What is this astonishing defense all about?

Even at just Level 2, with four layers stacked, it shouldn't shatter with just a claw from Xiao Hai, right?

Opened Xiao Hai's panel and didn't see any awakened god-level skill to break shields in one hit.

So, is my "Divine Barrier" just for show?

Why!?

After thinking for a while, a word appeared in Lin Jun's mind—"Faith".

After all, the skill carries words like "Divine," and I've only seen it on Church Warriors, but faith...

Let's just say I'm respectfully uninterested.

Lin Jun doesn't want to be associated with gods at all.

It's not like this is the only defense skill; if it can't be used, so be it.

Lin Jun decisively tossed it into the "useless skills junkyard" and didn't look at it again.

With a Little Pearl, he coaxed the dispirited Xiao Hai back to the Mushroom Forest; the Deep Area still isn't suitable for her, really afraid she might fall into a Rift someday.

Then he called Xiao Zhu, announcing the end of her vacation.

Had her set out with the Puki brigade of fifteen hundred, first to reclaim lost ground.

During the time Lin Jun pulled Puki away, Caves No. 4, No. 7, and No. 8 were overrun by demons.

Poor Pukis, originally spending carefree days gathering magic power in their own caves, at peace with the world.

Who would've thought they'd be invaded by those greedy and violent demons!

Now that I have time, these demons will pay in front of Lin Jun!

So Lin Jun gave Xiao Zhu the order to leave no one alive.

Louisa thought for a while, "Uh... so just like before?"

"Yeah, just like before."

Louisa didn't have much blood left and just needed to replenish, so she was more than willing to go.

Of course, even if she was unwilling, she still had to go.

Finally, there's this group of Cave Dwellers.

Looking at the issues Norris sorted out, who knew Cave Dwellers had so many problems?

Lin Jun had no intention of managing how these primitive guys fight over mates, definitely not going to be a matchmaker for them, right?

Lin Jun isn't the Old Man of the Moon!

However, the injuries and destruction caused by these fights are really depleting Lin Jun's "assets," cannot just ignore it.

And their habit of "bullying" Pukis must also be corrected.

So, these deep-rooted, primitive, and annoying issues... how should they be fixed?

Talk sense?

Lin Jun doubts the Cave Dwellers can even understand the concept of "sense".

Why complicate things? To deal with primitive Cave Dwellers, just use primitive methods.

If they're fighting, intentionally harming Pukis, or destroying Fungal Mat facilities, make them grow mushrooms!

Simple, direct, and impactful.

You don't even need to explain new rules; Cave Dwellers who've suffered will naturally correct these bad habits.

Apart from these vices, the training of Cave Dwellers commanding Pukis was going smoothly under Norris's guidance.

A Cave Dweller can generally control around ten to fifteen Pukis.

Lin Jun planned to group the Cave Dwellers into tens, try deploying them in several caves as guards to see the results.

This is an important job evaluation; Lin Jun sincerely hopes the Cave Dwellers can prove their worth.

Three groups of reluctant Cave Dwellers were driven out of the Snail Wood to establish new settlements.

Lin Jun turned his gaze back to Norris.

[Level: Level 29]

Just a step away from the silver threshold, with so many skills, the actual combat capability shouldn't be low.

But in the Deep Area, that's really not enough.

Remembered the equipment reward promised to Norris earlier.

Initially planned to give Norris a full set of Church Knight Full Body Armor acquired—although it doesn't add attributes, its defense is really solid, even a Mushroom Cannon would only cause a shallow dent.

But now Lin Jun dismissed this idea.

Look at the monsters encountered this time!

Those claws that can tear through rocks... ordinary full armor might just withstand an extra claw or two.

And the heavy plate armor would seriously hinder Norris's speed and agility, making evading and escaping impossible, leading to a quicker death.

Feel like Norris needs to follow the Agility Stream.

But lighter equipment, like the leather armor favored by adventurers, honestly offers less defense than Norris's own Silver Scale, completely unnecessary.

Thinking it over, maybe just finish equipping Little Norris with skills first?

"Norris, how many times have you used Sound Wave Detection before?"

Norris, who was busy repairing his broken relationship with the Yellow-covered Book, hoping for more stories, took a second to respond to Lin Jun's question: "Can't remember very well, about ten times maybe..."

Ten times?

Within a second, Lin Jun used the Sound Wave Detection ten times, felt it...

Felt nothing.

No discomfort at all.

Is it an Intelligence Attribute issue or due to Spiritual Integration Level 7?

Come to think of it, upgrading this skill lets me control more Pukis, would giving it to Norris achieve a similar effect?

Could Norris single-handedly command a Puki army of three thousand?

If such a great thing exists, I'd immediately go kidnap... no, recruit humans.

Recently, those humans venturing into the Underground City would be perfect; by then, even Level 70 wouldn't scare me!

Imagining a bright future, Lin Jun added Spiritual Integration Level 7 to this upgrade list.

Claw Strike Level 9 also needs to be lined up, though it is just an ordinary skill, Norris already has Claw Strike Level 7, upgrading existing skills costs way less than adding new ones, highly cost-effective.

As for other skills...

Corrosion Resistance Level 8 + Physical Resistance Level 7 + Magic Resistance Level 6 + Mimicry Level 6

Sigh—

There is a bit of sentiment with Little Norris, this final round of enhancements turned out to be all life-saving shell skills.

Back then, I would definitely have stuffed Divine Barrier as "research material".

But now... slot space is limited, so only the later "lucky winners" get to explore the mysteries of Divine Arts.

Mimicry, as a frequently used skill by Lin Jun, is mostly used for landmine laying.

Level 6 Mimicry now doesn't deactivate just from a bit of damage.

Testing on Pukis showed that mimicry only disappears when health drops below half.

A really useful skill, when Old Di returns, I'll upgrade it for him, too.

...

"I'm really sorry! I absolutely, absolutely won't push you in front next time! I swear!" Norris rubbed his paws, repeatedly apologizing to the Yellow-covered Book.

[That's what you said last time!]

[And what happened?]

[At the critical moment, didn't you still put defenseless me out there?]

[Norris, we're finished, there won't be any more stories from now on!]

"It really won't happen again..." Norris clasped his hands together, promising.

Unfortunately, the Yellow-covered Book wasn't buying it, emitting an icy "don't touch me" aura.

As one book and one being locked in a stalemate, a few round Pukis silently surrounded them.

Threads of pale purple, sweet-smelling mist began to permeate the surroundings.

"Hmm?" Norris, who was caught up in his predicament, twitched his nose twice, his pupils constricting sharply!

He cautiously lifted his head, his gaze scanning the seemingly "harmless" Pukis around him.

"B-boss?" Norris's voice carried a barely detectable tremor, with a wry smile on his face, "What's going on this time?"

This guy actually realized it!

Lin Jun didn't answer, but those few Pukis, previously just "quietly emitting," suddenly stopped pretending, swelling and contracting, spewing out Hallucinogenic Spores, engulfing Norris entirely!

Norris, stuck between wanting to run and daring not to, in his hesitation, completely lost consciousness...

As for the Yellow-covered Book, during this time it'll just have to cozy up to the explosive Pukis' butts.

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