Chapter 69: 69 Shall We Leave Together?

【Seven Sins: Greed Triggered】

【Plunder Skill: Archery LV3→LV4】

【Plunder Skill: Pierce LV1→LV2】

【Plunder Skill: Block LV3→LV4】

【Plunder Skill: Lockpick LV2→LV3】

……

Accelerate decomposition to help Dilan erase all traces cleanly.

Unfortunately, this time he couldn't plunder enough proficiency to upgrade Common Tongue.

But he can't keep relying on Greed to learn languages.

After Dilan returns this time, he'll have him start teaching himself the language.

During the time Dilan was away, Lin Jun focused his mind on two things.

One of them was connecting the mycelial networks across layers, striving to eliminate latency.

And the biggest obstacle to this was the Slimes.

To Lin Jun's mycelial carpet, they were pests.

Except for the third layer, which was full of traps and had no Slimes, traces of their activity existed on the first, second, and fourth layers.

Lin Jun had to suppress the number of Slimes to a very low level to ensure the mycelial network wouldn't experience intermittent latency due to Shi Laimu destruction.

As for extinction?

Unfortunately, based on experience on the fifth layer, Slimes cannot be exterminated.

Since Lin Jun took control of the fifth layer, native monsters were almost entirely wiped out.

Gnolls and parasitic trees were actively eliminated by Lin Jun, while crystalized bats and rock lizards were caught in the demon tide.

The green-eyed frogs originally had some tadpoles left in the lake, but after the three-headed snake swam through, they were considered completely extinct.

Several other smaller breeds also almost entirely vanished during the environmental changes on the fifth layer.

The native species still visible on the fifth layer now are the Strong Acid Shi Laimu and the Water Spirit.

And they share a common trait: if the environment is suitable and mana is enriched, they can be condensed into existence.

Not quite creating something from nothing, but very close to it.

So, to suppress the Shi Laimu population long-term, it still relies on Pujiji cleaning day after day.

But if a too-powerful Pujiji is placed on the upper layers, it would undoubtedly attract human attention very quickly.

So Lin Jun limited the strength of the Pujiji on each layer to a certain degree, so they wouldn't appear out of place.

For example, the first layer only has 【Mushroom Cannon LV2】 and 【Mana Storage LV2】.

Just enough to fight Slimes, as long as they don't encounter those rare large Slimes...

Occasionally, humans would kill a Pujiji, and Lin Jun didn't care.

Unlike the fifth-layer main base, the current primary goal of the other layers is to first spread the mycelial network.

As long as adventurers don't massively destroy the mycelial carpet, Lin Jun can accept it.

As for the other thing he's busy with...

Under the swamp area, in the small treasury Lin Jun built.

A Pujiji sat before a small mountain piled with low-grade magic crystals.

Its oval body surface was densely covered with tiny diamond-shaped scales; whenever its four bladed mycelial tentacles moved, the scales rubbed against each other, emitting a rustling sound.

At this moment, each of these tentacles was coiling around a magic crystal to absorb it.

Where the tentacles wrapped, the surface of the magic crystal gradually became turbid, and the originally transparent crystal layer was eroded with spiderweb-like cracks.

When a certain magic crystal turned completely lead-gray, the tentacles suddenly tightened, and the crystal instantly crumbled into fine fragments.

The mechanically repetitive sound of shattering echoed through the space, and discarded magic crystal fragments covered the ground completely around the Pujiji.

And inside this Pujiji grew a magic crystal of quality already reaching Grade B, which was still continuously being purified.

This was the Pujiji Lin Jun prepared to send out to explore the outside world.

Now the skill attributes were filled, leaving only the final step—raising the symbiotic crystal to Grade A.

Open the panel.

