North of Norvid, at the mycelium network’s edge, a busy scene unfolded.
A group of Puffshroom Masters, hired for an official job, worked methodically.
They stood on bare soil, holding their Puffshrooms, shaking them like jelly to scatter stored spores into the earth.
One Puffshroom emptied, they swapped for another.
This was the prep for the “Puffshroom Master Legion” plan, steering the mycelium’s spread toward key fortress cities.
Left to grow naturally, it’d take ages to reach strategic spots.
That’s why Lin Jun never gave his Puffshrooms [Photosynthesis].
Opposition to the mycelium’s spread was inevitable.
By tying Puffshroom Masters’ power to the mycelium, both they and any group eyeing their strength became eager pioneers, pushing the network’s growth and silencing critics.
Meanwhile, in Mushroom Capital, the hottest topic was the freshly posted “Puffshroom Master Military Draft” notice.
Almost every Puffshroom Master, whether signing up or not, cheered its arrival.
It legitimized their identity.
Before, they’d faced slurs like “freak,” “monster’s puppet,” or “fallen.”
Thanks to Farr’s “Puffshroom Master Guild” managing things in Mushroom Capital, the vibe there was decent.
But in other cities, like Yufan Port and Norvid, prejudice hit harder.
This draft notice shattered those nasty labels.
Bias wouldn’t vanish overnight, but Puffshroom Masters could walk taller.
Plus, the army’s sweet benefits lured many fence-sitters to take the Puffshroom Master plunge.
For social status and real gains, this was a win for the whole group.
Oddly, regular adventurers welcomed it too.
To them, drafting Puffshroom Masters meant fewer rivals for jobs!
Some foresaw more Puffshroom Masters long-term, but their numbers were already climbing.
For adventurers chasing quick cash, this was good news.
If it got tough later?
They’d just move to cities the mycelium hadn’t hit!
So, the “Puffshroom Master Military Draft” kicked off in a weird, everyone-happy vibe.
But the eager sign-ups were mostly commoner Puffshroom Masters.
Their base strength was low, and even as Puffshroom Masters, they lagged in speed, mobility, and combat know-how compared to adventurer-turned peers.
Take caravan escorts—merchants wouldn’t hire commoners without even copper-rank certification.
Their weak self-defense made them liabilities in skirmishes, and a death meant pricey payouts.
With job postings scarce and Puffshroom Masters growing, the army was a golden ticket for commoners.
Rumor was, it’d mostly be city defense, not field battles—way safer.
Before, weak commoners couldn’t even qualify as army fodder, only fit for low-pay logistics roles.
Now, this draft offered better perks than standard soldiers.
New things always dangle big rewards early to pull people in—standard move.
Many Puffshroom Masters, thinking “join now or miss out,” rushed to enlist.
Spots were limited.
Mushroom Capital got 300 slots, Yufan Port and Norvid 100 each.
First-round total: just 500, with basic requirements—healthy, full-limbed, and able to control at least 20 Puffshrooms.
That alone cut 15% of applicants.
Those handling over 30 Puffshrooms got auto-selected.
But such talents usually thrived as adventurers, so only one made the cut so far.
Yufan Port.
The draft station was mobbed, looking livelier than Mushroom Capital’s.
Truth was, Mushroom Capital had the most Puffshroom Masters, snagging 60% of slots.
The chaos here? No limit on Puffshrooms in public yet.
The station was a mushroom sea, all kinds of Puffshrooms packed tight, barely leaving room to step.
“Quit clogging this! Sign up and go!”
“Stop shoving! How do we get out?”
“Hey! You stepped on my Puffshroom!”
The noise nearly blew the roof off, staff frazzled, barely coping.
Solarin, nearby, felt dizzy too.
Leaning hard on cleric Mayne’s shoulder, pale and unsteady, she couldn’t grasp it—how’d things spiral to the kingdom openly pushing Puffshroom Masters?
Her findings and guesses might not be spot-on, but shouldn’t they at least… check?
How could they just roll this out, even folding it into the army?
She rushed to her squad leader, but got a mildly annoyed glance. Her report was sent up, he said—since no word came back, the bishop must’ve weighed it and decided.
Solarin stumbled out, lost.
She couldn’t picture what horror this city’s future held!
Worse, Yufan Port’s today might be everywhere’s tomorrow!
Wandering aimlessly, a flicker of odd color caught her eye in a dark alley—a shimmering, rainbow-hued Puffshroom, unseen in this city before!
Its colors flowed softly, like a spilled palette fused with pure light.
Despite knowing [Truth Vision] would reveal its chaotic core, its raw beauty and mystery gripped her.
Solarin glanced around—no sign of its master.
Wild?
The rainbow Puffshroom stood still in the alley’s depths, facing her, unmoving, like it was… inviting her.
Should she go?
Her heart wrestled, eyes growing hazy, feet lifting toward the alley…
“Solarin! Did you ask the squad leader about the report?” Mayne’s shout snapped her back.
She jolted, looking toward him.
Whipping back to the alley, it was empty—just worn walls and junk.
The radiant Puffshroom vanished, like a stress-fueled hallucination.
(End of Chapter)
