It looked like the fungus master had given up hope of saving himself.
But Allen wasn't ready to give up!
"Master Fungus Master, is there really no way to save your life?"
"You child, why are you so stubborn..."
The fungus master was helpless.
He patiently explained to him why he was so terminally ill.
"I am the will of the hive of all fungi and myconids."
"Ordinary fungi lack complex minds and are not afraid of death."
"But myconids do have minds, feelings of love and hate, and worry about birth, old age, sickness, and death."
"War is destroying the children's homes."
"They are afraid... they are in pain... they are desperate."
"The shared negativity of myconids is snowballing, corroding my will and plunging me into an abyss of fear, pain, and despair..."
"I'm sorry, my will isn't strong enough."
The myconid's negative mental fluctuations were tinged with self-blame and guilt.
"I can't suppress so many, so chaotic, negative emotions."
"I'm sick, very sick..."
"Unless some force can strengthen my mental strength and help me repair the broken will..."
"Otherwise, mental collapse and the disintegration of the Hive's will are inevitable."
"I am a community of wills, my spirit is greater than my body."
"When the shared will disintegrates, I will face spiritual death."
"My body, or rather, my remains..."
"Will continue to grow and reproduce on this land as a vast expanse of fungus."
"But it's meaningless."
"A fungus without a mind is no longer worthy of being called a master."
"Alan, please leave me alone."
"Take your friends and leave here."
"Let me die in peace..."
Alan listened silently to the master's complaints.
He felt deep sympathy for the pain she endured.
Frankly speaking, while the enemy sorcerers who attacked the mushroom garden were certainly responsible for bringing the Fungus Master to the brink of death, the defenders themselves were not innocent either.
Both the attackers and defenders had damaged the local ecology.
Before learning that the Fungus Master's life was closely tied to the survival of the secret realm, who had ever cared about his fate?
At least, Allen himself hadn't considered it.
He wasn't the only selfish and heartless person in the mushroom garden.
"I'm sorry, Master Fungus," Allen said earnestly.
"To be honest, I have a meditation method that can help alleviate your pain and lift your spirits."
"For too long, we've been so focused on immediate gain that we've completely ignored your feelings."
"Now, please give me a chance to make amends."
Telepathy transcends language barriers, allowing the other person to fully appreciate one's sincerity.
The Fungus Master was silent for a long time before finally nodding.
She didn't believe a fourth-level sorcerer like Allen could cure her terminal illness.
But it didn't hurt to give it a try.
Letting the young man give it his all—even if it didn't work, it would at least make him feel better.
With the Fungus Master's consent, Allen established a meditation session with her through a spiritual connection.
In fact, the roots of the meditation session lay in the mushroom garden.
Originally, it was the Fungus Master who led her myconid descendants to use this method to connect with each other, creating a rich fantasy world together to entertain their own spiritual lives.
Now, Allen was using the same method to repay the Fungus Master.
Instilling the sixth-level "Soul-Calming Meditation" in her.
Allen had just tried it herself.
Soul-Calming Meditation effectively suppressed negative emotions and blocked out external mental interference.
This was exactly what the mushroom master needed right now.
Time slipped by quietly.
Alan's spiritual communication with the mushroom master lasted for most of the night.
The soothing meditation was truly effective!
When the mushroom master concluded his long meditation, his will, which had been on the verge of collapse, had stabilized.
As an outward manifestation of his mental recovery, the previously flawed secret realm barrier had repaired itself overnight!
The wild creatures of the Underdark.
The eager enemy warlocks.
No more cracks in the barrier could be found to invade the mushroom garden.
An imminent crisis had been quietly averted.
Alan breathed a sigh of relief, relieved to see the mushroom master regain his spirits.
The benefits of the soothing meditation method for the mushroom master went far beyond healing emotional trauma.
The mushroom master had evolved!
His current cultivation level was equivalent to that of an early-stage fifth-level Fungal Warlock.
"Alan, thank you for all you've done for me."
The Fungus Master's spiritual vibrations were filled with gratitude.
"Tell me, how can I repay you?"
"Master Fungus Master, I need you and your secret realm."
"Protecting yourself is the best reward for me."
Alan's frank answer deeply touched the Fungus Master.
"But... my friend, if you can't defend the secret realm, and another group takes over, what should I do?"
