Chapter 161: Suspicion

Half an hour ago.

Shi Ying Town.

Number 2 Rank Street, Hyacinth Inn.

Fried Argyle lay lazily on a recliner, his gaze leaping over the window to coldly observe every move of the people on the street.

Crack—

The door pushed open.

A mushroom man with a large red mushroom on his head strode in carelessly.

His entire body was covered in white fungal clusters like hair, and where his face should be was a half-open mouth and a dazed expression.

"My lord, it's done."

This mushroom man tapped a thick branch in his hand with every step, its top covered in white hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Every vibration released a cloud of hallucinogenic spores.

He walked straight into it and took a deep breath.

Floating on air, as if in paradise.

"Toru, how many times have I told you? When entering a sealed space like a room, do not release your damn hallucinogenic spores!"

In the corner of the room sat a woman, her arms crossed, her face displeased.

Her body was weak and slender, her limbs slightly longer than normal, her posture appearing very light.

Whether eyes, hair, or skin, the overall color was pale, as if shrouded in a faint halo.

But that was secondary.

What caught the eye most was the white wings on her back.

This was a winged person.

Regarding the scolding of this winged person.

The mushroom man Toru paid no attention at all.

He said, "Do not underestimate spores, Caroline. Human towns always lack the spread of spores; it is because their bodies are not strong enough."

"Do not apply your mushroom people's theories to others. Inhaling too many spores will kill other races."

"How is that possible? Spores can grant them nutrition and spirituality. Those who die from it have other physical causes; it certainly has nothing to do with the spores."

The winged person Caroline rolled her eyes.

Too lazy to argue with him.

Fried Argyle on the recliner did not look at them.

"We are expected to need twelve arrays in total. Toru, have you finished them all?"

"No."

Toru spoke dully and nasally, "Only one is done."

After speaking, he happily inhaled another breath of hallucinogenic spores.

"..."

Fried let out a silent sigh.

"You lazy good-for-nothing! Only one done, and how dare you return so brazenly?! How dare you say it's done?!"

The winged person Caroline had a short-tempered nature.

Hearing this, she immediately started cursing again.

After cursing, she turned her head to look at Fried.

"My lord! I told you long ago not to hire a mushroom person mage; they are nothing but addicts of hallucinogenic spores! Every day they only indulge in a illusory mental world, caring very little for the real world!"

Fried Argyle left the recliner and stood up.

He turned his head to look at the mushroom man Toru.

A deep red flame suddenly erupted from his neck and burned fiercely upward.

The hair and skin on his face turned to ash along with the flames.

Revealing the face of a red-skinned, hideous-looking Hell Demon.

This 'Fried' looked at the mushroom man, advancing step by step, a wave of pure magical power flashing in his yellow eyes.

Toru shuddered all over.

Intense mental pain immediately made him suffer greatly, so much so he could not stand steady and fell to the ground.

"S-sorry! Spare me, Lord Artu!"

"Here, call me Fried Argyle!"

"Lord Fried! Spare me!"

The demon Artu, having truly absorbed the mushroom man's fear, then released the spell.

Toru, like a drowning person suddenly surfacing, gasped deeply, desperately sucking air into his lungs.

He dared not act rashly again, not even picking up his mushroom staff.

And this demon lord also knew well the art of using people.

Hit with a stick, then give a date.

He said, "The lie fabricated using Councilor Humbert's stepdaughter Tobeca cannot fool anyone for long; the people of Shi Ying Town will soon see the problem and resume investigating me. Before that, you must complete the arrangement of the twelve arrays! Toru, I know you have always wanted the Hell Eye Umbrella Mushroom in the Hell Realm; if you can finish in time, I can try to advocate for you with the Grand Duke."

The mushroom man's emotions came quickly and went quickly; fear vanished, and he immediately showed joy.

"I will certainly not disappoint my lord's expectations!"

Having said that, he picked up his staff and prepared to leave, continuing to go arrange the arrays.

But Lord Artu called him back again.

"Remember to set up preservation spells on the ritual materials in the formation — don't forget the lesson from last time when the materials rotted and caused the ritual to fail."

"Lord Alfred, you don't understand — the spread of spores actually enhances the ritual ceremony. Those damned preservation spells only block the spores. Last time's failure was because the ritual dragged on too long."

"Hm?"

A threatening question rumbled from the demon's throat.

Clearly displeased by the backtalk.

Toru hunched his shoulders and said weakly:

"This time the ritual materials don't include fresh flesh and blood — only some bones and tough hides. It shouldn't matter if we don't set up preservation spells, right?"

"When I tell you to do something, you do it! Not stand there making excuses!"

"Yes!"

Sensing his master's tone turning sour again, he fled the room as if for his life.

Watching the unreliable Xun Ren Fa mage leave.

The demon Atu sighed, shifted back into the appearance of Fried Ayr, and sat back down on the reclining chair.

"My lord, it's merely Shi Ying Town — why bother? There's no seventh-tier in the town; I alone could cut through it."

The avian-kin Karolin said from the side.

"The situation in the far western frontier is more complicated than you imagine, Karolin. According to the intelligence from the Yige Sect, there's an eighth-tier scorpion woman here who once made a pact with the old king of Etheron."

"Eighth-tier?"

Her face changed at once, and she dared not speak further.

Her lord continued:

"For many years — even during the dragon attack on Shi Ying Town fifty years ago — this scorpion woman never once left the Windwall Forest. But not long ago, for some unknown reason, she left the forest on her own and killed a bishop of the Yige Sect. In short, this eighth-tier is a huge variable; there's no need to provoke her."

"Your foresight is admirable, my lord. I am in awe."

"You don't need to flatter me. The Grand Duke's interest in the human city's Guardian Array is no secret, and it's been more than a day or two. It just so happens that recently the one from the south of the Infernal Realm made a move and drew attention, giving us the chance to come up to the surface. Shi Ying Town is the only small-to-medium region with a Guardian Array. If we offer this up, there will surely be a great reward. The Grand Duke has a natural fondness for the avian-kin — when you rise high in the future, just don't forget my help, that's all."

"It's all thanks to your guidance. Right — I've heard there's a Forester here who's quite the expert."

The demon Atu heard this.

He smiled.

"I spotted him at last night's banquet. He really is a rare talent — back when I was sixth-tier, I doubt I could have lasted three moves against him."

"That strong?"

"Far stronger than an ordinary sixth-tier. But unfortunately, we are seventh-tier. This time, besides obtaining the Guardian Array, our objective is to eliminate this man. If we let him continue to grow, he will surely become a top-tier powerhouse among humanity, and may cause tremendous obstruction to our Infernal Realm's plan to counterattack the surface."

(End of chapter)