Mushroom Lord in the Underground City

Chapter 541 - 531: Orcas’s Opportunity

"Night Owl, though I know you’re trying your luck, this also..." In the courtyard, Nova looked at the black-robed man brought back by Night Owl, his brows not relaxed at all.

The man stood half a step behind Night Owl, wrapped in an old cloak with coarse fabric and frayed edges.

His posture was somewhat awkward, shoulders slightly hunched, as if subconsciously wanting to hide himself in the shadows, carrying an unshakeable furtive air.

The shadow of the hood obscured most of his face, revealing only the lower part. His skin was an unhealthy sallow from lack of sunlight, and his chin was uneven with unkempt stubble.

On his face were traces of mycelium, clearly marking him as a Puki Master, yet strangely without a Puki.

The most unsettling thing was his eyes. The occasional glance from within his hood swiftly scanned the courtyard’s furnishings and Nova’s face, void of openness, filled only with weighing and scrutiny.

Although he was silent at the moment, his entire being exuded an air of "untrustworthiness."

Nova hadn’t misjudged; this guy was indeed a D Level personnel named Ocass, completing the task was his only lifeline.

Even this opportunity, fragile as it was to the brink of death, he had secured by using his wits to outsmart a monster in the arena.

Faced with Nova’s skepticism, Night Owl shrugged: "I don’t quite believe it either, but he says he has a way."

It wasn’t surprising how he knew about Ivan’s condition.

Having lived here for several months, seeking medical advice from various places, information naturally spread within certain circles.

But...

"Another scammer?" Half-dragon Gall flexed his giant fist, producing a slight cracking sound, speaking in a menacing tone.

They had recently encountered too many "quirky experts" claiming to have a solution, most of whom turned out to be frauds eyeing their gold coins.

With the discernment honed from years of adventure by the Silverthorn Squad, they certainly wouldn’t fall for it easily. Most of those clumsy frauds had eventually experienced the weight of Gall’s fist.

Watching Gall approach with imposing force, Ocass, having witnessed true hell, remained unflinching.

He let out a hoarse laugh and said two sentences:

"I don’t want money."

"If I fail, I can leave my life."

Gall’s advancing steps halted. He turned back, using his eyes to inquire of Nova.

Nova stared coldly at Ocass: "Do you think we don’t dare kill in the city?"

Though they lost Red Stone City, given their status, killing a fraud under justified circumstances wasn’t a big deal, likely just needing some money to resolve.

"No, I believe you, and what I say is serious." Ocass met Nova’s gaze.

Nova saw it, that look was serious.

Even somewhat overdone, as if he wasn’t here to save Ivan, but rather himself...

"How do you plan to save him?" Nova stepped back, indicating Ocass could sit and talk.

Ocass didn’t sit. Instead, he carefully retrieved two items from inside his cloak: a sharp dagger and a crystal bottle containing some transparent liquid. "First, he must become a Puki Master."

To this suggestion, the group wasn’t too surprised.

The resilience of a Puki Master’s life force was evident, and they themselves had also considered this method.

However, the life force brought by mycelium only manifested in the physical body. After confirming Ivan’s issue was purely spiritual, they abandoned this attempt.

Ocass mentioned becoming a Puki Master, suggesting that perhaps the aftermath of treatment might burden the body, hence a proactive need to enhance physical resilience made sense.

But that potion?

Night Owl’s hand emerged from the shadow, effortlessly seizing the sealed crystal bottle from Ocass’s hand.

Ocass, only barely reaching the Golden Tier in strength, was utterly powerless before the Silverthorn Squad members.

Nova stepped forward first, focusing magic power at his fingertips, casting two mid-level spells to detect toxins and curses. The aura swept across the bottle without triggering any unusual fluctuations.

Once assured there were no apparent malign substances, Night Owl used a thin needle to take a small drop from the bottle’s mouth, dabbed it on her tongue.

Night Owl, although not often using poison, wasn’t ignorant to it, possessing considerable resistance, thus daring this trial.

Ocass remained silent, calmly watching the female elf.

Truthfully, he didn’t know what the potion truly was, only guessing it might be some kind of Healing Potion.

Nervous to some extent inside, he still maintained composure.

"Hiss—!"

Night Owl suddenly gasped briefly, her entire body instantly tensed, as if electrified.

Then, almost instinctively, she transformed into a blur of shadow, swiftly sinking into the shadow beneath her feet, vanishing from sight.

"Night Owl?" Nova was startled, gripping the magic staff in hand.

"You bastard!" Gall grabbed Orcas by the neck, lifting him into the air like a chick.

Under the terrifying grip of the half-dragon man, Orcas’s face quickly turned red, his eyes bulging, his legs kicking futilely. He could only make choking sounds as if Gall added just a little more force, he would be crushed to death on the spot.

