Volume One: The Lord of the Infernal World Chapter 18: Harvest

As the old tree fell, the slumbering Bloodshadow Wolves and Fire Spirit Crows awakened one after another. Especially those Fire Spirit Crows that had been farther away—they immediately flew to Chen Gu’s side at the first sign of trouble.

Chen Gu leapt down from the carriage, axe still in hand. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, confirming that there was no immediate danger before approaching the fallen old tree.

The tree had been blasted in two. As soon as Chen Gu placed his hand on the trunk, a prompt appeared before him:

[You have slain Level 2 Labyrinth Ancient Tree (BOSS). You have the right to process the corpse of the Labyrinth Ancient Tree.]

This thing was a BOSS?

The information startled Chen Gu, but thinking it through, the tree truly had all the hallmarks of a boss. Never mind its ability to drag people into dreams—its formidable defense and vitality alone were enough to make it a nightmare to handle. Not to mention, it had concealed itself among many other trees. Without the help of the Corpse-Eating Vine, Chen Gu might not even have found its location.

But now, it had become a corpse lying before him, ready to be dismantled.

Chen Gu pressed his hand to the trunk, and green and white points of light appeared there. As he traced his hand over these lights, various items were drawn out from within the tree’s body.

[You have obtained: Wood (white) x6 units.]
[You have obtained: Branch (green) x7.]
[You have obtained: Grimace Shield (green) x1.]
[You have obtained: Spiritual Crystal (green) x6.]
[You have obtained: Tree Heart (blue) x1.]
[You have obtained: Special Item (green) x1.]

[Wood (white): Ordinary building material, considered one of the three basic materials alongside stone and metal.]
[Branch (green): Branch containing spiritual energy, the best material for crafting torches.]
[Grimace Shield (green): Defense 13, increases defense of subordinates and soldiers by 2 (applies to player and hero traits).]
[Spiritual Crystal (green): Crystal imbued with spiritual energy; can store souls or be used as crafting or synthesis material.]
[Tree Heart (blue): The core power of the Labyrinth Ancient Tree, can serve as an energy source or synthesis material.]
[Special Item (green): A rather unique spiritual crystal, seemingly containing something hidden within.]

Among all these items, the Grimace Shield caught Chen Gu’s eye immediately.

The Grimace Shield was, in fact, made from the bark that had once formed the old tree’s face. When it was still part of the tree, it hadn’t seemed particularly striking, but now, held in his hands, it was truly massive—large enough to cover Chen Gu’s entire upper body. What’s more, when holding the shield, he could peer through its eye sockets to observe his surroundings. It was an intriguing shield; even someone unskilled in shield techniques could use it for protection.

After studying it for a while, Chen Gu slung the Grimace Shield onto his back, ready to flip it down at a moment’s notice.

Next, he picked up the Tree Heart—a wooden piece shaped uncannily like a heart. Merely holding it, Chen Gu could sense the tremendous power contained within.

The moment he claimed the Tree Heart, he glanced toward the Vine Carriage.

[Vine Carriage] + [Tree Heart] = [??? (Success Rate: 88%)]

“As expected,” Chen Gu chuckled to himself. The Tree Heart was a perfect match for the Vine Carriage.

He tossed the Tree Heart into the carriage, and a blue light shot out from it, causing the carriage to visibly grow larger. Around the carriage roof, small blossoms unfurled—different from the previous flower buds, these were in full bloom.

Thanks to the pollen drifting through the air, Chen Gu noticed a pale yellow figure appear in the driver’s seat—a spectral coachman, seemingly steering the carriage.

[Pet Attributes]
Name: Vine Carriage +1
Quality: Blue
Species: Living Plant
Traits: Mount, Storage
Level: 3
Stats: Attack 10, Defense 10, Health 600
Movement Speed: 90 km/h
Starting Skills: Pathfinding Lv2, Underground Movement Lv1, Vine Dance Lv2, Devour Lv2, Pollen Spray Lv1, Storage Space Lv1, Concealment Lv1, Dream Coachman (Summons an intelligent dream coachman who only sits in the driver’s seat, can read maps, and steer the carriage)
Devourable Skills: None

Description: The enhanced Vine Carriage now comes with an assistant to handle the most crucial aspect—control.

After reviewing the Vine Carriage’s new attributes, Chen Gu’s gaze shifted to the pale yellow silhouette in the driver’s seat. To his surprise, the figure noticed Chen Gu as well, removed his top hat, and offered a courteous tip of the hat.

With the carriage upgraded, Chen Gu finally picked up the special item—a spiritual crystal of a different hue. The moment he held it, he could clearly sense a soul concealed within.

“Who… are… you?”

No sooner had he picked up the item than a voice echoed in Chen Gu’s mind, startling him.

“I am Chen… no, I am Gu Qi, the future master of this domain.”

“Gu Qi? Domain?”

The voice within the special item grew clearer, though it still seemed unsure of the situation. Chen Gu proceeded to explain the battle between the domain’s elves and humans, and how the arrival of the undead had led to its destruction.

When he finished, it was a long moment before the soul within the crystal spoke again.

“The elves and humans… are gone?”

“Yes, all of them,” Chen Gu confirmed. “Every creature I’ve seen on the way here has been turned undead—either reduced to bones or transformed into undead monsters.”

“I never imagined it would end like this. It seems the Labyrinth Ancient Tree, by trapping us in dreams, also gave us a chance to survive—even if we only live in dreams.”

“Sir, could you tell me your story?” Chen Gu asked directly.

“There’s nothing to hide. I was an elven hero. You know what a hero is, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Chen Gu replied. He was familiar with the basics.

“I fought in the war you mentioned, between elves and humans. I was leading troops to the front lines and passed through this land. For reasons I still don’t understand, the Labyrinth Ancient Tree we’d planted here suddenly attacked us. Caught off guard, we all fell into slumber beneath the tree. Ironically, that proved to be our salvation from the undead transformation.”

As the elven hero spoke, Chen Gu noticed the crystal in his hand glowing, as though it contained the essence of many souls.