Xu Que couldn't understand the goblins' chatter, but judging by their movements, they were about to search the bushes for the woman.
As the three goblins approached the bushes, Xu Que suddenly burst out, hurling a stone with great force at one of them. The stone whistled through the air, instantly killing a goblin archer with a single strike.
Before the remaining four goblins could react, Xu Que leaped forward, grabbed another goblin archer by the head, and twisted it sharply!
With a sickening "crack" of breaking bones, Xu Que pulled the long knife from the goblin's waist and swung it toward the remaining three archers.
In a flash, before they could respond, Xu Que was already upon them.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Three swift slashes struck right at their necks, and thick brown blood spurted out as the three goblins fell, lying still in their own blood.
"Gwaa gwaa…" The other three goblins, enraged, raised their shields and long knives and charged toward Xu Que.
Xu Que didn't want to fight them head-on; he knew he had to conserve his energy, as the upcoming battles would be even more dangerous.
Dodging their swings, he leapt back into the bushes.
Without a target, the goblins became frantic, rushing into the undergrowth after him.
As the first goblin entered the bushes, Xu Que quickly struck, killing it with one precise slash.
The other two goblins, now furious, hacked wildly at the dense bushes around them.
A cold smile appeared on Xu Que's face. Instead of attacking, he swiftly circled back to where the woman was hiding.
"Who's there?" the woman exclaimed.
Without saying a word, Xu Que grabbed her and tossed her toward the pile of goblin corpses.
She screamed in shock, clearly unused to such brutal scenes.
The two goblins, hearing her cry, quickly turned and rushed out of the bushes. Seeing their previous prey, they went berserk and charged at the woman with their blades drawn!
But just as the goblins charged, Xu Que swiftly approached them from behind.
"Thwack, thwack!"
With two quick strikes, Xu Que dispatched the remaining goblins.
"W-Why did you do that?" The woman was speechless, her voice trembling. She hadn't expected the man before her to be so ruthless.
"If you don't want to die, follow my instructions. Otherwise, stay here and wait for death," Xu Que said coldly.
The woman, glancing at the corpses around her and then back at Xu Que, quickly agreed. "Fine, I'll do as you say!"
"Good choice!" Xu Que replied, grabbing her again and tossing her back into the bushes.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To loot the corpses," he replied, not looking back.
She blinked, not quite grasping his meaning until she saw him rummaging through the goblin bodies, gathering a bow and arrows to equip himself.
The goblins' weapons couldn't be stored in his system backpack, so he would only use them for a while. Once he could obtain better materials, he'd either forge his own weapon or use something dropped by a boss monster.
Forging weapons was a prestigious skill listed in the heavenly rankings. As for the top reward for weapon forging, Xu Que didn't know. The previous top forger had died three years after the Abyss descended, and his talent remained largely unknown.
As Xu Que reached to pick up a long knife from one of the goblins, he noticed a green orb nearby.
What the—?
An item drop?
Excited, Xu Que hurriedly picked it up; after all, loot from creatures like this was incredibly rare.
[You have acquired an E-grade item: Swift Ring.]
[Name: Swift Ring (Unique equipment).]
[Quality: Common (Green)]
[Passive: Slightly increases movement and attack speed during running or combat.]
Although the ring wasn't particularly special, it was useful for the moment.
After putting on the ring and securing the goblin's long knife at his waist, Xu Que returned to the bushes.
"Can we leave now?" the woman asked.
Ignoring her, Xu Que looked at her wound and asked, "Did you bandage it yourself?"
"Yes, it hurts a lot," she replied.
"At least you knew what to do," Xu Que nodded.
"Where are you going?" she asked nervously, afraid that Xu Que would abandon her.
"Stay here and keep quiet. If you're still alive later, I'll need you for something." With that, Xu Que turned and left the bushes.
She was stunned. Just moments ago, she'd been worrying about him leaving—and now he actually was.
"I beg you, please take me with you!" she pleaded.
"I'm going to hunt dimensional creatures. You want to come along?"
She was taken aback. Even in such a dire situation, this man was choosing to go hunt monsters!
Xu Que had no time to worry about her thoughts. His mind was focused on cultivation; after those fights, he had successfully advanced to a four-and-a-half-star level!
The outskirts of the forest were filled with constant fighting. Every time Xu Que encountered green-skinned hunting dogs, he dealt with them with ease. Goblins required a bit more maneuvering, but thanks to his combat experience from his previous life, he dispatched them safely.
Just as he killed the last goblin archer attempting to flee, a warm surge broke through the final barrier!
"Crack!"
A massive vortex of spiritual energy swirled above him, bathing him in starlight.
As the stars dissipated, Xu Que eagerly opened his personal status panel.
[Name: Xu Que]
[Cultivation: Unranked, Seven-Star 100%]
[Technique: None]
[Cultivation Method: Basic Breathing Technique (Upgradeable)]
[Bloodline: None]
[Pet Beast: None]
[Honor: 213]
Trading Hall (Not Open)
Xu Que whispered, his voice tinged with excitement.
"Request for cultivation evaluation!"
As soon as he spoke, a soft golden light appeared above his head, tearing through the dimensional space.
Moments later, a mechanical female voice echoed in his ears.
"Congratulations to Human Xu Que for successful cultivation evaluation. Activating personal equipment, inventory, and skill menus."
Instantly, three new interfaces appeared in front of him.
But he wasn't interested in his equipment menu or skill slots; he only had a simple ring, after all. Dismissing the menus, he focused on his new D-rank status, eager for the reward he'd been waiting for.
Sure enough, just as he anticipated, the voice announced again.
"Congratulations to Human Xu Que. Your cultivation meets the criteria for the Cultivation Heavenly Ranking. Would you like to join the list?"
"Yes!" he replied without hesitation, knowing the list would grant immense rewards.
"Would you like to hide your name or use an alias? Note: Once chosen, this cannot be changed."
Xu Que pondered, a grim smile crossing his face. He'd never forget the suffering he endured in his past life. In this life, he would have his revenge and rise to the top, looking down on everyone.
He entered three words on the screen in front of him: "The Avenger."
He didn't hide his name, nor did he choose an alias out of fear, but to send a message: anyone who dared oppose him would suffer a vengeful death—no exceptions.
With the confirmation, Xu Que could imagine the commotion this would cause. After all, the Abyss had only recently descended!
As for being captured for experimentation? He scoffed. By the time he got out, he'd be the one doing the studying. Once he reached D-rank, ordinary weapons would pose little threat, and as for missiles… he'd fear them as little as an ant once he was C-rank or higher!
Finally, the reward announcement came.
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que, for ranking first on the Cultivation Heavenly Ranking. You are awarded a temporary skill: Auto-Cultivation (Active while in rank)."
A temporary skill? Xu Que's eyes widened in disbelief, but then the voice continued.
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que. As the first to achieve the top of the Cultivation Heavenly Ranking, you receive an additional unique divine reward: Permanent Talent – Hundredfold Absorption (cultivation speed increased one hundred times, energy absorption one hundred times)."
Xu Que laughed wildly, the tension he'd felt dissipating.
"Who can stop me now?"