Chapter 87: Basement

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Basement

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Gu Su’s gaze swept over the two Minions before him. In a calm tone, he asked, "Tell me. What exactly are your Talents?"

Red Ice was the first to step forward and answer. As an Ice Series Magic Skeleton, the star-shaped mark on his forehead glowed with a faint blue light. Wisps of biting, ethereal blue cold energy slowly gathered in his palms. As the chill swirled around him, even the surrounding air seemed to grow a few degrees colder.

"My lord, I can cast the Frost Arrow Magic myself, and I can also teach all the Magic Skeletons under my command how to use it.

Beyond that, I can also research and improve upon the Frost Arrow Magic."

Red Ice’s voice was hoarse and dry, carrying the unique icy quality of the Undead as he reported truthfully, word by word.

Listening to Red Ice’s report, Gu Su simply gave an impassive nod, having already made his judgment.

’If not for the Corpse Witch, a Talent like Red Ice’s would be considered outstanding. It could have even become the primary source of Magic for the Magic Skeletons, propping up the entire foundation of their combat power.’

’But now, with the Corpse Witch who is proficient in all kinds of Undead Magic, Red Ice’s Talent seems a bit lackluster in comparison. He’s been thoroughly outclassed. His position in the Skeleton Faction is far less important than I initially expected.’

Next, the Walking Dead Boss, Iron Hand, stepped forward. He held a heavy iron pickaxe steady in his hand, its body gleaming with a cold, metallic luster. His tone was direct and crisp, without a hint of hesitation.

"My lord, I can lead my subordinates to mine. Whether it’s Metal ore, stone ore, or other types of rare ore, I can lead a team to excavate it.

I can increase the yield of common ores by thirty percent.

The yield for rare ores depends on the specific conditions of the vein."

A flash of approval appeared in Gu Su’s eyes. He immediately gave his orders in a deep voice.

"Very good. You are dismissed. Go and familiarize yourselves with your subordinates.

Iron Hand, all the newly-formed Walking Dead from Soul Summoning are under your command. For now, do not reassign those who have already become Walking Dead Warriors. I will provide you with the missing manpower later.

Red Ice, once you have taught the new Magic Skeletons to master Frost Arrow and the Poison Gas Bomb, lead them to the Bone Forest to coordinate in battle."

Hearing this, the two Minions bowed in unison to accept their orders, then turned and went their separate ways to take charge of their subordinates and learn their duties.

Only when their figures had disappeared from sight did Gu Su retract his gaze. He turned and walked briskly toward the passage leading to the basement.

The Minions’ appearance had interrupted him earlier, but now he could finally go down and investigate for himself.

The passage before him was no longer as he had seen it upon waking that morning.

At first, the entrance had been grotesque and terrifying, like a gaping black maw full of sharp teeth, exuding a sinister and bizarre aura.

But now, the entire exterior of the passage was completely encased in green Fluorescent Vines. Embedded between the vines were fine shards of white bone and cement fragments, which emitted a cold, pale glimmer that intertwined with the emerald-green light, creating an indescribably eerie sight.

The once-sharp teeth were not only coated in a soft, green fluorescent glow but were also wrapped in several strands of withered, blackened vine fibers that were sticky and cold to the touch.

Even the outer walls of the passage were covered in fine, white Corroding Mycelium. Getting close, one could smell a rank odor that was a mix of mustiness and rot. This scent dispelled much of the sinister feeling, but replaced it with a bone-deep, uncanny silence.

’Looking at the passageway before me, I really don’t feel like going in,’ Gu Su thought.

If even Gu Su, the master of the Graveyard Demon, felt this way, one could only imagine how others would react.

In the end, Gu Su still stepped inside.

Only then did he discover that the inside of the passage was a world of its own. The ground was covered with a layer of somewhat worn, rotting wooden planks that let out a faint CREAK when stepped on.

From the ceiling, sections of Fluorescent Vine hung down here and there like natural streetlights, illuminating the passage in flickering patterns. In the interplay of light and shadow, blurry dark shapes seemed to shift in the corners.

The stairs leading down from the passage were steep and narrow, their steps coated in a thin layer of slippery mycelium, requiring extreme caution with every step.

The sinister singing in his ears grew clearer. The melody was obscure and strange, mixed with the faint grinding of Bone Joints and the RUSTLING of slithering vines. It echoed back and forth in the narrow passage and stairwell as an icy chill crept up his ankles.

Gu Su descended slowly along the passage. After rounding two bends and descending more than ten steep steps, he finally stepped into the basement.

Upon entering the basement, Gu Su’s first impression was one of being crowded in by a bone-chilling darkness.

Only a few strands of Fluorescent Vine hanging from the ceiling could barely illuminate a few meters in front of him. Deeper in was a darkness so thick it was impenetrable, like a giant black hole swallowing all light.

It was as if someone had forcibly crammed the entire wreckage of a skyscraper into this space of just over eight hundred square meters. It was the epitome of chaos, with no semblance of a layout whatsoever.

In the darkness, the silhouettes of various building fragments were blurry and menacing, piled so densely that he had to carefully feel for a path underfoot just to see. The slightest carelessness would cause him to trip.

Gu Su understood at a glance. The original Vine Mansion had already been in a state of collapse. Combined with being devoured and relocated by the Graveyard Demon’s Corroding Mycelium, all the building wreckage had been forcibly piled and compressed into this space without any organization.

He had only taken two steps forward when he was blocked by a broken, dangling support column. Withered vines were wrapped around it, and beneath the column, it seemed a white bone was stuck in the concrete.

Broken doors were wedged haphazardly all around, their panels covered in cracks. One of the doors looked like it could still be opened.

Half of an incomplete window was lodged crookedly in the pile of wreckage, its glass long since shattered. A few strands of blackened fabric still hung from the windowsill.

There were also long-broken staircase handrails suspended in mid-air, glinting with a hard, cold light under the faint fluorescence, looking as if they might fall at any moment.

All sorts of architectural debris, rubble, and white bones were densely piled together, layer upon layer, making it exceptionally difficult to even walk.

Aided by the faint fluorescent light, Gu Su took a few more steps inward but could go no further.

The building wreckage grew even denser, leaving almost no place to step. Broken rebar, shattered concrete slabs, and scattered white bones intertwined to form a chaotic barrier.

Left with no other choice, Gu Su could only back out slowly. His brow furrowed slightly as he quickly made a decision.

’Dig!’

There was no other solution to the current situation. Only by digging out and clearing away all this haphazardly piled building wreckage could he replan the layout. Only then could this basement truly be put to use.