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

The little zombie took a step toward the wooden stake.

Su Youran narrowed her eyes.

Her professional instincts told her that something was wrong.

The way that little zombie walked didn't seem to be controlled.

Normal summoned creatures walk with a subtle "puppet-like" feel, with their stride, rhythm, and arm swing all appearing stiff as if pulled by an external force.

But this zombie walks too naturally.

Su Youran's hands clenched unconsciously.

The little zombie walked up to the puppet and stopped.

Then it raised its right fist.

There was no build-up of power, no preparation of momentum, and no starting stance.

He just casually lifted it up and casually swung it out.

A bluish-gray fist landed on the puppet's chest.

"Thump."

Everyone looked at the psionic screen at the front of the training field.

The numbers popped up.

"0".

Quiet.

"Pfft—hahahahahaha!"

"Zero! It's zero!"

"I'm fucking laughing! He walked over with such confidence, and then he got a zero!"

"Is this the true strength of that 1.5-meter-tall teddy bear zombie? Terrifying!"

"An F-rank necromancer, truly living up to his name! He can't even scratch the paint off a puppet!"

Teacher Zhou opened her mouth to try to maintain order, but she almost lost her composure herself, so she had to lower her head and pretend to write something on the test form, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Su Youran walked to Lu Zhixing's side, her face slightly flushed with excitement.

Finally! The day has finally come!

"Lu Zhixing, you've lost."

She extended her index finger and gently tapped Lu Zhixing's chest.

"Remember to come to my house again. I've prepared a new outfit for you; I guarantee it will suit you perfectly."

Lu Zhixing didn't look at her. He was looking at the screen.

wrong.

No, no, no.

The little zombie took down a pack of wolves with a single punch last night, and killed the wolf king with another. How could it possibly score zero? Unless—

Unless the puppet's parameters are incorrect.

Lu Zhixing suddenly looked up at Teacher Zhou: "Teacher Zhou, what are the parameters of the puppet?"

Teacher Zhou was taken aback for a moment: "Lv.1 to Lv.5, the same as everyone else."

"Can it be adjusted from Lv.5 to Lv.10?"

The entire room fell silent once again.

Teacher Zhou frowned, her tone gentle but tinged with helplessness: "Lu Zhixing, failing a test once is no big deal."

An F-rank summoner was able to control a summoned creature to attack on the second day after awakening, even though the damage was zero. It was still quite impressive. Many F-rank awakened individuals can't even summon a creature.

"Could you please adjust it?"

Teacher Zhou looked at him and sighed.

She's a teacher; she can't argue with a student in front of so many students, especially since the student's father is the city's garrison commander.

She went behind the puppet and pressed a few buttons on the control panel.

"Adjusted. Lv.5 to Lv.10."

"Let's do it again," Lu Zhixing said.

The little zombie glanced back at him and yawned.

"Two packs of spicy strips."

The little zombie's fist had already been thrown.

The same posture, the same force, the same muffled "thud".

It was exactly the same as the first time.

But this time, the number didn't stop at "0".

It jumped.

100、300、500、800、1000、1200、1500——

Stopped at 1570.

There were more than 500 people in the training field, but not a single one made a sound.

"Impossible." Someone said it first.

"Absolutely impossible. How could an F-rank necromancer's summons deal 1570 damage? Are the parameters set up incorrectly?"

"The parameters are correct. Look at the brightness of the runes on the puppet's chest; that damage level corresponds to a value of over 1,500."

"How did he do that? A magic potion?"

"A potion! It must be a potion! His mother's the CEO of a potion conglomerate; giving him two bottles of high-level burst potions would be a piece of cake!"

"Right, right, potions that temporarily boost summoned creature attributes are expensive, but they're nothing to the Lu family. He absolutely refused to go on stage earlier, insisting on waiting until the very end; he was definitely waiting for the potion to take effect!"

"So that's why he can control summoned creatures. Turns out he used a potion to forcibly increase his affinity."

"Is this considered a skill? It's just the skill of rich people."

"What are you so sour about? You're doing just as well as someone with a mother who's the CEO of a magic potion company."

The initial shock turned into doubt, and then into a sour "I understand."

Everyone was using the same logic to convince themselves that it wasn't Lu Zhixing who was stronger, but Qian.

It's not the summoned creatures that are powerful, it's the potions.

This logic allowed their self-esteem to land safely.

Lu Zhixing ignored these voices.

He looked at Su Youran.

Su Youran's expression was not very good.

There was shock, confusion, resentment, and a hint of panic that she would never admit.

1570.

Her 500.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Lu Zhixing neither smiled nor said anything superfluous.

"Su Youran, I won."

Su Youran's face flushed red.

She pointed at Lu Zhixing, her finger trembling slightly: "You—you must have drunk a timed potion! You insisted on waiting until the very end instead of going on stage; you were definitely waiting for the potion to take effect, Lu Zhixing, you're despicable!"

