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

[Note: The summoned creature is currently outside the summoning range. To force a recall, please select the "Force Return" option.]

Unable to summon?

Normally, there is a soul contract between the summoner and the summoned creature. No matter where the summoned creature is, the master can summon it to his side with a single thought.

This is the most basic setting for summoner classes, and it's a consensus among all summoners.

But the little zombies are different.

It is a state of "running away from home".

Lu Zhixing's fingers flew across the panel, finding the deeply hidden option.

[Forced return to base]

Note: Forcefully recalls the summoned creature back to the summoning space.

Execute? Yes/No

He clicked "yes" without hesitation.

Who cares about whether it's satisfactory or not, let's just get through the current test first.

Forced return to base has been initiated.

The summoned creature "Little Zombie" is currently being recalled...

Current progress: 45%...67%...

Another message popped up at the same time, carrying a visible air of irritation.

[Little Zombie: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ]

[Little Zombie: Who the hell disturbed my sleep?!]

[Little Zombie: I just finished fighting monsters all night! I just fell asleep! Just! Asleep!]

The messages were popping up faster and faster, and the anger level between the lines was soaring.

Lu Zhixing turned off the message notifications without expression.

"Lu Zhixing?" Teacher Zhou called out again, her voice a little louder than before, but her tone remained gentle.

If it were any other student who was dawdling and not going on stage, she would have already started scolding them.

But Lu Zhixing is different. He is the son of the city defense commander and the only son of Lu Zaoxie. This identity carries weight in any situation.

Although Teacher Zhou wouldn't go out of her way to curry favor, she also didn't want to offend anyone.

"It's alright," Teacher Zhou softened her voice.

"It's okay to take the test a little later. If you're feeling unwell or for any other reason, you don't have to take the test today."

These words were very considerate, but to others, they were interpreted differently.

"It's normal for someone in the F-class not to play, to avoid embarrassment."

A few low, hushed chuckles rose from within the ranks.

"Scared now?"

"I'd be scared too. A venue with hundreds of people, one last person took on 500, the next one's an F-level fighter—who can handle that?"

Su Youran stood at the edge of the line, arms crossed.

She couldn't hold back any longer.

Su Youran stepped out from the edge of the group and walked briskly to Lu Zhixing.

"Oh." Su Youran tilted her head to look at him, her smile almost overflowing.

"What's wrong, Young Master Lu? Can't you summon him?"

Lu Zhixing glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"Let me guess," Su Youran said, pointing to her chin with her finger.

"A summoner with no elemental affinity can't even summon minions?"

People around laughed again.

"Lu Zhixing, admit defeat. If you admit defeat now, I might consider changing the bet. It won't take a month, just a week. How about that? Merciful enough?"

Lu Zhixing looked into her eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Don't rush, let the bullets fly for a while."

She didn't give Lu Zhixing a chance to reply and continued, "I'm really curious where you got that arrogance from yesterday."

Wasn't it you who told me to "bring extra tissues" on the phone? Saying things like "I lost some pearls and had nothing to wipe them off"? And now? Who's going to lose pearls next?

Lu Zhixing listened expressionlessly, glancing at the system panel every now and then.

[The little zombie is being forcibly returned to base...]

Current progress: 82%...91%...

almost.

"Su Youran, are you done speaking?"

Su Youran raised an eyebrow.

"After saying that, he took two steps back, saying you were blocking his way."

Su Youran's smile froze for a fraction of a second, but she quickly regained her "I won't stoop to your level" expression, put her hands in the pockets of her combat suit, took two steps back, but didn't go far.

She wanted to be the closest she could get to Lu Zhixing making a fool of himself.

Teacher Zhou stood next to the puppet.

"Lu Zhixing, is it alright now?"

Lu Zhixing took a deep breath and raised his right hand.

[Forced return to base completed.]

The summoned creature "Little Zombie" has returned to its original location.

[Little Zombie Status: Morning Grumpiness (Damage +50%)]

[Little Zombie's Mood: Extremely Angry (Hungry + Sleepy)]

A gray magic circle unfolded on the ground in front of Lu Zhixing.

Hundreds of eyes were fixed on the magic circle.

A small zombie crawled out of the magic circle.

It stood in the center of the magic circle, its two eyes, one large and one small, first surveying the training ground before locking onto Lu Zhixing.

[Little Zombie: You'd better have a very good reason.]

[Little Zombie: Otherwise, I'll beat you up too.]

"Little Zombie, go hit that wooden stake."

