Chapter 238 - 237: Starting Anew

Chapter 238: Chapter 237: Starting Anew

After successfully completing the trade with the Koba Deceivers, there was nothing left in the manor that required Gu Su’s personal attention.

Though Gu Su was a player, he was never the ruthless type to turn hostile and wipe out a whole village or city just because a deal was done or a goal was met.

He always believed in leaving some leeway. Besides, these Deceivers had shown more than enough sincerity, even providing him with a Blue Quality Mechanical Grinding Disc. There was no need to annihilate them.

After sweeping his gaze over the manor ruins and confirming there were no more resources to collect or useful information to gather, Gu Su wasted no more time. He turned, climbed onto the Graveyard Magic Wall, and with a single command, activated the massive, mobile territory.

With the dull rumble of the stone spheres on its undercarriage, the Graveyard Demon slowly changed direction and began its steady advance toward the new, pre-selected destination.

This destination hadn’t been chosen at random. It was one Gu Su had decided upon after repeatedly sifting through and carefully verifying the intelligence provided by the Deceivers.

After all, these Koba Deceivers were the local power brokers, having hidden in this region for years. The vague locations they had mentioned happened to be corners Gu Su had missed during his previous explorations. This way, he wouldn’t encroach upon the manors where the Deceivers hid, yet he could still find resources for the Graveyard Demon to devour.

Gu Su was well aware that he could no longer wantonly devour the manors the Deceivers relied on for survival. Doing so would only provoke a united defense from all the Deceivers, and the losses would far outweigh the gains.

To steadily strengthen the Graveyard Demon and enhance his own power, he had to find another path. He would have to start with unclaimed ruins, abandoned facilities, and wild, bizarre creatures, slowly accumulating resources and expanding his territory.

Of course, Gu Su hadn’t forgotten about Jin Chang and the others.

He made a point to copy all the regional intelligence, the newly marked simple map, and some key information about the distribution of anomalies that he had obtained from the Deceivers. Then, he summoned Crow’s Caw and ordered it to have its White Crow Swarm safely deliver the intelligence to Jin Chang and his group.

This wasn’t some unnecessary extra step; it was a deliberate, friendly gesture on Gu Su’s part.

’I’m well aware,’ he thought, ’that I’m no longer the low-level Game Worker I once was, someone who just kept his head down and completed tasks. I’m a real player now.’ This Game World was fraught with danger. Relying on his strength alone wouldn’t get him far. If he wanted to establish a firm foothold, he had to find reliable allies and build his own network of contacts and power.

Once he had made the arrangements to send the intelligence, Gu Su looked toward the horizon. A faint glimmer was already appearing in the east, its pale, dawn-white glow dispelling the pitch-black of the night.

The long night had clearly passed, and a new day was dawning.

He had no intention of returning to the rest area to catch up on sleep. Instead, he straightened his robes and walked toward the left side of the Graveyard Magic Wall. That was where the Yin Soul Shop and the Trading Post were located—the core area where his Undead subordinates processed resources and exchanged for items.

As he approached the Yin Soul Shop, Gu Su saw Tooth Bone hunched over a wooden crate in front of the Trading Post. He was holding a sharp charcoal pencil and writing rapidly on a yellowed piece of beast skin. His expression was so focused and earnest that he didn’t even notice Gu Su’s approach.

Curious, Gu Su slowed his pace and walked over. "Tooth Bone," he asked softly, "what are you doing?"

Hearing Gu Su’s voice, Tooth Bone slowly raised his head. The Soul Fire in his eye sockets flickered as he replied respectfully, "My Lord, none of the materials I need were in the items that restocked at the Yin Soul Shop today."

"I figured waiting around was not a viable option, so I decided to place a special order for some urgently needed materials here at the Trading Post. I don’t want to delay the repairs on the Grinding Disc."

As he spoke, Tooth Bone handed the beast skin to Gu Su. It was covered in densely packed script listing the names and specifications of various materials—all of them related to the undead, the bizarre, and machinery.

Gu Su didn’t ask for the specific details. He simply inquired, "Have you checked the warehouse?"

"Are there any usable materials in there?"

"My Lord, I’ve already been to the warehouse," Tooth Bone said, nodding quickly and speaking in an earnest tone. "I’ve already inventoried and taken all the usable materials. I’m just missing a few key components that aren’t in stock, so I have to place a special order through the Trading Post."

Seeing Tooth Bone’s meticulous and dedicated expression, Gu Su slowly nodded.

He could tell that Tooth Bone already had a clear plan for repairing the Mechanical Grinding Disc. That being the case, he didn’t need to interfere and risk disrupting his subordinate’s work.

"Alright. Order whatever materials you need from the Trading Post yourself. You don’t need to ask for my permission," Gu Su said, his tone decisive and his attitude generous. "If the materials aren’t enough, or if you run into any other trouble, we’ll figure out a solution together."

Gu Su was so readily agreeable for his own reasons.

The item Tooth Bone was currently repairing was of Blue Quality. Once it was fixed, regardless of its effects, it would be a significant upgrade for Gu Su. The cost of materials was completely worth it.

A flash of gratitude appeared in Tooth Bone’s eyes. He gave a firm nod, then immediately lowered his head, gripped the charcoal pencil, and continued diligently adding to the list of materials on the beast skin. It was clear he already had a solid plan for the repairs.

Meanwhile, Gu Su turned and walked to the counter of the Yin Soul Shop. His gaze fell upon the three items that had restocked for the day, and he began to examine them closely.

After all, Gu Su wanted to see just what had appeared today that Tooth Bone had deemed unsuitable for his needs.

One look, however, and Gu Su understood exactly what Tooth Bone meant. The items on display were certainly... interesting.

He had originally planned to leave some of these items for any of his Undead subordinates who might need them.

But after seeing the attributes of these three items, his own desire to purchase them was instantly ignited. Unable to hold back, he simply pulled out his Gold Coins and bought everything.

As usual, the Yin Soul Shop had restocked with three items today.

The first was a pair of wild boar tusks, each as thick as a grown man’s arm. Their surfaces were a dull, yellowish-brown, covered in fine cracks and scratches. A few blackened bloodstains were visible along the edges, and the roots had been wrapped with coarse hemp rope, its ends frayed from wear, suggesting they had once been hung from something.

In the middle was a chainsaw. Its body was rusted red, and several of its teeth were broken. The rubber on the handle had long since cracked with age, revealing the rusted iron core within. The body of the saw was caked in a thick layer of grease and sawdust, which had hardened into clumps in some spots that were impossible to scrape off.

On the far right was a single bean, about the size of a fingernail. It was pitch-black with an oily sheen. Upon closer inspection, one could see a thin layer of black mist clinging to it. The mist didn’t dissipate or drift away; it crept slowly across the bean’s surface, like the breath of a living creature.

[Fierce Bone Fang (White): The tusks of a Fierce Beast boar that gored countless creatures to death. They are imbued with the potent Resentment of its victims. (Price: 16 Gold Coins)]

[Damaged Chainsaw (White): A completely broken chainsaw that can no longer be started. It was once a powerful cutting tool and possesses great potential for repair. (Price: 11 Gold Coins)]

[Blood-Devouring Bean Seed (White): A bean seed that contains bizarre power and possesses constricting Traits. It can be cultivated into a special beanstalk capable of devouring flesh and blood. (Price: 13 Gold Coins)]