Chapter 699 - 688: Reunion
Chapter 699: Chapter 688: Reunion
The Memory Crystal spun lightly on the table, projecting a palm-sized image of light.
In the image, Dylan sat on the left, his face full of smiles. On the right was a middle‑aged woman she didn’t know, with gentle features and relaxed brows, wearing the same tender smile as she looked toward the center of the image.
In the center was a little girl.
A big cake was placed among the three of them. The little girl split the bright red mushroom on the cake into three portions and shared them with Dylan and that middle‑aged woman, which made Old Dylan’s smile grow even wider.
"Father?!"
Getting sudden news about her dad made it hard for Bella not to feel delighted. She had originally planned to ask Duke Lorenzo before leaving to help her look for her father’s whereabouts; she hadn’t expected the news to come to her on its own.
However, as she looked at the harmonious scene in the image, countless question marks popped up in her head.
Did the old man build a new family?
He even has a new kid already?
For a moment, Bella didn’t know whether she should be happy or troubled, so she could only ask, "You know my father?"
Inanna nodded.
Bella took a deep breath, pointed at the woman and child in the image, her voice tightening a little. "Then... they are...?"
Who would’ve thought Inanna would tilt her head slightly, a trace of confusion appearing on her face.
"Isn’t that your little sister?"
Bella felt as if she’d been struck by a heavy blow.
Her expression froze on her face. After a long while, she finally forced out a few words with difficulty, "Maybe... it is..."
On this point, Inanna really didn’t know. Compared to the retired Dylan, she was more familiar with Edin.
Normally she didn’t take the initiative to pay attention to anything unrelated to Puki, so how would she know about Dylan’s family situation.
"Right, Dylan is also in Oath City now."
"Really?" Bella jerked her head up.
"Really. He should be arriving very soon."
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open a crack.
Bella practically sprang up and turned around!
"Father!"
And then she saw a Puki, its round body squeezing in through the crack of the door.
Puki—puki—
Number Four walked in, circling around this strange woman who called it "father" the moment they met.
Bella sat back down somewhat awkwardly, turning her face away, doing her best not to look at the Chaos twisting nonstop in Inanna’s arms.
Behind her, the door was pushed open again.
This time Bella had learned her lesson; she didn’t rush to stand up, but turned her head to confirm first.
Then she saw that familiar figure—Dylan.
Bella’s vision blurred for an instant.
Compared to a few years ago, her father had become... become more full of spirit?
...
Ever since being parasitized by Mycelium, his old chronic injuries had disappeared.
Under the Old Boss, he didn’t have to worry about food and drink, nor did he have any pressure.
Especially after Norris came to Mushroom Garden, the Old Boss hardly used him as a source of amusement anymore.
The warm and comfortable retired life at Puki’s House had indeed made Dylan grow younger and younger.
But Bella thought of the earlier recording.
Obviously, this was proof that her father was doing very well after forming a new family. Her nose couldn’t help but sting, and she felt a bit lost.
The next moment, Dylan had already pulled her into a hug!
The hug came too suddenly, too forcefully. Bella was swept entirely into Dylan’s arms, her face buried in the hollow of his shoulder, the tip of her nose hitting him hard enough to ache.
"Bella... Bella..."
Dylan’s voice was trembling.
Dylan had originally had a lot he wanted to say, but at this moment, with his throat choked up, he couldn’t get anything out except to softly repeat his daughter’s name over and over.
Although the Old Boss had told him that Bella had escaped the war by staying at sea, he was still worried about her in his heart.
Even though he’d known in advance that Bella had returned safely, actually seeing Bella standing healthy in front of him made Dylan’s tears still flow uncontrollably, dampening Bella’s hair.
"Father..."
Her voice was hoarse as well.
Hearing his daughter respond, Dylan hugged her even tighter.
Feeling the slightly thin body in his arms, he couldn’t help but feel a stab of heartache. "How did you get this thin..."
At the same time, Dylan once again felt deeply thankful in his heart for his encounter with the Old Boss.
After all, without the Old Boss, he and Bella would probably only be able to meet in Paradise.
Watching this father and daughter reunion, Inanna was also moved, and couldn’t help wiping at the corners of her eyes.
Number Four sat on her knee, its mushroom cap tilted, tentacles crossed, completely unable to understand what these two humans were crying about.
If they want to talk, they can just communicate remotely through the Fungal Network; if that doesn’t work, they can apply to the Mushroom Lord for visual communication!
However, it still remembered the task the Old Boss had assigned.
Number Four slid down from Inanna’s knee, stuck its tentacle into its own belly and rummaged around, pulling out a palm‑sized disposable item, then squeezed hard!
A wave of Magic Power spread outward.
As it swept past Inanna, a layer of fiery armor flashed briefly and vanished, while Pink Puki was completely unaffected.
But when this wave of Magic Power washed over Dylan, it immediately shattered the[Mimicry]on his body.
The ordinary human face blurred for a moment, revealing Dylan’s true appearance.
Green skin, a face full of Mycelium.
Bella, sensing something wrong, instantly froze. She gaped, staring at this father who was both familiar and strange, at the Mycelium and the green skin, and her mind exploded with a bang.
The thing she’d been most worried about after coming ashore had happened.
Her father had turned into a lump as well.
Not only that, but with a one‑of‑a‑kind green skin?!
"Blegh—!" She quickly vomited what little breakfast she’d had all over Dylan’s chest.
To the side, Number Four balanced the Memory Crystal on its head, recording this touching reunion as well.
...
In the end, Dylan managed to explain it away with the story that he had gained certain Skills through parasitic mutation.
Bella had no choice but to accept it; there was nothing else she could do.
Although they had reunited, Bella carried a mission and couldn’t stay long.
As they parted, she stood at the city gate, her face still a bit pale.
Suppressing her discomfort, she gripped Dylan’s hand tightly. "Father, when I come back, I will definitely find a way to remove the Mycelium from your body!"
Dylan had already changed into a fresh set of clothes. Hearing this, the corner of his eye twitched slightly. "No... there’s no need..."
But Bella had already let go of his hand and swung herself into the saddle.
She turned back to look at Dylan and waved hard.
"Father, wait for me to come back! And say hi to my little sister for me too!"
The sound of hooves grew faint, kicking up a trail of dust.
Dylan stood where he was, watching that figure shrink into the distance, and only after a long time did he come back to himself.
"What little sister?"
...
Although they had parted again in less than half a day, this reunion untied the knot Dylan had carried in his heart for many years.
After saying goodbye to Bella, the faint smile on Dylan’s face never left again.
The only thing he regretted a little was that Bella seemed to have some prejudice against Mycelium and Puki.
He was already planning that when Bella came back next time, he would properly explain to her the benefits of Mycelium Symbiosis.
If Bella could also Symbiose with Mycelium, that would be even better. He believed that under the Old Boss’s protection, no matter how chaotic the world became, she could live a happy and peaceful life under the Old Boss’s shelter.
Seeing that Dylan was still immersed in the joy of their reunion, Lin Jun decided not to tell him any bad news.
On Bella’s route back to the Archipelago this time, things likely wouldn’t be peaceful—Chis, who had been avoiding Puki all this time, had become active again.