Chapter 9: Setting Out Anew
Day three of the new book’s release! I’m doing my best to ask for your follows, recommendations, monthly votes, and all other forms of support. Please help me spread the word, my friends!
————————————
Aside from the noticeable progress in repairing the Broken Fence, fixing the other facilities didn’t go nearly as well.
It wasn’t that Gu Su was unwilling to make the repairs. He simply lacked the necessary materials, forcing him to put the task on hold for now.
The only thing he could do was bury the pile of Broken Bones he had brought back at the base of the Deceitful Tree.
He took the [Gloomy Branches] and the [Broken Red Balloon Skin] and stuck them directly into the ground next to the Deceitful Tree’s roots.
A faint gray Undead Energy mingled with the strange aura lingering on the branches and balloon skin, slowly seeping into the Deceitful Tree’s root system and replenishing its energy.
Even so, the Deceitful Tree’s repair progress only increased by 8%.
This meant that to completely restore the Deceitful Tree and allow it to fully perform its functions of defense, mist purification, and waste disposal, he would need at least thirteen or fourteen more sets of similar materials. That amounted to nearly thirty white-grade materials, a requirement that was hard to fulfill in the short term.
The only visible change was a new branch on the Deceitful Tree, wrapped in the skin of a red balloon. Against the backdrop of withered, black limbs, it gave off a strangely ’festive’ air.
Fortunately, there was some good news from the Empty Tombs.
After dealing with all the supplies and nourishing the Deceitful Tree, Gu Su immediately began organizing his Skeleton Squads.
He sent the Skeleton that had been converted from the Goblin Shaman, the one with Magic Series potential, into the last remaining Empty Tomb by itself.
A moment later, a new Tombstone rose before the grave, clearly inscribed with: Skeleton Squad - Magic Series (0/10).
This reserved a space for cultivating Skeleton Mages in the future.
The Skeleton converted from the barbecued Kobold was sent to the second Empty Tomb, where it joined the Skeleton that had recovered from severe injuries, filling a vacant spot in that squad.
The remaining ten Skeletons all returned to the first Empty Tomb, filling it to capacity.
Because the first Empty Tomb had reached full capacity, a new notification immediately popped up on the Graveyard Demon’s information panel. It unlocked upgrade paths for the Empty Tomb, giving Gu Su new strategic options to consider.
[Level 1 Empty Tomb at full capacity. Upgrade path available. A full Empty Tomb can be upgraded into a Gravepile or a Tombstone.]
[Gravepile (Level 1): Type of residing Undead remains unchanged. Capacity increases from 10 to 25. Automatically generates one Minion when at full capacity.]
[Tombstone (Level 1): Type and number of residing Undead remain unchanged. Residing Undead are upgraded from ’Normal’ to ’Elite’.]
Gu Su already knew a bit about how Empty Tombs worked.
It was a unique feature of the Undead Series; the Level of an Empty Tomb followed a different progression track from that of other Undead buildings.
Empty Tombs only had seven levels, with Levels 1 through 7 corresponding to Skeletons, Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Corpse Witches, Death Knights, and Bone Dragons, respectively.
There could be variations, but those were due to the specific types of corpses placed inside and were not directly related to the Empty Tomb’s Level.
Once an Empty Tomb was full, two upgrade paths became available: one to increase the number of Undead it could house, and the other to increase the strength of the Undead within.
For him, it wasn’t a difficult choice between the two paths.
Empty Tombs were the most fundamental building in the Undead Series.
You could build one on any empty plot of land, with no upper limit on the number. Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t even hesitate over the choice.
What Gu Su lacked right now was numbers, so he chose the Gravepile path first to increase the size of his forces.
With that decided, he turned his thoughts to his next course of action.
He only had ten days in total, and just repairing the Graveyard Demon required a substantial amount of materials.
Some of those materials could be substituted with junk, but others could not.
This was especially true for the two key missions; Gu Su still had no clue about the materials required for them.
His gains so far were nothing. He still had a long way to go.
After a quick glance at the Graveyard Demon’s status, Gu Su stood up.
[Name: Desolate Graveyard (Gray Quality)]
[Level: 0]
[Traits: Graveyard Demon (Gray, Degraded)]
[Resources: 21 Gold Coins, 9 Yin Qi, 23 Wood, 0 Stone, 29 Metal, 0 Gemstone, 0 Crystal, 0 Mercury, 0 Sulfur]
[Annex Buildings:
1. Deceitful Tree (Level 1): The graveyard’s defensive core. Current Status: 8% repaired.
2. Old Tent (Level 1): The graveyard’s architectural core and residence. Current Status: Intact.
3. Yin Fire Heap (Level 0): Gathers Yin Qi. Current Status: Lit (requires special fuel).
4. Empty Tombs (1x Level 3, 2x Level 2, 2x Level 1): Placing a corpse inside automatically converts it into a controllable Undead unit for the owner.
5. Gravepile (1x Level 1): Strengthens Undead dwellings and increases population capacity. Placing a corpse inside automatically converts it into a controllable Undead unit for the owner.
6. Broken Fence (Level 1): Basic defensive structure, capable of blocking low-level invaders. Current Status: Intact.
7. Earth-Binding Vein (Level 0): Allows the graveyard to move. Current Status: Inactive (requires completion of a specific mission to repair).
8. Corroding Mycelium (Level 0): Can absorb items, abnormalities, props, or buildings with Death, Yin Qi, or Undead attributes to expand the graveyard’s area. Current Status: Inactive (requires completion of a specific mission to repair).]
[Explanation: Although this is a dilapidated Graveyard Demon, thanks to manual repairs, things are starting to look up.]
"Time waits for no one," Gu Su sighed, striding out of the tent.
His gaze fell upon the freshly sealed graves.
Without any orders, all the Skeletons remained in their graves, recovering their vitality and growing stronger.
Gu Su beckoned, and three graves slid open. The Skeletons quickly emerged and stood beside him.
"All Skeleton Squads, grab your weapons! Push the pickup truck over here. You’re coming with me to gather more Resources."
Gu Su raised his hand and pointed to the battered pickup truck. "Our target this time is the nearby stores. Focus on finding usable materials and fuel. We’re short on everything, so we’ll take anything we can get."
He paused, then looked at the Magic Skeleton and added, "You, the Magic Skeleton, come along as well."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Magic Skeleton stirred and bowed, awaiting his command.
Next, Gu Su pointed to the two Skeletons from the second Empty Tomb and ordered in a low voice, "You two, stop patrolling here. I want you to set out from the other side and scout the area."
"I need to know if there are any other malls, strongholds, or potential enemies nearby. Be extremely careful. If you encounter a small number of enemies, you can kill them and bring them back. Just dump the corpses at the graveyard gate; the graveyard will process them on its own."
"If you find a large group of enemies or encounter anything unusual, return and report immediately."
"You know where to find me."
After assigning the scouting mission, Gu Su turned his attention to the Deceitful Tree in the center of the yard.
"I’m leaving the defense of the Graveyard Demon to you."
"Remember, don’t open the main gate for anyone unless it’s me leading my team back."
"Anyone who tries to climb the fence is to be treated as an enemy. Kill them on sight!"
The withered, black Deceitful Tree shook its branches again, acknowledging Gu Su’s command.
The Skeletons moved swiftly. A few of them worked together to push the pickup truck, while the rest grabbed their weapons and fell into formation. The Magic Skeleton silently fell in behind Gu Su. The entire graveyard instantly sprang into action.
Gu Su double-checked the latch on the fence gate. Once he was satisfied, he turned and led the way, ordering in a low voice, "Move out!"