Chapter 69: Chapter 69: How About We Go Together?

[Seven Sins of Greed Triggered]

[Plunder Skill: Bow Skill Level 3 → Level 4]

[Plunder Skill: Piercing Level 1 → Level 2]

[Plunder Skill: Block Level 3 → Level 4]

[Plunder Skill: Lock Picking Level 2 → Level 3]

…

Rapid decomposition, helping Dylan erase all traces cleanly.

It’s a pity that this time there wasn’t enough plundered to upgrade the proficiency of the Universal Language.

But one can’t always rely on greed to learn a language.

This time when Dylan returns, let’s have him start teaching me the language.

During the time Dylan was away, Lin Jun focused his thoughts on two things.

One of them was connecting the various levels of the fungal network, striving to eliminate delay.

And the biggest obstacle to this was the slimes.

To Lin Jun’s fungal mat, they are pests.

Except for the third level, which is full of traps and has no slimes, traces of their activity can be found on the first, second, and fourth levels.

Lin Jun must suppress the number of slimes to a very low level in order to ensure that the fungal network doesn’t experience delays due to their damage.

As for extinction?

Unfortunately, based on my experience on the fifth level, slimes cannot be exterminated.

Ever since Lin Jun took control of the fifth level, most of the native demons were eradicated.

Gnolls and Parasitic Trees were actively exterminated by Lin Jun; Crystalized Bats and Rock Lizards were affected by the Demon Tide.

The Jade-eyed Frog had some tadpoles left in the lake, but they were wiped out when the Three-headed Serpent passed by.

Several other smaller species have almost all vanished due to environmental changes on the fifth level.

And the native species that can still be seen on the fifth level are the Strong Acid Slimes and Water Spirits.

They share a common trait: when the environment is suitable with concentrated magic, they can be condensed.

While it cannot be said to appear out of thin air, it is very close.

Therefore, to suppress the slime population long-term, Puki must routinely clear them day after day.

But if too powerful a Puki is placed on the upper levels, it would undoubtedly attract human attention quickly.

So Lin Jun restricted the strength of Puki on each level to a certain extent so that it wouldn’t be too conspicuous.

For example, on the first level, there’s only Mushroom Cannon Lv2 and Magic Storage Lv2.

It’s just enough to deal with slimes, as long as it doesn’t encounter those rare, large slimes…

Occasionally, humans might kill Puki, but Lin Jun doesn’t mind.

Unlike the main base on the fifth level, the current main goal on other levels is to first spread the fungal network.

As long as adventurers don’t excessively damage the fungal mat, Lin Jun can accept it.

As for the other thing being busied with…

In a little treasury beneath the Swamp Area.

A Puki sat before a mound piled up of low-level demon crystals.

Its oval-shaped body surface was covered with fine diamond-like scales, producing a rustling sound as they rubbed when four blade-armed fungal filaments moved.

Each of these tendrils was currently wrapped around a demon crystal, absorbing it.

At the entanglement spots, the surface of the demon crystal gradually became cloudy, with the once translucent crystal layer being corroded with web-like cracks.

When a particular demon crystal turned completely to lead-gray, the tendrils suddenly tightened and the crystal shattered into fine flakes upon impact.

The repetitive sound of cracking resonated in the space, leaving discarded demon crystal fragments scattered endlessly around Puki.

Inside Puki grew a piece of a demon crystal that had achieved a B Level quality and was still in the process of purification.

This is the Puki that Lin Jun prepared to take out into the outside world for exploration.

The skill attributes were all filled in; only the last step remained—to upgrade the symbiotic crystal to an A Level.

Open the panel.

