Volume 1 special (chapter 2.5) - becoming a monster (read after |Enter the Cranberry|, before |Humble beginings|)

"GRAOUGH! (LET GO OF ME, YOU FUCKING KIDNAPPERS!)"

Zombie roared, kicking and screaming as Lord Blackberry tried his best to contain his outburst of rage.

"C-calm down! Be a nice corpse puppet!"

The bespectacled man wasn't wounded or anything but his clothes already showed the signs of a vicious fight.

"GRAOUGH?! (WHO ARE YOU CALLING A CORPSE PUPPET YOU CREEP?!) GRAOUGH! (LET GO OF ME!)"

Zombie had his arms blocked by the bespectacled man trying to push him back on the seat so he kicked up and knocked the glasses off of the man's nose.

What was happening?

Well...

Once the initial shock of getting killed brought back to life, and then abducted against his will, faded away, and Zombie had time to truly comprehend his situation, he tried his best to escape. The little blue undead was thrashing around for a good few hours already, showing a great amount of stamina, and complete immunity to pain. - and that completely surprised the tall man.

Funnily enough, it looked like the young Cranberry was the one who correctly guessed how her eternal servant will behave during the ride since she made her father sit with him instead of herself - and unsurprisingly, the little blue undead began raising hell only a few minutes after the carriage that killed him started moving again.

"Uhh... Why is he acting up like that?! That's not how corpse puppets usually are! Is he defective?"

Lord Blackberry graned and wondered.

He knew one thing, the undead was weak, if he wasn't his daughter's property, Lord Blackberry would have just torn it limb-from-limb and threw the parts out of the window of the speeding carriage.

After all, once a human was turned into a monster they no longer had any rights.

It was something so obvious to everyone, that the thought of informing the parents of the child who became the undead about it happening, never even crossed the thought of the nobleman.

In the end, everything happened in the very middle of the village, there was no way that every single villager would miss it.

There was no doubt that at least one person saw the death of the boy and his later resurrection and changed appearance.

That loose end was tied up even before they all get on the carriage.

But then the unexpected problem araised...

Corpse puppets were supposed to be the empty husks that moved only according to their master's will, with not a single conscious thought on their own, but...

"GRAOUGH! (RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!) GRAOUGH! (I WILL FIGHT YOU AS MANY TIMES AS I HAVE TO!)"

...how come this one was so spirited and feisty?!

It was as if he kept his personality, but that was impossible.

"Cranberry, sweetie, you made him stop growling before... could you order him to calm down a li-"

*WHACK*

"Urgh...!"

Lord Blackberry asked his daughter but right then the little undead furiously kicked up both legs and stabbed his toes tight into the unprotected eyeball of the nobleman.

"...!"

But then the meaning of the man's words dawned on Zombie, and the little undead flinched and glanced at her.

Lord Blackberry was right! That girl could order him around as she wanted!

"He must be angry that we took him away from his home, daddy. You wanted to take him with us, so you have to take care of him."

But instead of giving the order, the red-haired girl simply shrugged her shoulders and smirked, observing her father's struggle with the blue child - it looked like Zombie wasn't the only one who had the time to think things through, but instead of getting angry or desperate, the little girl seemed excited.

"Sweetie that's not how it works. You brought him back to life with the special magic that you awakened to. He is your corpse puppet, isn't he? He must listen to you. Help your father a little."

Lord Blackberry attempted to reason with his daughter.

"Daddy, think about it! He acts just like the great fire god Wing from the legend! Wing also didn't want to accept their position as a servant, but later on, he and our ancestor became the strongest duo in the world!"

Cranberry jumped up in her seat excitedly.

"Graough...? (Great fire what...?)"

The girl's words made the blue undead so confused that he stopped struggling for a moment.

"Sweetie... Wing was a god-class monster and their intelligence was much higher than any human, don't get me wrong, it's good to have ambition but... this one here is just a little weak corpse puppet - he can't even speak."

Lord Blackberry sighed heavily and pointed at the blue undead child...

