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

On a huge electronic notice board, scarlet text scrolled: "Attention passengers bound for Blackrock Outpost, G-774 armed freight train (passenger carriages) is about to arrive. Please proceed to platform 7 to wait for your train..."

Although he understood the history of this world and was familiar with the scene before him, seeing it for the first time still had a significant impact on Li Xingyao. This chaotic yet orderly scene, where technology was mixed with a sense of barbarity, and where various groups of people had clearly defined roles, felt like stepping into a movie for Li Xingyao, who had lived in stable cities in both of his lives.

His most immediate impression was that it was like a monster hunter set in a science fiction world.

Li Xingyao took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic and disorderly state of mind, and strode towards platform 7.

A jet-black train, over a hundred meters long and resembling a steel behemoth, slowly pulled up beside the platform. Its body was covered in thick composite armor plating, and its massive laser headlights, like the pupils of a giant, emitted blinding beams of light.

This is the Armed Line, a lifeline for humanity traversing the perilous wilderness beneath the earth, primarily for freight transport, with a few simple yet sturdy passenger carriages attached to the rear.

Li Xingyao boarded the carriage marked "Passenger Carriage". The interior space was more spacious than he had imagined, but the facilities were extremely basic. Two rows of hard alloy seats were arranged facing each other, with a relatively wide aisle in the middle.

The air circulation system emitted a low hum, barely dispelling the stale air in the carriage. The passengers were a diverse mix: there were young people like him, middle-aged mercenaries with weathered faces and eyes closed in rest, groups sitting together, and lone businessmen with wary eyes sitting in the corner.

He found a spot near the air vent, placed his heavy backpack on his lap, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for the train to start. His enhanced senses, amplified by his heightened mental strength, acted like radar, automatically perceiving his surroundings.

He could hear the excited yet nervous whispers of the two young hunters sitting next to him, discussing their anticipation for their first hunt; he could also smell the strong tobacco scent and faint metallic odor emanating from the old mercenary in front of him; and he could even sense the surging stellar energy emanating from the woman diagonally opposite him.

The train started with a slight jolt, accelerated, and quickly reached cruising speed. Outside the window, the tunnel walls, illuminated by high-intensity lights, rushed past, monotonous and oppressive. The dull hum of the train and the noise of the tracks echoed in the carriage, creating a hypnotic background sound.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the gate of the Blackrock outpost camp, constructed of massive logs and alloy panels, slowly opened.

The soft hum of the electric motor blended into the morning tranquility as Li Xingyao smoothly drove out of the checkpoint on a small, dark gray electric all-terrain four-wheeled motorcycle with a scratch-resistant coating. The guard routinely recorded his student ID and vehicle pass, then waved him through.

This four-wheeled motorcycle was a camp asset rented by Li Xingyao using credits. It has a range of approximately 1000 kilometers, a top speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and is equipped with a military navigation system and front and rear folding storage compartments, making it an ideal vehicle for medium-distance wilderness exploration. It will greatly enhance Li Xingyao's mobility and logistical capabilities.

The motorcycle tires rolled over the compacted mud surrounding the camp, quickly leaving the camp's noise and activity behind. Li Xingyao didn't slow down, his gaze sweeping ahead. Within a radius of several kilometers around the camp, there were almost no traces of any valuable star beasts.

Only a few small star beasts and harmless insects that produce almost no star core live in the surrounding area, offering no hunting value to humans.

"Keep going," he thought to himself, gently turning the throttle with his right hand. The motorcycle's motor emitted a deep, powerful hum, and the speed increased dramatically. He needed to venture deeper, into areas less frequently raided.

He steered the bicycle with one hand, while the other hand pulled a military-grade electronic map tablet from his inner pocket. His finger swiped across the slightly reflective screen, quickly zooming in on the northeastern area. The map showed that he needed to travel approximately 120 kilometers northeast to reach his target area, a vast region marked "Old Industrial Plain."

According to map notes and some scattered information updated later, it is the site of the core industrial area of ​​a large city a century ago, roughly one-third the size of the old Pudong New Area.

Over a long period, the impact of the Star Beasts and the destruction of early wars reduced most of the buildings to ruins, which were then covered and eroded by vegetation, eventually forming the unique landscape of plains and forests that we see today. Because of its relatively flat terrain and good visibility, it is home to a variety of Star Beasts, mainly small to medium-sized, making it an ideal area for solo travelers like him.