"The secret realm exists only where you are," Alan said softly. "If this place is impassable, I will take you with me to Silvermoon Island and find you a new home there."
"I'd love to go with you, but I'm too clumsy and slow to climb. I can't keep up with you..." the Fungus Master said sadly.
"It's okay. I know teleportation and can take you with me," Alan consoled.
"I'm too large and too heavy. I'm afraid I exceed your teleportation load..."
This question deserves careful consideration.
Alan's teleportation load limit is only 4 tons.
The Fungus Master, resembling a small hill, must weigh more than 4 tons!
Since we can't teleport her directly, we'll have to use a vehicle.
"We can load you into a minecart and bring you to the surface, then load you onto a ship or transport you using a large airship."
"What about my myconid offspring?"
"Take them along on the ship."
"Myconids fear light and can only live in the Underdark..."
"Seal the cabin windows to block out the sunlight," Alan replied thoughtfully. "Once we reach Silvermoon Island, I'll send you and your fellow myconids to the underground world."
"Does Silvermoon Island also have a umbilicus leading to the Underdark?" the Fungus Master asked curiously.
"Of course there's an underground navel, leading to an underground city."
A blueprint gradually formed in Allen's mind.
"Once you get there, you and your offspring can live in the underground city. It's more comfortable and peaceful than here, and no one will disturb you."
"Will the Dungeon Master agree?" the Fungus Master asked worriedly. "What if he doesn't welcome outsiders like us?"
"He will."
Alan smiled.
"In fact, the Dungeon Master is me."
...
Alan said goodbye to the Fungus Master and returned to camp with a bottle of pink spores in his pocket.
These were a new type of spores produced by the Fungus Master's evolution.
He gave Allen a bottle as a thank you for helping her heal her wounds.
Alan named this new type of spore "Forget Worry."
Forget Worry spores are both a special food ingredient and a spellcasting material.
It's also a potent remedy for various mental illnesses.
Taking a tiny amount of "Forget Worry Spores" can bring a sense of peace and euphoria, suppressing negative emotions like depression, panic, mania, and sadness.
It can also resist negative mental magic up to level 6.
In this sense, Forget Worry Spores function similarly to Requiem Meditation.
However, Alan can only use Requiem Meditation to suppress negative emotions while awake.
If he's unconscious, such as in a coma, Requiem Meditation cannot be activated.
Forget Worry Spores address this shortcoming.
Taking a tiny amount of spores eliminates the need for Alan to remain awake.
Even while asleep, he can still resist various inner demons and avoid nightmares.
Besides being a tranquilizer, Forget Worry Spores can also be used in conjunction with communication magic like "Teleport" and "Wind Signal."
The message sent is transformed into mental fluctuations and transmitted directly to the recipient's mind.
The advantage of this approach is that the message is more discreet.
No small balls of light or whirlwinds appear out of nowhere.
The recipient doesn't have to worry about exposing the fact that they've just received a magical message.
It's extremely useful for espionage and secret communications!
Alan often communicates secretly with informants in the opposing camp.
For example, Taffman, Sonia, and Spanner.
Each communication is carefully chosen in the dead of night.
For fear of others being around the informant.
Seeing balls of light or whirlwinds appearing out of nowhere.
Seeing the arcane symbols flickering within the balls of light.
It's hard to guarantee that suspicion won't arise.
If the informant's identity were exposed, it would be a great injustice!
Using "Forget Worry Spores" as a spellcasting ingredient eliminates this risk.
If the recipient is awake, the magical message can be transmitted directly into their mind.
If the recipient is asleep, the message sent will appear in their dream.
Upon awakening, the recipient will be able to clearly recall the contents of the message.
Finally, Forget Worry Spores are also a unique ingredient.
Alan opened the bottle cap, removed a small amount of pink spores, and held them in his mouth, savoring them carefully.
It was delicious.
There was also a faint aroma of roasted nuts.
After swallowing the Forget Worry Spores, the system notification arrived as expected.
Ding Ding—
"Consume special ingredient: Forget Worry Spores!"
"Potential +3!"
"Spirit +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 46, Agility 31, Spirit 52
Potential Reserve: 16 points
…
Alan nodded with satisfaction.
Spore bottle, placed in storage bag.
He closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.
A dreamless night.
…
Alan slept soundly that night.
He woke the next morning refreshed.
However, his good mood only lasted until the evening.
An unexpected letter plunged him into deep thought.
