Wizard, I Have Another World – Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Half-Dead Creatures

Ever since the discovery of the Blackstone mineral veins beneath Black City, it became the private territory of Duke Taidal.

The cruel and insane Duke Taidal forced all the city’s inhabitants to become miners, extracting Blackstone for him.

Those who could leave had already left.

Those who couldn’t were also trying to find ways to leave.

Such a large city, turned into a deserted city in a short period of time, inevitably left behind some good things.

Crafts and precious metals that were once worth a fortune were far less valuable than meat strips that could fill one’s stomach in the eyes of those who struggled to eat and drink.

Karl walked around the market, trading his remaining meat strips for a few ‘exquisite trinkets’.

He came from a noble family, had participated in various exhibitions, and had a certain ability to appreciate luxury goods.

The few items he had acquired should be worth a lot of money.

“Time to go!”

Wrapping the items in linen cloth and carrying them on his back, Karl instructed Colon once again to keep an eye out for any news about breathing techniques, and then he departed.

‘Thirty gold coins could buy a decent medium-sized house in Signo City, and if you choose a remote area, you might even be able to get a detached house.’

‘Hmm…’

‘Although the atmosphere in Black City is depressing and there are many inconveniences, it is the most convenient place to make money.’

Touching the bulging package on his back, Karl’s lips curled up subconsciously, and his mood was a little excited.

‘Besides making money, it’s also easier to obtain breathing techniques here than in the other world, at least there are ways.’

‘Unlike…’

“Huh?”

While lost in thought, Karl’s eyes narrowed, and he suddenly lunged forward, reflexively drawing his sword and swinging it behind him.

“Swish!”

“Thud!”

The sound of something cutting through the air and cloth ripping rang out.

Karl felt a pain in his back. His broadsword seemed to have struck something, and the items in his package scattered on the ground. The heavy clock made a loud thud.

Without time to check if his items were damaged, he rolled over and stood up, turning around with his broadsword held horizontally in front of him.

Gale Swordsmanship ━ Iron Gate Stance!

“Swish!”

A black shadow pounced towards him, as fast as an arrow leaving the bowstring, and crashed into his broadsword with great force.

“Clang…”

“Ugh!”

Karl groaned, staggering back two steps. The attacking object was also knocked away by his broadsword.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the true face of the shadow was finally revealed.

It was a canine creature, its black fur easily overlooked in the dim light.

It was this creature that had attacked him from behind. Fortunately, the package on his back and the soft armor he wore underneath protected him from injury.

Canine?

Karl’s eyes twitched, and he subconsciously looked at the street.

As expected!

The corpse on the ground when he came was gone, and in its place was this half-dead creature.

I was careless!

I was so happy that I forgot to observe my surroundings. This is Black City, where people can die at any moment.

Half-dead creatures are a specialty of Black City.

It is said that because the Blackstone mineral veins contain ‘death energy’, as the veins are excavated, the energy leaks out, and corpses infected by the death energy ‘resurrect’ and become half-dead creatures.

Not just corpses,

Even living people who stay in the mines for a long time will be twisted and mutated by the death energy, completely losing their minds and turning into monsters.

After the mutation, their speed and strength increase greatly, and they feel no pain, only having the instinct to attack living creatures.

Similar to the zombies in my memory, but far more agile.

No one knows how many ‘half-dead creatures’ are hidden in Black City, making this city even more dangerous and terrifying.

“Growl…”

The ‘hound’, covered in rotting flesh, opened its mouth, revealing its ferocious fangs, its eyes blood-red.

“Swish!”

It pounced again, still at an astonishing speed.

But this time, Karl was prepared. He sidestepped with a slide of his foot, dodging the attack, and at the same time, he struck down with a fierce downward slash.

“Thud!”

The broadsword cut through the ‘hound’s’ fur, deep into the rotting flesh, colliding with the bones inside.

The impact sent the ‘hound’ tumbling to the ground, and Karl also felt his arm go numb. His heart pounded with a sense of danger.

✿✿✿

‘Such speed, and its strength is not bad either. The key is…, this thing has no vital points like living creatures.’

The ‘hound’, despite being struck by a sword, simply rolled over and stood up as if nothing had happened.

The wound, extending from its back to its belly, seemed to have no effect on it.

“Ha!”

Karl shouted, his feet pushing off the ground as he lunged forward. The broadsword in his hand whipped up a gust of wind.

Fury Strike!

This is a killing move in Gale Swordsmanship, which can use the force of the body’s forward momentum to enhance the sword’s edge, increasing its attack power.

Karl spent a lot of effort to master this move.

The half-dead creature doesn’t tire, but he does. If he can’t finish the battle quickly, he will surely die when his stamina is exhausted.

So after a brief moment of thought, he took the initiative to attack.

“Growl…”

The ‘hound’ let out a whimper, as if it also sensed the threat of this move, and leaped to the side with its limbs crouched low.

From this, it can be seen that the half-dead creatures in Black City have not completely lost their minds. At least they retain some of their instincts from when they were alive, knowing to seek good fortune and avoid disaster.

“Clang!”

The broadsword struck the ground, making a crisp sound of collision, but strangely, it did not leave a deep mark.

Feint!

Karl’s seemingly fierce attack was just to make the ‘hound’ reveal its weakness, and then he seized the opportunity to raise his arm and launch a surprise attack.

But his arm trembled slightly, and a sudden recoil force made his body lean back.

Hidden Arrow!

“Swish!”

“Swish!”

Two shadows shot out from his sleeves, flashing past in an instant, and pierced the ‘hound’s’ throat and the joint of its front leg.

Colon was not exaggerating. The power of the hidden arrows is astonishing. Even a knight squire would find it difficult to avoid them at close range.

But this level of attack is far from enough to kill a half-dead creature, at most making the ‘hound’ lose its balance.

“Hmph!”

Karl’s eyes turned red, and he lunged forward with explosive force. The broadsword in his hand even swung out several afterimages.

Combat Technique ━ Gale Slash!

Knight-level swordsmanship all have matching combat techniques, which can maximize the lethality of the swordsmanship.

Generally speaking,

Only knight squires and knights can master combat techniques.

Because combat techniques are very complex and demanding on physical qualities, ordinary people find it difficult to master them.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Just like Karl.

He, with the help of that mysterious place and his absolute rationality and fine control over his body, has mastered this Gale Slash.

Two afterimages and the main body of the broadsword intersected in mid-air and struck down. The ‘hound’s’ pouncing figure suddenly froze.

The next moment,

Several fine cracks appeared on the ‘hound’s’ body, and then it shattered into pieces, scattering all over the ground.

In this situation, even a half-dead creature would be dead beyond any doubt.

“Phew…”

Karl exhaled heavily, his hands holding the sword trembling slightly, as if he could no longer hold the broadsword.

“Let’s go!”

At this moment, he was almost exhausted, his heart filled with fear. He bent down, wrapped up the scattered items on the ground, and rushed forward.

Only after returning to his ‘residence’, closing the door, and putting down the bar, did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Slap!”

Lightly slapping his forehead, Karl said belatedly:

“Half-dead creatures leave something behind after they die, which can be exchanged for Blackstone. I forgot to check just now.”

Having said that, it was impossible for him to go back.

Steadying himself, he returned to his residence in Signo City through that mysterious place. Before he could even put away the gains from this trip, a familiar voice came from the living room.

“Uncle, why is he here?”

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