This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

“So, what is it?”

The sticky, muffled voice unique to a speaking puji echoed through the narrow burrow.

Inside this burrow, aside from the puji acting as Lin Jun’s voice, there was only the yellow book that Norris had delivered. Norris himself had not stayed.

[Most exalted and noble Boss, your humble servant merely wishes to ask… today in the mushroom garden, those… those unusual pujis—where did they come from?]

“Hmm…” The speaking puji’s tone dipped slightly. “Are you asking me to report to you?”

The yellow book hurried to explain:

[No! I wouldn’t dare! How could I possibly ask Boss to make a report to me!]

[I only… only wished to know… their…]

“You want to know the secret of their souls?”

Lin Jun exposed its intention directly.

It was not hard to guess. The yellow book had the ability to sense emotions and observe souls—naturally it had noticed the strangeness in those intelligent pujis’ souls.

On the way here, when Norris carried it through the tunnels, Lin Jun had already predicted its motive.

The yellow book immediately latched onto his words, flattering desperately:

[Yes yes yes yes yes, nothing escapes Boss’s wise gaze!]

“I don’t have eyes.”

[Wise heart! Boss, with your profound insight, you immediately saw through my humble thoughts!]

A mycelial tendril brushed across the yellow book’s pages, flicking away a few stray threads of fungus.

“I don’t have any wise heart or wise eyes. If I did, would I have been fooled and used by you back then, Master Holy Scripture?”

[Boss! I know I was wrong! Truly wrong!]

The words twisted on the page like a crying face.

[I’ve already reformed! I am merely an honest, obedient, loyal book now!]

[Please forgive my past foolishness when I didn’t know the greatness of the puji!!]

Lin Jun didn’t buy it.

“You suddenly come begging for forgiveness only because you want something. Keep dodging around and not getting to the point, and I’ll send you back to the puji pile to reflect!”

[I wouldn’t dare hide it!]

[Your servant simply wishes to know—how were those puji souls made?]

[Those… souls that were not naturally born, yet are undeniably real and independently existing! I wish to find within them—]

At Lin Jun’s perception, the yellow book’s core—wrapped inside his own soul’s tendrils—produced a violent surge of emotion.

[To find a method… to create a true soul for myself!]

“I see.”

Lin Jun remembered that the yellow book had indeed mentioned this desire long ago.

But he knew his own methods well.

Every one of those pujis had been created by the Sunstone—by peeling off fragments of his own soul. That had nothing to do with “creating” new souls.

Still… since the Sunstone was clearly connected to souls, perhaps it had other functions he hadn’t discovered yet.

However—

“And what does your wish have to do with me? Have you contributed anything to the mushroom garden?”

[The vampire ascension ritual…!]

Oh right. That thing. Lin Jun had almost forgotten.

“You don’t think helping little Pig ascend cancels out what you did to me, do you? You still haven’t repaid your debt. And you want to enjoy benefits before paying your dues?”

[I want to repay my debt quickly! Boss, command me as you please!]

“Holy Scripture, Holy Scripture… I think you still haven’t understood the situation at all. You’re waiting for me to tell you what to do? If I don’t speak, you can’t figure out how to create value for me on your own?”

A tendril snapped the book up by its spine and lifted it into the air.

“You’ve lived for hundreds of years, and you still don’t have the awareness or ability to take initiative for the sake of me and the mushroom garden?”

[Boss, I…]

“Our relationship—do you really think I’m going to trust you? The only thing you can do is perform enough deeds, big enough and many enough, to make me willing to overlook your past and help you fulfill that wish of yours.”

With that, Lin Jun flung the yellow book onto a disposable puji, and the puji carried the yellow book away to find Norris.

The yellow book—after it escaped death thanks to Pig’s ascension—had been slacking around shamelessly.

It did the tasks assigned to it, but without any initiative!

Now this was good news—it needed something from him!

The yellow book contained not only secrets, but also knowledge like the Blood-Seizing Ritual. It was a treasure trove—depending on how much it was willing to tidy up.

As for whether it would eventually get a chance to bask in the Sunstone…

That depended entirely on Lin Jun’s mood. He held all the leverage anyway.

Elsewhere, the disposable puji delivered the yellow book back to Norris.

Norris reflexively opened it—and saw his name covering the page.

[Norris!]

“What is it, senior?”

[From today onward, we shall dedicate ourselves to the rise of the mushroom garden! Go apply for resources—I’m going to reinforce the Fungus Fortress’s defenses!]

“Ah? Huh?!”

Norris looked like he’d seen a ghost.

The yellow book—after being locked up by the boss for brutal “thought reform”—seemed to have had loyalty forcibly rewritten into its pages.

[Why are you still standing there? Move! The future safety of the mushroom garden rests upon us!]

Under the relentless urging of the yellow book, Norris muttered “Is this really necessary…” but still obeyed and went to find Hunter to request materials.

…

Across the sea, three warships forged from dark iron and some gigantic beast’s bones cut through the waves, heading south.

On deck, pallid bloodborn with glowing red eyes supervised half-demons and half-vampires as they inspected the ropes and spiked bulwarks.

One half-demon pulled a rope tight and muttered to his companion:

“Damn it, I thought we’d get a week of rest. Instead we get kicked awake in the middle of the night and shoved onto a ship without warning!”

His companion glanced around, leaned closer, and whispered:

“You don’t get it. When they tell us only at the last minute, it’s because the ship’s carrying something big. They’re afraid of leaks—someone might ambush us.”

“Ambush?”

The first half-demon snorted. “Human ports along the coast are practically wiped out. What ships do they have left?”

“Don’t forget the archipelago people! I heard a ship got attacked recently—that was probably them. And even if they can’t attack at sea, they might ambush us on land when we unload…”

“…Also true.”

“What are you two whispering about?”

A cold voice sounded behind them. Both half-demons jolted upright like startled cats.

A bloodborn viscount stood with arms crossed, watching them with a faintly amused expression.

“So, curious about the treasure we’re transporting?”

Their conversation had clearly reached his ears.

Since they had been caught, the half-demons exchanged a glance, then nodded. It wasn’t a serious violation anyway.

“Boss, please—just a hint?” one of them pleaded.

The viscount’s lips curved into a strange smile.

“Before departure, I’d have said nothing. But we’re already at sea now… so I can tell you. In the cargo hold—lies the energy core of an Abyssal Beast.”

“The Abyssal Beast’s core?!”

Both half-demons shouted in unison.

They had never seen one, but they had heard plenty—along with the story of the human Sword Saint who had defeated one. Clearly, this mission was to install a new core.

Their expressions shifted instantly—full recognition of the mission’s importance.

“I really want to see what the core looks like…” one muttered.

The viscount snorted. “In your dreams.”

Just as their conversation warmed up—

The entire ship lurched sharply to the right.

At the same time, the half-demon mage in charge of the ship’s defense formation screamed:

“Sea beast! Sea beast attack!”