ch3. Zombies

Jeremy stepped out of the mausoleum, Mordis clanking behind him like a walking bag of bones. The air was still thick with fog, and the eerie silence of the graveyard made his skin crawl.

"Alright, time to get some answers," he muttered. "Step one: figure out where the hell I am. Step two: don't die."

Mordis responded with a slow, creaky thumbs-up.

Jeremy sighed. "Yeah, thanks for the support, buddy."

Just as he was about to pick a direction, a low, guttural growl echoed through the graveyard.

Jeremy froze.

"Okay. That didn't sound friendly."

From the mist, several shadowy figures emerged. Twisted, humanoid shapes with rotting flesh and hollow, sunken eyes. Their movements were jerky, unnatural—like marionettes controlled by invisible strings.

[Threat Detected: Feral Undead]

"Zombies?! Are you kidding me?"

There were at least five of them, their dead eyes locking onto Jeremy. Then, in unison, they let out a bone-chilling shriek and charged.

Jeremy barely had time to react before the first zombie lunged at him, its decayed fingers reaching for his throat. He stumbled back, barely dodging the attack.

"Okay, okay! Think, dammit!"

He clenched his fists, trying to summon something—anything—to fight back. His class had changed, right? He had to have some kind of power!

A system prompt flashed before his eyes.

[Command your summon: Mordis (Lv.1)]

Jeremy's eyes flicked to his skeletal companion. "Mordis, do something!"

Mordis tilted his head, as if considering the request. Then, with surprising speed, he raised one bony hand and punched the nearest zombie square in the face.

CRACK!

The zombie's head twisted unnaturally, but it didn't go down. Instead, it let out an enraged screech and lunged at Mordis.

Jeremy groaned. "Right. That was almost useful."

He needed to do more.

Then, something clicked in his mind.

His class wasn't just about summoning minions. It was unique. His summons were meant to be different.

He focused on Mordis, and instinctively, he felt a connection—like a mental tether linking them.

A new prompt appeared.

[Unlocking Summon Potential – Mordis Trait Discovered: Adaptive Growth]

[Mordis has gained a new ability: "Bone Reinforcement"]

Jeremy barely had time to read before Mordis suddenly straightened up. His bones darkened slightly, becoming denser. When the next zombie lunged, Mordis caught it with one hand—and crushed its skull with ease.

Jeremy's jaw dropped. "Holy crap."

Mordis turned back to him and gave a slow nod, as if saying You're welcome.

Jeremy grinned. "Alright, now we're talking."

But the fight wasn't over yet. The remaining zombies had surrounded them. Jeremy had no idea how much Mordis could handle alone, and he sure as hell wasn't about to stand around like a useless bystander.

His mind raced. Was there anything else he could do?

Then, another message appeared.

[Skill Unlocked: Gravebind]

[Temporarily seize control of weak undead. Duration: 30 seconds.]

Jeremy's eyes widened. "Oh. That sounds fun."

He focused on one of the zombies and willed the skill to activate.

Dark energy pulsed outward.

The zombie closest to him suddenly stopped mid-charge. Its lifeless eyes flickered with the same eerie glow as Mordis'. Then, slowly, it turned… and attacked its own kind.

The other undead screeched in confusion as their former ally tore into them.

Jeremy couldn't help but laugh. "Oh man, this is awesome."

Mordis, now even stronger, tore through another zombie, his reinforced bones cracking skulls with brutal efficiency.

Within a minute, it was over. The last zombie collapsed into a heap of rotting flesh.

Jeremy let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Well," he panted, "that was… an experience."

Mordis stood tall, his glowing eyes still locked on Jeremy, waiting for the next command.

Jeremy wiped some sweat from his forehead. "Okay. Lesson learned. This world is out to kill me. But hey—at least I'm starting to fight back."

A new notification appeared.

[Level Up! Jeremy (Lv.2) – New Skill Unlocked: Necrotic Infusion]

Jeremy smirked. "Guess that means I'm officially leveling up in life."

With a new power in his arsenal and his undead companion by his side, Jeremy knew one thing for sure.

This world might be dangerous, but he wasn't going to be the weakling in it.