CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: THE OLD BAT DROPS LOOT

On the damp ceiling, water droplets about to fall were trembling violently.

An infrasound attack echoed inside the cave, and a layer of Puki corpses was piled beneath.

The old Crystalized Bat was unusually agitated, its jagged claws continuously scratching white marks on the surface of the hanging stones.

It occasionally swooped down to sweep aside Pukis that got too close with its wings.

A wing bone accidentally pierced a mushroom cap, and light purple Hallucinogenic Spores burst out instantly.

The Old Bat flapped its wings and retreated hastily, scrambling back to the top of the rock, its chest heaving violently.

By the time it finally calmed down, some of the Pukis below had already repaired their bodies and started moving again.

A new round of infrasound then exploded in the cave, knocking down the freshly revived Pukis again—this predicament had lasted countless cycles.

Pukis killed by the sound wave would resurrect, and those grabbed and exploded would release hallucinogenic poison mist at close range.

The Old Bat could only delay time like this repeatedly, but the Pukis were still getting closer...

When the last foothold was also covered by Hallucinogenic Spores, the Old Bat was finally poisoned and stunned, falling from the rock and lying motionless.

Lin Jun thought the Old Bat would explode at last out of desperation.

But whether it was due to cherishing its life with age, it just huddled on top and didn’t have the courage to come down and tear apart a few Pukis, even at death’s door.

The final casualties were much less than Lin Jun had expected.

Outside the cave, two figures had been waiting for a long time.

Half-Elf with tattered ears had grown mushrooms, and the green wooden staff in the human woman’s hand had fused with the fungal membrane growing between her fingers.

These two were parasitic Puppets made by Lin Jun previously.

This time, the task of dissecting the Old Bat would be completed by these two Puppets.

However, before that, each Puppet had to be fed a bottle of Antitoxic Potion.

Otherwise, they too would be paralyzed by the hallucinogenic poison mist.

It felt like after turning into Puppets, they inherited both the weaknesses of mushrooms and humans.

After entering the cave, Lin Jun first controlled the two Puppets to cut the neck of the unconscious Old Bat.

Hmm?

Why is there still a panel that can be opened?

Is it not dead yet?

This time Lin Jun simply sliced off the entire head of the bat.

The panel still didn’t disappear.

Lin Jun opened the panel in confusion and discovered it wasn’t the Old Bat’s panel.

[Divine Artifact: Sunstone (Fragment)]

???

Ignoring the S-Level Demon Crystal, Lin Jun hurriedly controlled the Puppet to rummage through the Old Bat’s body.

After slicing open the chest, they finally found a Sunstone Fragment emitting warm light inside.

Wow, no wonder the cave environment was so cold, how did the Old Bat have Level 5 High Temperature Resistance?

It turned out it was baked by the Sunstone Fragment!

So the Old Bat’s title of Transcend Death is related to this Sunstone Fragment?

Did this Divine Artifact prolong its life?

Unfortunately, there was still no information on the panel.

Based on the current information, besides emitting light and heat, could the Sunstone also be used for prolonging life?

So the question is, how does this help Lin Jun?

On Earth, a mushroom’s lifespan can be as short as a few months, or as long as thousands of years.

But this isn’t Earth. Lin Jun hadn’t felt any problem with aging since arriving here.

Instead of worrying about aging and dying, it’s more practical to worry about being killed by powerful demons or adventurers someday.

This inevitably reminded Lin Jun of another damaged Divine Artifact he had seen before.

A Divine Artifact capable of unleashing a powerful strike is what he truly desired.

The three arm-sized S-Level Demon Crystals and that Sunstone were finally sent to Lin Jun’s secret hideout at the bottom of the swamp.

As for the rest of the Old Bat’s corpse, it wouldn’t be wasted. The Puppets were still cutting it into small pieces to be taken out later.

After all, the Old Bat had so many full-level Skills, allowing for a massive gain in proficiency.

After taking out his Sunstone Fragment, he studied the fracture for a long time and finally found the corresponding part to join the two pieces together.

