In the remote reaches of the Underdark lived the Myconids, intelligent fungal creatures capable of walking like living plants.
They suffered from "sun sickness." Direct exposure to sunlight caused them severe harm, and staying under it for more than an hour could even kill them.
Myconids were generally aligned with Lawful Neutral and would not actively attack other creatures or adventurers. Whenever they encountered other living beings, they released rapport spores that allowed nearby creatures to communicate through telepathy.
Anser had never seen real Myconids before and could not help studying them carefully.
The appearances of individual Myconids varied greatly. Some looked cute and goofy, some ugly and bizarre, some shriveled, some plump and foolish-looking...
'Wouldn't they make perfect guides?'
Anser signaled for the others not to approach while he slowly descended. Only then did he notice several unconscious adventurers beside the Myconids.
The adventurers had been placed onto sleds made from giant mushroom caps, with more caps covering them on top, making them look like oversized sandwiches. It was difficult to notice them without getting closer.
'This...' His heart skipped a beat before he quickly reacted. 'No, wait. Myconids are plants. They don't eat people.'
The dice rotated slightly before quickly displaying the target's information:
[Adult Myconid, Medium Plant, Challenge Rating 1/2]
'They really are Myconids. Could it be that the Myconid Sovereign wants to turn corpses into spore servants?'
Myconids were extremely weak in combat, so Myconid Sovereigns used animating spores to reanimate Medium or Small corpses into spore servants for defending their homes.
Still doubtful, Anser attempted to establish a mental connection with them.
Myconids could not speak, and most did not understand Common either. Telepathy was their only means of communication.
"Hello. I come from the surface world. My name is Anser." He smiled and spread open his empty right hand, conveying goodwill.
"Hello." An elderly yellow-and-blue Myconid looked up at Anser, its "face" expressionless.
Strictly speaking, Myconids had no facial features, but they possessed comparable sensory systems, centered around darkvision and telepathy.
Anser pointed toward the sinkhole that was no longer visible behind him. "A hole opened up over there. Above it is the human world. I came down to investigate. Is this the Underdark?"
"This is the Underdark," the old Myconid replied in an orderly manner. "It is also the homeland of the Myconid colony, a very remote place."
"The Myconid homeland? Are there any ruins or dungeons nearby?" Anser asked directly.
Before the elder could answer, a short, round little Myconid hopped out enthusiastically.
"There are! Right outside the mushroom forest. It's a huge dungeon..."
Myconid circles shared consciousness, senses, and even memories through their mycelial network, so the other Myconids were naturally aware of the conversation as well.
The old Myconid seemed somewhat helpless but did not stop or blame the little one.
Myconids were naturally kindhearted and not particularly intelligent. Most lacked any scheming nature, and only the elderly ones possessed a certain amount of mushroom-born wisdom.
Anser listened with a smile. The juvenile Myconid seemed to like him very much and told him everything it knew, including information about the Myconid circle itself.
This particular Myconid circle consisted of a little over thirty Myconids and was only one of many circles living within the mushroom forest. All of them depended on the forest to survive.
According to legend, their ancestors had once fled here as refugees and accidentally discovered this mushroom forest, eventually settling down. Over generations, the Myconid circles continuously cultivated and expanded the forest until it reached its current scale.
The mushroom forest contained not only hallucinogenic mushrooms, but many other poisonous species as well. Aside from undead and constructs, most creatures found it extremely difficult to pass through safely, making it a natural barrier protecting the Myconid colonies.
Fortunately, none of the toxic mushrooms were lethal. If non-evil creatures ran into danger, the Myconids would rescue them and send them back out. Once the toxins were metabolized, they could safely leave.
And today, the Myconids had already sent several waves of adventurers "back out."
The destination was the dungeon outside the mushroom forest.
The corners of Anser's mouth twitched. For a moment, he could not decide whether those adventurers were lucky or unlucky. After being poisoned, they would wake up only to discover they had already been delivered straight to the dungeon entrance without even needing to walk there themselves.
As for the dungeon itself, the Myconid circle did not know much. They rarely went there and only knew that many undead roamed inside, making it extremely dangerous.
The old Myconid voluntarily offered to guide Anser's group there, and Anser naturally had no objections. The party followed the slow-moving Myconids toward the dungeon.
