novelraw Chapter 476 - 466: On Enslavement
Chapter 476 - 466: On Enslavement
Alama and Lorenzo sat on the wooden chairs, while Number Four Puki jumped onto the central wooden table and began its second speech about the great Mushroom Race.
However, repeating the same content for the second time noticeably weakened its momentum. The previous enthusiasm was gone, and the transmission of thoughts became flat and mechanical, like reciting from memory.
After finishing the speech hastily, Number Four Puki seemed somewhat bored, its mycelial tentacles drooped, and it simply plopped down on the rough tabletop.
Lorenzo rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "So, you Mushroom Tribe are what you call the embodiment of the ’Puki Will’?"
Number Four Puki nodded proudly with its mushroom cap.
Actually, it wanted to mention the Mushroom Lord, but in this exchange, every mention turned into "Puki Will," so it eventually just went along with it.
After all, the will of the Mushroom Lord is the will of all Pukis, saying it like this isn’t wrong.
Not only "Mushroom Lord," Lin Jun also set many restrictions, most information about the Mushroom Garden couldn’t be disclosed.
After all, it’s a soul split from Lin Jun, setting some restrictions is too easy.
Lorenzo and Alama exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
From their perspective, Number Four’s description seemed more like a phenomenon of collective evolution, when the number of Pukis reaches a certain critical point, the collective consciousness would give rise to this higher existence called "Mushroom Tribe."
The so-called "Puki Will" seemed more like a reverence for their own race, a shorthand for collective consciousness.
After all, it’s impossible to really understand this "Puki Will" as an individual, right?
Such a thing simply cannot exist.
As the exchange went deeper, they obtained quite a bit of information from Number Four.
Such as the so-called "Thirteen Mushroom Tribe" and "Pink Puki."
Number Four Puki also included Inanna in the Mushroom Tribe, and when mentioning this, it even stretched out a mycelial tentacle to comfortingly pat the back of Inanna’s hand, hoping she wouldn’t mind being the only one without a numbered name.
Alama’s mouth twitched upon hearing a Puki categorize his daughter as a fellow, he again raised his hand to support his forehead.
What puzzled Lorenzo was, despite Number Four Puki referring to them as "non-mushroom" and calling itself "noble and glorious Mushroom Tribe", with a seemingly high stance.
But throughout the exchange, it didn’t use any honorifics, and Number Four Puki showed no reaction to it as if completely unaware of etiquette issues.
Apart from addressing, there was no sense of arrogance felt during the exchange, in terms of aristocratic demeanor, it wasn’t even like those little lords among humans.
When the topic shifted to "Mushroom Servants," specifically Puki Master, Number Four Puki directly applied its understanding of fungal citizens to describe the future treatment of Puki Master.
Puki will provide delicious mushrooms, Puki companions, accommodation at Mushroom House, mycelial treatments, while Puki Master is required to occasionally compost for the fungal mat, ensuring it’s not damaged.
And when Lorenzo asked, what if Puki Master is unwilling to do those tasks?
Number Four Puki waved a tentacle and fiercely stated that they wouldn’t get those things!
Honestly, Lorenzo didn’t hear anything about "enslavement" in this.
Rather than enslavement, it’s more like Puki Masters trading a minimal cost for great benefits.
This Puki’s understanding of the word "enslavement" seems to differ from theirs.
Lorenzo also attempted to converse with Number Ten Puki beside him but quickly found the latter to be far more cautious than Number Four, wouldn’t answer three questions with one answer, nor would it volunteer information.
It seems not every Puki is as... straightforward as Number Four.
Lorenzo had no choice but to refocus on Number Four for easier conversation starters, only when Number Four was unclear did he query Number Ten.
The end of this exchange wasn’t because the two human leaders had finished talking to the Pukis, but rather because the Mage maintaining the telepathy finally ran out of energy.
After the exchange concluded, watching the two Pukis follow Inanna step by step out, Lorenzo called over the ashen-faced and nearly exhausted army Mage, and quietly asked, "Did you feel anything?"
The Mage gasped heavily, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and replied, "That one called Number Four... its mind was almost completely open, clear emotional fluctuations could be detected, not like it was lying."
Lorenzo nodded slightly, this matched the judgment he had from his experience during the exchange.
"What do you think?" Lorenzo turned to ask Alama.
