Chapter 97: The Fifth Day

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Fifth Day

Gu Su woke up a little after four in the morning. The night was still as heavy as a water-soaked black cloth, and the air carried the unique, stagnant chill of the late hours. A breeze laced with fine threads of rain gently blew against the corners of the tent, creating a soft rustling sound.

He hadn’t woken up naturally, nor had he gotten enough sleep. Instead, he had been jolted awake by the drizzling rain.

Icy threads of rain seeped through the tent’s torn seams, falling in a fine, dense mist upon his cheek. The sharp chill burrowed through his skin, instantly dispelling the last vestiges of drowsiness from his very bones. Even his fingertips felt faintly cold.

Gu Su’s brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of imperceptible resignation flickered within him.

’He never imagined that the Old Tent, the very core of the Graveyard Demon, couldn’t even withstand such a light drizzle.’

The hole in the tent directly above his pillow wasn’t very large. Its edges were curled and frayed, a testament to prolonged exposure to wind, sun, and rain. And yet, it was positioned perfectly to drip right on him.

The rhythm of the dripping wasn’t rapid, but every drop was distinct. The cool sensation on his cheek relentlessly washed away what little drowsiness he had managed to accumulate, until not a single trace remained.

Since sleep was now impossible, Gu Su gave up trying to lie still. He propped himself up on his arms and sat up slowly, casually brushing the lingering raindrops from his cheek. His fingertips grazed a patch of cool skin.

He grabbed the thin jacket draped beside him, slung it over his shoulders, and gently lifted the tent flap. Tiptoeing, he stepped outside.

The night wind rushed to meet him, carrying a fine mist of rain. It smelled of damp earth and the peculiar eeriness unique to the Graveyard Demon. The air made him shiver, but it also instantly cleared his muddled head.

The sky was at its darkest, the ink-black canopy hanging so low it felt as if it could collapse at any moment and swallow the entire Graveyard Demon.

Fortunately, the Deceitful Tree at the center of the Graveyard Demon continued to emit its eerie, fluorescent green glow. The faint light trickled through the gaps between its branches and leaves, illuminating every corner of the domain.

The Yin Fire Heap in front of the tent was burning brightly, lighting up a large area as well.

From where Gu Su stood, however, his view was just a mass of darkness, making it difficult to discern even distant outlines.

In contrast to the silent night, Gu Su’s subordinates were still hard at work, their methodical efforts undisturbed by the late-night chill or the light rain.

Massive quantities of rebar and concrete fragments were being hauled out of the basement by the Skeletons. They were dumped unceremoniously in a corner of the Graveyard Demon, piece by piece and pile by pile, forming a chaotic heap that no one had yet had time to sort.

Batch after batch of Skeletons hurried back from outside, braving the fine drizzle. Their bony frames were spattered with damp mud and water, but they held their cargo of supplies with unwavering stability.

These were all items scavenged from dark, damp sewers and the hidden lairs of the Kobolds.

Rainwater pattered against their bones with a faint tapping sound, but it did nothing to slow their pace as they methodically transported the supplies to their designated places.

’One had to admit, Kobolds were natural-born collectors. They seemed to pick up and hoard just about anything.’

Compared to the useless construction debris from the basement demolition, the items the Kobolds collected were a veritable smorgasbord. Amid the chaos, there were some unexpected surprises.

Watching the Skeletons carelessly toss the assorted supplies onto the ground, forming a small mountain, Gu Su felt a stir of curiosity. He found himself wandering over for a closer look, his interest deepening as he peered down at the pile.

It truly contained a bit of everything: rust-spotted coins of unrecognizable origin, sheets of iron with rotting, blackened edges that crumbled at a touch, small Copper Keys, warped plastic fragments, and even a few bent pieces of fine wire. The whole mess looked like a pile of unwanted trash.

Gu Su shook his head slightly. ’The Kobolds probably don’t even know what half this stuff is for,’ he thought. ’They just instinctively collect anything they come across. It’s not for any reason; they collect for the sake of collecting. It’s a pure, innate obsession.’

As Gu Su stared blankly at the heap of junk, Tooth Bone and his Toothbone Squad were a picture of pure joy. They were all squatting on the ground, carefully sorting and sifting through the pile. The looks on their faces were full of reverence, as if they weren’t looking at a pile of garbage, but the most precious treasure in the world.

As the entity responsible for maintenance within the Graveyard Demon, what others saw as useless junk was, to Tooth Bone, a rare and priceless treasure.

He had only to glance at the pile of supplies for his eyes to light up. Drawing on his years of repair experience, he immediately saw the potential within.

Many of the items could be used directly for repairs. Others, while too dilapidated to fix, could be dismantled for salvageable parts to mend other broken things. Nothing would go to waste.

For the past few days, Tooth Bone had been confined to the Graveyard Demon, handling all sorts of repairs. He’d never had a chance to go Scavenging, and the materials he had on hand—all provided by Gu Su—were often in short supply. He frequently found himself stretched thin, sometimes having to scrounge and improvise just to piece together a single tiny component.

But now, things were different. Piles of assorted materials lay before him, a veritable treasure trove that offered everything he could possibly need. It was more than enough for him to put his full range of repair skills to the test.

How could Tooth Bone possibly contain himself? The smile on his face was irrepressible. He looked just like a child who had stumbled upon a priceless treasure, his heart overflowing with joy.

Now, he and his Toothbone Squad were squatting right next to the pile of supplies. With small repair tools in hand, they were already busy tapping, dismantling, and reassembling things on the spot.

Some sorted through usable sheets of iron, others dismantled broken components, and still others polished rusty wires. Their labor was divided clearly, and their enthusiasm was palpable. The crisp tapping sounds were exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.

What was even more impressive was Tooth Bone’s ingenuity. He casually twisted a simple retaining clip from a scrap of plastic and a thin wire, then cut a small piece from some rotting sheet metal and polished it flat to serve as a temporary washer. With incredible resourcefulness, he was turning this "garbage" into usable parts.

The only Corpse Witch remaining in the city had been occupied with its own tasks. But seeing the Toothbone Squad’s fervent activity, its curiosity was piqued. It ambled over slowly and stood to the side, watching the spectacle with great interest. Every so often, it would ask Tooth Bone a few questions, its tone filled with puzzlement.

Before long, Gu Su saw the Corpse Witch and Tooth Bone huddled together, chatting happily. The Corpse Witch’s voice now carried a hint of anticipation. It looked as though it had placed some kind of order with Tooth Bone for a few small, repaired trinkets.

This scene piqued Gu Su’s curiosity even further. Since he was wide awake with nothing better to do, he casually strolled toward the pair. ’I might as well see what they’re talking about,’ he mused, ’and find out what kind of useful things are being ordered.’