This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 174, Section 173: How about finding some outside help?

The atmosphere in the Adventurers' Guild's council chamber was heavy.

It's still the same "4+1" core members: Far, Solalin, Fifteen, Aidin, and Lillian standing behind Far.

Solalyn clenched her fists, her knuckles turning slightly white, and spoke first, her voice low and self-reproachful: "It's my fault. When we encountered unexpected casualties on the second floor, I should have been alert to the situation getting out of control and immediately led the team to retreat. It was my underestimation of the enemy and my recklessness that led to this disastrous defeat."

Fifteen then spoke, his tone tinged with barely concealed regret: "The responsibility lies with me. I had the opportunity to kill that 'King of Puji,' but I failed to seize it and let it escape."

Aiding's gaze swept over the two of them, wondering if he should also make a token apology.
But upon closer reflection, aside from running faster than others during the rout... it seems like he didn't make any fatal mistakes?
He ultimately remained silent.

“Sigh,” Far raised his hand, stopping the two from their self-criticism, “the root cause lies in my misjudgment. The enormous number of over two thousand Puji, the Puji King with diamond-level strength, plus the meticulously laid ambush and traps… these far exceeded my initial estimates.”

He looked around at everyone and admitted, "I was too hasty. I hastily made a plan based on false or outdated information, which led to this defeat. The primary responsibility lies with me."

"And then...?" Aiding asked tentatively.

"Re-collect and reorganize intelligence, and formulate a new plan for the campaign," Far replied decisively.

At this moment, Lillian, standing behind Aidin, spoke softly, with a hint of doubt: "Can't we... try negotiating with them and seeking peaceful coexistence? Since they possess considerable intelligence, they should be able to communicate through 'telepathy,' right? Puji released everyone this time, so why not try to communicate?"

Farr turned his gaze to Lillian, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including understanding, but also an unwavering sense of reality: "Unfortunately, Lillian, this won't work."

His voice was clear and calm, dissecting the situation meticulously:

"The Amethyst Dungeon is not some insignificant isolated island that can be occupied and then reclaimed."

It is a source of various resources, including magic crystals, medicinal herbs, and monster materials...

These Puji don't just occupy one floor; they've invaded the entire dungeon and are still spreading!
If left unchecked, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Even setting aside the issue of resource output—

Faldon paused, then emphasized, "This place is located in the rear of the United Kingdom! Now the friction with the Hermit Empire is intensifying, and war could break out any day. If we don't deal with these troubles before then, they will become a huge destabilizing factor after the war begins."

He looked directly at Lillian and delivered a cold conclusion: "Unless that King of Puji comes out of the dungeon right now and places itself under human control, we will have to find a way to deal with it. Do you think a monster leader who has just defeated the human extermination team and demonstrated great strength and intelligence will accept such humiliating conditions?"

Lillian remained silent for a moment, then gently shook her head.

Having just achieved victory, they immediately surrendered unconditionally?
That's really unlikely.

“Yes, absolutely not.” Far’s voice was resolute. “Therefore, any communication now is superfluous. We can talk about it after we defeat it!”

Solalyn nodded silently. Although Puji had just spared her life, the reality was much more complicated.

She is first and foremost the sharpest sword of the church, her cold duty always taking precedence over personal feelings.

All I can say is that if the King of Puji ends up in her hands, she will try her best to give it a chance to choose, rather than killing it outright...

She immediately raised the most pressing issue: "But we simply don't have enough manpower to support a new round of attacks, do we?"

Adventurers can no longer be relied upon in terms of ordinary combat strength. Even with high bounties, few people would be willing to undertake such grueling missions where the death and serious injury rate exceeds one-third.

Issuing more guild quests will only make things awkward for you.

In terms of high-end combat power, Puji's terrifying strength is truly chilling.

Even with the addition of the maid Lillian, their strength was woefully inadequate against the diamond-level Puji King and his massive army of mycelium.

Far was well aware of this: "So I'll wait until the 'expert' team arrives at the core before taking any action. Until then, I'll try to recruit a few more diamond-level adventurers through special channels." "Um..." Aidin suddenly spoke up, carefully choosing his words before suggesting, "Why not consider seeking more outside help?"

"Foreign aid?" Far's gaze instinctively shifted to Soralin. The church was the most important foreign aid in this operation, but—

Solalyn shook her head slightly, her tone apologetic: "I'm afraid that won't work. The Church's core resources are currently focused on hunting down Imperial spies, and we are simply unable to spare the time."

Aidin: "I'm not referring to the Church, but to Duke Alama and the St. Clair family. The Amethyst Dungeon is located on their territory. Although it's under the Guild's jurisdiction, if something goes wrong with the dungeon and causes catastrophic consequences, their territory will be the first to suffer! Why not seek some support from them?"

Far sighed softly, “That makes sense. But Duke Alama is personally leading the main force to confront the Hermit Empire on the border. The forces left behind in the rear of the fiefdom are probably just as mired in the quagmire of espionage and extermination as the Church. It’s hard to say whether they can spare any manpower to help us.”

Aiding stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of unwavering certainty: "To be honest, I do have some connection with the Duke's only daughter. I can send her a letter, and if it works out, it would be a pleasant surprise; even if it doesn't, we won't suffer any loss."

"Know the Duke's daughter?" Far's eyes flashed as he murmured.

That's not entirely impossible.

Aiding's usual refined aristocratic demeanor was not unfounded.

Farr knew that he was a true nobleman—albeit a viscount who had long since fallen from grace and lost his fiefdom.

However, it is not unreasonable for a diamond-level adventurer and nobleman to meet a duke's daughter at a social event.

Ultimately, as Aidin said, if a letter could secure even a single troop of soldiers from the Duke's forces, it would be a profitable deal.

If it sinks into the sea, there will be no cost.

“Very well!” Farr decided immediately. “Then I’ll trouble Lord Aidin to send a letter on my behalf. If things go well, I will certainly repay you!”
-
[Level Up: LV56 → LV57]

[Seven Sins of Greed Trigger]

[Plunder Skill: Sacred Barrier LV2]

[Plunder Skill: Heavy Armor Mastery LV4→LV5]

[Plunder Skill: Light Magic LV3→LV4]

[Plundering Skill: Human Common Language LV8 → LV9]

……

……

……

On the sixth floor of the underground city, a certain green mushroom was reviewing its plan.

If things go well this time, we might be able to expand smoothly to the surface.

Although the main objective now remains to capture the core of the dungeon.

But... what if it fails?

What if this dungeon is already terminally ill, and even the core cannot save it?

Before considering victory, consider defeat; it's always good to have multiple options for yourself!
(End of this chapter)