Chapter 59: Demon-Monster Bead

[Demon-Fiend Bead: An essence bead left behind after the death of a zombie-type demon-fiend.]

It was a very brief description, truly living up to the title of a system description.

Still, it at least provided some basic information, such as the name and origin of the bead.

"A zombie-type demon-fiend?"

So, the so-called [Tomb Master] was actually a zombie?

Judging from the sheer strength it had displayed, however, it was definitely no ordinary zombie.

Or perhaps, zombies and demon-fiends could be entirely regarded as two separate entities and should not be lumped together.

Liu Hen took out the demon-fiend bead once again to sense it carefully.

Regrettably, aside from that peculiar energy strong enough to freeze him right through his thermal suit, he felt nothing else.

"Can this kind of thing be used as a crafting material?"

He pondered inwardly.

However, there were currently no available items that required a demon-fiend bead as a crafting material.

Moreover, no matter how he thought about it, it felt unlikely that any crafting recipes would ever require a demon-fiend bead.

After all, this item was obtained purely by chance through an extraordinary encounter, rather than through normal gathering methods.

"I'll see if I can use it for trade in the future."

Just as he was about to put it away again, he suddenly sensed a strong wave of longing emanating from Little Blackstone, who resided within him.

"Blackstone, do you want this demon-fiend bead?" he asked directly in his mind.

"I don't want it." Little Black Stone replied without the slightest hesitation.

Such a precious item was something she dared not covet.

With only a single bead yielded by each demon-fiend, a demon-fiend bead was so valuable that it could easily be described as priceless.

"Answer me honestly."

Liu Hen asked again: "Is this thing useful to you?"

Hearing this, Little Black Stone hesitated for a moment before answering: "I feel that if I absorb this bead, I might gain some benefits, though I have no idea what those specific benefits will be."

"In that case, absorb it."

Liu Hen was not a stingy person. Furthermore, Little Black Stone had bound herself to him through a master-servant contract; as Little Black Stone grew stronger, it would ultimately benefit him as well.

Little Black Stone popped half her head out from his arm in a flash, looking up at him with an expression of flattered disbelief: "Master, is... is this really okay?"

Down below, Chang Xin caught sight of this "little creature," and her expression changed slightly.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Liu Hen smiled gently. "You becoming stronger benefits me as well, and keeping it around just takes up space."

"But... it's too precious." Little Black Stone still looked somewhat hesitant.

"Then just work harder for your master from now on."

Liking to keep things straightforward, Liu Hen pushed the demon-fiend bead directly to Little Black Stone's lips.

While Little Black Stone had protested that she couldn't bear to swallow such a precious item, the moment Liu Hen brought it to her mouth, she instinctively swallowed it in a single gulp.

Only after swallowing did it dawn on what she had done. By the time she wanted to spit it out, it was already too late, as her body was rapidly absorbing the demon-fiend bead.

In the blink of an eye, the demon-fiend bead was on the verge of being completely digested.

Thus, she quickly pledged: "Master, don't worry, Blackstone will definitely work harder to repay you. You are simply too kind to Blackstone."

She could not help shedding tears of emotion. Originally, it should have been her serving her master, yet ever since she met him, she seemed to have been pampered constantly.

This feeling was so novel that it made her nervous, worrying that it might all be a dream.

"Liu Hen, aren't you going to introduce this companion of yours?"

At this moment, Chang Xin spoke up from below, looking with astonishment at Little Black Stone, who had poked half her body out of Liu Hen's arm.

At the same time, she felt a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, realizing how exceptionally well Liu Hen treated this little creature. A demon-fiend bead—even though its exact utility remained unknown for now, its immense value went without saying.

Yet Liu Hen had gifted it to this little entity without the slightest hesitation.

Zong Ni and Chen Ye were equally astonished upon seeing Little Black Stone.

Only the Wu siblings remained relatively composed, as they had known of Blackstone's existence for quite some time.

Liu Hen smiled and said, "This is Blackstone, the companion who has been with me the longest. She is also an esper, and her abilities include early warning and reconnaissance. She was the one who detected the demon-fiend in advance earlier."

At the mention of this, a sudden thought struck him: Little Black Stone seemed completely unaffected by the evil-warding properties of the campfire.

It had been like that from the very beginning. Not only was Little Black Stone immune to the campfire's warding aura, but she also seemed to be protected by it just like a normal human being.

This left him feeling somewhat suspicious and uncertain, leading him to suspect that Little Black Stone might differ from ordinary demon-fiends in certain aspects.

"As I thought, you have another esper by your side!"

