[Race: Dryad]
So these creatures' official name wasn't Treant after all.
The dryads were positioned extremely far from the routes commonly traveled by adventurers.
Lin Jun had never expected to find such a hidden emerald sanctuary in the depths of the sixth floor.
Countless ancient tree roots intertwined across the ground, green moss covering the surface and spreading throughout the entire space.
The dryads had also merged their own roots into this network.
It wasn't until one large and two small puffshrooms suddenly intruded that they slowly pulled their feet from the soil.
Facing the invaders, the dryads displayed strong territorial instincts.
Several dryads slowly surrounded them, root tendrils on their arms writhing, looking ready to attack at any moment.
The dryads varied in height from 2-3 meters, while ordinary puffshrooms were only 80cm tall, and even Xiao Hei's mimicked large puffshroom form was only 1.5 meters.
When surrounded, the sight was quite intimidating.
Xiao Hei showed no signs of feeling threatened. Instead, she enthusiastically pulled one fist back, her plump body arching backward like a drawn bow.
When stretched to the limit, her stubby legs exerted force, launching herself forward with full power.
The spot where she had been standing exploded into a small crater, large amounts of dirt splattering onto the scales of the two puffshrooms behind her.
Before the sound of breaking air could reach them, the opposing dryad had already suffered a devastating blow.
The dryad's torso instantly exploded into powder, while its relatively intact limbs flew in all directions. One severed arm shot straight through another dryad's chest.
This was Lin Jun's first time seeing a puffshroom move so fast that it created afterimages!
However, the dryads seemed to know nothing of fear. Facing Xiao Hei, who had instantly killed their companion, their attacking movements showed not the slightest hesitation.
Seven or eight root tendrils crawled up from the ground, wrapping around Xiao Hei's stubby legs, attempting to restrict her speed.
[Entangle]
Lin Jun knew this skill too.
This was pretty much a standard skill for most plant-type monsters.
Multiple dryads using Entangle simultaneously—if their opponent had been anyone else, even a tenth-floor werewolf would be somewhat restricted once caught.
Unfortunately, they were facing Xiao Hei this time—a full level 58 super elite monster whose attributes far exceeded the norm!
With just normal walking motions, all the root tendrils wrapped around her snapped apart.
One dryad clasped its hands together, branches intertwining to form a large hammer, which it brought down on Xiao Hei who made no attempt to dodge. Yet it couldn't even leave a mark on her black scales.
No technique involved—just pure numerical superiority!
Xiao Hei acted like a destructive child, finding different ways to toy with the dryads one by one.
Without a trace of malice, simply satisfying her own destructive urges.
After dismembering the last dryad, Xiao Hei seemed to have had enough fun.
Rather than venturing deeper into the dryads' forest, she turned around to retrace her steps.
Lin Jun controlled one puffshroom to follow closely behind and leave, while another puffshroom remained.
Looking at the moss that coexisted with the root network, then at the last dryad that had lost its limbs but still wasn't dead.
The puffshroom tried spraying spores in the surrounding area.
This place wasn't currently connected to the mycelial network, so the scattered spores could only grow on their own.
Lin Jun was simply testing whether his mycelium could compete with this moss for living space.
The dryads probably wouldn't allow slimes into their territory, but if his mushrooms could outcompete the moss, this would be a natural mycelial carpet node.
Finding several such places would make his future downward expansion much more convenient.
After spraying all the spores from its body, this puffshroom also turned back to chase after Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei had indeed relied on perception to find the dryads, not navigation skills.
This creature got lost after just a few steps on the return journey...
In the end, it was Lin Jun's puffshroom that took the lead and guided her back to the main path.
Having had her fun, Xiao Hei rubbed her belly and glanced at the two puffshrooms beside her that lacked [Mana Storage].
Time to go back and eat.
"What luck! We dealt with that flower demon before it could react, didn't let it spray its paralyzing fluid. This whole bottle is enough for us to trade for half a month's worth of ale..."
The approaching conversation came to an abrupt halt at the corner.
