Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Sensing the toxins contained in the surrounding miasma, Lynn's eyes became more cautious.

After undergoing repeated cleansing of negative energy, the wizard apprentice's body becomes much more resistant to various elements and toxins.

Ordinary toxins have no effect on the wizard apprentice's body, but the miasma in the surrounding area is constantly invading and corroding Lynn's body.

Even though Lynn had taken an antidote and had a shield to filter it, he could still feel a slight tingling sensation on his skin.

If they were ordinary first or second-class apprentices, the poisonous miasma here would probably be enough to give them a hard time, and they wouldn't be able to stay for long, let alone do any missions.

The Rotten Swamp is a forest composed of various giant, gaudy mushrooms and twisted shrubs, and the creatures within it are also abnormal.

Strange insects covered in pustules would occasionally flutter by, while zombie rats with pale white eyes and dragging tattered flesh would surround them.

This is not a place of pure death, but a "revitalized" ecosystem that has been contaminated by the power of the abyss.

Soon, Lynn encountered his first native, a venomous skeleton with a twisted upper body and a thick snake tail.

[Target]: Venomous Serpent Skeleton Swordsman

[Rank]: lv3 (Boss Level)

【Composition】: Dense snake-human bones, dark green poisonous soul fire, and a curved blade sword made of bone.

【ability】:

1. Dual-wielding sword master: Retained from the instincts of a snake-man warrior in life, proficient in fast and unpredictable dual-sword techniques, and able to perform combat skills such as [Cross Fang Slash] and [Serpentine Thrust].

2. Poisonous Saliva Corrosion: Soulfire contains potent poison, which can be injected into the target through wounds caused by slashing or by direct spitting.

3. Swamp Stalker: Its skeletal structure with a snake tail increases its movement speed in complex terrains such as swamps, mud, and water, and it moves silently.

4. Cartilage Dissipation: Due to its special skeletal structure, it has additional damage reduction against blunt force strikes and some energy impacts, but it is relatively vulnerable to precise piercing attacks and powerful purification energy.

[Potential]: Medium (If fed with a higher-level agile undead core, or if high-quality poison-attribute materials are found to temper the bones and blades, there is a very low probability of evolving into [Nether Venomous Serpent Shadow Sword Servant].

...

When Lynn encountered this snake-man, it was hiding in the swamp, its soul fire fixed on Lynn, waiting for its chance to strike.

This thing is common in the Rotten Swamp Forest and is quite strong. The two swords in its hands give it considerable close-combat ability.

Lynn encountered eight of them in total. He commanded his undead minions to subdue three of them, which were at level 3, and forcibly branded them with [Undead Domination] before storing them in his ring.

It's fine to use it as a transitional pet; there's no need to consider its potential or future advancement.

Besides the powerful warriors like the Skeleton Serpent Men, Lynn also encountered a heavy tank called the "Swamp Giant Lizard Zombie".

This is a massive reptilian undead whose highly decayed flesh becomes exceptionally tough under the corrosive influence of the aura of death.

Its thick, rough body is covered in mud and moss, and it moves slowly but has incredible strength.

They appear to be the remains of native creatures that died in this swamp.

Lynn wasn't particularly interested in pure tank units, but these giant lizards were quite popular in the Ghost Market, serving as both tanks and mounts.

After losing both MT and Stitches, Lynn was short of tanks, so he took the opportunity to tame the two strongest ones.

In addition, there is a wailing vine demon, which is a bizarre combination of plant and resentment.

They look like large patches of withered vines, which suddenly spring up and entwine around any living thing that gets close. The sharp thorns on the vines can inject paralyzing toxins and resentful fear.

This thing can only be fixed in one piece of land, so it's not suitable to take it out to fight monsters and level up. It's more suitable to plant it next to your residence as a defensive measure.

Besides these unique undead, Lynn also collected a lot of special materials from the Rotten Forest, which were mostly poisonous materials.

As Lynn explored and subdued his enemies, he gradually approached the core area marked by the quest.

As it ventured deeper into the swamp, Megatron's heavy weight severely restricted its movement, often causing it to step into a patch of highly absorbent mud.

Lynn had no choice but to recall it, release the bone horse from his control, and release a swamp giant lizard zombie to control and use as his mount.

This thing moves through the swamp as if it were flat ground, and its speed is actually much faster than Megatron's.

However, the combat effectiveness of the other undead minions is more or less affected in this environment.

The out-of-control stitched monster is located in the heart of the rotten swamp, where the stench and sense of energy disorder in the air reach their peak.

With the Bone Raven's "Heavenly Eye," Lynn quickly found an unusual place.

After passing through a black swamp filled with huge, slowly wriggling bubbles, the target finally came into view.

The so-called "swamp aggregate" was much larger and more twisted than he had imagined.

It resembles a small mountain barely pieced together from rotten flesh, broken bones, twisted plant roots, and slime.

It is nearly six meters high, and new mud and debris are constantly being absorbed onto it, while rotten parts peel off.

It looks like the "Rotten God" (river spirit) that Chihiro serves while bathing in Spirited Away.

This polymer has no fixed shape; its surface sometimes extends huge tentacles to slap the ground, and sometimes splits open into several large mouths that flow with acid.

What is most striking is a pulsating, dark red tumor on its chest, and a fragment of soul fire embedded in the center of the tumor.

Around it, swarms of low-ranking undead roamed in dense numbers.

Large numbers of putrid zombies, wailing demonic spirits, and the local swamp worm zombies.

They circled the aggregate as if worshipping a king, and gained a slight boost from the energy emanating from it.

Lynn lay in wait, holding his breath, and activated [Analysis] on the aggregate.

[Target]: Swamp Aggregate (Abyssal Energy Contamination/Suturing Aberration)

[Rank]: Peak Level 3

【ability】:

1. Malignant growth: It can repair damage, increase size, or temporarily enhance strength by consuming substances.

2. Abyss Nourishment: Draws upon abyssal energy to continuously restore itself, and slowly enhances and heals its undead minions within the range of its overflowing energy.

3. Contamination and Assimilation: Creatures or undead killed by it have a chance to be contaminated by abyssal energy and transformed into low-level servants under its control.

4. Physical damage reduction: ...

5. Energy resistance: ...

6. Crushing with tremendous force: ...

[Abnormal State]: Deep Energy Pollution, Activity Rampant, Symbiotic Imbalance

[Reason for the activity surge]:

1. Abyssal Rift Resonance: Its core soulfire fragment resonates with the energy rift of the "Rotten Abyss", causing the aggregate's activity to surge uncontrollably and attracting surrounding undead to gather.

2. Vicious Devouring Cycle: The aggregate instinctively devours the surrounding undead and biological remains, but it cannot effectively digest or integrate them, which instead causes the structure to become more chaotic, forming a vicious cycle of rampage after devouring.

3. Soulfire Fragment Contamination: Its core soulfire fragment is suspected to originate from the remnant soul of a mid-level demon. It has strong aggressive and chaotic characteristics, continuously emitting mental pollution and exacerbating the aggregate's berserk tendencies.

...