Chapter 174 - 59: [Tomb and Swamp March]

Chapter 174: Chapter 59: [Tomb and Swamp March]

In the center of the Hai Xin High Grass Plain, large swaths of tall grass stalks had been cut down and uprooted. A solemn fortress built from massive blocks of Molten Stone stood in the cleared space. The fortress featured a church-like Gothic spired pillar design, with pale gray square-edged pillars and knight statues standing in attendance, holding swords, scattered at intervals.

The enormous pale gray rocks were adorned with simple bas-relief effects, carving out dozens of faint skull outlines, as if the souls of the dead imprisoned within the stone were supporting the entire structure.

Tombstone-like low stone slab decorations clustered around the stone bricks of the foundation, forming small edging fences for the drainage ditches.

Within the shrines stood stone-carved empty robes shaped like human figures, along with stone-sculpted suits of armor. Their empty hands loosely grasped cold Nether Copper Weapons.

Crouched around the Gothic stone spire were four small gargoyles, specifically carved to wear the one-eyed Bell-shaped Helmets unique to Samael’s subordinates.

The forbidding spire, the gloomy and heavy rocks, and the faint skull-like faces of the dead enhanced a solemn Holy Hall atmosphere, making it look like a small chapel dedicated to the Death God.

"That’s enough, it really is enough. Please, just stop. This is merely a temporary warehouse for storing the Undead and a war bunker," Samael pleaded. "Don’t add any more carvings or artistic decorations. Really, you don’t need to add anything else. I’m begging you to stop!"

The chisels in the hands of Yaki and the other craftsmen paused. They exchanged glances with one another before burying their heads again to continue carving out more details.

They carried a small bucket filled with smoldering Demonized Charcoal. The craftsmen lifted the tips of their chisels and waved them through the pale Spiritual Flame, quenching the chisel tips with faint blue patterns of demonic fire.

Under the high-temperature Quenching Demon Metal chisels, the Molten Stone was easily shaped, like soft mud mixed from clay and water—this was a characteristic of the Spiritual Material, Molten Stone. Contact with high-temperature Quenching Demon Metal could act as a one-time Catalyst, temporarily melting and softening a small contact area of the Molten Stone to facilitate carving and bonding.

Hordes of Burrowers hauled massive chunks of Molten Stone, bringing in yet another batch of pre-cut stones and piling them by size next to the craftsmen.

"Please, everyone, stop! I just wanted a bunker, a small warehouse to pile up the Undead! This is too much!" Samael was having a breakdown. "All my other kin live in matchboxes and basements! I only asked you guys to help take a look at my matchbox, so why has it turned into a small chapel dedicated to the Death God?"

"Boss, you really don’t understand the Demon Race at all." Yaki stood with his hands on his hips, holding his hammer and chisel, and looked at Samael helplessly. "When you show an ugly, box-like building to Demon Race architects, you should know what the consequences will be."

"Also, to correct you, this is not a chapel; it merely borrows design elements from one." Architect Steven pointed this out seriously. "Go inside and take a look. We’ve divided the overall structure into a Throne Hall, a Nether Copper workshop, a Demonized Charcoal storage area, a metal materials warehouse, and two large spare rooms for your future arrangements.

"We’ve also set up an observation post in the spired tower on the second floor. Didn’t you say earlier that starting today, the truce period for the Hai Xin Knights is over and you need to prepare to repel invasions? This observation tower will allow you to seize the initiative—"

"Furthermore, we expanded the underground space. It is now divided into three subterranean levels, including a corpse storage area, a temporary holding area for the Undead, and a storage spot for Nether Copper Equipment," architect Kassen added. "We used thick Molten Stone to build the walls, which will insulate against the heat and maintain a low temperature. If you’re still worried, you can add another layer of Nether Copper plating yourself."

"Logically speaking, a small building of this scale is still too weak; its limitations are too great." Yaki wagged his finger. "It absolutely cannot showcase the prowess of us Demon Race architects. Perhaps we should build a towering spire cathedral that pierces the clouds, making everyone come here to kneel and worship the Death God. If there is a chance later, we definitely need to expand it. We must let everyone on the Hai Xin Plain see a towering pagoda that reaches the sky—"

"Originally, I just wanted a little hut." Samael leaned against a Knight Armor sculpture that was holding a Nether Copper Longsword. "A plain little hut, maybe just casually stacked up with some Molten Stone Bricks..."

He looked at the pale gray boulder beside him. A massive sleeping skull outline was roughly embossed in bas-relief upon the stone, its lines rigid, fierce, and possessing an archaic elegance.

"You’ve been spending so much time with the Demon Race, yet you still make such impractical requests?" The three architects shook their heads repeatedly. "Impossible. Completely impossible."

"This is more than enough; let’s leave it at that." Samael sighed helplessly. "Please, this is too extravagant, and your work in the Underground City isn’t even finished yet."

"The Underground City matters can be taken slowly. Besides, we’ve already reached the stage of carving Spiritual Runes onto the dome support pillars; it will be finished very soon. But this surface Undead structure is needed urgently!"

"Needed urgently for what? To show off to my other kin and give them a rage buff?" Samael shook his head. "The tomb has been completed, so let’s just leave it at this for now."

"No! It’s not finished yet! The Rot Root Balls haven’t polished the rock edges at the base of the walls yet, and we can add five more sculptures over here!" Before Yaki and the other two architects could finish speaking, they were grabbed by the arms by three Nether Copper Corpse Knights, half-dragged and half-escorted away. Struggling and kicking in dissatisfaction, they babbled incessantly about more architectural design ideas as the Corpse Knights dragged them back into the tunnels of the Underground City.