Amber Sword

To avoid falling into a trap.

But it wasn't completely unable to see Brando; the young man understood this point.

He cautiously unhooked the Black Steel Longsword from the skeleton soldier's claws, his movements slow and light. Brando felt his heartbeat slow but strong, like a cowhide drum striking his fragile nerves. Whether it was an illusion or not, the massive bone skeleton inevitably moved closer.

Less than ten meters.

At this distance, if the Madara General's Guard burst forth, Brando would be decapitated. He couldn't help but turn his head a few times, seemingly to subconsciously confirm that his head was still on his shoulders.

The Undead took another step closer.

Brando could no longer remain calm; the mindset trained in game could not obscure the reality of risking his life. He glanced at the towering bone skeleton—Madara's General's Guard, renowned for their speed, coldness, and relentless killing on the battlefield. The great axes in their hands were nearly four meters long, capable of exerting over twenty tons of force in a full strike, making each confrontation a considerably costly venture for humans.

In Karasu's war records, Undead Wizards had once used several General's Guards to disperse an entire infantry regiment from Erune. On the front lines, these towering creatures moved like mobile iron towers, their terrifying legends numerous.

Of course, humans also had elite troops capable of facing them one-on-one.

But Brando had not reached that level.

When the Crusader Executioner's gaze fell upon him, his heart began uncontrollably pounding faster and faster. His blood circulated rapidly, as if his life force had become palpable. The tall undead paused slightly—a chill instantly enveloped Brando's head.

It had seen through his trick.

But only a few seconds had passed.

Brando felt a cool chill on his forehead. Any slight movement would attract an attack, but even staying still could only last a few more seconds. He stared at his attribute interface, realizing that a few seconds were futile. He needed more time, just a bit more. Suddenly making a decision, he rolled to the side.

The massive skeleton reacted immediately, lifting its war axe—the cold light of the metal reflecting on Brando's face, making him turn pale. The gigantic monster moved like a grey ghost in an instant, dragging the axe alongside the wall with a 'whoosh,' creating a long crack. The icy blade seemed to plow through the bricks, causing the fractured bricks and embedded wooden beams to protrude, forming a rapidly advancing, deep trench.

The auction house was in an underground passageway, with the walls on both sides fortified, but under the Crusader Executioner's devastating strength, they were as fragile as tofu. As it swung forward, the wind pressure and crack extended toward Brando. But the young man feinted, rolling to the side while kicking off the ground with his foot, leaping in the opposite direction.

The giant skeleton's axe was destined to hit empty ground. With a bang, the ground's stone slabs shattered, sending fragments flying. But Brando dodged, diving between the tall undead's legs. The Crusader Executioner roared from its hollow neck, a soul-piercing shriek, retracting its axe to stab at the ground. Brando zigzagged, rising to grasp its thigh bone, turning to one side. Every time the giant skeleton attempted to turn its axe point, the ceiling blocked the long axe handle. In the blink of an eye, Brando had dodged three attacks. The Crusader Executioner finally realized and reached out to grab the cunning human.

Fifteen seconds.

Brando had held on long enough.

As the Crusader Executioner grabbed downward with its massive bones, Brando immediately ducked, avoiding it. The moment his Charge Skill came off cooldown, he activated it, his speed almost twice that of the monster. He shot forward like a continuous afterimage, simultaneously slashing the wall ahead with a Power Burst from his left hand—

Close to 20 levels of force struck the wall.

The Black Steel Longsword emitted a mournful cry, breaking inch by inch. But the wall likewise caved in with a booming sound, the bricks interlocking like jagged teeth. Brando discarded the Longsword and punched the wall with his left hand, causing it to collapse. He jumped inside, unsurprisingly finding another room as the Wind Spirit Spider had circled through the sewers to wait for him.

He was closer to his target.

But the Crusader Executioner was even closer. Brando dared not slow down, the last burst of speed like a meteor, smashing through the room's door. As he barely exited, the massive bone skeleton crashed through the wall, howling and lifting its head, pushing apart the broken wall with both hands—dust falling from its helmet like sand, then squeezing through with a thundering sound.

The two began their chase in the narrow space, bringing misfortune upon the auction house—the Crusader Executioner resembled a humanoid bulldozer, splintering wood-stone layered walls with its near fifty levels of strength, crumbling them to powder as it advanced.

In an instant, it passed through three walls. From outside the auction house, a part of the circular building had already collapsed with a crash.

Brando anxiously calculated the distance: two more rooms. He randomly drew a dagger from his belt, throwing it backward, but the Crusader Executioner crashed through without stopping. The sharp blade merely left a white scratch on its bones. It lifted its head, only to be confronted by a Wind Spirit Spider, which the massive skeleton crushed into green paste with a casual punch.

Brando passed through another room.

The Crusader Executioner raised its axe for the second time, making the young man feel a chill down his back as if time had run out.

(PS. Sincerely asking for monthly tickets, subscriptions, and recommendations. The second watch will be released at 10 PM.)(To be continued. For more information, please visit www.qidian.com, with more chapters and support the author, support genuine reading!)