Early the next morning.

"Four bottles of Intermediate Healing Potions, three bottles of Basic Magic Potions, three bottles of Universal Antidote Potion. Everything's here, please take it, sir."

The shopkeeper pushed the oil-paper wrapped box of potions across the counter, and Vera carefully received and stored it away.

Fei Ling went to buy food and small items like flint, and Fei Yin said she wanted to prepare some powders, so she should be done by the time we return.

Just as Vera was about to leave the shop and head back, a guy who looked like a ruffian approached on his own.

"Hey there, young man, you seem unfamiliar?"

Vera frowned slightly and took two steps back, trying to go around him.

Do I look that easy to bully?

Why do these inexplicable people always show up?

The ruffian, however, didn't seem to understand tact and actually took two steps forward, sidling up to Vera.

Vera's hand was already on his curved saber. If it weren't for being within the town's boundaries, he would've drawn his weapon.

"Whoa, whoa, young man, I mean no harm."

The ruffian quickly gestured that he was not a threat, while Vera just stared at the annoying guy, waiting for him to continue.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you might be interested in some specialties from Dumb Wind Town."

Specialties?

It's not like Vera hasn't stayed at Dumb Wind Town before.

If we're talking specialties, everything from the Underground City is a specialty?

But nothing stands out enough to represent all of Dumb Wind Town, right?

Surely it can't be the bar from the Rotten Willow Tavern, which is already closed for business?

Vera quickly found out the answer.

The ruffian reached into his clothes, fumbled around, and pulled out a small, not-so-clean bag.

"Would you like some mushrooms?" he asked, revealing the green mushroom fragments inside the bag.

...

...

...

Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere.

That's Vera's current impression of Dumb Wind Town.

Yesterday's bowl of mushroom soup was not a specialty of that shop; now nearly every restaurant in Dumb Wind Town serves this "delicacy".

The reason is simple—it's cheap.

Cost is almost nonexistent; anyone who takes a stroll around the first level of the Underground City can easily gather a large amount of mushrooms.

This became most apparent when Vera and his two companions entered the Underground City.

The ground still looked the same, perhaps due to the constant foot traffic.

But the ceiling and gaps between the walls were entirely covered in mycelium and glowing mushrooms.

From the first to the fourth level, wherever there was a crevice or a spot difficult for living things to tread, there were mycelium and mushrooms.

Not only were the levels like this, but even the staircases connecting the different levels were the same, with vast stretches of mycelium spreading along the circular walls, as if they connected everything vertically.

However, this condition hasn't really inconvenienced adventurers.

On the contrary, if you don't mind eating glowing porridge every day, you can enter the Underground City entirely without food preparation.

Just be careful not to mistakenly cook the green mushrooms—all mushrooms emit fluorescence, and those with poor eyesight might confuse them.

Yet, green mushrooms aren't entirely useless; like that ruffian earlier, people use them as cheap "sleep aids".

Truly, if there's one inconvenience that mushrooms have brought to the Underground City, it's perhaps the disappearance of firefly grass.

At least that's how it is for the first five levels.

Without the warm orange glow of firefly grass, replaced by the mushrooms' fluorescence, the eeriness of the entire Underground City has increased several levels!

With its current look, it wouldn't be hard to imagine seeing a few ghosts emerging out of nowhere.

Walking down the spiral passage to the fifth level, the mushrooms' eerie light illuminated the stairs beneath their feet.

Fei Ling couldn't help but say, "They should rebrand this place as Mushroom Underground City."

Fei Yin nodded in agreement, "It's all mushrooms, and Puki."

Along the way, they'd already encountered two battles between Puki and Slime, and even gleaned a bit of loot...

While going down the corridor, they heard noisy chatter coming from below as they reached the latter half.

At the bottom of the stairs, over twenty adventurers were scattered about in teams, resting in various spots. Some had even set up campfires, seeming as if they'd been staying for a while.

The arrival of the three didn't attract much attention from the other adventurers. Many glances briefly appraised them before turning away.

"What are they doing?" Fei Ling asked in a small voice.

Vera shrugged, how would he know.

But he noticed a sign erected at the exit.

He walked up to it.

"Fifth Level Rules..."

The rules seemed like an expanded version of the "guide" he initially obtained.

The adventurers collectively acknowledged the sign being there rather than destroying it, indicating that the rules were likely correct.

Except for the last rule: if you see a completely black humanoid with wings, immediately retrace your steps and return.

Someone had scratched a mark on it and replaced it with a new set of words carved into the blank space with a knife: Do not enter at night.

Do not enter at night?

It was then that Vera noticed that nearly all these adventurers carried moon shadow stones.

Yet by their entry times and progress in the Underground City, it shouldn't be nighttime yet, right?

Feels like a good idea to inquire about it.

Vera looked around and spotted a dwarf diligently wiping his axe.

As he walked over, the dwarf raised the axe defensively.

But once Vera stated his intention and handed over a silver coin, the dwarf talked with him like a long-lost friend.

"So, is everything written on that sign true?" Vera asked, refusing the mushroom soup the dwarf offered.

The dwarf didn't mind, taking a swig himself, leaving a large patch of fluorescence in his beard.

"Of course it's true, some kind-hearted adventurer put it up.

Initially, some didn't believe it, but after the Pukis stripped them clean, they learned their lesson."

Saying this, the dwarf seemed to recall the scene and started chuckling quietly.

Vera nodded and continued to ask, "Then what's up with the last line? Is there a danger on the fifth level at night?"

The dwarf had a look that said he expected this question, moving closer to Vera and lowered his voice, "It's the Big Black Mushroom!"

"Big Black Mushroom?"

"Exactly! A giant, as tall as a person, with particularly thick scales, black Puki!

It's powerful, and even Gold Level adventurers can't defeat it. It roams the fifth and sixth levels every night.

You might not encounter it, but if you do, it might rob you!"

Vera's eyes widened in surprise, "It can move between two levels? Does that mean it can enter the staircases?"

"I understand your surprise," the dwarf patted Vera's shoulder, having been through it himself, "but it's the truth. This is probably one of the aftereffects of the Demon Tide."

The aftereffects of the Demon Tide.

Adventurers ascribed most changes within the current Underground City to these so-called aftereffects, which included the pervasive spread of mushrooms over the first five levels.

"You said it might rob, why is it only a possibility?"

"That depends on whether you have anything bright and shiny on you, like rings, Demon Crystals, Glass Beads, it will take anything it likes.

Hence, it's better to avoid going out at night to be safe."

"Then why are all of you resting here? It's still not nighttime," Vera asked his final question.

The dwarf chuckled, not hiding anything: "Because we're here to hunt it down!"

(Adding a picture of the three-person group)

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