Chapter 6: The Elite

The tunnel groaned. Dust cascaded from ancient rafters as something enormous shifted in the darkness ahead. Leon wiped blood from his split lip, gripping his crossbow with white knuckles.

A deep snort echoed off stone walls. Steam rose from the shadows.

Then it emerged.

Seven feet of scarred muscle wrapped in makeshift armor—plates of bone still stained with dried blood. A Goblin Elite dragged itself into the pale light, its orange eyes burning with predatory intelligence. In its right hand, a cleaver welded to a broken sword created a jagged monstrosity of metal. The left hand trailed a spike-covered hook that scraped against stone with each step.

Leon had read about Elites in his father's hunting manuals. Creatures that fed on human prey, wearing their victims' remains as trophies. This one had clearly been busy.

"That thing's been feeding on other hunters," Elise whispered.

Leon checked his interface manually. The blue text flickered with concerning readings:

[Zombie Mana: 12/100] [Grave Mage Active – Spellcasting Limited]

Twelve points. Maybe two weak shots before his zombie became useless.

"We use the tunnel," Leon said. "Box it in."

The narrow space worked against the Elite's massive frame. Its shoulders scraped both walls when it moved. Leon could exploit that.

Elise pressed her palms to the cracked floor. Soft green light spread in a careful ring around their position.

[Field Effect – Stamina Recovery Activated: 5% every 10 seconds] [Mana Drain: Moderate – Safe for extended use]

Her healing field wouldn't fix broken bones, but it might keep them standing long enough to matter.

The Goblin Elite snorted again, steam venting from its nostrils. It studied them with calculating eyes—not the mindless aggression of lesser goblins. This creature understood tactics.

It roared and charged.

Leon sidestepped, but the tunnel's confined space betrayed him. The Elite's massive cleaver whistled past his face while its spiked hook caught his ribs.

Sharp snap. Blood filled his mouth as something vital cracked inside.

[HP -28 | Rib Fracture Detected] [Healing Field Tick: +2 HP]

Leon crashed to one knee, gritting his teeth against the pain. He commanded his zombie to reposition and fire, but with minimal mana remaining, the skeleton could only manage a weak volley.

The half-charged bolt grazed the Elite's shoulder, leaving a smoking wound that barely drew its attention.

Elise steadied Leon with one hand while maintaining her healing channel.

"You're not falling now. I didn't come this far to get flattened behind a necromancer."

Leon pulled himself upright, ribs screaming with each breath.

"I'll take that as motivation."

The Elite sensed weakness. It pivoted toward Elise, recognizing the healer as the priority target. Smart.

Leon threw his last mana round at the ceiling above the creature. The shot shattered ancient support beams, raining dust and debris. The Elite's charge stumbled as rock fragments bounced off its armor.

Leon threw himself between the monster and Elise, dragging her clear as the massive cleaver slammed down where she'd been standing. The blade bit deep into stone, sending sparks across the tunnel.

His ribs felt like broken glass, but Leon positioned himself just outside the healing zone. The Elite's attention locked onto him—exactly what he wanted.

"One shot left," he whispered to his zombie. "That's all we need."

The Elite swung again, putting its full weight behind the blow. Leon baited the attack, waiting until the last possible second before rolling low. His rusty knife found the soft spot behind the creature's knee, sliding between armor plates.

The beast stumbled forward, off-balance from its missed swing.

Leon's zombie flickered with the last of its energy. Blue fire gathered in its skeletal hands—not the quick bolts from before, but a concentrated blast charged with everything it had left.

The shot landed clean through the Elite's temple.

The skull didn't just crack. It detonated. Bone fragments and brain matter exploded across the tunnel wall in a wet spray that coated the ancient stone.

The massive body twitched once and collapsed.

Silence.

Elise sagged against the wall, her arms trembling as the healing field finally faded.

"Tell me that was the last one."

Leon leaned against a support beam, coughing blood but still standing. He opened his system interface with shaking hands.

[Elite Enemy Defeated] [XP Gained: +18 | Death Essence +7] [Grave Mage Experience: 98/100] [Evolution Unlocked – Grave Commander Available] [Evolution Initiation Requires Confirmation] [Warning: Evolution Will Disable Current Summon for 3 Hours]

His zombie began to glow with soft blue light. The skeleton looked at Leon with something that might have been pride before dissolving into spectral fragments. The wisps swirled into his system interface like captured stars.

Leon didn't panic. His first companion had earned its rest.

"You did good."

A new prompt materialized:

[Grave Mage Evolution in Progress...] [New Class: Grave Commander] [Completion in: 02:59:59]

Leon wiped blood from his chin. The countdown had already begun. Three hours until his zombie returned stronger than before.

"Guess we wait."