Don't mess with that necromancer; his summoned creatures level up on their own!

Xia Qingyue glanced at her.

A four-winged angel at level 2.

"Your task is more important." Xia Qingyue looked Song Xiaohe in the eye, her voice very soft.

"You need to protect Young Master Lu closely. He's a summoner, the most important person in our team. If he gets injured, our damage output will be reduced by more than half. Can you help me protect him?"

Song Xiaohe's eyes lit up.

"Yes!" She jogged up behind Lu Zhixing and stood still, clenching her fists.

The team advanced slowly.

Xia Qingyue walked at the front, her staff illuminating five or six meters ahead.

Zhao Tianci, shield in hand, walked to the right front, while Zhang Kai stood on the left, holding a half-drawn bow.

Lu Zhixing walked in the middle, chewing on dried meat. Song Xiaohe followed closely behind him, never leaving his side.

Footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, each one trailing off with a long, drawn-out sound.

"Creak—"

Everyone stopped at the same time.

The sound came from the dark corner ahead, the sound of bones grinding together.

Something's coming.

Everyone held their breath.

Lu Zhixing didn't move; he had his hands in his pockets and his expression was calm.

[Little Zombie: Finally here! I've been waiting so long I was almost asleep! Let me see what kind of treasure it is! I'll be very disappointed if it's too weak!]

Two eerie blue flames slowly emerged from the dark corner.

A cat skeleton emerged. Its limbs were long and powerful, its paws landing silently, and its tail, composed of more than a dozen vertebrae, swayed slowly behind it.

Two dark blue flames burned in his eye sockets.

【Ghost Cat (Elite), Lv.5】

Xia Qingyue's voice remained calm: "High agility monster. I didn't expect to encounter an elite-level one on the very first one... Zhao Tianci, raise your shield!"

It's too fast to hit from a distance. Wait for it to pounce before attacking; don't waste your mental energy!

Zhao Tianci raised the shield to chest height and hunched his body behind it.

Lu Zhixing looked at the pacing bone cat, then at the long list of buffs on the little zombie's panel, and suddenly felt a little sorry for the cat.

A bluish-gray figure shot out from Lu Zhixing's side.

The little zombie whistled past Xia Qingyue and Zhang Kai's ears.

Zhang Kai instinctively shouted, "Young Master Lu, wait until we're closer before you fight! It's hard to control from this distance!"

At such a distance, it's almost impossible for a novice summoner to accurately hit a highly agile elite monster. Not only will it waste mental energy, but it will also...

When the ghost cat saw the bluish-gray figure flying towards it, it suddenly dodged to the left.

It moved so fast that it left a trail of afterimages, barely missing the little zombie's sprinting trajectory as it passed by.

Zhang Kai sighed, "Sigh, it's empty after all—"

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly widened.

The little zombie that rushed forward suddenly stopped in mid-air.

The little zombie grinned maliciously: "You actually managed to dodge it. I've wasted my life!"

The little zombie's body flipped in the air, changing direction at an angle that completely defied the laws of physics, and slammed hard into the waist of the ghostly cat who was dodging to the side.

"Bang!"

The fist slammed into the skeleton's waist with a dull thud.

The little zombie didn't give it a chance.

It rushed forward, its bluish-gray hand grabbing the skull of the Netherworld Cat, its five fingers digging into the eye sockets, pressing down on the two balls of flame.

Make a fist with your other hand, one fist, two fists, three fists.

[Defeat the Ghost Cat (Elite Level Lv.5) to gain 80 experience points!]

Zhang Kai's longbow was still half-drawn, but the arrowheads were already pointing towards the ground.

His mouth was agape, his eyes wide open, staring at the pile of white bones and the bluish-gray figure that was hopping back, his mind a complete blank.

Zhao Tianci peeked half his head out from behind the shield. He looked at the skeleton, then at the little zombie, and finally fixed his gaze on Lu Zhixing.

[Little Zombie: Hmph. Elite? Who else? Come out! I'm in a hurry!]

Lu Zhixing chewed on some dried meat and mumbled, "Don't rush, take your time. This is only the first one."

Xia Qingyue stood there, looking at the pile of white bones, then at the little zombie that had jumped back to Lu Zhixing's feet, and finally couldn't help but speak.

"Young Master Lu... that little zombie's series of movements just now involved mid-air changes of direction, sudden stops, ballistic corrections, and precise weak point strikes."

"Even summoning professionals with high elemental affinity would find it difficult to master these skills without several years of practical training."

She took a deep breath, looking at Lu Zhixing with a complicated expression, and tentatively asked, "Young Master Lu... if I may be so bold as to ask, how many skill books did you consume to learn these moves?"

Necromancers lack summon affinity, making it extremely difficult to learn advanced skills.

Let alone necromancers, even other professions usually need to consume a certain number of skill books to assist in learning advanced skills.

Those skill books record the experience and techniques of predecessors. Only through repeated study and practice can one master the skills.