[Race: Mushroom-Puki]

[Blood Volume: 1120]

[Magic Power: 2560/2560]

[Power: 52]

[Agility: 52]

[Constitution: 52]

[Intelligence: 52]

[Spirit: 1]

[Racial Talent: Spore Diffusion]

[Fixed Effect: Connected Fungal Network, Familiar, Crystal Symbiosis (Skill Power Enhancement 64%)]

[Skills: Magic Storage Level 6, Infrasound Attack Level 6, Resilience Level 5, Mushroom Cannon Level 8, Precision Level 5, Evasion Level 7, Scale Armor Level 5, Acceleration Level 6, Blade Whip Level 5, Fungal Filament Reassembly Level 3, Assault Ejection Level 5, Rolling Charge Level 7, Rock Eating Level 3, Underwater Adaptation Level 4, Assimilation Absorption Level 3, Mimicry Level 4, Magic Perception Level 6, Air Flow Perception Level 7, Light Perception Level 4, Sound Wave Detection Level 6, Self-Destruction Level 4, Hallucinogenic Spores Level 6, Magic Resistance Level 5, Physical Resistance Level 5, Corrosion Resistance Level 4]

This is already akin to a small knight.

Though there are still skills like Life Amplification and Fury that I want to equip, the magic consumption has already reached an unsustainable level.

Especially given the recent massive consumption by Xiao Hai.

Puki’s basic attributes, except for Spirit which is indeed useless, all four other categories were maxed out, something ordinary Puki don’t get in terms of attribute boosts.

Among human adventurers, it’s common to see level 30 individuals with a Power of 40.

However, as Puki is a familiar created by Lin Jun using skills, its attribute values can’t surpass Lin Jun’s level.

The reason for enhancing this Puki to such an extent, even carrying an A Level Demon Crystal,

is primarily that Lin Jun wanted it to see more of the outside world.

Not just see the sun, but to explore the world.

All of Lin Jun’s current knowledge of the outside world comes from the accounts of Inanna and Dylan.

Everything is shrouded under a layer of illusionary veil.

Now, Lin Jun wants to lift this veil, even if it’s just through the perspective of controlling a familiar.

—————–

“Boss, I want to leave for a while.”

The first thing Dylan said upon returning to the fifth level left Lin Jun at a loss.

“Why?”

“You know I have a daughter, and she’s possibly in grave danger right now. I can’t be at ease…”

Dylan explained Bella’s situation to Lin Jun in detail.

He maintained a restrained cadence throughout his narrative; each syllable carefully pondered, and his last words often lingered with a hesitant pause.

When he mentioned the destination being the Archipelago, Dylan deliberately slowed his speech by half a beat.

His tone shifted from stating facts to a tentative question, cautiously observing Lin Jun’s reaction, as if worried about being refused permission to leave.

After listening, Lin Jun recalled his mental image of the “world map.”

The United Kingdom lies in the southern part of the continent, while the location of the Purple Crystal Dungeon is at the southernmost end of the kingdom.

From here to the Archipelago, one must first travel overland to the western port city and then take a ship from there to the Archipelago.

While it sounds simple, the journey to the port city alone would take nearly a month, with the subsequent travel by ship and the search for a person being even more uncertain in terms of duration.

Doesn’t this mean, even if Dylan encounters no obstacles and everything goes smoothly, it would still take 3 to 4 months? A slight delay could easily stretch it to half a year without him returning!

Who would handle surface matters during that time?

What about the Universal Language learning plan that was just about to start?

Lin Jun didn’t plan to forcibly keep Dylan here.

A forced melon is not sweet.

But…

Perhaps it’s time to recruit a Dylan number two?

“Speaking of, I remember your daughter being stronger than you, right? If she can’t handle the danger…”

Lin Jun knew Dylan’s capabilities well enough to acknowledge that while he could manage errands perfectly well, when it came to actual combat… he was a slight cut above the average.

Dylan must have considered this, too: “I’m planning to hire adventurers with my savings to help.”

Hiring adventurers for assistance?

That might work.

But according to Dylan, his daughter might conflict with one of the top three slave masters, right?

What level of adventurer would be needed to help with that?

And how much would have to be spent before they would be willing to offend such a major slave master?

At this point, Lin Jun thought of his still crystal-consuming small knight.

Since it was set to explore the outside, why not go there?

“Dylan, I have a suggestion. How about you wait a couple more days…”

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