Undead Mage from a Cell

”Oh dear, this is quite something, it was excavated from the ruins of the Dragon Palace at the North Sea Water Eye in some game.

We expended a lot of effort to bring it out.

We’ve checked, this is a true Flood Dragon, its level and quality exceed normal standards.

Even a bigshot over Level 45 would benefit from making a soup out of this dragon.”

”Speak plainly.”

Gu Xi interrupted the black market merchant’s boasting.

”Gotta add money.”

”A Flood Dragon around Level 35, it’s clearly not a BOSS template, at most an Elite Template, after soaking in seawater for so long after death, it’s turned into salted fish, and you still want to charge?

What I like about it is its size, means more usable bones.

I honestly don’t think much of it, why don’t you lower the price a bit, and I’ll offer this amount.”

Gu Xi spoke while making a gesture.

The black market merchant shook his head repeatedly.

”No, this price is too low, it doesn’t even cover the expenses I spent leading the team over, this price won’t do.”

”But leading the team in there wasn’t just for this Flood Dragon, you only brought it back conveniently while completing a mission, so my price isn’t small.

If I don’t buy it, you’ll end up having to dismantle and sell this dragon piecemeal, and it will get cheaper and might not even sell.

By then the money you get won’t even be as much as the price I offer.”

”Still no, at this price I barely have any profit, how about adding a bit more?”

”...”

And so, the two haggled over the price there.

After a bit of back-and-forth, Gu Xi eventually bought the Flood Dragon’s corpse at a somewhat reasonable price.

Since Gu Xi acted early, the Flood Dragon’s corpse was still relatively intact, with all parts save for a deep wound on its head.

Especially its important parts like the dragon whip, I mean, the dragon pearl, everything was still there.

One could say this Flood Dragon was quite complete.

As soon as Gu Xi took it back, he could easily complete the Undead Transformation without needing to add any other materials.

Also, the Flood Dragon’s level was 34, Gu Xi estimated that even if the success rate of the Undead Transformation decreased, the most he’d lose is 1 to 3 levels.

By then, the transformed Undead Flood Dragon would still be over Level 30.

This presence at Bailian City would be a Crushing existence.

Even if faced with a world like the White Training Grand Ceremony again, even a Celestial Dao White-robed Great Guanyin, Gu Xi wouldn’t fear, he’d just push through it.

After storing the Flood Dragon’s corpse, Gu Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief, having this deal as a foundation made subsequent transactions much easier.

Gu Xi could just ask for a price on any corpse he fancied, and if the price was about right, he’d get it.

And the black market merchant would recommend some items excavated alongside the corpses to Gu Xi.

Among these items, some were weapons buried with the corpses, and some were simply burial goods.

Due to a shortage of funds, and Gu Xi’s inability to judge the quality of some items, he decided to pass on those and focus on acquiring items he’s proficient in.

After making rounds, aside from the Level 34 Flood Dragon’s corpse, he also bought a Level 25 giant wild boar, a Level 27 mountain deer, and a pile of dinosaur bones of uncertain level but evidently large.

Just like the previous Flood Dragon, these items clearly weren’t fresh corpses.

The wild boar’s body was like a small mountain, its skin turned rocky, its blood crystallized red, and its bristles had transformed into thorns growing from the stone-like soil.

If not for the boar’s head being intact, Gu Xi would’ve suspected it had turned into a fossil.

The mountain deer was in a similar state, covered in various flowers and grasses, if not for its antlers having turned into two trees, people might’ve thought it was a hill full of flora.

As for the dinosaur bones, they were almost petrified.

Gu Xi didn’t know much about dinosaur-like creatures and couldn’t identify its species, but he was certain the bones contained the Power of a Giant Dragon, and were the best materials for making a Bone Dragon.

Of course, Gu Xi also kept an eye out for humanoid corpses, seeking suitable materials.

But in the end, there were none. The black market merchants did some grave-robbing and mountain-moving jobs, but they only took treasures and had no intention of dealing with the bodies.

Unless Gu Xi specifically requested, they wouldn’t bring out corpses.

Of course, if Gu Xi was willing to pay some deposit, they could do such tasks, but the price wouldn’t be cheap.

Gu Xi was tempted by the black market merchant’s offer, but he ultimately declined.

Not because he didn’t want humanoid corpses, but because the cost-efficiency was low.

Most importantly, the uncertainty in the delivery of the corpses by the merchants, Gu Xi would have to wait for them to notify, and he must take them regardless of quality.

Besides, to the black market merchants, humanoid corpses were of no use.

Moreover, the burial goods accompanying the corpses wouldn’t be given to Gu Xi.

Essentially, it would be Gu Xi spending money hiring black market merchants, but the final gains wouldn’t be wholly his.

Such a loss-making deal was something Gu Xi wouldn’t enter.

After viewing other mostly dismantled corpses, Gu Xi quickly left.

However, before leaving, Gu Xi unexpectedly found another intriguing item in the black market building.

It was a Pure Silver Outer Coffin dug from who knows where.

This item was the larger coffin encasing the smaller coffin.

The merchant had initially thought it was pure silver and an antique due to its long burial, so they transported it back.

But the issue emerged after cleaning it, revealing the Pure Silver Outer Coffin had some problems.

On its surface were carvings resembling murals.

The crucial part was these murals were distinctly non-Oriental, depicting battles between Angels and Demons.

This Pure Silver Outer Coffin was neither here nor there.

No one wanted it as an antique, nor could it be sold as silver without the merchant feeling it was a loss.

So it ended up stuck with them.

Gu Xi spotted this Pure Silver Outer Coffin immediately, feeling it might be useful for his Evil Coffin.

Encasing his Evil Coffin with this outer shell might even give it a chance for another upgrade.