This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

The Church’s ship continued to circle the far edge of the battlefield, carefully keeping its distance so as not to be dragged into the chaos raging further ahead.

At the bow, mana surged into the gauntlets on Sofia’s arms, forming arrow after arrow of condensed force. The bowstring thrummed in rapid succession—each vibration sending a silver arrow streaking across an impossible distance toward the clashing forces.

This terrifying, near-beyond-visual-range strike capability—combined with the superb naval mobility granted by the Ocean Scepter—was the true reason why Priest Samuel had agreed to come investigate at all.

And Sofia’s results were spectacular: she crippled a Sanctum-tier demon-spawn’s arm and even sniped a diamond-class vampire outright.

Yet the demons had not been defeated. Their counterattack remained fierce.

Especially that Sanctum-tier demon-spawn—his strength was terrifying. Sofia had wounded him with her first, unexpected shot, but every arrow she fired afterward was blocked: shattered mid-air by his fists or frozen solid by blasts of extreme cold, even as he fought an enormous Qis tentacle beast.

After a dozen failed attempts, Sofia decisively redirected her focus. Her silver arrows pivoted toward demon officers and key spellcasters.

Each flash of silver light meant another critical figure fell from the demons’ lines.

Other than imbuing Sofia with a full set of buffs before the battle, Priest Samuel could now only watch.

This long-range hunt was a stage meant for the hero alone.

Bella leaned on the railing, narrowing her eyes; threads of silver light shimmered faintly in her vision as she strained to make out the distant battle.

“These things look… wrong,” she muttered. “The color is disgusting.”

In her special sight, every Qis—six-claws, evil-eyes, tentacle beasts—appeared as a pure, flawless black. Even from far away, just looking at that color made her feel chilled.

Up at the bow, Sofia spoke between shots:

“These ‘Qis’ insects all seem to be under a mental control effect. Is some mage controlling them behind the scenes?”

Every Qis had the state [Mind Control] on their panel.

“Not a mage,” Samuel replied. “They’re controlled by a Heart. Their structure is more like a hive. It’s a special type of monster that grows by devouring and assimilating.”

Bella frowned. “If it just keeps eating and growing… won’t it become extremely dangerous?”

Samuel shook his head.

“No need to worry. This species has appeared before. In the past few centuries, only three major outbreaks ever occurred.”

“The first was in the dwarven Moltenforge Dungeon. After assessing the resources needed to wipe them out, the dwarves sealed the entire dungeon. Unable to break dungeon rules, the Qis ate everything inside except elemental spirits. After ten years, they all starved. When the seal was lifted, the dwarves swept up the survivors easily, and even the Qis Heart became a trophy kept in their royal vault.”

“The second outbreak occurred deep within the Demon Empire. Emperor Mortis personally led his elite troops and destroyed it using a divine artifact.”

“Didn’t you say three outbreaks?” Bella asked. “What about the last one?”

“Three hundred years ago,” Samuel replied, “a Qis swarm attacked the ship carrying the hero Link.”

He said nothing more.

Instead, he returned to Bella’s earlier concern:

“Qis are dangerous, yes—but limited. Their hive-type mental control is also their shackle. Even with their talent, the swarm can only reach a few thousand at most, maybe ten thousand. A regional disaster, nothing more. And based on their current location, the demons will suffer most.”

He paused, staring toward the demon fleet again.

The aura coming from their cargo was so huge that even attempts to conceal it could not fully hide the energy pulsing like a beacon.

“Whatever they’re transporting, it’s far too powerful. We cannot allow it to reach the demon frontlines. Things there are already bad enough.”

The battle continued.

That demon-spawn—Hess—displayed truly frightening power. Even with his right arm severely injured, he killed the remaining evil-eye and pinned the massive tentacle beast beneath layers of lethal frost.

But as Sofia continued executing demon officers and spellcasters like a reaper selecting her victims, the demon forces crumbled rapidly.

Their ships—and survival—were becoming a matter of time.

Bella squinted harder, then frowned.

“…Wait. Are we moving away? Why does the battlefield look blurrier?”

The helmsman called back:

“Course steady. No deviation!”

“Then why—”

Before she could finish, Samuel’s expression changed drastically. He rushed to the railing.

“It’s not distance—fog! The sea is fogging up!”

The mist was faint at first—barely perceptible—but the change in light was undeniable when compared against the distant silhouettes of the demon ships.

Samuel instantly raised his hand. A basic light spell formed.

The moment the orb ignited—

“Too bright!”

Bella winced and looked away. “Priest, what are you—?!”

But Samuel stood frozen in horror.

He knew exactly how little mana he had used. That light should have been dim, gentle—normal.

It was impossibly bright for only one reason.

“This is mist-corruption! A white fog!” he roared. “Turn east! Full speed!”

The helmsman didn’t even hesitate. With the power of the Ocean Scepter, the ship lurched hard, pivoting away from the approaching phenomenon.

Only then did everyone truly see it:

A colossal, endless wall of pure white fog was sweeping across the sea, devouring the battlefield—devouring Qis and demon ships alike.

“That’s impossible…” Sofia stared at the shining wall. “This is near the coastline! If the white fog is here, what about the archipelago…?”

Samuel’s face tightened.

At its current speed, the white fog would overtake them no matter what.

In the final seconds before they were engulfed, Samuel raised his staff again—not to shield himself, but to stack layer upon layer of brilliant blessings onto Sofia.

He spoke rapidly:

“Hero! The white mist in its expansion stage can be driven back—its interior will condense a temporary core! I will attempt to neutralize it! Before that happens, you must protect yourself at all costs! Don’t believe—”

The fog devoured them.

“Samuel!”

Sofia lunged toward where he’d been—but her fingers closed on emptiness.

“Bella? Captain? Anyone?!”

Nothing answered her.

Only silence.

Only white.

Gone were the ship, the waves, the wind—everything swallowed whole by the fog.

This was her first time being engulfed. Before this, she had only hunted lost ones at the fog’s edge.

She almost stepped forward—then stopped.

Samuel’s warning echoed in her mind.

She raised her bow, an arrow half-drawn, and waited.

Time passed strangely—either forever or an instant.

The fog began to thin.

Shapes formed.

Sofia’s eyes widened.

She wasn’t on a ship anymore.

She was in a small room, roughly ten square meters.

A soft—but unfamiliar—bed.

Bedside table with an alarm clock.

A desk against the wall with a dark computer monitor and colorful books scattered atop it.

Everything felt… distant, familiar, and wrong.

She stumbled to the window and yanked the curtains open.

Outside, the fog still lingered—but thin enough to let her see the city beyond.

Red-brick buildings.

Narrow streets.

And in the distance—a church topped with an onion-shaped dome.

Her breath caught.

“Saint Petersburg…?

Did I… come back?”