Noan tried to search through his memories, but he couldn''t think of anyone who was both capable and close enough to him to use such a valuable item on his behalf.

    ''Could it be Lylia?''

    However, the moment that thought surfaced, he immediately dismissed it.

    Why?

    Because there was no way he and Lylia were that close. He knew she had approached him simply because she found him interesting.

    And, of course, Noan was certain that there was no emotional bond or deep relationship between them that would make Lylia willing to give up a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a Lord for his sake.

    For that reason, he eliminated Lylia from his list of suspects.

    ''Then... could it be that the Federal Government or the Empire has discovered my SSS-rank talent, and they''re giving me this opportunity to establish a new territory?''

    Noan found this theory much more plausible. After all, the Federal Government and the Empire controlled the System and had access to the entire database of Lords. It wouldn''t be strange if they knew about his talent.

    He let out a sigh, feeling a hint of unease. He had thought he could keep this secret hidden until he was strong enough to defend himself—until the day when, even if his talent was exposed, he wouldn''t have to fear anyone.

    But now, things were different. He was just a level 0 Lord, completely powerless if he were to be targeted.

    However, after a moment, Noan exhaled and decided not to dwell on it.

    If the Federal Government or the Empire truly wanted to harm him, they would have already forced him to return.

    Perhaps... they were merely observing him, assessing whether he was worthy of being nurtured and supported.

    The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that his speculation was correct.

    [Ding! Do you wish to move to the new area right now?]

    "Can I get some information about the new area first?" Noan asked.

    After all, he wanted to understand the situation in that place fully. If it turned out to be another ''Singularity,'' he would have no choice but to cry.

    [Ding! The new area is a designated New Lord Survival Zone established by the Federal Government and various Empires.

    Under the new Survival Project, Lords must reside in this area and struggle to survive. Any conflicts or Lord fatalities will not be interfered with by external forces.

    Lords must endure in the new area for a set period. Once the time limit is reached, a ranking system based on accumulated points will be applied.

    The higher the ranking, the greater the rewards.]

    "What are the rewards?" Noan asked.

    [Ding! This information is currently classified and cannot be disclosed.]

    Noan frowned and changed his question. "Then when does it start?"

    [Ding! The event will officially begin in seven days. However, many have already entered the new area to familiarize themselves with the environment.]

    "Seven days? Wait a moment! What about the New Lord Competition?"

    [Ding! Time in the Singularity does not align with real-world time. Based on real-world time, you have only been away from the City for one day.]

    Noan also asked Urlgug how many monsters he could control.

    As expected, the answer was just one.

    Urlgug must cancel the magic controlling the Zombie Tanker if he wanted to control another monster.

    Of course, the monsters he could control had to be ranked lower than himself.

    Leading his army, Noan ventured into a more distant area. This time, he wanted to take a risk.

    Following a vast highway, he moved further and further away from the city.

    Along the way, he saw countless abandoned cars scattered everywhere.

    Some had crashed into each other, others had veered off the road, some were flipped over—and, of course, there was no sign of any living survivors.

    The highway cut through a mountain, and since it had not been maintained for a long time, vegetation from both sides had crept in, making the road look even more eerie.

    "Master..." Vylyss suddenly appeared beside him, speaking softly. "There''s a group of zombies up ahead, but... they''re quite strange."

    "Hm?!" Noan asked in confusion. "What''s strange about them?"

    Vylyss shrugged. "I don''t know how to explain it. Perhaps you should take a look yourself."

    Hearing this, Noan nodded. If Vylyss had said that, it meant that the zombies ahead posed no immediate danger to him.

    Leading his group forward for about five miles, he finally spotted the zombies in the distance.

    Still cautious, Noan had everyone take cover behind abandoned cars or large trees to observe.

    Just as Vylyss had said, the zombies in front of them were indeed strange.

    There were about 100 of them, but unlike regular zombies that wandered aimlessly, these ones were kneeling on the ground.

    If not for the strange sounds they were making, Noan would have thought that the zombies were already dead.

    The group of zombies knelt in a large circle on the highway. Though the road wasn''t particularly wide, a hundred zombies were enough to block the path completely.

    At the center of the zombie circle, a small figure sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her head lowered so deeply that Noan couldn''t see her eyes.

    However, he could tell she was a girl, likely around 18 to 20 years old, wearing a tattered blue dress stained with blood.

    The dress was torn so that large parts of her body were exposed. Of course, Noan wasn''t perverted enough to be interested in a zombie''s body.

    But what caught his attention was the strange golden glow emanating from the areas of her decayed flesh, where the rotting tissue had peeled away to reveal bone.

    It was like a flame was burning inside the zombie girl''s body.

    Noan frowned, rummaging through his memories in search of information about such a zombie, but it was futile.

    This was the first time he had encountered a zombie whose body emitted light from within.

    Suddenly, a long-forgotten legend that had circulated among Lords on the internet resurfaced in his mind.

    The legend of the Angel Zombie.