Marvin asked him to meet late at night deep in the mushroom forest to discuss something important.
If it were his first visit to the mushroom garden, Alan would definitely have attended.
However, after the previous incident with the insider, Allen's impression of Marvin shifted.
Marvin wasn't as kind as he appeared.
Alan increasingly felt that he was a hypocrite with a hidden dagger.
During the previous investigation into the insider, Marvin and Hicks had colluded, deliberately targeting him and attempting to label him a spy.
Alan suspected that Marvin's sudden change in attitude toward him was likely related to Senior Sister Tanya's rejection of his marriage proposal and her move to Silvermoon Island.
"Marvin, do you see me as a rival?"
Alan speculated.
If this suspicion were true, Marvin would have reason to agree with Hicks and view him as a common enemy.
Under these circumstances, Marvin's late-night meeting in a remote area far from the garrison seemed incredibly suspicious.
So, was he refusing the appointment? What if Marvin really knew Angel's whereabouts?
Alan pondered for a long time before finally steeling himself and sending a letter to the woman he least wanted to deal with.
Regardless of whether Marvin's invitation was malicious, it was essential to inform Pamela in advance.
If Marvin attempted to frame him, at least Pamela could prove his innocence.
Not long after, Alan received a reply.
He had expected Pamela to be furious in the letter, asserting that Marvin could never know Angel's whereabouts and ordering him not to keep the appointment...
But the result was unexpected.
Pamela's reply was short.
"Come to my room and tell me more!"
...
It was almost midnight when Alan left the young lady's boudoir, a fragrant scent on his face.
Around her neck was a royal blue scarf.
The stitching was neat and elegant.
It was hard to believe that Pamela not only excelled at needlework, but also possessed considerable skill!
Sometimes one had to admit that the personalities of ladies raised in aristocratic families were often difficult to judge, but their versatility was truly undeniable.
The meeting place designated by Marvin was located at the edge of the secret realm.
Deep in the mushroom forest, a clearing surrounded by mushrooms.
Alan arrived on time.
Before arriving, he activated "Qi Sensing," "Soft Bone and Flesh Armor," and "Clairvoyance," making all necessary preparations.
Pamela concluded that Marvin had no good intentions in meeting her!
Tonight, there was likely to be a fierce battle.
Alan shared the same thought; it was always wise to be cautious.
They crossed the mushroom forest and arrived at the clearing. Alan looked around; nothing was there.
Marvin was nowhere to be seen.
Alan's eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
It was with great difficulty that he suppressed the urge to sneer.
At the agreed place and time, Marvin wasn't there.
Instead, another rival had been waiting there for a long time.
A hundred steps away, behind a giant mushroom...
A hazy figure slowly emerged.
A strange being, invisible.
With his clairvoyance, Alan easily discerned its true form.
From head to toe, it stood nearly three meters tall.
The hideous figure, neither human nor ferocious, resembled a demon made of smoke.
Behind it, a pair of hazy steam wings spread.
This demonic gaseous monster was called the "Beck Wind Spirit."
It was Hicks's fourth-order atavistic form!
Marvin wasn't going to show up himself, but instead sent Hicks to lead the charge?
Alan sneered inwardly.
Hicks didn't seem to have considered the consequences of being Marvin's pawn.
Such a person deserved to be cannon fodder.
…
Hicks didn't consider himself a mere cannon fodder.
He was even less aware that his every move was exposed to Alan.
Under the dual cover of darkness and invisibility, Hicks approached Alan silently.
His body, made of smoke, stretched into thin threads, like a gray snake, attempting to burrow into Alan's ear.
Baker, a close relative of the wind element.
Baker's natural energy is amorphous.
When he enters a living being, he can control that body, turning it into his puppet.
Hicks was madly jealous of Allen!
Jealous of his affair with his goddess, Miss Pamela!
Before tonight, he still harbored illusions.
He was completely convinced that Pamela's public announcement of Allen's stay in her room was simply to dispel suspicion of him as a spy, not that they were truly having an affair.
After all, Allen had come to the mushroom garden at Pamela's invitation, representing the Silver Moon Monastery.
If anything went wrong, Pamela would be embarrassed to report it to the Silver Moon Monastery.
For the sake of the overall situation,
He had to sacrifice his reputation.
However, the harsh reality dealt him a slap in the face!
