Mushroom Lord in the Underground City

Chapter 768: Chapter 755: Public Opinion

This rather informal meeting lasted for most of the day, and both sides exchanged quite a bit of information.

Of course, to be precise, it was Lin Jun who unilaterally disclosed some information he felt could be made public, showing Puki’s goodwill.

As for the information given by the humans, it was almost all that Lin Jun had already directly grasped through the Fungal Mat, or inferred from various clues.

Eventually, both parties reached a consensus on several matters, such as resisting the Empire and repelling the mist.

After the meeting ended, Lin Jun extended four tentacles and shook hands with several of those present before being picked up by Inanna, who had been waiting for a long time.

As Inanna walked out, she was repeatedly praising "sounds really good" in the Fungal Network, while Alama’s eyes twitched.

On the other side, the Sword Saint, exhausted due to his identity revelation, old friends’ interrogation, and leader’s child-like voice, declined Lorenzo’s proposal to catch up.

He now only wanted to find a corner in the Mushroom Garden with no people around, to properly restore his sanity value nearing the critical point.

One person and two fungi departed.

"Hero, what do you think?" Lorenzo asked.

"That’s just a puppet, other things can’t be seen for now."

Lorenzo wasn’t surprised.

Though he didn’t have a convenient panel like the Hero, he still had ways to sense general strength.

The Puki just now wasn’t considered weak, but was clearly far from enough.

"Alama, what do you think?"

Alama pondered for a moment: "I trust Elvyn’s judgment, besides, the Kingdom is now highly bound to Puki, nearly one-third of the people have chosen symbiosis with the mycelium, we probably have no other choice. In fact, it surprised me a bit that this Mushroom Lord could be so gentle. Given the conditions discussed just now, if he were a bit tougher, he could have certainly demanded more."

"Yeah, no choice." Lorenzo sighed, "At this rate, within a few years, humans will completely merge with the mycelium."

He paused: "However, let’s make some preparations. Preserve a portion of pure humans, along with it, as a last plan."

Their discussion didn’t avoid Sofia, who as the Hero, naturally had the right to know everything.

For now, Lorenzo brought the topic back to the main issue.

"Then, regarding the internal announcement before formally allying with Fungus Castle, do you have any opinions?" He glanced at the group, "You know, recent dangerous narratives about spiritual control by the mycelium have been coming from over the mountains, some organizations have even started openly opposing. Suddenly revealing this matter could cause quite a disturbance..."

Ultimately, they decided to proactively release some minor tales, observe public reactions before making a response.

In fact, due to certain reasons, the anti-mycelium sentiment among the public was even higher than Lorenzo thought, with a growing trend. Though Lin Jun had countermeasures for that.

...

At the center of Novid city’s square, a crowd gathered in a circle.

A weather-beaten merchant stood in the center, the hem of his robe stained with mud from mountain roads, yet his voice was so loud it could be heard across the street.

"Do not, do not, do not accept the parasitism of mycelium!" He waved both arms, "Those mycelia will drill into your minds, control your thoughts, and eventually turn you all into Contracted Beasts of the Fungal Mat!"

"What nonsense are you talking!" Someone in the crowd threw a rotten mushroom at the stage, hitting the merchant’s shoulder, it was a man with mycelium crawling across his face, looking angry.

The merchant brushed off the crumbs from his face, not getting angry, instead turning to those around with similar traces of mycelium on their faces: "Absolutely true! Haven’t you noticed, since being parasitized by mycelium, you’ve become increasingly fascinated by things like Puki and Fungal Mat? Don’t argue just to argue, really think back, did you truly like those round things so much in the past?"

The square went quiet for a moment, some Puki Masters’ eyes flickered, as if seriously contemplating.

But very soon, someone stood out: "Liking one’s handy tools, what does that prove?"

His words drew a chorus of agreement.

