The Zombie System.

Chapter 33: Illusions of the DeadThe executive boardroom of ARES Guild headquarters felt like a tomb. Tinted windows filtered the morning light into sickly amber streaks across polished marble. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and barely contained violence.

Director Alwin slid a sleek black tablet across the conference table. The device scraped against the marble, producing a sound reminiscent of nails on stone.

"He refused our invitation. Publicly. Said he’d rather rot than carry our badge."

Tobias Virell remained motionless in his leather chair, one leg crossed and fingers clasped beneath his chin like a predator calculating the distance to its prey. His pale eyes didn’t even flicker.

"Good. Makes it easier."

The words dropped into silence like stones sinking into deep water. Alwin swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.

"There’s more." The director’s voice cracked slightly. "We ran arcane traces on your brother’s corpse. His body absorbed residual dark mana. A necromancer killed him, Tobias."

Something shifted behind Tobias’s eyes—cold fire that promised suffering beyond imagination. He unfolded from his chair with liquid grace, six feet of barely leashed destruction in an expensive suit.

"Find them." Each word carried the weight of a falling mountain. "Every single necromancer that stepped into that dungeon. I want profiles. Names. Faces. Today."

"We’ll contact the Association for clearance and digital logs."

Tobias’s smile was a blade wrapped in silk. "I don’t want excuses, Director. I want blood."