Alama took a deep breath, temporarily set aside concerns about his daughter, and said, "A single perspective can be trusted but not entirely. As for how to treat them, as always, we cannot forsake power that can help us against the Demon Race. However, I have some concerns..."
Before he finished speaking, Lorenzo already understood: "Are you worried that the Demon Race might also gain other Mushroom Races?"
Alama nodded: "We’ve all witnessed the power of the Puki. No matter what, it’s always safer to have these Mushroom Races under our control. But where should we start?"
"The Puki ultimately cannot leave the Fungal Mat." Lorenzo stood up, looking at the expanse of the Fungal Mat outside, "We should pay more attention to areas with Fungal Mats, and that Pujie Dungeon is worth exploring again. After all, it is the origin of everything, and perhaps something can be discovered. Of course, all of this is on the premise that the Kingdom still has a ’future’."
The two sighed in unison.
Although the heavily wounded Sigmund retreated to the High Castle Fortress, the crisis in Three Mountains City was not truly resolved.
The city was still at an absolute disadvantage, and it was uncertain how long the city’s Defense Magic Array could hold.
Trapped in the valley, though they had no worries about food or drink thanks to the mushrooms, once Three Mountains City fell, they would still not escape the fate of destruction.
Currently, they were desperately clearing the collapsed canyon, trying to open up a barely passable road, hoping to do something more. However, progress was slow, and the shattered rock walls could collapse again at any time, making each step like walking on thin ice.
At this moment, Inanna returned, holding the wriggling No. 4 Puki in her arms.
No. 4 Puki was obviously unwilling to be held like this but didn’t dare struggle too much for fear of injuring the Pink Puki and disobeying the Mushroom Lord’s command. So it could only wriggle restlessly, trying to wriggle free.
However, Inanna was an expert at holding Pukis. No matter how much it struggled, it was to no avail.
She held the Puki high and said, "Old man, Little Four says it can help us dig a tunnel!"
"It? How?"
...
When a large Drilling Puki was pushed in front of the rock wall by the efforts of everyone, accompanied by a low humming sound, it began tunneling, and the hard rock layers were easily broken open like cheese.
Both Alama and Lorenzo had expressions on their faces that said, "What on earth is this thing?"
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Outside Three Mountains City, in the Demon Race’s camp.
Visarius’s cold gaze penetrated the twilight, locking onto the city shrouded in the glow of a gigantic Magic Array.
All the last and most crucial human resistance was lurking behind that seemingly unbreakable Light Curtain.
"No news of Hess yet?" he didn’t turn around, directly asking the subordinate waiting behind him.
A member of the Blood Race quickly stepped forward, kneeling on one knee, "Milord, there is no news of Lord Hess as of yet. We only received reports from coastal outposts mentioning an unusual expansion of the sea fog... I speculate that Lord Hess might have inadvertently entered the fog area..."
"An unusually expanding fog..." Visarius’s voice turned colder, "Even if he inadvertently entered, with Hess’s power, he shouldn’t be trapped. That’s not even the deep part of the fog!"
Unfortunately, the subordinate evidently had no answer for this doubt.
Things have not been going well recently, and even Visarius, with his deep and strategic mind, couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.
First, there was that fool Xenophon, who, under everyone’s eyes, summoned the Storm Elemental Lord.
Not only did he lose his own troops, but he also caused considerable losses to the main camp, forcing him to pause the attack and wait for Sigmund to regroup.
Especially that troll army, which was a siege weapon, one of the few forces that could charge under the Defense Magic Array’s protection, was quality cannon fodder.
Who would have thought that the otherwise reliable Sigmund would falter at this critical moment, creating such a big mess, resulting in the entire troll army being wiped out, not a single one left!
That aside, Visarius was never a mediocre person without backup plans.
The Abyss Beast, previously used to ambush the Sword Saint, although its core was destroyed, its body remained mostly intact.
As long as a new core arrived, it could awaken this war beast once more.
By then, unless the Sword Saint risked his life and his wounded body in battle again, the Abyss Beast would be enough to tear through that annoying Magic Barrier.
But he never expected that even Hess, who was among the top in the Palace Level, would go missing during a simple escort mission?!
Among all demons, was there not a single reliable one?
Setting aside settling accounts with these laggards later, the current situation suggested that dragging on would be of no more use.
Visarius decided to wait a few more days. If there was still no news from Hess, he would have no choice but to launch a strong attack despite the losses!