The Zombie System.

Leon stares at the floating text. The blue light casts an eerie shadow across his cramped room. He blinks hard, expecting the hallucination to fade.

The words remains.

[Zombie Lord System Activated]

[Initializing...]

[Welcome, Chosen One]

"What the hell?" Leon whispers.

The text shifts, 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 rubs his eyes. Maybe the stress of today has finally snap his mind. F-Rank necromancers going insane isn't exactly rare.

[Please remain calm during initial calibration]

[Scanning vessel compatibility...]

[Compatibility: 97.8% - Exceptional]

[System integration beginning...]

Heat floods through Leon's body. Not painful, but intense. Like fever breaking. His muscles tense as energy courses through his veins that had never carried real power.

The sensation lasts ten seconds. Then it stops.

[Integration successful]

[Accessing user interface...]

The floating text rearranges itself into something resembling a game menu. Categories appear in neat rows:

*STATUS*

*SUMMONS*

*INVENTORY*

*EVOLUTION*

Leon reaches toward the glowing words. His finger passes through them like smoke, but he feels 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 feels important, though Leon can't explain why.

He shifted focus to SUMMONS. A new menu appears with three options:

*Warrior Zombie* - Melee specialist, high durability

*Mage Zombie* - Ranged attacks, magical abilities

*Scout Zombie* - Speed and stealth, reconnaissance

Each option shows a small icon. The warrior carries a sword and shield. The mage holds a staff crackling with energy. The scout crouches 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 lurches, the System wants him to kill something, even knowing he is classified as a necromancer, the reality feels different, more real.

But his mother's cough echos through the thin walls. Her medicine bottles sits empty on the kitchen table. F-Ranks earns copper while she needs treatments that cost silver.

Leon made his choice.

The apartment building's basement reeks of mold and decay. Leon descends cracked concrete steps, the System's blue glow following him like a faithful companion.

Rats scurries in the shadows. Perfect.

Leon finds a large one feeding near the garbage chute, the creature is almost cat-sized, its fur patchy with disease. In the Shadow Quarters, even the vermin struggles to survive.

He picks up a loose brick. The rat looks up with beady black eyes.

"Sorry," Leon whispers.

The brick come down hard. Blood splatters across moldy concrete. The rat twitches once and goes still.

[Life essence detected]

[Absorbing...]

Blue light envelops the corpse. Leon watch in fascination as the rat's body withers, the flesh desiccating until only bones remain. The light grows brighter and more substantial.

[Death essence gained: 15 points]

[Sufficient essence acquired for first summon]

[Select summon type:]

Leon study his options. The warrior looks tough but obvious. The scout seems helpful but fragile. The mage strikes a balance between power and subtlety.

He selects the mage.

[Summoning Mage Zombie...]

[Materializing...]

The blue light swirls, condensing into a vaguely humanoid shape. Bones materialize first—ribs, spine, and limbs articulating with supernatural precision. Then come wisps of dark energy, wrapping around the skeleton like tattered robes.

Finally, two points of blue fire ignite in the skull's empty sockets.

Leon's first zombie stand before him.

It is shorter than he'd have expected, near five feet tall. The bones look human but feels wrong. Too clean, too perfect. Dark energy flow around it like smoke, giving the skeleton an otherworldly presence.

Most importantly, it belongs to him. Leon can feel their connection—not ownership exactly, but partnership. The zombie stands, waiting with patient intelligence for direction.

[Mage Zombie summoned successfully]

[Designation: Minion #1]

[Level: 1]

[Abilities: Mana Bolt, Basic Tactics]

[Current Status: Awaiting orders]

Leon focuses on the zombie. Without speaking, he projects a simple command: Hide in my shadow.

The skeleton nods, or whatever its skeletal neck and head seem to do, and dissolves into the wisps of dark energy. The wisps flows toward Leon, merging with his shadow on the basement wall.

He can still feel the zombie's presence. A cold weight at the edge of his consciousness. Ready to emerge when he needs it.

Leon climbs back to his apartment. His mother asleep in her chair, the mending still in her hands. He covers her with a threadbare blanket and retreats to his room.

The system interface reappears when he concentrates:

[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 studies the readings. Summoning had cost him fifteen points. Not much, but worth noting.

He focuses on his shadow, mentally calling the zombie forth. Dark energy swirls, and his skeleton mage materializes silently beside the bed.

"Can you understand me?" Leon whispers.

The zombie nods again. Its jaw doesn't move, but somehow, Leon hear a voice in his mind—not words exactly, but concepts: acknowledgment, readiness, and loyalty.

Leon test simple commands: sit, stand, move left, move right. The zombie obeys each instruction with fluid grace—no hesitation, no confusion.

This isn't the clumsy animation described in necromancy textbooks. This zombie shows actual intelligence.

[Notice: Mandatory qualification test scheduled for tomorrow]

[All new awakened must demonstrate basic competency]

[Failure results in license revocation]

The system notification appears without any prompt. Leon had forgotten about qualification in the chaos of his awakening.

All new hunters have to pass a basic dungeon test—usually a formality for higher ranks. For F-Ranks, it is often a death sentence.

Leon dismisses his zombie and lies back on his cot. Tomorrow, he'll have to face his first real test as a necromancer. The qualification dungeon will be dangerous even for properly trained hunters.

But now he has an advantage nobody expects. A zombie that follows orders with supernatural precision. A system that promises power beyond conventional limits.

Leon closes his eyes and tries to sleep. In a few hours, he'll discover whether his new abilities can overcome a lifetime of disadvantages.

Outside his window, Armathor's upper districts celebrates its new heroes. Guild parties lasts deep into the night. Damian is probably toasting his bright future with other A-Ranks.

Let them celebrate. Leon has 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]