Chang Xin exclaimed in admiration, making no effort to conceal her thoughts. "My ability includes tracking. I previously sensed that there was someone else accompanying you, but to think she was hiding inside you all along—such an ability is truly miraculous."

Upon learning that the previous demon-fiend had been detected and warned of in advance by Blackstone, her sense of envy over Liu Hen giving the demon-fiend bead to Blackstone dissipated somewhat. Zong Ni and Chen Ye gazed at Little Black Stone's diminutive figure, both feeling as though they were in a dream.

Because they suddenly realized that within this tiny group, there were already three espers.

Espers!

Judging from Tong Kun's performance earlier, it was highly likely that even the Copper Dragon Camp and the Crimson Snail Camp possessed no such individuals.

Yet within their small group alone, there were actually three!

Word of this would likely startle a great many people.

"The fiend-monsters are coming."

Suddenly, Liu Hen looked toward the distant darkness and pointed a finger without the slightest hesitation.

A streak of crimson light flashed and vanished.

"Boom—!"

A hundred meters away, a mini-sun with a diameter of one meter erupted, and a terrifying shockwave swept outward in all directions.

Chang Xin and the others abruptly whipped around, only to see a large mass of fiend-monsters sent flying backward, melting into glowing clusters of light mid-air.

Immediately afterward, those clusters of light burst apart one after another, transforming into magic crystals that scattered all around.

Compared to the previous skeleton army and the like, these fiend-monsters appeared considerably more fragile.

With this single move, Liu Hen had effortlessly obliterated more than a dozen four-armed fiend-monsters and at least thirty two-armed fiend-monsters.

However, the number of fiend-monsters drawn to the area this time was simply too vast. Daring not to stop, Liu Hen continued his assault.

Acting like a stationary artillery emplacement, wherever he pointed, an explosion followed.

Within the protective radius of the campfire, he seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of body heat, continuously firing beams of crimson light.

Wherever the crimson beams struck, a mini-sun at least one meter in diameter would inevitably erupt the next instant. Though it flickered out in a flash, it illuminated the surroundings brightly.

The area was once again lit as bright as day, and the fierce battle erupted anew without warning.

However, the sheer volume of fiend-monsters meant that despite Liu Hen's rapid elimination speed, quite a few still managed to slip through the net.

Chang Xin and the others immediately rushed to guard the entrance of the building, cutting down any fiend-monsters that managed to approach.

"Master, I can help too."

Seeing this scene, Little Black Stone chimed in eagerly, her expression full of eager anticipation.

Having absorbed the demon-fiend bead, she felt that her strength had increased dramatically; at the very least, she should be able to handle four-armed fiend-monsters now.

"Focus entirely on absorbing the demon-fiend bead; your help isn't needed right now," Liu Hen instructed.

"Keep a close watch on your surroundings and make sure no other demon-fiends sneak up on us."

Compared to cunning demon-fiends, the completely mindless fiend-monsters, despite their overwhelming numbers, were actually much easier to deal with.

Because those creatures possessed no concept of dodging, charging forward recklessly meant that a single thermobaric strike could wipe out a massive horde.

Furthermore, no fiend-monsters with more than six arms appeared this time. To Liu Hen, who was currently operating like a fixed artillery battery, those fiend-monsters were nothing more than stationary targets.

Hearing this, Little Black Stone had no choice but to retreat back into the death mark and concentrate on absorbing the demon-fiend bead.

Finally, after more than an hour of intense effort, all the fiend-monsters were wiped out.

Even if any slipped through the net, they were merely slow-moving two-armed fiend-monsters posing no real threat.

The calming of this fierce battle marked the successful completion of the first major trial for their choice to settle on the surface.

Following the intense battle, a massive quantity of magic crystals was now scattered all around the homestead building.

Looking at those glowing crystals, Liu Hen figured he wouldn't lack magic crystals for quite some time.

The battle had been remarkably smooth, with zero casualties, entirely thanks to his role as a stationary artillery piece.

The price, however, was that his injuries had worsened.

Because of the continuous expenditure of body heat—even though the bronze suit constantly absorbed warmth from the campfire—there were times when it simply couldn't keep up with the consumption.

Right now, parts of his body felt completely necrotic, devoid of all sensation.

"Fortunately, as long as the All-Things Pickaxe upgrades again, my injuries will be healed. Otherwise, I'd really have to worry."

Liu Hen was unconcerned; this sort of injury, which would be fatal to others, would merely cause him discomfort for a little while longer.

"Master, it seems I can summon helpers now."

Suddenly, Little Black Stone's voice echoed in his mind: "Just like that demon-fiend earlier, I can summon helpers to fight for me."