Chapter 489: Mushrooms and the Bed

What an absolutely world-class social death moment.

It's like during New Year's greetings, when your parents suddenly burst into your room with relatives and friends, only to find your pants halfway down and a tablet playing an unapproved video in your hand.

Luo De was embarrassed and silently turned his head toward the sky.

But out of the corner of his eye, he could still see the smooth, even base of the Mycoid Scarlett.

She indeed lacked that part, yet her hips were instinctively searching the void, unconsciously pushing forward.

Una, flushed with shame and anger, forgot all manners and shoved Luo De forcefully out the door.

She quickly pulled out a long robe from her spell satchel and draped it over, while also slamming the door shut behind her.

Luo De stood outside the door.

Then he heard Una's voice coming from the magic cottage:

"Scarlett! Why are you doing this again?!"

"W-what's wrong?! I don't have that part like humanoid creatures do—I just touch it, nothing bad happens!"

Scarlett's voice started with guilt.

Then it turned completely defiant, just like a rebellious teenager finding an excuse.

"This is different, Scarlett! You're misinterpreting the feelings from that day—you still believe Luo De gave you hallucinogenic spores, so you keep testing and obsessively probing. I won't mention your secret cultivation of hallucinogenic spores anymore! But if you keep this up, you'll eventually—"

"What?! How do you know, Una?! Are you spying on my thoughts again?!"

"Mmm!"

Una's voice inside the room sounded flustered—and oddly cute.

And also.

It felt just like parents sneaking a peek at their child's diary.

Since Scarlett said "again," she must have done this more than once—and been caught before.

Luo De scratched his head.

Raising kids isn't easy.

The forest only had two young ones: the Ponygirl Bond and the Tiefling Lin Saixier.

Bond didn't need worrying about—she was always under Xiao Ke's care and currently in a carefree phase, playing endlessly with a group of giant squirrels.

Lin Saixier was a more sensible girl, though sensitive and insecure.

But that feeling would naturally fade as her strength and age grew.

Thinking this,

Luo De suddenly felt the cave's temperature seemed a bit high—warm.

That shouldn't be the case.

It was winter.

And underground, it should be even damper and colder.

Could there be something strange here again?

The Fungus Clan's Mycoids had once hidden a flesh-woven Golden Crown of the Veil in their nest, capable of opening a portal to another dimension.

Scarlett, as a member of that clan, had a prior record.

Let me check.

【Insight Magic Eye】 activated.

He performed a full 360-degree scan.

Hmm… no issues.

But the relatively small cave had cultivated many fungal plants, and one palm-sized, snow-white mushroom was slowly, secretly spreading pink gas.

Without 【Insight Magic Eye】, you'd never notice it.

Luo De carefully sensed it.

His expression twisted.

—This was an aphrodisiac spore, identical to his 【Enchanting Fluid】.

【'Enchanting Fluid' detected special enchantment particles. After absorbing large quantities, it will trigger an upper-tier skill.】

【Current progress: 0. 2%】

Oh!

Luo De's first reaction upon seeing "upper-tier skill" was excitement.

But upon closer look—his 【Enchanting Fluid】's upper-tier skill?

He felt some resistance.

Hmm.

He was actually quite satisfied with his current 【Enchanting Fluid】's effects.

Thanks to the girls' rising ranks, increased resistances, and his constant infusion of life essence.

He could now clearly sense that with minimal intake, the girls could consciously break free.

Of course, with Luo De's sheer essence reserves, a full intake meant they couldn't escape.

But at least before that, he could give them some choice.

Luo De was a gentleman—he couldn't force girls, could he?

—Provided they were of good alignment.

Like the Treeling Vivian, the Half-Deer Xiao Ke, the Spider-Spider Elf Yuna, the Elf Kalist.

As for the others who had relations with him—Orc Amy, Ghoul Pan Ni, Banshee Chris—well, they'd done something wrong.

Whether they had choice depended on Luo De's mood.

As he pondered,

the argument inside the magic cottage quickly quieted.

Rebellious teenage girls were hard to handle.

But the Rabbit Clan excelled in mental magic, naturally skilled at emotional regulation, and Una was gentle and empathetic.

Eeeyaa—

The wooden door opened.

Una, apologetic, invited him in.

"Sorry, Luo De. You saw something unpleasant."

"It's fine. Kids are like that—Bond does the same often."

Luo De stepped past the petite Rabbit mage and saw the Mycoid Scarlett standing nearby, arms crossed.

She glared at him with defiant arrogance.

Glared fiercely.

Good. Perfectly matched the brat's personality.

The recovered Mycoid girl was even livelier.

She had long, human-like legs, her knees and ankles wrapped in glowing moss that flickered rhythmically, her feet clad in sandals woven from symbiotic amber and mycelium.

Mycelium formed a natural vine-like belt around her waist, accentuating her innate hip curve.

Her spore sacs were covered by a mycelium-woven bandeau, the faint pink glow resembling a girl's blushing cheeks.

Luo De raised an eyebrow.

But he didn't interfere.

Instead, he told Una about the aphrodisiac mushroom he'd found in the cave.

After a quick scan, Una confirmed it.

The Rabbit girl's face changed instantly.

"Scarlett, did you cultivate this?"

"How could I? That's the waste zone—plants I discarded after they competed for nutrients with the premium crops."

That was true.

The growth pattern of the aphrodisiac mushroom was chaotic, uneven, scattered.

Definitely not Scarlett's doing.

Scarlett suddenly remembered: "Oh! No wonder you've been tossing and turning all night lately, screaming in your sleep and jolting awake."

"I haven't! Don't make things up!"

Una stole a glance at Luo De, her cheeks flushed red.

Luo De said:

"This thing is useful to me. Can you set up a dedicated cultivation zone? I'll pay you wages—at least you won't have to fight Amy every day."

"Why should I work for you?! Who do you think you are?!"

"Scarlett! Be polite! Luo De saved your life!"

"But he gave me hallucinogenic spores—I'm addicted now!"

"I've told you a hundred times—it wasn't hallucinogenic spores… Ugh, later we'll have a lesson, I'll explain everything properly."

Luo De forced back his embarrassment and said no more.

Una was getting anxious.

She took both their hands and led them to the bed.

"No time to waste. Let's begin, Luo De."

"Wait, isn't this your bed? Maybe we can use Scarlett's bed."

"She doesn't have a bed—fungi folk all sleep on the ground, so don't worry. I washed the bedding in advance—no smell! Right here is fine!"

"."

(End of Chapter)