Volume One: The Lord of the Hell-Level World Chapter 57: Discovery of a Corpse

Hungry wolves?

Glancing at the seventeen newly appeared wolves, Chen Gu was certain they were truly starving, not vicious. Judging by their state, these wolves were in no shape for battle; they could hardly move, let alone run or fight.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Gu decided to try fusing them into Bloodshadow Wolves, hoping to reinforce the gaps in his own forces. As for using these starving wolves as they were, he had no intention of doing so.

However, when he attempted to begin the fusion process, he discovered it was impossible. Their emaciated state wasn’t due to a lack of food, but rather a curse laid upon them from the very start. This curse, he realized, did not originate from the undead, but from nature itself.

Centuries ago, their ancestors had devoured the corpse of the Elven Queen, and so nature had rejected their kind. Cursed to never eat flesh again—yet never to starve to death—they had lingered around Wolf Mountain for generations, seeking every possible way to break the curse, all to no avail.

Confronted with this, Chen Gu nearly leapt up in surprise. The information he’d just gleaned was astonishing.

Their ancestors had devoured the Elven Queen’s remains.

“Where is the Elven Queen’s body? Take me to it,” he commanded.

A few of the starving wolves struggled to their feet, swaying unsteadily as they began to move forward. Their pace was barely faster than a shambler’s.

Following behind, Chen Gu refrained from urging them on, worried they’d collapse after only a few steps. Fortunately, these wolves were merely starved, not dead; though their movements were labored, they managed to lead Chen Gu to the mouth of a valley.

Here, the wolves refused to go any further. Chen Gu surveyed the surroundings and realized this was the very valley he’d seen in his vision. After so many years, however, all traces left by the fleeing Elven Queen had vanished. Without the wolves’ guidance, it would have been nearly impossible to find this place.

“If you’re unwilling to enter, then wait outside,” he said, understanding their reluctance—they’d suffered here before and had no wish to repeat the experience.

Chen Gu, however, felt no such compunctions. He had come to seek the Elven Queen, and now that he was so close, there was no turning back.

Upon entering the valley, he sensed a strange atmosphere. It was as if the valley itself wished to cloak itself in splendor, yet was forced to suppress this desire. Chen Gu surmised that the valley, having been influenced by the Elven Queen, had developed a kind of intelligence, much like the owl he’d encountered before. The Queen’s death upon its grounds made the valley wish to honor her memory with grandeur, yet it dared not do so overtly, for fear of attracting the undead.

This sense of repression, he realized, was the consequence. Yet it was precisely this circumstance that had preserved the Elven Queen’s corpse so well. Though her remains were exposed to the wild, at least the undead had not carried them away. That alone was a small mercy.

Within the valley, Chen Gu soon discovered a skeleton, covered with a layer of leaves. Curiously, despite the passage of years, these leaves were not withered, but fresh and green as if just sprouted from the tree.

Approaching the remains, Chen Gu examined them. Stripped of flesh, the elven bones were not so different from a human’s, though the Queen’s were paler, with an almost jade-like luster. He doubted the bones were truly made of jade, suspecting instead that the Queen’s power and long cultivation had transformed them.

But this was not what Chen Gu sought. He began searching the area around the remains, hoping for clues—perhaps some means by which the Elven Queen had exerted control over this land, or a sign of the direction in which she had attempted to flee. He needed something significant.

Yet, he mused, the Queen was no fool; she would never have left her escape plans lying about. Most likely, he would find only some form of identification, which might still allow him to access sealed cities and claim dominion.

So he searched carefully, but found nothing. This left him frustrated. True, the wolves’ ancestors had devoured the Queen’s flesh, but surely not her clothing, ornaments, or other belongings. Moreover, this place had been hidden and guarded—some trace should have remained. There ought to have been some clue.

But apart from grass and leaves, there was nothing.

This was wrong.

Having found nothing on the surface, Chen Gu considered a new approach.

He beckoned to his subordinates. “Corpse-eating Vine, search underground. If you find anything unusual, report back at once.”

Without question, the Corpse-eating Vine burrowed into the earth. Chen Gu then released his Fire Spirit Crows, sending them aloft to scout for any nearby undead. After all, their activity here was attracting attention, and being discovered by the undead would bring trouble.

Fortunately, there was no immediate danger. The nearest undead were still miles away, and, knowing nothing of value was to be found near the wolves, had no inclination to come closer. This was a relief.

Soon, the Corpse-eating Vine emerged from the ground, its tendrils waving. Chen Gu knew at once his suspicion was correct—something lay below.

He was reminded of the situation in Silver Pine Valley. Could there be an underground city here as well?

“Vine Carriage, open the door. Everyone, get in.”

He quickly issued his orders, taking the front seat himself while the Fire Spirit Crows and Bloodshadow Wolves squeezed into the back. The Straw Scarecrow Killers, too tall to fit inside, hung from the rear guard positions. They had tried to squeeze in, but their rigid, towering forms made it impossible, so they simply clung to the back.

Once his followers were aboard, Chen Gu began considering an upgrade for the Vine Carriage. It had no offensive capabilities, but it could transport his troops underground. With his forces growing, they couldn’t continue crowding in like this every time. This time, they barely managed; next time, with even more troops, what then?

As he mused, the Vine Carriage plunged into the earth, following the path indicated by the Corpse-eating Vine, swiftly heading toward an unknown destination.