Chapter 49: Mutation

The white, plump worms sprayed out by the monster grew rapidly in the yellow-green fluid, and before long they had transformed into grotesque shapes.

They looked like humanoid figures made from countless pieces of flesh, yet entirely devoid of bones. Mushroom-like growths sprouted from their bodies, and their eyes shone with an eerie light.

Without bones, all of these bizarre humanoids could do was crawl along the ground. Yet from the speed at which they moved, it was clear that they were far from weak.

Liu Zhi also noticed that there seemed to be something on their backs. Though those things had not changed yet, it was obvious that the creatures used their hands for movement and would probably rely on whatever was growing on their backs for combat.

“Kill them.”

At Liu Zhi’s command, a squad of ordinary skeletons surged forward and clashed with the grotesque creatures that had been spat out.

Unlike the monster itself, these creatures were neither thick-skinned nor heavily built. The skeletons, armed with spears and small shields, could easily handle them one-on-one.

At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to Liu Zhi. Could the monster before him be an undead mobile city?

Once the idea entered his mind, his perception of the situation changed at once. If that were truly the case, everything made sense. Aside from raising its four-meter-long arms and bellowing, the creature had displayed no other offensive movements. Its defenses, on the other hand, were extraordinarily powerful. Normally, undead creatures with such formidable defensive abilities were exceedingly rare.

But a mobile city would be different. Those enormous arms could function like cranes, while the smaller limbs beneath its body would give it considerable mobility. And that nearly impenetrable outer shell—would it not make an excellent city wall?

The more Liu Zhi looked, the more plausible it seemed. If this really was a mobile city, then perhaps the poison and alchemical attacks had failed simply because they were ineffective against it.

As he considered this, Liu Zhi adjusted his next move. This time, he ordered his subordinates to throw out another alchemical potion, though not one of the web-like substances they had used before. Instead, they employed a relatively ordinary alchemical compound: Blazing Gel.

The substance ignited upon contact with air and was extremely difficult to extinguish unless it had been completely burned away. It was an excellent item for travel and everyday use.

Liu Zhi’s Alchemy Workshop had not yet reached the level required to produce such things independently, but he had already obtained the necessary formula. He could at least manufacture the most basic version.

After the Blazing Gel was thrown, Liu Zhi watched as the monster simply endured the flames with its own body. The fire burned over it for a long while, yet failed even to singe its hide.

After several successive attacks failed to injure the monster, Liu Zhi realized that the situation was turning against him. He immediately changed his strategy. Rather than force an attack, he made a hand signal.

Several skeleton soldiers picked up the objects that had previously summoned the monster and scattered in all directions.

Liu Zhi himself did not retreat. He remained where he was, watching everything before him. He needed to determine what exactly the monster had become.

This time, the creature finally reacted. One of its heads suddenly twisted toward a skeleton soldier, staring at the object in the soldier’s hands. Clearly, the item had provoked some response.

Liu Zhi immediately gave an order. “That’s it. Keep drawing its attention. Don’t let it escape.”

At his command, the skeleton archers launched another attack. A rain of arrows descended upon the monster.

Just as Liu Zhi had expected, the arrows had no effect whatsoever, but they successfully drew the monster’s attention back toward them.

As the creature roared and tried to strike at Liu Zhi’s position, the skeleton soldier who had provoked its reaction ran back once more.

After this happened two or three times, the monster finally lost its temper. With a furious roar, it spat another vast mass of white, plump worms from its mouth.

This time, Liu Zhi noticed that a white skull had been expelled along with the worms.

The Fateweaver Spider Woman did not hesitate. One of her spider legs stabbed down from above, striking the skull squarely.

The blow pierced a hole through it on the spot.

But in the very next moment, several white worms began crawling up the spider woman’s leg, apparently attempting to reach her body.

The Fateweaver Spider Woman shook her leg, and several clumps of webbing shot downward, trapping the worms by force.

At that moment, the latest wave of worms had already matured into grotesque humanoid creatures and was rushing toward the skeleton soldiers carrying the objects.

“All right. We know enough. Kill those worms and see how many more waves it can produce without replenishment.”

Under Liu Zhi’s command, every available skeleton unit pressed forward and began clearing away the worms. Only the skeleton soldiers capable of using Nightpiercer Swordsmanship continued attacking the monster’s outer hide.

After roughly three more waves, Liu Zhi noticed that the monster seemed to have run out of things to spit out. What emerged from its mouth was no longer white, plump worms, but white eggs.

Liu Zhi seized upon the change at once. Looking more closely, he discovered something else: whenever the monster spat out eggs, it no longer expelled the yellow-green fluid that had accompanied the worms at the beginning.

Could that liquid be the monster’s true body?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Liu Zhi quickly reached a conclusion.

“Destroy every egg. Draw the monster’s attacks.”

At Liu Zhi’s command, the Plague Corpse unit, which had been keeping the monster occupied all this time, sprang into action. They were slower than the skeletons, so they had remained on the battlefield throughout the fight. Every now and then, one or two zombies had been knocked down or hurled away for getting in the monster’s way.

But the zombies possessed remarkable vitality. Each time they were thrown aside, they simply rose again and returned to the battlefield.

Now, under Liu Zhi’s orders, they proved to be the most convenient unit for the task. Ignoring everything else, they dropped flat onto the ground and rolled over the eggs, crushing every one beneath their weight.

At the same time, protected by numerous golden skeletons, the skeleton soldier carrying the object stepped forward once again. He waved it repeatedly, seemingly trying to attract the monster’s attention.

Yet by then, the monster no longer seemed interested in the skeleton soldier. Its few movable heads twisted and tore at one another without pause, as if it had completely lost the judgment it once possessed.