Ghostweed of the Rotten Land

"Rest assured, I, a person of such caution, will be fine. Thank you for your concern."

Bede gave a disdainful look at the self-assured Night San Geng.

"Do I look like someone who cares about you?"

"I care about myself! If you die, I'll be implicated by that damn soul contract. You better be careful!"

Night San Geng awkwardly nodded, "I won't disturb you then, continue with your business."

Night San Geng didn't take Bede's sharp tongue to heart. Even though Bede was technically his slave due to the soul contract, he preferred having a subordinate with a personality over a servile servant harboring resentment.

Exiting the rat shed, Night San Geng waved for Lao Gu and the others to join him. After some consideration, he decided to convert the remaining idle skeletons into basic infantry skeletons for additional preparation against unknown enemies.

"Another 6 gold coins gone!"

Observing the 60 well-armed infantry skeletons, Night San Geng wrinkled his nose. The equipment was subpar, rusty small knives scavenged from the pile of bones, stained by blood.

However, finding better equipment at the moment was not feasible. He had to make do with what he had. The previous 10 infantry skeletons were assigned to help construction workers with building materials and were not all brought along.

"Let's go!"

With a swift wave, Night San Geng led a formidable force of skeleton infantry and his companions toward the direction of Thundering City.

Compared to the orderly human cities, raiding someone else's territory for murder and corpses was the last resort for Night San Geng. Thus, he chose the unknown Thundering City as his new hunting ground.

Moreover, as a city abandoned by humans due to undead contamination, Thundering City offered even more reasons for exploration.

"Why was I resurrected, and what is the origin of this system..."

After passing through the foggy forest ruins, Night San Geng slowed down the pace. He couldn't afford to be impatient; caution and vigilance were the keys to survival.

"Lao Gu, take ten infantry skeletons to scout ahead. Move slowly, but be cautious. If the danger is too great, come back immediately and join me for an escape."

Lao Gu nodded and led a team away with much steadier steps.

"It seems the milk bath is quite effective. That black cow has slimmed down a lot recently."

Shaking his head, Night San Geng turned his attention to Dong Chen and Xi Jiu.

Their intelligence was slightly lower than Lao Gu, but compared to the single-minded infantry skeletons, they were much stronger.

"Dong Chen, take twenty skeleton infantry to support Lao Gu from the left. Xi Jiu, you handle the right side. Oh, bring twenty more skeleton soldiers with you!"

As for Night San Geng himself, he took charge of leading the last ten skeleton infantry at the rear.

Four groups were formed in a diamond-shaped formation as they cautiously moved forward.

However, as they progressed, Night San Geng felt the soil underfoot becoming softer. The dry, cracked gray soil had turned into damp black mud, resembling coal-colored clay.

The ground around them started sprouting sparse, needle-like black grass, causing a sharp and uncomfortable sensation, almost like needles pricking at the forehead.

While rubbing his forehead, Night San Geng recalled the large wooden ball used by Weng Ling to grind wheat. It eased the discomfort a bit.

Glancing down, Night San Geng furrowed his brow again.

"Ghost Needle Grass, a common plant in the Rotten Land. Prolonged exposure can cause mild mental damage, but once the roots are destroyed, it becomes soft and resilient."

"Surprisingly resilient..." Night San Geng was impressed. "If turned into ropes or grass armor, wouldn't it be better than regular leather armor?"

Although it had its advantages, Ghost Needle Grass also had several drawbacks. It could only grow in the Rotten Land, and planting it densely would likely cause unbearable headaches due to the stinging sensation.

"However, skeletons don't have psychic abilities, and they seem unaffected. Maybe I can have them collect this Ghost Needle Grass."

Shaking his head, Night San Geng clapped his hands, standing up, and briskly walked towards Lao Gu's group. He could study this common Ghost Needle Grass later when he returned.

"Since even grass is here, other creatures should be present too. I wonder..."

Muttering to himself, Night San Geng suddenly found himself stepping on empty space. His left leg had sunk into a puddle.

Luckily, he reacted quickly. As his foot touched the water, he sensed it and swiftly pulled back, landing safely back on solid ground.

"Swamp?!"

Shaking off the cold, dark mud from his left foot, Night San Geng was surprised. As they ventured deeper, the surrounding land became increasingly soft, with occasional small pools of black water.

Who knew how deep those palm-sized puddles were. Night San Geng wouldn't risk finding out.

Because not far ahead, a lone skeleton infantry stood forlornly. Its entire body submerged in a small water hole, leaving only its head visible.

"Both of you, pull him up."

But with a sudden squelch, the two skeletons carrying the severed head stumbled backward, and the pitiful head rolled to Night San Geng's feet.

"You lost a basic skeleton infantry."

Night San Geng: ...