Chapter 846 - 831: Lin Jun’s Preparations

Above Dragon Cliff, it was exceptionally quiet today.

The kobolds who usually guarded the caves waiting for the return of the Giant Dragon had all emerged from their caves.

From the peak of Dragon Cliff to the halfway point, the kobolds, with emotions of excitement, joy, and sadness, reverently lay prostrate on the ground, welcoming the arrival of their new master.

Even on the mountainside, where the kobolds couldn't see the figure of their master, the unique powerful aura emanating from the bloodline was absolutely genuine.

At the mountain peak, however, Xiao Hai did not have the awareness of being the new master of Dragon Cliff. She was merely staring dazedly at the two Dragon Remains in front of her, one large and one small.

"Big Dragon, Mom..."

After staring for a long time, she slowly flew up.

The sky above Dragon Cliff was refreshingly blue, and from up high, she could take in the endless expanse of wilderness below and the various Dragon Beasts living upon it.

In the past, when she lived on Dragon Cliff, she rarely had the opportunity to fly to such heights and appreciate all of this, as other Giant Dragons wouldn't appreciate a Svirgis constantly circling above them.

But now, in this piece of sky, there was no other Giant Dragon besides her.

Norris stood at the peak of Dragon Cliff, looking at the aimlessly circling figure above, vaguely feeling that it would be nice if there were a dragon to share the sky with Sister Hei at this moment.

Thinking this, Norris suddenly felt an itch on his back...

...

The Dragon Cliff Dungeon exploration team led by Norris and Xiao Hai completed their task very smoothly, perhaps even too smoothly.

Originally, they brought along a full exploration team, but after arriving at Dragon Cliff, Xiao Hai's naturally dissipating aura of supremacy solved all their troubles.

Dragon Beasts that might have been expected to cause trouble hid shivering in their nests; some, terrified by the aura, even lost their sanity and sense of survival as Xiao Hai passed by.

They crawled out of their nests, lying on their backs with limbs upturned, presenting themselves as if ready to be consumed by Xiao Hai, making one suspect they resembled No. 7's dragon beast form.

Unfortunately, Xiao Hai, accustomed to the delicious, juicy, and crunchy Puki, had no interest in the tough old meat of these Dragon Beasts.

Moreover, once they arrived at Dragon Cliff, the exploration team they brought along was rendered unnecessary.

The kobolds eagerly ran out to prostrate themselves, and the subsequent work of searching for treasures and exploring the core was all easily accomplished with the kobolds' help.

Among the treasures, there were many Bright Crystals, which Xiao Hai stored in her four-dimensional pocket.

There were also many difficult-to-digest pieces of equipment left behind by past Demon Race adventurers.

In the core area, they discovered a location where a seal had been lifted, indicating that it had once sealed part of the Demon King, but it had long since escaped.

When Norris and Xiao Hai emerged, their troop had swelled from a few thousand to nearly a hundred thousand, as the kobolds followed them with their families, eager to serve their new Dragon Lord.

They were then fooled by Xing Huo into undergoing the mycelium symbiosis procedure.

This journey had only one minor issue with Norris.

...

"Boss, what's happening to me?" Once out of the Underground City and linked up to the outside Fungal Network, Norris hurried to contact Lin Jun.

Norris now had two nascent wings on his back, with some feathers even beginning to grow on them.

"Hmm?" Lin Jun opened Norris's panel for a look, "Simply put... congratulations, Xiaonuo, you're evolving from a Lizardman into a Birdman."

Norris made a suitably dismal expression: "Boss, when did you add these skills to me?"

"You can't say such things, Xiaonuo! Am I the kind of sneaky fungus?"

Faced with Lin Jun's righteous retort, Norris wanted to say "yes," but didn't dare to, so he reconfirmed, "Boss, are you sure you really didn't?"

"No."

Norris thought for a moment; although the boss might do things quietly, he's always straightforward when admitting... After all, admitting it wouldn't change anything.

So perhaps it really wasn't the boss who gave him these skills.

Could it be...

Norris looked up and struggled to speak: "Autodidact phenomenon?"

"Correct!" Two Puki self-destructed on the spot, serving as fireworks. "You probably suddenly wanted to fly earlier, Xiaonuo. You've come this far; are you really not considering a tail?"

With his suspicions confirmed, Norris clutched his head and squatted down: "How did I get so unlucky..."

For ordinary Fungus People, "autodidact" is a mixed blessing. While it may cause bodily mutations, the skills learned tend to be truly useful.

But for core members, since Lin Jun can add targeted skills at will, "autodidact" becomes purely negative because of its uncertainty.

Norris felt saddened by his own bad luck and to encounter such low odds.

Squatting behind him, Xiao Hai seemed quite fond of the shiny silver feathers, her hands restlessly moving, wanting to touch them yet afraid they might be damaged.

However, Norris did not know that his status as an "autodidact patient" was not accidental but the latest result of Lin Jun's experiments.

Lin Jun was almost certain that he was the completed soul created by a shared dream project; the so-called autodidact phenomenon was but the external soul subject connecting with the strand of their soul that originally belonged to them within the soul sea.

Given the vastness of the soul sea, it's akin to finding a needle in a haystack for a soul connected to the Fungal Network to happen to connect with it.

Theoretically, as long as a soul remains connected to the Fungal Network, it will eventually become an "autodidact patient" after infinite time, although the timing is entirely indeterminate.

It could be as immediate as Bado, who connected the very day he connected, or it might take hundreds of years without connection.

However, if Lin Jun consciously helps an individual's soul to screen for a connection, the situation changes entirely.

This task is somewhat troublesome, requiring Lin Jun to expend considerable effort to stir up his own soul sea, but it can be done.

Norris is just the first; Lin Jun plans to connect all the core members next.

As for whether Norris will be happy about it?

This is Lin Jun's care for his right-hand man; he can't refuse!

A Puki casually tossed the Yellow-covered Book to Norris, while Lin Jun went to Xing Huo for the script he needed for the meeting.

...

Norris took the Yellow-covered Book, but all he could think about were the horrifying images of himself growing various different body organs in the future: "Senior, I'm afraid I'll become a monster in the future..."

In the past, the Yellow-covered Book would undoubtedly mock his psychological frailty and expound on the theory that the body is merely a shell and the soul is the essence.

But today, the pages shockingly refrained from mocking him.

[Don't worry, Norris]

[A little mutation is nothing; soon, it won't be an issue]

"Why?"

Unfortunately, after saying this, the Yellow-covered Book shifted the topic and didn't mention it again.

And Norris soon found himself too busy to continue pursuing it further because the boss was about to hold a meeting!

He initially thought it was just a routine Fungal Network video meeting, like the monthly ones, whether there was something urgent or not.

But as soon as he connected, his consciousness suddenly plunged into a strange and oppressive setting.

Gray mist abounded.

Norris found himself seated at the side of an exquisite long table, with indistinct figures seated on both sides. Their faces were unclear, but some familiar outlines could be discerned.

At the end of the table, in an elevated seat, sat a Puki cloaked in mystery, its posture solemn, with its tendrils folded regally in front of it.

Though the gray mist obscured all colors, Norris instinctively felt that the cloak should be a bright red.