Mushroom Lord in the Underground City

Chapter 538 528: Pathetic Plaything

"Like this, gently wrap your arm around the edge of the mushroom cap, not too tightly, and you can hold it steadily."

"Is…is it like this?"

"That's right! Next, use your fingers to gently pinch here…"

The Sword Saint Puki still wanted to struggle, but it was facing the experienced Inanna.

All resistance became futile, as four nimble hands explored and kneaded its round mushroom body.

Not far away, Number One quietly watched the scene and discreetly used the Fungal Network to ask, "I heard Xiao Fourteen lost quite a bit of belongings earlier?"

Number Four nodded its mushroom cap and counted its tentacles, "An S-Level Demon Crystal, a knight's body, and two particularly handsome swords… all dropped in the Scarecrow Abyss."

"No wonder the Mushroom Lord is like this!" Number One used its tentacle to pat Number Four's mushroom cap, speaking earnestly, "Number Four, we must strive hard. If we don't, we'll end up like Xiao Fourteen, becoming a pathetic plaything."

After speaking, it turned to leave.

Number Four didn't immediately respond, tilting its mushroom cap, somewhat puzzled.

"Pathetic"?

But being hugged and kneaded by Pink Puki felt so comfortable... that was its favorite thing besides the Battle of Glory.

However, since Big Brother said so, then maybe it is.

It lifted its short legs, ready to follow, but then heard Inanna calling from behind, "Number Four, could you come and help me for a bit?"

Looking at Inanna's outstretched arms, Number Four hesitated for a moment, then immediately "puki puki" ran over, becoming yet another "pathetic plaything."

It was held in Inanna's arms, used as a demonstration tool, teaching Galadriel how to properly handle a Puki.

Galadriel didn't feel any special affection for Puki, just like Number Four in Inanna's arms at that moment, soft and docile, yet she felt no particular attachment.

But the one named Fourteen was different, with its quiet endurance and slight reluctance, it unexpectedly brought Galadriel a sense of gratification...

"Can I take it for a day?" She suddenly asked.

"Well... you'll have to see if it agrees or not." Since Galadriel wasn't in the Fungal Network, Inanna asked on her behalf.

"How can it be..."

"Of course it can!"

Before the Sword Saint could finish, Lin Jun agreed for him.

"Is it never-ending?!" The Sword Saint was also furious, he was a Sword Saint, not anyone's plaything!

Saying that, he tried to break free, since Galadriel wouldn't be hurt by such a trivial thing anyway.

However, the Fungal Network followed with Lin Jun's sorrowful sigh, "Alas, how can you be so selfish?"

"Selfish? Me?"

"Exactly. Right now is the perfect opportunity to leave a kind impression with the acting Elf King on behalf of Puki and the Mushroom Race. Yet you're only concerned about your own feelings, unwilling to make even this little 'sacrifice'."

"I..."

"Last time, you lost a set of precious equipment, did I ever blame you even once? This time, we prepared you an even better set, all saved up from the frugal Puki! We treated you with sincerity, yet unexpectedly... you haven't considered Puki's future at all."

"..."

"Enough, enough, it was ultimately my misplaced trust. Sword Saint, please do as you wish..."

Under Lin Jun's skilled moral coercion, the Sword Saint retreated step by step.

As Lin Jun's voice faded from the Fungal Network, the Sword Saint Puki never spoke again, but when Galadriel cautiously picked him up again, that round mushroom body finally stopped struggling.

Although aware it was the Mushroom Lord using words to corner him, he couldn't deny that he was indeed at fault!

Galadriel, having heard none of the private exchange, simply felt she had finally smoothed out this Puki's mycelium.

Inanna's teaching truly worked, worthy of being the master well-versed in Puki habits.

...

That night.

[Spiritual Guidance]

In a daze, Galadriel saw the Sword Saint's departing figure.

She suddenly grew angry, "Elvyn Slyne! Are you trying to escape again?!"

