Chapter Twelve: Hands Clasped Over the Head, Lying Down (Just one more day before new content begins—everyone, add this to your favorites!)

Shaman was momentarily taken aback by Liu Zong’s question, but then he broke into a laugh. “Why wouldn’t we want them? You think all players only care about equipment, but actually, monsters themselves can yield a lot of good things. The hides can be tanned, the meat can be cooked, and even our captain’s little creatures need meat to eat. And these tendons—well, my skill isn’t great so I don’t get many, but tendons can be used to increase a bow’s range and power. Finally, sometimes people want the bones; some even specifically request beast bones for medicinal purposes.”

Liu Zong smiled and began helping Shaman process the carcasses. By then, the hunters had slain another jackal and were already discussing luring two at once.

At that moment, Shaman told Liu Zong, “Little brother, I’ll be joining the fight soon. The corpses are yours to handle. Just remember not to wander outside.”

With that, Shaman hefted his hammer and strode over to join the hunters. Liu Zong could only shake his head. With non-humanoid monsters, the chances of dropping equipment were truly low; if you didn’t make use of their bodies, you could hardly recoup your costs.

Liu Zong switched to the necromancer’s method of corpse processing, setting to work on the jackal remains. Unlike Shaman’s practical approach, treating jackals as food, Liu Zong’s method was far more systematic. Necromancers required two things: freshness and proper classification.

Under Liu Zong’s hands, the jackal became neatly sorted piles of hide, meat, organs, and bone. Yet the others looked on with undisguised distaste. According to Shaman, anything a necromancer processed was useless—inedible, unworkable.

Liu Zong was well aware of this. Upon learning this craft, he’d realized necromancers’ techniques were a result of centuries of tradition, all focused on creating or empowering undead. Anything irrelevant to necromancy was ruthlessly cast aside, no matter how valuable it might otherwise be.

Other players approached it differently, picking the parts most useful to them. Chefs wanted meat and bone, weapon smiths sought teeth, armorers needed hides. Each trade had its own way of handling materials; Liu Zong’s method simply didn’t suit their needs.

Ordinarily, in a dungeon, specialized personnel would strip the corpses first, then chefs, and only afterward would necromancers arrive. But this was Liu Zong’s dungeon—Shaman and the others were just here to help, so no matter how envious they were, they weren’t entitled to anything.

Soon, a heap of jackal corpses lay at the hunters’ feet, and from a distance came a terrifying roar.

Shaman, who’d been checking on Liu Zong from time to time, grinned. “The boss has appeared. After about two-thirds of the jackals are dead, it’ll come charging with the last of its pack. That’s when the real challenge begins. Everything else we can handle, but your safety is key. We won’t have time to protect you then—you’ll be on your own.”

Liu Zong nodded solemnly. “For this dungeon, I brought everything I possibly could.”

At this, Shaman laughed, and even the hunters fighting up ahead chuckled. As their laughter echoed, another wave of jackals fell along the mountain path. In the distance, a multitude of green lights appeared—the glow of jackal eyes. Among them was a colossal jackal, its body covered in purple scales, eyes gleaming like a dragon’s, its tail much longer than its body. At its arrival, the rest of the jackals howled in unison.

Lizard-Jackal King Bikadia

Species: Modified Beast

Level: Lv1 (8-star) Boss Template

Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 11, Constitution 9, Spirit 7

Description: A jackal enhanced with the power of stone lizards; it boasts the attack of a jackal and the abilities of a stone lizard. Most terrifying of all, it possesses petrifying powers—meeting its gaze carries a high risk of being turned to stone…

At that moment, the hunter retreated to Liu Zong’s side, quickly setting traps. “These traps are for invisible jackals—they’ll trigger attacks if touched. For your safety, clasp your hands over your head, keep your head down, lie flat, and don’t leave this circle. We’ll handle the rest. Even if we fail against the boss, we’ll die before you do.”

Most people might want to show off a bit, but Liu Zong was nothing if not pragmatic. He could risk his life for a vial of magical quicksilver, but he was never above swallowing his pride.

The moment the hunter finished, Liu Zong lay flat, hands over his head, ignoring the battle outside.

The hunter could only sigh. What happened to the desire to prove yourself? The urge to fight for your own glory? How had he caved so quickly—he hadn’t even finished his pep talk.

At that moment, the thief called out, “Boss, hurry up! That’s the normal reaction. When it comes to the dark arts, there are many options, but anyone who chooses necromancy definitely doesn’t want to die. They know exactly how to face life at the right moment.”

The hunter shook his head, but with the boss closing in, he returned to his post, ready for battle.

What happened in the ensuing fight, Liu Zong saw none of it. He only heard the distant howls of jackals, and nothing more.

It was a humiliating experience, but there was no alternative. Every monster in this five-man dungeon was level one; as a level zero rookie, he couldn’t even spectate safely, let alone participate—he might be killed by a stray attack.

These mercenaries had been hired to protect him. If he behaved, he would be compensated even if they failed. If he ran around recklessly, his death would be his own fault.

This dungeon was Liu Zong’s opportunity. He’d spent three months planning, three months calculating, changing his initial class and bringing in everything he owned. Until he faced the final boss and achieved his goal, he couldn’t afford any mistakes.

With that in mind, Liu Zong lay still until all sounds ceased and the thick scent of blood filled the air.

Then Shaman’s voice sounded in his ear. “You’re a lucky one, kid. If you’d moved even a little, you wouldn’t be so fortunate now.”

Liu Zong looked up to see Shaman reviving the thief, while the druid tended to the hunter and his pet’s wounds.