Shelter for All: People catch ghosts and gain entries in the end times

Chapter 28: The Monster That Can Revive

“There are fish.”

Not only was this a pool of clean water, but Su Mu also noticed fish swimming in the river. The red fish were plentiful, each about the size of those in his past life memories. Su Mu activated the system to scan them, but no monster data panel appeared. These fish weren’t apocalyptic creatures—they were just ordinary animals.

Without hesitation, Su Mu loaded his Anti-Evil Crossbow and aimed at the water.

If the fish could talk, they would probably curse his overkill tactics. An Anti-Evil Crossbow capable of killing undead creatures was certainly overpowered for catching fish, but Su Mu thought otherwise. After all, he could always retrieve the bolts from the fish.

Taking advantage of the fish’s lack of fear, Su Mu stood on the bank and shot multiple times. Before they scattered in panic, he managed to kill five red fish.

[Whole Fish Flesh] x4

[No special effects].

Since they weren’t monsters, the kills didn’t grant any experience points. But in this apocalyptic world, finding something tasty to eat was already a luxury. After enjoying pork yesterday, today’s menu was a welcome change.

However, just as he reached into the water to grab the last fish, something unexpected happened.

A fish reduced to a skeleton suddenly leaped out of the water, snatched the fish he had shot, and disappeared back into the river.

Startled, Su Mu noticed that the entity hadn’t gone far—his map of the Corrupted Wasteland revealed the location of a nearby monster.

[Warning: An eighth-level monster is lurking nearby. Please be careful, Master.].

[The monster’s location has been marked on the map for you, Master.].

Following the map’s directions, he soon discovered the creature. It was a large fish, but its entire body consisted of skeletonized remains. The creature was gnawing on the fish Su Mu had just killed, draining its blood until the corpse shriveled up.

“Is this how undead creatures feed?” Su Mu wondered. “They drain life from their prey, leaving behind only desiccated remains.”

Intrigued, he refrained from attacking immediately and observed the skeletal fish. Using the system, he scanned its data.

[Big-Headed Skeleton Fish].

[Level: 8].

[Traits: Aquatic Monster].

[Description: A skeleton that swims in the water, enjoying a distinct advantage in aquatic environments. If you encounter it, try to deal with it from the shore.].

Satisfied that he could handle the monster, Su Mu aimed his Anti-Evil Crossbow at it. The bolt pierced through the skeletal fish, reducing it to a pile of bones that floated to the river’s surface.

However, something strange occurred.

“Didn’t I just kill it?” he frowned. “Why hasn’t it shown up as dead? And where’s the loot?”

Before he could ponder further, an eerie black smoke emanated from the skeletal remains, enveloping the bones. Right before his eyes, the Big-Headed Skeleton Fish began reassembling itself.

“Is this… resurrection?” Su Mu murmured.

“No, undead creatures are already dead. This must be some form of repair. But why isn’t this listed in its traits? Something else must be at play here.”

Not taking any chances, Su Mu immediately fired another bolt. As the saying goes, always finish off a reanimated corpse.

This time, the black smoke dissipated instantly, and the monster dropped its loot.

[Purified Bones] x20

The drop was standard for an undead creature of its size, and the experience points were generous—three hundred in total. If he could find a few more monsters in the vicinity, he would finally reach level three.

Despite the rewards, his thoughts lingered on the fish’s resurrection ability.

“The Big-Headed Skeleton Fish can’t resurrect on its own,” he mused. “Something must be assisting it—either the environment or another entity capable of reviving undead creatures.”

He glanced at the river, its clear waters betraying no immediate dangers. The map of the Corrupted Wasteland didn’t display any hostile monsters within five hundred meters.

“Maybe it’s not a monster but a treasure causing this phenomenon,” Su Mu speculated. “Something hidden beneath the lake, perhaps.”

However, fighting underwater wasn’t ideal, and he decided to prioritize leveling up before dealing with the mystery.

“There are plenty of monsters near the water,” he muttered. “I won’t hold back this time.”