“Crack—Clatter!”
A terrible sound of shattering erupted, and a large amount of bone shards sprayed out.
The wolf-bone monster let out a silent roar.
The entire skeleton lost its balance and fell heavily to its side, its health plummeting instantly.
End it quickly to avoid delays!
He stepped forward, his iron rod turning into a series of heavy black shadows.
He ruthlessly struck every joint, spinal connection, and the junction between the wolf skull and neck bones of the fallen monster.
His efficiency was extremely high, and the sound of bones shattering was continuous.
In just over ten breaths, the bipedal wolf-bone monster completely fell apart, turning into a pile of lifeless broken bones.
Bai Xuan panted slightly and checked his status.
Mana consumption was low.
He quickly returned to his original position and, following the same pattern, used another shard to attract the attention of the four-legged wolf-bone monster.
With his first experience, this time went much more smoothly.
He still chose to fight deep in the corridor, far from the intersection, starting with an explosive attack to quickly gain the advantage.
In the end, he completely dismantled it before it could make much noise.
Experience gain notifications flickered at the edge of his vision.
He continued forward, clearing the scattered Bone Amalgams he encountered along the way.
His movements became increasingly proficient; his anticipation of these monsters' patterns and his precise control of his own strength were gradually honed through repeated combat.
【Exp +87, Pleasure +61】
When the corridor in his vision finally reached its end and opened up, Bai Xuan knew that the stage of monotonous repetition was over for now.
He stood at the entrance of a larger space.
He expended mental energy to check: 【Wraith Corridor】.
This place was like a hub at a crossroads.
Beneath his feet were uneven stone slabs, with thick, dark green corrosive fluid congealed in the gaps.
Occasionally, a bubble would bulge and pop with a sharp “snap,” making the pungent smell even stronger.
Hanging high on the walls were several tattered portraits, their canvases rotted and paint peeling.
The faces of the figures in the paintings were blurred and indistinguishable.
Only one was slightly more complete, showing a figure in the center wearing ancient attire.
However, the face had been slashed by some sharp weapon, leaving only a hollow void.
Near the hem of the figure's robes, there seemed to be an exquisite crest.
Unfortunately, due to age and damage, he could only barely make out a circular outline.
The corridor connected to four directions.
Behind him was the Skeleton Corridor he had come from, and to his left and right, two similar-looking dark bone corridors stretched out.
Directly opposite him was a massive, tightly closed door.
The door was cast from a mixture of dark metal and heavy wood, its surface covered in intricate, illegible patterns.
No light could penetrate the closed gap of the door; it stood silently, exuding a powerful aura.
However, what felt like a more direct threat to Bai Xuan than that door were the “residents” within the corridor.
Several Bone Amalgams of various shapes wandered slowly across the limited open space.
Along the walls on both sides of the corridor, six coffins were neatly placed.
The material of the coffins was neither stone nor wood, appearing a dull dark brown, and the surfaces seemed covered in some slimy substance.
The lids were sealed tight, and the congealed, cold silence they emitted was even more hair-raising than the wandering skeletons.
Bai Xuan focused his mind and looked at one of the coffins.
【Rotting Coffin Zombie Lv. 5】
【Status: Sleeping】
【Health: 750/750】
【Mana: 20/20】
A higher level and more health.
Moreover, the sleeping status meant they weren't impossible to disturb.
Bai Xuan’s gaze quickly swept across the entire corridor.
The Bone Amalgams were easy to deal with, but their numbers and scattered positions meant that fighting here directly would likely disturb those coffins.
Although the hub was larger than the corridor, it was open on all four sides.
If the battle attracted unknown things from other directions or woke the things in the coffins, he could easily fall into a desperate situation of being flanked.
Retreat to the familiar Skeleton Corridor and use the narrow terrain and the methods he had already figured out to lure the Bone Amalgams out one by one.
The giant door and the other two corridors could be explored after clearing the immediate threat.
Having made up his mind, Bai Xuan once again faded into the entrance of the corridor he came from.
Using rubble or bone fragments to lure the Bone Amalgams in the hub, he led them into his pre-set battlefield and took them down one by one.
His experience points climbed slowly with each kill.
When the last lured Bone Amalgam finally fell apart under his iron rod.
Bai Xuan felt a sense of exhausted fulfillment.
In his vision, his personal information updated:
【Level: Lv. 3 (24%)】
【Current Pleasure: 204, Available Draws * 10】
His Pleasure value had officially surpassed 200.
Looking at the data before him, Bai Xuan couldn't resist.
Without hesitation, he quickly retreated to a wall niche he had passed earlier; it was relatively hidden and allowed him to monitor both sides of the path.
