Chapter 93: line with translation of chapter title

Synthesize!

As Su Hao's thoughts turned, a golden light wrapped the two axes, forming a golden orb.

This time the synthesis target was merely a second-rank and first-rank supernatural item; the required synthesis time was obviously much less than when using Scarlet Blood.

In a short while, the golden orb burst forth with dazzling light.

Immediately after.

The light orb vanished, and a black greataxe appeared on the ground.

In appearance, this greataxe closely resembled the Gravity Rock Axe.

Only the color was a bit darker, the axe head became larger and heavier, the front of the axe head added a spear tip, giving it a straight thrust function, and the handle became a bit longer, total length about 2.2 meters.

【Gravity Rock Axe】

Supernatural Grade: Second Rank

Effect: After synthesizing the stone person's rock axe, the Gravity Rock Axe's weight became heavier.

One can use mental power to increase or decrease the Gravity Rock Axe's weight, and also use mental power to create a gravity source in front of the blade, applying strong gravity to the surrounding area (picture).

……

"The weight has indeed increased, not bad not bad!"

Although after synthesis the Gravity Rock Axe did not increase in Supernatural Grade, this result was already anticipated by Su Hao; he did not feel disappointed, but rather nodded in satisfaction.

From the appraisal results shown, it can be seen that after synthesis the Gravity Rock Axe's weight indeed increased, which already achieved Su Hao's expected goal.

Moreover, after synthesis, the effect of the gravity orb is no longer directed at enemies beneath the axe blade, but instead releases gravity toward the surrounding area.

At the same time, the axe blade of the Gravity Rock Axe became heavier and thicker, and the tip added a spear point; if one can skillfully use it, combat style will become even more varied.

Only how much the weight of the Gravity Rock Axe increased, what changes in feel from the outward alterations, still need to be tested to know.

Subsequently, Su Hao used mental power to lighten the Gravity Rock Axe's weight, shouldered the greataxe and walked toward the forest ahead, beginning to test the power of this new version of the Gravity Rock Axe.

Next.

In this forest, the trees were in for a rough time; each swing of Su Hao's axe felled large swaths of trees at the waist.

In a short while, within an area of over three hundred square meters around, all the trees were chopped into chunks of firewood, and even the thick earth was left with a pit about a meter deep.

According to Su Hao's estimate, after synthesis the Gravity Rock Axe itself should weigh about 10 tons.

When using the weight-increasing effect to the fullest, the Gravity Rock Axe's weight can reach about 50 tons. An axe weighing 50 tons, no matter who it strikes, the scene is quite terrifying; the pit about a meter deep before Su Hao is the trace left by his full-force swing.

However, the recoil from Su Hao's full-force strike also inflicted massive harm on his body; at this moment, blood threads seep from all his pores, and his hands are broken into who knows how many pieces.

If judging by the violence of physical attack, the power of the Gravity Rock Axe is estimated to be not inferior to some third-tier supernatural items.

"Not bad not bad, this flesh‑to‑flesh feeling is really exhilarating!"

Su Hao nodded in satisfaction, took out a few drops of Scarlet Blood and swallowed them to accelerate his wound recovery.

Although Scarlet Blood no longer provides much boost to mental power and physique, it still works wonders for healing wounds.

In less than ten minutes, Su Hao's body showed no visible injuries, and even his broken bones had preliminarily joined.

With the flesh's cooperation, it will no longer affect combat.

Subsequently, Su Hao took out an energy crystal, tossed it into the ever‑burning flame, to use as fuel for burning and illumination.

According to the method shown in the appraisal results, Su Hao used mental power to make the flame emit enough light, letting it hover above his head as he walked toward the pitch‑black cave.

"Grandpa Andrew, I'm here!"

After entering the cave mouth, Su Hao walked down a long, narrow, dark passage for over 500 meters before reaching the end of this passage.

At the end of this passage stood two doors, each about ten meters high and completely black.

Even though the flame atop Su Hao's head could illuminate an area of several hundred meters, it could not illuminate this stone door in the slightest; one still could not see anything on it.

Even the area around the stone door was noticeably darker than elsewhere.

【Light‑Absorbing Stone Door】

Supernatural Grade: First Rank

Effect: The stone door made from light‑absorbing stone can effectively absorb light, plunging the surroundings into darkness; using Item Refining Technique, one can refine light‑absorbing stone.

