Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 306 - 298: Little Pig’s Interests
"Is it tasty?" The voice of Puki lingering around his neck asked eerily.
Even though the meat soup was so bland it was barely salty, Slick still wiped his mouth vigorously and shouted, "Tasty!"
"That’s good!"
Splat!
Before the words finished, a mushroom suddenly burst through the tough scales and flesh on Slick’s thigh, erupting with bloody splatter!
"Aaaaah—!" The excruciating pain that felt like his bones being engraved overwhelmed Slick instantly, making him scream as he rolled on the ground.
"W-what the hell is this?!" He stared fearfully at the bizarre mushroom on his leg, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Splat, splat... More mushrooms slowly and cruelly broke through his scale armor one after another, emerging.
The prisoners watched the scene in horror—Slick, who had just been smugly accepting his "award," had turned into this wretched and terrifying sight in an instant.
A few prisoners who had seen fully parasitized Mushroom People on the battlefield had a dreadful suspicion in their hearts.
However, these did not include Slick.
"Strong men certainly deserve respect, but..." Puki’s voice still hung on Slick’s neck, but each word dug him deeper into the abyss, "are you... really strong?"
"Look at these guys around you. Missing arms and legs is common, at worst they’re covered in scars. Why is it that only you..." The voice of Puki suddenly grew severe, "have pristine, shiny scales, without even a proper scratch?!"
"I... I..." Slick wanted to argue, but the pain and fear choked his voice.
Lin Jun revealed the answer for him: "Because when your leader got blown to bits by me, you ran faster than anyone! Chased and surrounded by my Pukis, you surrendered before even baring your claws! Is this... what you call strength?"
"And most importantly, as a prisoner, a criminal, you dare point fingers at me?"
Two more mushrooms exploded with bloody froth, and Slick curled up on the cold ground, coughing up blood, body shivering like a sieve, incoherently pleading, "I’m wrong... I was wrong! Please... spare me, I can still... serve..."
Puki’s voice let go of his neck, was cupped and placed back under Marshal Puki’s large hat brim: "Of course, you will still serve me... in another way!"
Splat!
With the final dull thud and abruptly cut-off scream, Slick finally had his wish and shed his prisoner status.
He stiffly stood up, covered in mushrooms, becoming one of the jailer’s ranks.
"Anyone else think they’re strong and want to cut the line, want privileges?"
No one responded, the newly minted "Mushroom Lizardman" Slick stood rigidly at the front of the line, and most of the prisoners lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.
The subsequent meal process was orderly, with no one cutting in line, and the invisible barrier between the half-demons and lizardmen seemed to have dissolved. In silence, they spent nearly two hours completing this "re-education" first meal.
It was only until this moment that Shou stood again, picked up a thick scroll of leather filled with rules, and loudly proclaimed:
"You are a bunch of invaders, criminals. I would love to drag you all to the Fertile Land! But the boss is merciful, willing to give you a chance to reform!"
"Mushroom Garden’s new regulations for prisoners! Hear it clearly, remember it, follow it! Violators will bear the consequences!"
"No fighting, no theft, no destruction, no disturbances, no spreading rumors..."
"Every criminal must complete corresponding work daily to atone. On this basis, any extra work completed can accumulate Contribution Points!"
"Contribution Points can be exchanged for various supplies, including food, animal skins, weapons, and even... freedom!"
...
Handing over control of Slick to Shou, Lin Jun no longer bothered.
The re-education of prisoners is a long-term campaign, starting with an iron fist of fear to establish rules, followed by the woven web of benefits and the warm water of the environment gradually dulling their edges. This takes time and cannot be rushed.
Spending three to six months fully digesting these prisoners, then the Mushroom Garden will ascend to a higher level!
As for complete parasitism, Lin Jun would not resort to it unless absolutely necessary.
The precious aspect isn’t the combat prowess of these prisoners but their potential to expand Puki’s forces as nodes.
Once completely parasitized, the Mushroom People lose the ability to function as nodes, essentially becoming a different kind of Puki that also occupies control capacity.
Furthermore, at the moment of complete parasitism, the soul leaves the body, leaving only skills and body behind.
The departure of the soul leaves Lin Jun unable to further enhance these puppets with skills or decompose them for skill proficiency.
The previously created ones, except those of Gold Level and above that still have value, were weaker than ordinary Pukis and were recycled by Lin Jun into pure Magic Power after the war.
Of course, although creating Mushroom People is a wasteful act, the scene, like killing chickens to warn monkeys, is worth employing.
In the future, if any prisoners think of causing trouble, seeing Slick for a few moments would surely calm them down.
Attention shifted to Little Pig.
She leaned languidly against the wall, half-closed crimson eyes, lightly licking her bloodless lips, savoring the lingering screams in the air.
Whenever the boss’s terrifying methods were used on others, it always filled her with an almost tremulous delight.
If the target were those colleagues competing for promotion qualifications in the Empire, this delight would undoubtedly double!
For instance, there was the Blood Race Earl, Lady Yuni’er, still imprisoned in the dungeon.
Although under different Dukes with no interaction, Louisa had already labeled Yuni’er as a "waste" in her heart.
A distinguished Earl, yet being entangled for so long with her and Xing Huo, along with a bunch of Pukis, it was clear she was a crony-hired fool!
People like her, more than those with straightforward competition, roused her disdain!
These trash occupied valuable promotion spots, forcing her into desperate, dangerous tasks to compete for the remaining quota among other Blood Races...
Louisa’s sharp canine teeth ground unconsciously, contemplating finding a chance to persuade the boss to also plant a few beautiful mushrooms on the "esteemed" Count Yuni’er!
"Little Pig."
"I’m here!" Louisa instantly straightened her back. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"To the meeting room."
"Yes!"
The so-called meeting room was actually just a simply dug-out secluded room, with stone chairs and a table added.
As Louisa stepped in, her gaze was immediately captured by the eerie, thin Yellow-covered Book at the center of the stone table, with only a single page, as if it could fall apart any moment.
"Holy Scripture..."
