Puji's Home.
In the afternoon, the stream of customers finally began to thin out.
Bianca, the young shop assistant, leaned her arms against the counter, her feet rhythmically tapping the floor behind her.
"Boss! Boss! After we close today, why don't you come to my house for dinner? To celebrate moving into our new place, my mother went out early this morning to buy ingredients. She's definitely going to make a lot of delicious food. You should come too!"
Thanks to the wages she earned from Dilan, Bianca had finally managed to buy a residence in the Mushroom Capital. She and her mother no longer had to squeeze into a cramped, dilapidated shack in the resettlement area.
The new home wasn't large, but its greatest advantage was its proximity to Puji's Home. Before leaving this morning, Bianca's mother had specifically instructed her to invite Dilan over to express their gratitude properly.
"Of course, that sounds wonderful," Dilan replied with a smile.
"Fantastic!" Bianca cheered. Grabbing a brush, she slipped into the backyard to start her daily task of scrubbing the Pujis ahead of schedule.
Once Bianca left, Klolo, the imperial spy and shapeshifter who had been drinking alone in the corner, finally approached Dilan. He whispered the latest intelligence he had gathered: after a long silence, there was finally news regarding the Brave!
Upon hearing the words "the Brave," Dilan, who had seemed indifferent moments ago, suddenly became agitated.
Lao Da had mentioned that his daughter, Bella, was likely on the ship belonging to the Brave.
Initially, he had been relatively at ease. Since the Brave hadn't participated in the war between humans and demons, it stood to reason that Bella was safe.
However, as the great war ended and time passed without any word, Dilan's anxiety had grown deeper by the day.
Hearing news of the Brave now, he naturally couldn't hide his excitement.
"Is it true?"
Klolo nodded. "It's genuine. The intel came from the higher-ups. The Brave contacted the Kingdom in advance, though it seems they won't be coming in person this time."
Ever since the Mycelial Blanket had spread everywhere, the Empire's espionage activities within the United Kingdom had become increasingly difficult.
Spies either vanished mysteriously or, like Klolo, ended up becoming double agents.
However, besides professional spies, traitors were also a vital source of intelligence for the Empire.
Because the relatively secret communication channel through the Grand Archbishop was no longer available, the Brave had used a Communication Crystal linked directly to the capital, the City of Oaths. Unsurprisingly, a hidden traitor had intercepted the message.
Thinking of this, Dilan's heart tightened again.
He immediately relayed this news to Lao Da, though as expected, his leader already knew.
'The Empire causing trouble? Don't worry. The Brave isn't coming in person this time, and the Empire probably doesn't have the spare energy to care about this right now,' Lin Jun analyzed.
After all, the Empire was so busy they were on the verge of abandoning their northern territories. A few subordinates of the Brave were unlikely to catch the Grand Emperor's attention.
Even if the Empire wanted to stir up trouble, wouldn't they have to ask Lin Jun for permission first?
With Lao Da's assurance, Dilan finally felt relieved.
Still, his thoughts were entirely consumed by worries about Bella. It wasn't until Bianca called out to him for the fifth time that he snapped out of it, somewhat distractedly following her to celebrate her housewarming.
The United Kingdom, West Coast.
Since the Demon Race retreated from this region, the Kingdom had gradually reclaimed the land.
Currently, the recently repaired port terminal was swarming with people.
Soldiers clad in armor and wielding halberds stood in neat rows on both sides of the pier, their plate mail glinting coldly under the afternoon sunlight.
Further out, a defensive line consisting of thousands from the Puji Division and tens of thousands of combat Pujis stood ready to handle any unforeseen circumstances.
Everyone watched with bated breath, awaiting the arrival of the Brave's messenger.
"They're here!"
On the horizon, a ship bearing the distinct style of the Archipelago cut through the waves, eventually docking at the pier.
A rehearsed cheer erupted from the crowd below as several officials responsible for the reception straightened their clothes.
The gangway was lowered, and a figure appeared at the railing.
It was a young woman dressed in adventurer's gear, her long dark hair tossed into a mess by the sea breeze.
The cheering grew louder.
However, Bella's expression was far from pleasant.
Standing at the top of the gangway, her fingers gripped the railing so tightly that she left deep indentations in the wood.
Bella's gaze swept across the dock, taking in the Mycelium that seemed to be everywhere.
Further away, a massive number of Pujis surrounded the harbor.
This reminded her of the last time she had seen a Puji, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if these were the same creatures.
Even nearby, traces of Mycelium were visible on the soldiers—and even among the officials stepping forward, one had fungal filaments marking his face.
It wasn't just Bella; the other crew members were equally stunned to see people clearly infested by foreign organisms. The most unsettling part was how everyone else acted as if this were perfectly normal. It was bizarre.
Bella didn't understand what had happened to the continent. Why had everything turned out like this after a single war?
Had no one tried to stop this stuff from spreading?
Although the welcoming officials noticed Bella's pale face, they mistakenly attributed it to seasickness.
They wondered briefly why the Brave would send an assistant who suffered from motion sickness, but as seasoned officials, they didn't let such doubts show on their faces.
They stepped forward with smiles, and among them was a man who had undergone Mycelium Symbiosis.
Bella stared at the host standing before her, her eyes fixed on his smiling face.
His cheeks, forehead, and jaw—white Mycelium was woven directly into his flesh!
Although the filaments were neatly groomed, the sight almost made her breath hitch in her throat.
The man smiled and extended his hand toward her.
Bella knew she should take it; it was basic etiquette.
But the suspicion in her heart was reaching a growing intensity.
Could it be that same Chaos?
Not just the Pujis, but this Mycelial Blanket and the filaments on these people's faces—were they all made of those twisted, chaotic blocks of color?
She didn't dare activate her Extraordinary Vision, fearing she would lose her composure on the spot.
Thinking of the fact that she represented Lady Suo Feiya, Bella steeled her nerves and gripped the man's hand firmly.
The moment they touched, as if triggered by some instinctive emergency response, a silver light flared in Bella's eyes.
Her eyes, overflowing with a silver radiance, seemed capable of seeing through everything. The three officials in front of her were startled by the sudden change, staring blankly at those beautiful, holy eyes.
In that instant, Bella saw a world of chaos, like the Abyss itself.
As far as the eye could see, there was not a single inch of pure land!
Even the man before her was a mass of chaos, with only a tiny speck of pale yellow representing a normal human.
What... what had happened to this world?
"Blegh—!"
The next second, Bella doubled over and vomited directly onto the two tightly clasped hands.
Even these three battle-hardened bureaucrats had never seen such a display. The man with the Mycelium Symbiosis stared blankly at the vomit on his palm, his brain completely short-circuiting.
The crew members on the ship were also baffled, wondering what had come over the usually reliable Bella.
The pier was instantly plunged into a state of chaotic turmoil.
Through his Creep Vision, Lin Jun watched Old Dilan's daughter quite openly, feeling genuinely curious. Was he really that disgusting?