Gold Drop!

Seeing nothing novel in the way of wizardry, Lynn turned his attention to the stalls selling Undead.

Most of the Undead in the market were low-grade goods like Skeleton Soldiers, Rotting Zombies, and Wailing Wraiths. Their strength was mediocre, and their potential was limited.

An idea struck him, and he tried using the [Analysis] function on a relatively intact-looking Skeleton Soldier.

[Target]: Damaged Skeleton Warrior

[Rank]: lv0 (Glimmer-tier)

[Composition]: Old human bones (Strength: Low), weak negative energy core (Stability: Medium)

[Potential]: Extremely low (Limited by bone material and energy core; unable to withstand high-intensity negative energy infusion)

[Control Recommendation]: The Mental Imprint must be attached to the connection between the third and fifth cervical vertebrae...

It worked, just as expected! The Analysis function could not only see through the details of these Undead, but also assess their potential and even provide methods for optimizing their control!

Lynn perked up and began lingering before every Undead-selling stall like a picky buyer.

In truth, he was secretly using the Analysis function to scan each Undead up for sale.

With the aid of Analysis, Lynn quickly discovered several interesting Undead and modified creatures.

Before a stall reeking of strong preservatives and blood, Lynn spotted an especially eye-catching creature.

It seemed to have been crudely stitched together from the corpse parts of three or four different creatures. Its body was grotesquely bloated, covered in rough seams, and its skin came in different colors.

One arm was a rotten human hand, while the other was the claw of some beast, giving off a nauseating stench.

[Target]: Inferior Stitched Monster

[Rank]: lv1 (Standard Grade) Peak (Extremely unstable)

[Composition]: Mixed flesh and blood (Strength: Low–Medium, severe rejection), chaotic soul fragments (Stability: Extremely low), simple strength rune (Effect: Weak)

[Abilities]:

Stench Attack: Attacks may cause wound infections.

Weak Frenzy: May enter an indiscriminate attack state after being injured.

[Potential]: Extremely low (Structural imbalance, soul on the verge of collapse, estimated survival time <30 days)

This was a shoddily made modified creature. Several incompatible biological organs had been forcibly fused together, leaving its form extremely unstable.

The stall owner understood this as well, so he had set an extremely low price—five Magic Stones.

He hoped the low price would attract some newcomers to take it off his hands.

If some newcomer truly wanted to rely on this thing to pass the Three Trials of Life and Death, it would probably collapse before the assessment even began.

The modified creature at another stall looked far more normal.

It looked much like an ordinary Zombie, but a large mass of constantly writhing dark-red flesh was parasitizing its back. Several tentacles connected it to the Zombie's spine and skull.

[Target]: Parasitic Corpse Demon (Symbiote, not fully stabilized)

[Rank]: lv2 (Elite-tier)

[Composition]: Host Zombie (Strength: Medium), parasite "Blood Centipede" (Activity: High, Aggressiveness: Medium), unstable symbiotic neural cord

[Abilities]:

Whip Tentacles: The parasite can extend tentacles for mid-range attacks, carrying neurotoxin.

Flesh Regeneration: The parasite can consume its own energy to accelerate the host's recovery from injuries.

Backlash: When the host is severely injured or the controller's mental power is insufficient, the parasite has a chance of seizing control and turning on its master.

[Potential]: Medium-high (If the symbiotic relationship fully stabilizes, it can advance to lv3 and gain stronger regenerative and toxic abilities. However, the risk of losing control will always remain.)

Hmm... this thing was extremely strong and had considerable potential. The only problem was that it could easily devour its master.

Anyone who bought it would truly have ancestral blessings.

At another stall, a skeleton that looked as though it had been carved from pale-purple crystal caught Lynn's attention.

It stood silently, its bones clear and translucent, emitting a faint glow beneath the market's dim lighting. It looked utterly out of place among the surrounding gray, lifeless Undead.

Quite a few apprentices had gathered around this stall, endlessly bargaining with the owner.

The Nameplate hanging from the stall owner's body made Lynn's eyes narrow slightly.

A golden Nameplate!

That meant the stall owner was a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice!

[Target]: Crystal Skeleton (Elemental contamination variant)

[Rank]: lv2 (Elite-tier)

[Composition]: Elementalized bones (Strength: Medium, resistance to energy attacks: High, resistance to physical attacks: Medium), stable negative energy-elemental hybrid core

[Abilities]:

Energy Deflection: Has a certain chance of deflecting or weakening targeted energy attacks.

Elemental Impact: Can release a weak shockwave of negative energy mixed with elements (yin attribute).

[Potential]: Medium (Its bone properties are fixed. Its growth path is clear, but its upper limit is not high. Suitable as a stationary ranged attack unit or energy shield.)

Sure enough, this Crystal Skeleton was no ordinary creature. It was a mutated specimen.

Its "magic resistance" was high, and its Energy Deflection ability could deflect or weaken targeted energy attacks. It was practically the bane of Wizard Apprentices.

It was just that the price...

"I told you already, this Crystal Skeleton is a mutant. It's extremely rare—you won't find a second one."

"It has extremely high resistance to wizardry. Ordinary wizardry can't threaten it at all."

"Stop trying to haggle. I won't sell it for less than a hundred Magic Stones!"

A hundred Magic Stones!

Ordinary lv2 Undead generally cost between thirty and fifty Magic Stones.

Although this Crystal Undead was a mutant, its strength was only so-so. A hundred Magic Stones was truly too expensive.

Lynn shook his head and left the stall.

He wanted an Undead with a reasonable price and high potential, something he could gradually raise.

After scanning more than half the market, most Undead had Analysis results of [Potential: Low] or [Extremely Low].

Then, before an inconspicuous little stall in a corner, he saw a skeleton that was exceptionally small, its bones even somewhat blackened.

The skeleton had been casually tossed into a corner, completely ignored.

Lynn used Analysis on it.

[Target: Shadow Skeleton of an unknown species (Slight mutation)]

[Rank: lv1 Peak (Standard Grade)]

[Composition: Dense black bones (Strength: High, affinity with negative energy: Excellent), stable negative energy core (Growth potential: Medium), residual weak Shadow properties]

[Potential: High (Excellent bone foundation, energy core capable of growth; can be cultivated toward a "Shadow Skeleton" or "Black Warrior")]

[Ability: Sealed.]

[Status: Energy Stasis. Requires a specific negative energy sequence to activate.]

Oh, a gold drop!

An lv1 Peak with high potential! And it was a top-tier specimen capable of growth!!

To avoid confusion in the level system as more worlds are invaded in the future, the ranks of Undead and other creatures analyzed by the panel would temporarily be divided from lv0 to lv10. Naturally, each world had its own terminology.

lv0 Glimmer-tier (ordinary person)

lv1 Standard Grade (First-Class Apprentice)

lv2 Elite-tier (Second-Class Apprentice)

lv3 Boss-Level (Third-Class Apprentice)

lv4 Calamity-tier (One-Ring Wizard)

lv5 Disaster-tier (Second Ring Wizard)

lv6 Nightmare-tier (Third-Ring Wizard)

lv7 Kingdom-tier (Fourth-Ring Wizard)

lv8 Continent-tier (Fifth-Ring Wizard)

lv9 World-tier (Sixth-Ring Wizard)

lv10 Law-tier (Seventh-Ring Wizard)

lv11 and lv12 would be added later if needed...