Chapter 76 – Fungus Demon King

Duren scanned the figure of the uninvited guest that had revealed itself.

‘…A knight?’

Judging by the armor and weaponry, it appeared to be a knight, but the eyes were strange.

The crimson, bloodshot eyes showed no trace of reason, leading him to judge it as an enemy.

“Enemy attack! Everyone, wake up!”

He immediately roused the sleeping party.

Swoosh. Thud! Thud!

As the knight melted back into the darkness and began pounding on the Sanctuary, Duren aimed the tip of his sword at the enemy’s heart this time.

He intended to unleash a Sun Stab.

But just then.

“Wait, stop!”

Hanna, emerging from the tent, shouted and stopped Duren.

Her eyes were seeing the knight’s sin-achievements.

Since the two could practically share thoughts through Lee Hanseong, Duren was able to react immediately.

Thump.

The power and direction of the thrust, which was already on the verge of being unleashed, were adjusted, stopping at merely striking the opponent’s acupoint.

The figure of the knight, who had abruptly halted, was revealed once more.

“An Aura that melts into darkness… Could it be Sir Clark Thousand?”

The Priest Beatus, seeming to have an idea of who it was, approached the paralyzed opponent and removed his helmet.

Upon removing the helmet, the knight’s head was covered in a profusion of colorful mushrooms.

“Parasitic Mushrooms?! A 5-Star knight fell to something like Parasitic Mushrooms…?!”

Twitch, twitch.

As if recognizing the crisis situation, the knight’s muscles twisted grotesquely.

It seemed to be trying to use power beyond the body’s limits.

If this continued, the acupoint strike would soon be undone.

The Priest Beatus seemed to notice this as well.

“Binding: Bind!”

Unfolding the Miracle of Binding, he restrained the opponent with Divine power.

It was simultaneous, narrowly beating the release of the acupoint strike.

“Judgment.”

Whoosh!

Following that, a mace imbued with the Miracle of Judgment was swung, targeting only the Parasitic Mushrooms.

Squelch!

As the mushrooms were crushed, they tried to spread spores, but the Miracle of Judgment erased even the microscopic spores completely.

The Priest Beatus then looked at Hanna and shouted.

“Heal him, quickly!”

“Healing: Healing!”

Whoosh!

The knight’s body, which had just exerted enough force to nearly cause its own collapse, was on the verge of death.

However, Hanna’s healing, amplified to near 6-Star levels under the influence of the Blessing within the Temporary Sanctuary, was capable of instantly restoring even such a critically wounded body.

Thus, the 5-Star knight Sir Clark Thousand, who was originally destined to die here in history, was given the chance to write a new history.

Hum.

Along with that, Mirinae’s presence became slightly more distinct.

‘Promotion of an uncontracted Spirit wasn’t the only answer.’

Simply saving those who were originally meant to die could change history and grant sufficient Causality to Mirinae.

Sir Clark, having regained consciousness through the healing, opened his eyes.

“Ugh… Beatus Inquisitor?”

“Have you come to your senses?”

“What in the… Gasp!”

Recalling his memories from before being parasitized by the mushrooms, he tried to rise urgently but collapsed.

“…I have to go save my comrades…”

It seemed the Spirits facing mortal peril were not just one?

“Are your comrades in danger? We’ll go save them.”

“I’ll help too.”

Seizing the opportunity to gain Causality from other knights besides Sir Clark, Hanna and Duren, synchronized with Lee Hanseong’s heart, enthusiastically stepped forward for the rescue.

As this action was fitting for a Saintess and a hero, the Priest Beatus’s gaze upon them softened further than before.

“It’s over there!”

Thus, leaving the pack animals at the Temporary Sanctuary, Hanna’s party headed outside the Pilgrimage Path as indicated by Sir Clark.

This was the beginning of a rescue operation that would span ten months.

* * *

Boom!

The moment they left the Pilgrimage Path, the true face of the Great Flood was revealed before the party.

Thudthudthudthudthud!

Swarms of Awakened Monsters charging from all directions, enough to make the earth’s axis tremble.

Not just 3 and 4-Star, but even 1 and 2-Star Awakened Monsters were part of the horde, rushing madly towards Hanna’s party.

Frowning at the bizarre sight of Awakened Monsters, who should have been natural enemies, cooperating, the Priest Beatus raised his Divine power mace. At that moment,

Sir Clark stopped him.

