Can you not be so stupidly unpredictable?
It makes it hard for me to coordinate with you!
Fortunately, the Knight Puji was still here!
First came a Puji Cannon blast toward Paine as he cast his spell, followed immediately by fungal whip-blades whirling at high speed, activating [Blade Storm LV7]. The Puji spun like a deadly top, slamming into its target!
Grey lunged in just in time, blocking in front of Paine. His burning fist shattered the Puji Cannon, at the cost of leaving his entire hand a mangled mess of blood and flesh!
Enduring the agony, he snapped out a vicious whip-kick, sending the charging Knight Puji flying!
But the Puji’s whip-blades carved several deep, bone-baring gashes across his leg.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know other techniques—but right now, he had to use his body as Paine’s final shield. Dodging was not an option.
The Knight Puji rolled twice across the ground in flames, then rose once more. Its [High-Temperature Resistance LV8] smothered the fire, leaving only a few scorch marks.
Seeing it rush again, Gray and the surrounding Pujis finally locked onto their position. Grey thought grimly that this time, he was done for.At that moment, a hand suddenly seized his shoulder.
“Go!” Paine barked.
He had finally completed that strange spell. At his feet, a black void yawned wide, swallowing the very light around it. He yanked Grey with him, leaping straight in. Their figures vanished into the darkness!
What was that? A teleport gate?
Knight No. 3 immediately switched to [Thrall Control], ready to follow—
—but then, something strange happened.
Lin Jun had never completely shifted his attention away from the Yellow Book.
Just now, it had dared to secretly devour a soul drifting across the battlefield!
That was a strictly forbidden act!
Was it just gluttony, or had it thought his focus was entirely on the enemy and tried to sneak a move?
No matter!
Within the Yellow Book, Lin Jun’s vast soul surged forth, wrapping tightly around it, ready to crush it completely.
At the very last instant, the incomplete book—barely containing half a page—suddenly scrawled out a crooked line of words:
[Don’t kill me yet—keep that vampire alive, she’s very useful]
The handwriting was distorted and rushed, without even punctuation.
Lin Jun kept his soul poised to crush, but shifted his attention back.
On the battlefield, Uniel’s entire body had compressed into a blood arrow, streaking at incredible speed toward the black void!
So fast that even Gray couldn’t intercept her in time!
Tch!
The Knight Puji No. 3, about to dive into the void, swerved instead—charging head-on toward the blood arrow!
Uniel didn’t dodge, clearly intent on piercing straight through.
Like hell she would.
[Self-Destruct LV8]!
Its own stats plus [Crystal Symbiosis] magnification unleashed a blast far more devastating than an Exploding Puji!
At the same moment, a synchronized volley from the Resonance Cannons struck home.
The violent shockwave even sent Gray tumbling head over wings!
At the epicenter, Uniel’s blood-arrow form was ripped apart, her body forced back into human shape—battered, bleeding, and slammed into the ground like a rag doll.
Smoke churned. The black void on the ground was gone—either obliterated by the blast or its duration ended.
What remained was only a crippled vampire, barely able to control her own blood. Her fate was sealed.
After a fierce but futile struggle, she was captured.
Xiaozhu [Piggy Puji] even came trotting over to stomp her a few times, wearing an expression more satisfied than if he’d drunk his fill of blood.
The battle was over.
The battlefield was a wasteland of corpses.
Lizardmen, half-demons, and countless Pujis lay piled high, Pujis most of all.
Among the dead, many groaned in agony, bleeding but still alive. Beast Pujis were already methodically handling them.
Others fled in all directions, but Lin Jun had sent pursuit.
Most would never escape his Mycelium Carpet.
As for the half-demon chieftain’s forces, Lin Jun wasn’t in a rush.
Whole tribes could not just vanish—migrating was no simple feat. Once his Pujis had finished cleaning house, he would deal with them at leisure.
The Demonkin side had also taken casualties, despite the Puji cannon fodder shielding them. They were organizing treatment.
Fortunately, with parasitic mycelium and prepared herbs, even the severely injured could be saved.
The pity was that the two Imperials seemed to have fled—Lin Jun sensed nothing of them within the Mycelium Carpet.
A long-range teleport gate?
Lin Jun knew this world’s teleportation arts were strictly limited—requiring paired circles and enormous power.
So what had Paine used?
Abyssal Magic… could it really be that strong?
Why hadn’t those cultists from the ports come develop in Mushroom Town instead?
Lin Jun wanted to study such powerful magic himself.
As for this vampire…
Marshal Puji, clad in his ridiculous red cloak, waddled past Gray—who was busy joyfully “treasure-hunting” across the battlefield—and came before Norris, taking the Yellow Book from his hands.
Above, a Voice Puji spoke: “Well? What’s the use? I blew up a strong Puji just now. If you’re bluffing…”
Lin Jun’s soul tightened menacingly.
[Boss! I truly repent! I swear it’s true!]
[The vampire is definitely useful—I wouldn’t dare lie!]
“Cut the crap!”
[Yes, yes!]
[She can help your Louisa advance her rank! Isn’t that useful?]
“Oh?” Lin Jun’s interest stirred. “How?”
[Why, by consuming her of course!]
[But not the normal way—it requires a secret ritual, known to very few!]
[And… I just so happen to know a little… heh heh.]
Lin Jun fell silent in thought.
Louisa was still happily stomping on Uniel in the distance, reveling in humiliating the countess, oblivious to the book’s words.
Raising Piggy’s rank…
It was a tempting offer.
Louisa’s loyalty was beyond doubt. Lin Jun trusted her more than most of the Demonkin, almost as much as the Pujis.
If sacrificing this captive could push her strength to a new level, it was a bargain.
Besides, Lin Jun wasn’t worried about the Yellow Book sabotaging the ritual. Louisa’s state was plain on his system panel, and the book would never risk its own existence just to spite her.
“Useful enough,” Lin Jun conceded.
[Then… if it works, could I maybe…] The next line of words appeared timid, full of yearning.
“Not enough!” Lin Jun cut it off without even reading.
[…]
“But,” Marshal Puji’s tentacle tapped the page, “this sheet, you may keep.”
[Thank you boss! Thank you! You’re merciful indeed!]
[Truly the most generous master!]
—
“Cough… cough!”
The taste of blood jerked Grey awake. He shook his groggy head, struggling up.
But as he pushed himself, a strange tug pulled at his left arm.
Looking back in shock, he saw that most of his arm had “merged” into a slab of gray-brown stone!
Clenching his teeth, he drove a fist into the rock with his remaining strength.
Stone cracked and flew—but so did his entire arm, shattering to powder with it!
“That… wasn’t embedded. It was fused…”
A feeble voice drifted from behind.
“Paine!”
Grey spun around—and his eyes went wide in horror.
Paine’s body was half-merged into a tree!
Bark engulfed his waist, arm, and half his head, swallowing him whole. Only one limp leg and half a heaving chest remained visible.
He was barely breathing, already at death’s door.
“You… really got… lucky…” Paine’s lips twitched weakly, coughing blood-froth. “I… just… got the… short straw…”
“How do I save you?!” Grey rushed to the tree, helpless against this unknown magic.
He reached for a potion—only to realize all of them were shattered.
Paine’s head moved weakly side to side. His dim eyes turned to Grey: “My… mana core… take… care of it…”
His final word faded into the frozen air. His chest stilled forever.
Grey sighed, silent. Carefully, he pressed his hand to Paine’s chest and drew out the mana core.
Clutching it tightly, Grey looked across the strange, unfamiliar land.
He had to find a way back.