Chapter 190 Thorn Whip and Ginseng Melon
The red-haired Iron Corpse used to be emotionless, just a human puppet following orders. But ever since she woke up from the ground, she's been confused. She still fights and absorbs energy out of instinct.
She didn't realize she was feeling emotions again until she felt anger at having her food stolen.
Even without her old human intelligence, she knew this white creature was important to her. Angry, she lunged sideways. Just as the figure's fingers touched the small white octopus, she knocked them away. The figure rolled on the ground and knelt, looking at the red-haired Iron Corpse, who also staggered back.
A small black cat jumped onto the figure's shoulder, baring its teeth at the Iron Corpse. It was the Witch who had clashed with William!
Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Even if everything seems to be going smoothly, it might just be luck. Like when William was at Hope Base, he thought a Mind Parasite was causing trouble. He made a plan, executed it, and got what he wanted.
But there were actually two Mind Parasites. William only saw one because the other had left with a level-three mutant creature. Had both been present, the outcome might have been different.
The Mind Parasite that left sensed the Witch's presence and went hunting alone. But it failed and was now being hunted by the Witch and her pet. Over the past few days, it might have been following William, who had consumed its kin, and ended up here.
The Witch had evolved into a level-three mutant creature, and her black cat had too. But she was in bad shape, with at least a dozen wounds and sunken ribs, likely from the level-three mutant snake controlled by the Mind Parasite.
The Witch looked exhausted, and so did her pet. The black cat's fur had bald patches with charred skin underneath. Even though it had evolved, it was panting heavily, clearly injured.
The Witch and her cat had beaten the Mind Parasite, but it cost them dearly.
The red-haired Iron Corpse wasn't in great shape either. Her wounds had just healed, and the energy she got from three monsters, thanks to the Soul Pearl, only brought her back to life.
Both sides were hurting, yet no one wanted to relinquish the Mind Parasite. Following a short stalemate, they resumed their fight.
Mutant creature fights were messy and brutal, unlike the more orderly battles of Evolving persons.
In seconds, they separated again, barely able to stand, glaring at each other.
The red-haired Iron Corpse had new wounds—scratches, bites, punctures. Muscles were torn, exposing flesh. The worst was her left chest, pierced by gray hairs. If she were an Evolving person, she'd be dead.
The Witch wasn't doing any better. The Iron Corpse's hands were deadly, leaving holes and crushed bones. The Witch's body was battered and twisted, like it had been hit by a truck.
The black cat was in bad shape too, with one hind leg nearly torn off and half its face caved in.
Both sides looked at each other, sizing up their chances.
Then their eyes fell on the Mind Parasite again.
They moved at the same time. The Witch used her last bit of strength to unleash a Spiritual Thorn, while the Iron Corpse shot a gray thorn from her fingertips.
The Witch had used the Spiritual Thorn before, to stop the Iron Corpse from swallowing the Mind Parasite.
But this was the first time the Iron Corpse used her new skill, Thorn Whip, which she learned after absorbing a mutant thorn.
The Iron Corpse took two steps back, momentarily confused. The mental shockwave didn't affect her much, thanks to the Soul Pearl in her brain.
But her Thorn Whip was sharp, instantly lashing out a two-meter whip that tore the Witch's skin and sent her flying.
Using the Thorn Whip took mental energy. After the red-haired Iron Corpse used it, the thorns retracted. She lunged at the Mind Parasite, knowing the Witch couldn't stop her now.
She grabbed the Mind Parasite, a hint of joy on her face. But then, her expression changed.
It was the black cat!
The cat, with its broken leg and caved-in face, had been ignored. Just as the Iron Corpse was about to control the Mind Parasite, the cat clawed at it too. In their tug-of-war, the Mind Parasite was torn in half!
Both the Iron Corpse and the cat were stunned. Then they both did the same thing.
They ate it!
Both chewed and swallowed the Mind Parasite. The Iron Corpse had a slight advantage and intended to finish off the cat and the Witch. But as she stepped forward, a massive force surged through her, making her sluggish and numb.
The black cat, after eating the Mind Parasite, gave the Iron Corpse a mocking, human-like smile. But two seconds into the smile, it experienced the same symptoms. Due to the energy exchange with the Witch, the Iron Corpse also fell into this state.
Both sides, who had been fighting to the death, turned and fled in opposite directions, moving stiffly like marionettes.
At that moment, both the Witch and the Iron Corpse chose the safest option—run!
William re-entered the Rivercrest Deadland with Pill.
Survivors in the previous life named it after a famous village in the Land of Death called Rivercrest Village.
This time, William took a different path.
The Land of Death was dangerous but also full of treasures if you were careful. William's two secondary professions needed lots of materials for crafting and seeds for cultivation, so he had to collect useful items whenever possible.
The Land of Death was the best place for this.
On his way out, William had already found something useful: a variant of the sweet potato from Earth, but with aggressive tendencies. Upon close proximity of any living entity post-sprouting, seedlings or stems would launch swift, potent attacks. If people weren't careful, they could get hurt or even killed, becoming fertilizer for these mutant sweet potato seedlings.
But this plant had its perks. Once tamed, it could be very beneficial.
As a mutant plant, these sweet potato seedlings contained Magic Crystals. They were only level-one, but in the future, when level-one Magic Crystals became scarce, this plant would be a valuable source.
Plus, when the seedlings matured, they produced underground fruits that were rare, delicious, and could enhance physical fitness.
In the previous life, many large bases cultivated this mutant sweet potato, known as "Ginseng Melon." However, due to its dangerous nature, it required at least a two-star Evolving person to safely harvest, so the planting area was always limited.
Now, William had found a Ginseng Melon seedling. As a Gardener, he had plans for it. Once he had his own base, he intended to study it thoroughly. If he could cultivate it on a large scale, it would be a significant asset, solving both the level-one Magic Crystal supply issue and part of the food problem.
But until he reappeared near the Natural Crystal mine, William hadn't found any other useful materials or seeds, which left him a bit disappointed.
However, there was good news. William, lurking near the mine for hours, glimpsed the beast that claimed the territory.
Three-Tailed Demon Frog!
Level four!
William had expected the beast occupying the mine to be high-level, but when he saw this green-skinned creature with three tails, the size of a minibus, and a green Magic Crystal on its forehead, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.
He had been reborn, evolved to two-star, and gained many professions and abilities he didn't have in his previous life. But he knew very well that these factors made him strong and capable of challenging higher levels, but only up to level-three mutant creatures. Against a level-four, it was suicide!
Moreover, the Three-Tailed Demon Frog was not an ordinary beast. Its water attribute abilities were extremely powerful, making it a formidable opponent even among its peers.
Just give up?
This thought only flashed for a moment before William dismissed it.
He had come all this way; how could he leave empty-handed?
A bold plan formed in William's mind.