Lu Zhixing demonstrated this level of control on his second day after changing jobs.

This young master Lu probably consumed dozens or even hundreds of skill books, artificially inflating his proficiency through sheer quantity.

Is this the foundation of a wealthy family?

She sighed inwardly.

Even a beginner-level skill book costs at least five figures in Dragon Kingdom currency.

She barely learned her own basic skill "Water Blade" as a [Sea Mage] by having her father save up for several months to buy a skill book.

Lu Zhixing may have consumed hundreds of skill books and tens of millions of Dragon Kingdom coins, all in order to master these skills on the second day after changing jobs.

Xia Qingyue realized that her question might have been somewhat offensive.

She quickly added, "Young Master Lu, if you don't want to answer, then just pretend I didn't ask. I was just... too curious."

Lu Zhixing scratched his head, looking bewildered.

"Skill books? I've never seen those before."

Xia Qingyue was stunned.

She blinked, wondering if she'd misheard. "N-never...never seen it before?"

"Yeah." Lu Zhixing shrugged.

"Isn't it just rushing in, making a turn in the air, and throwing a few combos? Is it that hard?"

Xia Qingyue opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Isn't it just rushing past and then making a turn in mid-air?"

She took a deep breath and asked again, "You mean you didn't use any skill books?"

"That mid-air maneuver and sudden stop, you... you pulled that off purely through skill? And that skill the little zombie was using just now, did you learn that too?"

Lu Zhixing tilted his head and thought for a moment: "Rounding it up or down is fine. Anyway, you'll get the hang of it as you play."

You'll get the hang of it as you practice.

Xia Qingyue silently repeated this sentence three times in her mind, each time shattering her understanding more thoroughly.

Learning skills on your own, even for a class with S-rank summon affinity, is an extremely difficult task.

Many people struggle to grasp new skills even after switching jobs, and can only rely on skill books to learn them through trial and error.

This young master Lu, a necromancer without any affinity for summoned creatures, grasped the secret on his second day after changing jobs.

No, judging from the proficiency level of that skill, it's very likely that he grasped it on the very first day.

Such talent is terrifying.

The skill bar started vibrating wildly.

[Little Zombie: Not difficult? Not difficult?!]

[Little Zombie: That's something I learned by risking my life on the grasslands! I was surrounded by ten big gray wolves, my life hanging by a thread! I was fighting for my life, and you were sleeping!]

[Little Zombie: Shameless! Stealing the fruits of my labor, don't you feel any remorse?!]

Messages popped up one after another, each followed by several exclamation marks.

The little zombie stood at his feet, arms crossed, its large and small eyes fixed on him.

Lu Zhixing remained expressionless, silently replying in his mind, "Shut up. Do you still want to eat the Storm Dragon Liver tonight?"

Silence. 0.3 seconds.

[Little Zombie: ...]

[Little Zombie Status Update: Bearing the Burden (Damage +100%)]

[Little Zombie: Tonight, I want double the dragon liver.]

Lu Zhixing mentally gave an OK sign. The little zombie quieted down.

The panel went silent.

Lu Zhixing felt a surge of satisfaction. Silencing a gluttonous zombie with delicious food was more effective than any reasoning.

This is like the scene in a romance novel where the male protagonist uses a limited-edition handbag to gag the female protagonist. Although the species are different, the principle is the same.

Xia Qingyue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she didn't know what to say.

She was hailed as a genius from a young age, an A-level Ocean Mage, who changed jobs at eighteen. She has solid fundamentals and excellent tactical skills.

Throughout her life, she has always been someone who is admired and looked up to.

But at this moment, looking at Lu Zhixing's innocent face, she felt a strange feeling for the first time.

Zhang Kai suddenly jumped up from the side.

His face turned bright red, and the veins on his neck bulged out.

"Young Master Lu! You're too modest!" Zhang Kai's voice echoed in the corridor.

"You learned the skill on your own! You learned it by yourself! Not by using a skill book! Do you know what that means?"

He took a breath and spoke faster: "Even if you learn a skill by reading hundreds of skill books, it only shows that your family is rich, not that you have personal talent."

But self-realization is different! That's genuine talent! It's ingrained in your bones! It's something money can't buy!

He became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly: "And you've only been in this job for two days! Just two days! Young Master Lu, your future is limitless!"

When Zhang Kai said this, his expression was sincere, his tone was enthusiastic, and his words were exaggerated.

Xia Qingyue stood aside, listening to Zhang Kai's effusive praise. Although she felt it was a bit too enthusiastic, she had to admit it.

He was telling the truth, but she just couldn't bring herself to say something so mushy.

Lu Zhixing was overwhelmed by this shower of flattery.

Being praised like that to one's face is something even someone with a thick skin would find hard to handle.

Moreover, he knew better than anyone that those maneuvers weren't something he had figured out; the little zombie had pulled them out on its own.

But he couldn't say that. So he had to keep pretending.

