Chapter 17: The Cabin Upgrade
The female murloc's body, after transformation, couldn't withstand any sunlight whatsoever, but other murlocs were different—they detested sunlight, and it could indeed harm them.
However, this damage was not lethal.
The air on the 4th floor of the lighthouse was thick with the stench of blood, the headless corpse of the Murloc Leader lay on the ground, its blue blood long since coagulated.
Observing this fearsome body up close, Roger still couldn't shake a sense of alarm. If it hadn't been for a shotgun blast to the head at close range, killing the creature with melee weapons alone would have been exceedingly difficult.
Roger took out the pendant; there was no change on its surface, but holding it in his hand, he could clearly feel a trace of heat emanating from it.
"Is there a connection between the two?"
Roger furrowed his brows.
Perhaps the pendant once belonged to this leader; that's why it was so bent on attacking the lighthouse, intent on retrieving its possession.
But perhaps there was a connection between the female murloc and the Murloc Leader that Roger was unaware of—the possibilities were numerous and could even point to another story altogether.
Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Roger slowly crouched down, and just then, the wooden cabin model in his mind glowed faintly, followed by a line of text that appeared before his eyes.
The Monster Manual has been updated.
Corpse of the Murloc Leader (Special Mutant): In the society of Bay Murlocs, depending on the size of the group, 1-2 powerful leader-level monsters are born.
Their qualities are superior to those of ordinary murlocs and some exceptionally special mutants can develop high-level intelligence.
Parts of their mutated bodies can serve as bases for various powerful Alchemy Formulas or as trophies hanging in the display area within the room.
For more information, please refer to the Monster Manual.
"Mutated parts?"
Recalling some situations in the Wizard World, Roger, holding the pendant, leaned forward and finally, at the heart area of the Murloc Leader, the pendant reacted more forcefully.
"What should I do?"
"Should I cut open its body directly?"
Roger hesitated for a moment, as this was the real world, and the bloody corpse was right before his eyes.
The blue blood offset much of the horror, but the ghastly wound was still sickening to behold.
After much hesitation, Roger still raised the iron axe in his hand.
The events on the island constantly reminded him that this world was utterly unlike his previous life.
In such a world, if he wanted to survive better, he could only rely on the special abilities he possessed when he crossed over.
Half an hour later.
After vomiting violently several times, Roger finally hacked open the Murloc Leader's solid breastbone and extracted a faintly glowing heart!
Once the heart was removed, the corpse of the Murloc Leader instantly shriveled as if all the essence of the body had been absorbed by the heart.
Roger casually lifted the axe, and this time, he effortlessly severed one of the Murloc Leader's arms with hardly any effort at all.
Even more oddly, the weight of the corpse had decreased significantly.
Now that Kant was dead and only Roger remained on the island, the storm had stopped. According to Kant, it wouldn't be long before a supply ship arrived at the island.
The most pressing issue before Roger was how to deal with the strangers who would soon land.
About his identity, about Kant, and about the partially burnt-down lighthouse he was in front of.
"I need to figure something out."
Afterward, Roger carefully searched inside the lighthouse; he only picked a few useful books, and the storage place for food on the 3rd floor had been mostly destroyed in the fire.
The most important items were Kant's diary and the Soul Transference Book; the only thing left was the Murloc Leader's corpse.
To avoid trouble, this object definitely couldn't be seen by ordinary people.
He fetched a large piece of black cloth, wrapped the Murloc Leader's corpse in it, and then took it downstairs.
Looking at the charred remains of the tower, Roger threw the torch he was holding. It wasn't long before flames soared into the sky.
The fire burned from the afternoon until evening, only gradually extinguishing as the sky darkened. This time, without the storm's interference, the flames completely destroyed the tower. Roger made sure to tamper with Kant's body, ensuring not a trace would be left behind.
The setting sun dipped below the horizon, and the night turned the island silent, with a starry sky visible above. If it weren't for the day's events, the beautiful scene would have been intoxicating.
Roger approached his cabin and noticed the large pit where he had once buried the Murloc corpses was dug open again.
Naturally, the bodies inside had long since disappeared, and a few clear footprints could be seen on the surrounding ground.
After some thought, Roger tied the Murloc Leader's body to some rocks and sank it to the bottom of the sea.
Hesitating for a moment, he still took out the pendant he had obtained from the female Murloc, then hung it in front of the burnt tower.
The pendant was clearly no ordinary item but also harbored a terrifying risk. It was very possible that the Murlocs had come to the island for this pendant.
The lighthouse had been completely breached in last night's attack and continuing to keep it seemed pointless now. Moreover, Roger was unsure when the supply ship would dock, and if he left too many traces, it would be difficult to explain.
After careful consideration, he decided to burn down the lighthouse.
The storm had stopped, and according to Kant, the Murlocs would no longer come ashore, but for safety, Roger still hung the potentially dangerous pendant in front of the tower.
If Murlocs were attracted by the pendant, they would naturally come to the island. If they took the pendant, his own safety would be greatly ensured.
If they didn't come, he could simply take the pendant before he left.
While treasures were valuable, life was worth even more.
On this matter, Roger always maintained a clear head.
He already had some ideas for his explanations.
Now Roger had done all he could, all that remained was to wait.
Walking into the cabin, the mental model of the cabin shone brightly, and a question appeared before his eyes.
"Ordinary Battle Trophy discovered, mutated Murloc heart, contribution to trophy 32%, evaluation ordinary."
"Would you like to turn in the trophy for display? Note that trophies in the display zone cannot be reused as Alchemy Materials."
"Upon turning in the trophy, the Hunter's Dwelling will welcome its first upgrade, allowing for relocation after meeting certain conditions."
"Upgrade?"
Seeing this word, Roger's eyes lit up. He had been hesitant, but considering he would soon leave the island and take the upgraded cabin with him, it seemed to solve his greatest concern. Thinking this, he willingly turned in the heart.
"Submit!"
A faint glow swirled before his eyes, and the heart in his hand vanished into thin air like fine sand. The structure in the living room changed subtly, and an intricate pattern appeared on the wall opposite the bed.
The vanished heart reappeared, hanging on the wall.
It seemed to have undergone special processing; at first glance, this battle trophy was far different from an ordinary heart and even carried a peculiar beauty.
"Upgrade complete!"
Looking at the now more refined model of the cabin in his mind, Roger controlled his thoughts and clicked on it.