Before his appointment tonight, Allen had lingered in Pamela's room.
Hicks, watching from the shadows, felt a sharp pain in his heart!
Before tonight, Pamela had never entertained visitors late at night.
And she kept him in her boudoir for two full hours!
What kind of filthy affairs had transpired during that time?
Hicks simply couldn't imagine.
Up until this moment, he was still comforting himself.
After all, since he hadn't witnessed the young lady undressing with his own eyes, there still seemed to be a possibility.
She and Allen had simply been chatting and playing chess in the living room.
Even though that was all, it was enough to make him jealous; it was better than an actual affair.
The agonizing wait had finally come to an end.
Alan walked out of Pamela's room.
Hicks' heart sank completely!
Bakers were born with a keen sense of smell.
They could detect even the tiniest odor particles in the air.
Hicks could smell the unique scent of a young lady on Alan.
What drove him even more crazy was...
The scarf around Alan's neck.
He had watched the young lady knit it stitch by stitch!
This priceless treasure was now wrapped around Alan's neck.
What did this mean?
It meant that Pamela and Alan were more than just friends with benefits!
At least from Pamela's perspective, it seemed she had truly fallen in love with this scoundrel!
Otherwise, it was impossible to explain why this rich young lady would personally knit a scarf for a man, like a middle school girl falling in love for the first time!
Originally, Hicks had been hesitant about accepting Marvin's suggestion and becoming a thug for the eldest son of the Ganesha family.
Now, there was no need to hesitate!
Full of despair and jealousy, they transformed into naked hatred.
Hicks secretly swore to his ancestors:
"I will never let Alan Panthers survive this night!"
Hicks's hatred for Alan even extended to the goddess he once deeply worshipped.
Now, he hated Pamela as well.
A distinguished young lady, yet so ungrateful!
She'd given up on a distinguished man from a noble family like Hicks to hook up with a commoner, a notorious gigolo.
Shameless!
Despicable!
Hicks's admiration for Pamela had turned into a frenzied desire for revenge!
Just killing Alan was too easy for him.
Hicks had a better plan.
Using his wind spirit form, he could possess Allen's body.
Couldn't he use this body to enter Pamela's boudoir with impunity?
Pamela surely couldn't tell that the adulterer had been controlled by him, reduced to a puppet.
She would continue to have affairs with him as before.
Hicks, parasitizing Allen, had, in effect, slept with his former lover, getting what he once desired.
This brilliant plan had Hicks itching to take advantage.
What he didn't expect was...
The very first step in his brilliant plan had already led to an unexpected incident.
"You're diving into someone else without a word."
"Don't you think that's uncultured?"
A faint sarcasm drifted in the night breeze.
Alan sneered, raised his right hand, and placed it close to his ear. A silver vortex swirled in his palm, forming a gravitational field.
‐Hicks's wind spirit form was ethereal and light as smoke.
‐Hicks attempted to penetrate his skull through his ear canal, but was drawn in by the vortex dragon claws. Powerless to resist, he was sucked out!
‐Alan slowly closed his fingers, and the vortex accelerated.
‐Hicks's gravitational field's intensity soared exponentially!
‐Hicks's wind spirit was constantly squeezed.
‐Hicks's loose mist shrank into a small, gray, suspended mass.
‐Hicks rolled above Alan's palm, emitting a hissing wail.
‐Hicks's right hand maintained the vortex dragon claws, continuing to suppress the ancestral Hicks.
‐Alan slowly raised his left hand, his skin as translucent as jade.
‐Hicks' fingertips emanated a biting chill.
‐Hicks' palms slowly closed.
‐Hicks's incredibly cold icy palm energy merged into the vortex dragon claws. Frozen into a fist-sized ice ball, the atavistic Hicks was frozen.
Alan suddenly withdrew his palm power!
The atavistic Hicks, compressed to the extreme, expanded rapidly the moment the external pressure was removed, causing an explosion.
Bang! !
Amidst the roar, ice fragments flew everywhere!
The internal explosion severely damaged Hicks!
Unable to maintain its atavistic form, it vanished into thin air.
The Baker Wind Spirit transformed into a naked man covered in blood and flesh.
He lay on the ground in a mess, groaning in pain.
"Did Marvin send you?"
Alan asked Hicks.
Hicks struggled to raise his head, his eyes filled with resentment.
He seemed to be trying to act tough.
