Another World: When a Necromancer Possesses the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls

The midday bell seemed to unlock an invisible shackle, and the corridor was instantly filled with a surge of people, the noise almost lifting the ceiling. Li Xingyao moved with the crowd, his pace quickening involuntarily.

The fatigue from a period of intense training had settled deep within his muscles, but at this moment, what was even stronger was a craving for food.

The canteen of the Third Advanced Training Camp in Tianshui City is located on the east side of the teaching area. It is a huge semi-domed building with a spacious interior, excellent lighting, and the air filled with the unique aromas of various foods.

Li Xingyao skillfully navigated the crowded long tables, his eyes scanning the area before quickly spotting his target in a corner by the window. Chen Hao was waving his arms, trying to make room for him in the cramped seating area.

"Over here! Xingyao!" Chen Hao's voice pierced through the clamor of the crowd.

Li Xingyao squeezed through and sat down in the chair opposite Chen Hao. "Phew... this is when everyone's here the most." He took a breath and gently placed his smartwatch on the sensor area on the corner of the table.

With a soft "beep," a pre-selected lunch, including a pork chop, high-fiber vegetable puree, and complex carbohydrates, along with a glass of vitamin juice, is delivered to the table by the cafeteria's delivery system.

Chen Hao had the same lunch in front of him, and he was excitedly tapping the edge of his plate with his spoon. "Haven't seen you in days! I finally managed to get you here! What time have you been eating lately? You're always showing up out of nowhere! And let me tell you, I've completely transformed this week!"

Li Xingyao reached out and took the plate: "Wait until there are fewer people, it'll be quieter. What's wrong?" He scooped a spoonful of vegetable puree into his mouth and chewed carefully. He looked up and asked, "Oh? What kind of tricks have you developed?" Then he swallowed the food.

"Archery training!" Chen Hao's eyes shone brightly. He lowered his voice, leaned forward, and said with the excitement of sharing a secret, "You know about the 'Gentle Breeze' composite bow that my dad got through connections?"

The latest entry-level model! While not top-of-the-line, this thing is practically a work of art!

He seemed to be caressing an invisible treasure. "The main body of the bow is made of 'star-patterned carbon fiber,' as light as a feather yet incredibly strong! The handle is inlaid with 'active alloy,' which can automatically adjust the force distribution according to my grip strength and the intensity of the star energy injection. The concave angle of the finger grooves fits perfectly every time I grip it, it's so comfortable!"

"The most amazing thing is this bowstring!" Chen Hao's voice was filled with a hint of fanaticism. "It's not ordinary Kevlar, it's woven from 'alloy nanowires' and 'liquid stellar energy conduction wires'! When you draw the bow, you can feel the stellar energy flowing into your fingers like mercury, instantly filling the entire string! And that sound of it cutting through the air?"

Swoosh—! So light it was almost inaudible, but you could feel the air tearing as the arrow left the bowstring!

Fifty meters away, without any aiming aids, nine out of ten arrows will hit the bullseye! Even Instructor Wang from the training ground nodded at me yesterday, which is unprecedented!

Li Xingyao listened attentively, slowly chewing the food in his mouth. Chen Hao had awakened the Ranger branch of the Archer class, with an initial Star Energy of 48 points and a potential rating of B-.

This class, while lagging behind warriors and assassins in single-target burst damage and inferior to mages in ranged damage in the early game, excels in sustained output and flexibility. The "energy infusion" Chen Hao mentioned is a core technique for all physical ranged classes. Infusing star energy into the bow significantly enhances its lethality.

Li Xingyao couldn't help but chime in, "When your dad used to make you practice archery, you always clamored to be a swordsman like your mom. What, have you fallen for this 'gentle breeze' now?"

"Then, what about firearms?" Li Xingyao asked again. His past life experiences gave him a deep-rooted impression of firearms.

Upon hearing this, Chen Hao's excitement subsided slightly. He pursed his lips, revealing a hint of helplessness: "Don't even mention it. It's just something I practice casually, only good for the beginner stage. Star energy has too limited a boost to kinetic weapons; the cost-effectiveness is too low."

He picked up the synthetic meat steak from his plate and made a shooting motion. "Once a bullet is fired, it's fired. Star energy can at most improve your shooting accuracy or increase the penetration of the bullet's coating energy in advance. Essentially, it still relies on the propulsion of the gunpowder or the electromagnetic coil itself. The upper limit is locked."

He put down the steak, his gaze refocusing on his loosely clenched hand, as if holding the 'Gentle Breeze'. "But bows and arrows are different!" His voice rose again, carrying the certainty of having found his destined weapon. "The bow arm, bowstring, arrow shaft, and especially the arrowhead—these can all undergo specialized stellar energy circuit etching to become perfect energy conduction carriers! Infused with stellar energy, the arrow's flight speed, penetration, stability, and even elemental effects can be added!"

This is a complete leap in quality! The higher the level, the more terrifying the difference becomes. A truly top-tier bow, paired with a quiver of specially crafted star-energy-engraved arrows, is the true king of single-target kills and the spear that pierces armor on the battlefield!

