……

Timeless Island.

In the midst of a crystal palace-like underground cavern.

There were countless kobolds lying on the ground, and they seemed to be sleeping soundly, and even a slight snoring could be heard as Matthew walked past them.

"I didn't expect you to come so quickly, Matthew."

Hasman's voice seemed a little cramped:

"Will has just recovered from the long treatment now, and it is estimated that he will need to sleep for a while, well, it won't be long, maybe ten to fifteen minutes."

"He's mentally tough, the most powerful kobold I've ever seen."

Matthew looked at the little boy next to him curiously:

"You've seen a lot of kobolds?"

Hasman bowed his head shyly:

"Yes."

"Before I met Dudley, I used to travel with some kobolds, but they couldn't understand me, let alone see my world, and I ended up parting ways with them."

"I once thought that a species like kobolds would not be able to comprehend the beauty of the spore world, but Will's appearance turned my perception upside down, and it was obvious that I was narrow-minded before."

Matthew laughed and said:

"There's no need to think like that, everyone has their own limitations, and it doesn't matter if you're narrow or not."

Hasman bent down sincerely:

"Thank you for your comfort, Matthew."

The little guy is always so polite that Matthew is a little cramped.

He looked at the Will on the ground.

In perception.

Matthew captures some of the differences between kobolds and previous ones:

"He's not that connected to the mushroom anymore?"

Hasman nodded:

"Yes, that's why I set this trial for him."

"Previously, there was a risk that the microbes in his body would get out of control, and this risk stemmed from his continuous cognitive self-denial, and his spirit has always been strong, but he also faces a lot of mental troubles."

"I've solved some of this problem for him, and he can get along more amicably with the fungi he signed a contract with."

"Before that, he was at risk of becoming a slave to the fungus, but now I can guarantee that that won't happen."

Matthew looked at Hasman curiously:

"From a microbial point of view, it wouldn't hurt for Will to become a slave to the fungus, right?"

Hasman is clearly a rotten lord.

But his mind is closer to that of a human or a humanoid.

This was still quite surprising to Matthew.

"It doesn't hurt, but I know Dudley doesn't want to see that, so I'm going to try to avoid it."

Hasman explains:

"Dudley often told me that microbes should be valued, but they must also be moderated in the process of development, otherwise the world may become unrecognizable -

Although I personally think it's not a big deal to be unrecognizable.

But I can understand and agree with him. ”

Matthew nodded with a deep groan.

Dudley's influence on Hasman is indeed subtle, and without Dudley, Hasman is very likely to develop into a monster lord who poses a great threat to the world.

It can cause turmoil in the world, and it may even cause the world to be on the verge of extinction.

But it is more likely that he was killed by powerful legendary mages and even divine mages in the growth stage.

Dudley's admonition is very reasonable, and proper moderation is not only protecting the world, but also protecting the microbes themselves, led by Hasman.

"Let's talk about Will, what is the origin of the fungus that signed the contract with him?"

Matthew asked.

Hasman immediately replied:

"A mutated ko's mane mushroom, in the dark region, it is a fungus that can be seen everywhere, and it has great practical value and lighting value for humanoids, because it often grows in the environment where kobolds live, hence the name."

"It is impossible for ordinary dog's mane mushrooms to have such powerful parasitic and mutating abilities, and the fungus in Will's body obviously has another source, and I had a simple communication with him - this is very difficult, because those dog's head mushrooms have not yet formed a real consciousness or a pan-collective consciousness."

"But in the process, I also got the basic information of the other party."

"These dog-mane mushrooms are extremely bright in appearance, can bloom in the dark, and they are non-toxic, and they are edible for most humanoids."

"But the doghead mushrooms on Will's body are obviously mutated, and they have a certain parasitic ability."

"After entering the body of humanoids, they quickly decompose themselves and complete parasitism on the host in the form of spores."

"As a parasitic fungus, the mutated dog's mane mushroom is not very damaging to the host's body, and the parasitic humanoids usually only become more hungry, as long as you can provide enough nutrients on time, this parasitism will not bother you much."

