A blinding flash erupted from the ground directly in front of me, forcing the giant man to stagger back, shielding his eyes with his massive forearm. When the light faded, a figure stood where moments before there had been only dust.
It was a woman, regal and imposing even in death. Her long, dark hair cascaded over shoulders clad in intricate, decaying armour that hummed with a faint, chilling aura.
A cruel, elegant sword, sheathed at her hip. Her eyes, though dull with the pallor of death, held a mysterious glint.
The giant man, now regaining his composure, roared, "What in the hell is this?! Where did this bitch come from?"
But the woman didn't respond to his taunts. Instead, her head slowly turned, her gaze sweeping over the scene, then settling on the giant man. A chillingly resonant voice, like stones grinding together, emanated from her. "Your mouth runs too much?"
Her words were barely above a whisper, yet they echoed with an authority that made the giant man instinctively backed away. A flicker of genuine fear crossed the giant man's face as the woman's hand drifted to the hilt of her sword.
The air crackled with a sudden, oppressive pressure, and I knew, with absolute certainty, that this DEAD SERVANT was far more powerful than anyone here. My second life, it seemed, just might have a chance.
Slowly, from her decaying armour to her dull skin, everything gradually began to recover. A deathly aura around her began to transform into something completely different.
"Leave that weakling and attack her first." The confident aura around the giant man transformed into the unknown fear, he instructed everyone to attack the woman as he raised his hammer for a brutal attack.
I watched as dozens of men and the giant man himself attacked the woman but the only thing I saw afterward were the rolling heads of the men while woman sheath her sword in blink of an eye.
She is my servant. A power servant, this is feel like now my villain life has started. How can I call myself a villain when I won't even have servants like her?
A smile crept on Will's face as he saw the woman turning to face him. There was gradually a silence between them, the air around them was mysterious, but the next second, the woman dropped to her knees.
"Master!"
System! show me her info.
[Ding]
[Name: Lyra]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Sword Master (C-Rank)]
[Current Status: Revived Servant (Bound to Master Will)]
[Unique Sword Art: "Crimson Flow"] A style developed by Lyra in life, focusing on fluid, unpredictable movements and precise strikes that aim for weak points. Each strike is designed to leave behind a fleeting "after-image" of her blade, disorienting foes and creating openings.
[Abilities]
Crimson Flicker (C): A burst of speed that allows Lyra to seemingly vanish and reappear a short distance away, creating a momentary after-image where she was. Ideal for dodging and positioning.
Flowing Steel (C): Allows Lyra's sword to move with unnatural grace and agility, enabling her to deflect incoming attacks with minimal effort and chain strikes seamlessly.
Undying Loyalty (Passive): Absolute allegiance to her summoner, Will.
I just couldn't keep my eyes away from her skills. If Lyra was a C-rank then that giant man must have been D or even lower.
Huh! Who am I even talking about? I just realize that I'm the weakest, with an F-rank. If I didn't had a system or a choice, then I might have died with my head smashed against this tree. Now let me check my status.
[Ding]
[Name: Will]
[Race: Human]
[Rank: F]
[HP: 50/100]
[MP: 10/10]
[Skills:]
Dead Servant (??? Rank): Allows the full revival and summoning of a deceased individual in the radius of 100 meters, bringing them back to life with their skills intact and granting absolute, unwavering loyalty to the summoner.
Current active servant: Lyra, (C-Rank).
Basic Observation (F-Rank): Allows the user to perceive basic details about objects or individuals (e.g., name, general species, obvious physical traits). No deep analysis.
[Attributes:]
Strength: 5 (Average)
Agility: 6 (Slightly above average)
Endurance: 7 (Good stamina)
Intelligence: 10 (Max, quick-witted)
Luck: 5 (Average)
I'm not surprised, even my old self might had better status than this one. If he was alive, I might have killed him by my own hands.
William spoke about Will, the old owner of the body or maybe to himself. Then a thought came to his mind.
If I had chosen the second skill, instead of the DEAD SERVANT, then my chances of survival would have been cut in half. With this weak strength, what's the use of ECHOING INSIGHT, when I couldn't even damage the enemy?"
A Sigh of relief escaped his mouth as his eyes landed on the Kneeling Lyra.
If there were any ordinary guy, then he might have stopped her from kneeling but me, I'm different. How can I call myself a villain if I don't show the world how revered I'm?
Well enough of self-obsession. "Lyra stop, kneeling." Going back to his own words. He then clearly saw her face for the first time. She was beautiful with long hair cascading down her shoulder.
"Wait! Lyra, I like woman with short hair, like Pixie cut. Cut those long ones and make it short close to your neck."
Lyra nodded and using her own blade, she cuts her hair, following Will's command.
"Well! Now you look like villainess. Perfect."
Now…. Let's see. What's there to learn before I decide what should I do?
This tower has total of 10 floors but to even reach the second floor, people take years. I'm already at the beginning of the first floor. Before exploring the world inside the tower, I better take a look at the outside world.
Oh, now I remember. The giant man did told me about bounty on my head. It does gives me feeling of my old days, but I should be safe, at least for now since she is with me.
His gaze was on Lyra who looked reserved.
This doesn't suit my taste. "Lyra, you aren't a robot but a human. Don't behave like a lifeless puppet."
[Ding]
[The Dead servant Lyra's current status is 'servant'; the servants can only obey and can't have their own emotions]
System, say, will she always be like this then?
[No, if you raise her status from servant to follower, then her emotions will return.]
Huh! Then how do I upgrade her status?
[You can upgrade her status by reviving lower-level servant than the current one. When you have at least one more servant, then you can upgrade one servant to follower.]
Then can't I just create an army of followers and servant? There must be limitation, right?
[Correct. your current limitation is one follower and three servants.]
Finally, I have my answers. Though she might be sufficient alone for now, I still need few more for information gathering and I have perfect target for my next servants.
System use Skill: DEATH SERVANT and revive the strongest one in 100-meter radius.
[Scanning for deceased individual within a 100-meter radius.]
A/N: Read below