strictlysupreme Chapter 240 Another Devouring Evolution, Combat Power Soars!
Chapter 240 Another Devouring Evolution, Combat Power Soars!
Chapter 240 Another Devouring and Evolution, Combat Power Soars!
Under such a fierce onslaught, the mutated zombies finally succumbed to their overwhelming force.
Finally, with a violent explosion, the massive body crashed to the ground.
The once incredibly strong, decaying body lost all its luster at this moment, becoming dull and lifeless, as if all its energy had been burned away by Olaf's rage.
The battle was over, and Olaf stood there, the flames around him gradually dying down.
At this moment, after confirming that the mutated zombie had completely lost its ability to resist, Fang Zhou, holding the long spear forged from countless zombie skeletons, climbed the low hill that it had occupied for so long.
The mutated zombie was now half-dead and on the verge of death, waiting for the Ark to devour it at any moment.
But Ark's gaze did not linger on it.
Instead, his gaze was drawn to a strange structure atop the hill.
It was a cluster of white bone stone crystals.
However, this cluster of white bone crystals is different from the scene in Tryndamere's memory.
The entire crystal cluster is composed of an unknown white crystal.
These crystals are tightly packed together, forming a structure that is both hard and transparent, resembling a tree made of crystal.
The trunk stands straight and upright, while the branches extend outwards, intertwining and complex, as if they had grown naturally.
In Tryndamere's memory, the branches of this "Crystal Tree" were not covered with fruit, but instead inlaid with strange white bone stones.
However, to Fang Zhou's slight disappointment, the white bone stone crystal cluster in front of him seemed to have been severely damaged.
Part of it was completely devoured, leaving only a few scattered white bone stones on the branches, while the rest had disappeared.
The entire crystal cluster appeared precarious, as if it could collapse at any moment.
As the ark approached, he could sense a subtle energy fluctuation emanating from the white bone crystal cluster.
Through these intermittent fluctuations, Fangzhou gained a sudden realization.
This cluster of white bone stone crystals seems to be "dead".
It lost the ability to regenerate white bone stone.
The ark approached the striking cluster of white bone crystals.
It is no longer whole; its broken surface is exposed, like a shattered heart lying quietly on the desolate earth, having lost its former glory.
Fang Zhou's eyes were sharp. He bent down and carefully examined the fracture surface.
My fingertips gently brushed against the rough edges, and I felt a strange sensation.
There, clearly visible, intricate gnaw marks are deeply etched into the interior of the crystal cluster.
These marks matched remarkably well with the claws and fangs of the mutated zombie.
It can be almost certainly concluded that it was this mutated zombie that carried out the ruthless destruction of the bone crystal cluster.
But what's even more alarming is that there are many corroded pits scattered around the fracture surface.
They resemble scars on the earth, varying in depth and shape, as if they had been eroded by some kind of strong acid, making them particularly shocking to behold.
This intense corrosiveness was found nowhere else in the area where the Ark was located, except on the zombies.
This undoubtedly further confirms the crimes of the mutated zombie households.
It not only devoured the white bone stone crystal clusters, but also corroded them with the putrid toxins secreted from its body, causing even greater damage and dimming the luster of this pearl of the land.
A surge of anger quietly rose in Fangzhou's heart.
He realized that the valuable resources he had planned to mine had been plundered without his knowledge.
Despicable thief!
Then, the Ark summoned Tryndamere, whose soul fire leaped and blazed, conveying to him a surge of angry spiritual intent.
"Tydamir, was this the same as the bone crystal cluster before?"
Tryndamere, the former occupier, slowly rotated around the collapsed cluster of bone crystals.
Its senses wandered among the remaining fragments, a hint of bewilderment emerging from the soul fire.
Finally, it stopped and replied, "Your Majesty, when I was banished, this cluster of bone crystals was much larger than it is now."
And now, it is dead.
Upon hearing Tryndamere's answer, Fangzhou nodded slightly, already having a general idea in mind.
He deduced that the reason this cluster of bone crystals had become like this was largely due to the actions of that mutated zombie.
Both the signs of corrosion and the marks of being eaten point to a common culprit—mutated zombies.
Clearly, this monster had carried out extremely brutal destruction on the bone crystal cluster.
It greedily devoured everything in the crystal cluster, like a ravenous feast, leaving no room for anything else.
Perhaps it was this ruthless, predatory approach that allowed the mutated zombies to gain tremendous strength in the short period after driving out Tryndamere.
It used the energy contained in the white bone stone crystal cluster to accelerate its evolution, thus becoming more powerful and more difficult to deal with.