Since items like the 【Broken Compass that Always Points North】 could be drawn, it meant he could also get other physical items.
He needed a game-changer, and the draw was his only hope right now.
“Draw ten times.”
As he whispered the command in his heart, he also held onto expectations.
He didn't dare hope for a divine artifact; just a teleportation scroll that could take him out of this hellhole would do.
Light effects flowed in his vision, and the phantoms of ten cards quickly aligned.
Bai Xuan’s heart sank; there were no physical items as he had hoped, only thin cards shimmering with different lusters.
Nine of them were common white, but the last one emitted a distinct pale golden glow.
His hope dropped, only to be slightly suspended by this lone golden card.
He quickly inspected them:
【Level Exp Card (Small) * 2】
【Skill Exp Card (Small) * 5】
【Skill Exp Card (Medium) * 2】
【Item Rank-Up Card * 1】
As expected, nine experience cards.
And that Item Rank-Up Card...
Bai Xuan’s gaze lingered, looking at the description:
【Item Rank-Up Card: Increases the current rank of an item.】
A simple and clear introduction.
The only items he had that qualified were the broken compass, the Space Ring, the Sealing Scroll, and the lighting orb.
Ranking up any of them could bring changes, but he didn't know what those changes would be.
In this dangerous bone corridor, would ranking up the lighting orb just make it brighter? That seemed pointless.
If the broken compass ranked up, would it change from pointing north to pointing the way?
The thought made his heart skip a beat.
He suppressed the urge to use it immediately and set the rank-up card aside.
He couldn't use it blindly; he had to use it when the need was most clear.
Next, he handled the experience cards.
Using the two level cards, his experience bar budged slightly, rising from 24% to 27%—a drop in the bucket.
The choice for skill cards required deliberation.
Among his existing skills, 【Holy Light Catalyst】 and 【Redemption Strike】 were already Level 1, requiring more experience to upgrade.
Meanwhile, 【Purifying Severance】 and 【Concussive Field】 were still Level 0; the effects of raising them to Level 1 might be more immediate.
Especially in this unknown environment, the enhancement from upgrading these two skills could offer an extra shred of hope.
Consuming experience cards to upgrade 【Purifying Severance】 and 【Concussive Field】.
Upon confirmation, the cards turned into specks of light and merged into his body.
A familiar flow of information accompanied by a slight sense of expansion arrived:
【Skill Level Up! Purifying Severance Lv. 0 → Lv. 1! Current Proficiency: 9%】
【Skill Effect Enhanced! Mana Consumption Increased: 10 points → 13 points】
【Skill Level Up! Concussive Field Lv. 0 → Lv. 1! Current Proficiency: 11%】
【Skill Effect Enhanced! Mana Consumption Increased: 8 points → 10 points】
Immediately after, a surge of power welled up from deep within his body, flowing through his limbs and dispelling some of his fatigue.
The status bar updated accordingly:
【Health: 370/380 → 400/400】
【Mana: 150/195 → 150/200】
【Awakened basic attributes have received a minor enhancement!】
His health and mana caps increased, and his physical strength grew slightly.
This wave of enhancement came just in time.
Bai Xuan clenched his fist, feeling the slightly fuller power within him, and gained a bit more confidence for exploring the corridor ahead.
He was just about to head back to clear the remaining Bone Amalgams.
“Clack! Clang! Clatter—!”
The chaotic sounds of battle suddenly erupted from the direction of the 【Wraith Corridor】 and were rapidly approaching!
It was a jumbled mess of clattering bones and running footsteps.
Bai Xuan tensed instantly, sliding against the wall and holding his iron rod across his chest, his eyes fixed nervously on the source of the sound.
A wretched figure burst into the Skeleton Corridor—it was... Tessa!
She looked absolutely miserable right now; the leather armor at her waist had been torn open, and her mangled flesh was oozing dark red blood that had nearly soaked her lower garments.
Her face was deathly pale, covered in scrapes and grime, and one arm hung limp.
Her running posture was crooked, kept going only by sheer willpower.
What allowed her to maintain speed despite such heavy injuries was a black mist wrapping around her legs that was constantly fading and dissipating.
It was likely an acceleration skill that heavily consumed mana or stamina.
Behind her, the ear-piercing sound of bone claws scraping the ground rang out densely as at least three or four Bone Amalgams of various forms swarmed out from the hub entrance in pursuit!
Tessa also saw Bai Xuan ahead at almost the same time.
A piercing light of hope born from desperation erupted in her dull eyes—a subconscious reaction to seeing a fellow human.
Without any hesitation, Bai Xuan turned and ran!
Flames of anger flared in his chest.
This woman!
