Chapter 525, Section 524: The Fourteenth's Followers
Thanks to Seral's final order to "disperse and evacuate," this cult was not completely annihilated by Sword Saint Puji.
Despite the heavy losses, about a quarter of them managed to escape thanks to their familiarity with the terrain and their dispersed routes, disappearing into the vast forests.
Most of the rescued survivors, after a brief rest and expressions of gratitude, chose to return to the town. Their belongings were still there, though likely mostly destroyed by later adventurers.
Only Eugene stayed.
Eugene is a middle-aged man of LV47 Gold rank, whose strength is considered quite formidable among adventurers.
But his greatest strength is not his combat ability, but his pharmacology skills.
Making poisons and helping people detoxify are his strengths, and he can even concoct some of his own poisons on his own.
His pharmacy was the only place in town that bore the marks of a battle.
According to Eugene's recollection, the cult members easily infiltrated the town by taking advantage of its lack of management.
They used some kind of potent sedative mixture, and in one night, they knocked out almost all of the town's more than two hundred people.
The few who remained conscious through resistance, alertness, or luck were unable to mount an effective resistance against the group of men in black robes and were quickly subdued.
Eugene intended to hide and wait for the cult to leave.
However, his skill in hiding was far inferior to his skill in manipulating bottles, jars, and crucibles.
Seeing that they were about to be discovered by Aurora who came to search, they had no choice but to strike first and launch a sneak attack.
Unfortunately, the difference in their strength was undeniable. The first sneak attack failed to kill Aurora outright, and the subsequent battle... in Eugene's own words, was "like trying to block a cleaver with a pestle."
Even worse, he received special attention from Aurora because of this, and during his imprisonment, he became Aurora's daily source of amusement.
He never imagined he would live to see the sun again, nor did he expect that what would pull him out of the abyss of despair would be a little poop.
As someone who has long run a business near the Scarecrow Abyss, Eugene is naturally very familiar with Puji.
Before this, people thought that Puji were just practical tools for safely crossing that dangerous area, or highly cost-effective magical pets under the command of Puji Masters.
As for the "Mushroom Clan," he had only heard some rumors, both true and false, from adventurers traveling from the north and south, and always felt that they were still far removed from him.
What do you mean by "a Puji can instantly kill a diamond-level powerhouse"?
It even killed the leader of this cult!
After witnessing the Sword Saint Puji effortlessly sever Aurora's hands, more easily than killing a chicken, Eugene's adoration for his savior reached the point where he wanted nothing more than to kneel down and kiss the Sword Saint Puji's short legs.
Of course, the Sword Saint Puji didn't need a middle-aged man to kiss his feet, but Eugene still fawned over him, his admiration overflowing.
After learning that the Mushroom Clan could communicate through the "Mushroom Network," Eugene made a move that surprised everyone.
He immediately used the limited medicinal materials at hand to prepare a precisely dose of poison on the spot, and swallowed it without hesitation, keeping himself in a state of near death but not dead, thus successfully completing the parasitism.
Even the Sword Saint couldn't help but praise him, saying, "He's a ruthless guy."
Upon hearing En Gu's mental voice for the first time, a look of almost pilgrimage-like satisfaction appeared on his pale face.
Number Four is so envious; it also wants a lapdog like that.
Now, only PinkPuji will praise it.
But Puffy will praise any Puffy she encounters.
She would praise Number Ten for being reliable, Number Fourteen for being capable, and she would praise it for being soft and obedient...
This is not what it wanted!!!
Now, the entire mission, from Ronan, the Consul General, to the ordinary guards whose faces and names were completely forgotten by Number Four, all knew of Fourteen's feat of almost wiping out an entire vicious cult with just one mushroom.
The awe earned through sheer strength is clearly reflected in everyone's attitude towards Fourteen.
When the Fourteenth Sword, carrying four swords, passed by with a "plop plop" sound, people who were talking or resting would unconsciously stop what they were doing, nod slightly, and show respect. They would even lower their breathing. Only Pink Plop would continue to pet it as usual.
Number Four also wanted to experience the feeling of being admired by others.
It decided that next time something happened, it would be the first to rush ahead of Fourteen...
...
The delegation continued southeast, gradually approaching the border of the Elf Forest, where they could no longer see any other people.
After all, elves have never welcomed outsiders, and if someone trespasses, they will truly shoot the intruder into a pincushion.
The delegation members had come with the intention of negotiating with the elves, so they naturally didn't have any particular feelings about it.
The few Puji didn't find the Elf Forest anything special; they went wherever they wanted.
Only Eugene became nervous.
Despite living a few days' journey from the elven border, he had only ever seen an elf once.
That was when he first arrived; the group he was with had taken a wrong turn and was stopped by an elven ranger with a bow.
There was a foul-mouthed guy in the team who habitually swore and was shot through the neck, with blood splattering onto his own face.
It's impossible not to be nervous about coming here this time.
What made him even more nervous was that Eugene had just discovered that their team had been quietly surrounded by elves, while the others were completely unaware!
Just as he was about to speak up, a steady footstep came from the forest directly in front of him.
An extremely tall figure emerged, stepping through a thick layer of fallen leaves.
Eugene's pupils constricted sharply, and he almost choked on his breath.
That height... is probably close to 2.5 meters!
Could there really be such a tall and mighty spirit in the world?!
However, when the figure emerged completely from the shadows and stepped into the brighter light in the forest, Eugene saw it clearly.
Some members of the delegation behind him couldn't help but gasp, a mixture of surprise and realization.
The one who emerged was indeed an elf, with emerald green eyes, clad in light yet exquisitely crafted leather armor and a dark green cloak, but with an unusually tall stature…
On the head of Eko, the elven forest ranger commander who was about 1.8 meters tall, was a round, plump little thing!
Why is there Puji everywhere?
The question crossed Eugene's mind, but now was clearly not the time for him to speak.
Ronan stepped out from the delegation, took out the kingdom's official documents, and handed them to Eco's adjutant for inspection.
Eco himself, however, paid no attention to Ronan.
He first glanced at Inanna, a war hero who had recently risen to fame through her Pooji account. She was quite recognizable with her pink hair and pink eyes.
Then, Eco's gaze swept over Puji in the group and finally landed on Fourteen.
Without any reason, just based on intuition, he felt that this Puji with four swords hanging on its body was probably the most dangerous member of the team.
And for some reason, even though he liked most of the Puji, he instinctively disliked this Puji he was meeting for the first time.
The little creature, Puji, seemed to be "watching" him, even placing its tentacles on the hilt of the sword.
That's interesting...
Just as Eco was thinking about how to ask about the origin of this Puji, the Puji on his head kicked him and jumped to the ground.
At the same time, number four jumped out of Inanna's arms.
"Big brother!"
"Fourth brother!"
"Big brother!!!"
"Fourth brother!!!"
The two puppies, who had only met half a month ago, hugged each other.
(End of this chapter)
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