The shadows of trees whispered around Night Third Watch as he moved swiftly through the pitch-black night, undeterred by the darkness.
It must be said that the Sword Saint's Riding the Wind Step skill is truly remarkable. Despite the strain on his ankles, the energy expenditure is minimal, and the agility and speed are commendable.
"Old Gu, what's wrong with you? Why develop skills that damage your own bones..." Night Third Watch quipped, deftly avoiding an unidentified object.
The fusion's effective duration is only one hour. He must reach the camp set up during the day within the remaining time.
In his current state, slaughtering a goblin camp without a leader is just a matter of time, especially considering that internal strife might have erupted there by now.
Indeed, as he approached, he saw a blaze, but upon entering the camp, he discovered goblin corpses scattered everywhere.
The faint scent of charred meat filled the air, causing Night Third Watch to furrow his brow.
Soul energy continuously surged into his body, indicating that these goblins had recently died. But who killed them?
Other goblins?
No, if goblins were responsible, there wouldn't be any bodies left. Moreover...
Night Third Watch lowered his head and examined several bodies, finding fist-sized cavities in each one, the torn flesh resembling charred coal at the edges.
"Firearm?" Night Third Watch pondered but shook his head.
No firearm could accurately kill so many goblins simultaneously. He had just received 53 points of soul energy in an instant. It would take a dwarven unit to achieve something similar!
Looking at the fallen goblins, it didn't seem like they were lined up and executed. Instead, it looked more like they suddenly dropped dead while walking. The cauldron over the roaring bonfire was still simmering, with an unlucky goblin lying half-charred in it.
"It seems there are many secrets in this forest..." Night Third Watch clapped his hands, sighed, and headed towards the stench of corpses.
Upon returning to the farm, the fusion time had just ended. Old Gu, like an egg laid by an old hen, popped out of Night Third Watch's body, leaving Iron Axe and the others on the ground wide-eyed.
"Oh my... Is this the Water Mirror Avatar technique of a water mage or an advanced Water Mirror capable of changing shape?" Baozi Mei covered her mouth in astonishment.
"A mage of such caliber at such a young age? Hiss..."
Night Third Watch scratched his head. He didn't pay attention to the time when he appeared in front of people, but it seemed like the misunderstanding worked in his favor. He sheathed his sword as if nothing happened.
"Young... Mage Lord, the bodies you requested are all here." Iron Axe stood up, hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Night Third Watch.
"I know no amount of thanks is enough. This is everything we have. If it's not sufficient, we can also work for you here..." Night Third Watch nodded naturally, accepting the money pouch Iron Axe handed over, and began counting.
Iron Axe raised an eyebrow. This lord's personality is quite unconventional—no courtesy at all. He didn't even decline the offer. Instead, he accepted the money pouch and started counting.
"Your goodwill is appreciated. I do have some tasks for you." Iron Axe sighed.
He just casually said that!
They were injured and tired, and they had put in extraordinary effort to bring back those goblin corpses. Now, they were being asked to work again?
"I wonder what Lord commands?" Iron Axe smiled slightly.
Night Third Watch nodded, pointing to the ox cart brought over by Old Gu.
"Later, my people will go out to collect some more bodies. You guys just need to organize the bodies brought back and stack them in those buildings."
"Is that all?" Iron Axe looked puzzled. Picking up and hiding bodies, he understood. It was just waiting for the rewards tomorrow. But this task wasn't heavy; he could finish moving a dozen bodies in just ten minutes.
"Otherwise?" Night Third Watch turned around.
"Oh, okay."
"Another thing," Night Third Watch suddenly slapped his forehead. "Many people will come tomorrow, right? When they arrive, just say you're my friends, here to visit me."
"Um, thank you, Lord!" Iron Axe expressed his surprise and gratitude. They had initially planned to hide in the woods tonight, but with Night Third Watch's strength as a high-level mage, it was safe for them to stay here.
"Don't thank me yet. Remember, you owe me twelve lives." Night Third Watch finished speaking and went to the side to direct East Dust, West Decay, and the cart to collect bodies.
"Twelve lives?" Iron Axe looked back at his teammates sitting on the ground, counting on his fingers.
"There were only four of us. How did it become twelve?"
...
Night Third Watch ignored the Iron Armor Mercenary Corps, who were still sitting there, counting on their fingers. Instead, he called Old Gu, then plunged back into the forest.
After continuously absorbing the soul energy from two goblin camps, even after deducting the upgrade and the fusion's consumption, he still had 7096 points of soul energy left. By dawn, he would deduct 2104 points, leaving him with 3492 points of overflow.
As for the feeling of soul energy overflowing?
Night Third Watch currently felt the undead mark at his heart continuously throbbing. A faint blue light seemed to emanate from his body, which contributed to the misconception that Baozi Mei mistook him for a water mage.
Though not painful, Night Third Watch felt a bit uneasy. This sensation was somewhat similar to the legendary energy surge—simply put, it was like being bloated and about to explode, a self-destruct.
So, he needed to expend the excess soul energy.
Reviving more undead servants was a good idea. Dissolving them before dawn would be fine. However, after experiencing the fusion with Old Gu, he thought of a better idea.
Since they entered the forest in the evening and the battle ended quickly, he had about eight hours before dawn.
If he used all of this time for fusion, he could maintain the Sword Saint state for the entire night. The significance of maintaining this state was undoubtedly for learning skills!
Fusing allowed him to acquire the skills of the fusion partner, and he could proficiently use them. However, Night Third Watch understood that the primary significance of fusion was not as a temporary combat skill but rather as a learning machine for any skill he didn't know.
While teachers can impart knowledge well, experiencing it firsthand accelerates learning. Can gestures, expressions, and hands-on teaching be the same? Especially with possessed teaching!
During fusion, Night Third Watch had already thought of this. After releasing the fusion, he could even try using a somewhat unsteady Riding the Wind Step!
And that Moon Sword Slash, although he couldn't comprehend it by just watching, practicing it himself...
Well, using a slightly inappropriate metaphor, it was like watching an adult film and then taking over to act. It felt as relieving as that. After all, maintaining the fusion state of the Sword Saint was expensive and not lasting, but once he learned it...
He would be the Sword Saint!
With this in mind, Night Third Watch licked his lips and revealed a sly smile to the clueless Old Gu.