Lu Zhixing looked at her without offering any explanation.

"Miss Su, you've always been like this since you were a child."

Su Youran was stunned.

"She gets excited when she wins, but denies it when she loses. I didn't expect Miss Su to keep her word anyway. Bye-bye."

He turned and left.

There was no cold shoulder, no slamming of doors, and no harsh words.

He simply turned and left without a word.

But this calmness was more unbearable for Su Youran than any outburst of rage.

Because he was telling her that he knew she would do this. His expectations of her were never anything to begin with.

"Wait a moment!"

Su Youran's voice came from behind.

Lu Zhixing did not stop.

A fair hand grabbed the hem of his clothes from behind.

"The betting game isn't over yet."

Lu Zhixing stopped walking, but did not turn around.

"The big exam is in a few days. It will be fair and transparent, broadcast live throughout the city, and there will be no possibility of cheating. We'll decide the winner then, and I will never back out."

"Do you dare?"

Lu Zhixing was silent for three seconds before turning around.

Su Youran stood in front of him, looking up at him.

Lu Zhixing looked into her eyes and suddenly smiled.

"OK."

Su Youran loosened the hem of his clothes.

Lu Zhixing turned around and walked towards the exit of the training field.

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.

After returning home.

"Dad," Lu Zhixing greeted him, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Lu Zaoxie folded up the briefing and put it aside, then picked up his glass of red wine and took a sip.

"I've been thinking about it. Since you're determined to upgrade, don't do it secretly."

Lu Zhixing paused in his act of picking up food.

"Qinglan," Lu Zaoxie called out towards the door.

The door was pushed open. A figure walked in.

A black combat suit, cinched at the waist, hair neatly pinned up at the back of the head, revealing a sharp profile.

Ye Qinglan. The youngest elite captain of the city defense special forces brigade, and one of Lu Zaoxie's most trusted subordinates.

She walked to the dining table, stood still, bowed slightly, her movements clean and efficient, neither humble nor arrogant.

"commander."

Lu Zao nodded to Lu Zhixing.

"From now on, let him go out with you to level up. Safety first, don't let anything go wrong."

Lu Zhixing looked at Ye Qinglan. Ye Qinglan also looked at him.

Lu Zhixing turned his gaze back and quickly made a mental calculation.

Go to the wilderness. He was already worried about how to explain the "leveling up while lying down" thing.

I can't keep saying I "sneaked out to level up" every time. Last night's excuse might work once, but it won't work twice.

But if he openly and honestly went out with Ye Qinglan to level up, everything would fall into place.

Lu Zhixing gave a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!"

Lu Zhixing took a couple of sips of soup, then suddenly put down the bowl and looked up at Shen Jing.

"mom."

"Um?"

"Do we have anything in our home that strongly suggests a wind element?"

Shen Jing's hand holding the spoon froze in mid-air.

Wind element. Lu Zhixing only needs things with wind element in order to get that zombie.

How could a pampered young master like him actually take the initiative to figure out the attribute energy requirements of summoned creatures?

She recalled what Lu Zhixing had said at the dinner table that morning—"Even a clumsy bird wants to take a few steps ahead."

She thought it was just a momentary stubbornness of a young man, but now it seems that he wasn't just talking, he was doing it.

In Shen Jing's eyes, this wolf-like spirit and ambition are more precious than any talent.

"Yes!" Shen Jing put down her soup spoon. "Yes, yes, yes! Butler!"

Butler Zhou jogged over from the kitchen, bowing slightly. "Madam."

"The dishes with the strongest wind element - Storm Rhinoceros Tenderloin, freshly pan-fried, medium-rare, don't overcook it."

The Qingfeng Lingque Soup is made by simmering over a low flame to extract the essence from the bones.

And then there's the Spirit Wind Fruit. Go to the ice cellar and get the freshest batch. Soak it briefly in spirit honey, but not too sweet, or it will overpower the natural flavor.

Oh, and stir-fry some shiitake mushrooms too. Just a simple stir-fry, don't add too many seasonings.

Old Zhou jotted down notes in his notebook so fast his pen was practically sparking.

"besides--"

"Mom, that's enough, that's enough."

"Enough what?!" Shen Jing glared at him.

"You're still growing, and you're going out to level up. How can you not eat your fill?"

Besides, wind-element foods aren't something you can eat in one meal; you need to supplement them over a long period to see results. Old Zhou, add one more—"

Old Zhou's pen finally stopped on the notebook, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead. "Madam, all of these added together..."

"What's the point of adding anything? Just make it! As long as Zhixing is willing to eat, even if you want the moon, Mom will get it for you!"

"Thank you, Mom," he said, picking up a piece of pork rib and stuffing it into his mouth.

Shen Jing's eyes reddened again as she watched her son wolf down his food.

What a wonderful child. He says he wants to relax, but secretly he works harder than anyone else. He's so sensible it breaks your heart.

Ten minutes later.

