Chapter 315: Containment and Request for Aid

A contained entity?

"What does that mean?"

Luo De asked involuntarily.

The rabbit mage Oona hurled several ice-sealing orbs, blocking the escape route of the beast-infected patients.

She specialized in spirit magic, but that didn't mean she couldn't use other schools.

After all, she was an eighth-rank mage.

"Containment isn't always physical. There are many types of magical hazards—sentient or non-sentient, mobile or immobile, living or inert—each requires a tailored strategy."

"So making Lady Yulia one of the six commissioners of the Magic Control League is also part of your strategy."

"That's right. I don't know the exact details, but since becoming her caretaker mage, I've found Lady Yulia to be quite kind—though a bit capricious. She's helpful, keeps her promises, and is highly controllable… of course, provided a steady supply of pure blood."

Luo De felt something was off.

A being so powerful, once marked for containment, had become a high-ranking member of the very organization meant to contain her.

He asked:

"Does Lady Yulia know her own identity?"

"Of course."

Oona replied as if it were obvious.

Within moments, nearly fifty beast-infected patients had been slain by the ice crystals.

The terrain here was flat; annihilating this small group served no purpose, so they didn't pursue them, letting them scatter and flee.

"Aside from being a bit mischievous, Lady Yulia has no ill intent. She takes her status as a containment target in stride—indeed, the Magic Control League has given her no end of amusement."

At that moment, Tally poked half her delicate face out from the shadow beneath Luo De's collar.

Her pink, plump lips were strikingly alluring.

She whispered:

"The Vampire King Yulia once had a romance with my succubus ancestor Lilith. Rumor says they spent countless blissful nights in the Castle of the Moonless Tomb. By the way, in their intimate relationship, it was my ancestor Lilith who held the dominant role."

Here we go again.

Succubus folklore.

Shuowan 。

Tally darkened her lips to crimson and extended her sharp canines, nipping affectionately at Luo De's neck.

"Don't believe me? Ask this rabbit mage."

"Clearly, I'm not that gossipy."

Luo De glanced at Oona.

She was now using Mage Hand to collect the frozen living specimens.

She hadn't heard their conversation.

Since their first meeting's Shitan, this rabbit mage had treated him with extreme caution—no doubt due to her regard for the scorpion woman Hera.

"Huh? Fungus folk?"

Oona suddenly gasped.

On the frozen ground lay several corpses of fungus folk, torn into pieces by claws and blades, looking gruesome.

Right.

Xiao Ma Ni's intelligence had mentioned fungus folk fighting alongside the beast-infected.

And last time, when he first encountered the star spirit Hali, there were also fungus folk corpses.

"Several fungus folk clans are scattered underground across the Keshi Plains."

Luo De explained.

Though Shiying Town was once attacked by the fungus folk Toru, most of these beings are benevolent and lawful, rarely initiating attacks on others.

The Keshi Plains are considerably larger than Dusk Hills.

Protected from winter cold by the Claw Valley Mountains and fed by the Hansen River, the region produces abundant crops, making its population far more diverse.

Perhaps precisely because of this, many famous battles in continental history have occurred on these plains.

Such disputes have persisted even to this day.

Windstorm City and Shanlun City to the east have long disputed ownership of this land, with no resolution yet.

Unlike modern nations on Earth, noble territories here often have contested borders due to historical legacies—it's extremely common.

It's even possible for a noble's domain to enclose a small parcel belonging to another.

The owner of the enclave, of course, finds it terribly awkward.

But then again,

Windstorm City lies beyond the Claw Valley Mountains, while Shanlun City lies across the Damp Marsh and Gusemer Forest—one possesses formidable strength, the other sits near Dragon Star Sea and is extraordinarily wealthy.

Neither side seems likely to gain a decisive advantage.

"Can you name the clans?"

Oona asked.

She looked tense.

"Wait a moment—I'll send a message to Shiying Town's city hall."

"Send a message? At this distance?"

As a mage, she knew the range of the Message spell—flying here would take nearly two hours; how could they connect?

Luo De smiled but said nothing.

He used 【Chain of Far Speech】 to message the ghoul Pan Ni.

Asked her to inquire about the tooth fairy sprites.

Not long after, the ghoul replied.

"Sporelight, Cap, Mycelium, Sporeword, Moonlight Spore—five clans total."

The fungus folk clan names fit their racial traits perfectly.

They always gave Luo De a "edible" feeling.

"Mycelium Clan?"

Oona frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"One of my old friend's children is from the Mycelium Clan—but that clan should live near the Damp Marsh."

"The Toadkin migration has been rampant lately, especially around the marshes and forests near Dragon Star Sea. The Damp Marsh lies right nearby—they may have been forced to flee their home."

Luo De explained.

Last night, while replenishing Sharen's spirit, he'd read about it in the latest issue of Snow Hill Evening News.

What?

Why was he distracted by a newspaper right now?

Come on.

Sharen was busy channeling magic to ease Dimea's symptoms—treating Luo De like a giant power bank—with no real interaction, no feedback, and it was boring as hell.

At least he had newspapers and Tally cooing beside him.

"Sorry, Luo De—I may need to leave for a while. Fungus folk rarely attack unless provoked… I'm worried about that child's safety."

"I'll come with you. I'm going to patrol the Keshi Plains anyway."

"Thank you."

Oona wasn't one to dawdle; she expressed her gratitude directly.

Saying that,

"It's a pity Shiying Town's city hall has no records of the fungus folk's dwelling places."

"No surprise—they're outside their jurisdiction. But I do know someone familiar with this."

Oona's eyes lit up: "No wonder you're Luo De!"

"I can't promise it'll work—just a possibility."

"Whether you know or not, you've helped me immensely!"

The rabbit girl was deeply grateful.

Excited, her pink-eared, white-furred rabbit ears stood upright, pushing her hood backward.

Revealing round crimson eyes and a petite, charming face—adorable.

Luo De's gaze shifted slightly.

His resistance to non-human races was always low.

He suppressed the fluttering warmth in his chest.

He pulled out the communication magic stone given to him by the star spirit Hali.

(End of chapter)