Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 185 Level 1 Monsters

The creature’s body collapsed in two uneven halves at her feet.

A third one leapt toward her from the front, its entire weight thrown into the attack. Instead of stepping back she moved into it, her shoulder slamming forward to break its momentum.

Her blade drove straight through its neck, and with a sharp pull and turn, its head was sent spinning away. Its body dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"Close in!" Gabriel shouted, seizing the moment she created. Gunshots rang out again.

The soldiers tightened their formation and moved forward with renewed force as they followed her lead. They pushed outward, their bullets tearing through the monsters that tried to circle around them.

Ling Xuan continued moving at the front. Her steps were controlled and swift. Her blade flashed again and again as she cut through the monsters that came within reach, while the soldiers coordinated behind and beside her. They covered the gaps she left and prevented the creatures from flanking them.

Two monsters rushed towards her at once from opposite sides, but she stepped between them with a calm that did not falter.

Her sword swept low first to slice through the legs of the one on her left. Before its body could even fall, her wrist twisted and her blade reversed direction to cut across the neck of the one on her right. Both bodies collapsed at the same time as she moved forward again without pause.

A creature tried to lunge at one of the soldiers from behind, but Ling Xuan intercepted it before it could reach him. Her blade cut straight down from above, splitting it cleanly from shoulder to waist. Its body fell apart mid-motion before it could even touch its target.

The battle did not last long after that. Once their formation stabilized and Ling Xuan took control of the front, the monsters began to fall one after another. Their numbers thinned rapidly as the soldiers pressed forward with tighter coordination.

Their gunfire was precise and relentless, while Ling Xuan cut down anything that broke through. Within minutes, the last creature collapsed. The forest fell into a heavy silence, broken only by uneven breathing and the faint sound of blood dripping onto the ground.

Black blood spread across the ashen earth. It was thick and dark as it painted the ground around them, and the bodies of both monsters and soldiers lay scattered together.

It was a grim mixture that made the air feel heavier than before. Ling Xuan stood still for a moment. Her sword lowered slightly as the last drop of blood slid from its edge. Just as she was about to move, Laurel’s voice echoed faintly in her mind, carrying a trace of urgency that made her pause.

"Where is Tina?" Laurel asked. Her voice strained with worry.

"She is with Stefan. She is safe." Ling Xuan almost seemed irritated.

Yet even as she spoke, a dull sensation pressed faintly against her chest. It was subtle but persistent, as if something about those words did not fully settle within her.

On the other end, Laurel remained silent for a moment before speaking again, her unease not easing as she had hoped.

"I don’t feel better hearing that," Laurel said slowly. Her voice was quieter but more serious. "You should look for her."

Ling Xuan’s brows arched slightly. She also intended to look for her too, she thought inwardly before giving a short hum in response.

Her gaze drifted slightly over the surroundings again. Only then did Laurel seem to notice what lay around her through the connection.

"...Those are what I think they are, right?" Laurel asked after a pause. Her tone sharpened slightly.

Ling Xuan did not answer, but the silence itself was enough.

"It hasn’t even been a month yet," Laurel continued, more to herself than to Ling Xuan, though her voice remained steady. "Though I knew it could happen earlier than expected." She paused briefly before adding, "They are only level one monsters, so they are not too difficult to handle for you. It would only be a problem if higher level monsters start appearing now."

Ling Xuan’s eyes lowered to one of the corpses, her expression unreadable as she listened.

"Cut open the monsters’ chests and take their cores," Laurel said, her voice regaining clarity as she spoke. "They contain condensed energy that can be used for cultivation and strengthening abilities. They can also be traded later, so the earlier you start collecting them, the better."

Ling Xuan did not respond immediately. Her gaze drifted instead to the bodies of her fallen men scattered among the monsters. For a brief moment, her chest tightened as if it was to show how incompetent she felt as a leader.

Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She knew they should leave. That staying longer increased the risk of them being killed. But she also understood the value of what Laurel had just said.

"Cut open the monster’s chest and harvest their cores... something that looks like a ball," she ordered.

Some of the soldiers hesitated. Their eyes flickered between the surrounding forest and the bodies on the ground.

Fear was evident in their expressions as they thought about what might still be lurking nearby. But none of them voiced their doubts.

After a brief pause, they moved, kneeling beside the monsters and cutting into their chests with controlled but reluctant motions. Black flesh parted under their blades, revealing a round red core inside. Each one was about the size of a fist and faintly glowing beneath the surface, covered with dark fluid as they were pulled free.

At the same time, Ling Xuan turned her attention to her fallen comrades. With a slight movement of her hand, their bodies disappeared one after another into her space.

Some of the soldiers glanced at her with brief surprise, but their expressions quickly straightened as if they had never shown any expressions.

They didn’t bother to ask any questions as they had seen enough to understand that she possessed abilities similar to Stefan.

The remaining supplies were gathered quickly, but Ling Xuan knew carrying them would slow them down, especially with the terrain ahead. Without hesitation she stored them away as well. The items vanished just as the bodies had, leaving the soldiers momentarily stunned before they composed themselves again.

Gabriel walked up to her then, his expression tightening slightly as he spoke. "We were worried," he admitted, his voice lower now. "When you fell with Alexander and Chris, we tried to get to you, but the vines were too aggressive and we lost a couple of men."

His jaw clenched briefly before he continued. "We had no choice but to pull back and return to camp to wait and figure out how to get you out."

He paused for a moment before glancing behind her and the surroundings, "Where are they? I don’t see them anywhere."

"They are fine," Ling Xuan replied curtly.

Gabriel studied her for a second, then nodded, accepting the answer without pressing further.

Ling Xuan turned away from him. Her gaze moved toward the forest ahead as she spoke again. "We should start moving now."

The soldiers straightened up quickly as they began advancing through the woods, their movements cautious. Their eyes scanned every corner and shadow for any sign of movement.