He hadn't even settled the score for her backstabbing yet, and now she was leading a pack of monsters to him!
Besides, she was only a Level 2 Thief; how could she manage to flee this far while being chased by a group of Level 4 monsters?
Was it because of that dissipating black mist skill on her legs?
“Wait! Don't run!”
Tessa’s raspy shout, filled with desperate sobbing, came from behind. “Don't you want to know where this is? Don't you want to get out?!”
Bai Xuan didn't stop, but his ears perked up.
She knew what this place was? Was coming here even something they had orchestrated?
Seeing that Bai Xuan didn't respond but also didn't accelerate to lose her (actually, there was nowhere to hide in this straight corridor anyway).
Tessa, as if grasping for a final straw, spoke with extreme speed.
Every word was mixed with pained gasps: “I know the conditions for leaving this place!”
“Save me! I'll tell you! Otherwise, we'll both be trapped to death in this dungeon!”
Dungeon? Bai Xuan’s thoughts raced.
Not far ahead was the initial spot where he had woken up after being teleported; beyond that was an unexplored area.
If he continued to be chased like this, he would soon reach that starting point.
By then, with an unknown path ahead and pursuers plus a heavily injured Tessa behind, he would likely be trapped in a pincer attack.
The Bone Amalgams chasing from behind had to be cleared!
He slammed his feet to a halt, turned around, and pointed his iron rod at the nearing Tessa and the bone monsters behind her.
His voice was icy: “Make it clear! Why is this a dungeon? How do we get out?”
“Don't play tricks; this is your last chance!”
Tessa was so startled by his sudden stop and sharp aura that she nearly tripped.
She looked at the Bone Amalgams almost upon her, her face white as paper, and screamed, “Deal with them first! Otherwise, none of it matters!”
“This is the Undead Level on the seventh floor of the dungeon. As for how to get out, I need to be alive to tell you.”
In a flash, Bai Xuan made his decision.
It seemed he couldn't squeeze anything more out of her for now.
If he didn't save her, losing this piece of information that might concern the exit would be dangerous while wandering blindly on this so-called seventh floor.
Moreover, using her to scout or act as bait later could reduce a lot of risks.
Rather than being chased into an unknown dead end, it was better to settle this here as quickly as possible.
He shouted to the struggling Tessa, “Speed up!”
A look of mingled pain and hope flashed across Tessa’s face as she gritted her teeth.
The black mist on her legs, which had already dimmed, suddenly churned violently. Her speed surged, and she practically lunged toward Bai Xuan.
Bai Xuan watched her movements closely, his body slightly turned, his iron rod ready.
As they brushed past each other, Tessa didn't do anything unusual; she just used all her strength to rush forward.
Bai Xuan no longer hesitated. Once she had passed him by a certain distance, he slammed his iron rod into the ground!
【Concussive Field】!
The upgraded skill was fully unleashed.
However, since it was his first time using the upgraded skill in actual combat, his control over the range and intensity had significantly increased.
Brilliant golden ripples suddenly expanded with the iron rod as the center, and the coverage area was clearly beyond Bai Xuan’s expectations.
Despite rushing forward, Tessa was still heavily struck in the back by the edge of the expanding ripples.
“Ugh—!”
Her already exhausted body felt as if it had been hit by a heavy blow. She pitched forward, rolled twice, and lay slumped on the ground, completely motionless.
Bai Xuan caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and his heart tightened—don't die! He hadn't gotten the intel yet.
But he had no time to check. The golden shockwave of the skill had completely engulfed the nearest Bone Amalgams.
The monsters' movements instantly became as if they were stuck in a quagmire, their skeletons making harsh grinding sounds as their pursuit was forced to a halt.
Two of the smaller ones were even shaken back a few steps.
The effect was remarkable!
Bai Xuan didn't dare delay. Seizing this control time, he lunged forward.
He threw himself at the closest and bulkiest Bone Amalgam.
Twisting his waist, his arm muscles bulged as his iron rod, carrying the golden glow of 【Redemption Strike】, swung upward fiercely toward the monster's knee joint.
“Crack—!”
A sharp sound erupted, and the iron rod actually bounced back slightly from the bone.
The bone leg didn't break completely; it only showed a hideous crack.
As the monster tilted, it regained its senses almost instantly.
Its other intact bone leg swept across with a whistling wind, aiming straight for Bai Xuan’s abdomen.
Bai Xuan’s pupils constricted. He didn't have time for a follow-up strike and could only hurriedly pull back his rod to block.
With a muffled “thud,” a massive force transmitted through the rod.
His entire arm went numb instantly, and he stumbled back two steps before stabilizing himself.
Rate on N.U.