Yet the merchant continued: "This is only the onset of spiritual control, just like a master-servant contract before the command is issued, true control will come when the time is ripe. Otherwise, do you think why the Empire suffered such a big loss before the Fungus Castle in the Northern Territory? Is it really that group of exiled Demon Race that crushed the two Dukes of the Empire?"

He paused, raised his voice higher, waving a few records brought from the mountains, "Also, there have been several incidents over there where those parasitized attacked ordinary people, seriously injuring them, forcing victims to accept mycelium parasitism to save their lives. This is absolutely true, if you don’t believe it, just find someone who recently returned from the mountains and ask, they must know similar instances."

What the merchant said was indeed something recently occurring in the Mountain Kingdom. Lin Jun also noticed that an imperial shadow vaguely loomed behind those incidents, the Demon King clearly wouldn’t want Puki to expand too smoothly outside the Empire’s territory.

Still, some in the crowd questioned: "Then why are there no such incidents within the United Kingdom?"

"Really none?" The merchant’s gaze swept over those faces with traces of mycelium, "Or is it happening but covered up? On the dwarf’s side, since the number of parasitized is still small, the Pure Ones wouldn’t keep it a secret for them, but look at yourself, how many around you have already been parasitized?"

"Do you mean we’ve all been controlled into accomplices?" A Puki Master’s face turned as red as a beet.

"No, I don’t mean all Puki Masters. But let me ask you, can you guarantee that other parasitized have not been bewitched? And how do you know you yourself haven’t also been secretly influenced?" The merchant didn’t relent, speaking faster and faster, "To my knowledge, after being parasitized by mycelium, dreams will more or less change. Some gain knowledge they shouldn’t know from them, some enter the same dream. You think it’s a good thing, something fun, but... isn’t this evidence of your spirit being eroded?"

Though reasonable, these remarks still angered the Puki Masters between the audience, cursing arose, some accused him of slander, some rolled up their sleeves wanting to teach him a lesson.

The merchant’s robe was pulled askew, his hat brim off to one side, but he didn’t run away nor shut his mouth.

He just stood there repeatedly persuading those ordinary people not yet parasitized to stay away from the mycelium, genuinely worried about humanity’s future.

There were also quite a few who had long been suspicious of mycelium parasitism, dared not become Puki Masters, while disliking Puki Masters for taking most of the job, chose to support the merchant.

The two groups were making quite the commotion in the square.

Most people just kept silent, they couldn’t decide which side was right, but undoubtedly, the merchant’s words successfully added to their concerns.

Just then, a Puki timidly arrived at the edge of the crowd.

The once loud and red-faced Puki Masters gradually quieted down, one after another turning their heads to this Puki.

While those not connected to the Fungal Network were left bewildered watching this scene unfold.

Until one Puki Master spoke to the merchant: "Albright, isn’t your brother kidnapped by the Demon Race four years ago?"

"How do you know my name and this matter? Do you know me?" Suddenly called by name, the merchant asked with suspicion and uncertainty, however, seeing everyone waiting for his answer, he said, "Four years ago my caravan was attacked by the Demon Race, my brother disappeared, his life or death unknown, it’s not confirmed he was kidnapped by them. What do you mean by asking this?"

Once they got a definite answer, all Puki Masters were surprised.

"What do you mean..." A Puki Master pointed towards that Puki and said: "Perhaps you should personally converse with this one who claims to be your brother... from the Mushroom Race?"

"What? Are you trying to shame and mock me using such a matter?" Attacked by tragedy of kin, the merchant’s tone also bore anger.

With tiny steps, the Puki walked through the crowd to the merchant, its trembling tentacle wrapped around the Telepathy Stone slowly approached.

Instinctively, the merchant raised his hand to block it, the Telepathy Stone stuck to his palm.

"Brother..."

Papers scattered to the ground, the merchant stared incredulously at this seemingly ordinary Puki, suddenly kneeling before it, hands trembling as he reached to touch its mushroom hat, still muttering:

"God of Light above..."

A worshipper of the Mushroom Worship Sect kindly reminded him: "Perhaps you should say ’Praise the Mushroom Lord’ actually."