The air was thick with decay. The once-familiar scent of the dungeon floors had changed, replaced by an overwhelming stench of death and corruption. Audi’s steps echoed through the ruined corridors, his grip tightening around his weapon as he scanned his surroundings. A sense of unease prickled at the back of his mind.
Then, they appeared.
A grotesque, undead version of the once-common rodent monster scurried from the shadows, its fur patchy and rotting.
Zombie Ratata.
From the crevices of the dungeon walls, a decayed, gelatinous entity oozed forward, its form flickering with dark energy.
Zombie Slime.
And then, the snarling figures emerged—twisted remnants of goblins, their flesh hanging from their bones, their lifeless eyes gleaming with an insatiable hunger.
Zombie Goblins.
These creatures weren’t mere strays. They exuded a dangerous aura, one that rivaled the might of a Gate 4 Boss.
Audi’s eyes narrowed. “A Ratata... but undead? A Slime... but undead? And... Zombie Goblins?”
His heart pounded, but he didn’t falter.
“Summon!”
The air crackled as a deep violet glow erupted from the ground. From the void, three figures emerged, towering and exuding an aura of newfound strength.
But something was different—his summons had evolved.
[Evolved Zombie Summons – First Job]
Swordsman Zombie – A battle-hardened undead, wielding a rusted yet deadly sword, its movements sharper and more refined. Tank Zombie – A hulking mass of rotting flesh, clad in heavy armor that clanked with every step. Ice Mage Zombie – A skeletal figure draped in tattered robes, its bony hands pulsing with chilling magic.
Audi smirked. “Alright... let’s see who’s hungry now.”
The Battle Begins
With a flick of his wrist, Audi sent his summons forward. The Swordsman Zombie lunged, its rusted blade slicing through the first Zombie Goblin, sending its decayed limbs flying. The Tank Zombie took the front, blocking an incoming horde with an earth-shaking stomp. The Ice Mage Zombie raised its hands, sending a barrage of jagged ice shards toward the encroaching Zombie Slime, freezing it in place before shattering it with an eerie explosion.
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Audi moved swiftly, cutting through the remaining enemies with precision. But just as he struck down another Zombie Ratata, a voice echoed in his mind.
“Don’t let your guard down.”
He froze. Jazz’s words surfaced in his memory. The last time they encountered an undead-infested floor, it had been a prelude to something much worse.
The ground trembled. The rotten stench thickened. The last Zombie Goblin, surrounded by Audi’s summons, suddenly let out a piercing shriek—
A call for something greater.
From the darkness, a monstrous figure emerged.
A Giant Orz Zombie Boss.
With a single, devastating swipe, it obliterated Audi’s summons. Even the Tank Zombie fell in one mighty blow. Audi barely had time to react before the creature lunged at him. He quickly encased himself in Ice Armor, but the force of the impact shattered it instantly, sending him sprawling. Pain shot through his body, and his vision blurred.
Unconsciousness crept in—but before darkness fully claimed him, he saw something.
A shadow standing over him.
Memories flickered. He recalled the time his brother, Ford, had saved him from a Goblin Extermination Boss.
But this wasn’t Ford.
A massive Greatsword cleaved through the Orz Zombie, slicing the abomination in half. A towering figure loomed over the battlefield, twice the size of the fallen boss.
Hel, The Gravedigger.
The ground shuddered beneath his weight as the undead monstrosity faced this new challenger. Hel’s blade gleamed under the eerie dungeon light, ready to carve through the abyss once more.
The Cursed Tablet
As the last of the creatures fell, a suffocating presence halted Audi in his tracks. Before him stood Hel, Gatekeeper of the Negative Floors, the last survivor of the Zombie Extermination—once the greatest warrior of the Zombie King. Her piercing gaze assessed him with a mix of curiosity and unease.
“Did you read the Cursed Tablet?” she asked, her voice calm yet firm. “If you deciphered it, that means you understand the language of the undead… Something is wrong with you.”
Stepping closer, she whispered, “You bear the aura of the dead, yet you are human. That explains why the King of Floor 1 stirs. He believes the Zombie King has returned. If he senses you, he will know something is wrong.”
Hel continued, her tone more measured. “The Zombie King once told me a human would come here—one who carries his essence. He told me to assist you.”
Her hand reached into her cloak, revealing an aged stone tablet covered in dark etchings. “I have the Second Cursed Tablet from Negative Floor 90, but the next tablet lies between Floor 80 and Floor 1, where The Ten Plagues stand guard, ensuring the Zombie King is never released into this Tower.”
The weight of it all pressed down on Audi’s mind. His thoughts swirled as exhaustion took hold, his vision dimming. Hel’s voice faded into the background, but one thing remained clear—he had stepped into something far greater than he had ever imagined.
His body ached, his energy drained, but one overpowering thought lingered in his mind.
"I'm... starving."
With that final realization, darkness claimed him, and he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.