The empire was clearly scheming something major behind the scenes, and Lin Jun really wanted to get involved, hoping to fish in troubled waters and see if he could snag some unexpected benefits.
However, the dwarf kingdom was far too distant from his sphere of influence.
There was indeed a dungeon related to elemental creatures within dwarf territory, but it had never connected with Lin Jun's dungeon—completely beyond his reach.
Damn it, having intelligence but being unable to use it was so frustrating!
As for leaking the intelligence to humans and having them warn the dwarves to sabotage the empire's plans... this notion only flashed through his mind before he rejected it.
Doing so would bring him no substantial benefits whatsoever, and would predictably invite a whole heap of trouble.
This kind of lose-lose deal that benefited strangers had never been within his considerations.
Setting aside these plans that couldn't currently be implemented, Lin Jun's anticipated "delivery" finally arrived.
Inside a disguised, plain-looking large cart, evil mage Varen was observing the outside scenery.
He wasn't skilled in infiltration, didn't master disguise techniques, and could only speak a few phrases of human language!
Fortunately, His Grace the Duke had already arranged all these technical issues for them.
The team leader was a professional spy skilled in such matters. His superior disguise techniques, combined with a hidden array in the cart that could interfere with low-level detection magic and tools, formed the protective umbrella for their group of ten-plus people traveling through human territory.
Of course, this level of disguise absolutely couldn't pass through the entry inspection of human cities.
But fortunately, their destination wasn't any city, but rather a desolate, uninhabited area that didn't require passing through those checkpoints.
Along this journey, the biggest trouble didn't come from human regular patrol units, but rather from bandits!
Their disguised identity was an expedition team composed of scholars and students. This kind of identity usually received basic respect and cautious treatment when facing patrol units, avoiding many unnecessary accidents.
But in the eyes of bandits, this team was no different from a juicy piece of meat.
Dealing with a few bandits wasn't difficult—what was difficult was thoroughly cleaning up combat traces, ensuring no telltale signs that might expose their demon identity were left behind. This process was far more tedious than the killing itself.
Fortunately, as the convoy traveled deeper into human heartland, this situation gradually improved.
Especially when large expanses of white creep began appearing in the surrounding environment, traces of bandits became almost nonexistent, and the journey became smoother.
According to the team leader, this was partly because this region relied on mushroom cultivation to achieve food abundance, lacking the soil for large-scale banditry to thrive.
On the other hand, it was because a new type of adventurer profession called "Puffshroom Master" was extremely efficient, completely squeezing out the traditional bandits' survival space.
Nowadays in this territory, there might still be sporadic criminals who temporarily decided to rob and kill, but they usually wouldn't choose to target convoys with many people like theirs.
Varen had also witnessed these "Puffshroom Masters," but honestly, he really couldn't understand what combat effectiveness walking mushrooms could have?
Even if mutated, they were still walking mushrooms!
Moreover, listening to the team leader's introduction, a question couldn't help but arise in Varen's mind: why didn't the empire find ways to sabotage these high-yield Mushroom Fields and plunge humans into famine?
Could his mission's purpose be this?
But thinking it over, if they truly wanted to sabotage food production, there was no need to deploy unstable factors like them—evil mages. The empire's high-ranking alchemists could completely concoct more efficient, more covert toxins or withering agents with better effects that were harder to trace.
He threw this question to the team leader, but unfortunately, the leader knew nothing about it either, only following orders.
The cart finally stopped in a forest clearing. The deeper destination required traversing dense forest—vehicles couldn't pass. The remaining journey could only rely on their feet.
However, just as they were about to reach their destination, the group was unexpectedly stopped by a human.
"Halt! You can't go any further!"
It was a seemingly quite young male human, equipped with leather armor, wearing weapons, dressed in an obviously Adventurer's Guild uniform.
However, the emblem worn on his chest wasn't the common sword and shield, but rather a prominent mushroom cap pattern.
The spy team leader stepped forward, his face displaying a scholar's warm and harmless smile while showing a badge: "Hello. Are you a friend from the 'Puffshroom Master Guild'? We're a scholar team from the Relics Society, needing to proceed to the area ahead for some necessary research."
The young man scratched his head, sizing up Varen and the others' travel-worn yet quite scholarly-looking attire, his attitude clearly becoming more respectful: "Uh... yes. The stone forest area ahead isn't safe right now. What specific research are you going there to do?"
"We hope to enter and conduct close-range observation and documentation to complete an important ecological study." The leader's voice remained gentle, but behind him, that naturally hanging hand had already begun silently transforming, gradually taking on a deadly claw form. "Has the guild issued a prohibition order against entry? If we need to report or apply for permission, we can wait here."