【Race: Mushroom - Pujiji】

【HP: 1120】

【Mana: 2560/2560】

【Strength: 52】

【Agility: 52】

【Constitution: 52】

【Intelligence: 52】

【Spirit: 1】

【Race Talent: Spore Diffusion】

【Fixed Effect: Connect Mycelial Network, Kin, Crystal Symbiosis (Skill Power Increased by 64%)】

【Skills: Mana Storage LV6, Infrasonic Attack LV6, Resilience LV5, Mushroom Cannon LV8, Precision LV5, Evasion LV7, Scale Armor LV5, Acceleration LV6, Blade Whip LV5, Mycelium Reorganization LV3, Assault Ejection LV5, Rolling Charge LV7, Rock Eating LV3, Underwater Adaptation LV4, Assimilation Absorption LV3, Mimicry LV4, Mana Perception LV6, Airflow Perception LV7, Light Perception LV4, Sonic Detection LV6, Self-Destruct LV4, Hallucinogenic Spores LV6, Magic Resistance LV5, Physical Resistance LV5, Corrosion Resistance LV4】

This already counts as a minor knight.

Although there were still skills like Life Amplification and Rage he wanted to install, the mana consumption was already unsustainable.

Especially given that not long ago, Seeing Xiao Hei had consumed a huge amount.

The Pujiji's base attributes, except for Spirit which was indeed useless, had all four other stats maxed out; ordinary Pujiji didn't get the treatment of stat boosts.

Among human adventurers, it is common to see cases such as a level 30 character possessing 40 strength.

However, as Pujiji is a familiar generated by Lin Jun's skill, its attribute values cannot exceed Lin Jun's level.

The reason for strengthening this Pujiji to such an extent, and even taking away an A-grade Magic Crystal,

is mainly that Lin Jun wants to use it to see more of the outside world.

Not just to take a glance at the sun, but to explore the world.

All of Lin Jun's current understanding of the outside world comes from the oral accounts of Inanna and Dylan.

Everything is separated by a layer of illusory veil.

Now, Lin Jun wants to lift this veil, even if only from the perspective of controlling a familiar.

——

"Boss, I want to leave for a while."

Dylan's first sentence after returning to the fifth floor left Lin Jun scratching his mushroom cap.

"Why?"

"You know I have a daughter; she is likely in danger right now, and I cannot rest easy..."

Dylan detailed Bella's situation to Lin Jun.

He maintained a restrained narrative pace, every syllable carefully weighed, with pauses at the end of sentences suggesting words left unsaid.

When mentioning that the destination was the Archipelago, Dylan deliberately slowed his speech by half a beat.

His tone shifted from statement to a consultative question, tentatively observing Lin Jun's reaction, as if worried Lin would refuse to let him leave.

After listening, Lin Jun recalled the "World Map" in his memory.

The United Kingdom is located in the southern part of the continent, while the location of the Amethyst Dungeon is at the southernmost tip of the kingdom.

To get from here to the Archipelago, one must first travel overland to the port city in the west, then take a ship from that port city to the Archipelago.

It looks simple, but in reality, just the journey to the western port city takes nearly a month, and the subsequent sea voyage and search could take who knows how long.

Does this not mean that even if Dylan doesn't die halfway and faces no obstacles, it will still require three or four months, and with slight delays, it would be normal for him not to return for half a year!?

So who will handle his affairs on the surface during this time?

What about the Common Language learning plan that was just about to begin?

Lin Jun did not intend to forcibly keep Dylan.

A forcibly twisted melon is not sweet.

But...

Perhaps it is time to recruit Dylan Number Two?

"By the way, I remember your daughter is stronger than you. If it is a danger even she cannot resolve..."

Lin Jun knew exactly how capable Dylan was; handling various errands was something he could fully manage, but as for fighting... he was only slightly better than a minnow.

Dylan himself had obviously considered this: "I... plan to use my savings to hire adventurers to help."

Hire adventurers to help, is that it?

That is indeed a method.

However, according to what Dylan said, the object of conflict for his daughter is likely one of those so-called Three Great Slave Masters.

What level of adventurer would be needed to help?

And how much money would have to be paid to make them willing to offend such a great Slave Master?

At this moment, Lin Jun thought of his alternate knight character who was still eating Magic Crystals.

Since we are going out to explore anyway, where does it matter where we go?

"Dylan, I have a proposal; how about you wait a couple more days..."

The next chapter officially enters the Hero Summoning arc.

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(End of this chapter)