Leon stared at the floating text. The blue light cast eerie shadows across his cramped room. He blinked hard, expecting the hallucination to fade.
The words remained.
[Zombie Lord System Activated]
[Initializing...]
[Welcome, Chosen One]
"What the hell?" Leon whispered.
The text shifted, new lines appearing below the first:
[Booting Complete]
[Congratulations on receiving the Zombie Lord System]
[You have been selected for greatness beyond conventional limitations]
Leon rubbed his eyes. Maybe the stress of today had finally snapped his mind. F-Rank necromancers going insane wasn't exactly rare.
[Please remain calm during initial calibration]
[Scanning vessel compatibility...]
[Compatibility: 97.8% - Exceptional]
[System integration beginning...]
Heat flooded through Leon's body. Not painful, but intense. Like fever breaking. His muscles tensed as energy coursed through veins that had never carried real power.
The sensation lasted ten seconds. Then it stopped.
[Integration successful]
[Accessing user interface...]
The floating text rearranged itself into something resembling a game menu. Categories appeared in neat rows:
*STATUS*
*SUMMONS*
*INVENTORY*
*EVOLUTION*
Leon reached toward the glowing words. His finger passed through them like smoke, but he felt the interface responding to his intent.
He focused on STATUS. The display changed instantly:
[Leon Graves - Level 1]
[Class: Zombie Lord]
[Rank: Unclassified]
[Mana: 100/100]
[Death Essence: 0]
[Current Summons: 0/1]
Zombie Lord. Not necromancer. The distinction felt important, though Leon couldn't explain why.
He shifted focus to SUMMONS. A new menu appeared with three options:
*Warrior Zombie* - Melee specialist, high durability
*Mage Zombie* - Ranged attacks, magical abilities
*Scout Zombie* - Speed and stealth, reconnaissance
Each option showed a small icon. The warrior carried a sword and shield. The mage held a staff crackling with energy. The scout crouched in shadow, nearly invisible.
[First summon requires sacrifice of living essence]
[Recommended targets: Rodents, insects, small animals]
[Warning: Human sacrifice will corrupt system alignment]
Leon's stomach lurched. The System wanted him to kill something. Even knowing he was classified as a necromancer, the reality felt different. More real.
But his mother's cough echoed through the thin walls. Her medicine bottles sat empty on the kitchen table. F-Ranks earned copper while she needed treatments that cost silver.
Leon made his choice.
The apartment building's basement was reeked of mold and decay. Leon descended cracked concrete steps, the System's blue glow following him like a faithful companion.
Rats scurried in the shadows. Perfect.
Leon found a large one feeding near the garbage chute. The creature was almost cat-sized, its fur patchy with disease. In the Shadow Quarters, even the vermin struggled to survive.
He picked up a loose brick. The rat looked up with beady black eyes.
"Sorry," Leon whispered.
The brick came down hard. Blood splattered across moldy concrete. The rat twitched once and went still.
[Life essence detected]
[Absorbing...]
Blue light enveloped the corpse. Leon watched in fascination as the rat's body withered, the flesh desiccating until only bones remained. The light grew brighter and more substantial.
[Death essence gained: 15 points]
[Sufficient essence acquired for first summon]
[Select summon type:]
Leon studied his options. The warrior looked tough but obvious. The scout seemed helpful but fragile. The mage struck a balance between power and subtlety.
He selected the mage.
[Summoning Mage Zombie...]
[Materializing...]
The blue light swirled, condensing into a vaguely humanoid shape. Bones materialized first—ribs, spine, and limbs articulating with supernatural precision. Then came wisps of dark energy, wrapping around the skeleton like tattered robes.
Finally, two points of blue fire ignited in the skull's empty sockets.
Leon's first zombie stood before him.
It was shorter than he'd expected, maybe five feet tall. The bones looked human but felt wrong somehow. Too clean, too perfect. Dark energy flowed around it like smoke, giving the skeleton an otherworldly presence.
Most importantly, it was his. Leon could feel their connection—not ownership exactly, but partnership. The zombie waited for direction with patient intelligence.
[Mage Zombie summoned successfully]
[Designation: Minion #1]
[Level: 1]
[Abilities: Mana Bolt, Basic Tactics]
[Current Status: Awaiting orders]
Leon focused on the zombie. Without speaking, he projected a simple command: Hide in my shadow.
The skeleton nodded—actually nodded—and dissolved into wisps of dark energy. The wisps flowed toward Leon, merging with his shadow on the basement wall.
He could still feel the zombie's presence. A cold weight at the edge of his consciousness. Ready to emerge when needed.
Leon climbed back to his apartment. His mother had fallen asleep in her chair, the mending still clutched in her hands. He covered her with a threadbare blanket and retreated to his room.
The system interface reappeared when he concentrated:
[Tutorial complete]
[Additional features will unlock as the user gains experience]
[Recommendation: Practice commands in private before public deployment]
[Warning: Excessive mana usage may cause physical exhaustion]
[Current mana: 85/100]
Leon studied the readings. Summoning had cost him fifteen points. Not much, but worth noting.
He focused on his shadow, mentally calling the zombie forth. Dark energy swirled, and his skeleton mage materialized silently beside the bed.
"Can you understand me?" Leon whispered.
The zombie nodded again. Its jaw didn't move, but somehow, Leon heard a voice in his mind—not words exactly, but concepts: acknowledgment, readiness, and loyalty.
Leon tested simple commands: sit, stand, move left, move right. The zombie obeyed each instruction with fluid grace—no hesitation, no confusion.
This wasn't the clumsy animation described in necromancy textbooks. This zombie showed actual intelligence.
[Notice: Mandatory qualification test scheduled for tomorrow]
[All new awakened must demonstrate basic competency]
[Failure results in license revocation]
The system notification appeared without prompting. Leon had forgotten about qualification in the chaos of his awakening.
Every new hunter had to pass a basic dungeon test—usually a formality for higher ranks. For F-Ranks, it was often a death sentence.
Leon dismissed his zombie and lay back on his cot. Tomorrow, he'd face his first real test as a necromancer. The qualification dungeon would be dangerous even for properly trained hunters.
But now he had an advantage nobody expected. A zombie that followed orders with supernatural precision. A system that promised power beyond conventional limits.
Leon closed his eyes and tried to sleep. In a few hours, he'd discover whether his new abilities could overcome a lifetime of disadvantages.\
Outside his window, Armathor's upper districts celebrated their new heroes. Guild parties lasted deep into the night. Damian was probably toasting his bright future with other A-Ranks.
Let them celebrate. Leon had work to do.
The system interface flickered one final time before fading:
[Mandatory Qualification Test: 8 hours remaining]
[Prepare accordingly]
[Failure is not an option]