Chapter 454 - 214: Void Beetle

PFFT!

Though the strange beetle’s shell was hard, its joints were incredibly weak. The two-handed broadsword met no resistance as it plunged in with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through its thin, membrane-like skin and pinning it to the ground.

"SKREEE..."

Its sharp limbs thrashed and struggled. The Skeleton Knight gripped the hilt with both hands and wrenched it to the side, slicing halfway through the beetle’s neck. A thick, milky-white liquid flecked with starlight oozed from the wound.

The flailing limbs gradually stilled. The strange beetle’s body twitched twice, the faint blue glow covering it dimmed, and all signs of life vanished.

The Skeleton Knight pulled out its broadsword, flicked off the liquid clinging to it, and sheathed it on its back. Then, it grabbed the corpse with one hand, vaulted onto its horse, and returned to the Undead Fortress with its companions.

Li Ziyu waited in the Great Tomb for a short while before the Skeleton Knights arrived with the beetle’s corpse. They tossed the body to the ground, and the Knights knelt on one knee, paying their respects to Li Ziyu.

"You’ve worked hard," Li Ziyu said to the Skeleton Knights. ’The beetle was stronger than I predicted. If not for the Skeleton Knights, this would have been a disaster. It might not have broken through the Fortress, but I would have definitely lost some Evil Spirit Wanderers.’

’Elites are elites, and core units are core units for a reason. They’re expensive, but they’re worth it.’

The Skeleton Knights rose, silently turned, and left. They had to continue their patrol around the Undead Fortress.

Li Ziyu walked over to the beetle and circled it twice, studying it carefully. ’This thing’s appearance is distinctly different from the creatures of the Otherworld. It has a streamlined quality, almost a futuristic, technological feel to it. Very strange.’

He bent down and touched the shell. It was cold. He knocked on it, producing a sound that was almost metallic. Li Ziyu tried to pry the shell off, but he couldn’t even lift it. This thing was heavy. He put more strength into it, gritting his teeth and using every ounce of his power to finally flip the beetle’s corpse over.

The beetle’s abdomen was also protected by a shell, though it was much less hard. It had six blade-like limbs, now curled up against its belly.

’This beetle definitely isn’t a normal creature. It’s also very different from Magic Creatures. Could this be one of the legendary Void Creatures?’

Li Ziyu took two steps back and commanded inwardly, ’System, decompose this corpse.’

The beetle’s corpse immediately vanished as the system began its rapid decomposition.

[Decomposed ’Paddle-shaped Void Beetle’ +1. Obtained Soul Energy x1000 units, Magic Energy x200 units, Void Energy x300 units, Void Insect Clan’s Blood x10 units, Insect Flesh x8 units, Gourd-shaped Shell x1 set, Sharp Insect Limbs x6, Crystal Insect Eye x2, Void Energy Storage Pouch x1 set, Magic Energy Storage Pouch x1 set, Energy Conversion Organ x1 set]

’It really is a Void Creature!’

Li Ziyu’s eyebrow twitched as he read the system’s decomposition report. He was especially astonished by the amount of Soul Energy from the so-called Paddle-shaped Void Beetle. 1000 units of Soul Energy! He had never seen any creature yield so much before.

’No wonder it was only weakened after taking a Soul Attack from the Skeleton Knight and could still think about escaping. Only a soul this powerful could withstand an attack like that.’

Decomposing the Paddle-shaped Void Beetle had given Li Ziyu many materials he’d never obtained before. It was safe to say this beetle was a treasure trove from head to toe.

’Magic Energy and Void Energy were self-explanatory. Energy is Energy, and all Energy is good stuff; there’s no harm in stockpiling it. But the other materials were worth looking into, especially since this was his first encounter with a Void Creature.’

[Void Insect Clan’s Blood]

[Introduction: A thick, milky-white blood containing trace amounts of Void Energy that causes it to shimmer with a faint starlight. After processing, the Void Insect Clan’s Blood can be turned into an extremely high-quality lubricant. PS: If processing is unavailable, it can be used directly and still possesses lubricating properties, serving as a substitute for ordinary lubricants.]

’This is good stuff. To advance his Mechanical Technology, things like lubricant, engine oil, and maintenance fluid are indispensable. What Li Ziyu used now was all refined from the fat of Wild Beasts and Magical Beasts. Now he had a new option, and hopefully, it would be more effective.’

’If even the blood can be used as lubricant, what about the other materials?’

The Gourd-shaped Shell, Sharp Insect Limbs, and Crystal Insect Eyes were all processable materials, though they could also be used directly. The shell could be used as a Shield, the limbs could be used as blades, and the insect eyes were even simpler—they could be worn as goggles. There wasn’t much to say about these.

What really caught Li Ziyu’s attention were the last three strange materials. The Void Energy Storage Pouch and the Magic Energy Storage Pouch had more or less the same function: they were the organs the Paddle-shaped Void Beetle used to store Energy. One stored Void Energy, the other stored Magic Energy.

The last item, the Energy Conversion Organ, was particularly interesting. The faint blue glow he had seen emanating from the Void Beetle’s body was produced by this set of organs. It allowed the Void Beetle to convert between Magic Energy and Void Energy and distribute that Energy throughout its body.

’This set of organs is pretty neat. I just don’t know if I’ll have a chance to use it.’ He had plenty of ideas, but when it came to actually manufacturing items, relying on the system was more dependable. As for crafting something like this by hand, Li Ziyu knew he was completely incapable.

’The post he’d read said that Void Creatures were powerful. Before encountering the Paddle-shaped Void Beetle, Li Ziyu didn’t really have a concept of what that meant. Now, he had to admit it was true. Void Creatures were indeed strong. It took more than a dozen Skeleton Knights to deal with a single Paddle-shaped Void Beetle. If that wasn’t strong, what was?’