Chapter 2748: Chapter 2749: Lively Mushroom
Vayâs shock, along with Doxâs echo from the side, made everyone look at Angel. Even the Black Earl, through the connectivity of their bloodline, investigated the situation within Vayâs body.
At this moment, Angel calmly withdrew his hand.
"They, theyâre still not moving," Vay said. Even though Angel had already withdrawn his hand, the mycelium larvae inside him still didnât dare to move, as if knowing their natural enemy was still nearby and not daring to be careless.
While the others were still in doubt, Dox, who had once had the privilege of seeing Cha Cha, was not surprised by Angelâs miraculous methods. He was the first to recover and asked, "So, as the Mushroom Master, you should have a way to help him expel those invading mycelium, right?"
Angel: "Say âMushroom Masterâ one more time, and you can prepare to compensate the Sunlight Sanctuary with your tavern. Of course, the total value of your tavern isnât even worth a strand of its fur, so itâs only the first installment of the compensation."
After Angel spoke, he gave Dox a slight glance.
Although Angelâs tone was very calm, Dox could feel that he was serious. He really would use his precious tavern to repay the debt to the Sunlight Sanctuary!
How despicable, threatening me like this!
Dox cursed internally but outwardly chuckled, "I was just kidding... donât look at me like that, there wonât be a next time, I promise!"
Dox took the initiative to back down, and as for the reasonâ
Even though Angelâs words were harsh, what he said was true. The Cross Tavern meant a lot to Dox, but to Angel, it was worthless, not even comparable to the fur of the Sunlight Sanctuary.
Including the tavern in the conversation was purely to upset Dox.
Dox didnât want to lose the Cross Tavern over such a trivial matter, so he decided to back down when necessary.
How could Angel not perceive Doxâs inner grumbling, but since Dox didnât express it, Angel pretended not to sense it...
"How to expel the mycelium from his body? It can be done now," Angel turned back to the main topic.
Dox was taken aback and took a while to react, "Does it still need to be picked out one by one?"
Angel nodded.
Dox: "Isnât there a faster way? Like drinking a potion and having all the mycelium expelled."
At this time, Vay timidly asked, "Why should it be expelled by vomiting?"
Dox gave him an annoyed look, "Do you want to expel it by defecating instead?"
Vayâs expression changed, and he fell silent.
Angel: "This is the quickest and least harmful method to his body. There are faster methods, but they might cause blood loss, and how long it would take to recover is uncertainâhalf a month? A month? Or even longer?"
Dox wanted to say more, but Vay quickly interrupted, "This way is enough. Theyâre not moving now, making them much easier to expel than before."
As he spoke, Vay forced out a dozen or so white cotton-like mycelium larvae from his body...of course, not by vomiting but by opening a small hole in his petrified skin, allowing the mycelium larvae to fall out.
The first time he forced the mycelium larvae out so smoothly, although the number wasnât large, it was so easy and fluid that he felt like he was dreaming.
Most importantly, it wasnât itchy at all and caused no pain.
Previously, when he pulled them out forcibly, it was very painful, and the mycelium larvae seemed to be swimming faster upon realizing they were about to be pulled out, making Vay even itchier.
Now there was no sensation, and he could easily expel a handful; the difference was night and day!
After tasting the sweetness of success, Vay stopped speaking, sitting directly on the ground, closing his eyes, and focusing on forcing out the mycelium larvae from his body.
At first, only a dozen or so would fall, but later, the number increased significantly. Even dozens or hundreds fell at once.
However, the mycelium larvae themselves were very tiny, so even with hundreds falling out, it only looked like a small tuft of fluffy dog hair.
Compared to the tens of thousands of mycelium larvae in his body, it was insignificant.
But Vayâs dedication was high, and at this speed, itâs estimated he could solve the mycelium issue in about a day. This was much faster than before.
Once Vay got into the state, Angel ignored the dazed Dox and continued to discuss duel strategies with Kael.
Kaelâs expression grew more and more astonished as he listened, almost as if his soul had been drawn out and he was in a dream. The ideas Angel was proposing were just too whimsical, or rather... too absurd.
Can I really achieve this?
While Kael was still in a haze, the Wise Sovereign announced that preparation time was over, and the duelists from both sides were to enter the arena.
In his muddled state, Kael was pushed onto the stage.
This time, their side went up first again, with the merchants following shortly. However, at this point, it didnât matter. On their side, only Kael was capable of going up, and their opponent had probably already worked out their strategy and identified who would face off.
