This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

Puji Fort, south gate.

The city walls were now basically closed; although the matching magic arrays hadn’t all been installed, the walls were already beginning to serve their purpose.

“Name, level, tribe, reason for entering the city.”

At the gate, a group of gate-guard pujis surrounded a half-demon who was recording the identity of each person entering the city one by one.

“Uhh… Broga, senior warrior of the Broken Blade tribe, here… to attend the Northern Alliance meeting.”

“Rama…”

The half-demon guards, who had been rather languid before, suddenly brightened at the words “senior warrior”!

One of them sized up the two half-demons, and on seeing they truly had no mycelium on them, handed his post to a subordinate and enthusiastically approached.

“Both of you… first time at the Puji Fort, right?” Because the names were awkward and no one dared object, everyone tacitly agreed to call this far-north city “the Puji Fort[“the Mycelium Fort”].”

Broga and Rama looked baffled at the smiling half-demon, but being newcomers they dared not cause trouble in the flourishing Fort; they only replied cautiously, “Yes. Is there anything we should be aware of?”

“Have you two not connected to the Mycelial Network yet? Want to try it? Super strong vitality, incredible regeneration, pierced through the chest and won’t die, lost limbs regrowable, plus cross-language telepathy and command control of pujis — all of this can be done with symbiotic mycelium! So? Want to try?”

Having launched into his pitch, the half-demon looked at the two senior warriors expectantly.

Broga and Rama exchanged a glance and both saw confusion in the other’s eyes.

What was symbiotic mycelium? Everyone in the area knew about it; the Fort’s power was plain to see because of it.

But the gate-guard’s suspiciously eager manner made them uncomfortable.

“Sorry, we haven’t—”

Just as Broga was about to refuse, the half-demon noticed his severed leg and stepped closer. “Senior warriors who join now get a two-thousand contribution point bonus and a three-thousand-point six-month interest-free loan. If you join together, you’ll just have enough points for a limb-regeneration potion!”

A limb-regeneration potion!

Broga was tempted.

In the end, however, they politely declined the offer and planned to inquire further later.

Watching the two depart, the half-demon made one last plea. “If you change your mind, remember to come find me!”

Only when they had completely disappeared into the crowd did he slump down. “Sigh, how many refusals is that now? Five-hundred contribution points for recruitment isn’t easy to earn… Symbiosis is so great, why are they hesitating?”

Clearly the half-demon hadn’t realized he himself was the suspicious one.

After entering the city, Broga and Rama walked on in astonishment — they could hardly believe they were seeing “vitality” in the far north.

The Fort’s roads were wide but not empty.

Residents carrying many pujis moved through the streets; everyone seemed busy with their tasks — a sight not seen in the tribes.

It really felt like a proper city, although much of the bustle was made up by countless pujis…

Eventually they entered a tall tower in the city center. The five tribes’ chiefs and the surviving senior warriors had mostly gathered there to attend the so-called “First Northern Alliance Meeting.”

As for concerns about each tribe’s defenses while their leaders were away, the Fort had thoughtfully taken over their defense duties, and even provided food aid free of charge during the tribes’ manpower shortages.

When Xinghuo entered with Marshal Puji on his lap and Norris clutching the Yellow Book, the meeting officially began.

Louisa was supposed to attend as well, but she wasn’t interested in such trifles and excused herself.

Norris opened the Yellow Book and, reading from it, began to recount the northern tribes’ past hardships — lack of grain, being treated as the Empire’s dumping ground in peacetime and consumables in wartime.

Not to mention that time the bloodline prince killed many Qis while eliminating two tribes — all for extra fresh blood — showing no regard for tribal folk as sentient beings!

At the end, Norris proposed that the northern tribes should unite and help one another in order to develop and grow.

Everything was for a better future for everyone.

A subtle mental wave transmitted from the Yellow Book; one leader immediately stood and expressed support for the union.

Others exchanged glances; given the current situation, none were particularly surprised.

After all, the Fort’s takeover of their villages and the meeting’s name “Northern Alliance” were no secret. As tribe leaders, they weren’t so blind as not to see what was happening.

They hadn’t resisted largely because of the power imbalance, and also because the Fort seemed to prefer peaceful integration — everyone wanted to hear the terms.

Sure enough, after Norris finished his rhetoric, Xinghuo stepped down to distribute tangible benefits.

In general, the senior warriors and tribe leaders who chose to assimilate voluntarily were offered considerable welfare.

The Fort would not remain a single city forever; some tribes would be rebuilt into new towns, and positions would preferentially go to these assimilated people.

They were also hinted at having access to goods not normally available in the far north.

This hint was interpreted as the Fort having smuggling channels into the Empire…

All of this, they were told, only required loyalty to the “boss” and adherence to the basic rules of the mushroom gardens.

Acceptable conditions, given they had little room to bargain.

But then—

“Um, could you tell us who this ‘boss’ actually is? We don’t think we’ve met this person yet.” One senior warrior voiced what everyone was wondering.

“No — you have met him.” Xinghuo then knelt on one knee and presented the Marshal Puji, who had been sitting blankly on the platform since the start, to the assembly.

Marshal Puji sprang up and shook his scarlet cloak.

“Ah… I see. No questions.”

Everyone nodded, sat down, and prepared for the oath.

It wasn’t that they thought a Puji being ‘boss’ was normal; many northern tribes traditionally worship a totem or ancestral relic. Calling the tribe mascot the “boss” was odd but not incomprehensible.

Still, everyone privately speculated who truly pulled the Fort’s strings — Shou (狩), Xinghuo, Norris, or the bloodline commander of the army.

The first three were acceptable, but almost no one wanted it to be Louisa, because that would mean the whole affair might just be a duke’s puppet of the Empire, which would make them uneasy.

Meanwhile, Louisa was helping Lin Jun soothe the finally-awakened Little Black.