Dawn was approaching, and an unusual crowd had gathered outside the “Scream Gate.”
The reason was simple: a new metal pole had been erected beside the gate, with a freshly bound vampire.
Lately the green-skinned vampire barely screamed anymore, making the gate lose its former charm. A new vampire was a rare treat.
Especially after word spread that this one was responsible for the deaths of over seventy soldiers—no one wanted to miss his “first scream.”
The only regret was that the newcomer was hooded and gagged; he probably couldn’t produce those satisfying wails.
“Mmph! Mmph—!”
Cassinar felt the malice from the surrounding onlookers. Unease made him struggle frantically, but the binding array on his back and the barbs piercing his collarbones nailed him firmly to the pole. Every twist only brought bone-deep pain.
“First time?” A calm voice came from the side, standing out amid the malice.
Blood sense told him the speaker was the only other blood-clan present besides himself.
Unfortunately, Cassinar had no way to reply—Lin Jun hadn’t given him mycelial network privileges.
“Relax. It’s not as bad as you think.”
Bad? What’s bad?
“The key is learning to enjoy the pain, accept it… only then will your body and mind be purified and sublimated.”
“Mmph?! Mmph—!!”
Cassinar hadn’t processed the meaning when the first ray of dawn pierced the night.
“Mmm… ah…” The green-skinned vampire beside him let out a satisfied moan, as if his soul had ascended.
Cassinar wasn’t so composed. He gritted his teeth at first, but after Lin Jun kindly placed a heating Puchi under his feet, the double roasting finally forced muffled “Mmph! Mmph!” cries from him—and once started, he couldn’t stop.
The surrounding fortress residents burst into satisfied laughter. They chatted happily on the mycelial network, as if they had just enjoyed a wonderful performance, then streamed into the city under the brightening sky.
The green-skinned vampire, while enjoying himself, glanced at the trembling Marquis and shook his head lightly, as if seeing his former self.
“Sigh… newbie…”
…
Norris sat on a wide glowing mushroom that bathed him in ghostly blue light.
A silver-gray scale on his shoulder blade curled upward, still attached by bits of flesh. Such scales were everywhere on his body.
His fatal wounds had actually healed by the second day, but only flesh and bone.
The scales managed by [Scale Armor] needed more time to regrow.
A black claw reached over. Its tip poked the half-shed scale, tugging the tender new flesh beneath and making Norris hiss in pain.
“Stop stop stop, Sister Little Black, be patient! In a couple days they’ll fall off naturally. They’re all yours then!”
At Norris’s pleading, Little Black reluctantly withdrew her claw.
Norris tried to stand, but a thick black tail immediately wrapped his waist and pressed him back onto the mushroom.
Norris sighed heavily. Every time he was gravely injured, Little Black became extra clingy—clingy enough to ignore tasty passing Mushroom Tribe members just to keep holding him.
After repeated negotiations, she only agreed to wrap his left hand with her tail so he could at least move.
If there was any silver lining, it was that he didn’t have to worry about Karen’s attacks for a few days.
Most people in the mushroom garden were still scared of Little Black—especially werewolves with sharp instincts.
Werewolves weaker than her felt panicked just being near her.
His combat record this time was brilliant. The Boss gave rare high praise and agreed to reinforce and upgrade his new Jida.
Even No. 4 acknowledged him in the Mushroom Tribe internal meeting and voted yes on the “Honorary Mushroom Tribe” proposal (though it didn’t pass).
“Honorary Mushroom Tribe” or whatever—Norris genuinely didn’t care.
What puzzled him was that the duke’s daughter apparently had voting rights in the meeting too…
After drinking his daily special core-member potion, Norris looked up and saw Louisa heading to the training field.
He reflexively averted his gaze.
Though Louisa herself didn’t mind, that new gear was just… too stimulating for Norris.
The toned abs faintly visible between crystal slots, the leg armor design bold to the point of embarrassment—he had no idea where to look.
If he knew that beneath the seemingly revealing armor, forty-eight inward spikes were buried deep in flesh and bone… his shy embarrassment would probably turn to horror.
…
In the training field, No. 4 lay listlessly at the edge. Several cow-horse Puchis had just finished milking its stored “water of life” and were slowly trotting away.
After being banned by the Fungus Lord from rampaging in behemoth form, it was so bored it felt mushrooms growing on itself.
Only when Louisa entered the field did No. 4 perk up a little. Sparring with her was one of its few joys lately.
They didn’t start immediately. A cow-horse Puchi trotted to Louisa and pulled out over a dozen cut B-grade crystals sized perfectly for the armor slots.
Louisa slotted the crystals one by one. Each produced a crisp *click*, and dim light flowed along the runes.
When the final crystal locked in, the complete mana circuit activated!
Purple-red veins lit across the armor. The blood swirling around Louisa surged out, filling the gaps and condensing into crystalline blood armor. A pair of wide blood-crystal wings unfurled dramatically behind her.
The once revealing gear now became menacing full-body blood armor—like a demon crawled from hell.
But this terrifying appearance couldn’t scare No. 4, who didn’t understand fear. Seeing Louisa ready, it eagerly pounced, unleashing every skill combo it had brainstormed while idle.
Louisa was completely immersed in the power of the magic-crystal armament!
Torrents of mana coursed through the spikes embedded in her flesh, strengthening every muscle and nerve.
Her strength leaped. [Blood Manipulation] became as natural as breathing; flowing blood felt like extra limbs.
The only issue: the power made her fighting style even more savage than before.
Sometimes she took hits she could dodge, trading injury for injury.
The mental side effects were clearly there, but still within acceptable range.
…
Lin Jun let them continue sparring and shifted his attention elsewhere.
Everything war-golem-related from the ruin had been transported out in batches. Lin Jun had allocated a dedicated zone in the fortress as a research base for this stuff.
The dwarf named Torin was from the Deepfurnace clan and had some war-golem knowledge, but it wasn’t enough.
For now, no better candidate existed, so Torin worked with Spark and other mages for the time being.
Of course, Lin Jun offered tempting pay. Not just Torin—even Glenm and Balok benefited, making the two dwarves temporarily shelve plans to return to the mountains.
Now only one last problem remained.
The Frost Elemental Lord was far too fond of Pink Puchi—fond to the point of not letting her leave the ruin or allowing anyone else near.
Even feeding Pink Puchi had to be done by tossing from afar.
Most critically, Pink Puchi had been in the ruin for over ten days. In Mushroom Capital, Farr—who felt the sky was falling—had already sent search parties in a panic…
[How about just building a teleport array to get her out?]
The newly promoted chief strategist yellow-skinned book suggested.
(End of Chapter)
