This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 121. The Prisoner
Gollum-

The long-lost feeling of hunger compelled Louisa to open her eyes.

The back of her head was pressed against the protruding gravel. When she opened her eyes, she saw a cramped and damp basement, and the smell of decaying earth filled her nostrils.

No, calling it a basement is an understatement. What I was in was just a makeshift hole, and there was even a little guy burrowing around in the dirt nearby, trying to expand the space.

She still remembered what had happened before; before the two cannon fodder could even scout out the way, they were surrounded by an endless stream of puffs.

Endless!

Even now, when I think back on it, the deep sense of powerlessness that comes with knowing halfway through a fight that I have no chance of winning and that even escaping is a luxury still lingers in my mind.

But... why didn't I die?
When the blood cells dissipated, I should have been blown to pieces, just like my subordinates. Why did I wake up intact in this cave?

Are the Puji leaving her here to die, or is there some other reason?
She didn't know, but she knew she was hungry.

Louisa glanced at Puji, who was still expanding the cave, seemingly unaware that she had awakened.

She leaned against the wall and managed to stand up. The cave exit was right in front of her; if only she could get there…

Something terrible has happened!
As she took her third step, a mushroom unexpectedly sprouted from her palm, with a white stem and a gray cap, looking just like an ordinary mushroom.

But it's terrifying if it grows in the palm of your hand.

Louisa frantically pulled the mushroom off, but felt a sharp pain as if her flesh was being cut. Already weak, she almost collapsed to the ground.

What's wrong with you?
Countless terrifying speculations swirled in her mind, and subconsciously, she took another step forward.

This time it was the back of the other hand, with two green mushrooms growing side by side, perfectly connected to the flesh and blood on the back of the hand.

"What on earth is this?"

In fear, Louisa retreated until she was backed against the earthen wall—the mushrooms stopped growing.

She realized she couldn't get out of here...

If she were to be killed by a single blow in battle, that would be one thing, but watching herself turn into nourishment for a mushroom like this is something Louisa simply cannot accept.

Reluctantly pulling the mushroom out again, Luisa dared not step towards the cave entrance this time.

However, staying in one place like that will probably just starve to death and become nutrients for mushrooms.

Louisa took on this mission voluntarily. Unlike some vampires who become complacent after obtaining a title, she wanted to climb higher and needed another chance to advance, as she was stuck at level 50.

She knew this mission wouldn't be easy, and she had considered all sorts of possibilities before setting off.

Whether she was discovered and killed by the human church, or she was unlucky enough to encounter a powerful figure and be instantly killed, or the Holy Scripture had already been obtained by humans and used as bait to lure and kill her.

She had imagined all sorts of ways to die, but she never thought she would be composted by a bunch of idiots!
“Say it aloud: The weather is really nice today.”

Louisa stared wide-eyed, looking around, but saw no one.

Where did the sound come from?

And what did that sentence mean? Was it "The weather is really nice"?

How could she see the weather from inside the cave?

Just as she was wondering what was going on, the voice appeared again, repeating the same words.

“Say it aloud: The weather is really nice today.”

This time, Luisa realized that the voice was coming from her head!

"Who are you? What is your purpose? Do you know what it means to imprison a vampire viscount like this?"

Louisa questioned him excitedly, but there was no response.

Suddenly, a small mushroom bloomed under her eyelid, its cap obscuring her vision in her left eye.

"Ah...ah..."

“Say it aloud: The weather is really nice today.”

The voice repeated itself for the third time, and this time Luisa opened her mouth tremblingly and said in the common language of humans, "The weather is really nice today."

"..." After a brief silence.

"I mean, in the demon language..."

A strange feeling lingered in Louisa's mind, but she no longer dared to disobey the voice.

“The weather is so nice today.” Louisa said this in the unique, scraggly syllables of the demon language.

Then the sound disappeared. Louisa didn't dare to ask any more questions. She just squatted in the corner, staring blankly at the only living thing in the burrow besides herself—the little creature, Puji, as it slowly dug in the soil.

After an unknown amount of time, just as Louisa was so hungry that her vision was becoming double, the voice appeared again.

“Say it, I am a little pig who eats rice.”

This time, Luisa read it aloud almost without thinking.

A miraculous thing happened: after she finished reading, two poop-like creatures emerged from the entrance of the burrow, carrying in a dead wolf.

With a forceful tug, the dead wolf was flung in front of her.

Monster blood, especially from dead monsters, is no less than stale pig swill to vampires; consuming it long-term will inevitably lead to extreme weakness.

But now she has no choice; even if it tastes terrible, it's better than starving to death!

Ignoring the wolf fur covering her, Louisa bit down, and the blood that flowed down her throat finally brought a glimmer of life back to her eyes.

……

Great, we have the Demon Common Language Learning Machine.

Although the Demon language doesn't seem to have any practical use right now, it's always good to be prepared. When you're alone abroad, it's always a good idea to learn a foreign language.

Her cell was dug by Lin Jun on the spot in the mushroom forest, so it could be considered an employee cell.

Lin Jun decided to dig a few more rooms as backup.

In fact, if it weren't for the mage named Hack escaping to the first floor, Lin Jun would have wanted to capture him as well.

If I pass the onboarding screening, bringing him under my wing is not out of the question.

Who would have thought that a Gold-level vampire almost accomplished something even a Diamond-level vampire couldn't—escaping the dungeon.

With a few scrolls and sheer grit, he managed to break through the encirclement despite his injuries, almost escaping.

Thanks to the light screen of the church warriors outside.

Unfortunately, because he had run to the first floor, he was in danger of being discovered by adventurers and the church who came in to investigate at any time. Lin Jun had no choice but to dismember him completely and even throw his bones to feed the slimes.

Even if he runs away, he won't reveal too many secrets. At most, Lin Jun will let Huang Pishu find another place to live, but that would be a slap in the face for him!

What will others say if they find out?
Five whole levels of Poji couldn't do anything to a single Gold-level mage. Where is the Poji's deterrent power? Won't anyone with a bit of strength try to challenge the rules in the future?

So it's just a pity.

Through this battle, Lin Jun gained a clearer understanding of the difference in strength between herself and a diamond-level opponent.

Judging from the current situation, it's unlikely that a Diamond-level player, without forming a squad and carrying full supplies, would pose much of a threat to his Puji army.

Keep in mind that Louisa drank three full bottles of high-grade magic potions, yet she still hadn't even made it a fifth of the way from the cave to the stairs.

Similarly, Lin Jun also roughly assessed the strength of the elite Puji she created—above silver level but not gold level.

Four against two, if Hack hadn't been scared away, it would have been a gold-level monster that was severely injured before all four elite Poji were wiped out.

Of course, this level of strength is sufficient for Puji's core fighting force.

Overall, it was a very fruitful experience, but it also brought some new problems.

Those church members who worshipped some Lord of Light led the adventurers to search for Louisa's whereabouts in the dungeon.

The Amethyst Dungeon is, after all, within the territory of the human race. Whether a vampire viscount is killed or imprisoned is not a big problem. However, going up against something like the Church would likely cause a lot of trouble.

Hopefully they'll be sensible and just search the outer areas; Lin Jun has no chance of agreeing to let them enter the swamp area and mushroom forest.

(End of this chapter)