Alarm Spores (red fluorescent) pheromone, essentially non-toxic, triggers a mental alarm within 300 meters.
Psychic Spores (silver fluorescent) pheromone, essentially non-toxic, enables telepathic communication with intelligent creatures within 100 meters.
Hallucinogenic Spores (blue fluorescent): Level 5 toxin; causes hallucinations and euphoria; excessive ingestion can cause myocardial infarction.
Shock Spores (gold fluorescent): Level 5 toxin; inhalation causes a shock effect for up to 1 minute.
Parasitic Spores (green fluorescent): Level 5 parasite; transforms the host corpse into a puppet that continues to function until destroyed.
…
All five types of spores are unique ingredients!
Alan collected the spores and tasted them, not worrying about poisoning.
The spores are tiny, but their flavor is incredibly delicious and intense, leaving a lasting aftertaste.
"Eat Alarm Spores, Potential +1, Spirit +1!"
"Eat Psychic Spores, Potential +1, Spirit +1!"
"Eat Hallucinogenic Spores, Potential +1, Spirit +1!"
"Eat Shocking Spores, Potential +1, Spirit +1!"
"Eat Parasitic Spores, Potential +1, Spirit +1!"
Alan savored the spores while checking his stats.
…
Current Stats: Constitution 22, Agility 19, Spirit 28
Potential Reserve: 5
…
Five types of spores gave him a total of 5 Potential.
And it boosted his Spirit stat to 28!
Absolutely terrifying!
The harvest on his first day in the mushroom garden was beyond imagination.
This made Alan even more excited about the upcoming training experience.
...
Each giant mushroom has a cave-like hut carved into its wooden roots.
These huts serve as retreats for magicians.
Sonia also has a hut of her own.
Now, Allen lives there too.
On her way home, Sonia gathered some edible mushrooms.
She also whipped two rabbit-like rodents to death.
These were "moth rats," the mushroom garden's main source of meat.
Back home, Sonia lit a fire and cooked.
Sonia's cooking skills had been passed down from Allen's mother when she worked at Allen's family tavern.
In the underground world, thousands of miles from home, Allen tasted familiar flavors again.
After a hearty dinner, Sonia began her meditation session tonight.
Before that, she also had to explain to Alan two unique meditation methods found in the Mushroom Garden.
Mind spores can be used to enter other people's meditation worlds, engage in joint meditation, and assist each other within them.
It was through this method that she summoned Marlowe and Hugo to her own meditation world to help her fight powerful enemies.
This meditation method is called "Gathering"!
How many companions can the host of a "Gathering" invite into their meditation world?
It depends on their spiritual attributes.
The higher the host's spiritual attributes, the larger the gathering.
After listening to Sonia's description, Alan couldn't help but think.
Gathering meditation can be thought of as a local area network.
Establishing a gathering and inviting companions into one's meditation world is like playing online games in past lives, bringing in friends to help defeat bosses.
Thinking about it this way, it becomes easier to understand.
"Brother Allen, I'll demonstrate the gathering meditation method now."
Sonia stood up, closed the doors and windows, and drew the curtains.
Gathering meditation requires absolute darkness and silence.
No light can penetrate, and no noise can disturb.
These factors could disrupt the spiritual connection among the participants.
According to Allen's understanding, this could lead to "disconnection" or "dropping the connection."
In the dim and silent chamber, Allen and Sonia knelt facing each other.
Sonia opened her storage bag, took out a small spray bottle made from a perfume bottle, and sprayed it gently.
Swish...
A few mind spores dissipated in the air.
Like a small cloud of silver mist, it drifted between the two of them.
Sonia approached the spore cloud and inhaled deeply.
Alan followed her example, inhaling a small amount of mind spores.
An indescribable feeling grew within him.
Countless tiny mind spores were independent beings.
However, the cluster of spores formed a community.
The entire spore cloud could be considered a single, unified being.
Every individual within the spore cloud was inseparable.
Establishing an invisible yet close spiritual bond.
When Alan and Sonia absorbed the spores, they merged into the life system of the spore cloud.
They could clearly sense each other's emotions and thoughts.
Even the fleeting thought.
Even the most subtle and inexpressible emotion.
Even the most obscure thought.
All of this could be telepathically transmitted, without the slightest distortion.
Isn't this the legendary "mind completion"?
Alan was stunned. "Brother Allen, you seem nervous?"
"It's okay. I'm just a little uncomfortable at first."
"Take it easy. You'll soon be okay."
Sonia's mental fluctuations continued to surface in Allen's mind.
In reality, Allen was nervous...
He was afraid of exposing his identity as a time traveler and discovering the existence of the "Gluttony System"!
Luckily, his worst fears didn't materialize.
The Gluttony System seemed to possess an encryption function, preventing Sonia from discerning his soul as a time traveler.
While in the gathering state, Allen could also read Sonia's mental activities.
Confirming that she hadn't discovered his secret, he felt somewhat relieved.
Using the mind spores as a bridge, Allen and Sonia's spiritual worlds merged seamlessly.
And so, their meditation worlds were connected!
...
Alan's meditation world.
The distant and frigid northern continent.
From the Frostfall Hills to the Great Snowy Mountains, the green dragon Kroshir, known as the "King of the Mountains," rules this vast, untamed land.
Alan could conceal the secrets of the time travelers, but he couldn't hide his Poison Demon bloodline.
Inviting Sonia into the meditation world made it impossible to hide the Poison Demon Ancestral Spirit from her. There was no other way.
"Wow! Brother Alan, so cunning!"
Sonia's exclamation echoed in his mind.
"No wonder you're so powerful, surpassing your level to kill the clown!"
"So the bloodline you awakened isn't just any ogre!"
"Tsk tsk! What a handsome blue-skinned giant with thorns on his hands!"
"Brother Alan, now I know why you're so nervous."
"Don't be afraid, I'll keep it a secret!"
Sonia reached out and shook hands with Alan.
Allen took Sonia on a brief tour of his meditation world.
Next, Sonia acted as tour guide, summoning his poisonous demon ancestor spirit to her meditation world.
Sonia had awakened demonic blood, so her meditation world... was hell.
To be more precise, it was the first layer of the Nine Hells, Avernus—the site of bloody battles between devils and demons!
Sonia's ancestor spirit was a female tiefling, one-eighth of the thorn demon bloodline.
Thorn demons, also known as "hedgehog demons," are considered the elite among low-level demons.
Demons stronger than thorn demons are considered mid-level demons.