Fifteen stood quietly outside the Elven Palace gates. The broken sword had been delivered, compensation settled with Salian.
Now he only waited for an elf to guide him out of the forest.
Not that he didn’t know the way, but as an outsider, he couldn’t walk freely through Ishildor.
He wasn’t like his master, who had special privileges to come and go.
*Rustle—*
Thinking of what he had just seen and heard, Fifteen couldn’t help but click his tongue.
Galadriel had actually cried over his master. Before this, he had no idea there was such a relationship between them.
But it explained why borrowing the sword had been so easy back then.
If Galadriel could be his master’s wife, Fifteen thought it would be pretty good.
*Rustle—*
Too bad his master had died in battle. All assumptions were empty.
Fifteen was also grieving, but his military experience let him manage his emotions.
Drowning in sorrow would only earn a scolding from his master even if he came back to life: “Useless!”
*Rustle—*
“No. 9, can you stop playing with my hair?” Fifteen finally spoke helplessly.
No. 9, sitting on his head braiding his hair, reluctantly released its tentacles.
Waiting too long; the little guy was bored out of its mind.
A thought stone sat under the Puchi’s butt; they communicated through it.
“The war’s basically over. You still planning to stick with me like this?”
“What kind of talk is that? We’re partners! Think about how we crushed those demons together! United we’re invincible! You’re not trying to ditch me, are you? I saved your life back then.”
With the Mushroom Tribe’s current importance, Fifteen naturally wouldn’t ditch it. The question was just casual.
And though “united we’re invincible” was debatable, No. 9 had indeed saved him once.
When Wrath destroyed Threehill City, even the shockwave not aimed at him had gravely injured Fifteen as he charged in, burying him unconscious under rubble.
No. 9 had dug his head out and used various toxins to stimulate his body, keeping him alive until rescue.
Though the price was several days of diarrhea afterward, No. 9 undeniably saved Fifteen’s life.
Realizing he misspoke, Fifteen changed the topic. “Going home; aren’t you happy?”
Fifteen still thought No. 9 was born in the forest.
“What’s there to be happy about?” It casually pointed at an elven guard on duty. “Full of greenhorns who’ve never seen battle. Boring. Let’s head back quick. Didn’t you say the west is still hot? We go there and slaughter those demons! Hahahaha!”
No. 9’s mycelial tentacles shook wildly, already fantasizing about commanding Fifteen in a massacre.
The guide finally arrived: old acquaintance Echo.
Hearing the arrogant laughter through the mycelial network, Echo gave No. 9 a few extra glances.
On the way through the City Above the Trees, two figures with Puchis on their heads drew frequent elven stares.
An elven girl who kept a Puchi as a pet watched their backs, tilted her head thoughtfully, then gently placed her own Puchi on her head…
Fifteen’s return journey was smooth. With No. 9, he didn’t even need to look for Puchis.
Shallow-layer Scarecrow Abyss monsters posed no threat to Fifteen; even No. 9 could handle bloodless scarecrows alone.
Until, near the exit of Scarecrow Abyss, they met the dual-sword-wielding Puchi.
The Sword Saint had toured outside, confirmed humanity was safe for now, and fulfilled his deal with Lin Jun. Following No. 5 through tunnels, he reached Scarecrow Abyss.
No. 5 couldn’t fall in the abyss, so it naturally stayed behind. It camouflaged as a rock blocking the tunnel entrance, obediently waiting for the Sword Saint’s return.
The Sword Saint had entered alone.
In fact, Lin Jun wasn’t sure if the current Sword Saint would be affected and unable to fall deeper, but letting him test cost nothing.
But the Sword Saint never expected to run into his disciple Fifteen right after entering!
Per the agreement, he couldn’t reveal his identity or recognize Fifteen.
But Elven had never been sentimental. Recognition or not didn’t matter; seeing Fifteen safe was enough.
However, Fifteen and No. 9 felt completely different.
“Looks like Mushroom Tribe but not Mushroom Tribe. Who the hell are you?!” No. 9 shouted through the network.
It hadn’t been present when Sword Saint Puchi was born, and Lin Jun hadn’t bothered informing it.
In No. 9’s view, only Mushroom Tribe had this appearance, but it felt no soul connection, hence confusion.
Fifteen drew both swords directly.
No reason: this Puchi gave him too much pressure.
Clearly just a short-legged Puchi, yet standing there, Fifteen found not a single opening.
Even his [Aura Sense] told him: if he didn’t draw first, if this Puchi suddenly attacked, he might never get the chance to draw.
Though reason said this judgment was absurd, Fifteen, who had faced death countless times, trusted his instincts at critical moments.
The Sword Saint had planned to walk away, but seeing his disciple so on guard, he suddenly changed his mind.
This Puchi body was knight-tier, definitely weaker in attributes than his original.
But it had skills his old body never had; quite different.
Since getting this Puchi body, he hadn’t truly gone all-out, so he had no clear grasp of his current strength.
Ignorance of one’s power wasn’t good.
Seeing Fifteen, the more he looked, the more suitable Fifteen seemed.
Suitable as a sparring partner.
No, that was improper.
After all, as a master, even reborn as a Puchi, he should properly guide this disappointing disciple.
And being ridden on the head by a Puchi? Utterly humiliating.
On the other side.
Fifteen stared at the mysterious Puchi, whispering to No. 9. “Is it really your kin?”
“Uh… probably… maybe… I think so…” No. 9 wasn’t sure, but it was definitely connected to the network; definitely friendly. “Anyway no danger. Don’t be so tense…”
Before No. 9 finished, a lightning-wreathed sword shadow slashed through the air!
Fifteen urgently used [Slippery Step] to slide back. No. 9, caught off guard, tumbled into the grass.
The ground where he stood bore a charred sword mark, arcs still crackling.
“A Puchi with lightning-attribute skill weapons?!”
Fifteen was extremely glad he stayed vigilant. A moment slower and paralysis would have ended him.
“This is what you call no danger?”
No. 9 bounced in the grass pile. Without the thought stone, Fifteen couldn’t hear it.
And now Fifteen had no attention to spare. The sword-wielding Puchi was charging with short legs!
Puchi—
(End of Chapter)
