At his current level, all of York's techniques had returned to their most original, simplest form.
As the saying goes, the greatest truths are the simplest.
For him, simplicity meant efficiency and speed.
Of course, since this was a den of creatures, there were definitely more than the few that had attacked him.
The sounds around him continuously altered the real-time 3D map.
It was a real-time locator for any creature within a fifty-meter radius.
Their dark camouflage and advantageous terrain were utterly useless against him.
"Fifty-one in total? Quite a large group. What formed them? There are various sizes and sexes; it seems there's even a hint of a social structure."
York slowly reloaded the .50 caliber holy bullets into his revolver with deliberate movements, the clicking sound echoing in the silent, dark chamber.
When he finished, a loud gunshot rang out.
In the reflection of York's deep red pupils, the upper body of a creature exploded, its legs falling downward.
The other creatures, all looking identical, clung to the walls above him, indistinguishable from one another.
The creatures howled angrily upon seeing their kin's fate, their faces twisted ferociously.
Suddenly, in the real-time 3D map, all the creatures increased their climbing speed.
In such a situation, holy grenades would be the most effective. However, the risk inside the cave was unpredictable.
Even if nothing happened, he didn't want to take the risk.
After all, in this cave system, even gunshots posed a risk of causing a chain reaction, like a collapse.
"Fifty-one, just one after another, and it's done."
York calmly picked up his knight's sword, firing a shot at the creature screaming at the forefront.
Bang!
Precise marksmanship, the hairless head burst instantly, its blood and flesh splattering on the ghastly faces of the other creatures.
"Two."
York quickly shifted his aim to a creature sneaking up on the right and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The stealthy creature exploded on the spot.
"Three."
With each muttered count, York's gunfire echoed again, obliterating another creature sneaking up from behind.
"Four."
Facing creatures attacking from all directions, York began to retreat, sword in right hand and revolver in left. He fired the last bullet, shattering the first creature that lunged at him.
"Five."
York had an invincible field of vision, controlling every situation around him.
But with the last gunshot, a rumbling noise came from deep within, indicating a collapse.
"Indeed, the risk is high."
York swung his sword, effortlessly slicing the two approaching creatures in half.
His current strength meant that even a blunt blade could achieve this feat, not to mention his sharp knight's sword.
In his fully open senses, the creatures seemed very slow, almost as if he was watching a video that he could control the speed of.
"Seven."
After this strike, York retreated to the narrow entrance, facing the relentless wave of creatures. He sighed lightly.
"The exit is secured, next…"
Whoosh!
York thrust his sword forward, instantly killing the creature that had leaped at him, calmly counting in his mind.
"Eight."
Thrusting and slashing continued, easily cutting another creature on the right in half.
"Nine."
York sheathed the Linebaugh revolver and continued with just his sword, always killing a creature before it could attack.
His simple slashes and thrusts were filled with an indescribable sense of artistry, like a vivid flower blooming amidst slaughter.
One by one.
Soon, a pile of remains formed three meters in front of York, with a pool of blood flowing downwards.
The dark chamber was filled with the stench of blood, punctuated only by the whistling of his sword and the howling of creatures.
One creature leaped from the pile of remains towards York, its face contorted even more hideously, eager to bite him to death.
But suddenly, it felt a sharp pain, then plunged into darkness.
"Fifty-one."
York remained calm, mentally counting the number of creatures, using a bit of mental force to push away the bisected body and blood in front of him, adding it to the pile three meters away.
A pile of its kin's bodies, large and small, lay before him.
It looked cruel, like a massacre.
"All gone?"
York shook the blood off his sword, the real-time 3D map in his mind returning to calm, with no more moving figures.
He looked at the pile of bodies and scattered organs, his expression and heart unmoved.
After all, if the system issued this task, these creatures must have killed many humans.
It might be a matter of perspective, but without a doubt, he stood on the side of humanity.
"Because I am human…"
York slowly sheathed his knight's sword as he heard the mission completion notification.
[Task Requirement: Annihilate (Completed)]
[Reward: +2 Attribute Points (Distributed)]
"..."
"It's over."
York took one last look at the pile of corpses, then turned to head towards the exit he had protected.
As he was about to enter the narrow passage, a change in the 3D map made him pause.
"Someone's alive?"
A new human-shaped figure appeared on the map, moving slowly.
York didn't consider whether it was a creature or not.
The system was strict, and only upon true completion would it announce success.
The task name 'Annihilate' meant he had to kill all the creatures for it to be successful.
So this must be a surviving member.
Thinking of the number of people in the expedition team, York turned and crossed the pile of bodies towards the location indicated on the map.
However, the path to the inside posed a dilemma.
It was a very small wormhole, meaning he had to crawl through to enter.
York's expression showed difficulty, his telekinesis lifting a stone and throwing it into the hole.
With the sound echoing back and the changes on the 3D map in his mind, he realized the size of the space inside the wormhole. The narrow passage was too small for his body.
___________________
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