Chapter 136 - 46: [Rusted Copper Forest and the Copper Evil Spirit]

Chapter 136: Chapter 46: [Rusted Copper Forest and the Copper Evil Spirit]

[Nether Copper reserves are full.]

Different Magical Beasts possessed different characteristics. The biological structure of the Tree Ghost Monkey subspecies was likely similar to that of the Rusted Copper Tree. He gave the Nether Copper spine—extracted and converted from the Tree Ghost Monkey’s body—a sharp shake, transforming it into a Nether Copper Knight Sword, which he then sheathed at his waist.

Standing up, he looked around for the Rotting Soil Roarer to inspect it further, only to see the Exiles retreating in a panic.

"What’s wrong? Is there an enemy behind me?" Samael instinctively turned his head to look, but there was nothing there.

"You look a bit terrifying right now, Samael." Talia stepped forward, using her palm to wipe away the splattered flesh and blood from his armor and half of his helmet. "You just crushed a Magical Beast’s head in complete silence, then forged a sword out of the spinal column from its body. A towering, empty suit of armor drenched in blood, silently standing there while holding a sword pulled from a corpse... It’s bound to scare people."

Repelled by the Nether Copper, the blood on the surface of his armor dripped off his helmet and breastplate onto the ground. The shadows within the empty slits of the copper helmet seemed to harbor a peering evil spirit—one that might slaughter everyone present in the very next second.

"That’s much better." Unbothered by the grime, she wiped away the blood and fouled bits of flesh from Samael’s helmet and breastplate, then gave his shoulder armor an affectionate pat.

"Oh, sorry, sorry! I was thinking about something and zoned out for a moment." Samael instinctively waved his hands in apology. "I was just spacing out, not trying to be aloof. Please don’t misunderstand."

"Mr. Samael, you seem like a completely different person the moment you speak," Yaki said, poking his head out from behind Old Duke. "That oppressive aura just vanished."

"I was a little too engrossed in studying these Magical Beasts. This isn’t the Magical Beast’s actual spine; it’s a coagulation of the concentrated copper inside its body. I merely extracted the copper, demonized it, and fashioned it into equipment." As Samael explained, he quickly walked over to the Rotting Soil Roarer nearby.

The Rotting Soil Roarer was not under any control. Although it sensed the threatening signals from the Demon Race, the giant, fat slug moved too slowly to escape. As a result, it remained motionless in the dirt pit, attempting to disguise itself as a particularly sticky pile of soil.

When Samael approached, it let out a terrified WAAAAH, spitting out several dark green balls of slime in an attempt to repel him. However, not only did the slime balls fail to cause any poisonous effect, but they were also actively repelled by the Nether Copper. They couldn’t even stick to the armor’s surface to buy the creature any time.

[Animal-type artificial lifeform. Level 2 technological creature. Highly adaptable. Used as a cleaner, environmental maintainer, petri dish, and biological chemical reaction kettle. Can be commanded, but possesses low intelligence and is incapable of performing complex tasks.]

[Methods of command include, but are not limited to: Ethereal Spiritual Signals and Spiritual Implant modifications.]

[Highly adaptable with strong vitality. Can enter a state of dormancy when encountering severe disasters and extreme environments.]

"You really are a remarkable creature, aren’t you?" Samael crouched down slowly, murmuring in a low voice.

It stared in terror with the small eyes on its eyestalks as the towering, hollow suit of Nether Copper armor drew closer step by step. The Hand Armor plunged directly into its body.

Yet, amidst a buzzing vibration, nothing happened.

There was no concentrated copper.

A living chemical reaction kettle... It could control the material reactions within its own body, actively excreting any unneeded copper. Perhaps the bodies of the Demon Race possessed a similar biological mechanism. Samael let the continuously wailing Rotting Soil Roarer go, flicking the slime off his Hand Armor.

The fat, half-human-tall Rotting Soil Roarer squirmed and wriggled, burying itself back into the dirt like a giant, pitiful snot bubble.

"I think I understand now... This place truly is rich; everything is perfect." Samael turned to look at the group. "It’s an excellent construction site. Although there are many environmental difficulties to overcome, as long as we can excavate and build an underground base—"

"We would need at least one Earth-Devouring Demon Insect," Talia said, nodding. "They should be deeper within the Hai Xin Plain."

