Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

For a moment, Justin wondered if he had misheard. Were these humans, fresh from Earth and knowing nothing of the world, actually demanding his castle? Could they seriously believe they could take it?

Seeing Justin's reaction, Zachary spoke with a sympathetic expression. "As unbelievable as it sounds, it's true. I didn't believe it myself, so I went to check directly."

"Alright, let me get this straight," Justin said, rubbing his forehead as he tried to process the situation. "Migrants have been summoned as part of the 'Great Migration' quest. They've left the safe zone and come to my castle. Now, they're at the gates demanding I hand over the city?"

"That's right," Zachary confirmed.

"Do these people have anything special about them? Are they using magic or skills to break down the gates or something?"

If they were bold enough to demand a city, surely they had some power or confidence in their abilities. Maybe they had leveled up differently on Earth, or perhaps they had reached their first-tier professions during the early apocalypse.

"Surprisingly, no. There's nothing like that," Zachary said, completely shattering Justin's expectations. "All they're doing is shouting and banging on the gates with metal pipes and sticks they brought from Earth."

"...You're joking, right?"

"No, it's the truth."

"They don't even have starting equipment? Then what exactly are they relying on to demand the city?"

"It's just talk. They're yelling things like, 'Come out or we'll kill you,' 'This is our city now,' and 'If you come out now, we'll spare you.'"

"..."

Was this some new kind of power from Earth that Justin wasn't aware of? Perhaps a collective chant that could open doors by sheer force of will?

"Are they still at the gates?" Justin asked. Find your next adventure on empire

"They were when I came to report. Some of them even tried to climb the walls."

"Did any of them make it?"

"Of course not. Even a level 24 warrior couldn't scale those walls. Honestly, it didn't seem like they were really trying. It looked more like they were just making threats, yelling that they'd kill us if they made it over."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The more Justin heard, the more his head spun. What in the world had happened on Earth?

After taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts, Justin stood up. "I need to see these fools for myself."

"Hey, come out! Let us see your face!"

"Open the gates and give us the city! If you're so tough, come down and face us!"

Outside the gates, the leader of the migrants, Calvin, shouted at the top of his lungs along with the others. The guards atop the walls were pacing nervously, clearly unsure of how to respond to the absurd scene below.

As time dragged on and no one came out, one of the migrants spoke up, his voice tired. "Hey, Calvin, are you sure this is going to work?"

"It will!" Calvin shot a glare at the speaker, his high school friend and former second-in-command, Travis.

"Look, they're clearly nervous. You can see it from the way they're acting. If we keep pushing, they'll have no choice but to come out," Calvin insisted.

"But we've been yelling for almost 30 minutes, and still, nothing."

"It's only been 30 minutes! Just a little longer, and they'll crack! When have I ever been wrong?" Calvin's eyes narrowed as he posed the question.

Travis fell silent, not entirely convinced but unwilling to argue further.

Calvin clicked his tongue internally, annoyed by his friend's hesitation. 'This guy still has his sights set on being the leader, doesn't he? Still clinging to that useless ambition.'

It was clear to Calvin that Jin-woo wanted to undermine his judgment, but there was no chance of that happening. Calvin had grand plans to take over the city and solidify his position as the leader once and for all.

To some, it might seem like a ridiculous scheme, but in Calvin's eyes, it was entirely possible. Humans were driven by fear and pride. If provoked enough, they would surely respond, stepping out to defend their ego.

As he reassessed the grand castle before him, Calvin couldn't help but smile. 'I'm lucky.'

For Calvin, everything had seemed to go his way ever since the apocalypse. It was a stark contrast to the time before the world ended, when nothing had ever gone right for him. Sometimes, it felt as though he was the main character of some grand story.

'It all started that day,' Calvin thought, his mind drifting back to the beginning of the end.

On the day of the apocalypse, Calvin had chosen the warrior class and received an axe as his weapon. He had successfully slain a goblin, but after that, he refused to continue with the quests.

"Go out there, where all those monsters are lurking? Are you kidding me?"

There wasn't any noble reason for his hesitation. He was simply terrified.

After barricading himself in his home, shutting every door and window, Calvin stayed hidden. Even though the internet and phone lines were down, none of that mattered in the face of potential death.

Half a day passed like that.

Clink, clink.

"Ahhh!"

A skeleton had appeared in his living room, slowly assembling itself piece by piece. In a panic, Calvin swung his axe wildly at it, acting purely on instinct.

"Die! Die!"

Smash, smash, smash.

Thankfully, the skeleton shattered before it could fully form. Later, Calvin would learn that the skeleton was far more dangerous than the goblins. Had he let it finish assembling, it would have killed him for sure.

From that point on, even his home didn't feel safe. But going outside? That was even more out of the question. The streets were crawling with skeletons.

"Any survivors? We'll rescue you! Come out if you want to be saved!" "This area is dangerous! We'll take you to safety!"

Even when a rescue team showed up, Calvin stayed hidden, holding his breath. How could he know if they were trustworthy? What if they were planning something else?

The next morning, the rescue team was gone, and so was the quest urging him to follow them.