Chapter 1632: 1630 Great Tomb Area

Chapter 1632: Chapter 1630 Great Tomb Area

Zothique Continent, capital – [Zurbaha]

Unlike the demon cities Han Dong has seen,

it doesn’t have roads filled with intestines like in Toad City, or floating meat balloon buildings,

nor does it retain the [authentic] medieval building clusters like London City,

instead, it’s an extremely unusual city with a ‘necropolis style’…

In other words, there aren’t many buildings standing on the ground,

the streets are lined with scattered burial grounds and communal cemeteries,

or graveyards governed by the [Gravedigger] rules,

or standalone underground tombs equipped with powerful living dead guardians,

if you have to compare it with human society, it could be likened to collective dorms, apartments, communities, or villas.

Both residences and shops are set underground,

The only buildings visible on the ground are a few machinery factories themed with flesh and bone,

some where you can distinctly sense the flow of bioenergy, indicating they are energy plants,

some directly incorporating huge gear structures outside, with smokestacks constantly emitting steam, likely processing plants for machinery-related materials, tools, or equipment,

however,

among them is a most conspicuous, unique, over hundred-meter special structure, with a giant meat grinder installed at the top… The factory emits an extremely strong smell of raw meat.

Han Dong estimates, this should be a slaughterhouse for ‘body modification’, ‘food production’, or ‘stitching’.

After all,

Han Dong has been studying ghouls for several years, reaching quite a deep research level.

Aware that a “Ghoul” is a perfect experimental entity with high plasticity and virtually no rejection reaction.

Whether it’s through selective breeding of reproductive properties,

or injecting enhancers into their bodies or directly dismantling and assembling limbs, it’s all feasible… as the capital of ghouls, it would certainly leverage these traits to create formidable ghoul monsters.

During Han Dong’s observation.

An elderly ghoul with a severely hunched back, his body folded at a 100° angle, crawled out from a nearby mound, approaching Han Dong slowly.

From the decayed mouth, dried demon language carried green gas filled with various bacteria emerged together

“The two of you carry a rare marine scent, from a distant port city, I presume?

In these exceptional times, risking the journey to the capital,

you must have retrieved quite a haul from the port, eh? I, Basel Conch Bone, would love to take a look at your goods.

If the quality is good, I’m willing to purchase at a high price.”

Han Dong glanced at him, the demon eye instantly achieving perfect insight.

A “Mature Body” demon, aged 273 years… quite an elderly ghoul. If he’s a local, he should be very knowledgeable about the capital, potentially useful.

“Can you be our guide, Mr. Basel?”

“I…”

This Basel Conch Bone is naturally not a good person, targeting unfamiliar foreign merchants, often leaving them with nothing.

However, when he faced the young man’s eerie smile, radiating black and red,

it seemed something rooted directly into his brain, impossible to resist.

Simultaneously, the words of the young man embedded themselves as commands in his soul, irrefutable.

Furthermore, complying with the young man’s orders granted an unprecedented pleasure to both body and soul.

“I’m delighted to be your guide. I’ve been a native here for over two centuries and have some ‘underground networks’ at my disposal.

Wherever you wish to go, whatever you want to do, I can help you take some shortcuts.”

“How do we get to the [Skeleton Storage Place]?”

If Han Dong’s query related to other areas, Basel would answer without hesitation.

But when the ‘Skeleton Storage Place’ words entered his brain,

immediately evoking a strong indescribable reaction within Basel’s soul,

his expression turned incredibly grim, his body slightly convulsing… showing signs of breaking free from the mad laugh’s influence.

Seeing this, Han Dong quickly placed a hand lightly on his shoulder.

Instantly suppressing the abnormal state, while deepening the mad laugh’s control.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Basel?”

“Just now… felt a bit uncomfortable.

Do you wish to proceed to [My King’s Abode – Skeleton Storage Place]?”

“Yes, we come from the outside world with important information to deliver.”

“Oh~ I see.

However, our King is currently entertaining an esteemed guest.

Currently, the staircase from the [Great Tomb Area] to the Skeleton Storage Place is under lockdown. You’ll have to wait until the meeting concludes if you wish to access the place.”

“Who is this esteemed guest?”

“That I do not know; evidently a guest of great interest to our King.”

“About how long must we wait?”

“The meeting only started today; I reckon it will be at least two days, perhaps longer…”

“Alright, take us to the [Great Tomb Area] first then.”

“This, I can do. Please follow me.”

Heading towards the capital center along a wide-open street, they frequently encounter squads dressed in black cloaks and imprinted with the “Gear Skull” mark.

Similar to the followers previously witnessed on the bus, most of them are Mature Bodies, only the leader being an Ancestor Body.

Besides the [Gear Secret Teaching] patrols,

the capital streets are also patrolled by special individual patrollers,

distinctly different from ordinary ghouls or followers, even peaking Han Dong’s interest,

their physiques often exceeding five meters,

every step leaving a dense plague odor on the ground,

dark green-hued skin, paired with sharply defined, robust muscles, with sizes and counts of mouths distributed across the surface, constantly spewing twisted tongues,

eyes covered by bandages,

nose completely shaved,

ear canals entirely pierced by a long, thick iron nail,

retaining only an enormous, fully split mouth threatening to bisect the head, filled with tight-packed teeth and numerous highly flexible tongues (Tentacle Isomerization) capable of effortlessly capturing and devouring targets.

Dragging a burlap sack filled with corpses in hand, rewarding themselves with a corpse from each patrol route.

This sensation, Han Dong seems to have witnessed before.

After a brief search in his brain, he thought of the first match during the [Ladybug Game],

when Eugene activated the Demon Book, there was a similar sensation.

“What are these?”

Basel quickly pulled Han Dong aside, trying to stay as far from such patrollers as possible,

“These are the Corpse Eating Forbidden Guards! They hail from the [Skeleton Storage Place], personally crafted by our King… they usually do not leave the Skeleton Storage Place.

If you encounter these guys, keep your distance,

they can’t control their appetite, they might devour us at any moment.”

“It is indeed related to the Scripture of the Corpse Eating Cult… quite a formidable Guard Army.”

The closer to the capital center, the denser the Corpses Eating Forbidden Guard presence.

Han Dong and his group underwent several identity checks, finally reaching close proximity to the city center, a circular – [Great Tomb Area] with a diameter of ten thousand meters.

Those buried here were either of high status, achieved significant feats, or possessed great power as ghouls.

At the very center, lies the “final staircase” to the Skeleton Storage Place, currently sealed by a stone door with an unknown powerful seal, flanked by colossal Corpse Eating Forbidden Guard.

“Seems we’ll have to wait a few days.”

As he was about to leave,

while turning, the demon eye briefly caught sight of an ‘Oddity’… a special entity unassociated with ghouls.

When Han Dong attempted further inspection, he found nothing unusual again.

In such cases, Han Dong never admits his eyes playing tricks or a mistake.

“That must have been a self-adapting observation from the demon eye capturing something… could it be, the ghoul capital is already infiltrated? This is the Old King’s domain, what could be so brazen?”