Chapter 834 - 819: Entering Once More

Chapter 834: Chapter 819: Entering Once More

The victory in the Battle of Oath City signifies temporary peace for humanity, led by the remaining two Dukes, they commenced rebuilding and restoration.

However, for the Fungus Castle, the war is far from over.

After coordinating with the elves to eliminate the Empire’s main force that ventured out this time, the third fungus began its attack on the High Castle Fortress.

Eco didn’t miss the chance to hit the Empire while it was down, joining in the effort.

High Castle Fortress truly lived up to its reputation, even under such overwhelming strength disparities, it held off the combined forces of the Puki and elves, but that was only temporary.

Especially when the third fungus hung Xiaoxi’s corpse as a swinging pendulum at the front, the Empire troops’ morale at High Castle Fortress plummeted to rock bottom, making its fall merely a matter of time.

On another front, the Tree-man Army and the first and second fungi led by Little Pig rampaged through Empire territory, continually nibbling away at the Empire’s domain.

The main reason for this cautious advancement is that they haven’t determined where the Demon King teleported, fearing that core members might inadvertently collide and suffer losses, thus progressing somewhat cautiously.

After all, the Empire is already a flickering candle in the wind; it doesn’t matter much if they advance quickly or slowly.

Apart from the military aspect, Fungus Castle is also exerting diplomatic efforts.

On the human side, Inanna vigorously persuaded to promote universal mushroom contamination, encouraging those without symbiotic mycelium to join the fungal network family as soon as possible.

The dwarves, having just suffered defeat in a war against the Fungus Castle, ironically have them to thank for winning the battle.

Xing Huo wouldn’t waste this opportunity, taking advantage of reason to demand the dwarves intensify various exchanges and connections with Fungus Castle and elevate the social status of those parasitized.

Fungus Castle has now become a colossal entity that can operate autonomously; even without Lin Jun’s involvement, it moves forward steadily.

Lin Jun only needs to focus on more important matters now, like daily recording Sword Saint Puki being wantonly played and sending those clips to the Mermaid Empress Saphirea who longs for her husband in Tide Sanctuary.

Once Saphirea’s envy reaches the edge of madness, then send the Sword Saint over to her.

This is all the Sword Saint’s doing; for hiding the United Kingdom’s plan to resurrect Link.

Besides this, Lin Jun recently focused his attention on studying the three elements of this world.

One of the more important aspects is the "self-study phenomenon."

Xiaoxi was the first deceased patient of the self-study phenomenon, which allowed Lin Jun to observe some extraordinary items.

Afterwards, Lin Jun killed a D Level personnel who awakened self-study abilities at the amusement park.

This D Level personnel had only fear of himself, impossible to have any faith, theoretically should not be able to transform into a Puki.

But when Lin Jun used normal means to crush him into pulp and disassemble him, his soul inexplicably submerged into Lin Jun’s soul sea.

The connection was close, even more stable than the souls of those believers.

Upon observation, Lin Jun found that like Xiaoxi, he had a very small part of the soul jointly owned with Lin Jun.

This wasn’t his soul integrating in; rather, that small part originally belonged to Lin Jun. After connecting to the fungal network, during shallow soul exchanges, it interfaced with that shared soul segment and thus became a "self-study phenomenon patient."

Other self-study phenomenon patients were similarly situated.

It seems, regardless of whom, as long as they connect to the fungal network and can find their corresponding shared soul in Lin Jun’s soul sea, they can become self-studiers.

"Feels like a fusion monster..."

From this perspective, Lin Jun’s soul sea is composed of countless people’s "strand of soul."

It closely resembles a project seen in the Pilot’s Seat.

Upon grasping this insight, Lin Jun immediately thought of connecting Norris, Little Pig, and company; hence, he wouldn’t need to worry about them encountering the Demon King and getting obliterated without resurrection.

Unfortunately, despite understanding the principle, Lin Jun does not have a good way to proactively create self-studiers.

After all, even though Lin Jun has the ability to observe souls, he can’t like this to scrutinize and distinguish his entire soul sea to assist them in connecting.

Thus far, the existing self-studiers all connected sporadically in the fungal network on some day, something Lin Jun cannot control.

However, Lin Jun does know how to sever the self-study connection.

The method is simple: destroy the opponent while also erasing the shared soul segment related to himself.

Afterwards, this shared soul segment would regenerate, but during the restoration period, the opponent’s soul would follow the normal steps to be absorbed by the world.

