Clang—clang—clang—
The dull, monotonous sound of mining echoed through the dim caverns of the fifth layer.
Each time the pickaxe fell, it sparked a few weak flames, illuminating Glenm's lifeless face. His eyes were hollow, as if his soul had long been drained away, leaving only a shell numbly repeating the motions of swinging the pick.
Dwarves were naturally stocky, but Glenm now appeared exceptionally diminished—his legs had been lost in the previous explosion. Only through emergency treatment and several precious healing potions that Torin had traded from Horn and the others had he barely managed to save his life.
But the Glenm who had narrowly survived was immediately taken by the Puffshrooms to the caverns and forced to mine. Falling from heaven straight to hell in an instant, Glenm had become completely numb, mechanically swinging his pickaxe only under the occasional prodding of the Puffshrooms.
"I'll pay compensation—can't everyone think of a way to rescue Glenm?" Outside the caverns, the equally disheveled Torin asked.
Though Glenm was a mercenary he had hired, without his help, Torin would have perished in the Scarecrow Abyss. Now, with a chance still remaining, Torin wanted to save him.
However, Horn and the others shook their heads like rattling drums, their faces full of rejection: "This isn't about money anymore—this is about our lives!"
"Then what do we do? Just watch him rot in there?" Torin said despondently.
Noah suggested: "Perhaps... you could try posting an official quest at the adventurer's guild upstairs?"
"The adventurer's guild!" Torin's eyes suddenly lit up.
......
"Guild Master," Mirabelle entered the newly renovated guild master's office, "there's a dwarf gentleman claiming to be from the Deep Furnace Clan in the main hall seeking the guild's help."
Farr was buried in the latest mushroom field growth data report. Upon hearing this, he looked up in confusion: "Deep Furnace Clan? I remember there are no registered dwarf master smiths residing in town. Moreover, we don't seem to produce any rare mineral veins here either..."
"Not a smith, Guild Master," Mirabelle clarified, "he says he's an adventurer."
"An adventurer?" Farr seemed even more puzzled. He distinctly remembered that the Deep Furnace Clan was renowned for everyone being skilled at the forge, with few having anything to do with adventuring.
Soon, Torin, his face still bearing dirt and bloodstains, was led in. Under Farr's incredulous gaze, he tearfully explained the entire ordeal, finally producing a small pouch, hoping Farr could rescue Glenm who had been taken by the Puffshrooms.
Though the pouch was worn, the gems visible inside were genuinely top-grade.
"Lord Torin, please calm yourself. We deeply sympathize with your ordeal, and the guild will certainly do everything possible to assist. Lillian!" He turned to the maid standing beside him, "Take this Deep Furnace lord to the treatment room and properly tend to his wounds."
"Yes." Lillian led the injured Torin away.
Only after the door closed did Farr shed his gentle demeanor and return to a businesslike appearance: "Mirabelle, immediately verify this Torin Deep Furnace's identity and background."
Within the time it took to brew tea, Farr had confirmed Torin's identity—indeed, there was such a person from a branch of the Deep Furnace Clan.
Comparing to the human nobility system, he was roughly equivalent to a baron's second son. His status wasn't particularly distinguished, but as dwarves were allies of humanity, this favor should still be granted, especially during these times, not to mention the gems he had offered as compensation.
However, rescuing someone from the Puffshrooms...
After going around in circles, the matter ultimately landed on Inanna, who was comfortably lying in her room, allowing several round Puffshrooms to walk back and forth on her back.
"Why should I rescue some guy who attacked the Puffshrooms?" Inanna hugged Knight in her arms, rubbing him while her tone carried obvious reluctance.
"Miss Inanna," the guild member responsible for relaying the message said carefully, "the Guild Master says that dwarves are our allies after all, and we must give face to the Deep Furnace Clan's request. Moreover... you're the only one best suited to handle this matter..."
Inanna pursed her lips, her eyes rolling as she thought. Though annoyed, being able to legitimately enter the dungeon under this pretext wasn't bad... but before that, she needed to ask first.