“There’s no need to fight. Focus only on breaking through. They are subordinates of the Territory Lords anyway; once we pass through their Domain, they won’t pay us any mind.”

“Regarding the Great Flood, your words are likely correct. Let’s do that.”

The light of Divine power imbued in the Priest Beatus’s mace faded slightly.

It seemed he weakened the offensive power to a level that pushed enemies away rather than killing them.

Hanna, following behind him, also put away her mace and instead took out a shield she had kept separately along with the mace.

“In the name of Hanna Bright, I borrow the power of the one who leads the Galaxy.”

Then, using Borrowed Power, she began to borrow Lee Hanseong’s Unyielding Indomitability and Geass.

Unyielding Indomitability, expanding as if from an Endurance Skill Circuit, settled into her mind and body.

“I, Hanna Bright, swear, in exchange for the binding of non-lethality, I seek an unstoppable charging force.”

Using Geass to impose a binding, she gained a charging force akin to a tank.

Thududududududung!

Awakened Monsters touching the shield Hanna held out were pushed away helplessly, opening a path.

Simultaneously, the Priest Beatus, keeping pace with her, took her right side, deflecting the approach of Awakened Monsters.

Duren, on Hanna’s left side, used Flowing Sword Art to smoothly redirect the Awakened Monsters.

Finally, Dice, along with Sir Clark, followed behind the three, occasionally dealing with Awakened Monsters that latched onto the rear.

.

.

.

How long did they run like that?

Even after breaking through the encirclement of the swarming Awakened Monsters, those that kept chasing eventually stopped at a certain point.

“From here on, it’s another Territory Lord’s Domain.”

Instead, new Awakened Monsters were now swarming towards them from ahead.

“We just need to keep doing as we did before.”

“But how long do we have to keep this up?”

Duren nodded as if understanding the concept of Domains within the Great Flood, and Dice asked about the distance to their destination.

“We only need to go as far as the Domain where the master of the Parasitic Mushrooms, the Fungus Demon King, resides as the Territory Lord. We’ll arrive after passing through three more Territory Lords’ Domains ahead.”

“Wait, that’s a bit strange. Why did the knights guarding the Pilgrimage Path go that deep?”

Feeling puzzled by Sir Clark’s answer, the Priest Beatus asked.

The duty of the knights guarding the Pilgrimage Path is to patrol only the Domains of Territory Lords adjacent to the Pilgrimage Path and reduce the numbers of Awakened Monsters.

But to go to a deep area requiring passage through four Territory Lords’ Domains?

He couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Sir Clark, as if understanding the Priest Beatus’s suspicion, answered readily.

“We had no choice. All the Territory Lords near the Pilgrimage Path had been parasitized by the Fungus Demon King’s Parasitic Mushrooms.”

“What do you mean…?”

“It means dozens of Domains on the western side of the Pilgrimage Path had all come under the control of a single Territory Lord. That’s also why the Territory Lords are reacting so sensitively to intruders.”

Normally, a Territory Lord wouldn’t send all its subordinates like this even if intruders entered.

“I thought the knights provoked them first, making the Territory Lords angry… Could it be a new Phantom Beast Species has appeared?”

“That’s right. In fact, we tried to deal with it before it was promoted to a Phantom Beast, but we were a split second too late. The result was my state from a moment ago.”

Everyone’s expressions darkened as they recalled Sir Clark’s appearance when controlled by the Parasitic Mushrooms.

“According to memories from when I was parasitized, it intended to use the knights as stepping stones to expand its own Domain. So we must hurry.”

Sir Clark was anxious.

It was even more so because the lives of the knights were unimportant to the opponent.

From the Fungus Demon King’s perspective, it was fine if the knights defeated nearby hostile Territory Lords, and it didn’t matter if they didn’t.

If a knight died, the Parasitic Mushroom parasitizing them would spread spores, making the Territory Lord that killed the knight its new host.

“Then, by the time we get there, your comrades might already be scattered in all directions?”

“No, that shouldn’t be the case. For it as well, creating Parasitic Mushrooms capable of controlling 5-Star or higher beings wouldn’t be easy, so at least those not yet parasitized should still be there…”

Sir Clark trailed off as if not entirely certain, but Hanna didn’t particularly point that out.

“We’ll know once we go and check. But I’d like to clarify our priorities.”

“……?”

“Our objective is the rescue of the knights. Subduing the new Phantom Beast comes after that.”

“I didn’t expect that much either. It would be impossible for a force of this level to defeat an enemy that annihilated a knight order.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

Hanna didn’t want Sir Clark to take reckless action before a powerful enemy under the pretext of revenge.