"We must go deeper into the forest... Perhaps we have to cross the forest entirely to find them. After all, the Rusted Copper Forest is not a suitable location for an Underground City." Samael placed his hand on the broken half of a Rusted Copper Tree trunk near his feet. He activated his Nether Copper generator once again, extracting the copper element from it. He demonized and shaped it into a Nether Copper Kite Shield. Then, clasping his hands together, he forged a long Nether Copper Chain.

He swung the chain, wrapping the cold metal around his shoulders and waist, much like Zatannos from the movie "Ghost Rider."

"How deep into the Hai Xin Plain are we right now?" he asked.

"About twenty kilometers or so," Old Duke estimated. "Very few adventurers dare to venture this deep into the Heart of the Remains. Past twenty kilometers, dangerous Undead like Corpse Demons start roaming. Past forty kilometers, it’s no longer suitable even for Exiles of the Demon Race to enter. After fifty kilometers, unpredictable fog begins to cover most of the area. Only a very small number of map-drawing teams on sky-high bounty missions from the Alliance, along with pioneer squads of Advanced Adventurers, dare to go in.

"Anything beyond seventy kilometers is completely unknown—even though seventy kilometers is just barely stepping over the edge into the Heart of the Remains."

"So, we’ve currently only scratched the surface of the Hai Xin Plain. I need to go deeper and take a look; I need to understand more." Samael reached out and grabbed a horned taro Rot Root Ball. Semi-molten Nether Copper flowed and took shape, molding into a Bell-shaped Helmet over its head. He then snapped off a Rusted Copper Branch and stuffed it into the tiny claws of the horned taro Rot Root Ball.

Wearing the Nether Copper Bell-shaped Helmet, the hard-skinned taro ball used its root-like claws to hug the Rusted Copper Branch, which was somewhat massive for its size. Like a Knight wielding a greatsword, it wobbled as it stood at attention and offered a Knight’s salute.

"I’ll leave it here. When dangerous Undead appear nearby, it will strike its own helmet, emitting a Nether Copper resonance signal to drive away the surrounding Undead." Samael picked up the little taro ball and placed it on top of the carriage in the center of the camp.

The taro ball sat obediently, hugging the branch. Its Nether Copper Bell-shaped Helmet swiveled about, keeping a lookout for any traces of Undead.

"Everyone, please set up camp here and rest for a while. I will head deeper into the Heart of the Remains to see if I can find an Earth-Devouring Demon Insect, and while I’m at it, choose a site for the construction of the Underground City."

He turned around. Bearing his familiar sword and shield on his back and slinging the chain across his waist, he prepared to head into the uncharted territories of the Heart of the Remains alone.

A pitch-black, clawed gauntlet pressed down on his shoulder armor. Samael turned his head, looking directly into Talia’s gray eyes.

"You weren’t planning on leaving me behind, were you?" The cold, hollow suit of Nether Copper Armor was reflected in her bright gray eyes.

"There might be danger ahead," Samael replied. "I can’t guarantee your safety."

"That’s your excuse for leaving me behind? That there’s danger ahead?" Talia gazed at him. "Then it’s even more imperative that I go with you. If we’re dealing with something that makes even you feel endangered, having an extra helper is always a good thing."

"The point is, I am already dead. I have an Undead body that cannot be easily destroyed. I cannot be infected, corrupted, or killed. But you are still alive," Samael said softly. "We faced past dangers together because I had flawless plans and sufficient knowledge to ensure your safety. But now, everything in the Hai Xin Plain is an unknown variable."

"It’s rare for you to be uncertain... In the past, you always had everything under control." Talia smiled. "You’ve never encountered an Earth-Devouring Demon Insect before. You don’t understand their habits, nor do you know how to tame them. Without me tagging along, how do you plan to find and capture an Earth-Devouring Demon Insect? Are you just going to wander around aimlessly, hoping one pokes its head out of the dirt and trips you? Furthermore, selecting a site for the Underground City requires considering the living environments of Magical Beasts. You need at least one member of the Demon Race to accompany you for that, right?"

Samael fell silent.

"You like taking care of others, but who is going to take care of you?" Talia reached out and pressed her hand against his shoulder armor. "Hint: look at the person standing right in front of you."

Samael looked at her quietly.

"Let’s go, partner," he finally said.

Talia put on her helmet, dragging her Hammer Spear behind her.

Side by side, the two of them advanced toward the fog deep within the Rusted Copper Forest.