CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56: HARD NUT TO CRACK

Taking the yellow-covered book back from Xiao Hai’s hands, half-torn pages dangled from it.

Though it sounds odd, Lin Jun felt as if this page had lost its life.

The characters on it continued to appear and disappear, but they were no longer repeating the same line densely as before.

[It’s going to fall off! The page is going to fall off!]

[How is it fair to have a dragon man here!]

[Communicate, talk, no violence]

[No matter who you are, we can have a good chat]

As the yellow-covered book typed, a faint wave of magic power emitted from it, displaying its best skill!

Lin Jun noticed the magic fluctuation, but... it seemed as if nothing happened?

I thought this book was trying to charm me and Xiao Hai.

But there were no changes on the panel.

Finding nothing, Lin Jun focused on the text itself again.

Uh...

...there...is...power...be well...

Great!

The Level 2 Universal Language skill couldn’t understand it at all!

Damn, I really miss the days of literacy in my past life. If only there were more humans...

Lin Jun, oh Lin Jun, how could you fall so low.

Can’t you learn by yourself without relying on greed?

Wait until Dylan is normal, then start learning Universal Language from him!

A small resolution was made, but the matter of the book still needed solving.

He raised the book in front of Xiao Hai, intending to ask something.

But seeing her clear eyes, Lin Jun felt there was no need to ask.

It looks like we’ll have to wait until the cultural expert of this area—Dylan, who can read, wakes up to continue the research.

Throwing the yellow-covered book on the ground, a self-destruct Puki sat on it, suppressing it.

Anyway, if it tries any tricks, the Puki will explode to show it.

Several Pukis lifted the unconscious Dylan and threw him into another hollow mushroom.

Inside, there were mycelia to help him replenish magic power; in the future, these mushroom rooms will be special employee dormitories.

————

"Uh... where am I?"

Soft all around, like a comfortable big bed.

The mycelia inside him felt nourished with magic power; it had been a long time since he felt so enriched. Outside, he sipped magic potions bit by bit, not daring to drink too much at once.

Opening his eyes, the ceiling looked strange.

Neither stone nor wood, rather like... mushrooms?

Dylan’s eyes widened suddenly, recalling his memories before fainting. Although chaotic, he remembered a bit.

He immediately flipped up, climbing out of the big bed.

Looking back... it really was a big mushroom!

"Awake? If you’re awake, stay put."

Obeying the leader’s command, Dylan could only obediently stay put.

He wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but seemed like he did something wrong?

Soon, several Pukis brought over his good buddy, the yellow-covered book.

And with them came that scaley, sharp-skinned humanoid creature.

Lizardman or something?

Not really alike.

He’d never seen such a race, and the oppressive aura... stronger than a diamond adventurer...

No doubt, if a fight broke out, this guy shorter than him could punch him to death, with a unique constitution that wouldn’t save him.

Approaching, he could feel the other’s presence in the Fungal Network; was this the leader’s new underling?

Truly worthy of respect, the leader!

But why was she eating the Puki she was holding?

Thud—

His good partner was thrown in front of him.

The leader’s instructions came through the Fungal Network:

"Read out what it writes. Repeat what I say, got it?"

Was the leader about to communicate with his good buddy?

Great, surely everyone can get along through communication.

"Leader, no problem!"

Flipping open his good buddy, this page... why was half of it missing?

...

Lin Jun watched as the real-time translator and the muscle-bound enforcer were both ready.

Then, let the fun interrogation begin!

First...

"Lift the enchantment."

Dylan didn’t understand what the leader meant but still dutifully completed his translation task.

[Okay, I’ll lift it.]

After reading these words, Dylan suddenly felt dazed for a while.

"Lea... Leader, what happened? I..."

[Fixed State: Charm. Moderate]

Before finishing his words, under Lin Jun’s instruction, Xiao Hai stepped on the yellow-covered book, grasping the remaining half-page with one hand.

Before any words could appear, with a short "rip", that page completely detached from the yellow-covered book.

[Ahhhhhhh]

After the leather page detached from the book, it slowly turned to ash, while faint overlapping cries of pain echoed from within.

What on earth is this?

It seems the book is even more sinister than imagined?

"Lift the enchantment," Lin Jun said again.

Dylan looked at his suffering good buddy, seeming a bit at a loss, but only spoke after Lin Jun repeated the request.

This time, the yellow-covered book didn’t respond, but Dylan suddenly clutched his head in pain.

As Dylan rolled on the ground in agony, Lin Jun simply had Xiao Hai grab all the pages, prepared to rip them all off.

Fortunately, this time the yellow-covered book didn’t dare play tricks, and as Dylan ceased his half-dead howls, the charm on the panel disappeared.

"Sorry... Leader... I..."

Though he had been enchanted, Dylan remembered everything. Once the charm was lifted and recalling it, he naturally understood what happened to him.

Dylan stayed on the ground, recounting the entire incident, even sharing all his knowledge about soul artifacts with Lin Jun.

Throughout it all, the yellow-covered book remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

But after hearing the story, Lin Jun was quite surprised.

He originally thought Dylan was merely, accidentally controlled by an evil book.

Didn’t expect it involved vampires and the Demon Race.

"So, do you need rest?"

Lin Jun asked Dylan, whose state was akin to being dizzy all day, like after vomiting from a car ride.

"No need, Leader, please continue."

If that’s the case...

"I advise you to come clean yourself too, to avoid unnecessary suffering."

In the grip of the Dragon Man’s claws, the yellow-covered book remained unresponsive to Lin Jun’s threats, as if completely indifferent!

"Stubborn?"

Xiao Hai, with one claw on all the pages, began pulling one, tearing it gradually.

The page, as usual, turned to ash accompanied by cries after being torn.

Surprisingly to Lin Jun, this time the yellow-covered book didn’t even give a textual scream!?

Unexpected, should try tearing a couple more pages!

"Could it be that... it’s being ’strangled’?"

Dylan, uncertain, pointed at the bundle of pages that Xiao Hai had been gripping tightly.

???

Could a book have a throat?

Trying letting Xiao Hai loosen his grip on the pages...

[Speak! I will tell all!]

[Keep that black creature away from me!!!]

-----------------

Duke Saint Clair’s Mansion.

Inanna rubbed her sleepy eyes, propping herself up from the down-filled bedding.

Noticing the quilt pushed aside, she felt a bit helpless as she scratched her messy pink hair.

Transforming from Puki form back to human form in her sleep naturally tended to push the quilt away, and it’s happened several times now.

Yet she couldn’t resist, casting Transformation Technique on herself before sleeping.

Transforming into Puki, with only a vague sense of her surroundings, felt particularly relaxing for sleep.

Thinking about it, since she wasn’t really afraid of the cold, it didn’t really matter.

Though it’s still a bit early, since she’s awake, she might as well go to the teacher to start today’s magic learning.