Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 303 - 295: Wrapping Up

On the icy plains, a few Lizardmen were fleeing for their lives, their steps staggered and desperate.

They were the first group to scatter, initially numbering over a dozen, composed of Lizardmen and a few Half-demons, but now, only they were left.

Thump thump thump thump—

Nearby, terrifying sounds of mushroom creatures running over the snow echoed, yet no enemy figure could be seen.

"Damn invisible creatures! Damn it!" Gola squeezed out the last breath from his lungs, desperately moving his heavy legs, hoping to run just half a step faster than his companions.

At this moment, he immensely envied those Half-demons he had once looked down upon; at the start of their collapse, many winged Half-demons simply flew away, disappearing into the murky sky; others, with joints adapted to snowy environments, sprinted on the frozen ground.

Unlike them, the Lizardmen had only a faint hope of survival in this dire situation.

"Ah! No—! Help me!!" The last-running Lizardman suddenly tripped over something invisible, his terrified cries for help piercing the air.

However, no one gave him a second glance, burying their heads as they ran wildly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Stopping now would only bring harm to oneself.

Familiar screams and the dull sounds of bodies being hauled into the snow repeatedly came to his ears; Gola didn’t even have the courage to look back.

He had a wife and children to think of, he had to return to the tribe!

He didn’t know how long he had been running, but eventually, all he heard was his own footsteps.

Completely exhausted, Gola finally stopped, leaning on his knees, gasping for breath, and looked back over his shoulder, seeing nothing behind him but the vast snowy plains.

"At least... At least, I managed to escape..."

Thump—

Thump thump—

Rounded footprints appeared out of thin air around him on the snow, one after another...

Despair flooded his heart, and Gola collapsed to the ground, relinquishing all resistance.

A Fat Otaku Puki leisurely approached from afar, its tentacles wrapped around Gola, effortlessly stuffing him into its bloated belly that emitted Hallucinogenic Spores.

There, Gola was finally reunited with his friends.

When he regained consciousness, Gola found himself in a cramped, foul-smelling dungeon, crammed with a multitude of Half-demons and Lizardmen.

Above, a few bizarre hanging, buzzing Pukis emitted a faint but steady warmth, dispersing the dungeon’s biting cold.

Though spared from freezing, the stale air, cramped limbs, and the shouting prisoners suffocated him.

Not far off, a Lizardman and a Half-demon suddenly erupted in a conflict, seemingly about to come to blows.

At the dungeon entrance, several Pukis flew in and unceremoniously dragged the troublemakers away, returning them later, both bodies covered in frost, nearly frozen to death, only capable of shivering...

Later still, the Pukis scattered a large number of mushrooms, and the ravenous Gola, stomach groaning with hunger, ravenously devoured them regardless of their toxicity.

With a full belly, he slumped in a cold corner, like other captives, staring vacantly at the Pukis atop the dungeon, quietly awaiting an unknown future.

...

There’s not enough room in the cells!

Almost six hundred captives crowded into several hastily-dug dungeons.

Half were severely injured and captured on the battlefield, the others were hunted down by Puki squads during their escape.

Not all escapees survived. Many succumbed to their injuries or froze into ice sculptures in the depths of the icy plains.

Of course, a select few with special abilities managed to get away, most notably those winged Half-demons; wings elevated them above the rest...

In this battle, the Demon Race also paid a price, with over twenty warriors fallen and around seventy injured.

Although Lin Jun instructed most of the Demon Race to command the Puki from the extreme remote distances, no battlefield is truly safe; accidents are normal.

Fortunately, the casualties were within expected limits, and the injured were swiftly treated with mycelium repairs and pre-prepared ointments.

Once the Demon Race had attended to the wounded, they also began assisting in cleaning up the battlefield, collecting spoils of war.

They peeled off still-serviceable equipment from bodies that had already begun sprouting mushrooms, leaving the cold corpses behind as new nourishment for the fungal mat.

The tribe was poor, but amidst the mountain of spoils, one could occasionally find rare equipment, shimmering with faint glows, bearing Attributes or Skills.

Lin Jun obtained what he needed as well.

[Seven Sins of Greed Triggered]

[Plunder Skill: Demon Universal Language Level 8→Level 10]

[Plunder Skill: Physical Resistance Level 8→Level 9]

[Plunder Skill: Cold Resistance Level 8→Level 9]

[Plunder Skill: Scale Armor Level 7→Level 8]

[Plunder Skill: Fire Magic Level 6→Level 7]

[Plunder Skill: Water Magic Level 6→Level 7]

[Plunder Skill: Sensory Enhancement Level 4→Level 5]

...

[Plunder Skill: Charm Level 3]

[Plunder Skill: Tempting Kiss Level 2]

[Plunder Skill: Fake Death Level 1]

[Plunder Skill: Regeneration Level 1]

...

...

...

Previously, having learned from Little Pig, having Demon Universal Language Level 8 almost meant no barrier in communication, but now, he could officially claim the status of a Master of Language.

This skill could earn him a scholar’s position in this world!

Thanks to the diversity of the Half-demons, the plundered skills were a colorful assortment.

The most baffling to Lin Jun was that, despite not encountering Enchanting Demons on the battlefield, he acquired several signature skills of theirs.

It seemed that the charm of the Half-demons had a lot to do with those Enchanting Demons...

But Lin Jun was pleased!

Look at these mongrels despised by the Empire, how much good stuff they’ve contributed!

With a quick glance, he identified several interesting skills.

Skill research could wait for later; Lin Jun hadn’t finished collecting his "spoils" yet!

Those two tribes, having lost most of their defensive power, were like peeled eggs waiting for him to devour!

Although the fungal mat would spread over in ten days or so, Lin Jun had a bad feeling about it.

A few days ago, at the fungal mat’s boundary, two Six Claws were pursuing a Half-demon!

Upon discovering the traces of the fungal mat, the Half-demon didn’t look back, disappearing in the direction they came from.

Additionally, the reason for the Half-demon Leader’s retreat made Lin Jun recall his relocated neighbor Chis.

That was his trophy!

Because he needed to detach from the fungal mat, he dispatched a Puki Army led by the Demon Race.

Xiao Hai was among them, while Little Pig remained behind to guard the main camp.

Unfortunately, when the Demon Race arrived at the Half-demon Tribe, it was nothing but a ruin.

The Half-demon Leader and the hundred or so people under his protection were still there.

At this moment, Bastardos visibly appeared much older; his sparse scales were dimmer, and he looked utterly defeated.

Facing the Demon Race and the Puki Army, he actually chose to surrender!

On the other hand, the Lizardman Tribe still remained in place, offering Lin Jun some solace.

After easily breaking their minimal remaining defensive forces, Lin Jun parasitized over a thousand Lizardmen and then elevated his Cold Resistance.

Then he packed up the whole tribe and took them back.

These captives, following brief education, would all be marked as criminals.

Just like him, they had to earn Contribution Points to atone for their sins, and regain their freedom!