The Zombie System.

"If you ask me, whoever killed the ARES Guild squad is a dead man walking. Especially if it was Tobias's brother."

Gareth Stoneheart grips his sword tightly as their party ventures deeper into the Crimson Gate Dungeon. The veteran warrior's scarred face bears the marks of decades spent surviving encounters that have claimed the lives of lesser hunters.

Leon tries to keep his voice casual, but a chill runs down his spine. "Just how strong were those ARES hunters, anyway?"

Gareth is about to respond when six scarred orcs erupt from the shadows. Massive, green-skinned brutes wield crude axes and spiked clubs, their yellow eyes blazing with predatory hunger. Battle roars echo off the cavern walls as they charge.

"Formation!" Gareth bellows.

The party snaps into action, their movements synchronized from countless battles. Gareth raises his tower shield, activating a taunt skill that magically compels the orcs to focus on him. His boots lock into a defensive stance as three orcs converge on his position.

Elise flanks left, her staff crackling with frost magic. She unleashes frost-bolts that strike two orcs squarely in the chest, ice crystals spreading across their bodies and slowing their charge. Steam rises where the superheated orc flesh meets the magical cold.

Leon positions his warrior zombie to intercept an orc attempting to break formation. Spectral hands lock around the creature's throat, lifting it off the ground before slamming it down with bone-crushing force. The impact cracks the stone beneath the orc's skull.

[XP +15] 

[Zombie Combat Experience +8]

Leon takes his place behind the front line, drawing the Void-reaper. The weapon hums with contained power as he channels Dark Manna through its firing mechanisms. His first shot shatters an orc's tusks, the creature reeling backward with green blood streaming from its mouth.

Kael Swiftstrike, their ranged specialist, draws his composite bow with fluid precision. Enhanced arrows whistle through the air, one pinning an orc's wrist to the cavern wall. The creature thrashes against the restraint, unable to free its weapon hand.

Mira Lightbringer holds her position at the group's center, her healing magic forming protective wards around Gareth. Golden light pulses as she channels energy to patch wounds the moment they appear.

The fight descends into brutal close-quarters chaos. Mud and blood mix on the cavern floor, while spell energy crackles between combatants and steel rings against steel.

An orc breaks past Gareth's guard, swinging its massive club toward Elise's exposed flank. Leon's zombie reacts instantly, hurling a broken sword like a javelin. The blade punches through the orc's neck, severing its spine with surgical precision.

[XP +18] 

[Zombie Combat Experience +12]

Leon positions himself just behind the front line, drawing the Void-reaper. The weapon thrums with contained power as he channels Dark Manna through its firing runes. His first shot shatters an orc's tusks, the creature reeling backward as green blood streams from its ruined mouth.

Kael Swiftstrike, their ranged specialist, draws his composite bow with practiced precision. Enhanced arrows slice through the air—one pins an orc's wrist to the cavern wall. The brute thrashes, snarling, unable to free its weapon hand.

Mira Lightbringer anchors herself at the group's center, her healing magic casting protective wards around Gareth. Golden light pulses with every spell as she patches wounds the instant they form.

The fight plunges into brutal close-quarters chaos. Mud and blood slick the cavern floor, spell energy crackles like lightning, and steel clashes in a deadly rhythm.

An orc slips past Gareth's defense, its massive club arcing toward Elise's exposed flank. Leon's zombie responds in a blur, hurling a shattered blade like a javelin. The weapon pierces the orc's neck, severs its spine, and drops the body in a twitching heap.

[XP +16] 

[Dark Mana Mastery +3]

The last orc goes berserk, its wounds driving it into a mindless fury. It charges at Mira with savage desperation, claws extended to rip through the healer's robes.

Leon and Elise move in perfect sync. Her freezing blast catches the orc's legs mid-charge, frost crystallizing up its thighs. Leon steps in, his Void-reaper leveling at point-blank range. One shot detonates through the orc's skull, scattering bone and brain matter across the cavern wall.

The creature collapses, lifeless, just inches from Mira's feet.

[XP +14] 

[Team Coordination Bonus +5]

Silence returns to the cavern, broken only by their labored breathing. The team exchanges quick nods of mutual respect, each one recognizing the competence of their companions.

"Not bad," Gareth grins, glancing at Leon. "Your zombie fights smarter than most humans."

Leon's system interface flickers to life, flooded with accumulated experience and skill improvements. The integration of Dark Manna progresses faster than he expects, its effects already sharpening his reflexes and enhancing his control.