*WHACK*

"OW...!"

...just in time to get kicked in the eye again...

"That's the whole point! I don't want to be like our ancestor! I want to be the better! I want to do something that has never been done before!"

Cranberry clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.

The carriage stopped since they finally arrived at their destination point - the family mansion of Lord Blackberry.

"..."

"...?"

At that moment Cranberry stood up from her seat and offered her hand to the blue undead causing him and Lord Blackberry - who was still subduing him - to look at her in confusion.

"You have guts! I've changed my mind about you! I am Cranberry, master of the eternal servant. Zombie, you are the eternal servant, let's conquer this world together!"

She declared pridefully with such might that Zombie could swear that he felt a blast of energy hitting against his body.

"Cranberry! What are you even talking about?!"

Lord Blackberry furrowed his brows and shook his head in disapproval.

"Graough! (As if I'll ever listen to a kid like you!) Graough?! (Who do you take me for?!)"

*whoosh*

The blue undead scoffed and kicked at the offered hand but his leg was too short to actually hit the target.

"Ha! Good! You need at least that much pride to stand by my side!"

Cranberry clasped her hands together - not even a bit angry about the obvious refusal - she looked absolutely overjoyed.

"I will make you want to call me your master! Just you wait~!"

The red-haired girl smiled brightly and jumped out of the door opened by the coachman.

It was already dark outside and she went straight towards the brightly lit door to the giant mansion.

"GRAOUGH! (IN YOUR DREAMS!) GRAOUGH (AS IF I'LL EVER CALL YOU THAT, YOU CHEEKY BRAT!)"

Zombie struggled to break free and shouted after the happy girl, but she already disappeared inside the mansion.

---

"Finally...! Finally, I have someone she can't take away from me...! An ally who will stay by my side, mine and mine alone...!"

Cranberry laid on her bed, hugging a pillow - and trembled with excitement.

Up until that point, everything had to be according to what her mother wanted.

What clothes the little girl wore, what she learned, what and who she played with...

But with the awakening of Cranberry's magic - and unique magic as well - the little girl thought that she finally had been blessed with something just for her...

And so she fell asleep with a smile, dreaming about tomorrow.

---

"My lord...? What happened?!"

The confused coachman looked at Lord Blackberry in disheveled hair, teary-eyed, and with the glasses hanging off of one ear.

"It's nothing. Put this into a storage room with no windows and close the door. I'll have to consult with my wife what to do about this..."

The man sighed and handed the little blue undead to the coachman as if the child was just an object.

"GRAOUGH! (NO!) GRAOUGH! (LET ME GO, YOU BASTARDS!)"

Zombie did his best to break free but he was far too weak.

But still, it wasn't like his loud struggle didn't have any effect.

...the only thing was that it wasn't the effect he was aiming for...

/Error\

/Eternal servant personality doesn't match the story requirements\

/Special exception enabled\

/Interfering with target's free will...\

/Personality overwrite initiated\

/Progress...

1%\

"...graough...? (...huh...?)\

Zombie's eyes widened as he managed to let out only a short growl before he lost control over his body and his limbs hung loosely as if he became a puppet whose strings have been cut off.

"Ah! Finally! He must have exhausted his energy! Quick! Take him away before he'll regain it!"

Lord Blackberry pushed the limp undead into coachman's hands and got off the carriage.

"What are you waiting for? Just remember to not harm this little devil, he is my daughter's corpse puppet after all."

The man added, putting his glasses back on and shooing the coachman away.

/2%\

"...graough... (...n-no...)"

Zombie growled weakly while being carried away.

...

...

Although during the carriage ride Zombie already learned that he cannot feel pain - with how much he could twist his arms and legs without any repercussion - the thing he was feeling was the closest one to numb pain.

But not the one affecting his body, the thing in pain was his mind.

/17%\

"...!"

There was nothing that the blue undead could do about it.

With each increase of percentages showed in the system messages, his brain felt as if it was being scooped out with a tablespoon and the scooped part was being replaced by a mush.

