sjar Chapter 219: Clearing the Warehouse
Chapter 219: Clearing the Warehouse
The rolling shutter was pulled higher.
The sound of metal grinding against concrete rang out sharply, flakes of rust falling in scattered patches. From the dark gap below, an enormous body slowly crawled outward, carrying a foul stench that made Sunako quickly cover her nose.
It was nearly eight meters long.
Its lower body dragged along the ground, like multiple corpses compressed and fused into one massive heap of flesh. Both arms had grown to excessive length, nearly as long as its body itself. Every time they moved, the claws scraping across the yard surface made a skin-crawling sound. On its back were swollen lumps of flesh, and faintly visible within them were faces with closed eyes.
The monster’s mouth stretched from ear to ear.
It didn’t roar.
Only heavy, broken breathing, like an old machine about to break down.
Rilia slightly narrowed her eyes.
"Mutated monster."
Rover looked at the information panel appearing before him.
....
[Mutated Corpse-Dragger]
[Type: Fog Monster.]
[Rank: B+.]
[Trait: Absorbs corpses to regenerate its body. Capable of fusing surrounding cadavers to amplify its power.]
[Hint: Destroy the mutation core before it can absorb more corpses.]
....
Rover didn’t immediately act.
He wanted to see the current strength of Rilia after her bloodline evolved.
The Ice Wolf General stepped forward.
The cold aura around her gradually spread.
[Frost Battle Domain.]
Crack!
Frost crawled along the yard surface, covering the cracked concrete in an instant. Individual crystals floated in mid-air. The pale blue light reflected in Rilia’s cold eyes.
The massive monster sensed the danger.
It raised its two elongated arms, then slammed them hard into the ground.
BOOM!
The yard shook.
One arm swept horizontally toward Rilia, carrying enough force to crush a truck. But she only tilted her body, stepped back half a step, then raised her palm.
Cold aura erupted.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Thick ice rapidly covered the monster’s enormous arm. It tried to struggle. Chunks of ice exploded outward. But the speed of freezing was faster than the speed of destruction.
Rilia said coldly: "Selina."
Selina had already vanished.
Whoosh!
A figure swept close to the ground.
The sword in her hand cut across the elbow that had just been frozen solid. The slash was sharp enough that there was almost no lag. A second later, the enormous arm was severed and fell to the ground with a heavy impact.
BOOM!
Black blood splattered.
The monster finally let out a hoarse roar.
It tried to lunge toward Selina, but Elith had already raised her hand.
Dozens of spider silk strands shot from the dark corners all around, wrapping around its legs and the dragging lower body. The silk wasn’t enough to completely immobilize that massive body, but holding it for even one second was sufficient.
Nanoe stood behind Rover. Her gaze swept quickly across the swollen lumps on the monster’s back.
"Third one from the left."
She spoke very quickly.
"Something is moving inside."
Rilia didn’t ask further.
A long ice spike immediately formed in mid-air, then shot straight into the position Nanoe had just indicated.
Whoosh!
BOOM!
The swollen lump of flesh exploded outward.
Black blood and mucus sprayed outward, revealing a gray-black core beating continuously like a heart. Around the core were numerous tendon-like strands trying to drag it back into the body.
Rover raised his hand.
Darkness spread from beneath his feet.
[Shadow.]
A massive black hand appeared from the ground, piercing through the convulsing flesh then gripping the mutation core tightly.
The monster convulsed violently.
Its remaining arm repeatedly slammed the ground, causing the surrounding ice to crack into large chunks. But the shadow hand didn’t release.
Rover lightly tightened his fingers.
The black hand pulled hard.
Pop!
The core was forcibly torn from the body.
The entire massive heap of flesh stiffened for a moment, then collapsed onto the yard like a small hill. The faces on its back simultaneously opened their eyes, mouths gaping as if trying to scream but unable to produce any sound.
Rover placed his hand on the core.
[Devour.]
A surge of gray-black energy was quickly swallowed clean by the darkness.
The core shattered.
The monster’s corpse immediately lost its last trace of life.
The entire battle lasted no longer than three minutes.
No one was injured.
Sunako looked at the massive heap of flesh lying still on the yard, then looked at Rilia, Selina, Elith, and Rover. She was silent for a few seconds then said seriously:
"I suddenly feel that standing close to Great Lord Rover is an extremely wise choice."
Selina glanced at her.
"You’re only realizing this now?"
Sunako shook her head.
"I realized it long ago. But every day I find more new reasons to confirm that decision."
Rover paid no attention to her.
He looked at the notification panel only he could see.
....
[You have devoured the core of a Mutated Corpse-Dragger.]
[Attribute points increased.]
[You can reclaim the residual energy in the corpse.]
....
His gaze brightened slightly.
Just one Rank B+ monster had already yielded a significant harvest. If the warehouse contained even more mutated monsters inside, today’s outing was certainly worth more than anticipated.
Elith directed the spider swarm into the warehouse first.
This time no signals were cut off immediately.
After a moment, she said: "A few smaller ones inside."
Rover nodded.
"Clear them out."
No need to build a complex plan.
Rilia went first.
Selina followed.
Elith directed spiders to spread into every corner.
Smaller monsters lunged from behind shelving units, old forklifts, and tilted containers. Some had humanoid forms with bodies covered in bone spikes. Others crawled on four limbs with heads that had split open like flesh-petals. But against room 2705’s current formation, they didn’t create any significant pressure.
Cold aura froze the corridors.
Sword light flashed.
Spider silk dragged corpses into one place.
Rover only needed to follow behind, using [Reclaim] to handle the bodies.
Each monster corpse turned to ash.
Each small notification panel appeared then vanished.
Omni Points continued accumulating.
Not enough to make Rover lose composure, but enough to make him feel satisfied.
