This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 320, Section 319: Sigismund
When the Puji army, representing Lin Jun's spiritual strength, joined the battlefield, the situation instantly reversed.

The battle line was quickly pushed back from the narrow cave entrance to the outer edge of the entire forest, and then a fierce stalemate ensued.

Explosions and the sounds of tearing and biting echoed everywhere. Puji and the wolves fought and died constantly, but neither could completely eliminate the other.

This does not mean that the true soul power of the two is at the same level; it simply means that the power that can be projected into Pinkpuji's dream is limited.

For Lin Jun, [Mental Guidance LV5] is like a thin pipe; even if he possesses a reservoir of mental power, he can only slowly transmit it through this pipe.

If this were on his own turf, he could easily crush the spiritual energy his opponent was currently radiating.

Of course, having a large total volume is not without its advantages.

The war of attrition has thus begun. Even if the loss of soul power were ten times more severe, it would be insignificant to Lin Jun. I wonder if it would be equally easy for the other side.
Since it was a matter of attrition, Lin Jun simply blocked Inanna and all her Puji, which represented her mental defenses, deep inside the cave, preventing them from intervening.

The entire dream ended slowly with a scene of wolf carcasses and the remains of Puji scattered throughout the forest.

……

"Boss... I had another nightmare." The next morning, Inanna said, still a little dazed, after waking up.

"How do you feel? Tired?"

After being asked this question, Inanna realized that her mental state was significantly better than after her last nightmare: "It seems... okay? Not so bad."

She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Those Puji who came to help in the dream later... were they brought by you, Boss?"

"That's it."

"What's going on?"

"Simply put, someone wants to harm you in your dreams," Lin Jun said casually. "But don't worry, I tested it last night, and the other side's skill level isn't that high. With me protecting you, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Hearing her boss's words and recalling the timely reinforcements in her dream, Inanna breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then became worried again: "Boss... won't you get hurt?"

Lin Jun thought for a moment, and figured that a "scratched skin" on a mental level probably didn't count as an injury.

"No. But if they don't stop, your dreams will probably be like this for the rest of your life."

Hearing that her eldest son was alright, Inanna finally felt relieved, but a new question arose in her mind: "But... who wanted to harm me? And who even killed my mother..."

"I don't know about that," Lin Jun casually analyzed. "Maybe it's related to your identity, like being your father's enemy or something?"

Inanna nodded, but her face was still full of confusion, as if she had no clue what to do.

"Oh right, I remember you had a lot of Dream Flowers at home?"

……

Deep within the crimson spires that stand in stark contrast to the Duke of Alama's high fortress.

Inside a dark, sealed hall, where not a ray of light could penetrate, the black light swirling around the massive magic circle had not yet completely dissipated. At each of the six nodes surrounding the magic circle lay six humans, tightly bound.

Their chests were still rising and falling slightly, but their eyes were empty and lifeless, as if their souls had been emptied out, leaving only a dying shell.

In the center of the magic circle, a pitch-black coffin was slowly pushed open. The vampire duke Sigismund, dressed in a black suit, sat up from within, a hint of doubt on his pale face.

Hearing the sound of the coffin, Margas, who had been waiting quietly outside the door, entered silently: "Duke Sigismund, is it going well?"

Margas was not a vampire, yet he was also deathly pale.

He paid a considerable price to extend the contract held by the Duke of Sigismund, which belonged to the Duke of Alama's wife, to her daughter.

Such is the nature of abyssal magic: it is incredibly powerful, unpredictable, and difficult to defend against, but it also comes with enormous costs or risks. It is no exaggeration to say that it harms the user before harming others.

Sigismund glanced indifferently at the six "consumables" around him whose minds were completely shattered. With a wave of his hand, he extracted their blood, turning them into withered corpses, squeezing out their last bit of value.

"It's not going very smoothly; we've encountered new obstacles."

"Is it that dream potion made with the Dream Flower?" Margas seemed somewhat surprised. "The intelligence clearly stated that the little girl did not stay in the Duke's mansion... How could they react so quickly?"

Sigismund shook his head: "No...it doesn't seem like a dream."

The Dream Potion can construct layers of beautiful dreams for the user, like layers of shells, slowing down the speed at which the user's dreams are eroded by "other dreams".

But recalling those sudden bursts of energy, it felt more like they had taken some kind of mental potion.

Upon hearing the Duke's description, Margas remained unconcerned: "My lord, no matter what kind of spirit-enhancing potion one takes, it is not suitable for long-term use. Besides, what she is ultimately consuming is her own spirit, while what you are consuming are merely some captives. Once the connection of 'Dream' is formed, it will never be broken; she cannot escape your grasp."

Sigismund was aware of what Margas was saying, but he was not satisfied: "Of course I know she can't escape in the end, but I don't have much time to slowly wear her down. That idiot Xenophon, how many times have I reminded him not to engage in any one-on-one duels, but he went his own way and almost got killed by the human sword saint on the battlefield. Now that the western front has stalled, His Majesty has repeatedly urged me to intensify the offensive on High Castle."

"My lord, didn't His Majesty also send Duke Eleanor to assist you?"

“Eleanor?” Sigismund scoffed. “All she’s good at is raising a few blood beasts. On the battlefield, as long as she doesn’t hold us back or stab us in the back, she’s a huge help. Expecting to join forces with her to break through Alama’s High Fortress head-on? That’s wishful thinking!”

In particular, Sigismund's relationship with Eleanor is not good.

“Margas, I know you’ve already paid a heavy price, but things must come to an end,” Sigismund said gravely. “If we can’t shorten the time we’ve been controlling her, all of this is meaningless, do you understand?”

"Understood..." Margas's tone revealed helplessness, clearly indicating that he would have to do more in the future.

Sigismund patted him on the shoulder, a hint of seduction in his voice: "Don't worry, after it's done, I will personally petition His Majesty for credit on your behalf and request the Book of Miracles. With it, your abyss magic... might truly reach its pinnacle."

Finally, he added, "You know I won't go back on my word, just like last time."

Margas bowed his head deeply: "Yes, sir! I will do my utmost!"

(End of this chapter)