Chapter 17: Skeleton Enhancement
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After the Deceitful Tree swallowed the two useful seeds, Gu Su wasted no more time. He turned and began methodically moving the various nourishing materials he had brought to the base of the Deceitful Tree, stacking them neatly.
The Melted Corpse Oil, stored in a metal box, gave off a faint, rancid stench of decay.
The sludge, transported from a refrigerated warehouse, was thick and sticky, suffused with a lingering, corrupting energy.
There were also the fragmented remains of flesh and blood collected after killing the long-haired rats, which, though small, carried a pure, bloody scent.
Gu Su piled everything he could think of that could nourish the Deceitful Tree at its roots.
As soon as the materials were in place, the Deceitful Tree’s withered, black branches began to sway gently. Countless fine, fibrous roots stealthily emerged from the soil like greedy tentacles, slowly wrapping around the metal box of Corpse Oil, the sludge, and the flesh, siphoning the energy from within bit by bit.
As the energy was absorbed, the Deceitful Tree’s repair rate panel slowly ticked up, finally stopping at 34%. Its once slightly shriveled branches grew firmer and more lustrous.
At the same time, Gu Su felt a slight vibration from the ground beneath his feet.
Gu Su bent down and touched the ground with his fingertips. He could clearly feel that the soil in the graveyard had become much firmer, no longer as soft and loose as before.
Apparently, after absorbing the corrupting energy from the sludge, the Deceitful Tree had converted the excess impurities into material to enrich the soil.
It had both repaired itself and improved the graveyard’s terrain, killing two birds with one stone.
Sensing this change, Gu Su understood that the Deceitful Tree’s functions had been partially restored again.
With the task of nourishing the Deceitful Tree complete for now, the only thing left was to deal with the few monster corpses.
Gu Su didn’t hesitate with the two Harpy corpses. He raised a hand, signaling two Skeletons to move forward, drag the bodies to the second Empty Tomb, and toss them right in.
Although Harpies were strange creatures, their corpses were fresh and their energy was ordinary, perfectly meeting the conversion requirements for a Level 1 Empty Tomb.
The moment the corpses landed in the Empty Tomb, a pale gray Undead Energy rose from the Gravepile, enveloping the bodies and rapidly dissolving them as it dragged them into the grave.
[The Empty Tomb automatically used your Soul Summoning Technique (Level 1), obtaining Skeleton (Level 0) x2. Soul Summoning Technique proficiency +2.]
The instant the system prompt sounded, two brand-new Skeletons slowly crawled out of the Empty Tomb. Although their frames were a bit flimsy, they already possessed basic combat abilities.
Counting the six Skeletons summoned with the Soul Summoning Technique after killing the long-haired rats, plus the two Skeletons that the second Empty Tomb originally had, the Level 1 Empty Tomb had now reached its full capacity. A total of ten Skeletons stood neatly beside the Gravepile, awaiting Gu Su’s command.
Seeing the situation, Gu Su didn’t hesitate. He immediately chose to upgrade the second Empty Tomb in the direction of a Tombstone.
This was the optimal upgrade path for a Level 1 Empty Tomb, a step he had planned long ago.
[Tombstone (Level 1): Type and number of resident Undead remain unchanged. Resident Undead are upgraded from Ordinary to Elite (Skeleton Attack +1, Defense +1, Life +3).]
The instant the system prompt faded, pale gray Undead Energy surged into the second Empty Tomb like a tide, before transferring to the ten Skeletons outside.
Their bodies began to change noticeably. They grew taller by about half a head, and their once slender bones became thick and sturdy, glowing with a faint, grayish-white luster.
Even more surprisingly, a layer of worn yet tough bandages automatically wrapped around the joints of their limbs and torsos, firmly securing their bones.
This was clearly to further enhance their defensive capabilities and prevent them from being easily shattered in battle.
After the upgrade was complete, the aura of these ten Elite Skeletons was completely different.
Compared to the flimsy Ordinary Skeletons from the Gravepile, which were responsible for labor, their presence was much more formidable. Their posture was ramrod straight and orderly, and one could tell at a glance that the two types served different purposes.
The Skeletons from the Gravepile focused on numbers and labor efficiency, whereas these Elite Skeletons were considered a combat unit.
But Gu Su didn’t stop their upgrades there.
His gaze swept over the pile of supplies to the side, landing on the materials that had been set aside for other purposes.
Rusted Angle Iron from shelves, sharp ceiling fan blades, and dismantled iron parts from cars—all of these were prime materials for crafting basic weapons.
The combat power of Undead Creatures depended not only on their Level and Attributes but also crucially on the enhancement from their weapons. Gu Su planned to equip these Skeletons with all-metal weapons.
"You lot, come over here. Take this stuff and see what kind of weapons would be best for you."
Gu Su issued the command to the ten Elite Skeletons, letting them choose their own weapons.
Then he turned to four other sturdy Skeletons. "You four, carry this Lion King corpse over to that Level 2 Empty Tomb."
That Level 2 Empty Tomb was completely different from the Level 1 Empty Tombs. It wasn’t an empty pit but a broken coffin with its lid pried off.
The coffin’s surface was carved with faint undead patterns and emanated a dense Yin Qi. It was specifically used for converting Undead such as Zombies and Walking Dead.
The four sturdy Skeletons immediately bowed in acknowledgment. Working together, they gripped the massive body of the Deceitful Jungle Lion King, lifted it steadily, and walked step by step toward the coffin of the Level 2 Empty Tomb.
Just as they were about to place the Lion King’s corpse into the coffin, a crisp "DING!" suddenly sounded in Gu Su’s mind.
[Core Creature corpse (Level 2) detected. This item is required to upgrade the Graveyard Demon. Do you wish to place it in the Empty Tomb for conversion?]
"A Core Creature corpse?" Gu Su was clearly taken aback, his eyes filled with confusion.
Although he was only an Undead Mage who had mastered basic abilities and had only learned the introductory knowledge of Undead Magic, he still had a grasp of corpse classification and utilization.
Every Undead Mage knew that the requirements for the main combatants of an Undead Team grew increasingly strict as the Level of the Empty Tomb increased.
A Level 1 Empty Tomb only needed a fresh corpse to convert a Skeleton, while a Level 2 Empty Tomb required a strong corpse to convert a Zombie or a Walking Dead.
A Level 3 Empty Tomb needed a Spiritual corpse to convert a Ghost.
A Level 4 Empty Tomb required a corpse with high Constitution, plus blood, to convert a Vampire.
A Level 5 Empty Tomb required a corpse with an aptitude for the Magic Series, plus materials like a Magic Staff or Magic Book, to convert a Corpse Witch or a Lich.
A Level 6 Empty Tomb, in addition to the corpse, required a Longsword, a full set of Armor, and the corpse of a mount to convert a Death Knight.
A Level 7 Empty Tomb was simply called a Dragon Tomb, and one had to bury a dragon in it—even a Velociraptor would do.
But this was the first time Gu Su had ever heard the term "Core Creature corpse."
’How could this thing be related to the Graveyard Demon’s upgrade?’
Gu Su was completely baffled, but after a moment’s thought, he still had the Skeletons put down the Deceitful Jungle Lion King’s corpse.
He returned to his tent to look up the relevant information.
Because he had obtained the Core Creature corpse, the upgrade criteria for the Graveyard Demon were now available to view.
When he saw the standards and requirements for upgrading the Graveyard Demon, Gu Su couldn’t help but frown.