Inside the conference hall, Fahl sat upright in the main seat, with his maid Liliane standing silently behind him like a shadow.
Other than the two of them, three others sat on either side—Squad Captain Solarin of the Wings of Judgment, the illusionist Aiden, and a man with two straight swords hanging from his waist.
Among them, Aiden had been invited through a special commission by Fahl.
While reviewing the archives, Fahl had noticed this illusion master who had successfully completed reconnaissance on the fifth floor. His abilities were extremely useful.
And when Aiden saw the generous reward, he accepted without hesitation.
The man with two swords at his waist was simply a friend Fahl had asked to help.
As for the Church, they had dispatched four full Wings of Judgment squads to assist in handling the dungeon problem, and since Solarin was the first to report the anomaly, she was naturally included.
Though there were only five Gold-rank and thirty-six Silver-rank Church warriors, the Wings of Judgment excelled in battle formations. Their combined strength could even surpass that of one or two Diamond-rank experts.
The Church seldom directly interfered in dungeon affairs, yet Fahl knew that its concern for them was in no way inferior to that of the Adventurers’ Guild. For instance, the long-term commission to acquire werewolf teeth and blood—its secret patron was none other than the Church.
Fahl had always been curious: what was the Church really using these wolf fangs for?As far as he knew, the most valuable item that could be refined from wolf fangs was the “Wolf Transformation Potion.”
This potion could temporarily enhance the user’s physical attributes and sense of smell, at the cost of excessive body hair growth and bloodlust.
In a way, it fit the Church well. Church warriors, with their willpower far stronger than ordinary soldiers or adventurers, could better suppress the side effects of bloodlust.
Still, since it was only a temporary enhancement, stocking too much was pointless.
There had to be other uses for werewolf fangs that Fahl didn’t know about.
“Guildmaster Fahl, calling us here—does it mean you’ve already decided on a plan?” Solarin was the first to speak.
Fahl shook his head. “Not that I’ve already decided, but rather that I intend to discuss one with you all. This time, what we’re facing cannot be regarded as ordinary monsters. I fear it possesses intelligence not inferior to that of humans.”
“Intelligence?” Solarin frowned. She only knew it might be some kind of collective will, but she hadn’t heard about intelligence.
Meanwhile, Aiden, dressed in refined noble attire, wore an expression of “just as I thought.”
Without further explanation, Fahl drew his sword and cut open the body of the Lighting Puji lying on the table, exposing its internal structure.
“This is…” Solarin stared at the twisted, dyed-like mycelium pattern inside the Puji, finding it somewhat familiar but unable to identify it.
It was Aiden who broke the silence: “A formation… the most basic formation of Illumination. So the target this time really does have high intelligence.”
He paused, then asked, “Pardon me, but are we certain this isn’t some mage controlling them?”
Although he had already suspected the Pujis of having intelligence back in his last mission, Aiden still found it hard to imagine Pujis studying formations.
If all of this was the work of a mage controlling them, then it would make sense. The enemy must have used some method to command the Pujis.
The ability to control monsters was rare, but not unheard of. However, controlling them in such vast numbers—now that was unheard of.
“We can’t rule that out. That’s why we need to clarify exactly what the target is.
Is it a monster with a collective will, or is someone pulling the strings?
If it’s a person, then where are they hiding?
If it’s a monster, does the collective will have a core body, or is its mind scattered across all the Pujis?
As for reconnaissance—any opinions?”
Though he asked everyone, Fahl’s gaze was clearly fixed on Aiden.
Instead of answering directly, Aiden first asked, “Will the cost of items consumed during the mission be reimbursed? Is there a budget cap?”
“Don’t worry about money.” Fahl replied casually.
As expected of the Isaac family’s young master, Aiden muttered inwardly, before presenting his plan. “Then I suggest using micro-illusion reconnaissance bodies. Other than being expensive, they have no drawbacks. And the area most in need of scouting is undoubtedly the fifth floor…”
As Aiden described his plan, Fahl and Solarin nodded occasionally in agreement. Only the silent man with the two swords, sitting unmoving in his chair, was ignored by everyone.
The plan was nearly settled, the meeting close to ending—until the Puji suddenly stood up!
While Aiden was listing materials and Liliane was recording them, no one noticed that the Lighting Puji’s wound had already healed.
In the blink of an eye, orange-yellow light flickered in the conference room, taking everyone by surprise.
The Puji’s body arched, pushing off with its cap and standing on its two stubby legs.
According to Lin Jun’s setup, it should now try to return to the Fat Puji to recharge.
But as it took its first step, its bouncy body silently split into four pieces, scattering across the cold tabletop.
The one who caused this simply rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, as though it had never been drawn.
So fast!
That lightning strike was so quick that even Solarin, a Gold-rank, couldn’t follow its trajectory—Aiden hadn’t reacted at all!
Only Liliane, among everyone in the room, had managed to see the process of his sword strike.
“Fahl, so you really called me here just to cut Pujis?”
“…After listening all this time,” Fahl sighed with a touch of helplessness, “that’s all you understood?”
The man chuckled awkwardly, too embarrassed to admit he’d been daydreaming.
Solarin suddenly asked, “Guildmaster Fahl, you still haven’t introduced us. Who is this man…?”
After witnessing that sword strike, neither she nor Aiden could possibly still regard him as ordinary.
“He’s my friend, Fifteen. Of course, you might be more familiar with the title ‘Disciple of the Sword Saint.’”
Disciple of the Sword Saint!
The name Sword Saint Elvien Slaine itself was already a living legend in Solarin and Aiden’s eyes.
He loved teaching, and whenever he met someone with sword talent, he would give them guidance. Solarin knew for certain that even one of the Wings of Judgment’s vice-commanders had once received his instruction.
But there were only three who could truly be called his disciples.
And this man, Fifteen, was actually one of them! No wonder his swordsmanship was on this level.
Although Fahl gave no further introduction, both Solarin and Aiden now felt far more confident in this mission—especially Aiden.
He had worried that, with so few participants, he might be forced to serve as combat power despite being a Diamond-rank illusionist, not suited for direct battle.
Now it seemed he had worried for nothing. All he needed to do was provide support.
——
While the strategy group brimmed with confidence, their target, Lin Jun, was left scratching his mushroom cap in confusion.
Just moments ago, a Lighting Puji’s signal suddenly appeared inside the Adventurers’ Guild. He recalled the Puji that had been taken away before, and turned his attention toward it to see what was happening.
And then he witnessed the horrifying sight of the Lighting Puji being dismembered on a long table. It was brutal.
But… what was this little guildmaster even doing?
A whole group of people surrounding a Puji—it clearly wasn’t anything good. And among them was Aiden, a “familiar face” who had left a deep impression. Unfortunately, the moment was too short for him to open their panels.
To be safe, Lin Jun decided to be extra cautious in the coming days.