So, the order no longer mattered.
Kaelâs first battle was against Pink Jasmine.
Even though they saw Angel discussing tactics with Kael, and guessed Angel might be an illusionist, they still sent Pink Jasmine, an apprentice from the Illusion Series, likely intending to use the method of probing Kaelâs abilities, similar to their previous approach with the ghostly shadows.
While reusing such a tactic may bore the audience, the strategy itself is quite effective.
Especially since Vay canât go up for now, leaving Kael as their only opponent. They had three apprentices, allowing for a probe, a drain, and finally a strike.
This would be the best arrangement, but itâs highly likely they wouldnât need the final strike; probing and draining should suffice to stop Kael from advancing.
After all, in their view, Kael is from the Academy Faction and is too inexperienced.
However, they hadnât noticed that Kael relaxed noticeably when he saw his opponent was Pink Jasmine. Because in the strategies Angel had explained to him before, dealing with Pink Jasmine was the simplest and sounded the least absurd. After all, Angel himself was an Illusionist Wizard, fully aware of the capabilities of illusions, without needing unnecessary "flashy" moves.
As Kael was feeling fortunate, the Wise Sovereignâs voice of "duel start," accompanied by the dome, descended onto the arena.
The duel officially commenced.
...
The confrontation between Kael and Pink Jasmine was heating up.
Angel was also observing Kaelâs performance, but at that moment, the previously silent "private chat channel" was suddenly activated.
Angel showed no signs of any abnormality, his eyes still fixed on the stage, but he respectfully addressed in his mind: "Lord Black Earl."
Such a private channel could only be used by the Black Earl or the Wise Sovereign. Since the Wise Sovereign was at the center of the arena, using the Mind Ribbon, even if unseen by others, would be noticeable. Therefore, it was obvious that the one contacting him was the Black Earl.
Angel was not surprised at all by why the Black Earl suddenly contacted him in private.
The Black Earl and Vay were essentially "one." What he did inside Vayâs body, the Black Earl surely knew.
When Angel had placed his hand on Vay earlier, and the Black Earl purposely turned the stone slab to "watch" him with its nostrils, Angel knew the Black Earl might reach out.
Indeed, this turned out to be true. The first question the Black Earl asked Angel was: "What is that mushroom?"
Others likely have no idea what Angel did, possibly even Vay couldnât detect Angelâs manipulation. But the Black Earl noticed.
Yes, itâs the mushroom.
Angel left a mushroom inside Vayâs body.
Itâs precisely this mushroom that puzzled the Black Earl. If it were just an ordinary mushroom, it might simply be Angelâs method of healing. But to the Black Earlâs surprise, the mushroom was exceedingly peculiar.
It seemed alive, hopping around within Vayâs body as if it considered Vayâs flesh its conquered territory, patrolling its domain back and forth.
Initially, when the Black Earl detected it, he thought it might be a mutant form of mycelium. Later, through its movements during patrol, he saw the mycelial creatures trembling with fear and finally confirmed that this mushroom was the true culprit causing these creatures to freeze.
At this point, the Black Earl focused his attention on Angel. There was no doubt that this mushroom was Angelâs doing.
At the time, the Black Earl was a bit surprised but did not have the desire to inquire Angel about it. After all, the Black Earl had previously expressed that he would not question Angelâs abnormal behavior in the underground aqueduct.
However, the Black Earlâs thoughts soon changed. Because that mushroom seemed to notice his gaze.
The judgment was based on: Whenever the Black Earlâs gaze swept over it, it stayed still. But once his gaze shifted, it continued patrolling its expansive territory.
Being able to detect the Black Earlâs eyes while inside Vay was quite astonishing. The Black Earl observed the mushroom by virtue of bloodline connection, yet the mushroom could perceive the Black Earlâs gaze through such a complex and distant logic chain.
Earlier, the Black Earl merely thought the mushroom "seemed" alive. Now, he increasingly felt that perhaps it was indeed a living thing.
But soon, the Black Earlâs idea was refuted.
The person who refuted him was Vay himself.
When the Black Earl attempted to have Vay control the mushroom, Vay replied in confusion: "What mushroom?"
Only then did the Black Earl realize that although Vay was in a state of shock, he was merely surprised by why the mycelial creatures suddenly stopped moving, completely unaware of the lively green speckled mushroom inside him.
Under the Black Earlâs instruction, Vay went to investigate but still found no trace of the mushroom.
