This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 343, Section 342: A Fight to the Death
If one had to rank the various professions to Lin Jun's level of threat, then in his mind, spies and assassins would undoubtedly be at the very bottom, practically "harmless"!
These professions often sacrifice overall combat ability and endurance in exchange for ultimate camouflage skills and burst damage.

This makes dealing with Puji no different from delivering food to them.

In particular, Lin Jun can directly view their attribute panels and knows exactly what kind of trump cards they have hidden, which greatly reduces their threat level.

In contrast, those professions that specialize in magic are much more troublesome.

At least Lin Jun couldn't determine which spells the other party had mastered simply by looking at the magic level marked on the panel.

Therefore, when the assassin Milo suddenly realized that he was surrounded by countless invisible puffs without a sound, all his struggles were too late.

The moment the explosion rang out, Eric, the butler who was in the study of the Duke's mansion, immediately stopped what he was doing and checked on Inanna's safety.

He then quickly led his team to the scene.

"It seems that the 'explosive magic circle' set up at the edge of the woods was triggered, and the intruder died on the spot," the manor guard captain, who had arrived earlier, reported in a deep voice.

The remaining items on Milo's body were quickly collected: several poisoned daggers, broken potion bottles, a protective pendant that provided attribute bonuses, a magic gem that could instantly summon dense fog, and... a few delicate and beautiful Dream Flowers.

His identity as a wanted criminal and assassin was quickly verified.

Even more disturbingly, investigators found footprints of another person fleeing nearby.

Unfortunately, the trail of footprints mysteriously ended somewhere, and all clues were cut off.

Eric's face was grim. He quickly dispatched more people to comprehensively strengthen the defense level of the Duke's mansion, while personally going to the warehouse to take inventory.

Nearly half of the stock of Dream Flower has disappeared without a trace!
There are many suspicious points in this matter.

He didn't know how the other party had done it, but the word "traitor" popped into Eric's mind.

And why the Dream Flower?
Eric planned to first screen people he could completely trust to ensure the young lady's safety, and then use the instruments in the mansion to check Inanna's condition.

To avoid a situation where the woman herself is unaware that she has been infected!

Thinking of the worst possibility, Eric, unusually, prayed softly, "Lord of Light Ixion, please protect me, and do not let the tragedy of the lady be repeated on the young lady!"

……

A simple frame-up—it just doesn't make any sense!

But that's alright, it's enough as a means of confusing the public.

As for the vampire viscount who fled in panic, he was easily captured by Aidin, who had been lying in ambush, along with the Puji.

Giving a master illusionist like Aidin ample time to prepare, it wouldn't be difficult to subdue a vampire whose mind is in turmoil without making a sound.

Having finally caught another vampire, Lin Jun could finally put her long-held question, "What would happen if a vampire used photosynthesis to sunbathe?" into practice!
……

In the Duke's palace.

Inanna leaned against the window, watching the guards below suddenly become busier and more vigilant, a hint of worry on her face: "Boss, does this mean it won't be convenient to go to the warehouse to get the Dream Flower anymore?"

"It's okay, it's not needed anymore!"

Yes, it's no longer needed!

[Spiritual Guidance LV7]

My proficiency level was finally maxed out, and I completed the crucial promotion.

Lin Jun couldn't wait to smash that hard "turtle shell" on the other side during tonight's "date"!

If even LV7 cannot break through the eggshell, it is obviously impossible to reach LV8 in the short term. Even after consuming all the remaining Dream Flowers in the warehouse, it will not be possible to reach that level.

Therefore, the remaining Dream Flowers are no longer important.

Listening to her boss envisioning the wonderful scenes of tonight, Inanna felt an indescribable sense of security enveloping her.

In fact, ever since the secret network of fungal carpets was successfully laid in the area surrounding the Duke's mansion, this omnipresent sense of security has never left her.

Even after learning that a professional assassin was targeting her, she felt no fear whatsoever.

The Puji were all around her, and the leader was always watching over her. She was no longer alone in facing the world.