[The little zombie is unhappy: That's it?]

The little zombie turned its head and glanced at the two-meter-tall, humanoid wooden lump. It yawned and then collapsed on the spot.

Lying flat.

He put his bare feet together, put his hands under his head, and closed his eyes.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Even breathing sounds came from the direction of the magic circle.

In the quiet training ground with hundreds of people, it was extremely clear.

The entire site was petrified.

"It...is it asleep?"

"It's really asleep! This is still in testing!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen a summoned creature sleep in front of its master. Can summoned creatures even sleep?"

"So just how low is the elemental affinity of an F-rank necromancer? So low that they can't even keep their summoned creatures conscious?"

"I heard that necromancers are the weakest summoners because they have no elemental affinity, so the summons they produce are probably like having a disobedient dog—no, at least a dog knows how to give its owner face, but this doesn't even give face."

The murmurs grew louder and louder, turning from whispers into an open discussion.

Teacher Zhou stood next to the puppet, her facial expressions almost giving way.

She cleared her throat: "Lu Zhixing, it's okay if you really can't do it. It's just a small test."

Su Youran walked back from the edge of the group.

She stood beside Lu Zhixing, tilting her head to look at him.

"Young Master Lu, how come you can't even control your own summoned creatures?"

Lu Zhixing did not look at her.

On the system panel, the little zombie's status bar clearly displayed:

[Little Zombie Status: Sleeping (Deep Sleep)]

Lu Zhixing took a deep breath and reached into his pocket.

A pack of spicy dragon fruit strips.

Lu Zhixing looked at the spicy strips in his hand, then at the snoring little zombie on the ground, and a thought flashed through his mind.

This idea is outrageous.

But the summon itself is absurd. Maybe two negatives make a positive?

He tore open the packaging and slowly walked towards the little zombie.

The people around were taken aback at first, and then burst into even louder discussions.

"What is he holding? Spicy snacks?"

"Wait... he wouldn't be thinking of..."

Feeding a summoned creature spicy snacks? Is he kidding?

"No way, no way, he doesn't think feeding his summons will increase their elemental affinity, does he? That's so naive!"

"A genius has arrived! The astonishing wisdom of an F-rank necromancer! It should be included in textbooks!"

"Shh—keep your voice down! I bet they put some high-grade potion in those spicy strips. Think about it, who the hell is that? The head of a magic potion conglomerate! Pouring two bottles of high-grade psychoactive potions into those spicy strips is a piece of cake for him, isn't it?"

"That makes sense... Advanced potions can temporarily increase elemental affinity, which might actually make summoned creatures obey you once."

"Cheating with drugs? That's so shameful!"

"Embarrassing? It's better than getting a zero in front of hundreds of people, right?"

Lu Zhixing ignored him and walked towards the little zombie with the spicy strip in his hand.

He squatted down next to the little zombie, took out a spicy snack, and waved it in front of the little zombie's nose.

The little zombie's nose twitched.

It didn't open its eyes, but its nose twitched again.

Lu Zhixing stuffed the spicy strip directly into its mouth.

[Little Zombie: Who attacked me?]

[Little Zombie: What...what is this?]

[Little Zombie: How delicious!!!]

It suddenly opened its eyes.

It sat up from the ground, still chewing on a spicy snack, its cheeks bulging, and its mouth smeared with bright red chili oil.

It stared intently at the bag of spicy strips in Lu Zhixing's hand.

[Little Zombie: One more, please.]

[Little Zombie: One more and I'll forgive you.]

[Little Zombie: No, I want ten!]

Lu Zhixing pinched the opening of the spicy snack bag tightly and hid it behind his back.

"If you get things done today, I'll treat you to something even better when we get back."

[Little Zombie: What's better?]

"Dragon meat."

[Little Zombie: Dragon Meat???]

[Little Zombie: Are you sure this isn't vegetarian meat flavored like spicy dragon fruit strips?]

"I'm sure."

[Little Zombie: ...]

[Little Zombie: Deal.]

Su Youran's voice came from behind, carrying undisguised sarcasm.

"Young Master Lu, you don't actually think that feeding your summoned creature will make it obey you, do you? Summoned creatures are always linked to elemental affinity; no matter how much you feed it—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

The little zombie sprang up with a whoosh.

The action was so fast that Su Youran's words were cut off halfway, and everyone around her stopped laughing.

Hundreds of eyes were fixed on the 1.5-meter-tall, bluish-gray figure.