"The few side effects may be better digestion, easier hunger, and loss of the ability to poop."

Matthew pondered:

"For some mages, it may not be a side effect."

Hasman looked at him curiously:

"Why?"

"Is it because you don't have to anymore and you can spend more time researching spells?"

Matthew laughed but didn't say a word.

Hasman became even more curious, and asked again and again.

Just as Matthew was thinking about how to answer, Dudley came over from outside the cave and sternly stopped Matthew:

"Hey, Hasman is still a kid, Matthew, you can't talk too much about adult stuff in front of him."

Matthew immediately threw his hands at Hasman.

In the past, Hasman would have listened to Dudley, but this time the little boy was unconvinced:

"Matthew hasn't done anything too adult!"

"Look at the flora on him!"

Matthew's face darkened.

Dudley also looked helpless.

"Back to our new members!"

Dudley forcibly changed the subject:

"If it's just an ordinary humanoid, the parasitic process of mutated komane mushrooms will end here, but Will is a kobold, and the golden dragon bloodline on his body has reached a certain concentration, and in the process of parasitism, Will has completed the awakening of the bloodline."

"Due to some mechanism that we still haven't been able to figure out why, the mutated dog's head mushroom has continuously purified Will's golden dragon bloodline."

"This purification cycle has been done about 18 times, and Will is exactly level 18 right now, so I'm guessing that each purification cycle will give him +1 level."

"Matthew, you should understand what that means, right?"

Matthew suddenly came to the spirit:

"What you say is true?"

Dudley said solemnly:

"Absolutely."

Matthew couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.

If this is true, and the dog's head mushroom on Will's body can be extracted and utilized, it will be a huge reinforcement for warlocks, especially dragon vein warlocks!

As everyone knows.

Warlocks basically watch the sky to eat, when the bloodline awakens, when there is a chance to go further.

As a result, the growth curve of this group is quite unstable.

It may go through a long trough after awakening, and then jump three or four levels in a row, followed by countless barren periods.

It is also possible to maintain the original state for many years after it has been determined.

None of this is uncertain.

Therefore, warlocks rarely take the initiative to pursue power.

Most of them adhere to the principle of having fun in time and waiting for the power to come to their door.

comparatively.

The Demon Warlock is an alternative among the Warlocks.

Because of the Demon Lord Fernandus, the Demon Warlock has a relatively stable bloodline enhancement route, and the Demon Warlock is actually more like a bloodline version of the mage than the Dragon Vein Warlock, the Goblin Warlock, the Destiny Warlock, and other Warlocks.

But if Will's miracle could be replicated, everything would be different.

Matthew thought of Zeller, and the goblin sorcerer Shiro he had seen before.

Once the bloodline in their body can be purified repeatedly under human control.

They will soon reach the maximum amount of power their bloodline can carry!

This is an unprecedented enhancement for a warlock.

"But you haven't found a stable way to replicate it yet, have you?"

Matthew calmed down and asked.

Dudley nodded:

"On the one hand, we have to ask Will himself, and on the other hand, we have to think about whether to do it."

Matthew understands Dudley's concerns.

Once this news spreads, the kobold Will may become Tang monk meat in the eyes of the warlocks.

When the time comes, it will certainly be more of a blessing than a curse.

"You really have to be careful with this research, and I will keep it a secret."

"But be sure to let me know if there's any progress."

Dudley didn't hide it from himself, and Matthew naturally made his attitude clear.

After all, he is just an ordinary member of the Spore Society, and it depends on the two in front of him how to make up his mind.

Matthew hates being interfered with.

Therefore, he will not take the initiative to interfere with others.

The three of them chatted for a while.

Not much.

Will woke up slowly, and all the kobolds got up from the ground, but his main body sat in place for a longer time, as if in a daze.

"Thank you for ......"

Will's eyes gradually became clearer:

"My body seems to be lighter than before."

Dudley went over and patted him on the shoulder:

"As we told you before the trial, the crisis on you has now been lifted, and you can live better with your companions in peace."

