First Follower

"No!"

 "Save me!"

 The special traits of the slums were its numerous people and narrow streets.

 The moment the walls fell, everyone began to run around like headless flies. Numerous monsters rushed in through the gap, so densely packed that they were like a black flood. In the blink of an eye, numerous residents died to the monsters.

 The outer city was no longer safe. Some of the smarter people planned to flee to the inner city, which still had intact walls and was protected by high-level professionals. But Yilian had no plans on heading to the inner city. Normally, only nobles and wealthy merchants could go inside, and in this crisis, it would be impossible for slum dwellers to be allowed inside.

 The best method was to find a place and defend.

 Yilian was very familiar with the slums, and she quickly found a good place to defend. She had her back to the city wall, and she was surrounded by somewhat sturdier houses. There was also some distance between this place and the gap in the wall. This was the best place she could find to defend in the short time available to her.

 The monster horde entered her field of vision.

 Yilian had heard her parents talk about it when she was young, but this was her first time seeing these monsters. They had a variety of appearances, and the only commonality was that they were all savage and grotesque, exuding a horrifying energy. It was said that these were creatures of darkness that the evil god had sent to invade the world.

 A group of spiders lunged at her. They were the size of infant humans, their bodies purplish-black and corrosive liquid dripping from their mouths as they hissed.

 These were the lowest class of monsters, demon spiders, but they were still frightening. Their venom was intensely corrosive, and many warriors had been heavily injured by it in moments of carelessness.

 Information on common creatures of darkness appeared in Yilian's mind as she extended her hands and gathered the surrounding ice element into them. This was the first time she had ever truly used her abilities since her awakening.

 The temperature of the surroundings instantly plunged as an icicle formed in her palm.

 Bang! Thump!

 The icicle pierced through the body of a demon spider and shattered, the flying ice shards freezing several more demon spiders to the ground.

 A Wizard like her had an advantage against weak but numerous creatures of darkness like this.

 But there were far too many demon spiders, a constant stream. From time to time, she heard the screams of humans in her ears.

 One minute.

 Two minutes.

 Five minutes…

 With her back to the city wall, in a somewhat safer location, she did not encounter any of the more frightening monsters of the black flood. However, just dealing with these demon spiders left Yilian's face pale and her mana almost completely exhausted. But the situation showed no signs of taking a good turn. She could see that almost all the soldiers on the walls had been slain.

 Misery!

 Three years ago, she had only heard of the terror of the black flood. Only now did she fully experience this sort of helplessness…

 In the distance, the flames of war could still be seen rising from the inner city, but the outer city had long ago ceased to have any activity. Yilian didn't know how many survivors were left in the outer city, but she knew that she could not release a single spell more. She would soon join the rest of the devoured dead.

 She didn't want this…

 If she had not awakened three years ago, she might have been dead long ago, yet…

 A demon spider lunged at her, its venom corroding her cloak and dripping onto her skin, sending intense jolts of pain through her nerves.

 But Yilian had grown calm…

 Ding!

 Ripples appeared in her calm eyes.

 "…Do you wish to become the Overlord's follower? Yes/No?"

 A golden parchment unrolled in front of her, seeming to drive away the endless darkness.

 The world around her shifted.

 Yilian's vision went white, and when she could see again, the black flood was no more, and the sounds of fighting and screaming had disappeared. What was in front of her was a tavern.

 "I…"

 To her shock, she realized that she felt no pain. Though her clothes were still in tatters, her skin was whole and intact, all of her injuries healed. She even discovered that all her mana had been instantly restored fully.

 Am I dreaming?

 Yilian pinched herself and quickly understood that this was all real. This place wasn't heaven or hell. Just as the contract had said, this was a different world.

 Here, as a follower, she could start everything from the beginning.

 Orange lanterns gave off a warm light, and all was quiet. Yilian raised her head and ultimately rested her gaze nearby… on a young man with a genial smile on his face.

 After a momentary daze, she came forward and got down on one knee.

 …

 The illusory human figure on the array of symbols turned real. The girl's clothes were in tatters, the spacious cloak now nothing more than a set of loosely connected cloth strips, and her body was covered in green blood.

 Tang Yu saw that the girl was still in a daze. He was just about to step forward, but at that moment, his foot froze in mid-air.

 As an Overlord, what should he say to his first follower, a woman at that?

 Tang Yu was somewhat frustrated that he hadn't prepared a speech, and it wasn't as if he could ask Baidu. What about… 'Comrade, are you well?' 'Comrade, thank you for the trouble'?

 Hmm, doesn't seem great.

 He suddenly spotted the alcohol on the shelf behind the counter out of the corner of his eyes. His eyes brightening, he grabbed a bottle and offered it.

 "Do you want a bottle?"

 It was at this exact moment that Yilian came forward and got down on one knee.

 The mood became incredibly awkward…

 Several minutes later, Yilian blindly followed behind her Overlord, still feeling like she was dreaming.

 First, she had escaped from death, and then, she had been summoned to another world. The power of the contract poured information into her mind—a sensation that she did not find uncomfortable. This world's language, common sense, and all other kinds of things became part of her normal life.

 This was precisely why she was so surprised. And now, led by her Overlord, she arrived at the castle.

 As a child who had grown up in the slums, Yilian had never seen this sort of thing. The castle was luxurious and resplendent, but she was covered in filth. By walking inside, she felt like she was marring some beautiful painting.

 She did not dare to enter, but the Overlord pulled her inside. She left a trail of black footprints on the floor as she was taken to a large and bright room.

 "This is the bathroom… The clothes are on the shelf over there. It's possible that none of them will fit you, so just take one and put it on… As for food, I'll get some ready. It should be done by the time you get out…"

 With a clack, the door was closed. The words of her Overlord resounded in her mind, and before her eyes was a gorgeous room.

 Still in a daze, she recalled that ever since her parents had died, her life had been plunged into the darkness. She had been bullied and excluded, and she had been surrounded by people with ill intentions. But today, she felt warmth once more.

 Yilian blinked, tears welling up in her eyes. She took off her clothes and entered the warm pool. As the water covered her knees, the image of her Overlord's genial smile appeared in her mind.

 Gradually, Yilian sat down, allowing the water to go past her shoulders and wash away the filth.

 She closed her eyes, a new belief taking hold in her mind.

 …

 Tang Yu hummed a tune as he busied himself in the kitchen.

 He didn't know how to cook. At most, he could boil some noodles. Fortunately, the castle had various very modern kitchen tools. After messing around a little, he had managed to make a few things.

 Upon returning to the bathroom on the second floor and hearing the splashing of water from behind the closed door, Tang Yu felt himself getting a little frisky.

 While Yilian's cloak had been tattered, she had looked like she had been dipped in mud, so covered in filth she was. He actually hadn't gotten to see how Yilian looked, but he had found her voice incredibly crisp and pleasant.

 He had believed that Yilian would need more time in the bathroom, but soon, the door opened, and dense mist wafted out. 

 Tang Yu suddenly felt somewhat expectant.

 A fair, white leg appeared in his vision, like a most exquisite tusk of ivory, and as he moved his gaze upward…

 Tang Yu couldn't help but swallow.

 At this moment, Yilian was like a fairy that had walked out of a painting. She had sky-blue hair that almost reached her waist, still dripping with beads of water that had not been dried. Her small face was flushed red, and her skin was smooth and as bright as crystal.

 The large male jacket Yilian was wearing concealed her delicate body, but her white legs were almost completely exposed and seemed to be uneasily shifting.

 Tang Yu's blood roiled, and he felt like he needed to get in some more nutrients.