"Oh my! What an adorable little Puki! I always wanted to raise such a cute Puki!"
"Yes, yes, you talk about Puki all day long, I’ve heard it so much my ears are about to grow calluses. Finally, you get to see one."
Stinky Fish and ngya whispered from a distance, changing their expressions to friendly and enthusiastic smiles, then slowly and leisurely moved closer.
No matter whether this thing is the legendary Mushroom Race or not, let’s capture it first and talk later.
If it is, bringing it back to the Empire would be a great achievent.
If it’s not, then it’ll just be an extra al on the wild survival road.
However, ngya, with her Enchanting Demon appearance, could barely manage to appear amiable, but the old Goblin’s face, full of wrinkles with sharp ears and a flat nose, looked sly no matter how he squeezed a smile.
Fortunately, Stinky Fish had the self-awareness to deliberately lag half a step behind and hid behind ngya to make himself less conspicuous.
ngya approached, while the Puki still sat quietly on a small patch of sparse fungal mat, motionless.
She carefully bent down, picking up the round little Puki, intentionally nestling it between her prideful bosom, her voice excessively sweet: "Little cutie, would you like sister to take care of you? If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as a yes!"
What she didn’t know was that, in Thirteen’s eyes, her pretended intimacy was almost identical to the ti when he deceived No. 4 to foolishly enter the black demon’s lair, clearly showing her bad intentions.
Moreover, Thirteen only felt that the two squishy mounds were squeezing its mushroom cap to the point of deformation, making it very uncomfortable.
It tried hard to restrain itself, avoiding extending its tentacles to pierce through these deceitful beings. With the power of its Knight Puki body, it could easily do so.
In fact, the two demons’ supposedly secret discussion, Thirteen heard it all clearly.
With its [Vibration Perception], as long as the Mushroom Race concentrates, they can hear sounds from a great distance. ngya and Stinky Fish only thought they were discussing quietly.
Empire?
It had heard other compatriots ntion it, supposedly it’s the largest country on this continent, filled with countless non-mushrooms.
If it could make such a vast number of non-mushrooms cry out desperately in despair and tremble in fear... just thinking about it made Thirteen tremble with excitent.
Doing so might even make the Mushroom Lord happy, wouldn’t it?
If the Mushroom Lord were happy, perhaps it would let him return to the Mushroom Garden.
Therefore, although being squeezed uncomfortably by this non-mushroom, Thirteen still made the effort to extend a tentacle, seemingly obediently wrapping it around ngya’s exposed arm, giving a response.
And this action, clearly different from a normal Puki, indicating a definite interaction, made ngya and Stinky Fish’s eyes light up, further confirming their guess about the Mushroom Race!
Especially ngya, she was overjoyed! If this truly was the Mushroom Race, and they successfully brought it back to the Empire...
Never mind wasting ti on this trip, even if she went back and slapped that stingy shapeshifter superior a few tis, he would have to put on a smiling face and take it!
Getting promoted, getting rich, reaching the peak of magical success, it’s all just around the corner!
With this thought, she hugged the "hope" in her arms even tighter, as if she wanted to ld it into her body.
Smack–!
Having had enough, Thirteen abruptly swung its tentacle, hitting the squishy mound that made it uneasy hard.
ngya cried out in pain, loosening her grip, and Thirteen took the opportunity to break free, landing on the ground with a soft "Puki."
After landing, Thirteen quickly moved next to Stinky Fish, who wasn’t much taller than Puki, and even placed its tentacle friendly on the old goblin’s shoulder.
Still in shock from the sudden blow, ngya dumbfoundedly watched Thirteen and Stinky Fish standing together shoulder to shoulder, her face full of confusion and disbelief.
The old goblin Stinky Fish shrugged his scrawny shoulders, pulling out a helpless yet slightly smug expression, and said in a shrill voice:
"Seems like... it prefers being with ."
ngya: "???"
...
After acquiring Thirteen, the two demons dared not delay for even a mont, imdiately turning around and rushing towards the port at full speed!
In fact, deep down, Stinky Fish still harbored so caution regarding how easily they obtained this suspected mber of the Mushroom Race.
Things went suspiciously smoothly.
However, those who wish to study and control the power of the Mushroom Race are the esteed dukes of the Empire.
For small characters like them on the front line, their mission is rely "to find and bring back."
As for any subsequent issues or risks that might arise, let the important people above worry about that.
Thus, his caution was more directed towards any imdiate threats. For example, this Mushroom Race creature might be a companion of so human adventurer team, and its disappearance might attract tracking and retaliation.
As for deeper and more complex hidden dangers, that wasn’t sothing an aging goblin like him needed to worry about.
In fact, in his heart, he had already begun to contemplate how to make this encounter seem more thrilling and dangerous when submitting a report in the future.
How many human patrols they passed through, what kind of thrilling engagents they experienced, how much effort they put in...
Only by doing so could they make this credit seem weightier, making it easier for them to demand a deserved reward.
...
Traversing that forest, already pockmarked by Sli infestation, finally, in the distance, the outline of the port erged in sight.
This was the first city captured by the Empire from human hands once the war had begun, known to humans as Angus Port.
However, to the demon race occupying this place, it was usually referred to simply as "the port," a location that required no na, rely a stronghold for use.
However, sothing seed amiss. One corner of the city was billowing with black smoke, flas spreading between buildings.
Sounds of chaos, shouts, tal clashing, and so kind of... hissing ca from afar?
It wasn’t organized like a human army’s battle cry or horn.
Moreover, the defense magic arrays on the city walls were strangely all turned off.
Just as they were in a state of suspicion and uncertainty, a dazzling burst of magical light erupted in front of the port’s sturdy gates!
Boom——!!!
The gates were blasted open from the inside!
Fragnts of wood and twisted tal scattered in all directions.
Soon after, terrified demon soldiers poured out from the breach, discarding their armor, faces filled with pure fear.
And the figure that had just cast magic to blow open the gate, ngya recognized, it was a diamond-level mage officer of the port’s garrison!
What happened? A human surprise attack? Or a rebellion?
Before they could process it, they saw the mage officer, amidst the flowing crowd, suddenly turn around and cast two more fiery fireballs at the breach!
Boom! Boom!
The exploding flas instantly illuminated the gate. However, during the swirling flas, the smoke inexplicably withdrew so distance, as if sothing passed through it.
In the next mont, in Stinky Fish and ngya’s sight, the mage officer who had just cast a powerful spell suddenly had his body severed in two!
Blood and internal organs splattered everywhere.
"Uh... Aaaaa!"
A shrill, distorted scream pierced the air, his upper torso fell to the ground, not yet dead, futilely clawing at the ground with his hands.
And the warm blood that splattered in the air briefly sketched out part of the attacker’s form.
A massive body, a hideous exoskeleton, and six scythe-like sharp claws!
The monster roared, chasing after other demons fleeing in panic.
Stinky Fish shuddered all over: "Aren’t those things from the sea? How did they co ashore?!"
Neither ngya nor Stinky Fish noticed a small floating eye in the sky, looking over from a distance.
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