It seemed as though the mushroom existed in a state straddling reality and illusion.
At this point, the Black Earl truly became curious about this strange mushroom. Taking advantage of the duel that kept Kaier busy, and while no one else noticed, he initiated a private chat invitation with Angel.
"As expected of you, Black Earl, no matter how secretly I act, I canât fool you, sir." Angel complimented.
The Black Earl: "At this moment, I hope youâd learn from your mentor to skip the pleasantries and get directly to the point in every situation."
Angel: "..."
After two seconds of silence, Angel said: "What does the Black Earl wish to know? Is it the mushroomâs impact on Vay or the origin of the mushroom?"
The Black Earl: "Both, you may speak at your discretion."
The Black Earlâs words actually meant Angel could choose to withhold some information; he wouldnât press for answers.
This aligns with the Black Earlâs initial promise.
Angel pondered for a moment: "This mushroom will not affect Vay. Once the residual issues in his body are completely eradicated, it will naturally disappear."
The Black Earl had no objection to this. He inherently didnât believe the mushroom would impact Vay. Otherwise, he would have intervened long ago.
From his observations over time, Angel was not a bloodthirsty person, nor would he harm Vay without reason, especially with himself right there, Angel wouldnât dare.
The Black Earl: "What else?"
Angel: "As for the origin of the mushroom... you probably already realized itâs just an illusion, right?"
The Black Earl remained silent. Although he felt the mushroom was somehow between reality and illusion, it was so lifelike that even if he suspected it might be illusion magic, he never truly confirmed it.
Now, Angelâs words cleared any doubts for the Black Earl that the mushroom was indeed an illusion!
Angel continued: "This mushroomâs essence seemingly exerts an inherent suppressive effect on fungal organisms inferior to itself. Itâs akin to the pressure of a wizard."
"Based on this principle, I created its illusion through special magic, infusing it with the mushroomâs true essence, achieving an effect where illusion indistinguishable from reality. This resulted in a significant restraining effect on the mycelial creatures inside Vay."
The illusion technique Angel mentioned sounded somewhat like True Illusion to the Black Earl. However, could illusions produced by True Illusion perceive someoneâs gaze? Achieving a reaction exclusive to living creatures seemed incompatible with True Illusion.
The Black Earl was very curious about this and wished to inquire further.
But while describing this illusion technique, Angel clearly stated it was a "special magic."
If it werenât special, Angel would have named the technique outright. The lack of mention indicated Angel was reluctant to reveal the truth behind the illusion magic.
Even if the Black Earl pursued the query, Angelâs response might carry reluctance.
Although surprised, the Black Earl decided not to create a rift between him and Angel over such trivial matters.
Thus, the Black Earl did not delve further into questions regarding the illusion magic and instead directly inquired about the mushroomâs true form.
"Does the mushroom itself move? What species is it? Was it cultivated by Regina?"
Angel: "The mushroomâs true form is called âMystery Glowâ. Regarding what species and where it originated, as well as its effects, I think you would have better clarity by asking Lord Reine."
In essence, Angel created an illusion of the Mystery Glow.
Earlier, Angel learned from Reginaâs research that this peculiar living fungal species exerted a suppressive effect on its kind, especially pronounced on parasitic types.
The Mystery Glow itself also parasitizes; perhaps to compete for hosts, the Mystery Glow developed this unique pressure.
Therefore, when Angel discovered the mycelial creatures invading Vayâs body, his first thought was to use the Mystery Glow to suppress those creatures. However, exposing the Mystery Glowâs true form was out of the question, as it was under Reginaâs study. Thus, Angel chose a different approach and used Nightmare Illusion Technique to create a Mystery Glow illusion.
Angel deliberately used his right hand to touch the mycelial creatures on Vay earlier, conveniently facilitating the use of Nightmare Illusion Technique.
The effect was precisely as Angel anticipatedâhighly effective.
What was unexpected was its significant effectiveness, enough to catch the Black Earlâs attention.
"Mystery Glow? Never heard of that term." The Black Earl: "You mentioned Reine, does he have a connection with this âMystery Glowâ?"
Angel nodded: "Yes, so I suggest you inquire Lord Reine about it. If I divulge, it might be stepping over bounds."
The Black Earl pondered momentarily, ultimately accepting Angelâs statement.
Angel wouldnât lie concerning "Reine," hence this peculiar mushroom might really be associated with Reine.
If that were the case, thereâs no need to trouble Angel further.
Once matters here conclude, he could find time to consult Reine.
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