The Myconid circle wanted nothing to do with such troublesome matters. They only wished to send the adventurers away as quickly as possible.
Along the way, Anser took the initiative to chat with them and quickly learned about the surrounding region of the mushroom forest.
According to the Myconids, every full moon night, a bright moon would appear above the dungeon, illuminating every corner of the city below. The sight was said to be extremely mysterious.
And there were still several days left before the full moon of August.
More than an hour passed.
The vast underground environment gradually narrowed until only a tunnel twenty to thirty meters wide remained, with a ceiling less than ten meters high. The cramped space felt oppressive and suffocating.
The fungal colonies here were sparse and stunted, likely having spread into the area only recently.
Iris could still sit atop her flying carpet above the group, but Anser had no choice but to retract his broad dragon wings and land on the ground. There simply was not enough room to maneuver.
At that moment, the glowing fungal colonies suddenly came to an end. Ahead lay nothing but pitch-black darkness. Faintly visible was a steep and winding mountain path leading downward at an angle, disappearing into the unknown.
"Following this road downward will lead you to that ruined dungeon," the old Myconid said, pointing its short arm toward the depths of the darkness.
Anser and Iris exchanged a glance and silently sighed. For the first time, they truly realized just how terrible the environment of the Underdark was.
The place consisted entirely of endless tunnel networks and caves, uneven and jagged, filled everywhere with ravines, pits, and cliffs. Darkness dominated everything, with only the occasional trace of light.
The Myconids set the unconscious adventurers down on a flat stretch of ground before bouncing away cheerfully, their lively demeanor standing in stark contrast to the harsh and oppressive darkness surrounding them.
The sight caused Anser to pause for a moment, something stirring within him.
No wonder there were so few good-aligned creatures in the Underdark. If he had to live in an environment like this, he would probably turn dark within a few months as well.
Perhaps only extreme emotional stimulation and frenzied release could make the creatures living here feel that they were truly alive.
"We're moving too," he said with a wave of his hand, signaling everyone to continue forward.
Adem and Gada took point while Sergei guarded the rear.
Anser cast Light on each of their melee weapons, illuminating both the front and back of the tunnel.
This had been one of Sergei's adventuring tips. Weapons were the least likely items to be damaged or discarded, and in combat there was no need to free up a hand just to hold a light source. Swinging illuminated weapons could even interfere with an enemy's vision.
The group advanced through the winding tunnels for one or two kilometers before rounding a bend. The space ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a fork in the road.
"Captain, which way?" Adem turned toward Anser, confusion visible in his eyes.
That Myconid earlier had not mentioned any branching paths.
Anser looked at the chaotic tracks on the ground and raised his hand to point toward the passage on the right. Just as he was about to speak, specks of green fire suddenly appeared in his vision and rapidly flew toward them.
Within the pitch-black tunnel, the green flames flickered eerily, sinister and terrifying.
"Undead. Prepare for battle!" Sergei barked.
Gada and Adem immediately assumed combat stances.
Anser shot Sergei a surprised glance. He himself had not even identified the enemy yet, but Sergei had already made the judgment. Truly worthy of being an experienced adventurer.
As the distance closed, the appearance of those clusters of green flame gradually became clear.
The dice rotated slightly before quickly displaying the target's information:
[Flameskull, Tiny Undead, Challenge Rating 4]
Anser's heart skipped slightly. He immediately informed the others through telepathy: "They're Flameskulls. Watch out for their Fire Ray!"
Though Flameskulls appeared unimpressive, they were extremely troublesome. They could fly, fire blazing rays, possessed Magic Resistance, and most annoyingly of all, Rejuvenation.
Even after being destroyed, they could revive themselves unless holy water was poured over their remains or Protection from Evil and Good was cast upon them.
At the same time, rustling sounds began echoing from the dark ceiling and walls of the cavern. Dirt and stones continuously fell as though something were crawling out from within, the sound enough to make one's scalp crawl.
Accompanied by the heavy thuds of massive objects landing on the ground, pairs of glowing green eyes appeared within the tunnel behind the group.
"Don't panic," Anser reassured them.
An encirclement of this level meant nothing to him. He was a master sorcerer proficient in teleportation magic.
"Why is it you?"
A dry, hoarse voice suddenly echoed from the darkness.
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