Only after hearing his confirmation did she quicken their pace, which had slowed during the conversation.

Thududududung!

Thanks to the binding of non-lethality, their speed wasn’t lacking.

‘The problem is controlling the force.’

If she struck a 1-Star Monster with the force needed to push back a Four-Star Beast, it would naturally die.

So she had to constantly adjust the force applied to the shield depending on the opponent.

If she made even a slight mistake, the binding of non-lethality would break, and a more troublesome binding would arise as the price.

Thump— thump— thud— thumpthump.

Continuously adjusting the force based on the opponent, the collision sounds from the shield began to sound like a kind of rhythm.

“…This is the place.”

Anyway, continuing to run in such a state of selflessness, they had arrived at the Domain of their targeted Territory Lord.

Even without Sir Clark saying anything, Hanna would have known this was the target location.

To her eyes that saw sin-achievements, the Domain was clearly filled with sin-achievements.

Invisible spores filled the surroundings.

“Blessing, Protection.”

Thus, before entering the enemy’s Domain, she gained buffs through Blessing and erected a protective barrier capable of enveloping the entire party.

“Be careful not to go outside the Protection. It seems spores of the Parasitic Mushrooms are spread in the air.”

“Hmm.”

“Understood.”

Everyone stayed close together and cautiously stepped into the spore-filled Domain.

The moment the barrier pushed away the airborne spores.

Wriggle wriggle wriggle wriggle!

As if recognizing them, the entire Domain began to change.

Mushrooms bloomed from various spots on the densely packed trees surrounding them.

The already dense spaces between the trees became filled with mushrooms, blocking not only the path ahead but also the retreat route.

—Domain Expansion. Hall of the Commanding Fungus Demon.

In a Domain where everything outside the protective barrier was filled with mushrooms, the will of the Great Flood’s new Phantom Beast, the Fungus Demon King, resonated.

Puff puff puff puff puff.

Accordingly, the mushrooms existing all around continuously burst spores, trying to penetrate the protective barrier.

“Ugh, ah, no!”

Sir Clark, perhaps triggered by trauma, clutched his head and trembled.

“Get a hold of yourself!”

“Ugh…”

The Priest Beatus’s shout made his expression improve slightly, but seeing his fingertips still trembling, Sir Clark likely had to be considered non-combatant here.

Then, Duren stepped forward.

He was under the effect of Hanna’s Blessing.

“I’ll open the path.”

Rope.

Ziiing!

A thrust that transcended space was unleashed from beyond the barrier.

For a brief moment, all power amplified to 7-Star was concentrated into the thrust, making its power truly overwhelming.

The next moment, not only the mushrooms ahead but even the trees were completely erased, leaving a wide-open path.

“Run. If the mushrooms proliferate, the path I just opened will soon be blocked!”

“Yes!”

As Duren said, mushrooms were already rapidly filling the outside of the tunnel-like path, trying to close it again.

Tadatadatak!

Realizing time was short, the party moved at full speed.

When the path was blocked by mushrooms, the others also used their Awakening Skills without reserve to open the way.

Doom— thud! Shwalak!

The Priest Beatus’s Third awakening skill 《Pressure: Press》 flattened the mushrooms.

Dice’s Third awakening skill 《Thousand Cuts》 sliced the mushroom barrier ahead countless times in an instant, segmenting it to the point it couldn’t even function as spores.

Hum— Kwaaaang!

Even Sir Clark, whose mental state was poor, helped the party by unleashing his Fourth awakening skill 《Black Point Explosion》, detonating darkness condensed into a single point.

Running with all their might, the party finally witnessed the giant mushroom positioned at the center of the Hall of the Commanding Fungus Demon.

“…That’s the Fungus Demon King.”

“Can we… defeat that?”

Knights were embedded in the mushroom’s trunk, which was as large as a decent palace, with only their faces protruding densely.

Above, the widely spread mushroom cap periodically spewed starlight spores in all directions.

Add to that the Demi-God grade that pressed down on the surroundings by its mere existence.

‘Taking it down would be impossible…’

Using the Transcendence Series to temporarily boost their power, the party could gain the upper hand for about ten seconds.

But the opponent was a Swarm specialized in survival.

If they couldn’t defeat it within that time, even the party would become its hosts.

Rescuing the knights seemed unlikely to be easy.

However, they had no intention of abandoning the rescue just because it was difficult.