Through the mycelial network, Inanna inquired: "Boss, there's a dwarf outside crying and shouting for us to release his companion who killed Puffshrooms. Should we release him or not?"
"If they want him, just let them take him. Keeping him is just a waste of mushrooms!" Lin Jun replied indifferently.
With permission granted, Inanna hugged Knight and accompanied several people to the fifth layer.
Inanna went through the motions as usual, shaking Knight for show.
Under Torin's eager gaze, the Puffshrooms released the already somewhat mentally unclear Glenm, whom Torin hurriedly carried on his back.
Inanna watched as the Puffshrooms returned Glenm, pursed her lips, then waved at the others: "Alright, take your man and go. I need to stay behind and properly comfort these little ones who were frightened."
"Frightened..."
......
Lin Jun released the prisoner quite casually. Just one gold-rank dwarf—Lin Jun had already confiscated and examined everything on him, finding nothing of particular value.
Instead, the intelligence about the other side of the rift, inadvertently revealed by the two dwarves, had some worth.
Although Lin Jun also had "guides" to other dungeons collected by Inanna and Eding, directly hearing descriptions from those who had experienced it firsthand and cross-referencing with existing knowledge still yielded some gains.
Originally, Lin Jun had planned to explore the dense forest first, but the appearance of the two dwarves had obviously disrupted his plans.
Most of these remaining rifts, Lin Jun had carefully hidden in inconspicuous corners, just like the one before him, cleverly concealed within the internal structure of a giant glowing mushroom tree.
After all, having Puffshrooms swagger through rifts in full view of everyone, coming and going as if entering their own living room, would have a poor impact—humans might overthink things.
Although he now controlled the dungeon core and his use of "Thunder Punishment" was becoming increasingly proficient, when he could hide his capabilities, he should still do so.
Since there was more than one rift leading to the Scarecrow Abyss, perhaps this exposed one could be considered for closure.
But before that, Lin Jun still sent a scout Puffshroom through.
What if the other side was a valuable place? Missing it would be unfortunate!
Before even entering, the scout Puffshroom was afflicted with [Corrosion Curse], and after entering, it gained an additional [Falling Curse].
Lin Jun was familiar with the former—a local specialty, though the curse's intensity was clearly inferior to the rift that had been blocked by the sixth-layer slimes. Before Lin Jun's [Corrosion Resistance LV8], it dealt no damage whatsoever.
As for the latter, the name sounded like a flight ban, but the scout Puffshroom flapped its small wings without any impediment to flight. The specific effects remained unclear for now.
The scout Puffshroom struggled to beat its wings, climbing crookedly from the deep ravine and finally hovering at the cliff edge where the dwarves had previously fallen.
The clifftop was now empty, the pursuing scarecrows long gone. But strangely, within the scout Puffshroom's perception range, there was no "Edge Zone" as described by the dwarves—only an endless wheat field farm.
Across the deep ravine was a forest with blurred outlines.
Lin Jun controlled the Puffshroom, attempting to fly toward the forest. However, the flight didn't last long before the Puffshroom mysteriously emerged from the "other side" of the forest, with the wheat field once again stretching before it!
Farms might be similar, but rifts couldn't be identical!
Looking at the rift below, Lin Jun was certain the space here had been twisted.
It felt... so advanced!
Considering his own dungeon's spatial structure, every dungeon seemed to play with space!
Since he couldn't find the "edge" the dwarves mentioned, he might as well thoroughly explore the "farm" first!
Speaking of which... there was no moon visible here!
......
"Caw—caw—"
A hoarse, piercing cry rang out under the night sky. A crow with dull feathers perched on a rotting, crooked wooden frame in the wheat field.
This frame might have originally been used to hang scarecrows, but now it stood empty.
Suddenly, a rather clumsy flapping sound came from nearby, distinctly different from the crow's light wingbeats.
The crow turned its head in confusion and saw a large, white Puffshroom it had never seen before land on the other end of the frame. It settled steadily, maintaining a small distance from the black crow as both sides silently faced each other...
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