"Wait! Gall, wait!" Night Owl’s voice urgently came from a shadow in the corner, somewhat hurried.

She reappeared, her complexion unusually rosy, her chest slightly heaving, and her breath a bit heavy, but her eyes were exceptionally bright. "I’m fine! I just... didn’t adapt for a moment."

Quickly having Gall put Orcas down, Nova asked, "What’s going on? What was that?"

Night Owl shook her head, licking her lips as if savoring. "Not sure about the exact formula, but it’s a great tonic! Extremely pure life energy, and... it has a forest-like feeling. Like standing in the depths of the oldest forest after rain, soil, leaves, and some kind of... tranquil vitality? I love it, really love it!"

"Forest-like feeling?" Nova and Gall exchanged glances, both puzzled.

The sensitivity of elves to the power of nature far exceeds other races. Night Owl’s description was difficult for them to fully comprehend, but the words "great tonic," "pure life energy," and her somewhat exhilarated complexion indicated that this potion was not only harmless but extremely rare.

In an instant, Orcas, with his shifty-eyed appearance, was suddenly shrouded in a halo of profound mystery in the eyes of the Silver Thorn Squad members.

Gall awkwardly scratched his head, stepped forward to support the still-breathless Orcas, set him onto a chair, and with his fan-like large hands clumsily yet gently massaged his shoulders and neck, apologizing in a muffled voice, "Ahem, uh... sorry, brother, I was too impulsive just now."

Nova also chimed in from the side, "Please forgive us, the potion... is indeed extraordinary."

Night Owl leaned forward even more, her eyes shining as she stared at Orcas, "Do you have more of this potion? Where did you get it? I’m willing to pay a high price, a very high price!"

Orcas finally managed to catch the breath that almost choked off, the bluish-purple marks of Gall’s grip clear on his neck.

In the past, after being treated like this, he would surely harbor resentment, waiting for a chance to exact revenge a hundredfold.

But now...

He touched his burning neck, feeling surprisingly calm inside.

Being nearly strangled was no big deal.

He still had a task assigned by that terrifying existence known as "the boss."

The boss had promised that once this task was completed, he could leave that nightmare cave and live comfortably in the Fungus Castle for a whole year.

Forget about good days, even staying in a cell in the Fungus Castle was preferable. As long as he could escape that place, he would agree a thousand times!

This opportunity was something he had fought for, using cunning, resilience, and a bit of luck, emerging from countless similarly desperate D Level personnel. How could he give it up just because of a little rough treatment?

He smiled, telling Gall not to worry, expressing his understanding.

He regrettably told Night Owl that there was only one bottle of this precious potion, no more.

Finally, he flatly refused Nova’s offer of compensation. This was sincere—the contribution points in the Mushroom Garden were the currency.

"I already said, I don’t want money," Orcas reiterated, his gaze sweeping across the three, "If I can truly wake the mage, I want your Silver Thorn Squad to owe us a favor."

Sometimes, a favor is more valuable than gold coins with a marked price, provided it successfully wakes Ivan.

Orcas asking for a favor instead of money made Nova almost believe he had some confidence.

Nova finally asked, "You are...?"

"Mushroom Worship Sect."

The Mushroom Worship Sect... a small sect recently emerging in Mushroom City, with teachings worshiping Puki, seemed somewhat amusing. Not long ago, it was circulated in the adventurer’s tavern as an odd curiosity. They had heard of it too.

Could it be that this seemingly comical sect really possesses hidden talents?

They didn’t know, the real sect hierarch was still in Mushroom City’s prison, and Orcas was just a front working under cover.

As for making a deal with this potentially cult-like Mushroom Worship Sect... the team didn’t have a devout priest of the God of Light. As long as Ivan could truly be revived, it didn’t matter who they dealt with.

Nova exchanged glances with the other two, and finally, on behalf of the squad, nodded solemnly: "Alright! As long as you can wake Ivan, the Silver Thorn Squad owes the Mushroom Worship Sect a favor."

Orcas’s anxious heart finally felt at ease.

What did he care about the Silver Thorn Squad’s favor?

It was merely a price spoken to win the other’s trust.

As long as he could complete the task and escape from suffering, he would be willing to give even more!

Next, Orcas followed instructions to perform mycelium implantation on the unconscious Ivan.

Then, he fed Ivan the diluted water of life from the bottle.

The powerful and pure life energy washed over Ivan’s body, making the mage, who had been lying for months, visibly regain a rosy complexion, with a physical state perhaps even healthier than before the coma.

The remaining issues concerning the spirit were no longer Orcas’s concern.

The next day, he presented the mentally transcended Number Ten Puki to the Silver Thorn Squad’s courtyard.