Since he couldn't find what he was truly looking for in these ruins, Ark had no choice but to turn his attention to the only harvest he had in front of him.
He slowly turned around and turned his gaze to the open space.
There lay the mutated zombie, its limbs removed, now helplessly lying on the ground.
Its body was almost completely deprived of its ability to move, and it could only emit weak and feeble roars.
They could never recreate the arrogant and domineering attitude they had displayed when they provoked him and his army.
Fang Zhou raised the skeletal spear in his hand and gently poked the chest of the mutated zombie.
The mutated zombie's response was only a weaker roar, its voice filled with hatred for the powerful enemy before it.
Since this rare mutated zombie has lost its ability to resist, Ark decided to try a bold move.
He activated his [Skeleton King] skill, wanting to try using the Skeleton King's power to command skeletal undead creatures to enslave this extremely rare mutated zombie.
He focused his mind on the mutated zombie, attempting to establish a soul chain to control this powerful creature.
However, Ark's efforts do not seem to have achieved the desired results.
No matter how he tried, the soul chain seemed to have plunged into an abyss, offering no response.
The mutated zombies' souls remain indestructible and unaffected by the Ark's will.
Despite numerous attempts, Ark was unable to successfully enslave the mutated zombie.
At the same time, the mutated zombie began to gradually recover from some of its injuries.
Although it possesses some intelligence, it is clearly not very high.
Even surrounded and with their lives in Ark's hands, the mutated zombies still recklessly bared their teeth and roared at Ark.
Its eyes gleamed with hatred.
Even from the soul fluctuations it transmits, one can still feel its ferocious wildness, showing no sign of yielding.
The mutated zombie's reaction made Ark realize that even with the power of the [Skeleton King], it was impossible to subdue such an unruly being.
He gently shook his skull, the look of helplessness particularly evident on his skeletal face.
His [Skeleton King] skill evolved from a talent skill that was created when his skeleton clone reached 10 points in all four dimensions, the highest point for a weak apprentice-level undead creature like a skeleton, and then broke through the racial bottleneck to become a Black Iron-level skeleton warrior, receiving the blessing of the Blood Moon.
Moreover, only after Ark's main body's [Summon Skeleton] skill had been used and honed countless times, finally reaching the [Instinct] level of proficiency, was he able to use it to cultivate clones, thus perfecting the enslavement effect of the [Skeleton King] skill on the skeletons.
Therefore, if the Ark wants to grant the skeleton clone the ability to control zombies, then its main body first needs to be upgraded to the Black Iron level.
Furthermore, the proficiency of the higher-level necromancer skill [Summon Zombies] will be raised to the same "instinct" level.
This is undoubtedly a long and arduous road.
Now, faced with this mutated zombie that possesses a certain level of intelligence, Ark has no choice but to make a difficult decision.
He had to kill it, even if it meant the pain, and turn it into resources for his growth.
Having made a silent decision, the soul fire within the Ark skull suddenly became even more intense.
Greed and appetite are made no attempt to conceal.
He slowly raised the incredibly sharp skeletal spear in his hand, pressing the tip tightly against the mutated zombie's throat, conveying his final, chilling intent through the cold bones.
"Surrender, or die."
However, for these lowly undead creatures, the concept of death simply does not exist in their consciousness.
Although this mutated zombie has acquired some primitive intelligence, it still retains the terrifying characteristic of the zombie race: disregard for the threat of death.
There was no fear in its eyes, only primal ferocity.
Having received no sign of compliance, Ark no longer hesitated.
The skeletal spear in his hand moved forward slowly but firmly, piercing the mutated zombie's throat and ending this brief but inevitable confrontation.
Knock knock knock.
The sound of a knife striking leather rang out.
This mutated zombie, having lost all four limbs and completely incapacitated, could only struggle weakly in vain.
But in the end, the Ark pierced his throat, gently shredding the soul fire hidden in his head into fragments.
"Soul Power +150".
Fangzhou twitched his brow bone in surprise.
Unexpectedly, this mutated zombie, besides its astonishing combat power, also possessed such abundant hidden soul power, far surpassing that of ordinary low-level black iron zombies.
Fangzhou speculated that this might be because it possessed a certain degree of intelligence.
The soul structure of undead creatures is vastly different from that of ordinary living beings.
Their souls are simpler, lacking the complexity of life.
However, the seeds of wisdom need fertile ground.
For the dead, this soil is the power of their souls.
The reason why mutated zombies can possess a certain level of intelligence is undoubtedly due to the large amount of soul power they have accumulated, which is necessary to support their complex thought structure.
