Chapter 154 - 52: [Meeting of the Dead]

Chapter 154: Chapter 52: [Meeting of the Dead]

[Requirement: Organic Matter Cultivation Group - Bone Module]

[Prerequisite technology and prerequisite equipment missing. Temporarily unable to manufacture.]

"I still need to find another ’God of Materials Science’ and ’God of Chemical Engineering’..." Samael clutched his helmet with both hands, rocking back and forth, on the verge of a breakdown.

He suddenly understood why the other Ghost Knights were fighting over corpses and High-Level Undead to modify the existing Undead bases, rather than fighting over copper mines to build Nether Copper constructs from scratch by hand—how was this any different from working a corporate R&D job?

At least the natural Undead generated in the environment, as well as the Undead created through corpse circuit infiltration, still retained their basic movement modules from when they were alive, along with their biological behavioral instincts. There was no need to code a whole new set from scratch.

The Ghost Knights were probably not professional engineers. Even if they had the relevant knowledge and development experience, they likely couldn’t handle the intense workload of hand-coding circuits and hardware programming from the ground up.

He wondered what he could do with Witch Gold since Spirit Bone was temporarily unusable. Witch Gold required Gold for smelting and conversion, but where could he find a gold mine? Maybe he could dig some up underground.

Samael wearily lowered his arms and melted down the scattered Nether Copper Components on the ground to recycle them. He planned to head over to the High Grass Plain where the Underground City was being constructed to take a look. Perhaps some useful minerals would be unearthed during the underground construction and excavation process.

After so many days of modification and construction, the constant back-and-forth trampling of the Exiles and Undead Laborers had carved out a labyrinthine network of paths through the tall grass.

He traversed the paths and returned to the camp in the central area of the High Grass Plain, pausing in slight surprise.

The camp was in a flurry of chaotic activity. Everyone was busy packing their belongings, tidying up the tents and daily necessities, tying them into bundles with rope, and wrapping them in tarpaulin to make them easier to transport.

The Undead stood around the Bell-shaped Helmet War Drum Corpse Demons, swaying slightly in a daze, like lost travelers wandering in the dark.

Just as Samael was feeling puzzled, a Bell-shaped Helmet Rot Root Ball clutching a branch slowly rose from the tunnel entrance of the Insect Path network, accompanied by the CLANG CLANG CLANG of metallic tapping. Following closely behind were Yaki’s head and upper body.

His face was smudged with dirt, and he balanced the Bell-shaped Helmet Rot Root Ball on his head, wearing an expression of pure excitement.

"Boss, you’re back!" he looked at Samael eagerly. "The dome casting is complete, and the inspection went without a hitch. Now we can start modifying the internal ecosystem and preparing the interior architecture!"

"What’s going on here? Packing up luggage?" Samael subconsciously looked around.

"No, it’s just that we can finally move into the Insect Paths to live. Gwyneth and the others catalyzed and accelerated the plant growth. In just three or four days, the ecosystem in the Insect Paths has already begun to take shape," Yaki said. He took the Rot Root Ball off his head and pointed to the tunnel behind him. "The thick layer of soil and the Molten Stone reinforcement layer will prevent heat from escaping. It’s quite warm inside the tunnels.

"Next, we need to move the things from the temporary camp outside in, relocating the entire camp into the Insect Path network. All subsequent projects will be carried out underground. We will excavate a new world from the darkness. The glowing fungi, luminous plants, and animals will illuminate the dome we cast with our own hands, lighting our way."

"Can’t you just move directly into the dome?" Samael asked.

Yaki shook his head. "Mr. Ronov just operated the Demon Insects to remove the formwork of the dome and pillars, excavating the rocks and soil inside. However, it’s very stuffy in there. Entering rashly could lead to suffocation. We need to use the surrounding Insect Path network for ventilation first, then introduce plants like tendril ferns to propagate, improve the air quality, and get the airflow circulating."

Hypoxia... Samael was slightly taken aback. He wondered if the Demon Race already possessed a rudimentary understanding of oxygen.

"Let me help with the moving." He directed the Undead, intending to assist the Exiles in dismantling the tents and transporting the packed bedrolls into the Insect Paths.

To the RAT-A-TAT of the war drums, the Undead had just begun to move when they suddenly froze.

RING RING RING.

[Nether Copper Resonance Signal - Command Conflict]

[Please avoid operating multiple signal sources simultaneously.]

RING RING RING... The ethereal chiming of Nether Copper Bells drifted over from the distant mists to the east, and several shadows approached through the fog.

The Exiles exchanged nervous glances, appearing somewhat uneasy. They instinctively began looking for their weapons, preparing to command their Magical Beasts.

"No... It’s fine. Everyone, please fall back and temporarily retreat into the Insect Paths," Samael shouted loudly, slowly raising his sword and shield.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The hilt of his sword struck the face of his shield, emitting a resonant, piercing sound.

RAT-A-TAT! RAT-A-TAT! Wearing Bell-shaped Helmets, the sword-and-shield Corpse Rot Demon Knights—with Nether Bronze War Drums welded to their breastplates—slowly advanced in unison to the crisp drumbeats. They marched through the Rusted Copper Forest and High Grass Plain, forming a single line along the High Grass Border Line within the eastern mists. Their thick shields merged into a solid shield wall, their Knight Swords poised and ready to strike from behind cover.

"We can help too," Yaki whispered from behind Samael, pushing his way through the tall grass. "There are some powerful Magical Beasts hidden in the tall grass here—strong Corpse-Eating Magical Beasts capable of hunting the Undead. We can command them to..."

"No, that won’t be necessary. Thank you," Samael replied. "This is a matter between me and my own kind."

RING RING RING... Amidst the ethereal ringing of the Nether Copper Bells, five Corpse Demons clad in tattered chainmail robes slowly emerged from the damp, misty fog to the east. They had no legs; replacing them were slowly slithering, python-like lower bodies lined with centipede-like Nether Copper Limbs.

The CLICK-CLACK of crawling limbs, the RUSTLE of rotting flesh and scales scraping against each other, and the SWISH of rubbing chainmail echoed through the mist.