After setting the navigation route, a winding green dotted line appeared on the screen, avoiding several areas marked as potentially high-risk. Li Xingyao lowered his goggles, leaned forward slightly to reduce wind resistance, and began to rapidly advance along the navigation route on his all-terrain motorcycle.

The all-terrain motorcycle's performance was fully demonstrated. It easily crossed the damp riverbed, rolled over gentle slopes covered with fallen leaves, and carved a path through the massive ferns. Its powerful torque made even steep inclines effortless. Li Xingyao focused his mind, relying on his enhanced dynamic vision and mental perception to constantly fine-tune his direction, avoiding protruding tree roots and hidden rocks.

Along the way, his mental perception issued several early warnings. Li Xingyao, relying on the speed and agility of his motorcycle, detected potential threats early on and easily avoided or circled them. He had no intention of getting entangled with these troublesome or low-value star beasts; with a twist of the throttle, he left these minor incidents behind, heading straight for the plain ruins.

Time flew by amidst the low hum of the engine and the dust kicked up by the wheels. They traveled at full speed during the day, only stopping briefly around midday to rest and eat, also taking the opportunity to recharge the motorcycle with its portable solar panels. At night, they sought out secluded tree canopies or sturdy corners of ruins, releasing a small number of undead guards for several hours of deep rest.

Just after noon the next day, according to the navigation, he was very close to his destination. The scenery before him began to change gradually. The dense primeval forest became increasingly sparse, the gaps between the trees widened, and it was replaced by large patches of wild grass, shrubs, and scattered, low but tenacious, twisted trees.

Scattered, severely weathered concrete blocks, broken steel bars, and the remains of huge metal frames half-buried in the soil began to appear frequently on the ground. Like the skeletons of giant beasts, they silently told the story of the past hustle and bustle and civilization of this place.

The terrain became noticeably flatter and more open, with sunlight streaming in without obstruction. Compared to the dark forest, the view here was excellent, but it also exuded a more intense atmosphere of desolation and loneliness. This was his destination—the old industrial plain on the edge of the gray rock hills.

Li Xingyao slowed down, carefully maneuvering his motorcycle around a pile of garbage that might contain sharp metal, and finally stopped in front of a half-buried reinforced concrete pipe remnant with only a little over 1 meter of its circular cross-section exposed. The location was slightly elevated, with the pipe behind it and a wide view, making it a good temporary base.

He turned off the motorcycle's motor and carefully checked its condition. The battery still had about 80% charge, enough for the return trip or short-term travel needs. There were some scratches on the tires and chassis, but nothing serious. Then he drank some energy drinks, ate some high-energy compressed jerky and nutritional supplements to quickly replenish the energy he had used up from the continuous journey.

After resting for about twenty minutes, Li Xingyao felt he had recovered considerably. His eyes brightened, and he stood at a relatively flat spot near the pipe entrance, sinking his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness to connect with the spirit world.

"Come forth, my warriors."

The next moment, streaks of gray-white and dark green light flashed one after another on the open ground in front of him, as if opening a small passage to the world of death.

First to appear were ten skeletal swordsmen. They stood in two neat rows, their tall skeletons displaying a dense, greyish-white hue, as if forged through countless trials. The bone swords they gripped were exceptionally sharp, their single blades reflecting a cold, chilling light in the plains sunlight. Deep within their empty eye sockets, eerie blue soul flames burned steadily, emanating a cold, serene killing intent.

Immediately afterwards, five crocodile-skinned zombies stepped heavily out of the summoning light. They were more robust and muscular than skeletons, covered with a layer of dark green, thick skin that looked like it had been roughly sewn on, full of wrinkles and ugly bumps, with a texture like crocodile leather, and looked extremely tough.

Their hands had unusually large fingers, with claws at the tips like short-handled scimitars. Even when they hung naturally, they exuded an unsettling aura of pure power.

Finally, five skeleton hunters appeared. Their skeletons were more slender and lighter than the swordsmen's, making them more suited for agile movement. Each of them carried five bone spears crossed on their backs!

Unlike the swordsman's steady fire, the soul flames in their eye sockets flickered like dancing ghostly flames, constantly scanning the distance and locking onto every possible target. They provided the squad with invaluable ranged attack capabilities.

Twenty undead creatures stood silently before Li Xingyao, forming a small but fully functional undead squad. Their presence instilled a chilling, deathly silence in this already desolate land.

"Spread out in a fan shape to search from this point. Prioritize vigilance. If any medium or larger star beasts are found, report their location and number immediately. Do not attack without orders." Li Xingyao issued the order to all undead units via mental connection.