This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 157 156. The enemy is at the gates.
The scouts quietly retreated without alerting the cave dwellers.

Now that we know the location of the nest, we're not afraid they'll run away.

Since this scout Puji is controlled through [Family Control], it cannot directly connect to the fungal network that may or may not still exist. Lin Jun still plans to spread the fungal carpet over first.

Even the strategy for conquering the front lines can be put on hold for now.

……

"What? Withdraw the troops!?"

Louisa, who had just blasted a snake's head off with a blood spike, could hardly believe the orders she had received.

This snake cave is teeming with snake monsters, but the terrain is narrow and complex, preventing the Puji army from using its most proficient long-range firepower to suppress them.

Almost every step forward in the snake pit resulted in some casualties.

In addition, the number of expeditionary forces has been reduced by half, so the progress is very slow, but they are now close to reaching their core area.

"Boss, we're almost at their nest!"

Once the baby snakes in the nest are eliminated, they will no longer be able to replenish their numbers.

Retreating now is tantamount to giving up all the territory we've already occupied; all that work these past few days has been for nothing!

It wasn't that Louisa was particularly loyal to the mushroom farm; if the blood essence of each of those young snakes could be extracted, it would make a decent wild delicacy.

"How much longer?"

"Two more days will be enough!"

"It's been too long, things here are more important." After saying that, Lin Jun looked away.

Louisa frowned, reached out and grabbed a venomous snake that had just crawled out of a small hole, and crushed it to death.

He glanced reluctantly at the forked snake pit ahead, then turned and retreated—the boss's orders were absolute.

……

Compared to the Great Expedition where you can fight monsters and drink blood from time to time, the job of spreading fungal carpets in the cave dwellers' hometown is much more boring.

Because it was laid along the "safe passage" discovered by the cave dwellers, there were very few enemies, mostly just wandering, lone monsters.

So Louisa seemed listless the whole way.

Although there are still blood bags in stock, they're not fresh enough... and not potent enough...

After feasting for so many days, Louisa could no longer accept the blood she ate the next day.

The food was secondary; the key issue was that the Holy Scripture was also involved in this operation…

Although she always referred to it as the Holy Scripture, Louisa's understanding of the Holy Scripture came entirely from her missions.

However, it is not hard to see from the secretive attitude of those demons who clearly know more about the inside story towards the Holy Scripture that everyone is deeply wary of this evil book.

The boss actually let a tailless lizardman hold this book so casually, that's dangerous!

In Louisa's opinion, the holy book should be sealed away, or even more extreme, thrown into the cracks that are everywhere in the vicinity.

As for working with the Holy Scriptures?
It really made her uneasy.

Louisa was wary of the Holy Scripture, and the Holy Scripture itself disliked her.

[Little Norris, don't stand so close to this female troll]
[Be careful, she might suddenly go berserk and drain you dry]
[My book won't be enough to save you then.]
"Senior... if you don't intervene, she shouldn't go berserk, right..."

Having spent so much time together, Norris was familiar with the Yellow Book's standard procedures.

Unexpectedly, the Yellow Book suddenly became aggrieved.

How could I possibly influence her?
Look at me, I'm so thin!
[It's almost become a useless book.]
[My life is miserable, little Norris!]
Norris felt the yellow book in his hand was noticeably lighter, and he didn't know what to say.

The Yellow Book seems to be in a really bad situation, but it also seems like it brought it on itself...

Seeing her subordinates getting along so harmoniously, Lin Jun felt deeply gratified.

The fact that Lin Jun invited them all this time shows how much she values ​​the cave dwellers.

Louisa was used for a direct assault, while Yellow Book and Norris were responsible for capturing any cavemen who might try to escape through other passages.

Of course, it doesn't mean that violence must be used. If cave dwellers can bow down and worship, Lin Jun is happy to save a step.

However, Lin Jun also noticed that apart from the honest Norris, the other two of her subordinates weren't very enthusiastic about the mission and needed some incentive. So, when they finally reached the vicinity of the old mushroom garden and sensed the still-active fungal carpet behind the living wood castle, Lin Jun made a promise.

"Louise, if you do a good job this time, I'll let you suck a few of them dry."

"If the Yellow Book can guarantee that no one escapes, I'll also give you two of the caveman's souls."

"!!!"

[! ! ! ]
The power of blood surged around Louisa as she began to take stock of the elite Puji under her control.

The words in the yellow book appeared in rows, all instructing Norris on what to do in a moment.

Looking at the team full of enthusiasm, Lin Jun suddenly felt that her team was quite efficient in utilizing the enemy.

Louisa drew blood, the Yellow Book drew souls, but Norris refused to eat the flesh of the cavemen in human form…

There were considerations behind agreeing to let the Yellow Book absorb two souls.

The yellow book replenishes its pages by consuming souls, but loses its soul when its pages are torn out.

Since you tore so many last time, patching it up with two more won't hurt.

We still need to give the Yellow Book some hope, lest it keep trying to fool Norris all the time.

As for the potential threats caused by consuming too many souls?
We'll just tear it apart again whenever we find something to use against it...

As for why Lin Jun was willing to give up several precious cave dwellers for them to wreak havoc?

Lin Jun didn't know when the cave dwellers had taken over the place, but it was clear that the mushrooms in the old mushroom garden hadn't gone extinct when they arrived.

The remaining mushrooms were preserved and even cultivated by the cavemen as a stable food source.

At this moment, as Lin Jun's fungal mats approached, these fungal mats, which originally belonged to Lin Jun, naturally became part of the fungal network.

This also opened up Lin Jun's view of the interior of the Living Wood Fortress.

Inside, Lin Jun discovered a group of cave dwellers who were of no use.

They are fat and big-eared, with broad and plump bodies, raised like pigs, and clearly unsuitable for work.

If you want them to command Puji, do you really need to send out four of them to carry it around?

To be honest, Lin Jun didn't quite understand.

Given the harsh conditions in the Deep Zone, even if the cave dwellers practiced slavery, their leaders shouldn't be this fat; they should at least have the strength to face challengers.

But the fact is, there are not only such fat people, but several of them, which is really strange.

But there's no point in thinking about it too much. It's just a snack for Louisa and Yellow Book anyway. Hopefully, they won't complain about the oiliness.

……

When the three generals under the mushroom led the Puji army close to the cave dwellers' lair, they were already prepared.

In fact, cave dwellers came to scout the area when the fungal carpet was halfway laid out, and were subsequently captured by Lin Jun.

As a relatively organized tribe, they naturally understood that danger was approaching when their scouts went and never returned.

At this moment, the number of traps in the passage has increased many times compared to the last time.

Groups of cave dwellers, gripping spears or stones, stood densely packed inside and outside the exit of the living log, holding their breath in anticipation.

However, when the army of Puji appeared before them, the cave dwellers' composure faltered instantly—there were simply too many of them!

They couldn't sense the extent of Luisa's strength, but the number of Puji was clearly discernible.

The overseer used vines to whip the cave dwellers who cowered and retreated, barely managing to quell the commotion, but their trembling hands and feet betrayed their inner fear.

Lin Jun was no barbarian. Faced with cave dwellers, who were also an intelligent race, even though they were so ignorant, Lin Jun still chose to be polite first and then use force.

The line of people split up on both sides, making way for each other.

A caveman scout covered in mushrooms staggered out and roared towards the caveman camp.

The language of cave dwellers is simple and primitive. Although this cave dweller roared for a long time, the meaning it expressed was very brief—surrender, or death!
　There's another chapter coming late at night.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)