This explains why such a large amount of soul power was gained after killing this mutated zombie.
Having figured this out, Ark developed an unprecedented interest in those intelligent undead creatures.
Even if you can't tame them into loyal servants to fight monsters and level up for you.
The mere thought of seizing their soul power through battle was enough to tempt him.
Fangzhou glanced at Tryndamere, who stood bewildered to the side, with a hint of ill intent.
If he discovers that this mutated skeleton warrior dares to slack off like Bai Xiaochun, he will definitely skin it alive, dismember it, and eat its flesh.
As if sensing his master's cold thoughts, Tryndamere felt a chill run down his spine.
Its empty eye sockets turned toward the ark, the soul fire in its eyes trembling slightly, making it look rather pitiful.
Ignoring everything around him, Fangzhou decisively activated the [Corpse Armament] skill on the corpse of the mutated zombie in front of him.
In an instant, an unprecedentedly powerful essence of the skeleton, like a surging torrent, began to flow into the Ark's body.
The power of this essence far surpasses any previous experience.
As the essence flowed in, Fangzhou felt as if his body was enveloped by a mysterious power.
He keenly sensed that the energy surging into his body this time was not simply the essence of corpses.
It also contains a completely new component, a power he has never encountered before.
Just as he was immersed in the baptism of the unknown power, a notification came from the attribute panel.
"Unknown energy detected, analysis in progress."
A sense of anticipation welled up in Fangzhou's heart.
A moment later, the analysis results of the attribute panel were displayed.
"Analysis complete. This energy originates from the pure energy produced after the decomposition of the white bone stone."
Absorbing this type of energy can, to some extent, increase the racial combat power coefficient of undead creatures.
As Fangzhou guided the warm and powerful energy to flow through his body, he carefully read the descriptions on the attribute panel.
Then his soul fire trembled slightly, and he immediately understood.
Good fortune may be the foundation of misfortune, and misfortune may be the harbinger of good fortune.
Originally, he was furious because the mutated zombie had overexploited the resources and completely destroyed a precious resource, the Bone Stone Crystal Cluster, which could have continuously produced Bone Stones.
Surprisingly, this mutated zombie was quite effective.
The mutated zombie not only devoured the energy of the bone crystal cluster, but also condensed the essence of that energy into its own body.
It is precisely because of the existence of these essences that its racial combat power coefficient has been improved to a certain extent in a short period of time, and its combat power has been greatly enhanced.
However, right and wrong, success and failure, all come to naught in the end.
Now, under the Ark's corpse-armoring skill, all the essence within this mutated zombie corpse has been plundered.
This naturally includes the enhanced energy it gains from devouring the white bone stone crystal cluster.
As the surging power within the mutated zombie corpse rushed towards the ark like a raging river, the ark's originally two-meter-tall skeletal form began to grow and evolve in an incredible way.
Every inch of his bones is undergoing earth-shattering changes.
Driven by this force, his entire body continued to expand and grow stronger.
The originally well-fitting skeletal armor could not withstand this sudden change.
As it grew larger, it emitted a crisp cracking sound, scattering fragments everywhere.
But at almost the same moment, new armor began to form on the surface of the ark, as if an invisible craftsman was carefully weaving and forging it.
These new suits of armor are hard yet fit perfectly into the Ark's ever-changing shape, as if they were alive, changing with every fluctuation of energy.
Not only in terms of height, Ark's bones, tempered and nourished by the essence of the white bone stone, have become more resilient and pure.
Each bone exudes a faint jade-like luster, as if it were a treasure forged through countless trials, and every inch of it radiates an indescribable sense of power.
This transformation is not only reflected in the appearance, but also penetrates deep into the essence of the skeleton, making the ark's skeleton reach an astonishing level of strength.
Furthermore, the fascia between the ark's skeletons is also undergoing changes.
They become more resilient and flexible.
This gives Ark not only a powerful physique but also unimaginable agility.
His movements became fluid and natural, and every joint could extend freely.
There are no longer any restrictions on whether it's moving quickly or attacking fiercely.
Now, the skeleton clones are just as agile as human warriors of the same level.
More importantly, as a skeleton, he has no vital organs.
This makes him almost unaffected by conventional weapons in combat.
Even the most fatal blow was nothing more than a superficial injury to him.
In addition, his unparalleled resilience and powerful strength inherited from the skeleton and zombie race made him virtually invincible on the battlefield.
The heat drawn from the mutated zombie corpses, like fine threads of fire, darted through the Ark's body, gradually converging into a torrent.
After a long while, the heat finally stopped.
