Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 55: Moving Fortress
The Minotaurs walked out of their ruined and chaotic Tribe to behold the Undead Fortress. It stood tall upon the Wasteland, illuminated by the Moonlight. Constructed from white bones, it exuded an aura of death, terror, and a clear warning for the living to keep out.
Following Li Ziyu’s command, bones atop the fortress shifted, assembling themselves into a bone ladder that descended from above, extending down to the members of the Tabu Tribe.
Gazing up the bone ladder at the towering fortress was like looking at a path from the world of the living to the Netherworld—a road of no return. The Minotaurs faltered, hesitating on whether they should truly ascend.
They were flanked by two silent rows of Undead. Seeing them stand still, the Undead that had led them there walked onto the bone ladder first. It then turned back, signaling for them to follow.
The bravest Minotaur gritted its teeth and started up the ladder. The other Minotaurs saw this and followed suit, climbing the bone ladder to the fortress platform.
The Minotaurs were stunned as they stepped onto the platform’s Bone Plates.
This place was completely different from what they had imagined.
In the Minotaurs’ imagination, everything related to the Undead was supposed to be grim and terrifying. They expected a place filled with a menacing aura and Death Qi, where a single glance would make one’s heart pound in terror, frightened out of their wits.
In reality, however, while their surroundings in the fortress were solemn and dignified, they completely lacked that grim, terrifying feeling. Instead, there was a sense of majestic grandeur. Even the deathly terror they had felt moments ago vanished, replaced by an inexplicable feeling of tranquility in their hearts.
It was quiet. Peaceful. Comfortable. freёwebnovel.com
"Welcome!"
Just as the Minotaurs stood there bewildered and at a loss, they saw a young Human straight ahead. He had a sunny smile on his face and was flanked by two Catmen. He opened his arms wide, greeting them.
’Humans, Catmen... How can an Undead fortress have all these things? In the world of the Undead, shouldn’t there only be dead Wandering Souls and Skeletons?’
"Don’t just stand there. Come on inside. There’s plenty of space, so you can pick a spot for yourselves."
"Wow, they’re real Minotaurs! This is amazing! Your muscles are so developed, so strong! Can I touch your horns...?"
Brimming with curiosity and an adventurous spirit, Liu Xingxing—a textbook social butterfly—immediately cozied up to them. He took over the guiding duties from the Undead, gawking at the Minotaurs from every angle and even trying to reach out for a touch.
Perhaps it was Liu Xingxing’s smile and enthusiasm that dispelled the gloom in the Minotaurs’ hearts. They found it hard to believe that a Human with such a sunny smile could deceive them. They gradually relaxed, following him on a tour of the Undead Fortress amidst his cheerful chatter—though they were restricted to the platform, as the main tower was off-limits.
Tas Tuling, too, was observing his surroundings with curiosity. Just as Liu Xingxing was fascinated by the Minotaurs, he was equally intrigued by the Undead Fortress. Nothing here was like the legends said.
There were no sharp wooden spikes impaling skulls, no hanged corpses, no stench of rot in the air. The ground wasn’t slick with sewage and bloodstains, and there were certainly no piercing screams.
It was the exact opposite. Though the structures were made of bone, they possessed an unexpected air of grand, solemn dignity. The ground, paved with Bone Plates, was immaculate, and the entire area was tidy.
He saw Undead with blazing Soul Fires peeking out to watch them. At first, it was startling. But the more he saw them, the more he got used to it, until finally, the sight became commonplace.
’This is a place where Undead live. The legends were wrong... or perhaps they deliberately vilified the Undead. Did our Ancestors make a mistake, or were the records altered?’
Tas Tuling couldn’t figure it out. Still, he was satisfied with everything here. It was, at the very least, infinitely better than being hunted by Demonized Minotaurs and fleeing into the Wasteland with nowhere to go.
With the fortress at Level 2, the platform was much larger, and many areas were empty. The Minotaurs found a suitable clearing and decided to make it their Tribe’s temporary home.
Just as they had found their spot, Li Ziyu returned to the fortress. The bone ladder retracted, melting back into the structure, and Li Ziyu made his way to where the Minotaurs were gathered.
"Looks like Liu Xingxing already helped you find a spot," Li Ziyu said with a smile, walking over to greet Mumu and Tas Tuling as he saw the Minotaurs settling in.
"Yes, great Master of the Undead. Thank you for your generosity in giving us a place to shelter once more." Mumu’s expression was solemn as he forcefully thumped his chest.
When the other Minotaurs saw this, they too stopped what they were doing and paid their respects to Li Ziyu.
Li Ziyu gave an amicable nod, then said to Mumu, "We Undead prefer to be active at night. We’ll be setting off shortly, so don’t be alarmed. And more importantly, don’t try to jump off the fortress. It’s pretty high, and you’ll get hurt."
"Yes, we understand," Mumu quickly replied.
Nighttime was precious, and Li Ziyu had no intention of wasting it. Rescuing the Tabu Tribe had already consumed a good deal of time, and he needed to get back to the Swamp Graveyard to continue digging for bones. He had given them the warning specifically because he was worried the activation of the Mobile Fortress might frighten these Natives.
After speaking with Mumu, Li Ziyu returned to the main tower and gave the order to head back to the Swamp Graveyard.
After a slight tremor ran through the fortress, the Minotaurs discovered that the surrounding scenery had started to move.
They had seen the fortress move before, but being on it was an entirely different, more wondrous experience. ’So this is what it feels like! What a novel sensation.’
Li Ziyu’s mind was on the Skeletons in the graveyard. Along the way, if they encountered Wild Beasts that could be killed quickly, he sent the Undead to take care of them. If the fight would take too long, he simply ignored them and moved on. He still managed to bag a few Wild Beasts. It was better than nothing—every little bit counts.
The return trip was smooth. A glance at the system time showed there were about two hours left until dawn. Li Ziyu immediately sent the Undead out to get to work.
The tireless Undead immediately left the fortress and entered the massive pit they had previously dug, where they began to excavate with gusto.
Hearing the CLANGING and CRASHING below, the curious Minotaurs went to the edge of the platform. Peering over by the light of the Moon, they saw that the sound was coming from an enormous pit. Wow, in just a few moments, the air over there was already thick with dust.
"What are the Undead doing?" Tas Tuling asked, staring at the huge pit and turning to Liu Xingxing beside him.
"Digging for treasure," Liu Xingxing said as if it were obvious.
"There’s treasure here?" Tas Tuling’s curiosity was piqued again, and he asked with keen interest.
"Yeah, there are a lot of bones here," Liu Xingxing explained.
Tas Tuling fell silent. ’To the Undead, bones are like currency,’ he realized. ’They really could be considered treasure.’ It was just that this kind of "treasure" was of little significance to anyone else.
"Do you need our help?" Tas Tuling asked after a moment’s thought. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"I think you guys should rest first," Liu Xingxing said, glancing at the Minotaurs. Nearly all of them were injured and tending to their wounds. "Once you’ve recovered your Spirit, you can go talk to my boss about it."
"Yes, that’s probably for the best." Tas Tuling looked at his people and agreed that they desperately needed to rest.
The peaceful hours were always fleeting. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. As the first ray of sunlight pierced the heavens, the Undead all returned to the fortress.
