“Within three days since the mission was posted, only 25 Silvers and 2 Golds have confirmed participation. No Diamonds.”
Hearing Mirabelle’s report, Fahl frowned.
The lack of Diamond adventurers wasn’t surprising. Recently, cities across the land had issued lucrative commissions to capture demon spies.
For Diamonds, fighting spies capped at Gold-rank carried virtually no risk—the only challenge was finding them.
So of course no Diamonds signed up. Even Aiden had only been recruited through Fahl’s personal commission.
But with only 25 Silvers and 2 Golds, the turnout was far lower than expected—especially given the high rewards.
“Why so few?” Fahl’s voice betrayed no emotion.
“From side inquiries and chatter among those who did sign up,” Mirabelle chose her words carefully, “the common feedback is: past heavy casualties make people wary. And many adventurers feel the threat of the target is questionable. Some even… even believe Pujis are beneficial and oppose the subjugation.”
“I see.” Fahl nodded. “Leave it. Summon the troops as planned—we depart.”
Though fewer adventurers had joined than expected, it didn’t alter his plan.In truth, even without adventurers, he would have moved.
The real purpose of posting the mission was simply to warn adventurers that the Guild was taking action. Anyone who didn’t want to be involved could steer clear for now.
If Aiden’s illusion bugs hadn’t been exposed, Fahl would have led an immediate assault to hunt down the Puji King.
But since they were discovered, and it was clear the Pujis possessed intelligence—
Descending to the fifth floor would take half a day. If the Puji King intended to flee, it would be long gone.
So now there was no rush.
Fahl was even prepared for the possibility of not finding the Puji King at all this time.
——
At the dungeon entrance.
Forty Church warriors formed ranks, followed by adventurers wielding bows and staves.
Aiden and Fifteen trailed at the rear.
Aside from the mission party, many adventurers had gathered nearby to watch.
Priest Noah waved at ranger Aime, who marched with the team.
Once Solarin confirmed the roster, she commanded, “Move out!”
As guildmaster, Fahl naturally would not enter the dungeon himself.
If he stayed behind, so too did his ever-present maid Liliane.
Thus, the true high-end combatants for this expedition were only two—Fifteen and Aiden. And Aiden was an illusionist, more suited for support.
Yet Fahl felt no worry.
The Church’s warriors were disciplined, masters of formation. When their holy-shield walls joined, the force they could unleash rivaled none but the strongest.
And more importantly—in Fahl’s eyes, having Fifteen alone was enough.
He was a man forged in the blood and iron of the border wars, one worthy of the title “Hero.”
——
Lin Jun noticed the intruding party the moment they entered.
He had expected one or two Diamond-ranks. Instead—
A bunch of Church Golds and Silvers?
Not even worth worrying about.
The adventurers following behind mattered even less.
He hadn’t thought that illusionist would personally come down this time. Flipping through his panel, Lin Jun found exactly what he expected—dirty, sneaky skills.
What he pondered wasn’t whether he could win, but how far he could push without triggering reinforcements.
After all, this was an official party. He couldn’t handle them like ordinary adventurers.
That carefree thought ended when he opened the last panel.
【Name: Fifteen】
【Race: Human】
【Level: 61】
【Skills: Swordsmanship Mastery LV10, Dual-Wield Mastery LV10, Agile Step LV9, Parry LV8, Trample LV8, Wind Pressure Slash LV8, Shukuchi [short-step teleport] LV7, Ki Sense LV7…】
【Titles: Demon Slayer, Breaker of Armies (attributes enhanced during charge)】
Hiss—!
So this was the new guildmaster’s trump card?
Level 61—higher than Xiaohei!
And that skill set was perfectly refined, not the wild brawling Xiaohei relied on.
Compared to him, Xiaohei only had raw stats.
No wonder they dared to descend so boldly.
Lin Jun quickly sent Xiaohei to the deeper levels, leaving Piggy and Norris behind as well.
In this situation, unleashing a dragonkin or vampire would only complicate matters.
And if Xiaohei lost a fight, that would be catastrophic.
Better to let Pujis handle it. If they couldn’t win, then it would be a game of hide-and-seek. What could the humans do—burn down the entire dungeon?
——
The expedition, dozens strong, filled the narrow dungeon passages, stretching into a long column.
Since they had come looking for trouble, Lin Jun wasn’t about to let them march straight to the fifth floor unhindered.
At the first corner, two Pujis rushed the middle of the line.
An adventurer spotted them early, loosing arrows without giving them a chance to close in.
But just as the arrows flew, the Pujis bounced high, evading the shots, and slammed toward the formation.
【Holy Bastion LV5】
Two Church warriors raised their shields, invoking the skill.
Twin barriers of light overlapped seamlessly, forming a sturdier wall of faith that absorbed the explosive blast.
The detonation’s force dissipated harmlessly outside.
Yet such ambushes weren’t one-offs. At every corner, every junction, Pujis appeared.
Some rushed in to self-destruct, others lobbed mana projectiles from afar. The damage was minor, but the harassment relentless. They couldn’t be ignored—leave one alive, and it would hound the column endlessly.
Three Artillery Pujis suddenly appeared in the rear, aiming forward.
Without even turning, Fifteen drew a sword, slashed casually behind him—and in one stroke, the three Pujis were bisected cleanly.
The sword aura carved a deep scar in the stone floor.
The ease of his [Wind Pressure Slash] left Aiden astonished. But his brow still furrowed.
The Pujis’ harassment might not inflict casualties, but the drain was obvious.
The first floor, normally traversed in two hours, now dragged into half a day.
No deaths, but energy clearly worn down.
Was this all part of the Pujis’ plan?
Only upon reaching the second floor did conditions ease.
The forest terrain meant ambushes were still frequent, but at least the team wasn’t choked by tight hallways.
They could rotate defenders at the perimeter—but progress remained slow.
The front line now had to check for Landmine Pujis.
Considering they had been spotted on the fifth floor before, and with the leaf-littered soil here perfect for hiding them, Aiden had urged caution.
Fortunately, no traps were sprung along the way.
Just as Aiden began to think he was overcautious—
Three Fat Pujis, long hidden high in the canopy fifty meters up, suddenly dropped, plummeting straight toward the column below!