The Turning Point
Leon felt it before he saw it.
A deep pulse of energy rippled through the chamber, vibrating through the air like an unseen force shifting reality itself. It wasn't just the usual surge of mana when his zombies leveled up—this was something else entirely.
The Zombie Mage, the very first summon he had ever created, was no longer just absorbing energy. It was transforming.
The moment it reached Level 5, a System Notification appeared before Leon's eyes:
[Zombie Mage has reached Level 5 – Evolution Available]
The words burned into his vision, but he barely had time to process them.
The Warlord noticed it too.
The massive goblin staggered back, its glowing club trembling in its grip. The beast wasn't intelligent in the way a human was, but it understood power. And right now, something deep in its instincts was screaming at it—
Kill the mage. Stop the transformation.
Leon saw it happen in real time—the way the Warlord's eyes widened, its muscles tensed, its stance shifted. The hesitation lasted for less than a second, and then—
It charged.
The massive goblin roared, its body blurring as it lunged forward, its mana-infused club raised high to strike before the evolution could complete.
Leon acted instantly.
"Cover it!"
His Warrior Zombie moved first, intercepting the Warlord before it could reach the evolving Mage.
CLANG!
The goblin's club smashed into the Warrior Zombie's raised sword, sending out a shockwave of force that rattled the chamber. Cracks splintered across the stone floor beneath them. The undead's armor fractured, but it didn't falter.
Leon didn't stand idle.
He raised his mana gun, fired three consecutive shots, aiming for the Warlord's legs, chest, and head.
The first bullet pierced the beast's calf, forcing it to shift its weight. The second hit its side, causing it to grunt in pain. The third—
The third, it blocked with its club, the mana crackling on impact.
Leon clicked his tongue. It was still adapting.
But so was he.
He glanced toward his Zombie Mage. The transformation was reaching its peak.
The air around the undead warped, waves of black mana rising from its body. Its tattered cloak billowed unnaturally, despite the absence of wind. The blue glow of its eyes intensified, shifting into something deeper, stronger.
A final System Notification flashed.
[Evolution Complete – Elite Undead Sorcerer Unlocked]
The Transformation
The Zombie Mage's body solidified, its previous frame restructuring itself with new power.
The once-tattered cloak was replaced by a flowing black robe, stitched with glowing runes that pulsed with dark energy.
Its skeletal hands, once thin and fragile, had elongated, crackling with new magical power. Its fingers ended in sharp, claw-like tips, small arcs of black lightning flickering between them.
But the biggest change?
Its eyes.
The dim, flickering blue flames in its sockets were gone.
In their place burned two searing orbs of condensed mana, swirling like miniature vortexes of pure magic.
The undead's presence alone warped the space around it, its aura creating a gravitational pull on the surrounding mana.
Leon's lips curled into a grin.
Now we're talking.
A final System Notification appeared.
[New Skill Unlocked: Mana Explosion – Condensed magic detonation, dealing area-of-effect damage]
Leon's gaze snapped back to the battlefield.
The Warlord's Rage
The Dungeon Warlord, still struggling against the Warrior Zombie, snarled in frustration.
Even in its simple mind, it understood—this was bad.
Leon saw the shift in its stance, the way its grip on its club tightened, the frantic movement of its eyes.
It was desperate.
And desperate enemies were dangerous.
The Warlord roared, gripping its mana-infused club with both hands. The air around it shook, raw magic radiating from its body.
Leon's instincts screamed a warning—
It was about to go all out.
The goblin slammed its club into the ground, sending a shockwave tearing through the chamber.
The ground cracked open beneath them, jagged fissures snaking across the floor. Chunks of stone collapsed from the ceiling, crashing down like falling meteors.
Leon gritted his teeth, dodging to the side just as a massive chunk of debris slammed into the spot where he had been standing.
The entire dungeon was coming down.
The Warlord wasn't just attacking anymore.
It was trying to bring them all down with it.
The Counterattack
Leon's mind worked at lightning speed. He had to end this now.
His eyes flicked toward his newly evolved undead.
"Let's test your new power."
The Elite Undead Sorcerer raised its staff, the air around it warping violently as it gathered magic.
A deep hum filled the room, growing louder, building toward something immense.
The Warlord charged again, throwing all its remaining strength into one final, earth-shattering swing.
Leon stood firm.
"Fire."
The Elite Undead Sorcerer unleashed its new ability—
Mana Explosion.
A massive sphere of condensed dark energy formed in its hands, swirling violently before it detonated.
BOOM.
The shockwave ripped through the battlefield, engulfing the Warlord in a spiraling storm of raw, uncontrolled magic.
The entire chamber shook as a pillar of black light erupted upward, consuming the enemy in a violent explosion.
The Warlord's roar turned into a scream as its body was torn apart by the overwhelming force.
When the light faded, the goblin warlord lay motionless, its body charred and broken.
It twitched once—then fell completely still.
[System Notification: Mini-Boss Defeated – Dungeon Warlord Slain]
Leon exhaled slowly.
The fight was over.
The Aftermath
The dungeon was still collapsing.
Leon didn't waste time.
He rushed forward, grabbing the Warlord's magic-infused club before the body completely disintegrated.
[New Item Acquired: Warlord's Cursed Club]
His eyes flicked to the dungeon core, pulsing erratically now that its guardian had fallen.
With a smirk, he stepped forward—
And claimed his prize.
The System chimed again, but this time, it wasn't just about loot.
A new System Notification appeared, one that made Leon's pulse spike with excitement.
[New Evolution Path Unlocked – Next Stage of the Zombie System Revealed.]
Leon stared at the words.
Then, slowly, his smirk widened.
Things were about to get interesting.
(To Be Continued…)