……

"Yoohoo! As expected, this is one of the most dangerous spots in the Dark Forest; even before entering, I've already gained something."

Su Hao gave a slight smile, and applied Item Refining Technique to that stone door about ten meters high.

Su Hao knew light‑absorbing stone; it is a supernatural material that can absorb surrounding light, causing the nearby area to fall into darkness.

The reason the dark dungeon is so pitch‑black, and why ordinary lighting tools struggle to achieve even a tenth of their effect inside it, is…

…because many inconspicuous corners inside the dark dungeon are distributed with this light‑absorbing stone.

At the same time, the dark dungeon is the only place in the Dark Forest that produces light‑absorbing stone.

Theoretically, as long as there is enough light‑absorbing stone, the surroundings can be plunged into permanent darkness, even in broad daylight.

If one could place sufficient light‑absorbing stone on their own territory, even if enemies intrude, they would be utterly disoriented in total darkness, greatly strengthening the territory's security.

But doing so would create a new problem.

That is, in absolute darkness, enemies—including Su Hao himself—and everyone inside the shelter would likewise be unable to see their surroundings.

Therefore, the prerequisite for creating such a light‑less environment is to achieve it through the construction of the shelter.

Although for now we cannot use light‑less stone to set up a light‑less environment, having this important material in hand is always good; sooner or later it will come in handy.

Just as Su Hao was pondering, the blood‑red light wrapped around the two stone doors began to dissipate, and a small pile of pure black stone appeared on the ground.

【Light‑Absorbing Stone】

Supernatural Grade: First Rank

Effect: It can absorb surrounding light, causing the nearby area to fall into darkness.

Weapons forged from light‑absorbing stone can slightly increase the power of dark and shadow magic.

"Huh? Does the light-absorbing stone have this function too?"

Seeing the last item of the appraisal result, the information displayed, Su Hao couldn't help but be slightly startled.

According to his memories from his previous life, the light-absorbing stone only had the effect of absorbing light to darken the surroundings; it never said that forging weapons with it could also enhance shadow and dark magic effects. Indeed, so-called public information always hides some secrets.

If nothing unexpected happens, the person who originally disclosed this information did so to hide the main value of the light-absorbing stone, so they could obtain more of it.

"What a pity, now this secret is mine, and the light-absorbing stones in the gloomy dungeon are also mine!"

Su Hao smiled faintly, put all the thirty-odd light-absorbing stones on the ground into his Storage Bag, walked through the empty doorway, and entered the gloomy dungeon.

"Huh?"

Just as Su Hao stepped over the threshold and entered the gloomy dungeon, he felt an abnormal movement coming from within his Storage Bag.

After sinking his mental power into the Storage Bag, Su Hao quickly discovered the source of the abnormal movement: a white bone fragment.

This was exactly the bone fragment obtained from the treasure chest in Old Andrew's house.

After taking this fragment out of the Storage Bag, it emitted a faint white light, automatically hovering in the air; after spinning a few circles, it stopped and quietly pointed in a direction.

"Is Old Andrew's skull in that direction?"

Su Hao rubbed his chin; if he could confirm the direction, things would be simpler.

Su Hao then gripped the bone fragment in his hand, kept the Item Appraisal Technique activated, and, using the strong light emitted by the small flame above his head, walked in the direction indicated by the bone fragment.

Thus, Su Hao walked on and off; after walking for over three hours, he suddenly stopped, and at that moment his Storage Bag contained another twenty-odd lightless stones.

However, the reason he stopped was not because he had reached his destination.

But because on the otherwise empty plain, a house entirely constructed of frozen ice, about ten meters high, appeared, with a pile of thick snow beside it.

"This house actually hasn't melted?"

Su Hao frowned slightly; not to mention other things, this house must be at least several decades old.

Yet a house built of ice can preserve decades of history in temperatures above ten degrees Celsius, which is highly abnormal.

Being able to do this at least indicates one thing: the ice used to build this house is a material that can remain solid at temperatures above zero, possibly even a supernatural item! Thinking this, Su Hao took out a heart fragment from his pocket and quietly tossed it onto the ground.

Afterward, he took out the Gravity Rock Axe and the Blood-Colored Magic Book, and slowly walked toward the ice house.

Even a fool knows that on such an empty plain, with no monsters, building such an ice house is definitely not normal.

