Chapter 43: New Puppet

But I will suggest against doing this], the system suddenly interjected in her mind.

Summer was forcefully stopped right as she was about to slam her mana-infused fist straight into the cavern wall.

She was truly, deeply irritated by these intentional word games played by her system. At first, it had explicitly told her a straightforward way to shatter the spatial illusion with brute force.

Then, in the very next breath, it was telling her not to do that at all.

’You are so incredibly annoying,’ Summer complained inwardly, biting her pale lower lip so hard that it almost bled.

[Same to same!] the system chimed back instantly, feeling immensely satisfied to see her angry, pouty face.

It genuinely loved how extraordinarily lovely the little zombie girl looked whenever she was genuinely furious. Her small face literally bulged out like an adorable pufferfish.

Her cheeks looked so incredibly soft and jelly-like in her current state. The system really, desperately wanted to reach out and pinch those chubby cheeks itself.

Honestly, the system was so intensely jealous of her human friends back at the settlement, as they could pinch and pull her cheeks all they ever wanted.

Meanwhile, the system could only watch from inside her mind, mentally salivating at the cute sight.

However, it was still internally smug about one undeniable fact. Unlike those temporary human companions, the system would be with Summer forever, never parting from her side at all.

As the little zombie girl reached the absolute breaking point of her emotional explosion, the system wisely decided that it had done enough teasing for one day.

[A zombie possessing an Illusion-type domain is exceptionally rare for a low-grade Elite], the system explained in a proper, guiding tone. [Merely killing it and smashing its body is a total waste of potential. It is far better to turn it into your puppet.]

Summer’s glowing ruby eyes brightened instantly at the brilliant suggestion. ’That is a great idea!’

Then, her bright eyes dimmed slightly as a small wave of disappointment hit her heart.

’Sigh, but its core would have tasted like such a sweet, high-grade candy,’ she inwardly complained, letting out a cute little sigh.

The system could not hold back anymore and laughed aloud inside her head.

[Haha! Do not worry at all, my little boss. A proper dungeon like this will have plenty of other candies for you to eat later on.]

’Mm,’ Summer nodded softly, feeling convinced by the logic. ’Then what should I do right now?’

[Act as if you are completely trapped and exhausted]," the system instructed carefully. [Walk in circles, stumble around, and show obvious weakness. When the monster believes you are helpless, it will personally appear to finish you off. The moment it shows itself, use your Class skill to control it.]

’Mm, I understand,’ Summer agreed mentally.

Without missing a single beat, Summer immediately put the system’s plan into execution.

She lowered her shoulders, letting her small arms dangle limply at her sides. She began to stagger forward through the endless stone corridor with heavy, sluggish steps, dragging her Swift Strider Boots along the dirt floor.

She tilted her small head backward, letting out dramatic, ragged gasps of fake exhaustion. She even crossed her eyes slightly, making herself look completely dizzy and lost within the labyrinth.

The system was particularly enjoying this dramatic performance from its front-row seat.

It was thoroughly impressed by the little zombie girl’s natural acting talent.

She was honestly better at acting than those top-tier Hollywood actresses from before the apocalypse.

After what felt like an absolute eternity of dramatic stumbling, but was actually only a few brief minutes, subtle spatial ripples began to appear on the damp cavern wall right beside her.

The air distorted like hot steam, and a strange entity finally stepped out from the hidden layer of the illusion domain.

The creature did not possess a solid, fleshy body like ordinary zombies or the heavy Void-Touched Vanguard. It was completely shapeless, resembling a floating cloud of transparent, glowing green gas.

Deep within the swirling green mist, two eerie, luminescent yellow eyes flickered like faint candles. The gaseous monster floated silently through the air, expanding its toxic mist to completely surround the seemingly helpless girl.

[Now!] the system shouted in her mind.

The fake exhaustion on Summer’s face vanished in less than a fraction of a second. Her glowing ruby eyes locked straight onto the floating cloud with absolute precision.

She instantly activated her Class skill, Puppet Master, driving her powerful mental authority straight into the center of the monster’s glowing core.

The moment her mental thread connected with the gaseous entity, Summer felt a massive wave of fierce resistance pushing back against her mind.

Subduing an Elite zombie into a permanent puppet was infinitely more difficult than controlling her other puppets.

The monster’s mental barriers violently fought against her intrusion, trying to shred her mental connection into pieces.

Summer gritted her pale teeth, her small body trembling under the sheer pressure of the mental tug-of-war.

Her dark undead mana pool drained at a terrifying speed. Sweat formed on her forehead as her mana dropped from full capacity down to less than ten percent in a matter of seconds.

Just as her vision began to blur from extreme mana exhaustion, the fierce resistance inside the green cloud suddenly collapsed.

The glowing yellow eyes within the mist turned a deep, loyal shade of crimson, completely aligning with Summer’s soul.

[Skill Success!]

[Elite Zombie (Illusion Type) has been converted into your permanent Puppet!]

"Woooah, this is so tiring," Summer gasped out loud, dropping her hands onto her knees as her breath came out in short, ragged puffs.

Despite her intense physical exhaustion, her bright ruby eyes shone with immense, unhidden happiness.

The gaseous monster drifted down from the ceiling and stopped directly in front of her, bobbing up and down in a deeply respectful bow.

"You are Three," Summer declared proudly, giving the new puppet a brand new name from her exceptionally proud naming skill set.

The floating cloud of transparent green gas trembled violently in pure excitement upon receiving its official name.

It quickly gathered its wide, misty body together, condensing its gaseous form smaller and smaller until it transformed into a cute, small puff of a green furry ball.

It looked like a tiny, floating pom-pom with soft, glowing eyes.

Summer extended her small, gloved hands forward and gently scooped the floating furry ball straight into her palms.

Pinch...

Summer reached out her fingers and gently pinched the soft, squishy sides of the green furry ball.

The small creature let out a series of deeply satisfied, purring grunts under her touch, rubbing its soft, airy fur against her fingers with absolute affection.

Summer’s ruby eyes brightened up even further as the wonderfully soft texture registered against her skin. It felt incredibly squishy, light, and comfortable under her palm.

’So soft...’ Summer whispered happily, continuing to knead and pinch the small green ball like a piece of dough.

"EEEk!"

The small puffball let out another tiny, squeaky grunt of pure joy, nestling itself comfortably in the center of her small hands.

Inside her mind, the system watched this scene completely helplessly.

It looked at the little zombie girl playing so contentedly with her brand new, squishy furry pet, feeling a deep sense of warmth and peaceful contentment inside its digital heart.

Oh well, or at least inside its main central processing server.

Summer held her new puppet close to her chest, feeling completely rejuvenated as she prepared to explore the deeper levels of the dungeon.