings to rise defensively.
"Taken care of?" Albedo's golden eyes glowed faintly red.
Shalltear smirked. "Oh my, did I say something wrong?"
I sighed. "Enough. Don't start another one of your competitions in front of the Throne of Kings."
The two froze—then bowed their heads in unison.
"Forgive us, my lord."
I shook my head, smiling faintly. "You two never change."
For a moment, silence filled the room. The massive doors stood shut, cutting off the world outside.
The air carried a faint hum—the sound of divine machinery beneath Nazarick's foundation, alive and pulsing.
My gaze shifted toward Shalltear.
She was dressed in her signature gothic outfit, crimson eyes gleaming with excitement. Her parasol rested against her shoulder, but her aura betrayed her eagerness.
She was the one I chose to bring along.
Originally, both Shalltear and Albedo wanted to accompany me, and both insisted that I also take a member of the Pleiades as additional protection.
But there was a small problem.
The system demanded Quest Coins for each individual I transported between worlds—500 per person.
And since I only had 1000 Quest Coins… that meant if I wanted to take both a Guardian and a Pleiades maid, I'd have to stay behind myself.
Not exactly a viable option.
So I chose Shalltear.
Between her raw strength, regeneration, and versatile combat ability, she was the perfect partner for an unknown world.
Still, the thought of having to pay a literal fee to bring an ally across worlds annoyed me. I needed to find a reliable way to earn Quest Coins—fast.
I made a mental note: Find a method to farm Quest Coins effectively.
I opened the Multiverse System once again. The familiar blue panels shimmered to life before my eyes, invisible to Albedo and Shalltear.
[World Selection: Complete]
[Chosen World: Marvel Zombie World]
[Cost: 500 Quest Coins]
[Confirm Transfer?]
As I reached for the floating confirmation sigil, a small glowing button caught my eye:
[Modify World Parameters]
Curious, I tapped it. A secondary window opened, offering options to alter the difficulty, environment, and even the timeline.
But I didn't need any changes.
I wanted to experience the world as it truly was—unaltered, raw, and dangerous. And modification required Quest Coins.
"No modifications," I muttered. "Let's go as it is."
With that, I closed the window and tapped [Confirm].
The throne room dimmed instantly.
The light vanished.
Sound vanished.
Even the feeling of gravity seemed to disappear as the world fell away into darkness.
It wasn't teleportation. It wasn't movement.
It was erasure.
For a moment, everything was black—the kind of endless, heavy darkness that made you wonder
if existence had stopped.
And then, just as suddenly, light returned.
I opened my eyes.
The first thing I noticed was the sky.
Or what was left of it.
It was smoky dark.
Beneath my feet was barren land—dry, dead, lifeless. And there are so many corpses.
Beside me, Shalltear stood, blinking in confusion.
"…This place," she whispered, her eyes darting around. "It's… dead."
"Welcome to the Marvel Zombie World," I said quietly.
The system screen reappeared before my eyes, its blue hue now faintly tinted red—almost as if stained by blood.
[Quest Generation: Active]
Analyzing World Parameters...
Processing...
Three glowing lines appeared one after another.
[Quest #1: Save this World]
Objective: Restore stability or end the zombie apocalypse.
Reward: ???
[Quest #2: Get involved with a lady from this planet]
Objective: Build a meaningful connection with a local female.
Reward: ???
[Quest #3: Kill zombies by natural means]
Objective: Eliminate zombies by natural means
Reward: Quest Coins
Progress: 0 / ???
"…Natural means?" I muttered, raising an eyebrow.
It didn't specify how many kills were required.
It didn't even define what counted as "natural."
Hand-to-hand combat? Blades? Guns?
Did it mean no magic, no skills, and no reality manipulation?
Shalltear glanced at me curiously. "What is it, my lord?"
I smiled faintly. "Just… a challenge, I suppose."
I dismissed the screen and looked out over the desolate horizon.
Ruins stretched endlessly. The world felt empty—yet, somehow, alive in its silence. I could hear faint groans in the distance. The sound of movement. The shuffle of decaying flesh.
Shalltear adjusted her parasol. "This place reeks of death."
"Fitting, isn't it?" I said, stepping forward. "Let's see what's left of this world… and how much fun we can have rebuilding it."
~~~
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