"Sorry, I can't come back."

"Why? Because of the war?" Behind the Sword Saint, Galadriel seemed to see a battlefield of demonic corpses and blood seas.

"Because..."

The Sword Saint's figure began to tremble violently, the shaking became larger and larger, and finally "whoosh," turned into a small blob!

"Because, I've already become a Puki..."

Galadriel stood there blankly, one hand still poised to hold him back, watching the Puki carrying four swords stand there, the scene growing increasingly blurry...

In a bedroom absolutely inaccessible to outsiders, Galadriel suddenly awoke in fright, involuntarily shivering.

Looking at the Puki curled into a ball at the foot of the bed, she finally understood why she cared so much for this Fourteen.

This guy carried swords with such a swagger, now increasingly resembling the deceased Elvyn!

She certainly didn't take the dream seriously.

Resurrecting as a Puki... she did miss Elvyn dearly, but not to the extent of longing to disease or turning insane.

She gently stroked the Puki ball.

However... it wouldn't be bad to keep this Puki by her side!

...

"What did you do?" The Sword Saint cautiously asked within the Fungal Network.

"Didn't do anything, just let her have a good dream~"

...

...

...

This Sword Saint seemed to misunderstand me a bit.

Clearly, everything was for Puki's future, devoid of any personal vendetta.

The envoy's group seemed likely to be delayed a few days; Lin Jun temporarily shifted attention elsewhere.

In Novid, in a house somewhat on the periphery but with decent conditions, the Silver Thorn Squad currently resided.

Though Red Stone City was destroyed, that was due to uncontrollable forces, accompanied by an entire army of Pigmen as collateral.

Consequently, not only were they not punished post-war, they were instead rewarded and compensated.

Of course, now all resources were mobilized to construct new defenses, compensation specific to some nobles or local officials like themselves naturally only recorded temporarily, to be fulfilled later.

Fortunately, those with past adventurer experiences understood the value of a sly rabbit with multiple burrows, not stacking all assets in Red Stone City.

Without Red Stone City, although they suffered significant losses, their lives remained fairly well-off, even better than many nobles who fled lacking territories.

Now, truly troubling for the squad wasn't money but the mage Ivan within the team.

Since inserting an S-Class Demon Crystal into ancient equipment, temporarily conjuring a teleportation array to save everyone, he had been in a coma, never waking since.

The other three tried many methods through various channels, but met with no success.

Just recently, they invited two scholars from the Relic Association for examination.

After analyses, the scholars diagnosed it as the rare "super magic" condition, yet informed them there were no precedents for recovery regarding such circumstances.

According to them, Ivan survived solely due to their diligent care, daily administering various spiritual potions.

But this was merely delaying; at most a month later, Ivan's brain, burdened for long by overstimulation, would face brain death.

This outcome proved hard to accept for the other three.

Ivan's sacrifice rescued them, had he died immediately it would be understandable, simply a remembrance now and then, which was an adventurer's resolve.

But as things stood, seemingly salvageable yet irreversibly doomed, was deeply tormenting.

The group sat in the courtyard, somewhat dispirited.

"I'll go to Ishildorin; perhaps there's some special potion that works," Night Owl suddenly said.

Captain Nova, however, dashed cold water, "As far as I know, elves returning from afar face complex procedures. Combined with traveling back and forth, it won't make it, surely you aren't thinking of sneaking into the Elf Forest using shadow jumping? And even if you reach there, there's likely no such potion..."

Night Owl vented irritation, "So what do we do then? Just wait to collect his corpse? Though that demon-addict fool didn't have many good years left anyway, but dying like this, wouldn't guilt last me centuries?"

"Sigh…" Nova felt helpless.

Half-dragon Gall sprawled across the chair, gazing skyward silently.

They had given their all.

No one noticed a Puki quietly sneaking from beneath Ivan's bed in the room.