This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

Veyra, Phylline, and Fein were currently in Oathbound City.

The reason was simple: this place gathered the kingdom’s top alchemists, arcane scholars, and temple priests.

And Veyra was a patient who had suffered a severe head injury after a brutal battle.

Since that incident, every memory in Veyra’s mind related to the person called “Syrian” had been wiped clean, as if erased outright, leaving no trace behind.

This loss deeply worried the twin sisters Phylline and Fein. They feared that one day Veyra might wake up to find his condition worsened, forgetting even them.

After discussing it, the sisters decided to bring all their savings and come to the capital for treatment.

After years as adventurers, the three of them had managed to save up a modest amount.

The alchemist conducted a careful examination and said, “This is not caused by cranial trauma or toxin residue. My potions can’t help.”

The high-ranking priest shook his head. “I don’t sense any curse aura.”

In the end, following someone else’s advice, the three of them found their way to the Relic Association.

This organization, founded by mages and historians, did not operate clinics. However, due to its long-standing research into ancient relics, strange phenomena, and supernatural incidents, it often provided unexpected solutions to problems that conventional methods could not resolve.

They were received by a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue scholar’s robe, with a calm and steady demeanor.

“All memories concerning a single specific individual completely erased, while all other memories, cognition, and personality remain intact?”

After receiving Phylline’s confirmation, he tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingers, looking puzzled. “That is indeed strange. Neither physical brain damage nor common mental interference magic could achieve such a precise ‘deletion.’ Normally, you’d see widespread memory confusion or large-scale loss.”

The scholar had no immediate answer either, but since the deposit had already been paid, he still had to try.

“In any case, let’s first run a scan using the Association’s information appraisal device. Perhaps it will reveal something.”

Hearing this, Phylline looked disappointed. “We already had him examined at a local Adventurers’ Guild branch right after the memory loss… They found nothing.”

Fein sighed as well. It seemed this trip would also end in failure.

Instead, Veyra himself comforted the two sisters. “Alright, alright. It hasn’t gotten worse for so long, so maybe it’s not that serious. Let’s leave it at that. I want my memories back too, but we can’t spend all our savings on this.”

The scholar insisted, “It’s still worth checking. The Association headquarters’ device is far more advanced than those in the Adventurers’ Guild branches. We might uncover something that was overlooked.”

Even though they knew the scholar was probably just reassuring them, the deposit was already paid. There was no harm in trying.

Led by the scholar, they walked through maze-like corridors and eventually arrived at a room housing a massive magical apparatus.

The scholar had not exaggerated at all. The Relic Association’s appraisal device was far more advanced than anything in the Adventurers’ Guild.

Layers of glowing runes were engraved across a massive metal base. Complex copper pipes and crystal lenses formed intricate circuits. Just by size alone, it was more than three times larger than the devices in guild branches.

This reignited a sliver of hope in Phylline and Fein’s hearts.

However, when they arrived, another scholar was already operating the machine.

That man turned his head at the sound. “Redgrave, you need the device? Give me a moment, I’m almost done.”

Before long, the runes on the massive machine dimmed one by one. With a crisp click, the hemispherical chamber at the center opened.

The man removed a rigid data card from a side slot, then bent down and actually lifted a round, plump puji out of the chamber before leaving the room and vacating the device.

Veyra and the sisters stared at each other in shock. They had assumed another person was inside, never imagining it was a puji.

Seeing their curiosity, the middle-aged scholar adjusting the machine explained casually, “If you stay at the Association for a few days, you’ll find this is quite common. These days, many scholars treat puji as key research subjects.”

While adjusting the controls, he suddenly looked up at Fein. “By the way, judging from your attire, you’re a mage as well. May I ask—do you specialize in mental magic?”

Fein shook her head.

“That’s good.” The scholar glanced at Number Five, who was poking the machine casing with its tentacles, and his tone grew serious. “If you have any friends who study mental magic, be sure to warn them: absolutely do not cast any interactive mental spells on puji.”

“Interactive?” Fein asked.

“Things like charm, mental suggestion, forced domination, dream construction.” The scholar lowered his voice. “Puji have an almost absolute countermeasure against these types of spells. There have already been several serious incidents. The Association is preparing to issue a public warning.”

“Why?” Fein lifted Number Five off her body and examined it from side to side, incredulous.

“The reason is still unknown. Those who might know the answer… are all idiots now. Puji carry too many mysteries. This is just one of them.”

He turned to Veyra and patted the ready chamber. “Alright, Mr. Veyra, please step inside.”

Ten minutes later, the device emitted a low hum, and the rune array dimmed in sequence. A rigid card with faintly glowing edges popped out from the side slot.

The middle-aged scholar, Redgrave, stepped forward, took the card, and inserted it into an auxiliary crystal reader.

At first, he merely skimmed the flowing runes and data casually. Then his gaze froze.

His body stiffened, his fingers began to tremble, and he nearly dropped the thin card.

Phylline and Fein, watching him closely, felt their hearts leap into their throats.

“What’s wrong?” Phylline asked tensely. “Is it… something very serious?”

The scholar snapped his head up, disbelief and confusion mixed in his eyes, and waved his hands quickly.

“No, no, not that kind of serious, but…” He looked back down at the crystal board, as if confirming he wasn’t mistaken. “This result… I’m not sure whether the device malfunctioned, or…” He looked up again. “Please wait here. Don’t leave. I’ll fetch my teacher immediately to take a look!”

Without waiting for a response, he clutched the card and stumbled out of the room, his hurried footsteps echoing down the corridor.

The door slammed shut, leaving behind a suffocating silence. The faint hum of the machine sounded unusually loud.

“H-he just now…” Fein’s voice trembled, tears welling up as she clutched her sister’s arm. “Veyra won’t really…”

“Don’t think nonsense!” Phylline snapped, though her own face was pale. “Wait until his teacher arrives!”

“But… what if Veyra really becomes an idiot in the future…” Fein’s tears finally spilled over.

“Hey, hey, that’s not that bad, is it?” Veyra, the subject himself, was the calmest of all.

He walked up to Fein, patted her shoulder, and forced a relaxed smile. “Look at me. I’m fine right now, aren’t I? I can eat, sleep, fight. I just forgot one person.”

Number Five, clinging to Fein, extended several soft tentacles and gently wiped at her tear-streaked face.

Unfortunately, it only smeared the tears all over, making her look even more pitiful.

Just then, the door was thrown open.

Redgrave returned, stepping aside respectfully as he ushered in an elderly man wearing a plain gray robe, with white hair and beard, yet eyes astonishingly sharp.

The gray-robed elder’s gaze immediately locked onto Veyra standing in the center of the room.

When Veyra and Phylline clearly saw the old man’s face, their eyes widened at the same time and they blurted out:

“It’s you?!”

“You’re the one who saved us outside the dungeon back then?!”

The teacher Redgrave had urgently summoned was none other than the vice chairman of the Relic Association.

The vice chairman looked puzzled, staring at the three of them for a long moment before recalling the incident.

He immediately found it unbelievable. “So the one I casually saved back then was actually a Virtue Holder? Fate is truly marvelous!”

The middle-aged scholar whispered behind him, “Teacher, we haven’t rechecked yet!”

“Right, right. Let’s confirm it first. Young man, please sit inside again.”

As Veyra was guided back into the massive appraisal device, Phylline and Fein exchanged a confused glance.

“Virtue?”