Chapter 114: Body Proliferation and Night

The ghoul, seeing its master make no other move, began to gather the rat-man corpses.

“What are you planning to do with them? Turn them all into ghouls?”

Luo De watched her carefully inspecting, pinching the rat-man’s muscles, testing their spiritual quality.

He asked curiously.

“No, Master—I’ll select only the seven best corpses to transform. The rest will serve as rations. My power is limited; too many might be beyond my control.”

Including the three she already had, she planned to keep only ten ghoul subordinates.

“You, at sixth tier, can only control ten?”

Pan Ni froze, fearing Luo De thought her incompetent.

She hurried to explain: “No, no, Master—I could control fifty or sixty if I let loose. But after my last battle with you, I realized quality matters more.”

“Good.”

Luo De praised.

Still, with more mouths to feed, the ghouls’ food costs will double.

Thinking of this, he fell into quiet thought.

It wasn’t about the money.

He remembered a new skill he’d never used before.

【Body Proliferation】.

Then, under Pan Ni’s curious gaze, he reached out and touched one of the rat-man corpses.

The next moment.

The corpse began swelling and fattening at a visible rate, like inflating.

Layers of fat piled up; fingers regrew on the palms; warts sprouted densely across the face, vaguely forming noses, lips, and ears.

It looked utterly grotesque and repulsive.

“What spell is this?”

Pan Ni wasn’t repulsed or afraid—only curious.

But don’t ask her to take a bite right now.

Not because she feared poison or plague.

Ghouls aren’t stupid. Their own kind is already disliked—would she dare dance on her master’s forbidden ground? How would she ever flip him over and pin him down later?

At most, she’d wait until he left, then sneak and hide it to eat.

Luo De ignored her.

He carefully observed the mutated corpse.

Confirmed—all organs were repeated growths of the original.

He injected spiritual energy again, this time with deliberate control.

Tap-tap—

From the edge of the palm, fingers grew one by one at the exact spots he willed.

“Much easier to control than 【Gravity Well】.”

Saying this,

Luo De raised his hand.

Tap—

A finger slowly grew beside the little finger.

He tried manipulating it.

“Not bad… a bit awkward at first.”

Like a thin thread pulling, resisting his force.

After growing bored, Luo De cut off the proliferated finger.

Though he hadn’t fully mastered the Grass Domain, such minor wounds were no issue.

He tossed the severed finger to Pan Ni.

Watching the ghoul stare wide-eyed, cradling the finger as if it were sacred, he found it amusing.

The newly proliferated parts could be retracted—but Luo De was just bored and wanted to see her reaction.

“Thank you, Master! Thank you! Profound thanks!!!”

Pan Ni prostrated herself fully—ghouls were innately desperate for the flesh of those close to them.

Especially while under the Domination Spell.

Holy shit, she’d wanted to eat him for ages!

【Pan Ni’s obedience to you +5, current obedience: 45】

Decided.

After sucking the flesh off the finger, boil the bone for broth!

Given only he could resist the Gapebeast’s mental assault,

he had taken up residence in the magic treehouse in Sand Willow District to continuously monitor the ritual’s changes.

As for the treehouse’s original occupant, Amy, she was temporarily on leave—go wherever she pleased.

Provided she didn’t cause trouble, didn’t leave the forest, and bathed daily.

There were plenty of small huts in Windwall Forest—she could pick any.

Tally and the Banshee Krist remained with Luo De.

Naturally, the Banshee had refused to approach the Death Desert—but under the Domination Spell, she had no say.

As for the three spell-researchers—the elf, the witch, and the dog-person—

they had plunged into reclusive, intense research.

Luo De had only seen them twice, when he went to pick wild fruit to satisfy his cravings.

As for the monsters—

though they kept arriving intermittently these past days, their strength never matched the first wave. With methods to counter them now, handling them was easy.

On the third day, Luo De even entered the Death Desert alone and slaughtered a whole group.

But by the fifth and sixth days, few appeared at all.

Notably, Krist’s mental resistance was strong.

She could partially resist the Gapebeast’s assault.

Perhaps because she was a spirit-being?

One night,

Luo De suddenly sensed three people approaching from afar.

Not from the desert—but from the forest.

At this hour, with this disturbance, it could only be the three researchers.

He quickly released Tally’s horns and chambered his weapon.

“No no, don’t come out~ What’s the rush~”

“Someone’s here. Get dressed.”

The succubus huffed in annoyance.

Wrapped in a blanket stained with a puddle of moisture, she turned her back to him.

Luo De swiftly pulled on his clothes.

Outside, loud chatter drew nearer; soon, a knock came at the door.

When he opened it, there they were—the three women.

“Mr. Luo De! It works! The labyrinth method might work! Wait—what’s that smell?”

Sharon bounced like an excited puppy, her tail wagging wildly, then sniffed curiously.

Dimia and Callista were far calmer.

One smiled gently; the other scowled.

Then, noticing the scent drifting from the house and the faint sweat on the man’s forehead, they both froze.

The dog-woman and witch stepped back simultaneously, faces flushed with embarrassment.

The elf snorted.

“You’ll kill yourself, human.”

“Let’s talk outside. Krist! Bring chairs, a table, and tea!” Luo De ignored her.

He tossed a small stone at the Banshee huddled in the corner of the rafters.

She jolted awake, screaming:

“No! Master, don’t do it again! I’m undead—I can’t take it anymore!!!”

Then, seeing everyone’s stares,

Krist stiffened, pulled her hair forward to cover her face, and silently floated down to fetch the items.

God only knew what she’d dreamed.

A while later,

Outside the magic treehouse,

A bright Light Spell glowed warmly in the air.

Everyone sat around and sipped the hot tea before them.

“You’re saying current technology can’t build a new maze, but can transplant an existing one like grafting a plant?”

Luo De was surprised by their idea—it sounded too simple, almost unbelievable.

“But is this even possible?”

“We did find records of such spell experiments, but the data is scarce.”

The witch Dimea shook her head, smiling at Luo De; her baby-faced expression was both cute and intelligent.

“Moreover, the success of this experiment depends on you, Mr. Luo De.”

“Me?”

What do I have to do with this?

Kali Site said: “Not long ago, while chatting with Xiao Ke and Bond, I mentioned you once entered the open-air maze of the Scorching City and obtained a pass, correct?”

Luo De nodded.

He had told Bond this story like a tale; the little one’s eyes sparkled with longing.

Of course, he had automatically omitted the parts involving the half-dragon Xia Li and the land naga Eve.

(End of Chapter)