Chapter 83: Fourth Day

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Fourth Day

Please add to your collection, recommend, vote with monthly tickets, and offer other support!

——————————

Early in the morning, Gu Su woke up on the small bed in his tent. He first stretched his stiff body to shake off the night’s lethargy and fatigue, then pushed open the tent flap and walked out with a spring in his step.

"What the hell! What’s going on?!"

The moment he stepped outside, Gu Su was stunned by the sight before him. His pupils constricted slightly, and he instinctively froze in place.

In just one night, his Graveyard Demon had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. Every part of it showed visible changes.

Opposite the small forest in the upper-left corner of the Graveyard Demon, a hidden passage entrance had appeared out of thin air. The edge of the entrance was lined with fine, sharp black stone spikes resembling beast fangs. It curved slightly inward, giving it a somewhat sinister and bizarre look.

Without a closer look, it was easily obscured by the surrounding rotting leaves and rubble, looking very much like a secret entrance hidden in the shadows. Deep inside the passage, one could vaguely see pitch-black darkness, carrying with it a faint Yin Qi and the earthy, foul smell of soil.

Upon closer inspection, however, it looked like the massive maw of the Shadow Hunting Beast he had dragged back before.

’It seems this is the passage to the basement.’

The Saw Grass, Dew Grass, Ghost Moss, and Strong Root Grass, which had just been transplanted from the hydroponic racks yesterday, had already shed their post-transplant fragility after a day and night of taking root. Nurtured by the Graveyard Demon’s Yin Qi, they had grown and changed noticeably.

The Saw Grass remained on the hydroponic racks under the left wall. Nourished by the Graveyard Demon’s Yin Qi, the plants had grown half an inch taller than yesterday. The serrations on the edges of their leaves were sharper and harder, and some of the faster-growing ones were already nearly the length of a hand.

Their leaves had a faint grayish-green luster, having lost their hydroponic tenderness and gained a rot-resistant thickness. They waited quietly for the Skeletons on duty to come and harvest them.

The Dew Grass had already carpeted the area around the canal in the right corner. Its stalks stood straighter, and its thick, fleshy leaves stretched out and drooped down. The dewdrops forming at the leaf tips were more numerous and fuller than yesterday, slowly rolling down along the veins of the leaves.

A shallow layer of clear water had collected in the canal. The water was so clear that it faintly reflected the dim, ghostly light emanating from the depths of the Graveyard Demon.

The Ghost Moss had quietly spread over every Gravepile and Tombstone. What was once a thin layer of tender sprouts had grown into a dense, soft layer of moss.

Its silvery-gray fuzz was now more distinct, emitting a faint, silvery-misted glow in the dark. It clung tightly to the grave soil and the base of the tombstones, merging and thriving with the Graveyard Demon’s Yin Qi, not looking out of place in the slightest.

The Strong Root Grass was deeply rooted in the gaps between the metal sheets and wooden planks of the wall. Its root system had already extended deep down, tightly entwining itself around the wall materials.

Its stalks had grown a bit thicker, and its dark green leaves stretched out tall and straight. Some of the roots outside the wall had just sprouted a few centimeters and weren’t yet long enough to need cutting, steadily serving to reinforce the foundation.

The already lush Deceitful Tree had branches that were even thicker than the day before. The fine patterns on its bark were clearer, and a few drooping branches now gently touched the ground. Its leaves were a vibrant, dark green, with their edges tinged with a faint black halo, giving it a more bizarre vitality than yesterday.

When a light breeze blew, the leaves would RUSTLE, mingling with the faint sound of falling Large-leaf Lily Seeds. It was like the low whispers of the Undead, making the graveyard feel all the more silent and eerie.

The number of rat and lizard corpses hanging from the lower branches was clearly several times greater than before. They still hung there haphazardly, and the white frost covering their surfaces was thicker than yesterday’s.

Wisps of Death Qi were escaping from the corpses and being slowly absorbed by the Deceitful Tree’s branches, nourishing its growth. There were no vines holding them in place, nor any sign of them inexplicably vanishing.

The ground beneath the corpses was covered by a thin layer of rotting leaves that seamlessly connected with the spreading Ghost Moss. No Ink Green Juice seeped out from the base of the tree, nor were there any strange, bizarre objects. Only the soil underfoot felt firmer than yesterday, a clear sign that the Deceitful Tree’s roots were secretly growing and digging deeper underground.

Additionally, many more Beast Skins had appeared in the corner, stacked in layers. Most were the pelts of small to medium-sized beasts, still carrying a faint trace of Blood Qi—likely the spoils of the Undead’s nighttime hunts.

On the other side of the graveyard, at least one hundred, nearly two hundred, Kobold corpses were neatly piled up. The bodies were arranged in a very orderly fashion. Beside them, bundles of old weapons and equipment were stacked and sorted by type.

Rusted Short Sabers, fragmented Wooden Shields, worn-down Bone Spikes, and tattered Leather Armor. Apparently, when the Undead Squad brought these Kobolds back, they had also packed up all their weapons and gear, not leaving behind a single usable resource.

’Just what is all this?’

Gu Su couldn’t help but mutter to himself. As he scanned the changes across the Graveyard Demon, his heart filled with astonishment and confusion.

Just then, Crow’s Caw slowly descended before Gu Su, bowed his head slightly, and said respectfully, "My lord, these started arriving intermittently after ten o’clock last night.

Bone Forest’s operation has begun."

"So that’s what it is.

I really didn’t expect the Graveyard Demon to change so much from one day to the next."

Gu Su finally snapped back to his senses. He withdrew his gaze from his surroundings and looked at Crow’s Caw, his tone tinged with emotion. He then asked, "By the way, what’s the current situation?"

"Bone Forest’s unit has already cleared out all the Kobolds on the outskirts of the sewers.

They’ve now moved to a new stronghold to set up an ambush, preparing to lure out and fight the Kobolds in the core area.

It looks like their battle is quite intense. The corpses they send back are first used to replenish their own losses.

In just one night, their combat losses were over a hundred."

Crow’s Caw had been in the Graveyard Demon the whole time, not resting at all. Coupled with the White Crows flying around to deliver messages, he had a crystal-clear understanding of the Bone Forest squad’s combat situation and the various changes within the Graveyard Demon. His report was methodical and perfectly accurate.

"So they’ve basically replaced their entire force once over."

Gu Su couldn’t help but take a deep breath, his tone heavy. He then gave a stern order, "Fighting like this isn’t sustainable. Next time they send back corpses, have them take the Magic Skeletons with them. What’s the situation with Bone Ash?"

"He’s almost at the giant turtle’s location."

"Why is he so slow?"

"He’s been clearing a path the entire way. It seems he wants to find a road suitable for vehicles."

As soon as he heard this, Gu Su instantly understood Bone Ash’s thinking.

’After all, for transporting large supplies later, just relying on people to carry them won’t work.’

’Having a road for vehicles would save a lot of trouble.’ He immediately waved his hand, his tone softening. "Let him be. As long as he can bring the items back safely, it’s fine."

Gu Su didn’t ask further about Bone Ash’s methods, but simply added with concern, "Are the number of troops with him sufficient?"

"They are. The path he chose is relatively easy to traverse, and with the help of the Elite Skeleton Warriors and the protection of the Ordinary Skeleton Warriors, they haven’t run into any major trouble along the way."

Hearing this, Gu Su finally nodded in relief. His gaze shifted back to the fang-covered passage entrance. Pointing at it, he asked Crow’s Caw, "When did that thing appear?"