*thump*

Before he even noticed, he was already thrown onto the cold floor of a small empty room reeking with a moldy smell.

/19%\

/20%\

"...! graough...! (...s-stoop iiit...!)"

He was being forcefully torn away from his own body...

His emotions - his anger, his fear, his hatred - all of it was being scooped out and replaced with indifference.

/23%\

Why was he even angry to begin with...?

/25%\

He was just a MONSTER, not a human.

/27%\

Just an - he didn't have any ties with the world of those obnoxious living.

/30%\

If anything... the living were all his enemies! If anyone deserved hate, it was them! Those repulsive living, breathing creatures with a pulse!

/31%\

So disgusting.

"...graough...! (...no...!) ...graough...! (...shut up...!)"

Zombie growled and gritted his teeth.

/35%\

Ah! Of course, not everyone was hateful!

/39%\

The single living who didn't need to die - there was that living person!

"...graough...! (...I've said, no...!)|

/45%\

A person who he couldn't refuse.

"...graough... (...stop shoving this crap inside my brain...!"

*thump*

The blue undead managed to raise his head just a tiny bit and then he let it fall and hit against the hard floor with a weak sound.

/46%\

The person he had pledged absolute obedience to...

*thump*

/47%\

The person he could never harm, offend, nor get angry at...

*thump*

/49%\

The person who he had to protect at all cost...

*thump*

/55%\

His very own  MASTER.

*thump*

"...Grough...! (Shut up!) Graough...! (...you fucking piece of shit...!) Graough...! (Don't you think I don't understand what you are doing...!)

Zombie continued hitting his head against the cold floor with all strength that he could muster.

/58%\

"...Graough...! (That overconfident brat said that she wants o to conquer the world together...!) Graough...! (That she wants to earn having me address her as my master...!)"

/60%\

She's not a brat... she is his  MASTER.

"...!"

*THUMP*

Zombie flinched and this time he managed to hit his head quite hard.

/63%\

"Graough...! (It's not even those bastards who abducted me...!) Graough...! (It's you!) ...Graough...!(...You are my real enemy...!) GRAOUGH! (YOU PIECE OF SHIT SYSTEM!)"

*SLAM*

/65%\

The  MASTER can decide everything for him...

"...graough... (...bullshit...)"

*SLAM*

/67%\

MASTER can decide about everything and anything that he does...

"GRAOUGH! (YOU PIECE OF SHIT SYSTEM!) GRAOUGH?! (WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!) GRAOUGH! (PUTTING WORDS INTO MY MASTER'S MOUTH!) GRAOUGH! (MY MASTER NEVER WANTED TO FORCE ME TO LISTEN TO HER!)"

*SLAM*

/Error\

/Conflicting data detected\

/Calculating...\

"GRAOUGH! (YOU PIECE OF SHIT, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!)"

/Proficiency level reached\

/Servant receives a title

Rotten brain\

/...\

/Warning\

/Rotten brain title detected

Unable to complete the personality overwrite\

/Calculating...\

/Personality overwrite 67% complete...\

/Calculating...\

/Servant's personality is within the error margin

The story can progress accordingly\

/Warning\

/High chance of servant's personality reverting back to original\

/Calculating...\

/The presence of rotten brain title should prevent any major changes to the story to occur\

/Warning overrlulled\

/The story will progress\

"...graough... (...stupid system...) ...graough... (...trying to use my master to manipulate me...)"

Zombie growled weakly after witnessing the slew of messages popping up.

---

Cranberry woke up in a superb mood, she didn't even flinch when she saw the red clothes prepared for her by the servants at her mother's command.

Why would she care for that anymore?

She had someone who wasn't under her mother's influence!

Someone she could work with and gain his trust!

Her very own eternal servant!

Cranberry already began planning what she should say to him once they meet.

The blue boy will definitely still be very angry at her but she will definitely manage to convince him to be on her side!

It might take a few months, or even a few years - but that was nothing!

As long as she will gain a trustworthy ally, she was willing to even swallow her pride!

