Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 47 - 46 It’s so dark

"Once in an experiment, a primeval forest was wiped out by these wildly growing mushrooms, to say that it is a life form is somewhat of a stretch, as it has no so-called life cycle; feeding, proliferating, and seeding all happen simultaneously."

"Even now, our surroundings are dense with its spores. Because the invisible tiny spores refract light, the scenery here becomes a bit hazy."

Seeing Lyle start to uneasily pat down his clothes, the Mycelium laughed, "No worries, Mr. Plague Doctor, here their activity is suppressed, they are basically harmless now."

"This is Mr. Dark’s domain, it could be called his annihilation territory. We’ve made specific constraints that ensure the mushrooms’ low activity."

"That huge bubble outside the literature club is a barrier, a dedicated killer of this sort of fungi."

"It’s okay even if you’re resistant, as the spore count around Mr. Dark drastically drops, but I couldn’t believe it when I saw the collection report."

"What’s so surprising? It’s merely submission to my aura." Mr. Dark stretched out his palm to cover his face, his eyes peering at the two through the gaps in his fingers, followed by a booming laugh that seemed to pierce the heavens.

It looked very chuunibyou.

"Mr. Dark always has some oddities, you’ll get used to it."

"I don’t want to be spoken to like that by a Mushroom Person; even your mushrooms have submitted. Haven’t you seen the reality yet, that this world should be immersed in my majesty, hahahaha!"

"Mr. Dark, magic still needs a basis, you didn’t do anything at that moment. I’m more inclined to believe it’s the biological stress response."

So, it’s like a reflex arc of conditional reflex? "Wait a minute, King sir, do you mean to say that these mushrooms, are avoiding Mr. Dark on their own, that they have a complete neural network to respond to external stimuli!"

"These mushrooms, they have thoughts?"

"I can’t be certain, it’s just a hypothesis, but even as a hypothesis, it brings me great joy," the Mycelium gently caressed the mushroom cap growing on his chest, "These little darlings, if they have thoughts, will they call me daddy or mommy? Ah, I’m so looking forward to it. Should I consider creating a new race of spore people?"

The Mycelium entered into a fantasy about the future.

Ignoring the Mycelium, Mr. Dark led Lyle towards the central large mushroom building, "Don’t bother with him. Once in that state, it will take him hours to snap out of it."

Lyle nodded; the Mycelium’s infatuation was similar to that of Mr. Dragon, both dedicating body and soul to one thing.

Inside the room, which was the true headquarters of the literature club, was another world altogether, with pale torches on the walls and inner walls of dark stone, goat skull carvings everywhere, and a crowd of figures in black robes.

The ceiling was covered with dark curtains trailing on the floor, purely decorative and quite an obstruction to walking.

Mr. Dark casually tore one down and draped it over himself, covering his bandaged head thoroughly, and strode on proudly.

The club members around him gave respect to their President; perhaps they also enjoyed this kind of role-play. With Mr. Dark advancing, they lined up on both sides, clearing a path and bowing their heads.

Lyle hesitated, wondering if he should continue to follow.

In front of Mr. Dark, it was like Moses parting the sea; Lyle who did not feel part of the literature club did not want to take part in their mass performance.

Mr. Dark reached a high dais, where a bone throne was placed, made from the bones of different creatures, with a large canine skull at the top of the chair back, its canines preserved, maintaining their dignity in life.

Mr. Dark sat upon it, not minding the discomfort, thus ending the first act of the performance as everyone sat like a cult gathering at the feet of Mr. Dark.

No one made a sound, and Lyle could only hear his own heartbeat, glimmers of light shooting from underneath Mr. Dark’s robes, probably because the bandages on his face had come loose.

He lowered his voice, although Lyle was unclear how an Ethereal would change its tone, it was indeed a completely different voice.

"Tonight, the Dark Walk Society welcomes quite a few newcomers, excellent. I, the Grand Duke of the Void, Edmund Jean Dark, swear by my name that in the future, you will be grateful for today’s choice."

"Our enemy is the Angel Envoy sent by the deities to cleanse the world, the Vice Monarch of Heaven, the arm of God, the Seraph who could turn back time by a hundred years, Melok Raymond."

"He is indeed a worthy adversary, even against me, the enemy of the world, he was pressed down by only a few heads, but today, the mercy I gave has ended. By seizing the power of the Ancient Egyptian Sun God, I have successfully defeated him and captured the new Child of the Holy Light, yes, you, the Plague Doctor!"

As Mr. Dark pointed in this direction, the crowd around him cleared the stage very accommodatingly, leaving Lyle standing out like a plucked chicken.

Mr. Dark, you really outdid yourself; making up stories to glorify yourself is one thing, the extras another, but I was just stopping by, how did I become a special guest. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Lyle quietly endured a social demise.

It really was too dark.