A doll was not the same as an ordinary corpse.
Severed limbs could be stitched together. Bones could be joined, and flesh could be repaired.
But what truly determined a doll’s potential was the compatibility between its body, Soul Core, and soul remnant.
A low-tier doll only needed to move and obey commands.
That was how the faceless servants had been made.
Their bodies were assembled from broken skeletons, then filled with fragments of souls that possessed no sense of self. A contract was used to keep everything under control.
In essence, they were little more than walking furniture.
Lia was different.
That meant the soul remnant originally used to create her had been exceptionally valuable.
Unfortunately, the original Isolde had damaged her.
The more Isolde thought about it, the deeper her frown became.
If she only wanted to replace Lia’s missing eye, ordinary materials would be enough.
A glass eye, an undead eye, an animal eye, or even the lens of a low-tier monster could be inserted into the empty socket.
As long as Isolde secured it with Soul Threads and carved a sensory spell around it, Lia would be able to “see.”
But that would only be a patch.
Even after the repair, Lia would still be damaged.
To truly upgrade her, Isolde would need to build her a better body or recover her original eye.
“The materials need to be top-tier, and her Soul Core will have to be strengthened gradually,” Isolde murmured.
This wasn’t something she could rush.
The loot she currently possessed was only enough to reinforce Lia’s bones, stabilize her soul remnant, and improve her physical coordination.
It was nowhere near enough to rebuild her body.
She needed high-tier bone materials, stable soul materials, and a core capable of holding a contract.
Ideally, she would also need an uncontaminated high-grade soul remnant to strengthen Lia’s Soul Core.
Isolde suddenly paused.
Wait.
High-tier bone materials?
She raised her head.
A raven cried outside the window, almost as though something in the night were reminding her.
How had she forgotten?
Valen’s enormous body was a treasure trove of ready-made materials.
To create his corpse serpent form, Valen had devoured countless players, travelers, monsters, and animals.
His bones had been pieced together. His organs had been stitched into place, and even his mana channels had been forcibly constructed from foreign parts.
He might have looked disgusting, but from a crafter’s perspective, he was a breathing heap of high-grade recyclable materials.
Now that he had stopped breathing, recycling him would be even easier.
Isolde clapped her hands in delight.
She had been so busy disposing of the three players’ worthless remains that she had nearly forgotten the largest loot drop was still lying in the banquet hall.
That simply wouldn’t do.
People should avoid waste, and a Boss should know how to make use of everything.
Isolde left the bedroom and followed the corridor toward the banquet hall.
Sylvain Castle had fallen silent.
The candles along the walls lit themselves as she passed. Blue flames swayed gently against their wicks.
The dark red array lines slowly absorbed the blood on the floor, as though the castle were swallowing it back into its belly.
When she reached the banquet hall, the heavy doors opened without a sound.
Valen’s enormous corpse still lay where it had fallen.
The corpse serpent occupied nearly half the banquet hall. Broken bones covered the floor, its flesh had rotted black, and the stitches holding it together had snapped apart.
After the Silver Core was removed, a large section of its spine had collapsed inward.
It looked like a mountain of corpses with its center hollowed out.
Isolde stood in the doorway and briefly reconsidered entering.
She knew it was valuable material, but the sight was still terrible for her appetite.
At least she had already emptied her stomach yesterday.
She reluctantly approached.
Soul Threads descended from her fingertips as she prepared to search Valen’s corpse for anything useful.
The moment one of the threads touched the remains, the castle array beneath her feet lit up.
Dark red light spread across the floor tiles and formed several rings around Valen’s body.
A system notification appeared.
[Remains of the Former Master detected.]
[Target, Duke Valen Sylvain.]
[Identities, Former Master of Sylvain Castle, Corpse-Stitched Entity, Mutated Noble.]
[Current Authority detected, Master of Sylvain Castle, Isolde Sylvain.]
[Activate Castle Master Skill, Decompose Former Master’s Remains?]
Isolde stopped.
The castle could do that?
She had planned to take the body apart by hand, but Sylvain Castle came with an automatic decomposition feature.
The service was more considerate than what some real companies offered.
Instead of confirming immediately, she continued reading.
[Decomposition Description, Breaks the Former Master’s remains down into usable materials.]
[Possible Materials, Corpse Bone Material, Stitched Flesh, Mutated Organs, Residual Contract Threads, Decay Mana Crystals, Noble Bloodline Residue.]
[Special Notice, The Former Master controlled Sylvain Castle for an extended period. His remains contain a portion of the castle’s power and may be used as castle reinforcement materials.]
[Risk Warning, Decomposition may release the Former Master’s lingering will.]
[Continue?]
Isolde stared at the words “lingering will” and curled her lip.
She had stabbed Valen while he was alive.
Why would she fear a little resentment now that he was dead?
She confirmed the choice in her mind.
“Yes.”
The entire banquet hall shook.
The array lines crawled over Valen’s remains like living creatures. Dark red light sank into the gaps between his bones, flesh, and broken stitches.
His enormous body began to collapse as Sylvain Castle took it apart piece by piece.
Bones were separated from bones.
Flesh was separated from flesh.
Organs were removed, stitches were pulled free, and the remaining mana was compressed into dark crystals.
The entire process was disturbingly clean.
Isolde watched the mountain of corpses become several neatly organized piles of materials.
Her mood improved considerably.
This was how things were supposed to work.
A major Boss was meant to drop loot after death.
A Boss who dropped nothing was simply disrespecting both players and fellow professionals.
A low growl suddenly came from deep within Valen’s remains.
A distorted human face emerged from the black blood.
It belonged to Valen.
Or rather, it was the last trace of obsession left inside his corpse.
“Isolde…”
His hoarse voice dripped with hatred.
“You… ungrateful creature…”
Isolde glanced at him.
“You’re dead, and you’re still lecturing me.”
She curled one finger.
Several Soul Threads pierced the lingering face.
Her expression remained calm, though her voice carried clear disgust.
“You were revolting while you were alive, and now you’re giving me pop-ups after death. This entire dungeon deserves a terrible review.”
The Soul Threads pulled tight.
The face tore into several pieces before the castle array swallowed them.
[Former Master’s Lingering Will eliminated.]
[Decomposition of Former Master’s Remains resumed.]
Valen’s final voice disappeared.
The banquet hall fell silent again.
A moment later, system notifications appeared one after another.
[Decomposition complete.]
[Acquired, High-tier Corpse Bone Material, 36.]
[Acquired, Stitched Flesh, 24.]
[Acquired, Mutated Organs, 7.]
[Acquired, Residual Contract Threads, 12.]
[Acquired, Decay Mana Crystals, 9.]
[Acquired, Noble Bloodline Residue, 3.]
[Acquired, Castle Core Fragment, 1.]
[Acquired, Former Master’s Spinal Remnant, 1.]
Isolde’s gaze settled on the final two items.
They certainly looked valuable.
She stepped closer.
A long section of pale spine lay in the center of the materials.
It was roughly half the length of an adult human body. Dark red patterns wound across its surface, and traces of silver-white light remained between the bones.
This had been the section closest to the Silver Core inside Valen’s body.
Although Isolde had already removed the core, the spinal remnant still possessed an exceptional capacity to contain power.