Chapter 26: Bountiful Harvest
The moment the system prompt sounded in his mind, Gu Su’s taut nerves finally relaxed completely.
He let out a long sigh, the tightness in his chest dissipating along with it.
He raised a hand to wipe the dust from his forehead, then jerked his chin at the Magic Skeleton waiting by his side, signaling it to follow.
He then pushed a shopping cart filled with white Corroding Mycelium himself, his steps light as he headed toward the battlefield.
After much planning and a fierce battle, he had finally eliminated the Oil Monster—no, the Oil Centipede.
Gu Su’s mind was now filled with eager anticipation for his post-battle spoils.
As he neared the battlefield, he saw that with the Oil Centipede’s death, the flames on its body were slowly dying down, no longer the unstoppable conflagration from before.
Only scattered flames clung to the wreckage of its corpse, flickering feebly.
Strangely, the flames remained confined to the Oil Centipede’s body. They didn’t spread to the surrounding ground or vegetation, as if bound by some invisible force. Eventually, they turned into wisps of black smoke, which rose slowly into the air, carrying the pungent smell of fuel.
Gu Su didn’t risk approaching the smoldering wreckage. Instead, he led the Magic Skeleton carefully around the burning area and headed straight for the abandoned gas station.
Thanks to the nourishment and protection of the Oil Centipede’s Power while it was alive, the gas station was in far better condition than he’d expected.
Even though the Oil Centipede had smashed through several walls and shattered glass with its bloated body during its death throes, the three gas pumps out front and the small convenience store in the back were in far better shape than the mall supermarket he had previously scavenged. There were no signs of widespread decay or collapse.
Gu Su’s gaze first fell upon the three gas pumps in front of the station.
The cabinets of all three pumps were flashing with a soft yet conspicuous green glow.
Clearly, this was the system’s exclusive reward for killing the Oil Centipede. Each gas pump was like a Treasure Chest waiting to be opened.
As for the small convenience store in the back, its main door hung crookedly in the frame. Most of the shelves inside had been cleared out, making the space feel empty.
But on closer inspection, he could see that the surfaces of the empty shelves bore no trace of rust. Instead, they were evenly coated in a thin layer of black grease.
The substance was viscous to the touch—it was the same grease from the Oil Centipede’s body. For some reason, it had actually protected the shelves.
Inside the store, the checkout counter still stood firm in a corner. The cash register, which should have been defunct long ago, was now pulsing with a soft white light. Characters flickered faintly on its screen, suggesting it also held some kind of reward.
What was even more surprising was the brand-new oil painting hanging on the mottled wall of the small convenience store.
The painting’s colors were vibrant and its brushstrokes delicate, making it look as if it had just been unboxed. It was completely out of place in the dilapidated, empty, grease-stained supermarket, making it both jarring and exceptionally conspicuous.
Meanwhile, in the nest on the gas station roof, the Harpies Leader—which had been severely injured but had managed to escape—lay motionless.
Her eyes were wide open, her breath long gone. She was as dead as dead could be.
On her cold corpse, a brilliantly colored red feather stood out. The tip of the feather continuously radiated a faint white light—soft, but not dim. It was clearly another special, energy-infused item.
Seeing all these glowing items, Gu Su’s eyes lit up, and a small smile touched his lips.
’This is a huge score!’
Whether it was the gas pumps glowing green, the cash register flashing white, or the radiant feather and the new oil painting, every single item exuded the aura of a treasure.
’He’d really hit the jackpot with this battle!’
Suppressing his excitement, Gu Su wasted no time and immediately rushed over to the three gas pumps.
The green glow emanating from the three pumps was nearly identical, suggesting the rewards would be similar. He didn’t bother choosing, simply walking to the nearest one, reaching out, and pulling the nozzle from its holster.
He then held down the handle on the nozzle, took a deep breath, and squeezed hard.
PFFT— With a soft hiss, the nozzle spat out globs of black, viscous sludge. The sludge spread out in mid-air, revealing several items of various sizes wrapped within, which then fell slowly to the ground in front of Gu Su.
Almost simultaneously, a series of system prompts chimed in his mind.
[You have opened an Oil Depot Treasure Chest (Green). You received 554 Gold Coins and 3 units of mercury.]
[You have obtained the item, Highly Concentrated Corrosive Oil (White): A special gasoline formed over time under the influence of a strange presence. It can be used to provide Deceitful Qi or as fuel.]
[You have obtained the item, Polluted Engine Oil (White): Engine oil contaminated by a strange Power. Its original properties are gone, but it can be used for fireproofing.]
[You have obtained the item, Black Digestive Fluid (White): Digestive fluid from devouring a large number of corpses. It carries extremely heavy Death Qi and Yin Qi.]
[You have obtained the item, Oil Sprayer (Green)]
[Oil Sprayer (Green, City Defense Weapons)]
[Attack: 45]
[Range: 150 meters]
[Equipment Requirements: Must be mounted on a defense tower or turret.]
[Special 1: Oil Bomb. Automatically generates one Oil Bomb every ten minutes. Maximum storage of 5.]
[Special 2: Flame Spray. Unleashes a five-minute jet of flames in a 100-meter area in front. Can be used three times per day.]
[Explanation: I’ll burn you to death.]
The moment the system prompts faded, the green glow from the other two gas pumps slowly dissipated, and they returned to their ordinary appearance.
Gu Su stared at the items before him, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He had expected a rich haul from killing the Oil Centipede, but he’d never imagined that opening just the first green Treasure Chest would yield such an incredible surprise.
Every single item was incredibly practical.
He subconsciously picked up the items, an assessment instantly forming in his mind:
The Highly Concentrated Corrosive Oil was perfect for strengthening the Yin Fire Heap in the Graveyard Demon.
That bottle of Polluted Engine Oil, even though it had lost its original properties, could be smeared on the Graveyard Demon’s walls to increase their fire resistance, providing an extra layer of security against fire-type enemies in the future.
As for that bottle of Black Digestive Fluid, heavy with Death Qi and Yin Qi, it was undoubtedly tailor-made fertilizer for the Graveyard Demon’s Deceitful Tree, perfect for strengthening its abilities.
But out of all of it, the most surprising and valuable item for Gu Su was undoubtedly the Green Quality Oil Sprayer.
’This thing might be called an Oil Sprayer, but with its 45 Attack, 150-meter range, and two special Skills—Oil Bomb and Flame Spray—it’s clearly a City Defense Cannon that can be mounted on a defense tower!’
The weapon had a retro-industrial look. Its main body was made of Metal, with a surface showing signs of rust and wear. It had a mixed color scheme of brass and dark gray. The front end bore clear scorch marks from fuel spray, and the rear was bolted to the cannon’s body.
The body consisted of multiple sets of gears, chains, and Metal supports. The gears were toothed, the chains were wound in loops, and the dark gray Metal supports were covered in rivets and weld marks.
It also had a modestly sized base with a spring mechanism, allowing it to be mounted on a turret or defense tower.
A retro gas pump handle was embedded in the middle of the barrel, its nozzle pointing inward. The handle had an anti-slip grip, and the gun body was connected to the barrel via a Metal tube.
Gu Su understood at a glance; with this Oil Sprayer, his Graveyard Demon’s defenses would see a qualitative leap.
’If only I’d gotten this Oil Sprayer sooner,’ he thought. ’When I faced a tough, bizarre enemy like the Oil Centipede, I wouldn’t have had to rack my brain for a solution.’
’I could have just lured the Oil Centipede near the Graveyard Demon, mounted the Oil Sprayer, and used its Flame Spray and Oil Bomb Skills to blast it to bits.’