Night fell, and Puffshroom Home grew quiet. Bianca had left to care for her mother, leaving Dylan alone behind the counter, flipping through the ledger under an oil lamp’s glow.
He seemed to check finances but was reporting to Lin Jun via the Mycelial Network:
“Checked with the guild today. Strawman Abyss bounties hit eight hundred gold, but no progress.
Accidents keep piling up there. Adventurers are scrambling for new tactics, too stretched to dive deeper.
Good news, though—two beast corpse deals are moving.
Thunder Rat’s bounty got picked up. Earth Bear’s done, corpse preserved, but delivery’ll take time.”
“Not bad!” Lin Jun sounded pleased.
Strawman Abyss’s [Negative Energy Collection] task could wait.
“Thunder Rat” was his pick from Edin’s catalog—a beast with lightning skills, perfect for Puffshrooms.
The Earth Bear’s [Gravity Field] skill? Lin Jun had wanted it forever.
Sure, the elves had a bear cub, but it treated Scout Puffshroom like a big brother. Eating it felt wrong, so he posted the bounty.
He eyed more beasts, but too many bounties at once would draw eyes. Slow and steady.
“Boss, about recent funds…” Dylan started, flipping the ledger.
“Stop. No number details,” Lin Jun cut in.
Lin Jun cared little for boring ledgers. Money was for spending, not fussing over.
If he needed to check for skimming, the Mycelial Network’s surveillance beat any report.
Dylan set the ledger down, a bit deflated. “Funds are nearly dry. More bounties?”
Of course, but Dylan clearly meant they needed cash.
Waiting for adventurer “donations” was slow. Maybe sell an A-grade Magic Crystal?
“Boss, ever thought of the potion business?” Dylan suggested.
Common potions had slim profits due to competition, but Dylan knew Lin Jun held unique, local-unseen recipes.
With the source disguised, it could rake in gold.
“Potions… worth a shot,” Lin Jun mused.
He hadn’t planned to profit from potions, keeping alchemy for internal use. Even Dylan’s two hair growth potions were just for him.
Dylan hadn’t noticed his thinning hair yet.
But potions…
Hair growth potions couldn’t be mass-sold—core ingredients were elf-territory exclusives, hard to explain.
But the old elf had plenty of odd recipes. Pick a few with common materials and unknown formulas, and it’d work.
Elves’ knack for alchemy and isolation made finding such recipes easy.
Post some material bounties to cover the source, and it’s clean.
Knock knock—knock knock—
Heavy pounding hit the locked tavern door, jarring in the quiet night.
Dylan gripped the sword hidden under the counter, asking via the Network, “Boss?”
Lin Jun replied fast, “Probably no danger.”
Dylan cracked the door.
Rita’s rookie partner stood outside, pale, panting, glancing around like he feared a tail.
This kid got into trouble and ran to me?
Dylan’s gut tightened, itching to slam the door.
But Lin Jun’s voice came again, “It’s fine. Let him in.”
With the boss’s word, Dylan swung the door wider.
The rookie stumbled in, mouth opening, but Dylan’s sharp glare stopped him.
Even a quiet tavern had ears. No blabbing here.
Dylan pointed to the basement without a word.
The rookie paused, got it, swallowed his words, and nodded nervously.
In the hidden basement, his panic burst. “S-Senior Dylan! Have… have you seen Senior Rita today?” he stammered.
Dylan shook his head.
“Rita’s really… really gone!” The rookie’s face showed crushed hope.
Seeing his rattled state, Dylan sighed. “Calm down. Take it slow.”
Before a “trusted” senior like Dylan, the rookie spilled everything. “Rita said she’d check the ‘parasite’ rumors this morning and sent me to drop a report at the old contact point. But she never showed up! I checked every spot quietly—she’s nowhere! I thought she might’ve come here, but… but…”
“Cool it!” Dylan snapped. “Didn’t they teach you what to do?”
The rookie froze, then recited like a rulebook, “Assume… assume she’s compromised, prioritize relocation, stay safe, then report up…”
“Then why are you here?”
The rookie flinched, shamefaced. “S-Sorry! I’ll… I’ll go!”
Dylan grabbed his arm, annoyed. “Now you leave? Too late! If you’re exposed, you’re exposed. Running out panicking just hands you over! You newbies…”
“Sorry! Sorry!” The rookie apologized, nearly shrinking into a blob, barely holding form.
“Enough. Stay here, lay low,” Dylan said.
“T-Thanks, senior… First mission, and this happens… I’m so scared…” His voice shook.
Dylan softened, patting his shoulder. “I get it. Everyone’s a rookie once. Next time, think before you act.”
After settling the spooked spy, Dylan pinged Lin Jun via the Network. “Boss, know what happened to Rita?”
The boss’s Mycelial Network covered Mushroom Town. He might know.
Lin Jun didn’t disappoint, answering bluntly, “Yeah, she’s dead.”
Dylan wasn’t shocked but asked, “Church caught her? Or the guild?”
“I did it.”
“Uh…”
Dylan scratched his thinning hair, thinking he should’ve gone easier on the rookie…
(End of Chapter)
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