This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

Clang—

The sound of weapons colliding echoed through the ruins.

Angela was locked in a one-on-one duel with the Pigman leader.

The Pigmen had long since surrounded the soldiers from Golden Valley; at first two Winged tried to break out in the chaos, but the moment they rose the spears thrown pierced their bodies and they fell screaming.

The Pigman leader had not given the order to attack, so for now the Pigmen only encircled without charging.

As for the humans, none dared to strike first.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the central field, on this duel whose outcome was almost certain.

Angela kept changing position; the long sword flashed cold light, yet every cunning thrust was easily parried by the Pigman leader with agility that belied his massive frame.

The heavy wolf-tooth club in his hand seemed weightless, always able to close off every avenue of attack.

Angela’s right shoulder, by contrast, kept splitting open with each violent movement.

Blood flowed down her arm, gradually soaking half her battle robe.

Her face grew paler and paler, her breathing heavier; each collision made her body rock slightly.

Anyone could see the Pigman leader was holding back. He toyed with his prey like a cat, amused at Angela’s futile struggles.

The Pigman leader easily deflected another of Angela’s thrusts, laughter mixed with his heavy breath: “Why be so stubborn? We’re both beastmen despite different species. Why sell yourself to serve the humans?”

Angela retreated half a step by momentum, sword drawing a defensive arc before her; the wound in her shoulder seeped more blood with the motion.

“Look at your situation,” the Pigman leader waved his heavy club, “Those human nobles treat you as a pawn disposable at will. They take credit for glory, but send others to die. To humans you’ll always be an outcast.”

He stepped forward, the firelight outlining his scarred face. “But in the Empire, strength is everything. With your skill, why fear you can’t rise? In Duke Xenophon’s name I guarantee: come join us and you’ll enjoy far greater benefits.

“I won’t become anything but another of your kind? If you accept me, will you accept my subordinates and my tribe?” Angela countered.

The Pigman leader snorted disdainfully. “The weak’s fate — why cling to it? To stand in the Empire you must first learn to let go of pointless attachments.”

Angela answered with another thrust.

But the gap in strength was ultimately insurmountable. The Pigman didn’t even dodge; he casually swung his wolf-tooth club, and the heavy force sent Angela flying.

“Foolish.” The Pigman leader shook his head, the last thread of patience in his eyes vanishing as he closed in, the club dragging along the ground and carving a deep groove.

He began to strike in earnest; Angela barely parried but was driven back under the storm of attacks.

Each clash numbed the tiger’s mouth of her sword hand; her blood loss made her body stagger.

Just as it seemed Angela would be defeated any moment, Lin Jun fumbled with how to use that puji.

Turning the tide was obviously impossible — Lin Jun controlled a puji, not Gray[“Little Black”].

However, a puji specialized in self-detonation used correctly could still cause considerable damage; if it stirred enough chaos, maybe one or two of the squad could escape.

Time was short. Lin Jun chose a line toward a group of Pigman spear-throwers and prepared to roll over and self-destruct.

Suddenly a wave of mana fluctuation came from the sea!

The Pigman leader raised his wolf-tooth club to land a final blow on Angela, when a glint on the sea surface caught his eye.

His first thought was dawn approaching — he was a Pigman, not a vampire; daytime suited their fighting more.

But he snapped awake: the sun does not rise from the west!

Silently, an arrow composed purely of mana shot with terrifying speed. The Pigman leader roared; his club barely parried, the arrow striking and gouging a deep nick in the metal before ricocheting and plunging through a nearby Pigman warrior’s chest with a “puh.”

Before he could catch his breath, he felt a sharp pain in his belly.

The Pigman leader looked down to see Angela had driven her longsword into the side of his armor.

He swung the club in rage and crushed Angela, sending the woman flying over ten meters; she smashed through half a ruined wall and lay motionless.

“Damn mutt!”

He ripped the longsword from his belly and tossed it aside; blood gushed out.

At that moment the second wave of attacks arrived.

Several mana arrows streaked across the night like meteors, this time aiming for ordinary Pigman warriors. Except for the leader, none could respond effectively.

Arrows pierced throats or struck hearts — each hit fatal. In an instant nine Pigmen fell.

“Who is it?!”

Under the pale moonlight, the Pigman leader squinted and barely made out a faint sail silhouette on the sea horizon. That ship was at least four kilometers away; at that distance hull details were blurred.

“So far… how is that possible?!”

This realization sank into him — they effectively had no means to retaliate.

He snapped back to rage and snarled to his men, “Kill all these humans! Leave no one!”

He planned to weather the arrows and finish the killing before reinforcements arrived.

Unbeknownst to him, that decision cost him his final chance to flee.

The Puji Masters realized the moment of life or death and urged their pujis into desperate charges.

Especially those pujis that released hallucinogenic spores — they disregarded friend or foe and spread thick spore clouds across the battlefield, blurring the field and slowing the Pigmen’s advance.

The Pigman leader fretted: the various puji distractions caused them to expend far more time than expected to wipe out half the humans.

Meanwhile, many Pigmen fell to the mana arrows.

The leader finally felt the urge to retreat. As he hesitated, the sea presented another change.

Over twenty silver-armored figures strode over the waves, leaving ripples on the sea surface.

Though lacking the Church’s emblem, the armor style betrayed their identity — Church warriors.

Leading them, one Church warrior moved with astonishing speed, leaving his companions far behind. The hate-filled eyes beneath his helm locked onto the Pigman leader.

In an instant the Pigman understood: he could not outrun this being.

He drew up all his muscles.

[Bloodline Reinforcement LV7]

[Strength Reinforcement LV8]

[Heavier Than a Thousand Pounds LV5]

With a deafening roar he raised the wolf-tooth club and slammed down at the charging Church warrior.

Ssh—

A faster mana arrow pierced the Pigman’s wrist; he could not guard against this arrow while concentrating on the strong enemy.

The Church warrior easily dodged the powerful but unguided blow, and with earth spraying about, reached the Pigman’s front; his longsword shone with dazzling light.

[Supreme Sacred Slash LV10]

With the sword’s flash, the Pigman’s massive body was cleaved in two.

From the ship’s bow Hero Sofia watched it all.

Her longbow never stopped; each draw struck another Pigman.

Priest Samuel stood quietly behind her, guarding against danger.

The girl Bella used a damaged oceanic staff to speed the ship and watched the battle ashore with wide eyes; she longed to rush in and slay Demons herself.

Amid the chaos, no one noticed a puji quietly crawl to the barely breathing Angela, gently trembling its cap and scattering spores onto her bleeding wound.