Most of the original dishes on the eight-meter-long table were removed and replaced with plates of expensive wind-element foods.

Ye Qinglan stood in the corner of the restaurant, her handsome face expressionless, but her gaze lingered on the plate of Storm Rhinoceros Tenderloin for a moment.

Her meals with the city garrison were not bad, but this Chinese meal was particularly poor.

She silently calculated in her mind that it was equivalent to the annual expenses of an average family.

Lu Zhixing thought for a moment and then activated the summoning array under the dining table.

[Little Zombie: What now?]

Lu Zhixing used a fork to pick up a piece of Storm Rhinoceros tenderloin and waved it above the magic circle.

The little zombie's eyes widened instantly.

Its nose twitched wildly a few times, and its entire head sprang out of the magic circle, followed by its neck, then its shoulders, and finally its whole body crawled out.

Its movements were so swift, a stark contrast to its dawdling and hesitant demeanor in the training field just moments before.

It jumped onto the dining table, squatted in front of the plate of Storm Rhinoceros tenderloin, and a drop of liquid dripped from the corner of its mouth.

Lu Zhixing quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped away the drop of liquid: "Eat, but don't sit at the table. Go downstairs and eat standing up on a chair."

The little zombie glared at him, but still jumped off the table, pulled over a chair, stood on it, and grabbed a piece of Storm Rhinoceros tenderloin, stuffing it into its mouth.

Chewing. Swallowing.

The little zombie tasted high-purity wind element.

[Mood: Pleasant.]

[Little Zombie: Awesome!!!]

[Little Zombie: I'm bursting with power! I feel like I could kill a dragon!]

[Little Zombie: I'm going to take on ten! No, twenty!]

Lu Zhixing continued drinking his soup without expression.

Lu Zhixing sipped his soup while silently reciting the mantra.

The little zombie is in a good mood now, making it the perfect time for negotiations.

He cleared his throat in his mind and said to the little zombie in a tone like a client making demands, "Go level up after you finish eating. But let's make three rules first."

The little zombie, with Storm Rhino tenderloin stuffed in its mouth, mumbled an indistinct "hmm".

"Chapter One: Once we're in the wild, don't stray too far from me. Within 500 meters. In case anything happens, I need to be able to bring you back in time."

[Little Zombie: This is troublesome.]

[Little Zombie: Fine, I'll do as you say.]

"Chapter Two: You Must Learn to Pretend."

The little zombie stopped chewing.

"Other people's little zombies are all dull, silly, slow-moving, and expressionless."

"And you, after hitting him, you even looked smug and mocked him. Do you think people won't notice you have a problem?"

[Little Zombie: I'm going to become the strongest zombie!]

[Little Zombie: How could you do something so sneaky!]

[Little Zombie: The strong should ruthlessly humiliate the weak!]

Lu Zhixing took a deep breath.

He changed his strategy.

"If someone discovers something's wrong with you and you're captured and dissected for research, then forget about Storm Rhino Tenderloin, nobody will even give you plain porridge."

The little zombie's pupils contracted slightly.

"Those researchers won't give you Spirit Wind Fruit."

"They'll give you injections, draw blood, and do all sorts of weird experiments. You won't even have time to sleep, let alone level up."

The little zombie's chewing motions stopped completely.

Lu Zhixing knew the time had come.

He picked up a piece of Storm Rhino tenderloin with his fork and slowly dangled it near the little zombie's mouth.

"Be good, and you'll have plenty of these things. Disobey—"

"You only get to drink plain porridge every day. Not even a speck of wind element starlight is allowed in."

[Little Zombie: You—]

[Little Zombie: You're despicable!]

[Little Zombie: You're shameless!]

[Little Zombie: Plenty of delicious food, anything is fine.]

[Little Zombie: But I want to emphasize that I wasn't bought off; I'm making a strategic compromise.]

[Little Zombie: This is the wisdom of the strong, not the weakness of a glutton.]

[Little Zombie: Did you understand?]

[Little Zombie: If you understand, give me that piece of meat.]

Lu Zhixing's lips twitched, and he forked a piece of Storm Rhinoceros tenderloin and handed it over.

The little zombie snatched the fork, stuffed the meat into its mouth, chewed until its cheeks were bulging, and made a ferocious expression.

[Little Zombie's Mood: Anticipation.]

He had already mastered the skill of making empty promises in his previous life.

"As long as you behave, I'll get you Storm Dragon's precious meat as a snack from now on."

[Little Zombie: Are you serious?]

[Little Zombie: Storm Dragon? My Darling?]

[Little Zombie: Does that kind of thing really exist?]

"It exists. When you're strong enough, I'll take you hunting."

[Little Zombie: Deal.]

[Little Zombie: From today onwards, I'll do whatever you say.]

[Little Zombie: But we can't go without food.]

Lu Zhixing stood up.

"Dad, Mom, I'm full. Sister Ye, let's go. Let's go to the Dark Forest."