The young man tried hard to recall the task content he'd received, shaking his head: "Not exactly prohibited... The guild just asked us to remind and dissuade uninformed people from rashly entering. Mainly because there are special Puffshrooms inside that can release weak petrifying energy. Though the effect isn't strong, long-term exposure still carries risks. You should also be careful."
Seeing the young man step aside, the leader's claw also quickly transformed back into a human hand.
After thanking the youth, the group continued forward.
Not long after continuing their advance, everyone saw an amazing sight.
Not the petrified soil and trees, but the petrified Puffshrooms here!
For instance, right in front of Varen was a Puffshroom statue maintaining a one-legged stance like a golden rooster, the other short leg comically raised, with four mycelial tendrils intricately woven into a heart shape atop the mushroom cap.
Looking around, there were quite a few Puffshroom statues with such peculiar poses.
"This... who did this?" An evil mage couldn't help but mutter in a low voice. This scene was too bizarre.
Puji—
The sound of a passing Puffshroom drew everyone's attention.
That seemingly ordinary Puffshroom shuttled through the stone forest, and everyone's magic shields rippled slightly—this was the effect of being influenced by the petrifying rays.
However, it was indeed quite weak. Unless exposed to this environment long-term, petrification was almost impossible.
Within this stone forest, aside from Puffshrooms, there were no statues of other animal-type monsters.
However, Varen's thoughts quickly returned to business.
They were divided into three groups, each entering different underground chambers.
"As expected, divided by ability..." Another evil mage's muttered complaint reminded Varen.
Looking around, he discovered that those assigned to the same group were all "novices" like him, with [Abyss Magic] levels only at LV3 or below.
This discovery made his heart instantly sink to the bottom.
This meant they were obviously assigned the most insignificant part of the entire ritual with the smallest credit.
Even if the mission succeeded, after returning to the empire, this batch of low-tier evil mages probably wouldn't receive attention or proper compensation...
"Damn it!" He cursed softly, his heart full of unwillingness.
Despite this, Varen and his team members still completed the drawing of the abyss magic circle of unknown purpose in the chamber according to requirements and successfully activated it.
Until the circle's glow completely dimmed, they still weren't clear what function this circle had served.
"Did we fail?" Varen's mood became even more anxious, ominous premonitions lingering in his mind.
When they left the chamber with uneasy feelings, led by the team leader whose face looked equally grim, they discovered only their group had emerged.
So they really did fail and were kicked out?
Varen spoke with a trace of pleading: "Give... give us one more chance! Let me check the circle again—I'll definitely find the problem!"
However, the team leader gave him a strange look, stunned for a moment before realizing his misunderstanding, and explained stiffly: "No, it's not your problem. What you set up should be three interconnected magic circles... I don't really understand the specific principles either, but clearly, something went fatally wrong on the other two groups' end... Do you want to go 'visit' and see?"
Only then did Varen understand. His mind instantly flashed to that terrifying scene from his past failed ritual that caused six slaves to explode into bloody messes in the chamber. His stomach churned, and he immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, firmly refusing this "kind offer."
Several people then silently followed the team leader, deliberately avoiding the area where they'd encountered that young Puffshroom Master earlier, and returned to the hidden cart.
Just like that, as if they'd accomplished something yet accomplished nothing, Varen embarked on the return journey to the empire.
Like the other surviving low-tier evil mages in the cart, he was filled with worry, completely uncertain what fate awaited them.
The total annihilation of the other two groups once again proved in a bloody manner how unreliable and high-risk the evil mage path was. They, these "failures" who'd survived by luck, would probably be abandoned by the higher-ups, right?
And for Varen, being abandoned meant being unable to repay massive debts, meant those ruthless creditors would come knocking, and then... he didn't dare think further.
However, he didn't know that what awaited him wasn't abandonment.
After returning, he would receive the promised resource support as agreed, to be used for improving his poor casting level.
And their success would spread among evil mage circles, and before long, Duke Sigismund would issue a second similar recruitment order...
[Seven Sins: Greed Triggered]
[Plunder Skill: Abyss Magic LV4]
Still too little—barely reaching LV4!
According to the tome notes inherited from Margas, to actively open that void leading to the abyss required at least LV7 casting level.
He still needed more and higher-quality evil mages to contribute their knowledge and experience!
However, LV4 was also sufficient to attempt some simple basic applications. Lin Jun planned to personally experience the taste of this abyss magic.
(End of Chapter)
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