THE ZOMBIE SYSTEM-Chapter 13: Ambushed by a Rival Team

A Sudden Confrontation

Leon adjusted the grip on his mana gun, his breath steady as the last goblin corpse collapsed to the dungeon floor. The air still carried the acrid scent of burnt flesh, the aftershock of his Zombie Mage's last Mana Bolt crackling faintly in the air. The fight had been quick—precise, effortless.

His undead hovered nearby, silent and still, waiting for the next command.

Leon moved forward, his focus shifting to the loot left behind, when he heard it—faint footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

He stopped instantly.

His gaze flicked up.

A group of five adventurers stood at the entrance of the dungeon corridor, blocking his only exit.

They weren't part of any official guild. That much was obvious—their armor was mismatched, their weapons unevenly maintained, and their eyes filled with smug confidence.

Leon didn't react outwardly, but his mind had already begun analyzing.

Bandits? No. Too well-equipped. Mercenaries? Unlikely.

This was something else.

The young swordsman at the front tilted his head, tapping his chipped blade against his shoulder. A cocky grin stretched across his face.

"Well, well," he sneered. "Look what we have here. A necromancer, all by himself."

Leon didn't reply.

Another voice chimed in, this one from a staff-wielding mage—a woman with sharp eyes and an equally sharp smirk.

"Must've taken you forever to clear out this area," she said lazily, flicking her fingers as small sparks of mana danced between them. "Pretty impressive—for a guy with such a useless class."

Leon remained still. Unmoving. Watching.

They were testing him, waiting for a reaction.

He gave them nothing.

His eyes flicked across their formation, quickly assessing their roles and potential threats.

Two melee fighters—the swordsman and a bulkier axe-user, both in close-range gear.A rogue, positioned at the outer edge, likely waiting for an opening.The mage, mid-rank robes, probably capable of casting minor spells but nothing overwhelming.An archer, standing slightly behind the rest, an arrow already notched but not drawn.

Standard adventurer party composition.

They weren't here for the dungeon.

They were here for him.

Leon's fingers relaxed on the grip of his gun.

So, that's how it was going to be.

Underestimating the Wrong Person

The swordsman stepped forward, his chipped blade gleaming under the dim dungeon light.

"You've got two options, necromancer," he said, voice dripping with condescension. "You can hand over whatever loot you just got, and we let you walk outta here. Or—"

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His smirk widened, revealing yellowed teeth.

"You can make this difficult for yourself."

Leon didn't move. Didn't react.

The rogue—a lanky man with twin daggers strapped to his chest—let out a dry laugh.

"Come on, man, we're doing you a favor. A necromancer? In a place like this?" He flicked one of his daggers in the air, catching it lazily. "Zombies are slow. A few quick slashes, and they're done for."

The archer snorted, notching an arrow and aiming it directly at Leon's head.

"I've seen necromancers in the past," he mused. "The weak ones rely on their undead to do all the fighting. The strong ones are just slightly more annoying."

The mage grinned, leaning on her staff. "Honestly? You should be thanking us. We're giving you a chance to leave with your life. Most people don't get that."

Leon's fingers curled slightly, but he remained composed.

His Zombie Mage and Warrior Zombie stood motionless, their eerie presence unnoticed by the adventurers too busy gloating.

These idiots had no idea what they were about to step into.

Leon tilted his head, his expression unreadable.

"Are you finished talking?"

The swordsman's smirk faltered slightly. "What?"

Leon raised his hand.

"Kill them."

The air shifted instantly.

Before the adventurers could even process the command—the dungeon exploded into chaos.

The Ambush Turns on Them

The moment the command left his lips, his Zombie Mage flickered into motion.

A blue Mana Bolt tore through the air, slamming into the archer's shoulder before he could even react. The force sent him tumbling backward, his bow clattering to the ground.

"What the—?!" the rogue barely had time to react before the Warrior Zombie lunged forward, its rusted greatsword crashing down like a hammer.

The rogue dodged just in time, but the impact left a deep crack in the stone floor.

Leon moved next, raising his mana gun and firing three consecutive shots.

The bullets struck the staff-wielding mage in the chest, disrupting her spell before she could even cast. She staggered backward, gasping, eyes wide with shock.

"This... this isn't how necromancers fight!" she shrieked.

Leon's lips curled slightly. Exactly.

Breaking Their Formation

The swordsman gritted his teeth, finally realizing that they weren't the hunters—they were the prey.

"Regroup! Take out the necromancer first!" he shouted.

The Warrior Zombie stepped forward, intercepting him.

The swordsman swung his blade, expecting resistance—but instead of dodging, the zombie let the sword sink into its arm.

The flesh knitted back together almost instantly.

The swordsman's eyes widened in horror. "What...?"

Leon fired again, a mana bullet slamming into the swordsman's wrist, knocking his weapon loose. The rogue tried to lunge for Leon, but the Zombie Mage shot a second Mana Bolt, hitting him mid-air and sending him crashing into a pile of debris.

The fight was already over.

A Warning to Future Enemies

The last remaining adventurer—the mage—collapsed to her knees, trembling as she looked around at her fallen teammates.

"P-please," she stammered, raising her hands in surrender. "We... we didn't know—"

Leon approached, his gun still raised.

"You thought I was weak," he said flatly.

The mage swallowed hard, unable to meet his gaze.

Leon studied her for a moment—then slowly lowered his gun.

"Get out."

She didn't hesitate. Scrambling to her feet, she grabbed her unconscious comrades and dragged them away, not even looking back.

As their footsteps faded into the distance, a System Notification blinked into Leon's vision.

[New Title Acquired: The Gravewalker – Defeat an enemy team without taking damage.]

Leon exhaled, glancing at his undead.

They had fought like a perfect unit.

No hesitation. No wasted movement.

He holstered his gun and turned toward the dungeon's next corridor.

If this was what rookie adventurers thought of him, then the world had no idea what was coming