The break automatically sealed, seamlessly fusing together, aligning with Lin Jun’s stereotypical image of a Divine Artifact.

The more complete Sunstone emitted an even stronger glow and heat, so intense that its Level 7 High Temperature Resistance could barely hold up, forcing him to keep it at a slight distance.

If it becomes complete, could it really turn into a miniature sun capable of scorching mountains and boiling seas?

Even the panel showed changes.

[Divine Artifact: Sunstone (Incomplete)]

It was clearly upgraded, but Lin Jun still had no idea how to use it.

This feeling of being caught in a dilemma really worried the mushroom.

Fortunately, Lin Jun knew the significance of the three S-Level Demon Crystals. The Old Bat’s 500% Skill Power bonus was seriously tempting.

Lin Jun decided to tinker with it to see if it could be installed on his ride.

————

Two days after dealing with the Old Bat, a surge of Magic Power suddenly appeared across the entire fifth layer, capturing Lin Jun’s immediate attention.

It was coming from a lower layer, not through the tiered pathway, but directly penetrating the layer walls from the underground, transmitted vertically.

Unlike the intense Magic Power disturbance during a battle, it was a more persistent and rhythmic wave of Magic Power.

It was something he had never encountered before.

The Magic Power wave lasted for about ten minutes before settling back down.

Did something change in the Underground City that he was unaware of?

He asked Dylan, who was building a wooden house, but true to the style of a low-end adventurer, Dylan knew nothing about slightly advanced issues.

Lin Jun could only have Dylan put aside his work and make a trip to the surface to gather information. He might as well have Dylan investigate Inanna’s whereabouts.

Even after sending Dylan, Lin Jun was still uneasy.

Such a large-scale Magic Power disturbance must mean something is happening. The unknown always makes him anxious.

He planned to produce more Pukis soon, and send some to explore the lower layers.

The originally slow and steady ride enhancement plan would need to be expedited. He didn’t want to find himself in potential danger due to lack of preparation.

————

In the Guild Master’s office at Dumb Wind Town.

Obel had just finished listening to Helena’s report about two Gold Level Beastman adventurers who hadn’t returned in ten days after accepting a Level A task at the fifth layer.

The young Branch President rested his chin on one hand, tapping the table with the other, hesitating whether to raise the Task Level or temporarily shelve it.

Recently, many Diamond Level adventurers had been invited to the Capital. He learned through certain channels that something big seemed to be brewing up there.

There weren’t many Diamond Level adventurers still roaming outside; even issuing an S-Level task wouldn’t guarantee acceptance anytime soon.

Moreover, based on current intelligence, unless forcefully entering the swamp, the Pukis wouldn’t take the initiative to attack, and it wouldn’t significantly impact adventurers’ exploration of the maze.

Updating the official strategy to have adventurers stay away from the Swamp Area seemed a more cost-effective approach.

A sudden series of rapid knocks interrupted Obel’s thoughts.

"Come in."

The visitor was Mira Belle, the Intelligence Analysis Minister, who got straight to the point upon entering:

"The Detection Crystals set up on the seventh, fourth, and first layers all detected Magic Power fluctuations, decreasing layer by layer."

In an instant, matters concerning the fifth layer’s Pukis were completely cast aside by Obel.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, "Are you sure it wasn’t interference or a false report?"

Mira Belle didn’t respond, but the implication was clear.

"Sigh—"

Obel realized he had asked a stupid question; Mira Belle wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.

But—

"The timing shouldn’t be now, should it? Why is it so much earlier this time? And just when all the Diamond Levels are being dispatched..."

Obel ruffled his golden hair messily, the previously neat strands now pulled into chaotic arcs.

He swiftly opened a drawer and took out a bottle of Elf Ice Wine.

The fine wine slipped down his throat, and Obel finally calmed down, telling Mira Belle:

"Issue a Demon Tide warning, and simultaneously lock the entrance to the Underground City.

I’ll report this to the main guild and write to the surrounding cities for support.

Ikezion bless us, let’s hope nothing major unfolds this time..."