"Now! All in—don't hold back!"
Leon's command sliced through the chamber's chaos. The mantis boss surged into action, racing across the stone floor in a final, desperate assault. Its damaged leg buckled, but the creature compensated with sheer fury, its forearms slicing deadly arcs through the air.
The assassin leaped onto the mantis's back, driving her remaining knife repeatedly into the exposed flesh where the carapace had cracked. Dark ichor sprayed with each strike, splattering the chamber walls in a grotesque pattern.
The Grave Mage focused all his energy into a massive freeze attack. Spectral ice erupted around the creature's striking forearm, locking it mid-swing just inches from Leon's throat.
The mantis let out a deafening shriek, an unearthly sound that made Leon's bones vibrate and his vision blur. The ancient stone cracked under the acoustic onslaught.
Leon stood his ground as the creature's massive head swung toward him. Its compound eyes blazed with alien hatred, and its mandibles spread wide, revealing the soft interior of its mouth.
Leon fired point-blank into that gaping maw.
Blue energy ripped through its head and thorax. The mana round obliterated internal organs and shattered the creature's nervous system. The mantis convulsed once, its camouflage failing completely as death claimed it.
The boss crashed to the chamber floor, its twitching legs gouging deep furrows into the stone before going still. Silence descended like a heavy shroud.
Leon slumped against the nearest wall, breathing heavily. His ribs ached from dodging strikes, and smudges marred his arms where debris had found gaps in his gear. But he was alive.
His undead companions regrouped around the corpse. The assassin's severed arm was already regenerating, fueled by necromantic energy. The Grave Mage flickered but remained stable despite the massive mana expenditure.
With trembling hands, Leon opened his system interface.
───────[The Zombie System]──────────
[DUNGEON CLEAR]
Enemies Defeated: 47
Boss Slain: Shadow Mantis
Completion Time: 08:23
Deaths: 0
Mission Rating: S
Leon stared at the S rating, a sense of disbelief washing over him. He had never achieved perfect performance before. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, he tapped the Rewards section.
───────[REWARDS]──────────
+650 XP
+75 Stat Points
+New Skill: Dark Mana
+Market Access Unlocked
+Zombie Slot (Rare Sacrifice Required)
The experience points flooded through him like warm honey, and in mere seconds, his level surged from 7 to 11. Power coursed through his body as the system recalibrated his capabilities.
Leon eagerly checked each reward individually. The first to appear was the Dark Mana skill.
───────[DARK MANA]──────────
Type: Active Skill
Cost: Variable
Effect: Channel corrupted mana for enhanced damage Bonus: +50% damage against living targets
What intrigued him the most was the Market Access.
───────[SYSTEM MARKET]──────────
Status: UNLOCKED
Currency: Boss Tokens, \s Categories:
Equipment, Skills, Zombie Upgrades
Note: Items bound to user, cannot be resold
Finally, the zombie slot expansion appeared, promising new possibilities in his undead army.
───────[ZOMBIE SLOT]──────────
Current Capacity: 2/3
Unlock Requirement: Sacrifice Rare Enemy
Benefit: Additional permanent undead servant
Restriction: Only accepts Elite-class or higher sacrifices
Leon closed the interface and surveyed the loot scattered around the mantis corpse. Several items shimmered with magical energy. Among them, the Mantis Core pulsed with concentrated mana, drawing his attention.
───────[MANTIS CORE]──────────
Quality: Rare
Uses: Crafting, Zombie Enhancement
Mana Density: High
Special Property: Shadow Affinity
A fragment of shadow carapace caught the light in an unusual way, glinting with an otherworldly sheen.
───────[SHADOW CARAPACE──────────
Quality: Rare
Defense Rating: +15
Special: Partial Invisibility (3 seconds, 60-second cooldown)
Compatibility: Chest Armor Slot
One of the creature's severed forearms had crystallized into an enchanted weapon, radiating a powerful and mysterious aura.
───────[PREDATOR'S BLADE──────────
Quality: Epic
Damage: High
Special: Armor Piercing, Life Drain (5% per hit) Requirement: 25 Strength, 20 Agility
Leon hefted the blade, feeling its perfect balance despite its alien origin. He knew the weapon would serve him well in future encounters.
A small organ near the mantis's head caught his attention as he scanned the area. Its peculiar shape and vibrant color hinted at potential uses.
─────[CAMOUFLAGE GLAND]──────────
Quality: Rare
Use: Crafting Component
Effect: Grants stealth abilities when properly integrated
Compatibility: Zombie Enhancement, Personal Equipment
Five crystalline tokens completed the loot collection, each one shimmering with a unique hue.
───────[BOSS TOKENS]──────────
Quantity: 5
Use: System Market Currency
Exchange Rate: Variable by item Cannot be duplicated or transferred
Leon gathered everything into his inventory. The system's storage function made looting efficient, yet he still felt the weight of his accumulated power.
His undead minions stood ready, awaiting further orders. The assassin tested her regenerated arm, while the Grave Mage conserved his remaining mana.
As Leon secured the last token, he sensed movement above. Shadows flickered in the upper reaches of the chamber, where architecture met darkness. It was the same watchers he had noticed during his descent.
Instead of reaching for his weapon, Leon addressed them without looking up. "You know you can come out now."