CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: INFILTRATION

At the bottom of the stairs connecting the sixth floor.

Several large Cow and Horse Puki, with busy mycelium tentacles, packed the last bits of the demon corpses.

With this trip completed, the spoils of the Puki during the Demon Tide were all returned to the Mushroom Garden.

Thanks to the abundant fertilizer, in an environment rich in Magic Power, it only took a little over a week for the varying sizes of mushroom fields across the floor to take shape.

In about another week, they might even become more prosperous than before the Demon Tide.

Even Lin Jun had to admire the growth speed of the mushroom clan.

Of course, that excludes the Venom Lake.

The pollution of the Venom Lake is even more severe than before.

Initially, only the area around the lake was dead, but now it has expanded to within 500 meters.

Lin Jun regretted not taking a careful look at the skills of that Three-headed Serpent.

What kind of poison is so vicious?

Fortunately, the spread finally stopped these past two days, but it’s unknown how long it will take to regain the normal ecosystem.

As for the Mirages in the lake——

A two-meter-tall large Cow and Horse Puki, filled with mushrooms it collected.

Entering the poison zone, it treaded carefully toward the direction of the lake.

The reason it treaded carefully is that with each step, the Puki’s foot touching the ground would be corroded by a layer of poison.

It was only because this Puki was large that by the time it reached the lakeside, there was barely anything left of its feet.

Then, the entire mushroom rolled down the slope, tumbling into the lake with a belly full of mushrooms.

The waiting Mirages in the lake swarmed, beginning their once-in-two-days feast.

Lin Jun finally decided to raise them, as the lake currently couldn’t be used for anything else.

These guys aren’t very aggressive; at most, they spit some poison, and their activity range is confined to the lake.

And since they live in the Venom Lake, it’s difficult for adventurers passing by to set their sights on them.

Raising them is naturally for the harvest.

The average Level of Mirages is only around ten or so, and their small size means they provide negligible Magic Power and experience.

The valuable parts are the Underwater Adaptation and Scale Armor, especially the Scale Armor.

After disassembling numerous Dragon Beasts with the Scale Armor skill, Lin Jun obtained this skill as a matter of course.

And then found out that it truly is more convenient than the shell Lin Jun is currently using!

Compared to the shell, Scale Armor offers considerable Defense while being lighter and more flexible.

Now with these Mirages, there’s a stable source.

In the future, it seems that when mining Puki, they will still need to use the shell for striking rocks.

As the Mushroom Garden flourished, Lin Jun started setting his sights on other levels.

Even though it’s unclear why, given that the Demon Tide ended so long ago, human adventurers haven’t resumed their activities.

But for Lin Jun, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

During this time, Lin Jun sent out many Puki.

They didn’t do anything else, just dropped some spores in the corners of the first four levels or in locations hard for demons to reach, creating some mushrooms as an outer monitoring network.

Although when there’s too little mycelium in one place, it can’t produce images, only sensing Magic Power fluctuations.

But these small spots can also serve as connections for the large fungal mats outside, linking back to the fifth floor’s transfer station.

As for why set up large fungal mats outside?

Of course, Lin Jun couldn’t bear those other layers’ demon corpses going to waste!

When the time comes, Lin Jun will dissect the bodies to obtain Magic Power and skills.

Then generate some mushrooms to supplement the food cycle in the levels’ ecosystem, so everyone can have a bright future.

The pity is that the Mushroom Garden is just getting back on its feet, and the number of Puki isn’t enough yet.

They can only head to the less dangerous upper floors for now.

As for the lower floors?

If too few Puki are sent, they would be devoured by local demons before completing their tasks.

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At the entrance of the Underground City, two guards on duty sat by the fire.

The campfire flickered slightly in the night wind, and Aiden poked it with an Iron Sword, sending sparks onto his Chain Armor.

"So cold, I really want to go back and have a bowl of meat soup," the newcomer complained while rubbing his shoulders, "Senior, what’s the point of the Guild having us guard here? Can we even stop adventurers who want to go down?"

Aiden glanced at him, unhooked the wineskin from his waist, took a sip, and then handed it to the newcomer.

"You’re worrying about too much. Isn’t standing guard the same wherever? What, you think you’ll get to have meat soup if you’re standing guard in town?"

The newcomer took the wineskin and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

The alcohol warmed up his stomach, making him feel much warmer.

"How is it the same? Senior, look at that," the newcomer pointed at a dark red stain on a rock, "I heard many people died here that day, there might be wraiths born!"

Aiden watched him until he felt a bit embarrassed before bursting into laughter.

"Stop listening to those bard tales. Wraiths? If every few people dead could create wraiths, the Underground City would have been filled with them long ago!"

"I... I just said it casually, didn’t really think that..."

Rustle——

Both stopped talking and looked toward where the sound came from.

Aiden put a whistle to his lips.

The newcomer asked apprehensively, "Could it really be a wraith..."

"What are you thinking!"

Aiden grabbed a simple torch, lit it from the campfire, and walked slowly to the base of the noise-giving tree.

The Iron Sword swished through the bushes and grass, finding nothing.

Only then did Aiden return to the campfire, mocking the newcomer sternly:

"Probably just a little animal, look how scared you are, with that courage you won’t get far, you know."

The newcomer, who had indeed been frightened earlier, sat back down, muttering about "didn’t react", "just drunk", and the like.

Neither noticed that at some point two sets of shallow footprints extended behind them, leading into the Underground City.

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First floor of the Underground City.

The light flickered against the stone wall, revealing two young men crouched by it.

"Sc-sca-scared me to death!" The young man in the Magic Robe was shaking nonstop, "Gray, you have no idea, that sword just missed me by a hair! Really, just a hair!"

Gray, dressed as a Warrior, looked speechlessly at his partner and friend — Calvin.

"Weren’t you the one who insisted on getting closer to listen to their conversation and got scared by some wraith or whatever...

You’re a Mage, always studying those bizarre Magic Materials, how can you still be afraid of wraiths?"

At the mention of wraiths, Calvin, who had calmed down, started trembling again: "You... you don’t understand! I only saw them when I was with my teacher, so I’m scared! You’d be scared too if you encountered them!"

"Sure, sure," Gray, looking like he couldn’t be bothered with this conversation, "if you’re this scared, should we still go down? How about you cast an Invisibility Technique, and we head back?"

Calvin grabbed Gray’s arm:

"How can we do that?

If I don’t get the Parasite Tree Seed, how can I brew the Truth Potion?

If I can’t brew the potion, how can I hand in my assignment?

This time, if I don’t complete the assignment, the teacher will surely punish me, using me as a casting subject for that Duchess with peculiar tastes, and then watch as I turn into a Puki!

Gray, this time you have to help me, don’t forget when you were constipated, I helped you with a Laxative Potion!"

"That time you just made me have diarrhea for a whole day, you call that help?"

"Just say if it worked or not!"