───────[COMBAT SUMMARY]────────

Total XP Gained: +63

Dark Manna Mastery: Level 3

Zombie Command Efficiency: +15%

The group shares manna potions and emergency bandages. Gareth's shield requires field repairs, which Kael handles using a spare bowstring and Mira's metal-bonding magic. Everyone bears minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious enough to halt their mission.

"Mid-boss chamber ahead," Gareth announces, consulting a dungeon map. "Stay sharp. Trolls are nastier than orcs."

They advance through winding passages illuminated by phosphorescent moss. The cavern opens into a vast chamber dominated by crystal formations that cast an eerie green light across the rough stone walls.

A hulking troll blocks their path. Twice the height of the orcs, its hide resembles granite more than flesh. Stone-like warts cover its massive frame, each one pulsing with internal heat. Its yellow eyes fix on the intruders with primitive cunning.

"Formation alpha," Gareth commands.

He and Leon's zombie move forward together, drawing the troll's attention with coordinated taunts. The creature's massive fist sweeps down in a crushing overhead blow, cracking the stone beneath their feet. Gareth's shield absorbs most of the impact, while the zombie's spectral armor disperses the remainder.

Elise circles the chamber's perimeter, pelting the troll's knees with concentrated frost magic. Ice forms around its joints, limiting mobility as the creature struggles to pivot.

Kael aims for the eyes, his enhanced arrows seeking the few vulnerable spots in the troll's armored hide. Most shots bounce off harmlessly, but one finds the gap between wart clusters on its forehead.

Leon fires precise bursts at the exposed flesh around the troll's ankles and belly. The Voidreaper's penetrating rounds open wounds that leak steaming ichor onto the cavern floor.

[XP +12] 

[XP +10] 

[Zombie Tanking Experience +15]

Mira splits her attention between healing Gareth's accumulating damage and launching light-based attacks at the troll's wounds. Her magic sears the corrupted flesh wherever it makes contact.

The troll quickly adapts to their tactics. It grabs a chunk of fallen stone and hurls it with devastating force. Leon's zombie intercepts the missile, its spectral bones cracking under the impact, but it manages to lock its arms around the troll's extended leg.

The grapple exposes the creature's throat for a crucial moment.

"Now!" Gareth shouts.

Leon's shot punches through the troll's windpipe. Elise's immobilization hex locks its limbs in place. Mira channels her remaining manna into a focused vitality drain, pulling the last spark of life from the massive body.

The troll crashes forward, shuddering once before going still.

[XP +89] 

[Mid-Boss Defeated Bonus +25] 

[Team Leadership Experience +10]

Leon felt a surge of power as his accumulated experience pushed him past the threshold for another level advancement. The system re-calibrated his capabilities, flooding him with newfound strength.

───────[LEVEL UP]──────────

Leon Graves: Level 11 → 12

Health: 220 → 240

Mana: 380 → 420

Available Stat Points: 75 → 80

The party gathers around the troll's corpse to collect their loot. The troll's hide can be crafted into armor that resists physical damage, while its blood serves as an alchemist reagent for strength enhancement potions. Even the stone warts hold value as spell components.

Gareth divides the spoils equitably, ensuring each team member receives materials worth a substantial amount of silver. Leon pockets several blood vials and a section of undamaged hide.

"Not bad for new blood," Gareth says, wiping sweat from his brow. "You two work well together."

Leon and Elise exchange glances, both aware of how much their coordination has improved during the fight. They anticipate each other's tactical decisions now.

As the team moves toward the dungeon exit, their spirits remain high despite exhaustion. Completing a D-rank mission means significant reputation gains and access to higher-tier missions.

Leon checks his zombie's condition through their mental link. The warrior sustained damage during the troll fight, but nothing that won't regenerate with time. Its combat protocols are evolving rapidly through practical experience.

Kael leads the way through the return passages, his ranger training allowing him to navigate in the dim crystal light. Mira maintains healing auras to speed their recovery, while Gareth keeps watch for stragglers or territorial monsters drawn by the scent of blood.

The dungeon feels different now—conquered rather than threatening. This psychological shift marks them as successful hunters, instilling confidence from proving themselves against real danger.

They are perhaps fifty meters from the exit when a sound shatters their sense of accomplishment.

A ragged, terrified shout echoes from deeper within the unexplored sections of the dungeon. The voice carries absolute panic—the kind of fear that strips away human dignity.

"RUN!"

The word bounces off the stone walls, growing distorted but no less urgent with each echo. Someone is in desperate trouble in the depths of the dungeon.

The team freezes instantly. Weapons appear in hands that had been relaxed just moments before. Eyes scan the shadows, which suddenly seem threatening again.

Whatever generated that scream is something far worse than orcs or trolls.