"Wah-lah wah-lah!"

Indeed, things turned out just as Su Hao thought; when he had just approached within five to six hundred meters of the ice house,

Twenty or thirty ghost-like monsters, letting out a strange cry, their bodies entirely composed of cold air, floated out from the ice in the walls.

In unison, they extended their right hands; the cold air within their bodies flowed out along their arms, condensing in their hands into a scythe entirely made of ice, which flew toward Su Hao.

"This seems like an ice ghost, right? But can ice ghosts be this big?"

These monsters' appearance closely resembles the ice ghosts Su Hao saw before, both having a Western ghost-like form.

Whenever an extreme cold disaster strikes, there is a certain chance worldwide for ice ghosts to appear, launching indiscriminate attacks on all living beings, even fallen monsters are no exception.

Their scythes contain freezing power; once struck by their scythe, regardless of whether the flesh is injured, cold poison will enter the body, causing the body to stiffen.

Only by returning to a shelter and relying on the special effect of the hearth, or using special flames, can this condition be lifted.

They belong to the type of monster that deals low damage but is extremely annoying.

However, the ice ghosts Su Hao encountered in his previous life were only the size of a human head, below the level of a Transcendent First Rank monster.

But these twenty or thirty ice ghosts before him are nearly over half a meter tall, with even stronger auras! "These ice ghosts should be Transcendent First Rank monsters, right? But..."

"They picked the wrong opponent!"

Su Hao slightly narrowed his eyes; the blood-colored magic book in his hand automatically opened to a blank page, where a blood-red rune shaped like a water droplet appeared.

"Blood Missile!"

The next moment.

Drop by drop of blood flowed along Su Hao's palm into the blood-colored magic book, merging with the mental energy within the blood rune, forming ten thumb-sized blood missiles that hovered above the book and shot forward at the ice ghosts.

But it didn't end there; just as those ten blood missiles were fired, another blank page of the book again showed a water-drop-shaped blood-red rune.

The blood missile's casting time is nearly instantaneous, and the interval between casts is basically negligible.

If the proficiency of the blood missile were increased by one level, and the blood-colored magic book upgraded to Transcendent Third Tier, Su Hao feels he could fire blood missiles nonstop like a Gatling gun.

Although Su Hao isn't quite a spell Gatling gun yet, he can barely be called a spell machine gun.

Thus, in a moment, Su Hao consecutively fired four volleys of blood missiles, a total of forty, shooting them at the twenty or thirty ice ghosts ahead.

Boom boom boom—! Blood missiles, like the Crimson Touch, are made of crimson blood and can damage spiritual bodies.

When these missiles struck the ice ghosts, they produced a violent explosion; the crimson blood, imbued with blood-element magic, sprayed forth with tremendous force.

Under the blood missile assault, the ice ghosts' spiritual bodies violently trembled; many parts of their cold air were blasted apart, leaving them tattered and their aura extremely weak.

"Looks like these monsters are truly Transcendent First Rank ice ghosts."

Seeing this, Su Hao can basically confirm that these ice ghosts are all Transcendent First Rank monsters; otherwise, they absolutely could not withstand the bombardment of blood missiles.

This ice-built house can harbor so many Transcendent First Rank monsters; there must be plenty of good stuff inside.

Thinking this, Su Hao slightly narrowed his eyes, then his right hand made a 'pa-da' sound as he snapped his fingers.

The blood-colored magic book automatically turned to a blank page, where a blood-red rune resembling a flame appeared.

Immediately after.

Then he saw the crimson blood clinging to the ice ghosts, which had begun to show signs of freezing, ignite into a blood-red flame that engulfed all the ice ghosts.

"Wah-lah wah-lah!!!"

In a short while, the already heavily wounded ice ghosts lost their lives amidst cries of agony, leaving only a cluster of blue cold air resembling a flame, hovering in the air.

Clang clang clang—! As the ice ghosts died, their ice scythes all fell to the ground; some of those ice scythes showed signs of melting under the scorching of the blood flame, and even the blue cold air in the air likewise.

Seeing this, Su Hao hurriedly retracted the Blood Flame Technique.

"These are all good things; we can't waste them."

Su Hao smiled slightly, facing a mass of blue cold air beside him, and used the Item Refining Technique.

Boom——! But just then, a white monster suddenly burst out from the pile of snow beside the ice house at great speed.

(End of chapter)