Chapter 67 - 25: [Rotting Soil Roarers]

Chapter 67: Chapter 25: [Rotting Soil Roarers]

[Biological Posture Detection: Luring Thrust Stance]

[Combat posture of humanoid creatures. Suitable for medium-sized one-handed weapons such as swords and short clubs. A relatively conservative offensive stance used for active probing at mid-range, baiting counterattacks to drain stamina and energy while waiting for openings in the opponent’s stance. One-handed use.]

[Database updated.]

[Recorded into the ’Artificial Biology - Biological Posture Materials’ content library.]

[Available for unit use.]

[Spiritual Implant - Construct recording slots are full. Temporarily unavailable.]

"Identification Magic?" Norman was taken aback. Feeling a subconscious wave of discomfort, he stumbled back two steps. "...What is this thing? Since when do the Undead know Identification Magic?"

WHOOSH!

The Little Mage descended from the sky, landing steadily in front of Norman. With a slight flick of her right fingertips, the Rune Stone Wheel spun. Accompanied by a dense flurry of CRACKLING impacts, dark cyan wind blades burst from her palm like a torrential downpour, shooting straight toward that bizarre Undead Swordsman!

"Step aside, you cowardly old man! The loot from this special Undead’s remains is mine!" the Little Mage laughed excitedly amid the dense explosions.

In the next instant, the soil beneath the Undead Swordsman’s feet suddenly exploded! A massive, pitch-black beetle leaped up, using its tough carapace to block the barrage of cyan wind blades for the Undead Swordsman!

The Undead Swordsman grabbed the black beetle with its left hand, wielding the insect’s shell as a makeshift shield!

[Spiritual Implant - Auxiliary Scanner activated.]

[Spiritual Energy Circuits detected: Pneumatic Drive (Precision Operation 2)]

[Recorded into the Basic Spiritual Energy Studies - Circuit Template Library]

[Insufficient materials. Temporarily unavailable.]

"Ew... using Identification Magic on the living!" The Little Mage felt a wave of disgust, shivering at the icy, prying sensation. "Pervert!"

She flipped her wrist, flicking her left gauntlet. The Beast Eye used to cast Identification Magic was ejected like a spent bullet casing. The joints in the gauntlet opened, automatically popping out two Magic Beast Glands as Catalysts, which fell perfectly into the Catalyst grooves.

The Rune Stone Wheel in her palm spun, forming a brand-new circuit state. She deftly raised her left hand and threw a backhanded punch! A massive, ferocious fireball launched out, riding the momentum of the strike!

Accompanied by a series of EXPLOSIONS, the fireball struck the Undead’s black beetle shield. It clung to it like living, burning sludge, instantly roasting the black beetle’s hard shell to a crisp!

[Spiritual Implant - Auxiliary Scanner activated.]

[Spiritual Energy Circuits detected: Ion Slurry (Precision Operation 7)]

[Recorded into the Basic Spiritual Energy Studies - Circuit Template Library]

[Insufficient materials. Temporarily unavailable.]

Amidst the acrid smell of burning, the black beetle’s living shell shield split in two!

Losing its defense, the Undead Swordsman discarded the shattered beetle shield. Using the flames as visual cover, it charged through the smoke and dust, raising its broken sword for a backhanded combat skill: [Precision Combo]!

The Little Mage raised her right gauntlet. The airflow in front of her hand instantly rippled with dark cyan waves, condensing into a translucent, dark cyan shield!

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The shield perfectly blocked the barrage of thrusts. The wind shield hovered automatically in the air, not even requiring any stamina to maintain!

As the wind shield dissipated, the Little Mage took a half-step back, hiding behind Norman!

"It... it’s peeking at me with Identification Magic again! You filthy, perverted Undead!" she shrieked, tugging on Norman Passat’s arm.

"This is too strange..." Norman hesitated for a moment. Everything was completely unexpected.

At first, he thought they were dealing with a Demon Race hunter under the Demon Monarch, or perhaps a demonized human follower who was using some method to control the Undead, intercept the convoy, and spread mold. His plan had been simple: unleash Storm Sword Skills the moment they met and rely on the trio’s teamwork for a quick kill.

He never expected it to be just a bizarre High-level Undead Swordsman that continuously peeked around with Identification Magic and fought alongside various Magical Beasts. Such an abnormal situation actually made Norman somewhat hesitant to make a move.

Advanced magic combat skills like the Storm Sword Skill could instantly crush this strange Undead Swordsman and the Rotting Soil Roarers, but they consumed a massive amount of stamina and Spiritual Power. They could only be used three times a day at most...

This Undead Swordsman might just be a target meant to bait out advanced skills and drain their resources. He couldn’t fall for it.

Magical Beasts like the Rotting Soil Roarers primarily ambushed from within the soil and moved slowly, but their toxic viscous slurry was incredibly tricky. Getting tainted by it would be very troublesome... Troublesome?

They and the Undead Swordsman were being used to stall for time!

Norman suddenly snapped back to his senses!

"We’ve been tricked! This isn’t the Undead Commander at all! It’s a decoy!" he shouted. "Ignore it! Go back and guard the grain transport carts immediately! Manis and Zovin might already be in trouble!"

The Little Mage was the first to react. She abruptly clenched her right gauntlet into a fist.

SWOOSH!

The umbrella-wing skeleton of her mage robes unfurled, and she glided away on a current of cyan airflow.

The Assassin recovered his wits. Gripping his Double-Headed Short Blade, he turned and sprinted wildly toward the grain transport carts.

Seeing Norman turn to leave, the Undead Swordsman seemed a bit anxious. It suddenly left the protective circle of the Rotting Soil Roarers on its own accord, raised its half-broken blade, and executed a [Step Focus]. It flashed to block his path, once again entering the Blade Counter stance!

"Stop stalling for time!" Norman swung his sword backhandedly, unleashing two consecutive Swordsmanship combat skills!

Accompanied by a sharp CLINK, the first move—the [Luring Thrust Stance]—broke the Undead Swordsman’s Blade Counter stance.

Without the close-quarters interference from the Rotting Soil Roarers, he seamlessly chained a [Charging Slash], drawing upon his combat techniques as a Seventh Level Demon Swordsman!

The Undead Swordsman’s body slowly fell to the ground. The moment it collided with the earth, it scattered into a floor full of skeletal fragments with a CLATTER.