Chapter 370 186: Upgrading to Fortress

Li Ziyu took the Crystal from the hands of a Skeleton Undead.

The prismatic Crystal looked unremarkable at first glance, but holding it felt like grasping a block of ice. The Crystal was a pale blue, and it emitted a faint azure glow, like looking up at the sunlit surface from under the sea.

After admiring it for a moment, Li Ziyu had the system identify it.

[Soul Crystal]

[Introduction: In places extremely dense with necrotic energy, ambient Soul Energy will condense into a 'crystal seed.' This seed continuously absorbs free-floating Soul Energy to grow, thus becoming a Soul Crystal.]

'Awesome! I found it. It really is a Soul Crystal!'

Li Ziyu clenched the Soul Crystal and pumped his fist in excitement. Seeing this, the Fox Maidens understood what was happening. They all broke into smiles and stepped forward to congratulate him.

He had finally found the last material needed to upgrade to a Fortress. This put him in a great mood, and he praised the Fox Maidens with a wide smile, expressing his gratitude.

'The Fox Maidens helped find the two most troublesome materials. I really have to thank them.'

"How many more Soul Crystals are in there?" It occurred to Li Ziyu, and he asked quickly.

He needed 100 units of Soul Crystals, and this piece was only 1 unit. If this was the only Crystal in the area, then his celebration would have been premature.

"There are many more," Ice Princess said in her icy tone.

That was just her way; she was a classic Cold Beauty. Even though Li Ziyu was their master, she couldn't speak to him with a beaming smile like the other three Fox Maidens. It made her extremely uncomfortable.

Li Ziyu knew Ice Princess's personality and didn't mind. Hearing that there were still plenty of Soul Crystals, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dig! Dig them all up!" Li Ziyu boomed with a laugh.

With a wave of his hand, a large number of Skeleton Undead entered the cavern. They formed a line and filed into the "Soul Crystal Mine" to begin excavating.

After a moment's thought, Li Ziyu turned back to Ice Princess. "Ice Princess, I'll have to trouble you. Could you help pinpoint the Crystals? My Undead don't seem to be able to detect them. If they just dig blindly, who knows how long it will take to find them."

"Yes, Master." Ice Princess replied, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, before floating toward the mine.

The other three Fox Maidens looked at Ice Princess with envy. In their minds, being given a task by Li Ziyu was an excellent sign. It meant that he trusted them, and completing the task would surely win his favor.

Spending their days idly, just keeping Li Ziyu company, actually made them feel insecure. 'If we're useless as his subordinates, what will happen to us?'

'Abandonment!'

'Subordinates with no value are eventually abandoned by their masters!'

'They too had once been in positions of power; they understood the mindset of a master all too well.'

They would be thrilled to provide Li Ziyu with information or help him with tasks. Their greatest fear was having nothing to do, as that would mean Li Ziyu had no need for them whatsoever.

Lost in his excitement, Li Ziyu didn't notice the expressions on the Fox Maidens' faces. He gave the Soul Crystal Mine one last, fiery glance before turning and leaving the cavern inside the mountain.

He couldn't stay there long, either. Even though he was the Master of the Undead and could control them, it didn't mean he *was* Undead. He was still Human. The Undead might be immune to the necrotic energy here, but he wasn't.

Prolonged exposure to the necrotic energy in the cavern would continuously erode his body, causing great harm. At best, he might develop illnesses like rheumatism or arthritis. At worst, he could lose his life.

Li Ziyu led the Fox Maidens away, returning to the Undead Fortress to wait quietly.

With Ice Princess's help, the Skeleton Undeads' excavation of the Soul Crystals went very smoothly. Ice Princess would find the Crystals in advance and pinpoint their locations, then direct the Skeleton Undeads to dig them out. Soon, Soul Crystals were being transported out one after another. Li Ziyu estimated they could likely gather the full 100 units in a single night.

...

'They're all here! I've finally gathered all the materials!'

It was now the following night. Li Ziyu gazed joyfully at his system panel. With a racing heart and trembling hands, he pressed the upgrade button.

[Friendly Reminder: Do you wish to upgrade the base to a Fortress? Estimated upgrade time is 10 days. During this period, the Castle Main Tower will be unavailable. You will not be able to construct new buildings. Existing buildings will not be affected.]

'The Main Tower will be unusable? Then where am I going to eat and sleep?'

Li Ziyu had lived in the Main Tower ever since he arrived in this world. Now that the upgrade would make it unusable, he would have to move.

Fortunately, he had already built the Great Tomb, which was another primary structure. In terms of sturdiness and defensive integrity, it was a step above the Fortress's Main Tower. At least he wouldn't be left without a place to rest.

'Upgrading the Main Tower is better done sooner than later. The sooner it starts, the sooner it's finished.'

Li Ziyu dismissed the system notification and began to move. He gathered his belongings, moving them from the Fortress's Main Tower into the central chamber of the Great Tomb. He even had the Soul Coffin brought over.

It was the first time the Fox Maidens and the two Cat Girls had entered the Great Tomb, and their eyes were filled with curiosity. Mengmeng and Meng Ni had already grown accustomed to the Fortress and no longer feared the Skeletons as they once had.

Li Ziyu paid them no mind, letting them wander about as they pleased.

The Fox Maidens soon discovered something unusual. There seemed to be some kind of restriction within the Great Tomb. Even though they were Spirit Bodies, they couldn't phase through the walls made of skulls and bones. Like the two Cat Girls, they could only explore one step at a time.