Chapter 188: The 15-Level Potted Plant

Chapter 188: The 15-Level Potted Plant

The interior of the building was even darker.

From outside, the poisonous gas spilling out could be seen.

Wu Heng cast [Dancing Lights], and four orbs of light spun out, attaching themselves to a billboard inside the mall.

The interior scene became slightly clearer.

The fungal carpet covered the floor and walls, with mushrooms sprouting from severed limbs, releasing poisonous gas.

It was exactly the same as what Xiaoxiao had seen earlier.

There was no change inside despite the zombies outside being wiped out.

"Go inside and kill all the targets."

The Big Guys, Terrorclaws, and a large group of skeletons

marched directly into the building.

As soon as the skeletons stepped inside,

the plants within seemed to sense something and rapidly began releasing more poisonous gas, like an engine being revved up.

They worked at high intensity.

The poison fog inside grew thicker, and even the bright Dancing Lights turned into blurry orbs.

"Xiaoxiao, go take a look inside. Let me know when they finish," Wu Heng said to Xiaoxiao perched on his shoulder.

"Got it," Xiaoxiao replied.

She flew through the building, into the mall.

Immediately, the sounds of battle erupted inside.

Violent impacts sent waves of poisonous gas rippling out.

It sounded like a large demolition site, with thunderous crashes and intense shaking.

Waves of air surged out continuously.

The fighting lasted for about half an hour.

Xiaoxiao flew back out, gesturing with her fists as she said, "Uncle, that monster is dead, but you lost quite a few skeletons too."

"Let me see how it died," Wu Heng said.

Xiaoxiao merged into his body.

The battle scene from earlier played in his mind.

The zombie, connected to the plants, extended vine-like tendrils from its arms, continuously striking the skeletons charging in.

Each hit sent moss flying, shattering the tiles beneath it.

Its weakness was also obvious.

Its body seemed connected to the fungal carpet and vines in the building. Though its attacks were fierce, it never moved a step.

Eventually, it was surrounded by high-level skeletons, which tore off the connecting vines and smashed it to death.

In truth, without Wu Heng's presence,

this mutated zombie could have been considered invincible.

Living beings feared the poisonous gas and couldn't approach, while any zombies nearby would be parasitized, turning into new mushroom zombies.

The Shadow Mall had become its breeding ground.

But its luck ran out when it encountered Wu Heng.

Undead creatures weren't afraid of poison, and Wu Heng had so many skeletons.

It had met its nemesis.

Soon, all the skeletons inside walked out. A Big Guy carried the upper half of the mutant zombie, which was part plant and part human-shaped.

With a thud, it dropped the body in front of Wu Heng, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Wu Heng instinctively stepped back two paces, only approaching again once the dust settled.

The zombie looked like a plant that had been uprooted, its lower body a mess of broken branches.

Staring at the corpse, Wu Heng hesitated.

There was no debate about it being a mutated zombie. Now the question was whether to turn it into a Rotting Corpse or a Skeleton.

Like with Bagdong before, after becoming a Skeleton, it lost its scaly characteristics.

This zombie clearly fit better in the "Rotting Corpse" category.

But Rotting Corpses had their drawbacks, such as disease and foul odors.

Then he remembered that necromancy couldn't coexist with plants.

Even if it became a Rotting Corpse, it wouldn't regrow the plants.

No matter how toxic the plants, they couldn't grow through necromancy.

Wu Heng remained undecided.

"Search the brain for a round, fleshy corpse core," Wu Heng ordered.

Skeleton One stepped forward, pried open the corpse's mouth, stabbed the dagger upward, and began searching with its hand.

After some rummaging, it pulled out a chunk of sticky rotten flesh.

Inside was a completely red corpse core, resembling a tiny brain.

A third-level corpse core?

Each grade of corpse core had distinct characteristics.

The one in front of him seemed to have reached the third level.

But without a comparison, it couldn't be confirmed 100% as a third-level core.

Wu Heng picked the core out of the rotting flesh and placed it in a prepared plastic bag.

He looked at the corpse again.

He decided to use [Raise Corpse].

If the Rotting Corpse turned out to be problematic for him or the prison, he could always destroy it later.

Turning it into a Skeleton might cause it to lose its original traits.

He'd evaluate its stats first.

With that decision made, Wu Heng cast [Raise Corpse] on the corpse.

Necromantic energy slowly enveloped the body, and the withered fungi on its body fell off to the ground.

The vine-like tendrils extending from its limbs became even more shriveled and rigid.

As these changes occurred,

the corpse on the ground slowly stood up.

It looked like a humanoid figure wrapped in bark.

[Rotting Corpse - Withered Plant Monster (Level 15)]

The system automatically named it.

The name usually reflected its characteristics, though awkward, it clearly indicated its traits.

Its level had reached 15.

It had become the highest-level undead servant, surpassing the others.

Wu Heng checked its stats.

[Rotting Corpse - Withered Plant Monster (Level 15)]

[Level: 15]

[Attributes: Constitution 33, Strength 25, Intelligence 18, Perception 24, Charisma 15.]

[Traits: Rotting Servant, Mid-Tier Soul, Withered Wood Form, Fire Weakness.]

[Specialties: Biological Mutation, Genetic Mutation.]

[Abilities: Whip, Entangling Vegetation, Fungal Spit.]

[Withered Wood Form]: This unit can remain stationary and disguise itself as intertwined withered wood, hiding its humanoid appearance.

[Fire Weakness]: This unit is vulnerable to fire, taking increased damage from it.

[Biological Mutation]: +3 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +3 Perception.

[Genetic Mutation]: +8 Constitution, - Agility.

[Agility Loss]: This unit cannot move on its own.

[Whip]: Forms a vine whip to strike the target, dealing whip damage.

[Entangling Vegetation]: The Withered Plant Monster can conjure 'Grasping Roots' and 'Vines' in a designated area (created through necromancy simulation; if the spell fails, the vegetation withers rapidly). The area becomes difficult terrain for non-plant creatures, binding and attacking them.

[Fungal Spit]: The monster cultivates fungi in its abdomen, spitting them forward to create a poisonous fog environment.

Wu Heng frowned as he reviewed the attributes.

He checked the stats column twice before confirming that the creature indeed had no Agility stat.

Ghosts lack Strength because they exist in a spiritual state, so they don't have physical power.

But this Withered Plant Monster lacked Agility, meaning it couldn't move at all.

Even if its branches were severed, it would remain upright where it stood.

"Come forward," Wu Heng commanded.

The Withered Plant Monster remained motionless, staring at him with no reaction.

Damn.

It really couldn't move.

A 15-level potted plant!