Chapter 549, Section 548: The Boss's Educational Methods
The soldiers of the mushroom fortress, in small teams of five, launched reconnaissance operations one after another.
Compared to the regular squads that dragged hundreds of various creatures through the water, Norris's team was much more streamlined.
The group consisted of only Ming, Norris, a merman guide, and a specially modified "Giddyna Battle Edition" vehicle brought up at the rear to adapt to the underwater environment.
Of course, there's also the indispensable oxygen supply system.
Unlike the half-demon soldiers who are born with the ability to survive underwater, Norris and Min, although given the ability of [Underwater Adaptation LV7], still need to replenish oxygen regularly.
This ability altered their skin structure, allowing them to absorb oxygen directly from the water, but during activity, the rate of absorption could not keep up with the rate of consumption.
When stationary, they can stay in the water for a long time, but once they start swimming, they need to replenish their oxygen supply every hour or so.
If a conflict breaks out, this interval will be shortened drastically.
Norris grabbed a soft tentacle offered by the oxygen-supplying puffie, took a deep breath of the oxygen-rich, moist air, and deflated the round, bulging puffie a little. However, the puffie would automatically replenish oxygen from the environment, so it was fine.
Norris then handed the tentacle to Ming behind him. Their task was to traverse the winding corridor before them and inspect an area marked "Altar Room" at the end.
That place is the intersection of several passages, and the possibility of encountering the enemy is very high.
This was a route that Louisa specially arranged to avoid going through secret passages, taking into account Jida's size and the task the boss gave Norris.
The corridor is long and winding, with stone walls on both sides covered with reliefs and murals that have been blurred by seawater erosion.
At first, Norris found it novel, but after seeing it many times, he realized it was just like any other and didn't find anything mysterious about it.
So his attention naturally turned to his partner this time—Ming.
As the first mushroom descendant to be successfully born with the help of the leader, Ming is quite well-known in the tribe.
At least when Norris and Qiong chatted privately, the other would often mention this fellow clansman who was taken away and raised by the boss shortly after birth and whom they rarely saw.
After Ming, the Mushroom Clan held several more birth ceremonies, but none of them attracted Lin Jun's sustained attention like Ming.
There are two interpretations among the Mushroom Race regarding this. Some believe that being the "first" has special significance, and the eldest taking Ming away symbolizes the formal acceptance of the Mushroom Race.
Some speculate that the offerings used in the original birth ceremony were exceptionally powerful, granting Ming extraordinary potential that made him worthy of individual nurturing.
However, most people of the Mushroom descent tend to believe the former.
As the earliest group to join the mushroom farm and have pledged their loyalty, the Mushroom Descendants have a different status than the newer members who joined later in the form of an "alliance".
New inhabitants and prisoners can choose to leave the North after meeting the requirements; the leader does not restrict this.
But for the Mushroom Clan, there is no option to leave this path.
Of course, now that they live a stable and prosperous life, they have never thought about leaving.
But these differences led the leader to reveal more secrets of the mushroom garden to them.
For example, skill assignment.
Ordinary fungi enthusiasts only know that they will naturally acquire "cold resistance" after living in symbiosis with mycelium, and they simply regard it as a characteristic of mycelium.
The Mushroom Clan, however, knew that their leader had the ability to directly add specific skills to them.
By accumulating enough contribution points, they can exchange them for the abilities they desire, making them true elites within the Fungus Castle, with few rivals among their peers.
Based on this understanding, they did not believe that the magic runes inherited from the birth ritual could bring much advantage to Ming.
Faced with their leader's almost creator-like abilities, the magical runes that the Mushroom Clan used to be so proud of seemed less important.
Therefore, people are more willing to believe that this is a special gesture of acceptance and recognition from the leader towards the Mushroom Clan, who are considered "one of their own."
Whenever Qiong talks about this, she always marvels at her boss's thoughtfulness and consideration, as he did this specifically to put their minds at ease.
The description "a considerate boss" always sounded a little strange to Norris, but he couldn't really refute it.
However, curiosity about Ming gradually accumulated during these intermittent chats.
Unfortunately, despite being core members, the two did not interact much.
Norris only learned from Riel, the alchemy supervisor of the Mushroom Garden, that Ming seemed to have a special training ground and sparring partners, which made him seem to be highly valued by his boss.
This is a rare opportunity.
"Ming, what do you usually do?" Norris asked with a smile.
Without thinking much, Ming, who was still holding the tentacle in his mouth, honestly replied, "A death match in the arena!"
Norris felt as if he had heard some incredible words.
"A deathmatch?"
"Yes, I'm the one who killed all those enemies."
It's only because this is in the water that Norris would be sweating by now.
"I see, that's a very...unique training method. What about when you're not training?"
"Eating, taking medicine, and sleeping."
Is something missing from your life?
Seeing that Ming seemed completely oblivious to anything amiss, Norris secretly resolved that if he ever had offspring, he would never entrust them to the eldest son for upbringing.
"So... what kind of enemies can you deal with now? I'll give you suitable enemies when the time comes." Norris tried his best to maintain the image of a reliable senior.
"Three or four ordinary gold-level, or dozens of silver-level. Before I set off, I wanted to challenge an entire gold-level squad, but I didn't have time, so I signed up to come here."
Norris's brain took two seconds to process the sentence—what was this toddler, who was not even a year old, saying?
What does it mean to want to challenge an entire Gold-level squad?
Keep in mind that he's only LV43, just a Gold-level player.
Without relying on Jida, he might be able to handle a few opponents of the same level with his skill combination advantage, but he would still be in great danger against a well-coordinated, fully-equipped Gold-level team.
If Ming wasn't exaggerating... then wouldn't that mean his combat ability is already on par with, or even stronger than, Bu Daijida's own?!
Wait, Giddy!
Norris seemed to grasp the key point instantly.
Yes, that must be it!
"Ming, so you can control a Gida too!" Norris's tone suddenly became full of confidence. "Then why don't you bring your own Gida? I can teach you some practical techniques that I've figured out. I guarantee that after you learn them, you'll be able to deal with a Gold-level squad with ease!"
“Brother Norris,” Ming’s expression turned somewhat dejected, “I don’t have the talent to control Jida. I can only control a maximum of twenty-three Puji at the same time, and… I also can’t give different, precise commands to different Puji at the same time.”
"So how did you fight the Golden Squad? What level are you now?" Norris was even more puzzled.
“Level 36, in terms of combat… just fight like this.” Ming said, casually swinging his fist, which didn’t look particularly thick.
Norris instinctively leaned back slightly.
In other words, this child is less than a year old, yet his level is already close to his own, and his combat ability may even be higher?
How on earth did they do that?!
For a moment, Norris didn't know whether he should comfort Ming, who was disappointed because he couldn't control Jida, or pick up his own shattered seniority.
"Gurgle!"
The merman, acting as the guide, suddenly issued a warning.
Norris immediately composed himself, suppressing all distracting thoughts.
Vibration Sensing
The sensory feedback indicated that the target, the "altar room," was ahead, and sure enough, it was teeming with enemies, and... quite a few of them!
(End of this chapter)
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