Chapter 86: Little Tail
The gardener cast a cleaning spell on Saul, finally freeing him from the mud.
“I noticed you disappeared earlier and guessed you had fallen in. But you sure made a lot of noise. I’ve never seen the Soul-Devouring Swamp get that active before.”
What could Saul say?
“Haha, I don’t know what happened either. Maybe it was just an accident.”
The gardener chuckled awkwardly, not pressing further, and changed the topic.
“Have you chosen your companion flower?”
“Oh, right, I already picked one.”
Despite his little adventure, Saul hadn’t forgotten about the vibrant flower bud he had set his sights on.
The gardener moved swiftly, fetching a square pot and carefully transplanting the flower into it.
The newly moved flower bud drooped slightly, but the gardener quickly chanted a spell, using magic to restore its vitality.
“This is a small bag of fertilizer.” The gardener handed Saul a palm-sized pouch.
Saul opened it for a look.
The fertilizer was a light red soil mixed with tiny granules.
He recalled one of the ways he could die—being turned into fertilizer.
He silently mourned the fate of the fertilizer in his hands for two seconds before putting it away.
“Gardener, are you also an apprentice here?”
Saul thought tending to the garden seemed like an easy and relaxing job. Plus, it allowed long breaks from the dark wizard tower.
But the man looked like he was in his forties or fifties. Could he still be a Level 3 apprentice? That seemed like a waste of talent.
The gardener chuckled warmly.
“Haha, I was—when I was alive.”
Saul was so startled that he nearly dropped the flowerpot.
He silently stepped back two paces and respectfully bowed.
“Thank you for today. I should go find Mentor Kaz now.”
The gardener didn’t seem to realize he had said anything shocking. He simply smiled and nodded, watching Saul walk away in haste.
As Saul left, the gardener narrowed his eyes slightly.
A thin, black, slimy tentacle, about the thickness of a thumb, suddenly extended from the back of Saul’s neck.
It wavered in the air twice before retracting again.
The gardener’s face remained as cheerful as ever.
He opened his mouth as if to call out to Saul, but in the end, he didn’t make a sound.
He slowly walked back to his wooden hut, sat stiffly on a small bench inside, and stared at the garden with a smile.
As the sun set, the garden became silent except for the rustling of leaves in the wind.
The gardener remained motionless in his seat. Moonlight illuminated his face...
There was no gardener at all—just a scarecrow!
His clothes and pants had blades of straw poking out from inside. His eyes were two gray stones, and his nose was a long twig.
His entire figure was a waxy yellow color.
Someone had used blood-red paint to draw an exaggerated smile on his face.
The night breeze blew through, and the companion flowers swayed as if dancing. The scent of bread filled the garden.
Meanwhile...
Saul carried his carefully chosen companion flower back to the morgue.
He decided to grow it there. The morgue didn’t have too much decay, but it suited the flower’s tastes—it might even grow faster.
The flower he picked resembled a peony, with an especially large bud. Its petals were pale yellow, fading to a soft pink at the tips.
He placed it in a corner of the room and mixed in some fertilizer.
Lacking sunlight, the flower bud had drooped a little, but it immediately perked up again.
Saul found this amusing and playfully poked at the bud before returning to his research.
He was studying his left hand again.
Even the diary had taken an interest in the Spirit Grease inside—this had to be a valuable resource. If it could absorb other soul fragments, it would be a great way for Saul to gather information.
However, Spirit Grease was an advanced material. No matter how much he examined it, Saul had no clue where to start.
He had no choice but to ask an upperclassman or mentor—or search the library for books on it.
Even a low-grade Spirit Grease had already given him so many benefits. If he could improve the Plastic Bone formula to produce higher-quality Spirit Grease, his Wizard Body Modification could reach another level.
If the results were good... he was considering modifying his right hand as well.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knocking sound interrupted Saul’s research.
“Who is it?” Saul closed his diary.
“It’s Hayden.”
His next-door upperclassman?
Hayden had never come to him before. Was there a problem with handling the corpses?
Saul approached the door cautiously and opened it slightly.
Hayden wore an awkward smile. “I... I heard you ranked first in the freshman test. Congratulations.”
Was this just a friendly visit?
“Thanks. Is there something you need, Senior?” Saul asked directly.
“Ah, we’re both Level 1 apprentices. No need to keep calling me ‘Senior.’ Just call me Hayden.”
Saul smiled but didn’t respond.
“I wanted to ask... would you be interested in working in the second morgue?”
“Why do you ask? Are you leaving?”
“Not exactly. It’s just that the second morgue gets better materials. If you want, we can switch.”
So, this was a gesture of goodwill.
Could a freshman’s top ranking really be that valuable?
No, it had to be more than that.
Saul recalled Anze’s invitation, Rum’s seemingly sincere offer, and Mentor Kaz’s subtle warning disguised as a flower-picking session...
It must be the sudden attention from mentors that made Hayden willing to give up the second morgue’s job.
Saul was tempted—but he was also wary of Hayden’s intentions.
Then he thought of his Spirit Grease research.
The main ingredient was Plastic Bone, which required spiritually rich bones.
If he stayed in the third morgue, the only witness to his work was the deaf and blind giant outside the door. No one could tell what materials Saul took.
But if he moved to the second morgue, Hayden would be working downstream from him. He could easily deduce what materials Saul was collecting.
The Spirit Grease was crucial to Saul’s Wizard Body Modification. He didn’t want to expose it too soon.
Understanding this, Saul smiled politely and shook his head.
“No need, Senior. In terms of skill and experience, you’re much more suited for the second morgue. I’m fine where I am.”
Hayden was surprised by the refusal but seemed pleased—after all, the second morgue had more valuable materials.
After some polite small talk, Saul saw Hayden out.
At no point did he invite Hayden inside.
Closing the door, Saul returned to studying Wizard Body Modification.
But if he really wanted to modify his right hand, he would need one more material...
That night, Saul finally got his first Level 1 apprentice customer. He carefully packed up the customer’s brain and, later that night, went to visit Kongsha’s dorm.
This was Saul’s first time voluntarily meeting Kongsha alone since killing Sid.
It was impossible not to feel a little nervous, but Kongsha was still useful to him.
When she opened the door and saw Saul, her milky white eyeballs rolled in their sockets.
“You came fast. I thought you’d hide for a few more days.”
Kongsha stepped aside, inviting Saul in.
Saul walked to the center of the room and placed a box on the table. Opening it, he revealed a round object wrapped in pale yellow leather.
A faint stench spread through the air.
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