This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms - Chapter 603

Preparations were largely complete. Only Aiden and Inanna were absent.

When the red dragon’s traces first appeared, they were still at the ducal estate. Even now they were traveling through the night toward the puji Dungeon. Judging by the dragon’s speed, they would arrive roughly half a day late.

It shouldn’t be a problem. Even if they couldn’t win, surely the Puji Fort-level defenses he had poured so many resources into building wouldn’t collapse in half a day?

Through the fungal network, Lin Jun shared the red dragon’s image with all core members. Even the long-retired Dylan sat inside the House of puji, watching the live projection.

“So this is… Little Gray’s distant relative.”

“It’s a bit blurry…”

On screen, only a vague dragon-shaped silhouette could be seen flying high in the sky.

There wasn’t much Lin Jun could do about that. The fungal carpet detected primarily along the surface.

The dragon was flying far too high. He had already enlarged the image as much as possible.

But this was enough. He only wanted everyone to acclimate in advance.

After that, he found Fourteen, the Sword Saint puji, who looked eager for battle.

He clearly intended to use this dragon to test his current strength.

“Fourteen, didn’t you slay a dragon before? Confident this time?”

The Sword Saint didn’t boast.

“The one Arama and I killed back then was already in poor condition. And in terms of size, it was probably a full circle smaller than the one flying above.”

Lin Jun asked because he himself had no real confidence.

Dragon.

That word alone stood at the pinnacle of existence. A synonym for legend.

Although its panel showed only level 76, those outrageous attributes—and the terrifying impression left by the last dragon encounter—suggested this would likely be a brutal fight.

Lin Jun had even prepared a backup plan.

In the worst case, if even Inanna—wielding the combined power of both fire and ice element lords—alongside Puji Fort’s full defensive force still couldn’t suppress this red dragon,

then he would go to the elves and find Eko, leverage the favor of saving his life, and request aid for Puji Fort.

But that option carried too many risks. It would expose information and damage carefully maintained impressions. Unless absolutely necessary, it was better avoided.

…

Within Puji Fort, the air before battle felt taut.

One could tell from how soldiers repeatedly adjusted their grips on their weapons.

Some spoke of dragons’ legendary might. Some belittled dragons to bolster courage. Others placed full faith in Puji Fort’s defenses.

These fragmented exchanges flowed continuously through the fungal network.

Then—

It came.

A black dot appeared at the visible horizon, rapidly enlarging.

At first just a silhouette. Soon, those sky-covering dragon wings became clear.

With a thunderous roar, the massive red dragon descended into full view. At the same time, an invisible yet crushing pressure fell upon everyone.

Dragon’s Might.

This was no mere psychological effect—it was a tangible debuff.

Dragon’s Might (All attributes reduced by 35%)

Lin Jun remembered when he first encountered Little Gray. Dragon’s Might had reduced attributes by 50%. Was it because this dragon’s Dragon’s Might was only level 7?

The enemy was slightly weaker than expected. Lin Jun exhaled in slight relief.

But for the soldiers facing Dragon’s Might for the first time, the experience was entirely different.

Teeth chattered uncontrollably. Knees softened, as though bones had melted into slush.

They tried to grip weapons tighter, yet their fingers felt rigid and numb.

Some weaker-willed soldiers emitted suppressed whimpers. In certain places, the air even carried the faint smell of urine.

The red dragon drew closer—close enough to see its heavy scales, its savage horns, the reflection of the tiny defenders within its golden slit pupils.

“I—I can’t… We’ll die… We’re definitely going to die…” A front-line lizardman operating a siege ballista collapsed under the pressure.

“Ah—!” He screamed in a distorted voice, threw down his weapon, shoved aside nearby soldiers, and bolted toward the wall stairway, tears streaming. “Move! Let me down! I’m not fighting! I’m going underground!”

Panic spread like a virus.

However—

Before he had run five steps, before even reaching the stairs, his body convulsed violently. Bulges swelled beneath his skin.

“Ugh… AAAAAH—!”

A scream ten times more horrific than before burst out. Mushrooms exploded from his eyes, shoulders, back, and hands.

Fungal threads multiplied at visible speed, overtaking his nervous system.

The scream cut off abruptly.

Within two or three breaths, the cowardly lizardman was gone.

In his place stood a fearless warrior.

His movements were slightly stiff, but he bent without hesitation, picked up the discarded weapon, returned to his original position, and stood firm.

No one attempted to flee again.

Though the soldiers beside him seemed to tremble even harder.

At the same moment, Little Pig’s will slammed into every soldier’s consciousness:

“Listen up!”

“Puji Fort gives you four times the contribution points, priority housing, lives ten times better than those hiding underground! Not so you can wet yourselves at the shadow of an enemy!”

“Look around you! Look beneath your feet! This is Puji Fort—a fortress! Not your mother’s arms!”

“It’s just a flying oversized lizard! Grip your weapons! Tonight, we feast on dragon meat stewed with mushrooms!”

If one examined carefully, beneath Little Pig’s blazing battle fervor lay a faint, forcibly suppressed tremor. Only Lin Jun, as the fungal network’s master, sensed it.

Within the network, emotions transmitted clearly.

“For—For dragon meat stew! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Though their attributes were objectively reduced, the soldiers regained the courage to raise their weapons.

…

Red dragon Talgara paid no attention to the ants below.

Its golden slit pupils locked onto the tallest tower at Puji Fort’s center. The sensation of the Dragon Path told it its rival was inside.

“Coward!” The dragon’s voice, heavy with scorn and fury, rolled forth in draconic speech. “Hiding within these insects’ nest! Then burn to ash with them!”

No one in Puji Fort understood draconic.

But the next moment, a torrent of molten fire erupted from its jaws, blasting directly toward the city center.

Puji Fort’s defensive array was already activated. Heartbeats quickened across the city.

Above Puji Fort, across hundreds of meters, defensive barriers manifested—built upon the citywide array network, powered through multiple arcane towers, layered and interlocking.

Not a single formation, but multiple defensive enchantments of varying attributes and functions deployed simultaneously.

The outermost layer: a pale blue magic deflection shield, violently rippling upon contact, scattering part of the dragonfire into the sky.

The second layer: a translucent force buffer zone, slowing and dispersing the impact.

The third layer…

The tower stood intact.

Though the layered defensive arrays dimmed considerably, their structure remained whole. Powered by Puji Fort’s underground mana network, they rapidly recharged.

Soldiers atop the walls forgot to breathe, staring open-mouthed at the unbroken tower and the flowing arcane glow above it.

Even Talgara paused briefly in visible surprise.

Then, it launched an even fiercer assault.