Volume One: The Infernal Lord’s World Chapter 62: Walking Corpses

“This is the place. Jade, you stay here with them; I’ll handle this myself, but afterward I need an assessment. I want the most basic evaluation—based on this flesh, what level can you reach?” Chen Gu glanced at the walking corpses, then spoke to Jade.

Upon hearing this, Jade quickly retreated to the side, along with the ordinary Jade Ants she had summoned under her control. Jade understood what Chen Gu meant. Throughout their journey, his attention had been focused on the Jade Ant swarm. He had determined the types of food the Jade Ants could consume, and had also confirmed what they could eat in the absence of flesh. Although Jade insisted that the ants could grow rapidly even without flesh, Chen Gu was more inclined to believe that flesh provided a unique stimulus for their development.

This time, he intended to test the Jade Ants’ potential.

Once Jade had moved aside, Chen Gu summoned a pack of Bloodshadow Wolves. As soon as they appeared, they drew the attention of the walking corpses, who brandished their weapons and charged fiercely toward the wolves.

At that moment, the Fire Spirit Crows flanking Chen Gu took to the sky. Though there were only a dozen or so, as they rose, ten sparks clustered around them. As the walking corpses lunged at the Bloodshadow Wolves, the Fire Spirit Crows unleashed their magic.

Spark Bullet!

The sparks around the crows transformed into bullets, raining down upon the walking corpses. At first, the corpses paid no heed to the crows overhead. To them, the Fire Spirit Crows were so small that, should they fly close, a single bite would swallow them whole. The real threat, in their minds, was the Bloodshadow Wolves, as large as calves.

Yet before the wolves could even reach them, the spark bullets from the crows had already struck their heads, exploding violently. More than half of the walking corpses collapsed instantly.

Then the Bloodshadow Wolves pounced from all sides. Their movement was uncanny: one moment they were ten meters away, the next, they appeared behind their enemies or at their flanks. Before the corpses could react, the wolves launched their attack, sinking their fangs into the throats of their adversaries. Though the walking corpses were sturdy and thick-skinned, they still had weaknesses. The Fire Spirit Crows’ earlier bullets had struck precisely at those fatal points—their heads.

Now, the Bloodshadow Wolves targeted the same vulnerability. Once a wolf latched onto a corpse’s neck, it would wrench its head violently. If the head was torn free, the corpse died instantly. If not, another wolf would take its turn.

Of course, the walking corpses were not entirely defenseless; some managed to seize the wolves and bite down, inflicting damage. But Chen Gu’s wolves were summoned creatures. As long as his mana held out, he could summon as many as he wished—three mana points for fifteen Bloodshadow Wolves. Even if fifteen wolves could only take down ten corpses, it was more than enough for Chen Gu.

It was a profitable exchange in every respect. Moreover, as Chen Gu’s spell level and magic points increased, the number and strength of his summoned wolves would rise as well. It was a venture with limitless returns.

If this batch of wolves proved insufficient, he would simply summon more.

Watching the battlefield, Chen Gu raised his hand and unleashed another fifteen Bloodshadow Wolves. They bounded over the fallen bodies, plunging into the fray. Meanwhile, the Fire Spirit Crows in the sky readied another cluster of sparks, once again launching Spark Bullets.

With this second assault, another wave of walking corpses fell. The combined attacks from above and below caught the corpses completely off guard. They tried to fight back, but could only kill a few wolves; the crows overhead remained untouched.

Gradually, the walking corpses fell one by one.

Suddenly, a corpse seemed to go mad, charging toward the place it had been guarding from the start. This did not escape Chen Gu’s notice. In fact, he had noticed what they were guarding all along—a mound overgrown with weeds—but he had not paid much attention until now, when it seemed there was more to it.

The crazed corpse frantically searched through the grass.

“Prioritize killing that one,” Chen Gu commanded at once, pointing to the mad corpse.

Three Bloodshadow Wolves and five Fire Spirit Crows rushed toward it.

At that moment, the corpse’s skin turned green. A thick green smoke rose from the mound.

“Damn it, kill him! Fire Spirit Crows, prepare to cleanse the area,” Chen Gu barked, instantly recognizing the situation.

The walking corpses had been guarding poison gas.

Chen Gu had no idea where the gas had originated, but he had no use for it and was unwilling to keep it. On his order, all the Fire Spirit Crows transformed their sparks into balloon-sized masses and hurled them at the billowing smoke.

After a series of explosions, Chen Gu unleashed Holy Light Magma and Fire Elementals, commanding them to work together to handle the toxic fumes.

The two types of fire elementals advanced swiftly—one struck the ground with a mighty fist, setting the earth trembling, while the other spewed flames, burning away all the weeds.

When the small mound was overturned, Chen Gu noticed several decayed, ruined wagons beneath. Inside the wagons were thick wooden barrels, from which the toxic gas emanated. It seemed the elves had once transported this poison. Even after the undead plague claimed their lives, they had continued to fulfill their mission perfectly. Transformed into walking corpses, they still steadfastly guarded the wagons.

If not for the last corpse’s madness, attempting to release the poison, Chen Gu might never have discovered what lay beneath the mound.

“Destroy it,” he ordered, glancing from afar. “Jade, deal with the bodies.”

“Master, do you need us to handle the toxic liquid as well?” Jade suddenly asked.

“How do you plan to do that?” Chen Gu was intrigued.

“Devour and assimilate it. The Jade Ants are otherwise useless, and the toxicity of the gas has been mostly burned away. The little that remains is just right for us to absorb,” Jade replied confidently.

Chen Gu looked at her, saw her certainty, and nodded in approval.

“Very well, it’s yours.”