He paused, then made an exaggerated "poor money" expression: "Of course, the price has also skyrocketed. A decent bow costs at least several million credits. The 'Gentle Breeze' I have was bought with half a year's bonus that my dad gritted his teeth and used up."

As for those legendary top-tier enchanted arrows that can inflict effects like 'Frost Slow,' 'Fire Burst,' or even 'Thunder Paralysis'? Tsk.

Li Xingyao nodded silently. In this world where stellar energy dominates evolution, the upper limit of firearms, which rely purely on chemical or electromagnetic energy for propulsion, is strictly limited. Unless they are advanced technological creations from another world, they are extremely rare.

Cold weapons or specially made star energy weapons that can perfectly carry and transform star energy and resonate with the professional's own energy cycle are the ultimate choice for high-level professionals.

Chen Hao's excitement stemmed from the fact that he had finally reached the threshold of his professional path. A suitable weapon was like opening a door to a new world for him.

"Your dad really spared no expense for you," Li Xingyao sighed, calculating in his mind that his meager "public family" subsidy couldn't even buy him a basic super weapon.

"That's right!" Chen Hao said matter-of-factly. "He took a wrong turn when he was young, thinking that he could save money slowly, but he missed the best period for improvement and only managed to become a high-level ranger now."

He's kicking himself; now he's counting on me. I've barely gotten the hang of it, and he's already making plans." He lowered his voice mysteriously, leaning closer, "He said he's taking me on a field trip for some real-world practice during the holiday at the end of next month!"

We'll be conducting a week-long short-term survival and hunting training program on the outskirts of the 'Gray Rock Hills' on the northwestern border of Tianjing City! It's specifically designed to train rangers in stealth, tracking, environmental awareness, and lethal strikes! This is real, bloody combat!

"The wilderness?" Li Xingyao's heart skipped a beat, and the spoon he was using to scoop vegetable puree froze in mid-air. These two words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in his heart.

He was worried about not finding a safe and legal way to acquire "prey" to replenish the soul power of the Myriad Soul Banner, and at the same time, he was even more eager to obtain credit points—government welfare guaranteed basic survival, but those tempting meditation potions, equipment, and skill data, which one of them did not require real money? The EAD (Emergency Hazard Prevention Administration) surveillance was omnipresent in the city, and it was simply a pipe dream to hunt star beasts for rewards.

Wilderness, especially the relatively safe outer areas that are regularly cleared by city authorities, is simply the perfect hunting ground!

"After eating standard nutritional meals for so long, my mouth feels so bland," Li Xingyao thought to himself, his desire for a better life growing stronger.

The intense interest that flashed in his eyes didn't escape Chen Hao's notice. Chen Hao raised an eyebrow smugly: "How about it? Tempted? I knew you weren't exactly a peaceful soul at heart!"

However, he deliberately dragged out his words, "Wilderness survival for adventurers is a highly specialized and dangerous profession. There's so much to learn! Identifying poisonous insects and plants, tracking the tracks of star beasts, avoiding high-risk areas, treating fatal wounds, maintaining concealment in harsh environments... This isn't something you can learn just by looking at information or playing simulators!"

"My dad is a seasoned veteran who earned an advanced hunting license and spent several years working on the outskirts of the Frontier Legion!"

Li Xingyao suppressed his excitement, trying to make his tone calm and full of curiosity: "Uncle's experience is indeed invaluable. In the early stages of a necromancer's life... well, summoned creatures also need to adapt to different environments."

"Learning more about real-world combat and broadening my horizons can't hurt. Maybe in the future... I'll accumulate enough credits and be able to apply for a hunting license to see the outside world." He cleverly concealed his need for soul power and his urgency to make money.

"Haha, you have a good eye!" Chen Hao slapped his thigh, looking very pleased. "I knew it! What's the point of shooting at fake targets in a simulation training ground all day? A real man should go out into the wilderness, breathe the fresh air tinged with the stench of star beasts, and fight face-to-face with those lively, energetic guys!"

He rummaged through his tactical satchel for a while and pulled out a tiny data chip about the size of a fingernail, made of obsidian-like material.

"Here, take this!" Chen Hao shoved the chip into Li Xingyao's hand. "It's the core of my dad's old portable adventure log. Don't let its small size fool you; it contains a database of his experiences from years of exploring the areas surrounding Tianjing City, encrypted and compressed. Just tap it against the NFC area of ​​your watch to read it." He gestured for Li Xingyao to operate it.

Li Xingyao brought the inside of the watch close to the chip, and with a soft "beep," the watch's screen instantly projected a three-dimensional holographic map of the northwest area of ​​Tianjing City. The map was extremely accurate, with mountains, rivers, and vegetation clearly visible.

Chen Hao quickly swiped his finger in the air to zoom in, and a region near the edge of the city, roughly outlined with a striking red dynamic dotted line, was highlighted—the Dark Forest.