Chapter 5: Abandoned

The tunnel junction fell silent except for settling dust. Leon watched the last echoes of Brock's footsteps fade into darkness. A metallic click sounded behind them—delayed by maybe three seconds.

The ceiling exploded.

Wooden support beams snapped like kindling. Rocks crashed down in a thunderous cascade, sealing the middle passage completely. Dust billowed through the air, coating Leon's throat with grit.

Elise stumbled backward, coughing. Her bitter laugh cut through the settling debris.

"Third time I've been abandoned in qualification."

Leon wiped the dust from his eyes. The trap had been planned. Brock's meaningful glances, the convenient route selection, the perfectly timed separation—all orchestrated to strand the "dead weight" while the others claimed credit for survival.

Faint growls echoed from both side tunnels. Multiple voices, growing closer.

Leon's system interface flickered to life:

[Mana Restored: 100/100]

[Hostile Entities Detected – Estimated Count: 10]

Ten. Not the one or two goblins mentioned in the qualification briefing.

"Get behind that beam," Leon ordered, pointing to a fallen support timber.

More howls joined the first. The sound multiplied, reverberating off stone walls until the entire tunnel system seemed alive with hunger.

Shadows shifted at both tunnel mouths. Leon counted at least five creatures emerging from each direction—goblins- different from the illustrated guides. These were lean and feral, their green skin mottled with dark fungal growths. Barbed spears gleamed with venomous coating.

Elise pressed against the timber, eyes wide. "There are too many."

Leon stepped forward and raised his hand.

Come out."

Blue wisps spiraled up from his shadow, coalescing into familiar bone and spectral energy. His Mage Zombie materialized—skeletal frame wrapped in dark smoke, eye sockets blazing with cold fire.

Elise flinched. "You summoned that thing?"

"Just stay behind me. Support if I fall."

The lead goblin screamed and charged, and bone shiv raised overhead. Behind it, the pack broke formation, moving in erratic zigzags designed to confuse human targeting.

Leon sidestepped the charging creature and sent a mental command. His zombie responded instantly, firing a concentrated mana bolt. The projectile moved like liquid lightning, drilling straight through the goblin's temple.

The creature folded mid-stride, brain matter spraying across the stone.

[XP +7 | Death Essence +3]

Two more goblins flanked from opposite sides. Leon spun low, drawing his combat knife. The rusty blade caught one goblin's hamstring, severing the tendon. It toppled forward with a shriek.

His zombie tracked the second flanker, firing another bolt that cracked ribs and exploded the fungal sacs growing on its chest. Green-black spores erupted in a toxic cloud.

[XP +5 | Death Essence +2]

[XP +6 | Death Essence +3]

A jagged spear grazed Leon's forearm. The wound burned immediately—poison threading through his bloodstream like liquid fire—black veins spread from the cut.

Elise rushed forward, palm glowing with dull green light. Not the flashy golden radiance of higher-rank healers, but focused and deliberate. She pressed against his skin, and the corruption retreated.

"I can't stop everything," she muttered, "but I can keep you upright."

The remaining goblins circled like wolves. Seven left, moving with pack coordination that suggested intelligence beyond their classification.

Leon gave his zombie new orders. The skeleton began alternating fire patterns—left hand, right hand, targeting different creatures to prevent coordinated rushes.

Two goblins dropped to consecutive shots—one through the eye, one through the gut. Dark blood pooled on the tunnel floor.

[XP +6 | Death Essence +2]

[XP +5 | Death Essence +2]

Leon lunged forward while his zombie provided covering fire. His blade punched into another goblin's stomach, twisting to maximize damage. The creature clawed at his shoulders before going limp.

[XP +8 | Death Essence +4]

Elise moved between them like a dancer, applying salves and healing pulses to new cuts as they appeared. Her technique was unrefined but effective—keeping Leon mobile while his zombie eliminated threats.

The last three goblins charged in desperation. Leon fired his crossbow blind, missing badly. One goblin leaped through the air, spear aimed at his throat.

His zombie intercepted mid-flight. Bone fingers wrapped around the creature's neck, channeling a point-blank mana burst through its chest cavity. Ribs cracked. Green-black gore splattered the walls.

[XP +6 | Death Essence +3]

The final two goblins hesitated, suddenly aware they were outmatched. They turned to flee.

Leon sprinted forward, catching one at the tunnel entrance. His knife severed its spine at the base of the skull. It dropped twitching.

His zombie finished the last with a ricocheting mana bolt that bounced off the stone wall into the creature's neck. The goblin spun once and collapsed.

[XP +5 | Death Essence +2]

[XP +7 | Death Essence +3]

Leon stood among the corpses, breathing hard. Sweat mixed with blood on his torn clothing. The tunnel reeked of death and fungal spores.

Elise completed a final healing wave, mending torn muscle in his side. Her hands trembled, but her touch remained steady.

"They would've left us for dead," she said softly.

Leon checked his interface:

[Zombie Level: 3 | Evolution Progress: 44%]

[Leon Graves – XP: 48/100 | Stat Points Available: 2]

His zombie had gained two levels from the battle. Whatever growth system governed his summons, it responded well to combat experience.

Elise wiped green blood from her hands. "How is that thing so smart? Necromancy texts say undead are mindless."

"My class isn't exactly standard necromancy."

"What do you mean?"

Before Leon could explain, a thunderous roar erupted from the tunnel ahead. The sound hit like a physical force, shaking loose stones from the ceiling. Ancient support beams creaked ominously.

Elise backed against the wall. "That's not a goblin."

Heavy footsteps approached—too large, too deliberate for anything mentioned in their qualification briefing. Something massive was moving through the mine shafts, heading directly for their position.

Leon raised his crossbow and muttered, "No. It isn't."