Chapter 39: An Unexpected Event

As Liu Zhi infused his magic, the Corpse Soul Naga’s body seemed to be washed clean, becoming more supple and agile. Yet Liu Zhi wore a look of discontent. The magic he had just invested felt like pouring oil into a car’s engine—not the actual fuel, but a necessity to keep things running smoothly and prevent breakdowns.

Seeing that the Corpse Soul Naga’s condition had improved somewhat, Liu Zhi waved a hand, intending to dismiss her.

Just then, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Notice: Due to your long-term adjustments to a particular undead servant, you have mastered the methods of enhancing this type of servant.]

[Undead Knowledge (Extraordinary: Corpse Soul Naga): You have grasped the enhancement methods for the Corpse Soul Naga, including but not limited to arm reinforcement, weapon enhancement, armor strengthening, magical augmentation, and instinctual upgrades.]

[Note: Creating an undead servant is only the beginning. A necromancer must employ various means to continuously enhance their undead followers.]

Reading this, Liu Zhi couldn’t help but sigh. Though only a few lines, countless methods for strengthening the Corpse Soul Naga had already surfaced in his mind.

He could swap out the Naga’s arms, infuse them with shadow-aligned magic, concoct potions to revitalize their muscles, and so on. All of this could further advance the Corpse Soul Naga, perhaps even awaken its own intelligence, and ultimately help it evolve into the mightiest among its kind—the Eight-Armed Naga Queen.

“Now even you have a path to strengthen yourself, while I have nothing. Becoming a necromancer has left me with only a soul-summoning skill, yet I have no idea what I can truly do with it.”

He waved his hand and let the Corpse Soul Naga withdraw. Leaning on his Death Staff, Liu Zhi set off once more toward the pyramid. He refused to let a mere undead servant outpace him; he needed to search further, to see if there were any other clues.

As Liu Zhi turned and prepared to ascend, he suddenly noticed a glint in the distance.

His eyes lit up. Reaching into his pocket, he placed the Thunder Coral Stone atop his Death Staff, then carefully moved toward the source of the reflection.

He had not noticed this in previous days; could it be that there was some other unknown secret in this city, one yet to be discovered by anyone else?

With this thought, Liu Zhi advanced cautiously in that direction. If only he had a longsword in hand, he might have strode forth, staff in one hand and sword in the other, the very image of a true mage.

But when he reached the spot where the flash had originated, Liu Zhi found nothing. Nothing but dust and decaying earth—no trace of human habitation whatsoever.

He took a deep breath. He didn’t believe his eyes had deceived him. Loosening his grip on the Death Staff, the two-meter-long staff hovered behind him, within easy reach.

He moved forward carefully, sifting through stones half-buried in sand and dust.

Before long, Liu Zhi unearthed a flattened doll. Yet this was no ordinary rag doll for a little girl—this one was cast in gold, its surface etched with motifs unmistakably Mayan in style.

“What is this…” Liu Zhi picked up the doll. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and struck the figure, sending a beam straight into his eyes.

The uncanny effect startled him. Now he regarded the object with renewed seriousness, turning it over and over in his hands.

Over the previous days, Liu Zhi had examined many artifacts from the Mayan and Incan civilizations, and he had gleaned a few patterns. When it came to Mayan relics, the first step was to identify which deity the object belonged to. Only by following this thread could one begin to decipher the meanings behind the intricate designs.

But just as Liu Zhi searched for clues, the golden doll began to rapidly decay in his hands, crumbling into black earth that scattered to the ground.

This shocked him. He had never heard of gold rusting or rotting—was this some sort of forgery?

Yet it was clear someone had drawn him here—so why leave no sufficient clue?

Somewhat perplexed, Liu Zhi finally drew his gaze away from the pyramid. He realized that the vast City of Gold before him was itself a treasure trove; what he had failed to find within the pyramid might yet be uncovered in the city.

At first, he had thought a hundred and fifty days would be too long. Now, he saw that even that span would not suffice. To search the Golden City thoroughly, he would have time only for a rough sweep.

“If I want to search in detail, I’ll have to focus on the northern and eastern sectors. The north is the chaotic slum district—if any power wishes to remain hidden, it would surely be there. The east is the domain of the nobility; major legacies and records are likely preserved in that quarter. But first, I should find a place to learn the local script. Without understanding the language, even the greatest discovery will be useless.”

Having made his decision, Liu Zhi glanced once more at the soil that had once been the golden doll.

He was uneasy. The situation unsettled him—he could not make sense of what was happening. From what he had seen, someone was deliberately luring him.

Just as Liu Zhi prepared to leave, he suddenly felt darkness descend, as if someone had appeared before him.

He did not hesitate; his left hand shot back, and the Death Staff fell into his grasp. At the same time, a bolt of lightning shot toward one of the enemies.

But the lightning passed straight through its target, toppling a tree in the distance. In the flash, Liu Zhi saw clearly the figures before him—desiccated mummies, their faces covered by gold masks, obsidian macuahuitl weapons gripped in their hands.

One look was enough to know they had only just emerged from the burial grounds, their bodies and gear unmistakably funerary artifacts.

Liu Zhi did not falter. He swung the Death Staff at his foes, sending a signal for the Corpse Soul Naga to come to his aid.

To his shock, no matter how he attacked, the Death Staff could not touch the enemies.

Nor did those foes seek to harm him. Instead, they leaped and danced as if performing some ritual.

Though now a necromancer, Liu Zhi still felt dread in the face of such strangeness. He tried to focus on their movements, but a wave of nausea overcame him. Yet when he tried to look away, a strange rhythm of drums echoed faintly in his ears, drawing his gaze back.

Gradually, his body went numb, until at last he found himself utterly unable to move.