Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 907: It’s Everywhere

[Network Lost]

[Switching to Offline Mode]

The stream died. The world around them remained intact, but the system had cut off all external interaction.

Jester and Lily looked at each other in confusion.

Jester dismissed the dead panel with a flick of his hand. "We’re leaving."

Lily didn’t argue.

Jester’s gaze swept across the virtual environment one last time. Then he said quietly, "Log out."

The digital world dissolved almost immediately.

The first thing Jester did the moment he stepped out of the game pod was look toward the window.

Even before that, he already knew something was wrong.

The mana in the air had changed. Not by a small amount either. It was noticeably denser than before. And worse, it smelled wrong. Dirty. Corrupted.

Jester was not uncomfortable with that quality in itself. His nature made sure of that. But that was exactly why the change stood out so clearly to him. This kind of thick corruption had not been present before he went in, which meant something had shifted while they were under.

As expected, the sky outside had darkened considerably.

Lily stepped out of her pod a second later, still adjusting to the transition from virtual immersion back to reality. The moment her eyes reached the window, she paused.

Her confusion sharpened quickly. A faint trace of suspicion crossed her face.

"...Jester," she said slowly, "what is happening?"

Jester did not answer immediately. His eyes stayed on the window. Then, without turning, he said, "If you can’t already tell that the mana density out there is significantly higher than normal, I’m starting to question whether advancing soon is actually the right call for you."

Lily stiffened. Embarrassment flashed across her face immediately.

"...I noticed," she muttered.

Jester glanced at her briefly. He knew she hadn’t. But he didn’t press it. His point had already served its purpose. If she had any self-awareness left, she would understand.

His gaze returned to the sky.

Then both of them saw it.

A crack. High above, thin and dark against the sky, spreading slowly like a wound.

Jester’s eyes narrowed slightly. His first reaction was not fear. That was something he couldn’t feel. It was closer to intrigue, a genuine curiosity about what exactly was unfolding.

Lily’s reaction was the complete opposite.

The moment the crack widened just a fraction more, all color left her face. Her pupils shrank. Then she screamed.

The sound was sharp and immediate. Her legs gave out beneath her and she hit the floor hard.

Jester turned in genuine surprise. "Lily?"

She was trembling violently. Not a slight tremor from shock or unease. It was raw, instinctive fear.

Her eyes were fixed on the crack in the sky, but she was clearly not seeing the present.

Jester crouched beside her quickly. "Lily."

No response.

He reached for her shoulder. She flinched so hard it looked like she had been struck. Her breathing had turned ragged, and her whole frame shook without stopping.

Jester’s expression hardened. Whatever had produced this reaction in Lily was not something small.

He reached out and placed a hand lightly against her chin, turning her face upward until her eyes met his.

A faint stillness spread through Lily’s body.

Jester’s voice became slower.

"Calm down."

Lily’s trembling lessened slightly.

He kept his gaze locked onto hers. "Do not fear."

A blankness entered her eyes.

Jester did not let go. "Good." His voice remained quiet. "Now tell me."

He leaned slightly closer, eyes still holding hers in place. "What is going on?"

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a middle-aged woman stood behind the front counter of a moderately busy restaurant, listening with visible restraint to the loud complaints of a customer.

"And I am telling you," the man said for what felt like the fifth time, "that your staff’s attitude is unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. I asked for a knife to cut my pasta, and she looked at me as if I had insulted her ancestors."

The woman behind the counter did not look impressed.

This woman was Aunt Mia.

Lily’s mother.

She folded her arms and stared at the customer with a flat expression that only made him more irritated.

"Sir," she said at last, her tone dry, "if my staff looked at you like that, maybe she had her reasons."

The man nearly choked.

"Excuse me?!"

Before the argument could continue, voices rose from the other side of the restaurant.

Several customers had shifted their attention toward the large front windows.

"Wait..."

"Why is it so dark outside?"

"Was it like this when we came in?"

A chair scraped against the floor. Someone stood. Another customer pulled out a device and aimed it toward the glass.

Aunt Mia’s brows drew together.

She turned and looked outside only once.

That single glance was enough.

Something in her expression changed immediately.

Without another word, she bent down, grabbed her bag from beneath the counter, and slung it over her shoulder.

One of the waitresses blinked.

"Madam?"

Aunt Mia’s voice cut through the room cleanly.

"Close up. Everyone go home."

The entire restaurant went still for a second.

The complaining customer stared at her in disbelief.

"Go home? What kind of service is this? We’re still eating!"

Aunt Mia ignored him completely.

She was already moving.

One of the staff hurried after her.

"But what about the bills?"

"Take what’s there and lock the doors after."

"What’s happening?"

Aunt Mia did not slow down.

"I said go home."

There was a finality in her tone that brooked no further argument.

Some of the customers began to grumble immediately.

"What is wrong with this place?"

"Like owner, like staff. Rude."

"This city’s service keeps getting worse."

Aunt Mia did not care.

Not even a little.

By the time the complaints finished, she was already heading downstairs.

Right now, everything about the air felt wrong.

She only moved faster.

At that moment, only four thoughts mattered to her.

Lily, Michael, Jester and a small hope that this wasn’t what she thought it was.