Chapter 36: Bone Ash Scavenger Squad
A new week, a new Chapter bright and early. Asking for your collections, recommendations, and monthly tickets!
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When Bone Ash, the minion of the Skeleton Squad, received its orders and hurried back to the Graveyard Demon, Gu Su was squatting in front of the Yin Soul Shop’s stall. He held a wooden bowl of steaming hot chicken soup, slurping it down while casually sizing up the three new items that had appeared in the shop today, looking utterly content.
The three items were laid out neatly.
One was a fist-sized, transparent Crystal with faint wisps of black energy swirling inside.
Another was a blackened, tattered rag doll. Its fabric was stiff, and it gave off a strange, eerie vibe.
The last was a plate of offerings, nearly rotten. The fruit was shriveled and blackened, yet it still emitted a faint trace of Death Qi.
[Cursed Crystal (White): Can be used to apply a low-level curse to a target. Due to bearing too much Curse Power, the crystal’s surface is wreathed in thick Deceitful Qi and a cursed aura (Price: 8 Gold Coins).]
[Bloodstained Rag Doll (White): A worn-out rag doll that has absorbed a large amount of blood and its original owner’s resentment. It has developed a faint ferocity and can be used as a simple weapon (Price: 7 Gold Coins).]
[Tribute Tainted with Death Qi (White): Offerings once used for graveside worship, containing a faint amount of Death Qi. Normal people who consume it will be tainted by malevolent energy, while Undead can consume it to replenish a small amount of energy (Price: 4 Gold Coins).]
Catching sight of Bone Ash hurrying over, its footsteps a bit lighter than an Ordinary Skeleton’s, Gu Su casually picked up the plate of fruit tainted with Death Qi from the stall. He tossed it over with a flick of his wrist, his tone casual. "Here, for you."
Bone Ash instinctively reached out its bony hand and caught the fruit. It was just about to bring it to its mouth to enjoy when it heard Gu Su’s voice. It quickly froze and stiffly raised its head.
Gu Su’s gaze fell upon it. He pointed to its back and waist, raising an eyebrow. "What’s all this stuff on you? You’re not like the other Skeletons."
Bone Ash quickly bowed its head, its voice hoarse and dry but tinged with respect as it explained, "Reporting to my lord, the flag on my back... it grew out on its own after I was promoted to a Minion."
"As for these things hanging from my waist, I found some scrap parts while collecting materials in the city and fashioned them myself. They make work easier."
Gu Su was referring to Bone Ash’s general appearance. Its clothes were still the same as an Ordinary Skeleton’s—tattered and covered in dust.
But on its back was a small, blue, triangular flag. Outlined in black on the flag was half of a menacing skull, swaying gently in the wind. It looked anything but ordinary.
At the same time, the numbers "25/25" told onlookers that this was a full squad.
This style of planting a flag on one’s back was rather conspicuous. On a battlefield, at least, it would allow one to see at a glance who was a commander and who was just a common soldier.
However, the trope of being covered in flags was no laughing matter.
Gu Su’s first reaction upon seeing it had been the urge to laugh.
Looking at its waist, there hung a set of small tools, crudely made but relatively neat.
There was a small Iron Hammer, rusty pliers, a sharply honed knife, and several screwdrivers of various sizes. One could tell at a glance that they were hand-assembled, and it was precisely these items that made it stand out so starkly among the other rigid Skeletons.
Gu Su casually opened Bone Ash’s Attribute Panel, and a clear line of information appeared before his eyes.
[Bone Ash (Level 0, Summoned Creature, Minion): Experience (54/100), Attack 1, Defense 1, Life 10, Talent: Scavenging].
After scanning the panel, Gu Su’s gaze returned to Bone Ash, and he asked bluntly, "Your Talent is Scavenging? What exactly does it do?"
Bone Ash quickly gave a detailed explanation, its tone growing more earnest. "Reporting to my lord, my Scavenging Talent allows me to quickly determine the use of any item while looting, and to precisely pick out usable things from a pile of junk."
"Furthermore, I can perform simple processing on scrap, turning useless junk into basic, usable objects."
"Also, I know how to pack. I can fit the maximum number of items into the minimum amount of space."
"For example, with the iron sheets before, we had to just lug them over as they were."
"It’s different now. We can compress the iron sheets into small pieces to bring back."
"A single cart can now carry two to three times what it used to."
"Most importantly, the Skeleton Squad I lead can also be influenced by my Talent, allowing them to learn these abilities."
It paused for a moment before adding, "Now, they’ve become proficient at detailed tasks like skinning, processing Beast Skins, gathering wild herbs, and packing various materials. They no longer just rigidly transport items like before."
"And most importantly, they’re all quite obedient now. There’s no need for you to command them one by one, my lord."
Hearing this, Gu Su subconsciously glanced up at the neatly arranged Beast Skins drying by the wall, and it all clicked.
’No wonder the Skeletons’ technique for drying the Beast Skins was so methodical and skilled. So they learned it all from Bone Ash. It was all thanks to the Scavenging Talent.’
Gu Su nodded in satisfaction, a hint of approval in his voice. "Not bad. Although it’s not a combat Talent, at this stage, it’s the most practical and hassle-free."
"Otherwise, commanding these Skeletons is a nightmare. They’re all as dumb as bricks, only doing something after you’ve given the order."
"From now on, the Skeleton Squad you lead will be officially named the Ash Squad. Continue to be in charge of scavenging and processing materials."
As he spoke, Gu Su raised a hand and pointed to Empty Tomb Number One not far away, gesturing for Bone Ash to look.
The once-ordinary Gravepile had been moved to a new location. Beside it, three additional grave pits had appeared, each marked with a simple headstone.
This was the change after the Gravepile, having reached its population capacity, was reinforced and upgraded via the tent into a Large Gravepile. Its capacity for Undead had increased from the original 25 to the current 100, and it could now support four Minions and one Boss.
However, the three new grave pits were still empty, with no Undead yet assigned to them.
The text on the headstones in front of the grave pits was also identical. They all read "Skeleton Squad (0/25)," clearly reserved slots for new squads.
And the moment Gu Su’s words fell, black energy quietly swirled on the headstone before the Gravepile he was pointing to. The original text slowly faded away, replaced by a new line of words.
"Ash Squad (25/25)"
The current situation was clear; the Ash Squad’s roster was now officially established.
Bone Ash stared at the words on the headstone, its bony hands trembling slightly. It understood that this was Gu Su’s recognition.
It wasn’t just its status as a Minion, but its squad as well.
It quickly bowed its head and responded in an even more reverent tone, "Thank you, my lord! This subordinate will not fail you. I will lead the Ash Squad and properly complete every task you assign!"
"Alright, alright. Let me just ask you one thing: when can you have that city center cleared out?"