Please bookmark, recommend, vote with your monthly tickets, and show your support in other ways!
The skeletons swiftly unloaded everything from the pickup and piled it in the open space by the wall, messy but orderly.
Afterward, they also helped take care of things inside the graveyard.
They moved the animal hides around and did other things like that. It was clear that these skeletons had been the ones looking after all of them.
They had probably learned how from Ashes.
Once everything was taken care of, the skeletons pushed the empty pickup away, their stiff steps carrying them off.
From the looks of it, they planned to return to the mall and keep scavenging for supplies.
While the skeletons were busy, Gu Su had already checked what his territory had gained overnight. He nodded to himself, pleased.
It turned out that hostile outsiders had indeed attacked during the night. It was just that the foolish creatures had barely approached the graveyard before the patrol squad and the Weird Tree joined forces to wipe them out. They hadn't even made enough noise to wake him.
The corpses of the larger monsters had all been tossed into the grave pits by the skeletons, filling the population gaps in several graves.
The extra corpses hadn't gone to waste, either. They had all been taken to Grave Pit No. 4 in the Deadwood Forest, where they had become the White Crows perched in the Weird Tree.
Gu Su's undead forces had grown considerably.
He now had a full squad of ordinary skeletons, a full squad of Elite Skeletons, and a scout squad that already had twenty-one White Crows.
As for the small animals that had wandered out of the village woods to forage, they hadn't been so lucky.
They hadn't escaped the patrol skeletons' notice, and in the end, they became chunks of meat hanging beneath the Weird Tree. The tree gradually absorbed the death energy from their bodies, replenishing its own energy and giving the breeze it exhaled a faint chill.
What surprised Gu Su even more was that the skeletons had thoughtfully prepared food for him.
They had specially picked out a plump rabbit and two pheasants from the prey and set them aside. Their fur and feathers had been cleaned off, clearly because the skeletons had saved them for him.
Meanwhile, after receiving Gu Su's earlier instructions, the Skeleton Squad hadn't been idle. They had made trip after trip between the mall and the graveyard, bringing back a steady stream of supplies.
Some items were made of unusual materials, and it would have been too wasteful to convert them into territory materials.
Everything else had been converted in an orderly fashion into basic materials the graveyard could use, adding to the territory's stockpile.
However, among the supplies they had kept, there were a few items that left Gu Su at a loss. He wasn't sure what to do with them.
He didn't mean odds and ends like plastic chairs and plastic figurines, but some more unusual items.
For instance, the skeletons had found an abandoned cinema on the mall's third floor. They had dismantled all its seats and brought them back to the territory as lumber.
Besides that, they had also managed to bring back a mostly intact screen. The fabric was thick and dusty, but otherwise undamaged.
Even more surprisingly, they had found a reel of movie film in the cinema's projection room. It was black and surrounded by a fairly heavy aura of evil, so it clearly wasn't ordinary. The skeletons hadn't dared to handle it carelessly and had brought it back with them.
There was also a pile of carbon-steel tennis rackets. They weren't pure metal, so they couldn't be used directly as metal materials, but they were sturdy. It felt like a waste to throw them away, and they weren't entirely useless either. For the moment, Gu Su had no idea what to do with them.
There were quite a lot of items like these, and it would probably take some time to sort them out.
It was still unclear when he might be able to put them to use.
The amount of resources already converted into usable materials was substantial, too.
Gold Coins: 3,392; Yin Energy: 1,209; Wood: 103 units; Stone: 95 units; Metal: 114 units; Gems: 2 units; Crystals: 2 units; Mercury: 3 units; Sulfur: none.
Looking at the numbers on the panel, Gu Su did some calculations.
Of the resources needed to upgrade the Graveyard Demon, only Yin Energy and Stone were still below the required amount. He already had plenty of everything else.
Gu Su couldn't help but sigh.
Sure enough, tireless undead that never needed sleep made the best laborers in this apocalypse.
They didn't need rest or food. All it took was a simple order, and they would give it their all. Their efficiency was off the charts.
The thought that an upgrade was within reach immediately energized Gu Su, and his fatigue vanished.
He secretly made plans. With his forces now stronger and his supplies plentiful, he might as well expand the search area today.
If he was lucky and killed enough enemies, he could put the Level 2 and Level 3 Empty Graves in his territory to use and further strengthen his undead forces.
Once he had made up his mind, Gu Su raised a hand toward the Weird Tree and beckoned.
The White Crows, perched steadily on the Weird Tree's branches, immediately flapped their bony wings and took flight. They circled Gu Su once, their dark eye sockets fixed on him as they awaited his orders.
Clearly, despite their small size, these creatures were proper undead, and highly obedient.
Gu Su pointed toward several directions around the Graveyard Demon and gave his orders in a firm voice. "Split into several groups and fly in these directions. Carefully investigate the surrounding area.
"Focus on looking for any obvious buildings, large groups of beasts or other creatures, and unusual-looking trees or other prominent landmarks. If you find anything at all, come back and report to me immediately. Don't act on your own."
At Gu Su's command, the White Crows let out several low caws, as if responding. Then they split into three groups and flew in the directions he had indicated. Their bony wings cut through the air, and soon they were just a few tiny white specks in the distance before vanishing from sight.
Just then, the Elite Skeleton Squad, which had been patrolling the graveyard's perimeter, slowly returned. They stood in formation before Gu Su, their heads lowered as they waited for their next orders.
Gu Su's gaze fell on the squad, and he immediately noticed the difference.
The patrol squad, made up of five Elite Skeletons and two mage skeletons, had changed.
A crude but practical layer of chainmail now covered them. It had been pieced together from animal hide, hard plastic, and wood chips, and clung tightly to their bodies, providing a decent amount of protection.
The weapons in their hands had also been noticeably sharpened. Their edges were keener, and blood still streaked them.
Clearly, a night of nonstop fighting had given the squad more than just experience. It had also honed their combat style and equipment.
They looked more elite than before, and far more battle-ready.
"Rest here and recover your vitality. You two, recover your mana as well. We have another tough battle ahead of us today."
Before you continue