This was only the first resource location.
Only a site less than three kilometers from the apartment complex.
If other areas also contained mutated monsters, the fog was no longer just a wall bringing nothing but danger. It was an unexploited territory, filled with materials and energy waiting for him to take.
About ten minutes later, the freight depot fell quiet.
Elith recalled most of the scouting spiders, only leaving some clinging to the ceiling and corners to keep watch. Rilia retracted [Frost Battle Domain]. Selina flicked her sword lightly, and the black blood clinging to the blade immediately flew off to the floor.
Nanoe was the first to walk deeper inside.
Three large warehouses connected through a wide corridor. Part of the roof had collapsed, but most of the area remained intact. Rows of metal shelving stretched to the end of visibility, goods stacked neatly in large crates. A few boxes had deteriorated, but most were fairly well preserved thanks to the abnormally cold temperatures within the fog.
Sunako looked around.
"Any food?"
Nanoe checked a few nearby crates, then shook her head.
"Not much."
She opened another crate.
Inside wasn’t canned food.
But game currency arranged in neat stacks.
Pale yellow light reflected across everyone’s faces.
Sunako’s eyes went wide.
"Gold coins?"
Nanoe bent down and took one out to examine.
On it was the familiar symbol of an open eye. The other side bore a strange hexagonal engraving. Not fake gold. Not ordinary metal.
These were real game currency.
Rover walked over to her.
Nanoe checked a few more crates.
Then her expression changed.
"Not just one crate."
Sunako immediately ran over and opened the nearby parcels. She no longer maintained the tension from being outside in the fog. Her movements were so fast she almost forgot she was still in a not-completely-safe area.
Second crate.
Third crate.
Fourth crate.
All of them contained gold coins.
A few smaller parcels in the corner held silver coins, but the quantity wasn’t significant compared to the gold currency in front of them.
Nanoe quickly made a rough count.
"At least over a thousand gold coins."
Sunako sucked in a breath.
Even Selina raised an eyebrow slightly.
Gold coins weren’t something easily obtained. Most Survivors only accumulated a small amount from missions, rewards, or trades. But this freight depot had multiple sealed crates, as if a batch of resources originally prepared for some other purpose had been forgotten in the fog.
Rover looked at the crates of coins.
His mood immediately improved.
The six lanterns purchased from Otrix had cost a total of one hundred eighty gold coins plus some ice materials. Just the money in the warehouse was already enough to compensate for the entire expenditure, with a great deal left over.
Nanoe looked at the gold crates for a moment, then calmly said:
"Prioritize bringing the game currency back first."
Sunako nodded very quickly.
"I agree."
Selina glanced at her.
"You agreed rather fast."
Sunako hugged a smaller gold crate, her expression serious.
"Because I understand clearly what’s important for the territory’s long-term development."
Rover looked at her.
"You’re holding it quite tightly."
Sunako immediately put the crate down.
"I was just checking the weight."
Rover didn’t continue questioning.
He had a feeling that if he left Sunako beside a pile of gold for too long, she might forget she was still in a not-completely-safe resource area.
Right at this moment, Elith’s voice rang out from the deeper section.
"Something else back here."
Rover turned his head.
Elith was standing before a row of lower containers, small spiders crawling around the door crevices as if checking the interior.
Rilia stepped forward.
Cold aura spread from her palm, pulling the stuck metal door sideways.
Screech!
Inside the container were bundles of material stacked neatly in layers.
Not metal.
Not stone.
But wood.
However, these pieces of wood were completely unlike ordinary wood. The color was darker, the grain more pronounced, the surface bearing natural veining patterns that resembled energy channels. A few pieces even emitted a very faint fragrance, making the mind feel more alert when standing nearby.
Rover looked at the information panel.
....
[Gray Fog Timber]
[Type: Construction material.]
[Rank: C.]
[Trait: Grown in fog-covered areas. Better corrosion resistance, cold tolerance, and energy conductivity than ordinary wood.]
[Uses: Can be used for construction, repairs, or crafting items.]
....
Rover slightly narrowed his eyes.
Morie wasn’t here.
But just seeing the information, he already knew she would certainly be very interested in this type of material.
Room 2705 needed upgrades.
The defense towers needed renovation.
In the future, the territory would also need many structures to be built.
Ordinary wood materials would no longer be sufficient.
[Gray Fog Timber] had appeared at just the right time.
Nanoe looked around, then softly said: "Very large quantity."
Rover nodded.
At least two containers.
They couldn’t bring all of it back in one trip relying only on each person’s backpack. They needed to establish a stable transport route, then return multiple times.
Sunako had already started walking around the timber area, her eyes practically glowing.
She reached out and touched one piece.
[Gemstone Hands] automatically responded.
A very thin strand of energy spread from her fingertip.
Sunako was slightly surprised.
"This type of wood can be used as a base material for equipment."
Nanoe looked at her.
Sunako continued explaining: "If it’s used to craft weapon handles, armor frames, or defensive items, then inlaid with compatible crystals, the effectiveness would be far more stable than ordinary wood."
She paused for a moment, then added in an excited tone:
"If coordinated with the [Equipment Production Workshop], we can use it for mass production."
Rover looked at Sunako.
"Mark all of it."
Sunako immediately stood straight.
"Understood, Great Lord Rover."
Selina said with a smile: "You only awakened your ability yesterday."
Sunako paused slightly, but very quickly regained her serious expression.
"Genius doesn’t need too much preparation time."
Rover looked at the timber containers and the gold coin crates scattered throughout the warehouse, then slowly curved his lips.
The first route had yielded benefits larger than anticipated.
But the warehouse still hadn’t been fully checked.
Deeper inside, there was one more small container that was locked tight.
And what was preserved within seemed to be even more special than all the resources they had just found.