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At Gu Su's command, the two skeletons searching for boards quickly returned, carrying several broad, sturdy, relatively intact planks into the storeroom, one in front of the other.
The planks were dusty and mold-spotted, with somewhat worn edges, but they were sturdy enough. They weren't ideal, but they wouldn't split in half halfway through the job.
Gu Su immediately signaled for the skeletons to get to work. Several of them bent down and carefully scooped up the Silt Corpse Oil with their bony claws, spreading it evenly over the planks to prevent leaks from an overly thick layer.
Once each plank held a suitable amount of filth, Gu Su paired up the skeletons, assigning two to carry each plank behind him. Then he led the way out of the storeroom.
At that moment, Gu Su had only one thought.
Get back to the Graveyard Demon as soon as possible.
He had the Corruption Mycelium needed to repair the Graveyard Demon. The most urgent thing now was to bring the materials back and complete [Repair Quest: Desolate Land].
As for the remaining supplies in the supermarket, there would be plenty of time to scavenge them later.
Not long after leaving the cold-storage room, he ran into the five skeletons he'd earlier sent to search different parts of the supermarket for useful items.
They were each dragging or carrying the things they'd found, slowly gathering toward the entrance.
They had found a few things, but compared with the Corruption Mycelium and Silt Corpse Oil Gu Su had discovered, their haul was rather ordinary.
Among their finds were intact cast-iron ceiling fan blades, their bodies still thick and sturdy.
A few shelf supports that could still bear weight, their metal solid to the touch.
Several plastic bins that had somehow avoided fully breaking down despite who knew how many years in storage. They still seemed reasonably airtight.
And a few large pieces of relatively intact glass, dusty but uncracked.
The skeletons had no sense of what was more important. They simply picked up whatever looked intact, collecting anything they saw. Their haul was haphazard, but plentiful.
Eager to get back to the graveyard, Gu Su only glanced over their haul—but his eyes immediately settled on the large plastic bins, and a glimmer of interest flashed across his face.
They were airtight and lightweight, making them perfect for carrying Silt Corpse Oil. They'd be far safer than transporting it on planks.
He raised a hand toward the skeleton that had found the plastic bins and ordered in a low voice, "Take a bin into the cold-storage room and bring it back full of Silt Corpse Oil."
The skeleton immediately set down the piece of glass in its hands, bent over to lift a plastic bin, and headed briskly toward the cold-storage room without a word. Its movements were stiff but efficient.
Gu Su's gaze shifted to the cast-iron ceiling fan blades. He bent down and picked one up.
A thick layer of varnish coated its surface. Despite years of wear and exposure, it had barely rusted, and its edge remained sharp. It was heavy and solid in his hands.
"Now that's a nice find. A little grinding and cleaning, and it'll make a fine weapon for a skeleton."
He murmured his praise, running his fingertips along the edge as he considered how to repurpose it.
Before he'd finished speaking, a deep, violent roar suddenly came from outside the supermarket. It shattered the silence indoors, carrying an intimidating force that made the nearby wreckage of the shelves tremble.
Gu Su's heart lurched, and his expression instantly turned grave. He set down the ceiling fan blade and quickly gave orders, pointing at two burly skeletons.
"You two stay here and guard the supplies and the box of mycelium by the entrance. Don't let anything happen to them! The rest of you, come with me!"
With that, Gu Su tightened his grip on the Plague Cutter and rushed toward the supermarket entrance.
The Spellcaster Skeleton followed close behind. The other skeletons gripped their weapons and hurried after him with stiff but quick strides. The entire group went on high alert.
The moment he charged out of the supermarket, Gu Su's eyes narrowed.
A monster the size of a lion, its body covered in dark brown mane, was viciously attacking the five skeletons left outside.
They were the group he'd assigned to clear the weeds outside and transport supplies. They were now locked in a fierce battle.
The skeletons had clearly been caught off guard by the sudden attack. Their empty eye sockets showed no emotion, but their hurried movements betrayed their confusion.
They had already gathered the cut vines, trees, and weeds, along with dismantled car parts and dozens of rusted shopping carts. They were pushing a pickup truck and preparing to return to the Graveyard Demon to report in.
But then the lion had appeared from who knew where and ambushed them.
Fortunately, skeletons were undead and knew no fear. Even at a disadvantage, they fought to the bitter end.
A skeleton that had been knocked flying by the lion's paw staggered back to its feet and threw itself at the monster without hesitation. It clamped its arms around the monster's head, its bony claws sinking deep into the mane.
The other four skeletons gripped their clubs, chunks of stone, and even dismantled car parts, and rained blows down on the monster.
The clatter of bones and the thuds of blunt weapons striking flesh mingled with the monster's growls. The scene was chaotic and brutal.
Seeing this, Gu Su didn't hesitate for a moment. He charged forward, Plague Cutter in hand.
After only a few steps, he pressed the switch, bringing the chainsaw up to its highest speed. The motor let out a shrill whine as the toothed chain spun rapidly, becoming a dense, dark green blur. A pungent, rancid poison gas streamed from the chain and curled around him like a toxic mist.
The lion-like monster was focused on tearing at the skeletons clinging to it. It hadn't expected reinforcements to arrive, and for a moment it was caught off guard.
Gu Su seized the fleeting opportunity and swung the Plague Cutter hard at the monster's back.
But this was his first time using a weapon like this, and he hadn't mastered its balance or the force needed to wield it. The chain only cut a shallow gash in the monster's thick hide.
The wound wasn't deep, but it immediately turned an eerie dark green.
The Plague Cutter's poison effect had clearly activated.
The monster roared in pain, its brown-yellow eyes instantly bloodshot. It whipped its head around, broke free of the skeleton clinging to it, and lunged at Gu Su with its jaws wide open, fangs bared and foul breath rushing toward him.
The skeletons still clinging to the monster immediately tightened their grip. Two locked onto its forelegs, and two wrapped themselves around its hind legs, holding it fast with their bodies. Their bones creaked under the strain, but they refused to let go.
In their instinctive minds, no enemy could be allowed to harm their master.
"Roar!" In a fit of rage, the monster suddenly lashed out. Its powerful hind leg slammed down. With a sharp crack, it crushed a skeleton's chest, sending bone fragments flying.
At the same time, it tossed its head back and bit down, crushing the neck of another skeleton in front of it. Breaking free, it lunged at Gu Su again, its jaws already right in front of him.
Gu Su didn't retreat. He charged forward instead, using the monster's momentum as it lunged. Planting both feet firmly on the ground, he gripped the Plague Cutter with both hands and thrust it into the monster's open mouth, then forced it upward with all his strength.
"Outbreak!" he growled, instantly activating the weapon's special skill.
The Plague Cutter's motor roared under the strain. Its dark green poisonous energy surged, and the chain's speed shot to its limit. With unstoppable force, it drove straight through the monster's mouth, smashed through its skull, and plunged precisely into the depths of its brain.
The monster's roar cut off abruptly. Its huge body shuddered, its limbs twitched a few times, and then it crashed to the ground, utterly still. The dark green poison gas surrounding it slowly dissipated.
[You killed the Twisted Jungle Lion King (Level 2) and gained 16 experience points. Each participating subordinate gained 8 experience points.]
Gu Su slowly pulled out the Plague Cutter. Dark red blood mixed with poison dripped from the teeth of the chain.
He caught his breath and looked down at the monster's corpse, a trace of lingering fear and relief in his eyes.
If the skeletons hadn't held it off at the cost of their lives and given him the chance to land a fatal blow, the outcome would have been uncertain.
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