Border of Mingster Province, Dragonâs Tooth Pass.
Two people were running rapidly, and behind them, dozens of stumbling humanoid monsters were in pursuit.
If you looked closely, you could see that the dozens of humanoid monsters were entirely covered with colorful mushrooms, while a yellow-green putrid gas spread around them.
The two running ahead were the two Black Sword team survivors who didnât enter the mining cave for exploration: Third Level Wizard Apprentice Medros and Sword and Shield Great Knight Luka.
"Medros, these wretched things are getting more and more numerous."
"Yesterday, we still managed to kill a dozen of them, but I never expected these monsters to become more troublesome now!"
"What about the support from the branch, why hasnât it arrived yet?" Luka, the Sword and Shield Great Knight, remarked tiredly while running swiftly.
The two of them had already released two Communication Blood Falcons.
Even if something happened to the first one initially, itâs unlikely that both would encounter an accidentâthe message must have been delivered.
"Not so fast! Our captainâs strength is top-notch in the Mingster Branch; do you think even if they send the other Diamond Star teams over, it would help?"
Medros, relying on Swift Wind to escape quickly, said with a grave expression.
"This...." Lukaâs expression darkened upon hearing his companionâs words. Although he didnât want to admit it, Medros made a good point.
"Most likely, the branch is waiting for support from the Imperial City."
"However, I believe it should be quick, at least the vanguard should be fast!" Medros whispered to himself, perhaps saying it for Luka or for himself.
Since the day before, these humanoid monsters covered with fungi started appearing sporadically in the mining cave. Upon discovering human villages, they immediately launched attacks.
This also allowed the two of them to witness the entire process of villagers being transformed into these humanoid monsters.
Third Level Wizard Apprentice Medros named these infected people âMyconids,â meaning spore-men or mushroom-men.
After ordinary villagers were infected, the Myconids seemed to decrease after entering and exiting the mining cave a few times, but those that reemerged gradually grew stronger.
However, the most troublesome aspect remained their high contagion.
If engaged in close combat, you would quickly be infected by the yellow-green mist they emitted.
Fortunately, keeping a sufficient distance and relying on the constitution of a Great Knight could barely resist it.
Otherwise, in the previous small-scale battles, Luka would have perished long ago.
This convinced Medros and Luka that there must be an infection source inside the mining cave, considering the Sealing Gate previously located within.
Thus, they could almost affirm, with ninety percent certainty, that the issue was with the Sealing Gate inside the cave.
This also explained why their captain, Black Sword Greylo, who reached Quasi-Legendary Level, didnât make it out alive.
"Damn! Theyâre in front too." Luka, sharp-eyed, immediately warned.
"Turn left!" Medros shouted.
"Oh no, there are some on the left too; theyâve encircled us!" Lukaâs face turned pale as he spoke.
Just as the two were panicking and contemplating whether to make a desperate attempt, suddenly, these humanoid monsters stopped and quickly returned back the way they came.
This left Medros and Luka a bit bewildered, exchanging looks and unsure of what was happening.
"Boom!!"
The two suddenly felt a tremor beneath their feet, followed by a sound resembling a landslide and an earthquake coming from the direction of Attachi Mine.
Despite being several kilometers away from the mine, the two could clearly see dust being ejected from underground, followed by a huge giant dragon bursting out of the earth.
"Roar!!!"
The giant dragon let out a high-pitched roar, surrounded by dense yellow-green gas.
And from the open crater, a large group of Myconids surged out, with a few as large as ogres....
"This must be the source!!" Medros said dazedly as he watched this scene.
"I understand! The Myconids infecting humans repeatedly were to provide energy for this giant dragon."
"Medros, look at the direction itâs flying." Luka, after hearing Medrosâs words, suddenly thought of something and looked extremely grim.
"Oh no! Itâs heading towards Brightshine County!"
"I know, itâs aiming to continue its recovery...."
The twoâs expressions changed drastically instantly!
...
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Mingster.
On the way back to the mansion from the church, Rein didnât engage much in small talk with the beautiful lady; instead, he looked rather solemn.
Because Bishop Shion and Brandelâs views were quite consistent: even if His Majesty the Emperor recovered, the situation wouldnât be much better than it is now.
According to the internal saying of the Goddess Church, âThe catastrophe has arrived, and only the most devout believers can receive the Blessing of the Goddess...â
Originally, Rein thought that after changing to the âKing of Thousand Blades,â dealing with some short-term risks shouldnât be a big problem.
But now it seems that the future situation may be even more challenging than he imagined.
"He who has no foresight will find trouble at the doorstep."
"Thereâs no room for complacency in power enhancement."
After returning to the mansion, Rein took out the third and final item that Mogaro had given himâthe Sheepskin Scroll of the Iron Plate Battle Puppetâfrom the drawer.