This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

On the main street of Mordu, the crowd roared like a festival.

The entire Red Mushroom Avenue was packed shoulder to shoulder with enthusiastic citizens and adventurers. People crowded both sides of the road, and some even leaned half their bodies out of second-floor tavern windows just to catch a glimpse of the war hero in person.

“So that’s Lady Inanna? She’s even more heroic than the legends say!”

“Look how many puji are behind her—over a hundred, right?”

“That’s nothing! During the Dragonroar Valley campaign, milady commanded tens of thousands of puji and swept the battlefield!”

“Hey, make some room up front! Let me see too!”

Most of the residents from the early days of Dumbwind Town and the first wave of refugees had already seen Inanna before. But the new immigrants who poured into Mordu later had yet to witness this recently famous war hero.

Her dual identity as both war hero and duke’s daughter made her the object of admiration for countless female adventurers—even though Inanna herself looked nothing like an adventurer.

Today, Inanna brought no human attendants with her. Only a little over a hundred puji clustered behind her.

Strictly speaking, this didn’t comply with Mordu’s new city management regulations. Such a large number of puji really did clog up most of the street.

But war heroes enjoyed a bit of privilege, and no one minded.

These hundred-odd puji were not under Lin Jun’s control, but rather the pink puji’s own command limit.

Setting status aside, the pink puji was actually quite talented as a puji master.

Number Four strutted at the very front of the procession, its mushroom cap held high, gleaming proudly in the sunlight.

In a scene like this, with crowds welcoming them, its steps were so light it practically felt like it was about to float.

Although the cheers and respect were all directed at the pink puji, in its eyes, the pink puji was also part of the mushroom folk. Respecting the pink puji meant respecting the mushroom folk—glory shared!

At the same time, it secretly reveled in the fact that these mushroom servants and non-mushrooms would never imagine that Inanna’s appearance was merely the pink puji’s mimicry.

The world was being secretly controlled by their mushroom folk like this!

If only it could be done more openly someday.

Watching Inanna and the puji disappear into the dungeon entrance, someone suddenly asked, “Why is Lady Inanna going into the dungeon?”

“Idiot! Of course she’s using the mushroom folk to summon even stronger puji! If the Empire attacks again, we’ll definitely need her puji army!”

……

Inanna herself was also very excited.

But her excitement didn’t come from the cheers and adoration of the people along the way.

Although everyone had been praising her nonstop lately, Inanna knew very well that most of the credit belonged to Boss.

The one people truly ought to thank was Boss!

But Boss was always like this—working silently, never caring for fame. Every time she thought of this, Inanna couldn’t help but feel distressed that Boss hadn’t received the praise he deserved.

What excited her now was that she was finally going to Puji Fort!

Although she had never truly set foot there, through her exchanges with Boss and the others, she had formed a rough impression—a wonderful city that didn’t discriminate by race, where the fungus network connected everyone!

It was like a dream. Inanna had always, always wanted to see it with her own eyes, but various circumstances had prevented her from being away for long.

But now, things were different.

Her status was no longer what it used to be.

In the past, she was a duke’s daughter who needed protection. Now, she was a war hero commanding countless puji.

No one could restrict her movements in the name of protection anymore—not even her own old man!

After saving his life together with Boss, her confidence had soared.

“So cold…” This was Inanna’s first sensation upon approaching the Stone Bastion rift.

Fortunately, Boss had warned her long ago. As the constant-temperature pendant on her chest activated, warmth quickly returned to her body.

Inanna gazed at everything around her with intense curiosity. Yet for some reason, as they passed through the mushroom forest, Number Ten and Number Four seemed especially tense.

The two puji were even whispering among themselves:

“If the Black Demon comes out, you rush up first…”

“And you? I might not be able to beat her alone!”

“What are you thinking? I’m telling you to rush up and feed her!”

“Why me? Why don’t you feed her yourself?”

“My body’s more valuable than yours! If you can’t fill her up, then it’s my turn.”

Number Four was convinced, staying ready at all times to unleash its signature sliding tackle!

Thankfully, the journey passed without incident, and they safely crossed the danger zone.

On the road to Puji Fort, Inanna encountered many demon mushroom citizens.

Mushkin, lizardfolk, and half-demons passing by showed neither greed nor disgust when they saw her, a human. Their gazes were as calm as if looking at an ordinary compatriot, at most tinged with a bit of curiosity toward an unfamiliar face.

Some particularly friendly ones even greeted her through the fungus network.

Completely unlike the cool, reserved duke’s daughter she was when facing outsiders, Inanna responded warmly to every greeting.

Because they were all communicating through the fungus network!

Before even entering the city, Inanna delightedly spotted puji she had never seen before—giant heating puji.

These behemoths patrolled back and forth along the road between the Stone Bastion and Puji Fort, melting snow and ice wherever they passed, ensuring the road remained clear.

When the girl couldn’t help but reach out to touch one, Number Ten quickly blocked her with a tentacle to prevent the pink puji from getting burned.

Before even entering the city, Inanna had already fallen in love with this place.

Just before entering, they encountered a small incident.

“Hiss… ah… hiss… ah…”

A green-skinned vampire tied to a metal pole was enjoying a double “treatment” of sunlight and heating puji, letting out a string of strange moans.

The lizardfolk guards at the gate were completely unfazed, occasionally and skillfully pouring a few mouthfuls of healing potion into his mouth.

“This is… what exactly?” Inanna asked.

Naturally, she didn’t recognize him as the assassin who had been captured by Lin Jun without ever even seeing her back then.

“Nothing important. Just a thoroughly evil bastard being punished,” Lin Jun said, too lazy to explain further.

Inanna nodded, though she still gave him a few curious glances. “Punishment, huh…”

Lin Jun was also rather speechless. Originally, placing this guy so prominently was meant as a warning to others.

But lately, the green-skinned vampire’s cries had started to sound increasingly off.

As his 【Sunlight Resistance】 level increased, the pain was clearly no longer as intense as before. Instead, it seemed like he had awakened some strange fetish, finding peculiar pleasure in moderate torment.

The Yellow Book was right—vampires really were perverts!

But there was no time to deal with such trivial matters now. He’d handle it later.

Inside Puji Fort, Norris, who had rushed over, looked somewhat at a loss.

He had been ordered to lead a jida squad to escort the pink puji into the ruins, but faced with the duke’s daughter, this tailless lizardfolk—who barely even looked human—actually tried to perform a human commoner’s salute to nobility.

And promptly got scolded by Lin Jun:

“Idiot. You don’t salute me on normal days, and now you’re pulling this act and wasting time?”

A puji passing by suddenly broke formation, leapt into the air, and with a “pu” kicked Norris square in the face, then swiftly returned to the side of the half-demon controller who looked utterly baffled.

Amid Inanna’s muffled laughter, Norris awkwardly scratched his head and quickly climbed into his jida.

Inanna, on the other hand, was quite curious about the jida and actively chatted with Norris along the way.

And when Inanna arrived at the ruin cavern, a familiar yet shocking scene unfolded once more.

The pink puji hadn’t done anything at all—merely appearing there.

The frost wraiths that had been futilely attacking Piglet’s camp just moments before suddenly reined in all hostility, like subjects meeting their queen.

They slowly approached Inanna’s direction, their steps light and cautious, as if afraid of frightening the pink puji.

The sight left Piglet in the camp, and Norris leading Inanna, completely stunned.

As well as the most well-informed of all—the Yellow Book:

[What kind of outrageous nonsense is this now?]