The Zombie System.

Leon's grips tightly on his crossbow. Beside him, Elise still presses against the fallen timber, her breathing shallow.

Heavy footsteps echoes through stone corridors. Each impact sends vibrations through the floor. Whatever approaches isn't hurrying. It knew they have nowhere to run.

A seven-foot shape emerges from the shadows.

The Goblin Elite wear armor crafted from human bones—ribs, skulls, and femurs lashed together with sinew still dark with dried blood. Its right hand grips a massive cleaver fused with the remains of a butchered sword. The left drags a spike-laced hook behind it, metal scraping against stone.

Orange fire burns in its eyes, unlike the dull glow of lesser goblins. Steam rises from its nostrils as it studies them.

Leon opens his interface with trembling fingers:

[Zombie Manna: 12/100] [Grave Mage Active – Spell-casting Limited]

Twelve points. Maybe enough for one decent attack.

"That thing's been feeding on other hunters," Elise whispers.

Leon nods toward the narrow tunnel around them. "We use the space. Box it in."

Elise presses her palms to the ground. Soft green light spreads in a ring around their position, slow but steady.

[Field Effect – Stamina Recovery Activated: 5% every 10 seconds] [Mana Drain: Moderate – Safe for extended use]

The Goblin Elite roars and charges straight through the healing field. Its cleaver sweeps down in a brutal arc.

Leon sidesteps, the blade misses his head but the creature's massive fist catches his ribs anyway. Bone snaps with an audible crack.

[HP -28 | Rib Fracture Detected] [Healing Field Tick: +2 HP]

Leon crashes to one knee, blood filling his mouth. He commands his zombie to reposition, but with that limited manna it only manages a weak volley.

The half-charged bolt grazes the Elite's shoulder, leaving a smoking wound that barely makes it flinch.

Elise steadies Leon with one hand while maintaining her channel. "You're not falling now. I didn't come this far to get flattened behind a necromancer."

Leon pulled himself upright, ribs screaming. "I'll take that as motivation."

The Elite lunges again, this time targeting Elise. It has identified the healer as the real threat.

Leon fires his last mana round at the ceiling above the creature. Stone and dust rains down, obscuring its vision for a few precious seconds. He throws himself between Elise and the monster, dragging her clear as the cleaver slams into the ground where she'd been standing.

His broken ribs grinds against each other. Leon positions himself just outside the healing zone, keeping the Elite's attention focused on him.

His zombie flanks left, eye sockets flickering with the last of its energy. Leon whispers through gritted teeth, "One shot left. That's all we need."

The Elite swings its cleaver in a wide arc. Leon baits the attack, rolls low and drives his knife into the back of its knee. The creature stumbles forward, while the zombie unleashes everything it has left. A concentrated manna bolt, charged with every remaining point of energy, drills straight through the Elite's temple.

The skull doesn't just crack. It detonates

Bone fragments and brain matter explodes across the tunnel wall in a wet spray. The massive body twitches once and collapses, armor clattering against stone.

Silence.

Elise sags against the wall, arms trembling. Her hands still glows faintly with healing magic. "Tell me that was the last one."

Leon leans over, coughing blood but still standing. He checks his system interface.

[Elite Enemy Defeated] [XP Gained: +18 | Death Essence +7] [Grave Mage Experience: 98/100] [Evolution Unlocked – Grave Commander Available] [Evolution Initiation Requires Confirmation] [Warning: Evolution Will Disable Current Summon for 3 Hours]

His zombie glows softly, then dissolves into fragments of spectral light. The wisps swirls into his system interface, absorbed into whatever process will transform it.

Leon watches his first companion disappear without panic. "You did good."

A new prompt materializes:

[Grave Mage Evolution in Progress...] [New Class: Grave Commander] [Completion in: 02:59:59]

Leon wipes blood from his chin. Three hours until his zombie returns, stronger than before.

"Guess we wait.