[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re":3,"chapter-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-7":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Vegetable-Growing Skeleton's Foreign Land Reclamation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2351488,4600,"Chapter 7: Do Skeletons Count as","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-7",7,"\u003Cp>Warden? What’s that? Ang tilted his head, looking at the old lich in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang’s emotion was “confusion,” but he was a skeleton—his eye sockets couldn’t convey emotion. To the old lich, this “tilting his head to look” motion seemed more like “severity,” and the old lich immediately snapped to attention, clamping his hands over his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t say anything. I know nothing.” With his mouth covered, Phelin’s voice came out muffled, but his previously cloudy eyes now gleamed with hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phelin’s bizarre behavior left Ang baffled. He stood there, motionless, staring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Phelin, this “blank stare” carried another meaning: displeasure. The Warden was deeply displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phelin’s heart tightened. He realized he’d lost composure. Quickly, he rubbed his face, forcing his expression back to normal, then picked up his staff, smoothed his robes, and straightened his back. Though his demeanor still felt unnatural, his earlier lapse was now invisible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asch returned from the entrance, surprised: “What’s going on? Lord Mayor, this is just a child—did you scare it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Child? Phelin’s heart jolted. He cautiously glanced at Ang. Seeing no reaction, he exhaled in relief and said: “Indeed, a quiet friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped aside, he roared inwardly: Child? His age might be older than your great-great-great-great-great… grandfather. How dare you call him a child!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phelin’s strange behavior unsettled Ang. He quickly moved toward Asch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asch glanced at Phelin, saw nothing unusual, then turned to Ang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be afraid. Phelin’s a good guy. But you undead have soul suppression between you—get used to it. Through this door is the Undercity. It’s safe here—no predators. As long as you don’t attack others, you can live until your bones rot. Find a place you like and settle in. If you need anything, come find me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asch rattled on for a long while, leading Ang away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phelin wiped away nonexistent sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath. But soon, excitement lit his face: the Warden had appeared—the Undercity was saved!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Phelin weren’t a lich who’d lived over a thousand years, if he hadn’t worked at the World Transit Station, he might never have heard of the Warden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warden is the guardian of the transit channels, the observer and protector of the world. It’s not an official title—just an informal term among those in the know at the World Transit Station, never acknowledged by the Warden himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warden has no fixed form—sometimes a skeleton, sometimes a zombie, even a wraith—but all share one trait: they carry a magical leather ornament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lack of fixed form means these aren’t the Warden’s true body, but projections of his consciousness. Powerful Wardens project their awareness into temporary shells elsewhere to observe and protect the World Transit Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of these shells, the Warden’s power is never strong. Occasionally, they’re killed by bored fools—but it doesn’t matter. They’re just temporary vessels, causing no harm to the Warden. The real danger lies with those who kill the shells—they face the Warden’s wrath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most furious incident: a squad of powerful Black Knights arrived via the transit channel—twelve of them. They slaughtered all four hundred members of that meddling demon merchant guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, no one dares kill unassuming skeletons or zombies unless they’re the ones who strike first. Many say the Warden is likely a projection of the Monarch himself—otherwise, how could he command a full squad of Black Knights?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that was nearly a thousand years ago. Since the World Transit Station shut down, this already barren, desolate death world has gradually returned to its natural state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the undead empire’s transit trade, the economy collapsed, crop yields dropped, population plummeted. The survivors huddled in a few underground cities, barely clinging to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, even clinging to life may be impossible. Food production in the Undercity declines yearly. They can’t even feed their current five thousand people. Without new food sources, two-thirds of the population will starve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a horrific humanitarian disaster. Phelin desperately tried to prevent it, sending multiple envoys to other underground cities to buy food—but every single mission was rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s normal. Not just their city is short on food—every other underground city is too. Sell to others, and you starve yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, Phelin would now launch a war mobilization, rallying every resource to seize food from others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Wind of Rest prevented this. No underground city could wage war under the Wind of Rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With war off the table, the last option might be the Necrotic Plague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, at this critical moment, the Warden has appeared. What does it mean? It means the World Transit Station might reopen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it doesn’t, the Warden’s power could easily resolve the food shortage—they wouldn’t have to resort to the final step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, hope ignited on Phelin’s face. Wind elements lifted his body, carrying him weightlessly into the Undercity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking through a dim tunnel, the view suddenly opened: a gently sloping ramp extended into a vast underground space. Hundreds of homes carved into the slope stretched along two main roads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil lamps lined the main roads, providing light. All manner of creatures walked and chatted, creating a bustling scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asch turned back to Ang: “Alright, you’re safe now. As long as you don’t attack others, no one will harm you. May your soul find peace. See you again sometime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Asch climbed onto a wooden cableway and slid toward the opposite cliff wall. Though he had met Phelin, the Undercity had other administrators—he needed to report to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang and the young zombie were left behind, watching Asch drift farther away on the cableway, bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-clack sounds echoed. Ang turned to see a white-boned skeleton climbing stairs, carrying a wooden basket filled with coal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young zombie’s eyes lit up. It grinned and lunged forward—in the Sea of the Departed, it hunted skeletons daily, rising early and returning late. Today, after walking all day, it hadn’t eaten a thing—it was starving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ang grabbed its collar, stopping it. Asch had said many times: “Don’t attack others.” Skeletons… should count as “people,” right?\u003C\u002Fp>",1022,"2026-06-21T03:18:43.177Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fe6b10e32c6ea20b6f1f002245e7264b31f9371e7e7fb736a9bc8c991faebfe0","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-8","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-6",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-cover.jpg"]