Pairs of green eyes stared at Lin Jun.
Thirteen werewolves, the lowest at LV26 (juvenile), the highest at LV42.
This pack of stupid dogs looked ready to vent their frustration over letting their prey escape earlier on him.
These mutts were generally equipped with the [Acceleration] skill—turning tail and running would likely prove futile.
Fortunately, Lin Jun had never intended to flee anyway.
Super Puji, transform!
He contracted into a ball.
[Rolling Charge LV5]
This was a byproduct he'd gained when acquiring the [Chitin Shell] skill. Day after day of extracting from dung beetles, this skill had unexpectedly reached LV5 before the shell skill.
This technique, which had barely any presence in the mushroom garden, was finally having its moment to shine.
Lin Jun rolled straight toward the entrance to the ninth floor staircase.
The 40 Pujis behind him weren't idle either, unleashing a barrage of mushroom cannons at the front.
The mutts were quite agile—they easily dodged these linear attacks. Only one unlucky bastard took a direct hit and had a paw blown to pieces.
However, Lin Jun had achieved his purpose—the mushroom cannons had successfully cleared a path.
One stubborn gray-furred werewolf, moving on all fours, charged through the cannon fire and used [Claw Strike] on Lin Jun.
[Dodge LV6]
The Puji ball made a small leap, threading perfectly over the dog's face and rushing into the staircase.
Safe on base!
The werewolf that got trampled took a nasty tumble. Before it could get back up, seven or eight mushroom cannons hit it simultaneously, turning it into a pile of mangled flesh.
He'd successfully cleared the stage, though unfortunately, only this Super Puji could make it through.
The Battle Pujis still remaining at the original position didn't have a single one equipped with Rolling Charge.
Seeing that Lin Jun had entered the passage, the werewolves all turned their attention to the remaining Pujis.
Facts proved that a mere 40 Pujis in direct confrontation were indeed no match for 12 werewolves.
After only managing to wound three werewolves, the Pujis were completely annihilated.
Lin Jun didn't feel particularly regretful about this.
These Pujis had originally been brought along to cover his main body's escape, and if necessary, even serve as bait.
He just hadn't expected them all to be wiped out after clearing only one floor.
Hopefully the road ahead wouldn't be this unlucky...
————
Having lost his accompanying Pujis, Lin Jun's mycelium network could no longer provide vision.
He could only rely on [Airflow Perception] and [Mana Perception] to observe his surroundings.
Much less convenient.
The ninth floor was the most disgusting place Lin Jun had ever seen.
Tumors were everywhere, and the magical beasts were all bloody flesh monsters that looked like failed genetic engineering experiments.
Thank goodness he was a mushroom without a sense of smell—just looking at them, he could guess what this place must reek like.
However, the journey through the ninth floor went relatively smoothly.
After the adventurers rested there for a while, they successfully ascended to the eighth floor.
But when Lin Jun also tried to go up, a small accident occurred.
[Native magical creature level exceeds limit, passage denied]
The panel that suddenly popped up startled Lin Jun, and worse still—an air wall had appeared!
Though nothing was visible, the closer he got to the stairs leading to the eighth floor, the greater the pressure ahead became, as if trying to crush him.
So this was the dungeon's "rules"!?
Native magical creature—so he was now considered part of the dungeon family too?
Too bad this family wasn't warm at all.
No way!
He still wanted to see the sun again!
How could there be such a miserable reincarnator as himself?
[Hero, restriction lifted]
Hm?
He'd been preparing to try forcing his way through with Rolling Charge, but the air wall that had just been crushing him suddenly disappeared.
What was this?
Hero privilege?
Taking another two steps forward, the resistance had indeed vanished.
What kind of outdated operating system was this, with such a long interval between two judgments?
Scared him half to death.
He'd thought he'd have to spend his whole life in the underground city playing the "you eat me, I eat you" family game with the magical beasts.
Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.
But why couldn't he suddenly sense Inanna's position anymore?
————
Eighth floor. Lin Jun stared blankly at the four magic circles on the ground.
Unlike the two floors below, the eighth floor actually had artificial building materials like stone bricks, as if he'd entered some ancient structure.
But the problem was that aside from the four magic circles on the ground, the eighth floor didn't even have a path!
These couldn't be teleportation magic circles, could they?
If so, that would explain why he couldn't sense Inanna anymore.
So what should he do now?
Which one to choose?
Well, naturally—
He wouldn't choose any of them!
How could he possibly risk using his main body to step on magic circles that were obviously all traps!
Though disgusting, he'd temporarily make his home on the ninth floor, cultivate some Pujis, and then use [Familiar Control] to scout ahead.
Just as he was thinking this and preparing to return, Lin Jun felt mana fluctuations behind him.
The second circle from the left lit up.
Three humans emerged from the magic circle.
...
[Single Slash]
[Wind Blade Technique]
[Precise Shot]
Damn!
After a brief moment of shock, the three adventurers decisively launched attacks on the magical creature before them.
They were also loudly communicating in a language Lin Jun couldn't understand.
Dodge! Dodge! Dodge!
While dodging, Lin Jun tried to counterattack with mushroom cannons—he didn't have the habit of not fighting back when actively attacked!
But fighting back was one thing; whether he could win was another matter entirely.
All three adventurers were above level 40 and clearly knew how to coordinate...
Lin Jun wanted to retreat to the lower floor but was blocked by an ice wall.
He could break through the ice wall, but the adventurers' continuous attacks kept him too busy to manage it.
[Skill upgraded: Dodge LV6→LV7]
Dodging skills until his Dodge leveled up—that was something, though it didn't help much with his current situation.
His counterattacking mushroom cannons were either dodged or blocked.
Digestive slime was blown away by strong winds.
Hallucinogenic spores had barely been released when all three drank antidote potions.
Though not as formidable as the diamond-class group that had taken Inanna away, those who could reach the ninth floor indeed wouldn't be pushovers.
His three signature moves were instantly countered!
Lin Jun had self-awareness—even his so-called strongest Puji would definitely be considered weak among level 40+ creatures.
Let alone taking on three professional adventurers of the same level.
But he hadn't expected that he couldn't even escape!
Wait, he could still flee!
Lin Jun contracted into a ball, used a dodge to circle around the warrior in front, and charged toward the archer in the back row.
The mage on the side cast magic, blocking his path to the archer.
Now! Taking advantage of the spellcasting gap, Lin Jun made a sharp turn and dove headfirst into the magic circle on the right.
As the magic circle gradually brightened, the surrounding scenery shifted, and Lin Jun appeared in another location.
Once again!
He'd escaped danger!
If only he hadn't been hit by that arrow...
The warrior couldn't catch up in time, the mage had a spellcasting interval, but the archer's arrow ultimately caught up with Lin Jun.
An iron arrow shot straight through the strongest Puji's posterior.
That single hit took away half the Puji's health. Fortunately, Lin Jun's main body wasn't in the posterior and wasn't affected.
Those adventurers wouldn't follow him through, would they?
They still hadn't appeared by now, so probably not.
That made sense—after he teleported here, there was no corresponding magic circle beneath him, clearly indicating this was a one-way teleportation array.
Whether those adventurers knew it was one-way or not, they probably wouldn't rashly step into it.
Really, he'd almost let those people achieve the feat of slaying a hero.
So now what?
Looking at the stone brick corridors extending in all directions before him, Lin Jun fell into contemplation.
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