The next Solday we got up early and headed into town. The last time I visited the adventurers guild I did not have a lot of money. This time it was different. I was not rich by a noble’s standard but after we collected our bounty I had over ten platinum!

I could buy more monster parts, if I wanted to. But Nyx had not evolved, or changed really, from her last treat. I suppose her necrotic breath, which killed the mage, was sort of new. But it might just have been a modification of her normal fog. Maybe she was just a glutton and ate things as a hobby.

Only Helena joined me as I visited the guild. Cassie and Skadi were buying more alchemical ingredients and blood. As we reached the guild, we were recognized by the receptionist.

“Ah, welcome back! Would you like to buy more monster parts?”

“Greetings, this time I would be interested in entire monster corpses.” I replied.

I had Frank and my skeletal mage with me. Of course, Nyx was here as well. The man looked at our group and nodded.

“I see. So you are interested in something suitable for necromancy.” He stated.

“Yes.” I confirmed.

“Do you have any special requirements? Size, affinity, monster type?” He asked.

“Uh, it should be reasonable for combat. And I would like an entire corpse, not just bones.”

“Hm. That will complicate things. Let me see what we have in store.”

He led us to the same room we were in last time. Then he disappeared for a while. I wondered if he would drag full corpses into the room. When he returned he only carried a piece of paper.

“I have a list of what we can offer you. I can also answer any questions. If there is a body that interests you, you may inspect it before purchasing it. Luckily for you, full corpses are less popular than skeletons.”

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I thanked the man and took the list. Helena peeked over my shoulder to read it.

“They have a bear. Maybe that would be suitable.” I mused.

“Says it’s left front foot is damaged though. Do you think you could repair that?” Helena asked.

“I am not sure. It could be a problem.”

“A lot of those corpses seem to have a damaged head, why is that?” I asked the receptionist.

“Ah. Because the body often holds the valuable resources. You can sell a pelt, hide, meat… There usually isn’t much use for a head. Necromancers looking for a complete corpse are not that common. And… is a head actually required for an undead? I am no expert but I would have assumed a head is optional.”

“Sort of. You can get away with some parts missing or being damaged, but generally undead function better if the corpse is whole. It also depends on the type of undead.” I explained. I knew you could mix body parts and create more complex undead but we had not learned that yet.

“So you would be ok with a slightly charred corpse? Or a somewhat sliced up body, as long as the major parts are still there?” He inquired.

“Well, it has to be a full corpse. Bones should not be crushed and their flesh should be mostly intact. Slashed is fine. Charred depends on how deep the damage goes.” I said.

“I see. I should have asked for more details earlier, my apologies. I shall bring you a new list.” He left once more.

He returned shortly but without a list. “I think I found something! Please, follow me.”

He led us to a large storage area. It was rather cold inside, possibly to preserve the corpses. What he showed us was a creature I did not recognize. It was the size of a wolf but with shorter legs. The body and head were covered in a bone like armour, as was its tail. Most of it was cracked. There was also a few centimetres wide hole in its side.

“This is a spiked rock armadillo.” He said. “The body underneath the armour should be mostly intact. I know the hole looks bad but they simply stabbed through it with a spear. All the spikes were removed. They are the most interesting part of the creature.”

“What sort of monster is this? I have never heard of them.” Helena asked.

“They mostly live in the south. They have an earth affinity which they use to strengthen their armour. As you can see here, it was covered in spikes.” He pointed at parts of the armour. “Those make great spear heads, especially if you enchant them with earth magic. The remaining corpse is not that useful, especially since the armour is cracked in so many places.”

Earth affinity? That could help with our blood experiments.

“How much?” Helena asked.

“Well, the most valuable parts of the corpse have been salvaged. So I could sell it to you for five gold.” He offered.

“Five gold? That is a bit much, is it not? Who are you going to sell it to? What is even left that someone would want, other than a necromancer.” Helena asked.

“True, but necromancy is on the rise. Those creatures are not common around here which makes them more valuable.” He pointed out.

“You said yourself most are looking for skeletons. We are doing you a favour by taking that corpse. It’s only going to spoil and lose more in value over time. How about three gold?” Helena argued.

“Oh please, we both know it’s worth more than that. Corpses are valuable to necromancers. She can likely make far more than five gold if she uses it to hunt other monsters.” He pointed out.

“I will give you four.” I offered.

The man looked at me, thinking. Then he smiled. “Ok, four it is!”

I commanded Frank and my skeleton to carry the corpse. It was good to have minions. Then we made our way back to the academy. It was time for another experiment!