Four adventurers preparing to return saw the large black puffshroom that shouldn't appear on the sixth floor, and all cautiously drew their weapons.
Among them was a handsome young man in green clothes and hat, carrying a short bow.
Xiao Hei looked at him, her body beginning to stretch backward...
!?
"Xiao Hei! Stop! This one's off-limits too!!!"
*BOOM————*
---
In the heartland of the Hidden Empire, within Dusk Harbor.
Pale fingers traced across the crystal throne's armrest. On both sides of the great hall, twelve large magic crystals lit up one by one.
When the final crystal stone also emanated a ghostly glow, the massive prism suspended from the hall's dome suddenly refracted twelve crimson light columns.
Beneath each light column appeared a shadow whose true form couldn't be discerned.
"Eternal darkness graces us, everyone." The voice from the throne echoed beneath the blood-red marble dome.
All shadows bowed in salute, responding: "The Empire endures, my lord."
The Empire's ruler's gaze swept across the hall, noticing the single vacant light column.
"What's happened to Sigismund? Do you know, Eleanor?"
"How would Sigismund ever let me track his movements, Your Majesty?"
A languid female voice emanated from the third crystal on the right. Duke Eleanor's projection reclined on a couch built of stacked bones.
Her territory bordered Sigismund's, but clearly their relationship wasn't particularly good.
"Perhaps he's foolishly fallen into that human duke's trap again? Last time he lost half a knight order—this time maybe he's thrown himself into the bargain too."
No one took the latter half of Eleanor's words seriously—everyone present understood it was merely her "fond wish."
The last time a high-ranking imperial noble died at human hands was over a century ago.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I was merely delayed by a small matter, unlike certain people who could make such a massive blunder as losing track of a sacred tome."
A robust figure that hardly resembled a vampire materialized beneath the vacant light column. Sigismund had clearly heard what Eleanor had just said.
"You!"
Ignoring the triggered Eleanor, Sigismund turned to salute the Emperor: "The Empire endures, my lord."
Eleanor seemed ready to continue the argument, but was stopped by light tapping sounds from the head seat.
"The sacred tome can wait for now. This matter is the current priority."
With that, a secret message written on parchment floated to the center of the hall, displaying its contents to all the great nobles present, immediately triggering heated discussion.
"A summoning ritual, actually..."
"A hero..."
"Even the Western Archipelago is helping them gather materials..."
"If they truly summon one, our side..."
"The Demon Lord has already..."
"We absolutely cannot let them succeed. We should immediately..."
As the discussion gradually died down, the shadow nearest to the left side of the throne inquired at the appropriate moment:
"My lord, may I ask what credibility this message holds? And what are your plans?"
The Emperor looked with satisfaction at his right-hand man, one of the Empire's only two princes, and replied:
"Its authenticity needs no doubt. As for plans? Since the humans want to summon a hero, let them summon away. I'd like to see just how despairing they'll be when their hero, summoned at great time and expense, is killed on the spot."
"You mean?"
"Eleanor, Noxfel—with your combined abilities, this task shouldn't be difficult to accomplish."
"Yes." The two named individuals immediately rose and responded.
After they sat back down, the Emperor continued:
"When the time comes, the United Kingdom will have consumed vast resources only to obtain a hero's corpse, and morale will inevitably collapse. We can then divide and conquer them, and they'll crumble without attack."
"Your Majesty is wise, but what if they fail? What action should we take then?" The one asking this question was still that prince.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Even a prince cannot insult me so!"
Feeling insulted, both individuals questioned simultaneously, but were silenced by the Emperor's gesture.
"If they fail... then we go to war immediately, spare no cost, and absolutely prevent humanity from lasting until the hero's rise."
The ice-cold, unquestionable tone left no room for dissent.
"We obey your will."
All twelve shadows dispersed together, leaving only the original figure in the empty hall.
The silence lasted a long time.
A whisper, barely audible, drifted from the throne:
"Facts will ultimately prove that I am the most perfect ruler of the demon race."
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