Godwood Dungeon.
Flap-flap—
Scout Puffshroom Three paused at the edge of the massive spiral structure’s inner ring.
Nearby, a two-headed flying snake coiled on a branch, its four cold, slit-pupil eyes locked on the Puffshroom. Its red tongues flicked in and out, poised to strike but holding back, just staying alert.
Most monsters in the Godwood Dungeon were cautious around the unfamiliar Scout Puffshroom, not attacking unless provoked.
The brainless ones that rushed in to eat it usually ended up dead themselves.
Lin Jun didn’t bother attacking these careful monsters either. He just checked their status panels to get a sense of things.
Sunlight filtered through the spiral’s skylight above, dusting the Puffshroom and slowly refilling its magic energy.
Below was the deep, bottomless center of the spiral void.
Flying down there would be the fastest way to the lower layers.
But Scout Puffshroom Three didn’t move forward.
This was already the third Scout Puffshroom.
Scout Two had taken one small step toward the center and instantly lost all lift, dropping like a heavy rock and smashing to death.
Clearly, a normal dungeon wouldn’t leave such an obvious shortcut for adventurers. The central area had some kind of no-fly zone.
Scout Puffshroom stepped back to a safe distance, then took off again.
It zipped past the still-alert, hissing two-headed snake, sticking close to the spiral’s edge, flying deeper.
The Godwood Dungeon was huge. Even flying, Scout Puffshroom took a whole day to circle twice, reaching the sixth layer.
This was with [Light Refraction Stealth] letting it dodge most monsters along the way.
For an adventurer team, this trip would be way tougher and take several times longer.
So, a strong adventurer group might need half a month to reach the dungeon’s deepest part.
Had anyone ever made it to the bottom?
From his own dungeon’s experience, the deepest part was usually the core.
If Lin Jun could reach it, could he control a second dungeon?
But then, was controlling another dungeon worth it?
The Amethyst Dungeon was his home base, where his main body lived, so he had to control it for safety.
With his back covered now, taking another dungeon might sound great but could stretch his control over Puffshrooms thin, maybe even becoming a burden.
Lin Jun stopped thinking about it. The Mycelial Network here was just starting, so these ideas were too early.
Buzz!
A giant needle bee zoomed closer, tracking the air ripples from Scout Puffshroom’s wings.
[Airflow Sense LV5]
A weak skill, not worth keeping.
Lin Jun whipped the approaching bee dead with one hit, noted the area’s location, and had Scout Puffshroom fly around it.
Finding the hive might reveal a queen bee with useful skills.
But since Scout Puffshroom could be spotted, it stayed away for now. The hive wasn’t going anywhere.
After flying a bit longer, Scout Puffshroom suddenly changed direction—[Sonar Detection] picked up something odd.
Minutes later, the stealthed Scout Puffshroom landed on a high branch.
Below was a group of elves!
Lin Jun thought he wouldn’t see elves in the Godwood Dungeon again!
And not just one—seven of them, this deep on the sixth layer!
He checked their panels: two Diamond-rank, five Gold-rank. What were they doing?
On the ground, they’d drawn a temporary magic circle, trapping a monster Lin Jun knew well—a treant!
Not one of his from the Amethyst Dungeon; this one had no mushrooms growing on it, clearly a native of the Godwood Dungeon.
Lin Jun had suspected treants might be tied to this dungeon. Maybe they came from some past exchange between the two dungeons.
In the magic circle, the treant was tightly bound. One elf jammed a fist-sized stone glowing with an eerie red light into the treant’s gnarled chest!
Red veins spread like living things under the treant’s gray-brown bark, turning its vague roars into pained screams.
When the red glow covered its body, a new status appeared.
[Madness]
Then, the elves left the treant behind and walked away.
The binding magic circle under the treant seemed like it’d hold for a while.
What were these elves up to?
Honestly, Lin Jun didn’t get what they were doing.
After a quick thought, Scout Puffshroom flapped its wings, quietly tailing the elves.
Two minutes into the chase, a blue-white lightning bolt flashed ahead.
[Tailstream Jet]
The strong thrust let Scout Puffshroom barely dodge behind a giant tree.
The lightning had a slight tracking effect but couldn’t curve around obstacles, slamming into the thick trunk!
Boom!
Wood chips flew, smoke and flames rising from the charred break as the tree groaned and fell.
Busted!
But before Scout Puffshroom could adjust from dodging the lightning, an arrow pierced its body.
From the side?!
There was no one there!
[Sonar Detection]
One elf in the group was posed like they’d just shot an arrow.
The arrow curved?
Lin Jun tried to check the elf’s skill panel, but it was too late!
Two more arrows whistled in, hitting dead-on…
Connection lost.
GAME OVER!
[Minion Control] couldn’t reconnect once broken.
Even if [Mycelial Reconstruction] could revive this Puffshroom, Lin Jun lost control of it.
The elves probably wouldn’t even leave Scout Three’s body intact.
Ugh…
Why so cautious?
Not even giving Puffshroom a chance to snoop.
Sneaky business and that [Madness] status—definitely up to no good.
Fourth-layer crevice. Scout Puffshroom Four hopped out, slipped through the Mycelial Network’s tunnels, and flew downward again.
No point chasing those elves—they’d just spot and kill it.
Better find that [Madness] treant and see what’s going on.
Sixth layer, by the burning, fallen tree.
Seven elves stood around the still body of Scout Puffshroom Three.
One elf drew a curved blade, slicing the Puffshroom open, revealing the B-grade Magic Crystal inside.
The lead elf with the longbow darkened his face. “A modified familiar! We’re exposed!”
(End of Chapter)
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