"Ahem...Alright, alright." Lu Zhixing waved his hand sheepishly, interrupting Zhang Kai.

"Keep it down, keep it down. It's not that dramatic, just good luck. Let's hurry up and get through so we can go home and get some sleep."

He paused, then added, "I'm sleepy."

This sentence is true.

He didn't sleep well last night because Song Xiaohe was on top of him, and he got up early this morning, so he is indeed a bit sleepy now.

Xia Qingyue snapped out of her shock and glanced at Lu Zhixing, her gaze different from before.

Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he is also so humble and low-key that all he wants to do is sleep.

This is the true demeanor of a master.

Those who have a little talent and want the whole world to know about them are simply not worth mentioning in front of Young Master Lu.

"Everyone, listen to Young Master Lu, keep advancing, and maintain formation. Since Young Master Lu's summoned creatures have such fierce firepower, let's advance at full speed."

The group had just started again and had taken less than ten steps.

The little zombie suddenly stopped jumping around.

Its body remained frozen in place.

[Little Zombie: It exudes murderous intent.]

Lu Zhixing paused for a moment.

He turned his head to look at the little zombie at his feet; this little thing never said such things casually.

It only uses insults like "small fish," "trash," and "that's all."

They wouldn't use a proper word like "killer intent." If they did, it means something is really wrong.

"What happened?"

The little zombie did not answer immediately.

It squatted down, took out the bronze compass from its crotch, and then took out three copper coins, which it strung on a red string.

[Little Zombie: The divination indicates—ten deaths with no chance of survival, nine deaths with one chance, the eight directions and six realms, seven ups and eight downs, a bewildering array, accessible from all directions, three long and two short, without saying a word, leading the way. Scattered and scattered.]

Lu Zhixing stared at the line of text for three seconds.

"...Can you speak human language?"

[Little Zombie: Translated, it means—danger is imminent.]

"What danger?"

[Little Zombie: I don't know.]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Half an hour later.

Outside the dungeon, on a rocky beach, Ye Qinglan leaned against the hood of the car, with five or six cigarette butts scattered on the gravel at her feet.

"It's been half an hour..."

Although I have a lot of confidence in Lu Zhixing's micro-management skills, it is still a difficult dungeon after all.

Even for an elite squad, half an hour would be enough to clear the outer area at most.

Ye Qinglan lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and looked up at the purplish-black spatial rift.

"Buzz—"

A low vibration interrupted her thoughts.

Ye Qinglan suddenly looked up at the spatial rift.

The dungeon entrance, which originally emitted a mysterious purple light, is undergoing drastic changes.

The purple faded, replaced by pitch black.

"Abyss transformation?! How is that possible..."

The dungeon has been absurdized.

There are two types of temporary copies.

One type is a stable instance accessed through a fixed entrance, and the other is a temporary instance space opened through a "random instance scroll".

Stable dungeons are maintained by formations and rarely encounter problems.

However, there is an extremely low probability that temporary dungeons will be corrupted by the aura of the other-dimensional abyss after being opened, causing them to mutate.

What is the probability of this? One in 100,000, or even lower.

Dachang City has not seen a single case of "Dungeon Abyssification" for seven years.

For seven years, countless professionals have used random dungeon scrolls to level up and farm equipment, and there has never been a problem.

The probability is so low that it is almost negligible, so low that everyone thinks it will never happen to them.

But it just so happened tonight. And it just so happened to happen after Lu Zhixing went in.

Countless thoughts flashed through Ye Qinglan's mind, each one worse than the last.

In dungeons that have been abyss-ified, the monsters inside will mutate, become stronger, and lose their sanity.

Monsters that were originally level 3-5 may suddenly grow to level 7 or even higher under the influence of the abyss's aura.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that the rewind function will fail.

She gave Lu Zhixing and Song Xiaohe the best scrolls.

That was her biggest source of confidence in letting Lu Zhixing enter the instance; no matter what happened inside, she could force him out by crushing the scroll.

However, once the dungeon becomes Abyss-like, the return scroll will become invalid.

There is only one way to survive: defeat the final boss and complete the game.

Ye Qinglan's hands were trembling.

She stubbed out her cigarette on the hood of the car, turned around, took out her phone, and made a call.

"Beep—beep—" After only two rings, Lu Zaoxie's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone.

"Hey? Qinglan, did you clear the Zhixing level? That's pretty fast, much faster than I was back then!"

Ye Qinglan did not give him a chance to continue speaking.

"Commander, something's happened! The instance where the young master and young lady are located—has undergone an abyssal transformation!"

A loud crash came from the other end of the phone, like a teacup shattering on the floor.

Then came the ear-piercing scraping sound of chair legs scraping against the floor.

"What did you say?! Abyss transformation? Are you sure?!"

"Confirmed. The entrance has turned black, a typical sign of the abyss's erosion."

"I'm coming right away! You stay there and don't do anything, just wait for me!"

"yes!"