"Whoosh, whoosh..."
Two swift projectiles flew through the air, and just like that, Xu Que took down a blue-skinned goblin scout. Emerging from the undergrowth, he swiftly cleaned up the scene and prepared for the next wave of goblins who were sure to investigate.
Thanks to Xu Que's ambush tactics, it didn't take long before he wiped out an entire goblin patrol team. Tying up bundles of spears, he scanned his surroundings quickly, realizing he needed some sort of reference point for time. He had been in this dimensional space for what felt like ages. Without any sense of time, survival would become much harder.
Damn it. There's no way to mark time in this place!
With the spears secured on his back, Xu Que quickly moved along the path deeper into the forest. Returning to where he'd slain the goblin patrol, he noticed the woman was gone.
Killed? Or did she manage to run?
While he was wondering, he heard the woman's voice calling from a distance.
"Hey, handsome, I'm over here!" she waved.
Surprised that she was still alive, Xu Que was nevertheless relieved. Having her alive could work to his advantage, especially since he had no equipment or means to probe the dangers lurking in the forest depths.
"Got anything to eat?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.
"Eat this!" Xu Que tossed her a half-eaten haunch of blue-skinned hound.
Her face turned pale at the sight of the bloody chunk of unfamiliar meat. But before she could protest, a distant howl echoed through the forest.
"Be glad you have food at all," Xu Que said. "If you want to survive, you'd better stop being so picky."
Throwing the meat her way, Xu Que grabbed a couple of spears and dashed toward the sound. These outer-forest creatures barely posed a threat to him anymore, but he still needed the woman to investigate what lay deeper within.
As the sounds of slaughter filled the air, the woman looked down at the raw meat, trembling. She bit her lip, forcing herself to take a bite.
But the taste made her gag, and she instantly threw up.
"Ugh…"
She cursed Xu Que silently. Was there really no other food available?
"Enough," Xu Que said, annoyed. "If you're not going to eat, don't waste it. You still have a use here."
The woman's confusion gave way to fear as Xu Que's next words sent chills down her spine.
"I saved you, which means I get to decide what happens to you. In this world, your life belongs to me now."
"No, I don't want to be used as bait!" she cried, backing away.
But Xu Que ignored her protests. Without a second thought, he struck her on the neck, rendering her unconscious. Slinging her over his shoulder, he made his way further into the dense forest.
As much as he disliked resorting to shameless tactics like those used by Ji Boda, his lack of reconnaissance tools left him little choice.
Arriving at a secluded spot, Xu Que tied the woman up in the highest branches of a tree. While it was risky, he had no better options. After securing her, he stepped back and yelled loudly toward the forest's core, then quickly hid himself.
Within minutes, two goblin patrols emerged, their blue skin visible through the dense undergrowth.
As they drew near, Xu Que readied a spear and hurled it, taking one down instantly.
One after another, the patrol members fell to his onslaught of spears. Soon, Xu Que crept behind the remaining goblins, gripping his long knife tightly. Startled by the attacks, the goblins frantically searched the area, one pointing up toward the woman bound to the tree.
Although not especially bright, the goblins possessed an innate bloodlust for intruders.
Just as three goblins prepared to throw their spears, a rustle sounded from the grass behind them. Xu Que emerged, blade flashing, taking down one with a swift strike.
Without their mounts, the blue-skinned goblins proved easy targets. After a few decisive slashes, he'd dispatched both patrol teams. He only collected the discarded spears, favoring ranged attacks to close combat whenever possible.
As the spears on his back grew in number, Xu Que felt an exhilarating rush. The spoils in this dimensional space were even greater than he'd expected!
Remembering what the Shenyin Corporation had disclosed in his past life about the monsters here, Xu Que clenched his fists, controlling his excitement, and continued hunting. With his strength already ahead of the others, he was determined to push his lead even further.
After several more successful ambushes, he realized he had gained substantial experience. While he hadn't found any equipment, his cultivation had advanced to nine stars!
Having knowledge from his previous life is truly an advantage. I'm already so far ahead.
Just then, a furious roar echoed from the forest center.
A boss? Or maybe an elite?
Xu Que's eyes narrowed. Looking up at the lifeless form of the woman tied to the tree, he paused briefly in respect, then slipped away quietly.
He wasn't heartless; it was just that this was the nature of the world they now inhabited. If he didn't act as he did, he'd be the one lying dead.
As he withdrew, two massive, dark-skinned goblins emerged from the trees, glancing at the bloodstained battlefield before noticing the woman's body in the branches above.
After some guttural exchange, one of the goblins, wielding a massive axe, took a swing at the tree. With a loud crack, the tree fell, and the smaller goblin grabbed the woman's body, glancing at its partner with a bloodthirsty grin.
"Snap!"
With a sickening crunch, the woman's body was torn in two, and the sounds of goblins feasting echoed through the forest.
From his hiding place, Xu Que looked away, unsurprised yet grimly aware. He had predicted as much but hadn't expected elite creatures with a C-grade aura to appear so early.
No wonder the creatures around this subway station had become so powerful in his previous life. This space operates under a monarchical hierarchy.
There are four hierarchical structures for the dimensional beings: communal, individualistic, hierarchical, and monarchical. While communal creatures are troublesome, their strength is relatively balanced, so taking them down requires only caution.
Individualistic creatures prioritize individual strength, making them tricky but isolated opponents.
In the hierarchical structure, upper layers may take a lot, but the lower and middle layers receive portions as well, so facing these creatures means confronting a highly coordinated system.
Finally, the monarchical structure: although lower and middle creatures are weak, the dominant leader is extremely powerful. Therefore, the best approach to defeating them is to attack early before the monarch gains overwhelming power.
Settling into a meditative stance on a branch, Xu Que resumed his cultivation, letting time drift by.
After twenty-four hours of the Abyssal Rift's descent, the battle outside continued unabated. A huge spiritual vortex swirled above Xu Que, encasing him in a radiant flow of astral energy as he bathed in starlight.
When the swirling energy dissipated, Xu Que slowly opened his eyes, a faint starry glow in his gaze, marking his achievement of the C-rank.
"Finally, a breakthrough! Next, let's choose a couple of high-quality cultivation techniques."