The Puffshroom returned with heaps of “fresh werewolf fur.”
Little Blue couldn’t go back as a furball, so the Puffshroom kindly offered a haircut.
Too much fur to carry, but only a bit was needed anyway.
When Lin Jun returned, chaos reigned.
Yellow Codex, in Norris’s hands, barked orders at demonkin carving the magic array.
[Idiot! This line must be straight! Know what a straight line is?!]
Norris peeked. “Isn’t that straight?”
[Your lizard head! You blind or am I?! That bulge! See it?! Redo it! Now!]
Norris scratched his head, relaying the issue to the demonkin.
[Why so polite?! Curse him! This loser can’t draw a line—trying to kill me?!]
“You said this ritual’s for Louisa. How’s it killing you?” Norris muttered.
[…]
Spotting the Puffshroom with fur, Yellow Codex lit up like it saw a savior.
[Boss! You’re back! Control these losers, or Louisa’s doomed!]
Lin Jun sighed, calling Starfire. The new demonkin tribal priest’s array skills barely passed Yellow Codex’s picky standards.
Then, the Magic Crystal issue.
No way he’d gut the war puppets—dungeon’s last line of defense!
Only one option: make them himself.
Piles of Magic Crystals were hauled out, forming a small hill.
Six special Puffshrooms surrounded the pile, draining the crystals’ essence.
Crack crack—crystals dulled, split, and crumbled into useless powder.
The absorbed energy slowly, painfully condensed into S-grade Magic Crystals inside the Puffshrooms.
This was Lin Jun’s entire stock!
Not that the dungeon couldn’t mine more, but restocking would take ages.
Oddly, the one most heartbroken wasn’t Lin Jun—it was Little Black.
On her daily “treasure vault” patrol, she sensed trouble—Puffshrooms were “ruining” her future shinies!
These crystals were just “glass beads” compared to her silver scales and gems, but still shiny!
Seeing faintly glowing crystals crushed, Little Black pounced, growling at the Puffshrooms, wings and tail spread to shield her hoard, halting their “crime.”
Lin Jun “promised” General Black’s demand.
Watching Fatshroom Puffshrooms haul the crystals back, Little Black relaxed.
Then Lin Jun moved to a quieter corner to resume his “money-burning” project.
Three days later.
With nearly ninety percent of his crystal stock gone, six palm-sized, dazzling S-grade Magic Crystals finally took shape!
Staring at the heavy “results,” Lin Jun felt like a broke dad selling the house to fund his kid’s degree, heart bleeding.
To boost success, he burned mana to add [Mycelial Reconstruction] and [Regeneration] to Louisa.
“Piggy, you better make it!” (Or I’m bankrupt!)
[Louisa, don’t die!] (Boss’ll tear me apart!)
“Blood Sis, you got this!” (Genuine.)
With everyone’s heartfelt hopes, Louisa stood at the magic array’s center.
Six S-grade Magic Crystals sat in the array’s nodes, Magic Pool Puffshrooms fed energy, and magical light flowed like stars.
And the essential sacrifice: the great Vampire Countess Yuneer.
Puffshrooms dragged her in like a dead pig.
Lin Jun wanted to toss out some deep life advice, but the six S-grade crystals’ cost squashed his itch. He chose the safest route—knock the sacrifice out cold!
As Louisa triggered the ritual, the starry glow turned blood-red. A twisted crimson beam shot skyward, engulfing Louisa and Yuneer!
Energy-formed veins stabbed from the array, piercing Louisa’s limbs and body, while thicker, greedier veins plunged into Yuneer’s heart!
“Arghhh—!!!”
The pain jolted Yuneer awake, her scream inhuman.
Lin Jun’s safeguards left no room for resistance.
Her body twitched, shriveled visibly, skin dulling and wrinkling, golden hair turning brittle gray, like aging in fast-forward.
Pain left her unable to speak, only scream.
Lin Jun studied the soul shifts with curiosity, Yellow Codex watched the ritual’s progress tensely, and Norris showed faint pity but didn’t look away.
Yuneer’s origin blood, rich with power, was ripped out by crimson veins and poured into Louisa!
Louisa roared in agony too!
Her body swelled like an overfilled balloon, veins bulging like dragons, bones groaning, muscles twisting under the energy surge, nearly bursting!
[Hold on! Guide it! Break the barrier!] Yellow Codex panicked. Norris relayed fast.
But things worsened.
[No good! Her will’s holding, but her body’s failing! Her half-mushroom blood clash is worse than expected!]
Yellow Codex nearly blamed the mycelium outright.
[There’s a chance—throw me in!]
Lin Jun didn’t hesitate, tossing it into the array.
Inside, Yellow Codex floated, and Lin Jun wrapped its “essence” in his soul, ready to crush it if needed.
Thankfully, no tricks. Yellow Codex linked mana veins to itself, easing the strain on Louisa.
It only slowed the collapse.
Louisa’s health bar plummeted under the ritual’s impact. As Lin Jun debated stopping, the mycelium moved!
In Louisa’s body, mycelium fused with her flesh—driven by some skill or parasitic instinct—expanded a second time at her breaking point.
Mycelium soaked up the wild energy, splitting, spreading, patching her damaged body.
This balance eased Louisa’s strain.
Finally, with her roar, the crimson beam flooded into her.
Feeling new power surge, Louisa—barely standing—grinned through her torn, bloody lips. “Ha… feels… pretty good.”
Her eyes rolled back, and she passed out.
The array’s glow faded, the six S-grade Magic Crystals turned to gray dust, and Yellow Codex fell.
As its cover hit the ground, fawning words appeared.
[Boss, uh, could I…]
Lin Jun, seeing Louisa’s LV53 panel, nodded. “Fine.”
[Boss, you’re generous!]
A formless pull swept Yuneer’s withered corpse. Under [Inspiration], her soul was yanked out, sucked into Yellow Codex like a vortex.
A new page, edged with simple pale gold, quietly formed.
(End of Chapter)
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