Chapter 7

Facing the flying Fire Mosquitoes, Lin Jun, who has been their neighbor for a long time, is not panicked at all.

He waits until they fly within a 50-meter range before several Mucus Puji spray digestive mucus, dousing the caught-off-guard Fire Mosquitoes.

The Fire Mosquitoes that fall to the ground still want to shake off the mucus and take off again, but as the mist sprayed by the Hallucinogenic Puji envelops them, these guys completely lose their ability to resist and are smashed to death one by one by the Hallucinogenic Puji using their shells.

But it's not over yet. More Fire Mosquitoes swarm in, and Lin Jun and the Fire Mosquitoes engage in a meat-grinder-like crazy battle at the entrance of this passage.

Facing Fire Mosquitoes several times their number, even if the Hallucinogenic Spores block the space below and limit the Fire Mosquitoes' attack direction, Lin Jun cannot intercept all the enemies with mucus.

From time to time, Fire Mosquitoes break through the firepower net, thrusting their mosquito beaks down to pierce a Puji, and then they themselves are paralyzed by the Hallucinogenic Spores on the ground.

"Ice Blade! Ice Blade! Water Snake!"

There is good news from Inanna—she finally killed a few Fire Mosquitoes!

Even if she closes her eyes and releases attacks against the overwhelming Fire Mosquitoes, she can hit them. Now the evasion skill on the Fire Mosquitoes has almost become a decoration in this scene.

Killing monsters with magic in a real battle for the first time makes her laugh with excitement. Compared to this, the hunts she participated in before really can't be considered battles.

However, this excitement ends there. A mosquito that broke through the firepower net nails a Turret Puji beside Inanna to the ground with one beak, scaring her into trembling instantly.

If this Fire Mosquito had rushed at her just now...

"Lin Jun! What should we do now? So many Puji have died!"

It's just a dozen Puji dead, where is this going?

A certain guy whose main body is still hidden deep in the mushroom garden sighs in his heart about the new recruit's lack of psychological quality.

However, Lin Jun still gives his own advice:

"Don't keep using attack magic, use Illumination."

Illumination?

What use can this have?

Inanna can't figure it out, but she remembers her promise to follow commands, so she uses Illumination anyway. Anyway, this spell consumes very little.

Contrary to Inanna's expectations, as soon as Illumination comes out, the Fire Mosquito swarm immediately falls into chaos.

The Fire Mosquitoes in the front row start scurrying around like headless flies. Some bump into other Fire Mosquitoes behind them, and some simply dive headfirst into the hallucinogenic mist below.

Inanna is stunned as she watches.

"It really works!" Lin Jun is also shocked.

"Eh? You didn't know it would work?"

"I just didn't expect the effect to be so good... turn it off quickly, keep casting!"

"Okay!"

The deep area is dark and lightless or only has dim light all year round. Lin Jun sees that these Fire Mosquitoes still have eyes, so he wants to try if he can play a flashbang tactic. He didn't expect the effect to be so outstanding.

At times like this, the superiority of mushrooms not relying on eyes to observe things is reflected.

With the assist of Illumination, the Fire Mosquitoes, which were already not their match, become even weaker and fall down in batches.

When the number of Fire Mosquitoes can no longer surround the passage entrance tightly, these monsters with almost no brains seem to finally remember the taste of fear and flee, disappearing into other passages.

Leaving behind an empty Fire Mosquito cave and a high-temperature water pool full of larvae.

"Finally... it's over."

Inanna sits down on her bottom.

Even though they were always in the dominant position, she first released several attack spells in a row, and then used more than twenty Illumination spells in one breath. Inanna feels she is really exhausted, and her mana is almost depleted.

However, although her body is tired, Inanna is still in a state of excitement after participating in such a "big scene" in person for the first time.

"Lin Jun, what should we do next?"

"Next? Next, of course, is to harvest the spoils!"

The 20 Ox-Horse Puji, which have been at the back of the team and haven't participated in the battle, start their work—using tentacles to pack the Fire Mosquito corpses into their bodies.

The quantity is about the same as estimated. The Ox-Horse Puji only need to run two trips. Once Lin Jun finishes decomposing these Fire Mosquitoes, High-Temperature Resistance should level up again.

As for this Fire Mosquito cave, Lin Jun hasn't considered expanding the mushroom garden here.

This cave is connected to too many passages, extending in all directions, and it's impossible to defend.

The mushroom garden is a territory Lin Jun carefully selected. It only has four passages on one side, which is especially suitable for hiding and developing.

As for the white Fire Mosquito larvae in the water pool, Lin Jun has the Turret Puji blast all their remaining mana at the water pool, and they turn into debris floating on the water surface.

"These are the spoils?"

Looking at the transported mosquito corpses, Inanna always feels that they are a little bit different from the spoils she imagined.

"Otherwise, Duke's daughter, what spoils do you want after conquering some monsters?"

Could it be that if you pry open their stomachs, you can explode swords and gold coins...

"No, maybe, there might be some good things in that water pool."

"Water pool?"

The water pool floating with minced meat is still emitting white steam, but what exactly is heating it?

Underground magma?

Doesn't look like it. The place where the Flame Demon lives is not close to here, and the surrounding environment is not hot at all.

Lin Jun thinks it is highly likely that there is something inside that can continuously generate heat.

But now the problem comes—

He can't swim.

Although the Puji won't dissolve when they encounter water, they will only turn into a bloated state floating on the water surface and unable to move after soaking in water.

These Fire Mosquito larvae do have the [Underwater Adaptation] skill, but that would require transporting them back to decompose them, obtain the skill, and then create a new Puji variety to handle it.

While Lin Jun is still thinking about a solution, Inanna has already dived into the water pool to find treasures.

Lin Jun then remembers that she has LV6 Underwater Adaptation.

The second generation is really awesome...

"Lin Jun! Look what I found!"

Inanna crawls out of the water pool, and the Water Snake spell behind her rolls a fragment emitting orange light, continuously radiating heat and evaporating the surrounding moisture.

The Water Snake spell can't hold it for a long time, so Inanna throws the fragment on the ground beside the water pool.

"Do you know what this is?"

Lin Jun didn't know originally, but this thing actually has a panel?

You know, Lin Jun hasn't seen a panel on a dead object until now!

[Artifact: Sun Stone (Fragment)]

???

What the hell, killing a group of LV20 mosquitoes can also explode an artifact. Is the monster drop design not well done?

Except for the name, there is no other introduction. Is it because it's just a fragment?

In any case, it's right to collect it for research.

"Lin Jun?"

"Uh, how would I know, but it looks like it's still a bit useful. We can take it back to keep the mushrooms warm."

An Ox-Horse Puji wraps the fragment into a large ball with mud and takes it away. Inanna doesn't have any objections. She was originally working here for that A-grade magic crystal, and the spoils naturally all belong to Lin Jun; she was just curious.

Lin Jun and Inanna are having a happy great expedition here, while another group of people on the surface are racking their brains because of Inanna.

(End of chapter)