This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 180, 179. utterly vulnerable.

Keith?

Unintentional?

Mind control?

These beetles, covered in carapaces and moving swiftly, actually belong to the same species as that deep and eerie eye worm?

The six-clawed stealth monster from before also had purple blood, so that thing was also a Keith?

This was the first time Lin Jun had ever seen individuals of the same race with such a large difference in appearance.

As for "unintentional" and "mental control," does that mean these guys are controlled by some entity?
Just like controlling Puji yourself?
It feels somewhat similar yet different; after all, judging from the words, the other party seems to be using some kind of mind control technique.

Thinking about this, Lin Jun was already starting to feel hungry.

However, they still needed to deal with the insects first. Every single one of the Puji who entered the snake pit was attacked by the swarm of beetles.

The reason the basilisk was able to hold out against the expedition for so long was because it used the various holes it had drilled to create, employing the terrain to wage a meat grinder-like battle against the Puji.

These beetles now move freely through the network of holes, even more agile and swift than the basilisks of the past.

The Puji who entered the snake pit were caught in a fierce battle.

More than two hundred Puji fought back with the help of mushroom cannons and self-destruction, but the number of beetles was simply too great, and their attacks were relentless.

They were numerous, charging forward despite the attacks from the puffy creatures, tearing open the puffy creatures' soft bodies with their head pincers.

Lin Jun also experienced what it's like to be overwhelmed by a "human wave" tactic.

The sounds of resistance, muffled explosions, and the hissing of beetles rubbing their shells together in the cave eventually faded into silence.

The battle ended faster than expected.

Those dead Puji will be broken into small pieces by the beetles and carried away to who knows where.

However, it seems that more than two hundred Puji are still not enough to satisfy their appetite.

The next moment, they burst out of the snake pit like a black torrent bursting its banks!
Perhaps it's relying on the ability to "invisibly refract light"?
Unfortunately, Lin Jun had already switched to the perspective of [Magic Perception], and could see the location of every single insect clearly.

Moreover, once outside the snake pit, without the advantage of terrain, how could they launch a frontal assault against the ranged attackers?
Under Lin Jun's command, the Puji launched a saturation attack on the charging insects.

The momentum of the charge was abruptly halted; the swarm, under the onslaught of ranged fire, seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall of death.

In just a few minutes, the once raging torrent was reduced to shattered carapaces and flowing purple blood by the efficient bombardment of the Puji.

Their result was zero.

Louisa moved her fingers, and a large amount of purple blood was collected by her.

Each beetle has a small amount of blood, but it adds up.

Louisa uses this blood as a means of attack; she definitely can't eat it.

Even among monsters, this purple blood is considered one of the most unpalatable.

The number of beetles was still enormous, but after witnessing the first wave of attackers turn to dust, the remaining beetles immediately retreated like a tide, all shrinking back into the deep holes of the snake pit.

The response was swift and orderly, clearly indicating unified command.

Puji was unable to penetrate the narrow and complex snake pit, and the beetle was afraid of the deadly firepower outside the pit. The situation seemed to have reached a stalemate.

How could that be? Who's going to have a stalemate with these bugs!

The hallucinogenic puffy, covered in a chitinous shell, stepped out and slowly approached the cave entrance, pouring pale purple spore smoke with a strange, sweet, and fishy smell into every crevice and passageway that insects could pass through.

Lin Jun had already checked the panel; apart from [Cold Resistance], these beetles had pitifully low resistances in all other areas, making it impossible for them to survive for long in the poisonous fog.

Because they had to wait for the hallucinogenic spores to fill the various holes, the Pujis didn't move very fast, but the effects were immediate. As the spore mist spread through the labyrinthine snake den, more and more beetles fell into an irresistible deep coma.

Occasionally, a few beetles located deeper in the passage would attempt a desperate attack, but they would often stagger and fall to the ground in the increasingly dense purple mist after only a few steps, completely losing consciousness.

Once the right method is found, these insects are no match for you.

As Lin Jun advanced, she mercilessly crushed the unconscious beetles.

Since each Puji can only spray a limited number of spores, Lin Jun paused slightly when she was halfway through.

We will only continue until the newly replenished hallucinogenic puffs arrive.

The entire planning process was expected to take only about a day.

However, in reality, the battle had already ended there.

Even before the new batch of hallucinogenic pugs were fully deployed, the remaining swarm of insects decisively chose to retreat under the oppressive pressure of the pervasive poisonous fog.

They abandoned the snake den and scattered like the receding tide along the intricate network of passageways.

All of this was done under Lin Jun's surveillance.

Lin Jun had no interest in the beetles that scattered and fled; his attention was focused on the special eye worm from beginning to end!

Lin Jun watched as it chose a specific fork in the chaotic torrent of insects, silently slipped into it, and finally disappeared completely from the edge of her perception range.

Lin Jun silently etched the location of that passage in her mind.

Not all the beetles escaped; some, trapped in dead ends, fell into chaos after the euglena left.

It wandered around aimlessly and was quickly knocked unconscious by the hallucinogenic spores.

The "Mind Control" option on their panels has now disappeared.

It seems that the other party did indeed control these beetles through euglena.

The Puji quickly cleared out the snake cave, which had long been devoid of snake monsters.

Lin Jun plans to bring over some burrowing machines later to modify the snake den.

This includes smashing down useless, vulnerable small holes; widening main passages to accommodate the deployment of the Puji swarm; and building firepower platforms at key nodes.

We will develop this place into an advance base.

The terrain here is different from other caves; if used properly, it's no different from a fortress.

As for what happens next.

Lin Jun told the little pig to rest for a day or two until the snake cave fungal carpet was laid out, and then continue the great expedition downwards.

As for Qisi, Lin Jun planned to personally control Puji to search for him.

After all, there are no other suitable candidates to investigate them. Aidin is suitable, but we can't retrieve him at the moment.

A guy who can mind control hordes of monsters.

Lin Jun doesn't yet know whether the other party is human, demon, or monster, but the two consecutive encounters indicate that the two are not too far apart.

And the other side has shown enough threat; even ignoring those six-clawed monsters, just look at this swarm of beetles.

If they suddenly attack a cave, ten cave dwellers with over a hundred Puji would definitely not be able to defend it.

In other words, they have the ability to cut off their own supply lines and possess considerable intelligence.
Lin Jun wasn't comfortable letting them roam around the fungal carpet like that.

Investigate and see if you can eliminate it; if not, at least block it.

Come to think of it, humans seem to see themselves in the same way?
(End of this chapter)