As the last trace of heat dissipated, Ark slowly opened its eyes, recovering from the exhilaration of evolution.
He looked at the skeleton clone's attribute panel, and all four attributes had increased to a certain extent.
However, these improvements in basic attributes are merely appetizers in the grand feast of evolution.
The Ark's joy stems from a deeper change—a leap in the racial combat power coefficient.
This is an improvement that cannot be measured by a single numerical value.
It is reflected in the perfection and matching of the Ark's entire body, as well as the ability to control the body.
His body was like a meticulously crafted work of art.
Every muscle line appears smoother, the skeletal structure is more stable, and the energy network is more compact.
The Ark's perception capabilities have reached an unprecedented level.
He could feel the power exerted by every piece of flesh and blood in his body, the movement of every bone, and the flow of every bit of energy. His understanding and control over his own body had reached its peak.
It can be said that this increase in racial combat power coefficient is far more valuable to the Ark than obtaining a complete white bone crystal cluster.
Furthermore, the analysis progress of the unknown talent skill from the zombie race in the skill bar on the attribute panel has also been significantly improved due to absorbing the essence of mutated zombie corpses.
Clearly, this mutated zombie possesses innate abilities several times stronger than its ordinary counterparts.
Although it did not pose a substantial threat to the Ark, it did contribute significantly to the Ark's analysis of the zombie's innate abilities.
An overwhelming sense of excitement surged within Fang Zhou.
However, the important business is not yet finished.
Although the mutated zombies had been reduced to ashes by his full-force devouring, there was still a large portion of the white bone crystal clusters that the mutated zombies had not yet had time to devour in front of him.
Fang Zhou gripped the skeletal spear tightly and focused his attention on the cluster of white bone crystals before him.
He slowly swung his spear, activating the corpse's weapon skills.
As the skill was activated, a powerful suction force emerged from the spear.
This suction force seemed to have a life of its own, pulling the white bone stone crystal clusters little by little toward the tip of the spear.
Each crystal cluster makes a crisp sound when it touches the tip of the gun.
Immediately afterwards, tiny cracks began to spread across the surface of the crystal cluster, spreading out like a spider web.
As Ark continued to swing its spear, wherever the spear tip passed, parts of the crystal clusters began to be swallowed into the skeletal spear, then disappeared without a trace, leaving only piles of ordinary, unremarkable rubble.
However, the process was much more difficult than imagined.
Although the bone crystal clusters can be absorbed directly, they are different from the essence of corpses inside zombies and skeletons.
The speed of using the [Corpse Armament] Bone Stone Cluster was unusually slow, which made Ark somewhat anxious.
He understood why the mutated zombies hadn't finished devouring the cluster of white bone crystals after so long.
Just as Ark was pondering how to accelerate the absorption process, a notification appeared on the attribute panel.
"Detected absorbing bone stone resources, estimated to consume 80 points of soul power, which can greatly increase the absorption progress."
"Should we speed it up?"
For Ark now, 80 points of soul power is nothing, and he made his choice without hesitation.
A surge of immense power erupted from his body and flowed into the Corpse Spear.
Almost simultaneously, the rate of absorption accelerated significantly, and the white bone stone crystal clusters dissolved at an astonishing speed, vanishing into nothingness.
Before long, all the white bone stone crystal clusters were devoured, leaving only some inconspicuous pebbles scattered on the ground.
After absorbing the energy, Ark began to strengthen its skeletal body using the energy it had drawn from the bone crystal cluster.
He closed his eyes, feeling every bit of power flowing through his body.
As energy surged in, his bones emitted a faint crackling sound, as if undergoing a transformative change.
However, as time went on, the rate of enhancement gradually slowed down until it eventually stopped completely.
Fangzhou felt that his body had reached saturation and could no longer absorb any more energy.
He keenly sensed that a small portion of the bone stone's energy had not been fully absorbed.
This feeling is like the discomfort after a large meal.
Knowing that the remaining energy could not be absorbed and digested for the time being, he decided to transfer it to the weapons and armor of his skeleton clone.
The Ark guided the remaining bone stone energy, slowly flowing it into the skeleton spear and skeleton armor.
These energies gradually condensed and took shape during the flow, eventually transforming into several dazzling white bone stones.
He carefully condensed these bone stones onto the spear and armor, each one perfectly placed. Because he had directly devoured the bone stone clusters, this condensation was completed smoothly as if it were his own arm, without consuming any extra soul power for the simulation of embedding.
Ultimately, the skeletal spear and the skeletal armor were each inlaid with two level-two bone stones, reaching the current limit of what could be achieved.