*Swish!*
With a swift slice of the longsword, the undead warrior dissolved into ash in an instant.
Before Xu Que could withdraw his blade, three more undead warriors, wielding rusty swords, lunged at him. He dodged swiftly, only to be confronted by an additional six undead soldiers charging forward.
Xu Que planted his left hand on the shoulder of one undead soldier, using it as leverage to flip over and, in mid-air, deftly decapitated the warrior with a single swing.
As a dark mist was about to pour from the fallen soldier's mouth, Xu Que aimed at another undead warrior, flinging a precise strike that pierced the head of his advancing foe.
"Tch," he sneered defiantly, almost taunting.
"These brutes aren't as formidable as they're made out to be," he remarked.
In truth, Xu Que knew well that in his past life, this dimensional realm hadn't been conquered until two years later. At that time, undead warriors of A-rank and even beyond were recorded.
But here, the strongest ones barely reached B-rank, with most merely hovering around C+. Watching these slow-moving, rust-covered warriors lumbering forward with their dull, repetitive attacks, Xu Que began formulating an idea.
Just as he pondered the possibility of inscribing slave seals onto blank scrolls, over ten undead soldiers surged toward him. He evaded effortlessly, his sword cutting through three undead warriors in a single strike.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, more undead soldiers pressed their attack.
"Control!" he commanded.
With a resonant hum, his sword moved as though guided by an invisible thread, skewering one undead warrior after another. Seizing the moment, he bought a blank scroll from the Honor Store.
Recalling the technique for carving a slave inscription, Xu Que was interrupted by three undead soldiers lunging at him, rusty swords raised.
"Inscribe the seal of my name, and bind their souls!"
A magical imprint blazed into existence, depleting his mental energy by half.
Just as the undead warriors were about to strike, Xu Que spun around, side-kicking one of them away and shattering another's head with his sword. His left hand firmly pressed the scroll onto the third warrior's head.
With a sickening crack, the undead soldier's skull burst, followed by a wail of agony from the escaping dark mist.
Xu Que was stunned. It was impossible to bind them! His plan to mass-produce and sell these slave scrolls for resources had failed spectacularly.
He shook off the frustration and stashed the unused scroll, gripping his sword tightly as he charged the oncoming horde.
"Why?" he roared, slashing wildly at the undead warriors, "Why can't you be enslaved?"
Slave scrolls had limitations; they couldn't be used on non-humanoid creatures. Typically, buyers used them to turn slaves into temporary laborers, with durations ranging from two to twenty-four hours.
*Crash, crash, crash!*
Oblivious to Xu Que's fury, the undead warriors advanced, seeking to devour his flesh.
Xu Que dodged their relentless assault, weaving behind them and slashing through their necks with ruthless precision.
*Crack!*
The warriors' heads flew, black mist dissipating. Without hesitation, Xu Que lunged toward another group, cleaving through his enemies as if they were mere shadows.
In a matter of minutes, only three undead warriors remained, hurtling toward him.
With a single sweeping slash, his blade dispatched the final three, leaving the fog to wail in agony.
Xu Que glanced over the fallen corpses. Aside from two D-grade armor pieces, there was nothing of worth. Gathering the loot, he took a swig from a stamina potion atop the platform.
*Whoosh!*
A nearby brazier suddenly extinguished, followed by bubbles rising from the swamp. Xu Que rolled his neck, flexed his limbs, and set his sights on the darkened direction.
From the mire emerged a hulking figure, grotesque and massive as an elephant, clutching a pair of rusted scythes and draped in a mud-stained cloak.
As it drew closer, Xu Que saw its hideous, decayed rat-like head beneath the tattered shroud.
Another brazier behind him flickered out, with ominous bubbling following in its wake.
Once again, a brazier went dark.
Frowning, Xu Que gripped his sword and charged at the monstrous rat without hesitation. There was no time to waste—waiting for all seven foes to appear would only ensure his defeat.
Seeing its prey charge forward, the monstrous rat emitted a guttural snarl and swung its scythes with terrifying force.
Xu Que halted mid-step, retreating just as swiftly.
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
The twin blades sliced through the air, barely missing his face.
Seizing his chance, Xu Que leapt forward, darting beneath the outstretched scythes and lunging at the rat-headed fiend.
"Roar!"
With a ghastly howl, the creature bared its soul.
"Die!"
Xu Que, resisting the pressure bearing down on him, unleashed his Slashing Heavens Strike.
The sword beam expanded instantly, cleaving the beast's head in two.
Ignoring any potential loot, he pivoted and dashed toward the extinguished brazier.
Spotting a creature as massive as the rat-headed monstrosity with the head of a goat, Xu Que reinforced his legs with spirit energy and advanced.
The goat-headed creature snarled and struck with a corroded trident.
Xu Que ducked, his body lowering as he leaned sideways, charging toward his foe. Before the creature could raise its skeletal left arm, Xu Que slashed, delivering two swift blows.
*Crack, crack!*
The goat's left arm fell, along with its head. Its massive form crumbled to bones.
Just as Xu Que dispatched the goat-headed monster, six remaining braziers extinguished, each now guarded by beastly giants.
Without a second thought, Xu Que sprinted toward the nearest one, a bull-headed behemoth.
"Bellow!"
The creature, seemingly taunted, raised its hammer and barreled toward him.
Xu Que leapt like a fired missile, launching himself at the beast.
*Boom!*
The massive hammer crashed onto the platform. Before the blow settled, the bull-headed creature's decayed head tumbled to the ground.
In the instant he caught his breath, Xu Que saw a serpent-headed monster charging at him, swinging a colossal greatsword.
*Thud!*
The weapon struck the platform, missing him by inches as he narrowly dodged.
Not one to waste opportunities, Xu Que followed the momentum and darted forward.
The serpent-headed beast lifted its weapon, but Xu Que, now close enough, exploded with energy, unleashing a Draw Sword Slash that targeted the serpent's head with deadly precision.