Pity? Sympathy? Lin Jun felt absolutely none of these emotions toward the Chis.
Just look at what the Chis had done in the deep zone—devouring every surrounding cavern one by one, not even leaving a blade of grass behind. And look at the middle zone where the Chis themselves resided—were there any other monsters? Not to mention their first meeting was a sneak attack on little Norris.
What peaceful coexistence? Translated, that just meant sparing its life to give it a chance to backstab them!
Since everyone knew each other’s true nature, there was no point pretending to be peace advocates—how disgusting!
A dead Chis was a good Chis. By dismantling it, Lin Jun’s control skills might even advance to the next level!
The moment the attack order was issued, hundreds of mushroom cannons fired, with even Norris launching two shots of his own.
The Chis seemed completely unprepared for the puffshrooms to suddenly open fire without even a word of conversation, losing over thirty Chis to the puffshrooms’ opening strike.
Battle erupted instantly, but it was completely one-sided.
Without any presence capable of restraining Little Black, the Evil Eye on the battlefield was like a lamb awaiting slaughter, practically useless. After hastily petrifying a few puffshrooms, it was kicked down from the air by Little Black flying over, then stomped to pieces.
And this was only because Little Black was unwilling to put down the two puffshrooms in his hands, choosing to fight with just his feet.
As for the remaining cannon fodder, they were being systematically eliminated by the puffshrooms.
Throughout this process, the Chis never gave up trying to communicate.
“Peace, submission, symbiosis!”
“Secrets, exchange, survival!”
“Sun! Sun! Trade!”
…
…
…
The beginning was still comprehensible, but that “sun” business toward the end was completely meaningless.
But regardless of whether he could understand it or not, Lin Jun had no intention of communicating with it.
Show off to a dying creature?
If the opponent were some impressive figure, Lin Jun might have some interest.
But for a slightly smarter bug? Forget it—too boring.
Lin Jun’s indifference and the puffshrooms’ relentless advance seemed to provoke the Chis.
In the telepathic channel, there actually came a piercing “death wail” filled with unwillingness!
It was so noisy that Lin Jun directly cut the connection.
And in the next moment—
A six-clawed Chis suddenly began frantically digging around the “heart” in the ruins like it had gone mad!
Amid flying rubble, it actually dug out a stone fragment radiating astonishing heat and blinding light!
**[Divine Artifact: Sunstone (Fragment)]**
?!
A Sunstone fragment!
That six-claws, ignoring how the high temperature burned its palms with sizzling sounds and rising white smoke, gripped the fragment tightly and turned to flee desperately toward a narrow passage leading deep into the castle!
“Catch it! Leave that thing behind!” Lin Jun was genuinely anxious now.
Little Black looked around blankly, not knowing what his master was talking about.
Norris wanted to give chase, but Jida weren’t particularly fast.
Only a crimson blood shadow tore through the air!
Louisa, transformed into a bat and surrounded by sharp blood threads, pursued at extreme speed, quickly disappearing into the depths of the dim passage!
Ah… this…
Sensing the little pig gradually approaching the edge of the mycelial network’s control, Lin Jun hesitated briefly but ultimately didn’t recall the little pig.
He had originally wanted Little Black to give chase—at Little Black’s full speed, he could catch up quickly. Too bad this guy was just too stupid!
The little pig’s speed wasn’t slow either, but this chase would take her beyond the mycelial network’s coverage area.
It could be said to be the perfect opportunity for defection.
While the fungal carpet hadn’t completely covered the underground city, she could run around it and escape, then keep running all the way back to the Empire or something…
But in the end, Lin Jun still didn’t stop the little pig. After all, he had given the order himself, and he really, really wanted that Sunstone fragment.
One more fragment meant massive magical power! It meant a more powerful puffshroom army!
So that “sun” they mentioned earlier was referring to this!
The Chis must have taken it while sweeping through the deep zone!
Damn it, didn’t that mean if he hadn’t made this trip, he probably would never have been able to complete this divine artifact in his lifetime?
Chis, you really deserved to die!
As the last Chis minion had its head blown off, the puffshrooms stood beneath the “heart.”
The Chis tried to establish telepathic contact again. This time Lin Jun didn’t refuse.
Thinking about how this thief had stolen his fragment, Lin Jun rarely felt interested in providing some “final care” and accepted the connection.
However, the Chis simply transmitted a single message:
“Your home good, my home, rare, no stronger Chis. Next time, eat you!”
Completely incomprehensible.
Next time? Where would you get a next…
**[Race: Chis-Heart (Split Body)]**
**[Skill: Split Body LV1]**
???
The panel for the Chis Heart before him suddenly changed.
What was this situation?
Only one skill remained—[Split Body]—with all other information completely gone.
Bang!
The puffshrooms blasted the heart to pieces. The rotten flesh slid down the crossed pillars to the ground, and after the fungal carpet spread over, under the acceleration of Lin Jun’s magical power, this pile of matter was rapidly decomposed.
**[Seven Sins of Greed Triggered]**
**[Plundered Skill: Split Body LV1]**
That was it…
No [Mental Integration], no [Minion Control]—all those skills had indeed disappeared!
What did this mean?
After such a long battle, after putting in so much effort, after finally achieving victory, the completion reward that should have been obtained had run away?
What kind of joke was this!
Split Body?
Clone?
It must be hiding somewhere—watch me find you!
————
At a remote side door of the castle, dark and damp, in a corner not yet covered by the fungal carpet.
A ragged, one-armed demon clutched a faintly pulsating flesh ball with his remaining hand.
Under the gaze of two six-claws, he stumbled out of the middle zone’s boundaries.
He was one of the first demons to flee. Originally left dying after the sneak attack, he had somehow been saved by the Chis who had changed their mind.
“Al…already out,” the demon’s voice was hoarse and broken, carrying a trace of hope. “The antidote for the poison…”
“No poison.”
“Eh?” A trace of confusion flashed in the demon’s cloudy eyes.
*Splurt!*
The flesh ball suddenly shot out a sharp, bone-spur-like appendage, quick as lightning, precisely piercing through his forehead!
The demon’s body stiffened for a moment, then collapsed.
The flesh ball instantly sprouted four slender, mucus-covered insect limbs, firmly gripping the jagged rocks at the canyon’s edge.
Without any hesitation, it quickly crawled away from the castle!
Halfway through, a fat, clumsy grub seemed attracted by this rapidly moving small thing.
Its bloated body suddenly lunged forward, its massive mouth full of sharp teeth snapping toward the Chis flesh ball!
The Chis twisted, narrowly avoiding the grub’s massive jaws by a hair’s breadth!
However, the grub seemed enraged. With a low roar, its massive body erupted with an incredible second strike!
*Crack!*
Accompanied by a teeth-grinding sound of breaking bone, one mucus-covered insect leg was firmly clamped in the grub’s mouth.
Intense pain transmitted clearly!
It hurt so much it wanted to roll around, hurt so much it wanted to stab those mushrooms to death!
But the Chis flesh ball didn’t dare stop for even a moment. Its remaining three insect limbs frantically alternated, dragging its mutilated body while dripping thick purple blood all the way, disappearing in complete disarray into the depths of the canyon…
