Counter-Kill

"Fuck no, I'm not leaving."

Seeing that last line, Gu Xi couldn't help but roar.

Turning a simple job assignment into this mess, making him suffer so much, and forcing him to contract the worst possible undead.

Now they want to kick him out?

Not a chance.

Until he's flattened everyone who dragged him here, this isn't over.

Roaring, Gu Xi grabbed the Dead Rat and hurled it at the two people outside the door who hadn't yet reacted.

Level 2 Throwing landed the Dead Rat squarely on one person's face.

Stunned by the hit, that person snapped back to reality, glaring at Gu Xi with murderous intent. But just as he reached for his blade, he heard Gu Xi mutter softly.

"Boom!"

The Dead Rat smashed against his face exploded on the spot, its power like a giant firecracker—the kind that could send a pot flying into the air.

The damage was only so-so, but it detonated right in front of his face. The blast wave drove the rat's bones through his eyes and into his skull.

[Kill Cultist (Level 1), gained 10 Points of experience.]

Seeing this, the other person quickly drew the dagger at his waist.

But then, his movements slowed noticeably, as if his joints had frozen solid.

Gu Xi watched in surprise as Luna, who had been standing in front of him, appeared behind this person.

Two Luminous Blue tentacles extended from the mirror Luna held in her arms, touching the man's back. White frost crept slowly from the contact point, spreading across his entire body.

Then Luna leaned close to his ear and gently opened her mouth.

The man who was about to draw his dagger collapsed on the spot.

As he fell, Gu Xi could see blood streaming from all seven orifices on the face beneath the hood.

[Luna (Contract Undead) killed Cultist (Level 1). You gained 4 Points of experience. Contract Undead gained 7 Points of experience.]

This outcome caught Gu Xi off guard. He hadn't thought much of Luna's Combat Power at first.

If he'd had any other choice, he wouldn't have considered forming a pact with such a weak ghost.

After all, a Necromancer could only sign one more Contract Undead for every two levels they gained, or every time the Undead Pact skill increased by one level.

And in return, a Contract Undead's level could normally exceed the Necromancer's by up to five levels.

Gu Xi's original plan was to pick a Level 5 Vampire or Lich as his first Contract Undead. That way, while summoning ordinary undead as cannon fodder, he'd have a helper to command.

Even in danger, he'd have someone to discuss things with or assist him.

Luna's stats were far worse than Gu Xi's. He'd thought his first Contract Undead was a total loss.

But now, it didn't seem that way. Luna had at least some fighting ability—she could Take the Initiative. That was enough.

Thinking this, Gu Xi dashed to the Prison Gate. Before he could give any orders, Luna had already found the keys from the two corpses and tossed them into his hand.

Holding the cold keys, Gu Xi's last bit of dissatisfaction from contracting Luna vanished.

Since they were contracted, he'd make good use of her.

As a Necromancer's Contract Undead, they were different from summoned undead.

Contract Undead barely needed commands; their cooperation would only grow smoother over time.

Later, he'd find a way to help Luna level up and make up for her missing levels.

With that thought, Gu Xi accepted Luna in his heart, treating her as a partner.

Unlocking the prison gate with the keys, Luna handed him a dagger and a Scimitar.

Clearly, while Gu Xi was opening the door, Luna had Looted the Bodies.

"Sort the keys."

Gu Xi took the Scimitar and dagger, hanging them at his waist, and tossed a bundle of keys to Luna.

Luna caught the keys and flew toward the nearby cells, tossing keys in front of each imprisoned person.

Taking this chance, Gu Xi reached out toward the two corpses. Two faint white light clusters quickly flew out from the bodies.

[You completed Soul Extraction Ritual. Obtained Soul Shard *1.4.]

Gu Xi didn't immediately synthesize the Soul Shards into a Complete Soul. He just stored them away, grabbed the Scimitar, and ran deeper into the corridor beyond the prison.

By then, Luna had already distributed all the keys. As Gu Xi fled, she flashed and followed right behind him.

Gu Xi didn't look back. He only felt a chill at his back, knowing Luna had caught up.

Realizing this, Gu Xi sped up. He didn't know why those cultists had captured him, but he knew this place wasn't safe.

He didn't want to die here right after his Job Assignment.

First, he had to escape.

Before he'd run far, Gu Xi heard hurried footsteps ahead.

It seemed the explosion from the prison cell had still drawn the cultists' attention.

The prisoners below were all the sacrifices they had captured. If anything happened, if even one or two went missing, they themselves might end up on the altar.

To stay alive, these cultists worked hard enough.

Watching the figures rushing out before him, Gu Xi pulled his left hand back, and the dagger fell into his palm.

At that moment, the cultists opposite also noticed Gu Xi. One of them shouted loudly.

"The sacrifice escaped! The sacrifice escaped..."

Before he could finish, Gu Xi's dagger was already buried in his forehead.

[Kill Cultist (Level 1), gained 12 Points of experience.]

Seeing Gu Xi strike first, the nearby cultists grew furious. They stepped over their comrade's corpse and charged at Gu Xi, weapons raised.

But Gu Xi and Luna's coordination exceeded the cultists' imagination. The moment Gu Xi threw his dagger, Luna was already in front of him. Tentacles coiled from her mirror surface touched the ground, instantly coating it with a layer of frost.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Xi pointed at the corpse on the ground.

"Burst!"

Lesser Corpse Explosion activated once more, and the cultist who had just fallen exploded on the spot.

Compared to the Dead Rat Gu Xi had thrown earlier, which had the power of a firecracker, the explosion from the cultist's corpse was significantly more powerful.

When the body burst, it carried the force of a real landmine.

In the narrow corridor, with the other cultists packed together as they ran over the corpse, the blast sent them all flying into the air.

Taking advantage of this, Luna opened her mouth toward where the cultists had been blown away. A ripple invisible to normal people spread outward from her.

Those cultists caught in the Lesser Corpse Explosion's range were already Severely Injured. Luna's wave of Banshee's Wail finished off what little life they had left.

A string of messages flickered before Gu Xi's eyes, telling him the results of this encounter.

[Kill Cultist (Level 1), gained 9 Points of experience.]

[Luna (Contract Undead) killed Cultist (Level 1). You gained 6 Points of experience. Contract Undead gained 8 Points of experience.]

[...]