There's nothing left to be afraid of!
However, compared to the fact that someone wanted to assassinate her, there was another thing that bothered Inanna even more.

It is those Puji masters, those people whose faces are covered with glistening white mycelium and who have a deep symbiosis with Puji and fungal carpets.

She envied their situation, or even felt jealous!
That feeling of being closely connected with the mycelium, becoming an extension of it!
Deep down, she longed to merge with the warm mycelium and gain that complete sense of belonging and connection.

Unfortunately, when she tentatively brought up the idea, the boss rejected it without hesitation.

She understood that this was largely because her status as a duke's daughter was too sensitive and could bring unforeseen trouble.

But even though she understood, the feeling of being excluded, the resentment of watching others possess what she desperately desired... still quietly spread in her heart.

……

Meanwhile, the scarlet spire.

The sorcerer Margas coughed violently, his pale fingers trembling as he pointed to two enormous, dazzlingly complex magic circles on the ground, which constantly emitted a dense aura of darkness.

"My lord, this... cough cough cough... this is... cough... the solution I found." His voice was weak and hoarse, as if every word he spoke was consuming his last remaining life force.

Sigismund's icy gaze swept over the two magic circles, his voice devoid of emotion: "Go on."

“The one on the left,” Margas said, barely suppressing a cough, pointing to the magic circle with its more grotesque patterns and a vortex seemingly devouring light at its center, “can forcibly open a trap on the outer barrier of your dream, leading straight to the bottom of the abyss. Once that being touches it, the power of the abyss will utterly destroy it!”

"And what's the price?" Sigismund knew that none of the abyssal magic was any good.

As expected, Margas said with a hint of fear, "The Abyss... is unknown and terrifying. This trap harms both you and your enemies simultaneously. Although the ritual will prepare a large number of slaves as substitutes to try to absorb the backlash for you, it is still being performed within your consciousness... The abyssal aura emanating from it is equally dangerous..."

"Get to the conclusion," Sigismund interrupted impatiently.

There's a 30% chance... you'll die together with the enemy...

"What about the remaining 70%?"

"The rest... naturally, is damage to your consciousness, but it can be slowly restored. As for the other party's spirit, it will be completely torn apart and annihilated by the abyss, never to be reborn!"

Sigismund nodded expressionlessly, then turned his gaze to another relatively "calm" magic circle, but with equally bizarre and complex patterns: "What about this one?"

"This is a relatively... safe method. It can forcibly tear your soul apart, severing the connection with 'Dream' at the cost of sacrificing a portion of your soul."

Sigismund let out a disdainful snort.

Although he was not a mage specializing in the soul realm, as a high-ranking vampire, he naturally had a considerable understanding of the soul.

Tearing apart the soul? Easier said than done!
If this were to actually be done, the consequences would be far more than just a permanent decline in strength.

His mind could very well be damaged as a result. Becoming neurotic or paranoid would be the best-case scenario. In more serious cases, he could become a mere shell without any sense of self, which is not without precedent.

One of the dukes went mad because of this...

Moreover, this is purely a cowardly means of escapism.

The despicable guy who drove him to such a miserable state will not suffer any real harm as a result.

Sigismund could never accept such a weak, almost self-destructive plan to prolong his life!
In contrast, the first plan, although extremely risky and almost a gamble with one's life, could effectively destroy the enemy, which was more in line with his character.

"Go prepare the prisoners!" Sigismund made the decision.

After Margas left, Sigismund summoned his adjutant and whispered, "If anything happens to me tonight... kill Margas!"

He then adjusted the military deployment around the Scarlet Spire to guard against the recently restless Duke of Alama.

After arranging everything, he walked back alone and silently gazed at the massive abyss array beneath his feet that would soon bear the weight of his destiny.

A crimson light danced in his pupils.

"To think I was forced to risk my life..." His low mutterings echoed in the empty hall. "What a pity, I still don't know who you are, and later... I'm afraid I'll never find out..."

　It's time for Meimei's book recommendation segment again!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)