A pitch-black passage, its walls woven entirely of mycelium.
Norris carefully climbed upward, inch by inch, lest he slip back down.
Today was a special day—for him.
The Yellow Book was tucked into his waistband. It had protested several times, insisting it was a noble sacred tome unfit for such treatment, but Norris simply had no spare hands to hold it.
At last, a glow appeared above. The exit.
Hauling himself out, Norris found himself in a mushroom forest!
The saplings planted by dryads were still mere twigs, but the mycelium planted at the same time had already grown into towering mushroom-trees.
For a moment, Norris couldn’t even tell whether he was on the fifth or sixth floor.
As soon as he emerged, a crowd of Pujis surrounded him—including a massive black mushroom.
And in the fungal network, the boss’s voice boomed: “Congratulations on your release!”The Pujis showered petals into the air. On closer look, they were plucked from flower sprites.
Clink, clink—
Mixed among the petals were shards of glass, clattering against Norris’s scales…
The Pujis lifted him out with their tendrils, patting away the dust and clinging threads.
Though he knew it was really all the boss’s control, Norris still felt something new—being cared for.
If only the Big Black Mushroom’s pats weren’t so heavy, nearly knocking him flat.
Lin Jun’s voice grew solemn:
“Norris, now that you’re out, you must turn over a new leaf—become a new mushroom.
Next time you want to kill someone, report and apply first. Only act with approval.
No more undisciplined freelancing.
Remember—Mushroom Garden will always stand by you. It is your home.”
At the word “home,” Norris broke down, tears streaming. “Yes, Boss!”
A Puji brought out a bowl of soup.
“You’ve suffered, eating nothing but mushrooms down there. Have some meat broth!”
Norris wiped his face, not about to act shy.
He took the bowl, sniffing the long-lost scent of meat, then gulped it down.
But when he licked his lips—mushroom-meat soup. He had thought it pure meat, but still—it was good.
At the bottom lay two mushroom slices. Not wanting to waste the boss’s gift, he picked one up.
Wait. Blue-green?
Norris’s eyes rolled back. He collapsed.
The Pujis bundled him up. Time for round two of reinforcement.
The Yellow Book was lifted from his waist too. While Norris was out cold, it would be sent back to the Happy House.
This second round wouldn’t just enhance his strength. Lin Jun planned to add new functions.
The current list: [Rolling Charge LV7], [Echolocation LV6], [Evasion LV7], [Acceleration LV6], [Spit Arrow LV5].
[Spit Arrow] would pair well with Norris’s existing neurotoxin.
And [Rolling Charge]… Lin Jun really wanted to see a human use it!
As the Pujis carried Norris away, Little Black cheerfully helped—accidentally peeling off two silver scales. Seeing no reaction, it “accidentally” plucked two more…
By the time Norris returned to the mushroom hut, a bald patch marked his back.
…
With Norris settled, Lin Jun turned his attention to the seventh floor.
Through diligent “fishing,” he had finally gathered enough skills for underwater exploration.
The first diving Pujis were ready.
[ Underwater Adaptation LV6 ]
[ Jet Propulsion LV3 ]
[ Waterflow Sense LV4 ]
[ Echolocation LV6 ]
[ Swimming LV4 ]
[ Scales LV6 ]
[ Infrasound Attack LV6 ]
Seven skills, even Agility boosted to 10. Expensive cannon fodder indeed.
[Scales] were essential—without them, even small fish would come to nibble. He couldn’t just infrasound every guppy in the way.
With [Waterflow Sense], they could detect danger—or leaking fissures nearby.
And thanks to [Swimming], their lower halves naturally shifted to fish tails—still mycelium, but functional.
By this world’s naming logic, “Puji-fish” seemed fitting.
On land, though, they flopped uselessly. Other Pujis had to shove them into the water.
The first batch numbered 60, in teams of five, each entering from different points.
“Now—dive!” Lin Jun commanded.
Tentacles shoved them down.
At one entry point, a giant catfish surfaced and swallowed five whole.
!!!
Such disrespect!
Lin Jun, furious… simply switched perspective.
Fifty-five remained, beginning exploration.
Unlike other levels, the seventh was mostly underwater—over 80%. And its ecology was layered in three strata.
The upper level: a maze of canals, with jagged peaks dangling from the ceiling.
The middle: open water, nothing but liquid void.
The bottom: ancient, weed-choked ruins—once dry land, now submerged.
Had the seventh floor once been dry?
Exploration began with the upper zone—easiest. Yet even there, nearly twenty Pujis were lost, and still no fissures found.
Then into the middle layer—where things worsened.
Without terrain limits, predators grew massive, terrifying.
Some hunted with sheer size and speed. Others had deadly skills—dragging prey in from twenty meters away, or striking with thirty-meter-long mouths.
The sights alone made Lin Jun’s skin crawl.
Within two hours in the middle zone, only three Puji-fish remained.
Lin Jun switched to full manual control.
Two minutes later—the first batch was annihilated.