Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 370 - 362: The Noble Carrion Eater

Ilo arrived at the fortified camp at the entrance to the Divine Wood Dungeon, and behind him were several students, including Salian with Scout Puki on his head, and seven other mages.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the tranquil harmony of Tree City.

The temporarily reinforced fences and barriers shimmering with runic light enveloped the camp layer upon layer. Elf Rangers hurried by, clear exhaustion and alertness etched on their faces, and even the air carried a faint scent of blood.

A Ranger Squad Leader, dressed in light armor and carrying a longbow, quickly approached and respectfully saluted Ilo: "Chief, the Captain of the Guard ordered me to guide all of you here."

However, just as he finished speaking, a suppressed and anguished howl echoed from the direction of the medical tent not far away, filled with an inhuman frenzy.

Ilo stopped his steps, looking toward where the sound had come from: "Is it an infection? Take me to see the wounded first."

The squad leader’s eyes brightened slightly, and he immediately nodded: "Yes, Chief."

When the Ranger Squad Leader led Ilo’s group there, two Elf Rangers were working together to carry out a Druid.

"What’s wrong with him? Is it serious?" Salian asked.

A ranger explained: "It’s nothing serious, Du Yi just pushed himself too hard. He’ll be fine after sleeping for a day!"

Judging by the two rangers’ expressions, this seemed not to be the first time this had happened.

Inside the medical tent, several exhausted Druids sat before some restrained elves, maintaining the glow of Purification Technique in their hands.

Under the continuous effect of the Purification Technique, the elves infected with dark red lines remained relatively quiet.

On a nearby reclining chair lay a few completely drained Druids, who had fallen asleep.

"Chief?!" A Druid quickly recognized the newcomer.

Ilo glanced at the Druids’ haggard faces and said, "I’ll lend a hand; you all deserve some rest."

He stepped forward, his lips moving soundlessly twice, then raised his hand.

A gentle yet tremendous light rippled out from him like water waves, instantly enveloping the entire medical area.

The light wasn’t blinding but carried strong purifying power.

The infection marks on the patients within the tent dissolved rapidly like snow under the sun, and some injured hummed contentedly in their sleep.

The effectiveness was so strong that even Scout Puki felt somewhat more energized!

The Ranger Squad Leader was the first to respond, excitedly placing his right hand over his heart, deeply bowing to Ilo: "Thank you for your assistance, Chief!"

The nearby Druids only then snapped out of their awe, faces full of reverence and admiration:

"Such powerful wide-ranging purification... it happened in an instant..."

"As expected of Chief Ilo..."

Ilo only nodded slightly, turning to the squad leader with a steady tone: "Now, take us to the front line."

"Yes! Please follow me."

The squad leader led the team into the Underground City, explaining the current situation as they proceeded: "Right now, the cleanup and reconnaissance efforts are mainly focused on levels thirteen to fourteen. The progress... is extremely challenging. The Demons entrenched there were already formidable, and now, due to infection, they’ve become extremely frenzied, highly aggressive, disregarding their own casualties entirely. What’s more troubling is the supply line; each time we advance a bit, significant effort is needed to solidify the defense."

They were currently walking along the "safe path" cleared by the Rangers.

On either side of this path, there were occasional scorched patches from magic burns or arrows deeply embedded in tree trunks—evidence of battle.

Looking upwards, on the towering trees, silhouettes of Elf Rangers could be seen at intervals, guarding against any crazed Demons that might suddenly lunge out.

Descending the path, Salian could clearly feel how much more desolate the entire Divine Wood Dungeon had become, with the once commonplace Demons now scarcely seen.

However, there were exceptions.

In the forest, the presence of Puki and Slimes had increased; along the way, scenes of their mutual pursuits were everywhere.

The guardians along the path had grown accustomed to this and casually ignored them as long as Puki and Slimes didn’t initiate attacks, letting them scurry around nearby.

This was because the madness-inducing frenzy didn’t affect all living beings.

Creatures like Puki and Slimes, almost devoid of complex mindsets and acting purely on basic instincts, were instead exempt from infection.

Their thinking was too simple to be twisted, hence they were unafraid of frenzy.

In fact, there were a few species in the dungeon unaffected as well, but as typical carrion eaters, Puki and Slimes had come upon their feast amidst this calamity.

The clearing operations had left a large number of Demon corpses which the elves had no time to thoroughly dispose of, leaving plenty of resources that Puki and Slimes were voraciously consuming.

With such abundant food, their numbers naturally skyrocketed.

Salian watched the ordinary Puki running aimlessly, frowning slightly, and instinctively raised his hand to steady the unusually calm Xiao Ji on his head.

Unlike other counterparts, Xiao Ji clearly possessed higher intelligence, which made it potentially susceptible to infection now.

This thought made him vigilant, realizing he must pay extra attention to this little one.

After all, should anything happen, having to bring back a pile of shattered Puki pieces to his sister... that scenario was something he couldn’t even bear to imagine.

While different elves had different realizations.

"The Divine Wood accumulated over so many years... sigh..." Seldan, also a student of Ilo, murmured while gazing at the scene before him.

His remarks elicited nods from surrounding mages, prompting an exchange of empathetic sentiments.

Some even began to discuss in low tones the ecological restoration plan after the conflict settled, considering whether to introduce specific Demons from outside to expedite the recovery process.

Perhaps it was good fortune, or perhaps the prior cleanup work by the Rangers had been thorough enough; their path down remained free from surprise attacks by Demons, and their journey was unexpectedly smooth.

Upon reaching the frontline, it was completely different from the previous desolate regions.

It was lively, even overly so!

Demons’ shrill, piercing howls and roars never ceased, a relentless background noise incessantly assaulting their eardrums.

In the deep darkness, occasionally, the swift flash from an arrow or the explosive burst of a massive Fireball would momentarily illuminate the shadows ahead.

Due to the relentless casting, the area’s magic power concentration became extremely unstable, with violent fluctuations like tidal waves.

This abnormal energy environment disrupted the magic power circulation within newcomers like Salian, causing waves of nausea and discomfort.

"Throw up! Throw up! You’ll get used to it after doing it a few times!" Amidst the chaos, accompanied by a loud voice, Eco, the Captain of the Guard, muddy and stained with dark red blood, strode up.

Under the flickering light of Magic Crystal Lamps, he headed toward Ilo, "Ilo! The king finally decided to send you over to support us!"

He spread his arms covered in stains while speaking, seemingly poised to give his old friend a spirited hug.

Yet, just a step away, his motion halted as a slender but robust root emerged from the earth, entwining his ankle.

"Dirty." Ilo flatly refused, showing no expression.