"This thing... it has such strong vitality!"
"Your luck is truly remarkable!"
The expressions of everyone present changed instantly, their eyes filled with envy and even jealousy.
Olen pondered for a moment, then pulled out a crimson object resembling a living human heart—the Zombie Heart he had discovered.
"This item is likely of much lower quality than your Life Energy Crystal.
But if you're willing to trade, I can not only make up the price difference according to the market rate but also offer you some Wizardry Materials!"
Balu, on the other hand, chuckled and said, "How about I trade them to you? Would that work?"
As he spoke, he pointed to a pair of twin followers by his side.
"These are half-elves, a rare sight in this region, and they're twin sisters with Rogue Specialization."
From his tone, it was clear that these weren't ordinary followers but rather servants bound by a slave contract.
Before Roy could even respond, Melina was already dissatisfied: "What use are these two half-elf rogues? Roy, take a look at what I have first!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a Core Module.
It was a cylindrical Puppet Core, its metal shell protecting a hexagonal prism-shaped crystal.
It emitted a deep red Wizardry Energy Radiation, carrying a faint aura of an artificially crafted Source of Magic.
Seeing this, Roy's heart stirred.
He felt a faint stinging sensation at the center of his forehead.
"Let me take a closer look first."
He quickly took the opportunity to inspect it, holding it in his hands and examining it carefully.
Immediately, a translucent panel appeared before him.
[Alchemy Talent Acquired (0% → 100%)]
[Artisan Skill (Iron Tier)]
[When performing apprentice-level artisan operations, gain proficiency equivalent to an entry-level expert.]
He had actually gained a new talent!
Roy was secretly delighted. After a quick assessment, he immediately concluded that this newly acquired talent was far more practical than his previous [Mana Return].
Forging, carving, dyeing, and more—all these practical skills within the artisan domain were also interconnected with the Art of Alchemy, as they served as the foundation for crafting many pieces of equipment and Arcane Objects.
Combined with [Proficient], [Alchemy Machine], and [Mana Return], it could be pushed to its absolute limit!
"Any one or two of these minor talents, when viewed in isolation, might seem somewhat underwhelming.
But when combined, the chain reaction would undoubtedly lead to a qualitative transformation!
Excellent! Just this glimpse alone makes all the effort of teaming up with them worthwhile!"
Despite his joy, Roy couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
"But why didn't I feel anything when Olen pulled out the Zombie Heart, yet Melina's Puppet Core triggered a reaction?
Could it be that the manifestation of Inherent Essence has nothing to do with whether it's flesh and blood but is instead tied to the soul?"
Rotten zombies were naturally generated from radiation pollution, lacking any true intelligence, while mechanical guards might harbor artificially modified intelligence!
Roy even speculated whether [Artisan Skill] was related to it being a mechanical construct.
There might be some connection here, but it also might not be that simple.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?
Are you going to trade or not? Say something!"
Lost in thought, Roy was snapped back to reality by Melina's voice.
Roy steadied himself and forced a calm tone: "Never mind, I don't really need this."
"You're not going to trade after looking at it for so long?"
Melina was visibly displeased.
But for now, he had no choice but to let it go.
...
After a period of rest, the time came to December 13th, marking the second day.
Everyone set out once again.
"Where should I go to explore?"
Roy rode through the Faded Desert, gazing at the misty, grayish scenery while pondering to himself.
In the end, he decided to head north, planning to visit the Flesh Swamp that Balu and Sophia had explored the day before.
Perhaps due to his Hair Demon Physique and the Aquinas magic gold, he felt a subtle curiosity about this Flesh Swamp.
Unconsciously, the sky ahead turned a deep crimson, and the mist was filled with a bloody glow.
Roy unfolded the simple map he had copied the day before, roughly estimating the distance, and realized he had reached the edge of the Flesh Swamp.
Sure enough, just as Balu and Sophia had separately reported, there was a vast expanse of muddy flesh ahead, resembling a scene from hell.
It was a somewhat spectacular yet terrifying sight.
Flesh flowed everywhere, covering the ground.
The entire land was indeed dyed red.
But contrary to expectations, there was no foul stench. This place was so lifeless that even flies couldn't survive.
"No feeling..."
After gazing for a while, Roy turned and left.
He didn't step into the swamp but instead followed the edge of the Faded Desert eastward.
Not long after, something resembling a desert oasis caught his attention.
It was a half-dried small pond, filled with a blood-red liquid. The surface of the pond was as calm as a mirror, exuding an unsettling aura that made one feel as if something was hidden within.
"Better to go around it."
Roy stared at the Blood Pool for a while, noticing nothing unusual, and decided to avoid it.
However, the surrounding mist suddenly thickened.
A blood-red fog enveloped the sky, blocking his vision and even affecting his perception.
Roy had no choice but to slow his horse and proceed cautiously.
After a while, he suddenly felt something was off. Looking down, he was shocked.
"When did I get here?
No... that's not it!
It's not that I walked toward the pond, but the pond came after me!"
Roy looked back and saw the massive Blood Pool, a large expanse of blood, openly spreading toward him.
It was trying to silently engulf him and his Undead Warhorse under the cover of the mist.
The Levitating Magic Orb detached from the magnetic mechanism in his hairband and floated behind him.
White light condensed.
In a moment, it refined a spell with a power of over 10 degrees, like a bolt of lightning, striking the center of the Blood Pool.
The Blood Pool erupted like a boiling pot!
The blood within seemed to boil, churning violently.
Roy sensed a life-like rhythm within it, something familiar, akin to the Wizardry Energy of Animation Art.
Without hesitation, he took out the Blackening Potion from his Spatial Ring, uncorked it, and threw it in, followed by a few more bolts of lightning.
The Blood Pool erupted even more fiercely.
Its vitality was far inferior to the massive flesh chunk he had encountered before, so it soon calmed down and "died" completely.
"Finally dealt with!"
Roy looked down at the blood beneath his feet.
This thing, which had barely developed a beast-like instinct, had been killed by him.
But it seemed there was still some use for it!
Roy thought for a moment, and the hair at the back of his head grew wildly, transforming into a bloodthirsty python, hanging down into the pool.
The unique property of Aquinas magic gold is its ability to absorb useful components from blood.
Due to the involvement of Law Remnants, its effective range is extremely wide, and it m
ight even work on this unknown blood.
This thing might have wandered over from the Flesh Swamp, and he wanted to test it.
Not long after, it indeed absorbed a significant amount of metal elements, and his hair visibly became more resilient.
(End of Chapter)