This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 393, Section 392: Cults
In the northern suburbs of Mushroom Capital, Solalin led her team into an abandoned village.

Thick dust covered everything, and spider webs trembled in the wind under the eaves, but the structures of most of the wooden houses were still intact.

After all, the villagers had only left in the last few months.

With the rise of the new city, the nearest villages naturally bore the brunt, with entire villages relocating and leaving only empty houses to quietly decay.

Following the clue of "northern ruins" provided by the blacksmith, this is the place that fits the description.

Further away, in places that match the description, the distance is beyond what an average person could reach on foot in a day.

The team searched the entire village thoroughly, but found nothing.

This place is indeed abandoned, and there is no trace of any human activity.

The several cellars that were discovered were ordinary cellars used by villagers to store grain, and they had long been emptied.

It seems like another futile search.

Everyone was somewhat prepared for this, since the clue came from the blacksmith's drunken ramblings, and it was impossible to even confirm whether the missing person had actually been there. Finding no clues was the norm.

But Solalyn still dutifully inspected each cellar herself.

Just as the team was preparing to evacuate, she suddenly raised her hand to signal a halt, then turned around and crawled back into one of the cellars.

Standing in this seemingly ordinary underground space, Solalyn felt that something was not quite right.

When she noticed the lone mushroom in the corner, it suddenly dawned on her: "A mushroom! That's right! This place has been abandoned for so long, why aren't there mushrooms everywhere like in the other cellars? There's only one!"

She carefully inspected every corner and, after confirming that there were no hidden fungal mats, finally stopped hesitating.

"Everywhere you go, you leave a trace!"

With the activation of the [Vision of Truth], a silver tinge appeared in Solalyn's eyes.

What came into view was a mess of footprints on the ground, and a dark blue ritual circle that, though faded, was still recognizable!

Solalyn immediately summoned the assistant sent by Far: "Go and inform Far that I need reinforcements. I will also request support from the church."

"Lady Solalyn, what have you discovered?" the assistant asked.

“I’ve seen this color before; it’s from a cult,” her voice was grave. “The Hand of the Dead!”

……

Meanwhile, seeing that Vera and his group of four had entered the farm first, Edin and Norris could only remain still and hide in the woods outside the farm to observe what would happen.

Vera's team was commissioned by a tall, thin man named Barton.

Barton and his team had collaborated several times before with relatively pleasant results, but this time the other party took the initiative to approach Vera and his team.

Barton, a close friend of the farm's original owner, said to Vera with concern, "My friend has longed to own his own farm for a long time, and now that his dream has finally come true, there's no reason for him to suddenly sell it without incurring any losses! Besides, I can't contact him at all. I've tried several times to ask the new owners about the situation, but they've all rudely turned me away. Please, come with me inside. I just want to get to the bottom of this in person, and I promise I won't let you do anything illegal."

The task was not difficult, and the pay was good. It was also commissioned by a former employer, so Vera had no reason to refuse.

The group entered the farm, where everything seemed normal. Many mushroom farmers were busy moving the harvested mushrooms into the warehouse.

Inside the large house on the farm, they met a well-dressed middle-aged man, Gavin, who was the new farm owner.

Gavin had a stern face, clearly not welcoming Vera and his group.

"What can I do for you, gentlemen? We're busy right now and can't receive unauthorized visitors." Gavin's tone was calm, but his words carried a clear message of dismissal.

Barton immediately stepped forward, excitedly saying, "Mr. Gavin! I just want to ask, why did my friend sell the farm? Where is he now? Why can't I contact him?"

Gavin remained polite: "Mr. Barton, the transaction procedures are clear at the City Lord's Mansion. If you have any questions, you can apply to check them yourself. As for where your friend went afterward, that's none of my business. Please leave."

Just as Barton and Gavin were arguing, the elf Cyril approached Vera discreetly and whispered in a very low voice, "Vera, something's wrong. Those 'mushroom farmers' around here, I can sense that their life force is definitely beyond the standard of ordinary people."

Vera glanced around, thought for a moment, then put on a helpless expression, pulled the agitated Barton back, and tried to ease the tension: "Mr. Barton, you see, Mr. Gavin also said that the paperwork is complete. Perhaps your friend just doesn't want to be disturbed? It's really not appropriate for us to keep pressing him like this, so why don't we go back first?"

Gavin added, "Yeah, who knows, he might be living it up in the archipelago by now? Instead of going to find him, you keep causing me trouble, which is giving me a real headache!"

Barton, who was being pulled along by Vera, didn't understand the look Vera was giving him. Instead, he asked, "Go to the archipelago? Why do you say that?"

"Just an example. I have no idea whether I actually went or not," Gavin explained casually.

Barton suddenly shook off Vera's hand, pointed at Gavin and shouted, "Impossible! He can't stand the sea breeze at all. He gets red spots all over his body as soon as he gets close to the sea. There's no way he's planning to go to the archipelago! He's such a big mouth and he likes to talk about these things to everyone he meets. Since you bought the farm that he cherishes as his life from him, how could you not have heard him talk about these things?"

Vera: "Pig..."

After Barton finished yelling, the atmosphere in the farm instantly froze.

The evidence was insufficient, but Gavin's smile had vanished completely, replaced by a sinister look.

He had already realized that Patton wouldn't give up easily.

“This is just nonsense. It seems that a gentle request for them to leave won’t work,” Gavin said coldly, taking a step back and gesturing at the same time.

The mushroom farmers who had been busy or watching the commotion immediately stood up straight, their eyes turning fierce. They swiftly drew hidden swords from various corners of the room, their movements swift and unified, instantly surrounding Vera and his three companions, as well as Barton, blocking all their escape routes.

Not only that, but there were also magical fluctuations coming from among the mushroom farmers, which clearly indicated that there were even mages among them, and they were not ordinary people at all!

Gavin, however, had somehow acquired a pair of claws: "Since you refuse to leave obediently, then let me send you away... away forever."

Barton's mouth dropped open. He had thought it would be at most a forced sale, but the situation seemed to be much bigger than he had imagined.
Barton stood frozen in place, completely bewildered, forgetting to dodge even as Gavin's grappling hook came at him.

Vera grabbed Barton and pulled him behind him; at this point, he no longer cared about complaining about his terrible employer.

Vera quickly gave the orders: "Feiyin, buff spell! Feiling, blast this place with explosive arrows! Sirian, help hold the rear, I'll break through!"

……

In the distance, Norris, sensing the outbreak of battle, immediately jumped out of the woods, but then stopped himself.

After obtaining the leader's consent, he put aside his concerns and rushed forward into the mushroom net, accompanied by Aiding.

(End of this chapter)