Alan glanced at him indifferently, not bothering to force a confession.
"Forget it. I'll just find the answer myself. It's easier."
He activated his telepathy and scanned Hicks's thoughts.
The result was quite disappointing.
Hicks' mind was filled with nothing but hatred for his rival and fantasies about Pamela. What a loser!
Alan shook his head in disdain and was about to delve deeper into his mind when a sudden shout came from the woods behind him.
"Wait!"
Footsteps approached from afar.
Alan turned calmly and gazed at Marvin calmly.
"Brother Marvin, you're late."
Marvin snorted coldly, his eyes unkind.
"Alan! You severely injured Hicks for no reason. What's your crime?!"
Alan couldn't help but laugh.
Good boy!
Isn't it a bit too hasty to start by distorting right and wrong right away?
Hicks, upon seeing Marvin, felt as if he had grasped a lifeline.
He struggled to his feet, his face filled with grief and indignation as he launched into an accusation.
"Brother Marvin! That boy, Allen, colluded with foreign enemies and became a traitor!"
"Even after I caught him with evidence, he got so angry he tried to kill me to silence me!"
"Brother Marvin! You must seek justice for me!"
"Brother Hicks, don't worry!" Marvin said proudly. "With me here, no one dares to touch you!"
Allen finally couldn't contain his laughter.
"You two, singing the same tune, what's the fun?"
"Shut up!"
Marvin's face darkened, and he shouted angrily.
"Alan! I've treated you well, so why would you betray your fellow disciples and do such a heartless thing?!"
Alan sneered and said calmly, "That's more true of you."
"What? At this point, you still want to deny it?!"
Marwen stepped closer, his eyes stern.
"You've been lying, kid. Do you really think I don't know?"
"When you reported back to the academy last year, your cultivation had reached the early fourth stage, and you were an elder of the Silver Moon Monastery!"
"Yet you concealed your strength from me, claiming you were only at the late third stage. What ulterior motives are behind this!"
"Hiding my strength is a fact, and it's my freedom. It doesn't make me a traitor."
Alan stared at Marvin with a strange look.
"I'm curious, who told you I was hiding my strength?"
"Haha! If you truly have a clear conscience, why hide your strength and be so sneaky?" Marvin sneered.
Alan was tired of his evasive rhetoric.
It was a pity that, despite his telepathic abilities, he couldn't read Marvin's thoughts.
Alan had long been aware of this problem and had even asked Pamela about it.
Pamela had revealed that the gem pendant around Marvin's neck was a magical artifact.
It could block "detection" and "mind reading" effects below level 5.
Since the two sides had fallen out, Alan didn't hesitate.
"Brother Marvin, since we're already here, why set up an ambush?"
"Call out those two behind you."
"Huh?! What do you mean?" Marvin's face changed slightly. "I came alone to the appointment and didn't ambush any helpers. Don't blame me!"
"Haha! Do you believe what you say?"
Alan sneered.
"Unless I'm blind and can't see those two invisible men behind you?"
Marvin took a deep breath, his eyes flickering.
He didn't want today's events to become public knowledge!
Hicks alone was more than enough to deal with Alan.
Why add fuel to the fire by looking for more helpers?
The two invisible men Alan saw were definitely not summoned by him!
If that were the case, which faction did these two lurking men belong to, and what were their intentions? Could it be... Pamela has planted a spy next to me, secretly following me this way?
Marvin's expression lost its composure.
He suddenly turned around and glanced behind him.
His eyes were already imbued with detection magic, allowing him to see through invisible creatures.
However, there was nothing!
In an instant, Marvin realized he had been tricked!
It was the most despicable and childish trick!
Regret, but it was too late.
A mysterious gravitational force suddenly struck.
Torn from the air, the magic pendant was ripped from his neck!
With a flick of his hand, Alan reversed the Whirlwind Dragon Claw!
The gravitational force transformed into repulsion, sending Marvin flying backwards, blood spurting from his mouth.
How cruel!
Hicks was stunned.
Normally, shouldn't the two sides in a confrontation first engage in a heated exchange of words, each arguing their own arguments?
When they can't agree, do they then roll up their sleeves and start fighting?
How... did it suddenly turn out like this?!
Before he could even finish his words, he'd already resorted to a sneak attack on Senior Brother Marwen...
You kid, you're not playing by the rules!!
How despicable!