Chapter 28: The Corrupted and Devouring Gas Station
The Skeletons had already packed up all the supplies in the small convenience store. The shelves, the wreckage of a cash register, and even the blueprints taken from the walls had been moved outside.
Gu Su glanced around the empty, yet still tidy, store. After confirming that nothing had been left behind, he prepared to step outside.
All that remained was the corpse of the Harpies Leader on the gas station roof, which had yet to be collected.
’That’s the last of the treasure here at this gas station.’
Gu Su silently calculated his next steps. Once he retrieved the Harpies Leader’s corpse and had the Skeletons haul away the completely extinguished, charred remains of the Oil Centipede, the operation would be a true success. All the spoils could then be packed up and transported back to the Graveyard Demon.
But just as his hand touched the store’s doorframe and he was about to step out, his gaze suddenly froze.
At the entrance to the convenience store sat the shopping cart filled with Corroding Mycelium, left all alone and unguarded.
Gu Su paused for a moment, then it hit him. In his haste to gather the supplies, he had called every last Skeleton inside to act as laborers.
From the Ordinary Skeletons to the Elite Skeletons meant for combat, all of them were currently busy hauling shelves and Gold Coins. No one was paying any attention to the shopping cart.
In Gu Su’s eyes, after this great battle, the Skeletons were no longer just combat partners, but also his most capable laborers. Not a single ounce of their effort could be wasted.
He stared at the shopping cart for a moment, and an idea came to him.
’This cart is just sitting here empty,’ he thought. ’I might as well dump out the Corroding Mycelium and use it to move some of the lighter, miscellaneous items. We’ll be able to carry more that way. After all, there are so many odds and ends here, and a Skeleton can only carry so much in its two hands.’
Having made his decision, Gu Su walked over and pushed the shopping cart to an open space near the entrance.
Then, with a powerful heave, he upended the cart, dumping all the Corroding Mycelium inside onto the ground.
The moment the viscous, white mycelium hit the ground, it began to squirm slightly, as if alive. But before Gu Su could even turn to push the cart away, an unfamiliar system prompt suddenly sounded in his ear, making him freeze on the spot.
[Devourable Target Found: Abandoned Gas Station (Oil Storage Centipede Shell). Devour?]
The sudden prompt left Gu Su utterly stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He never would have imagined that simply dumping out a pile of Corroding Mycelium could trigger such an unexpected event.
He had always assumed the Corroding Mycelium’s only function was to expand the Graveyard Demon’s territory, converting the surrounding land directly into its domain.
He’d never imagined it could also devour objects, let alone trigger additional conversion options.
After a brief moment of shock, elation instantly flooded his heart.
This was clearly a gift that had fallen right into his lap. How could he possibly pass up such an opportunity?
Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Su immediately spoke his answer: "Devour!"
His tone was firm, as if he feared that if he was even a second too slow, this unexpected boon would disappear.
As soon as he spoke, the system prompt sounded again.
This time, the system presented Gu Su with three distinct conversion options, which appeared clearly in his mind:
[Please select a conversion path:
1. Obtain Gas Pump (Level 1). You can purchase fuel at the pump for 2 Gold Coins per liter (Daily limit: 10 liters).
2. Obtain Warehouse (Level 1). Can store a total of 5,000 units of materials.
3. Obtain Shop (Level 1). You can purchase goods from the shop for 5-10 Gold Coins each (Mostly White Quality, daily limit of 3 items). Due to the influence of the Corroding Mycelium, the shop’s products will mostly have Yin Qi and Death Qi Attributes.]
Staring at the three options, Gu Su fell silent, his fingertips gently stroking his chin as he sank into thought.
His understanding of the Corroding Mycelium had been far too shallow. He’d assumed its territory expansion was nothing more than a simple land conversion.
He had never considered that devouring a specific object could result in such transformations and choices.
At this, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
’Those trees inside the Graveyard Magic Wall that suddenly grew and then quickly withered... they’re probably not as simple as they appear.’
’It might be related to the Corroding Mycelium’s devouring and conversion ability. I have to investigate carefully when I get back. I might just find some other pleasant surprises.’
But for now, the most important thing was to make the choice at hand.
Gu Su reined in his thoughts and carefully re-examined the three conversion paths, analyzing them one by one.
’The first option is a Level 1 Gas Pump. It provides ten liters of fuel daily at a low price. It seems practical, but it’s not very useful to me at the moment.’
’My only vehicle right now is a beat-up pickup truck pushed by Skeletons.’
’It doesn’t use fuel at all, let alone that much of it.’
’So, that option has the lowest priority.’
’The remaining options, the Warehouse and the Shop, are both quite necessary.’
’The Warehouse can store 5,000 units of materials, which would solve my immediate problem.’
’The supplies I’ve gathered keep piling up. They’re all just stacked outside my tent, a disorganized mess vulnerable to damage. With a warehouse, I could store everything properly, saving a lot of time and trouble.’
’However, in my opinion, the Shop’s value is even higher than the Warehouse’s.’
’Even though the shop mostly produces White Quality items and is limited to only three per day...’
’An inexperienced player might look down on White Quality items.’
’But after my recent hauls, I’ve learned not to underestimate any White Quality item.’
’The Deceitful Tree in the Graveyard Demon mostly consumes White Quality Resources to grow, yet those provide significant boosts.’
’More importantly, the system explicitly stated that thanks to the influence of the Corroding Mycelium, the shop’s items will mostly have Yin Qi and Death Qi Attributes.’
’And those are precisely the Attributes I need most.’
’Whether for feeding the Deceitful Tree, strengthening the Yin Fire Heap, or equipping and enhancing the Skeleton Squad...’
’...items with Yin Qi and Death Qi can all be put to unexpectedly good use.’
Having weighed the pros and cons, Gu Su hesitated no longer. He announced his final decision in a firm voice, "I choose to convert it into the Shop."
The moment he spoke, the Corroding Mycelium on the ground, which had only been squirming slightly, suddenly sprang to life, spreading out in all directions like a tide.
One portion spread rapidly over the walls and floor of the convenience store, tightly enveloping the entire structure.
Another portion crept across the open ground of the gas station, blanketing the other buildings and surrounding land as it slowly began the process of consumption and conversion.
At this moment, Gu Su had no time for anything else. He pointed at his Skeletons and ordered, "Get up there and bring me that corpse and the nest. Be quick about it!"