With such a strong conviction, Cranberry barely contained herself to not skip all the way to the dining room.

But once she entered...

"You're late. How many times you need to be told to get here five minutes early?"

Cranberry was greeted by a cold voice and an even colder glare of a feeble-looking skinny woman.

"Mother...! Y-you're here...?"

The red-haired girl gasped and took a step back.

"Of course I'm here, as long as I'm feeling well enough I will always come down for breakfast - is such a simple knowledge beyond your memory's capability?"

The skinny woman scoffed at the little girl - who flinched and lowered her head.

"What are you waiting for? Sit down. My husband will join us shortly."

The woman commanded and Cranberry hurriedly listened, biting her lips to not frown or otherwise show how she really felt.

Instead, she sat down and started staring at the empty plate in front of her.

"I've heard that you awakened your magic."

*thump*

Hearing her mother's words Cranberry couldn't stop herself from flinching and ended up kicking the table making the cutlery jingle.

"Behave."

Her mother scolded her.

"Still, I've heard that you messed up and failed to properly awaken necromancy. Just what I expected from a failure like you."

"...!"

Cranberry didn't respond to that and instead silently clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"It also sounded like you couldn't even raise a propper corpse puppet, so I had a look at it this morning..."

"YOU WHAT?!"

This was something that Cranberry couldn't just ignore!

This was not like it was supposed to be!

"How dare you raise your voice at your own mother! Sit down, you impudent child!"

The woman scoffed at her daughter.

"No! Why did you go to see him! He is mine!"

Cranberry shouted back while her shoulders trembled as she felt a cold hand of fear wrap around her insides with an iron grip.

No...!

Not him too...!

The little girl trembled.

"Watch your mouth, you incompetent girl. I only talked to the corpse puppet a little. Now he doesn't seem nearly as disobedient as he was before."

The skinny woman shrugged her shoulders and clapped with her hands.

As if it was a signal, the door opened and none other than Lord Blackberry entered the dining room with the little blue undead by his side.

"Graough! (Ah! Master!)"

Once the little undead saw Cranberry, his face brightened up and he instantly rushed by her side... not realizing that his happy growl shattered her heart into million pieces.

"Graough! (Master! It's so good to see you!)"

The cute smile of the blue-skinned child was so bright that it could melt an iceberg...

"...!"

But instead, it made Cranberry lose all the strength in her legs and fall back on her chair.

"This...! This isn't happening...!"

The red-haired girl spat the words as if she felt nauseous.

"Graough...? (Master, what is it...?) Graough? (Are you feeling unwell...?)"

Zombie's worried growls only made everything worse.

"What did you do to him...?!"

Cranberry gripped the side of the table so hard that her knuckles turned white and she glared at her mother with pure unfiltered hate.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

The skinny woman smirked mockingly and shrugged her shoulders.

"...!"

Cranberry bit her lips so hard that her teeth pierced the skin and blood started trickling down her chin.

"Graough...! (Master, you're bleeding...!)"

The blue undead growled with concern and tried to put a handkerchief up to the girl's wound.

*smack*

"DON'T TOUCH ME! YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! SHE GOT YOU UNDER HER CONTROL TOO! I CANNOT TRUST YOU AT ALL!"

Cranberry smacked his hand aside and shouted glaring at him with teary eyes.

She stood up from her seat and wanted to leave but...

"What do you think you're doing? Stay."

Her mother called, looking at her with glowing eyes.

Once that happened, Cranberry's body froze and the little girl was able to move.

"The appraiser checking up on my condition will be here at any moment, it will be a perfect chance to check on this child's capabilities. I expect you to get along with him. Understood...?"

The skinny woman asked, her eyes continuously glowing as she stared at her daughter's back.

"...!"

Cranberry gritted her teeth and glared at the confused Zombie.

"I asked you a question. You will get along with your corpse puppet, understood?"

The skinny woman repeated herself.

"...Yes... Mother...!"

Cranberry confirmed, trembling with fury, physically unable to do anything else.