Of course, Lin Jun currently has no reason to do so.

Souls as a worldly resource, whether to enhance power or for emergencies, are certainly best to keep more in hand.

Apart from studying his own soul, Lin Jun also revisited the Underground City for exploration.

Since being able to view the world’s data assembly, Lin Jun finally understood the specific meanings represented by those stars in the Dungeon Core Crystal Stele, not just simply utilizing a few of the most apparent functions like before.

For instance, those two combat puppets that originally could only guard the entrance, now as long as they are within the Underground City’s range, Lin Jun can directly issue commands.

Lin Jun experimented, soon opening a space rift leading to the void.

This thing is an old acquaintance, as numerous Puki fell in during the Underground City’s collapse period and ultimately lost contact.

This time, however, the rift opened by Lin Jun is different.

The rifts encountered previously required Puki to drift out far before suddenly losing contact, as if swallowed by a black curtain unseen from afar.

This time, the rift caused Puki to immediately lose contact upon stepping out.

In other words, this rift directly opens at the edge of the void.

What Lin Jun wants to clarify is, what is the black curtain, and what lies beyond it?

For Lin Jun, who now fully controls the Underground City, this task isn’t too difficult. As Lin Jun manipulates some star buttons on the Crystal Stele, the black curtain gradually becomes transparent.

External to the black curtain, Lin Jun sees... white mist as far as the eye can see.

The black curtain acts like a layer of filter paper, blocking the mist, yet allowing the magic power permeated by the mist to leak inward.

It’s no wonder the Underground City’s magic power concentration is much higher than the outside world.

The entire Underground City resembles a large magic power filtration device, endlessly extracting magic power from the mist for the world, without worry about the mist tide issue.

Currently, the external magic power concentration is already quite high, but that’s because the mist has surged ashore multiple times, nearly suffocating the world.

In earlier times, hundreds or thousands of years ago, likely a substantial proportion of magic power in the world overflowed from those ancient Underground Cities.

This is obviously the design of the Gods.

However, what is the purpose of needing so much magic power?

It probably isn’t solely to endow the world with magic powers; Lin Jun feels magic power should play a more crucial role as one of the world’s three elements, though the answer remains elusive.

Really, I want to visit the Pilot’s Seat again.

Last time hitching a ride with the Resurrected Hero left insufficient time; I only brushed through numerous places, unable to explore thoroughly, or surely could uncover more truths.

Now, albeit Lin Jun longs to visit, lacking the stepping stone of the resurrection ceremony means heading to the Pilot’s Seat isn’t attainable solely relying on a single [Spiritual].

In his ponderings, Lin Jun thought of two items.

One is Black Stone, left by the Death God, which enables its holder to become a dark mass, erasing all traces except those perceived visually, remaining unused appropriately until now.

Lin Jun attempted to use it to communicate with [Spiritual], alas, to no avail; it indeed simply serves as a special tool.

The other is the sole remaining idol of the Death God within Tide Sanctuary.

Now, Tide Sanctuary is entirely enveloped in mist.

Yet due to the Underground City’s unique structure, even surrounded by mist, its operation remains largely unaffected.

No wonder some might consider the Underground City akin to an Ark, amid refuge crises, sheltering within might genuinely allow for survival extending hundreds of years until the Underground City’s lifespan naturally expires and collapses.

As for the solitary idol, through the [Inspiration] perspective, the idol perpetually appears in a flickering, unstable state.

Previously, Lin Jun wished to stay clear of tangling with some Death God relations, but currently, to Lin Jun, obtaining clarity on the world’s truth trumps all else.

Under the expectant gaze of the Elder Fishman Gugu Lu, a Puki approached, laying tentacles on the idol, afterward attempting to activate [Spiritual].

The next moment, Lin Jun’s consciousness detached from the fungal mat, materializing once more within the Pilot’s Seat.

However, unlike the previous blank small chamber, this time Lin Jun finds himself in an expansive hall, centered with a lengthy table and two rows of high-back chairs.

"Truly made it inside! Yet... which area might this be?"

As Lin Jun adeptly transformed from mushroom into Mushroom People, readying for exploration, a murky voice as though just awakened emerged from the chair facing away from Lin Jun at the head of the table.

"Little Mousse, you’ve finally arrived..."

Lin Jun naturally recalls this voice, striding forward to see—the chair contains a... octopus? tethered by two data chains?

"Is there really a humanoid God in this world?"