"You don't have to be afraid of this, after a long time you will find that if there is a soul in this world that is related to your life, it is quite good, at least you will not be lonely anymore."

Will was silent for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Although I can't communicate with it yet, I'm willing to trust you."

"Speaking of which, am I now a member of the Spore Society?"

Dudley laughed and said:

"If you want, then you are now."

"You are already familiar with Hasman, and this person must be no stranger to you, he is Matthew, and the patriarch of the Spore Society, and he is the one who sent you here."

Will apparently remembers Matthew.

It is estimated that the silver dragon incarnated by Matthew left a deep impression on his mind, and his first reaction was to kneel-

Fortunately, it was stopped by Matthew in time:

"In the Spore Society, everyone is equal."

His tone was rather gentle.

Will was a little flattered:

"Thank you, thank you."

"I see."

At this point, Hasman stepped forward and added:

"The work of the Spore Society members is to explore the role that microbes play between life and death and in the natural world.

Our goal is not to dominate the world, but to make the world know, recognize, and acknowledge our existence.

We hope that a small corner of the world can bloom in its own glory.

This is the meaning of the existence of spore associations. ”

Will's eyes were quite touched after hearing this, and it seemed that he had memorized this passage deeply.

Matthew couldn't help but lean into Hasman's ear and ask:

"Why didn't you say that to me the last time I joined?"

Hasman replied in his mind with some embarrassment:

"This is something that Dudley and I have only recently figured out, and we are not proficient in expression, so I asked the poet who stayed in your woods a while ago to polish that passage."

"He's really literate!"

Hasman's tone was full of envy and admiration.

Poet?

Matthew was slightly stunned.

Loren shouldn't help people edit for free, right?

I don't know what benefits this guy has received from Hasman?

He was about to ask, but Dudley had already beckoned them out to eat roasted mushrooms.

During the barbecue.

Will the kobold took the initiative to tell his story:

"Once upon a time, I was just an ordinary kobold, living every day."

"At that time, I didn't have so many worries, and my biggest dream was to have a wide and warm independent cave, with two or three wives who could work and have children."

"My tribe and I live deep in the Dark Realm, just north of Brimstone City—there's a huge rift valley with the mouth of three ring-shaped underground volcanoes, so the climate is fairly warm."

"It's ridiculous to say, at that time, I was just the lowest scavenger in the tribe, and my daily job was to pick up mushrooms for the strong people in the tribe, mainly koshead mushrooms."

"I'm not strong, and if nothing happens, I'll probably be a ration for other underground creatures or even other kobolds in the tribe during a season of food shortages."

"But in dark regions, accidents are the norm."

"A Purgatory Viper crawled out of the crater, and he attacked all the subterranean settlements north of Brimstone - including our tribe."

"It seems that the pit viper was trying to provoke a character in Brimstone City, and when he wandered outside the city, he didn't immediately kill us, but just sealed the Great Rift Valley with a poisonous mist with no end in sight."

"A poisonous fog envelops everything, and living beings continue to die in torment."

"Almost everyone in the tribe has been killed in the poisonous mist, and I am certainly no exception, but what can a kobold do in the face of a powerful Purgatory Viper?"

"I can't do anything."

"I can only hide in the cave where the mushrooms are stored and wait silently to die."

"Soon my skin began to fester, half of my teeth fell out, blood blisters grew on the corners of my mouth, and I felt like I was dying."

"But just when I was dazed, I suddenly heard a voice, and it told me to eat it quickly, only in this way can I save my life."

"I opened my eyes hard and found that it was actually the mushroom I picked earlier!"

"It took on the form of a little man, jumping up and down my arm and begging me to eat it."

"To be honest, I still can't tell if it was my hallucination or not—years later I learned that the Infernal Viper's toxin causes insanity."

"At that time, I was confused, my heart was full of panic, and I felt that I was not far from death."

"It's all death anyway, so why don't you eat a little more before you die?"

"With that in mind, I wanted to eat the mushroom, but I found that I didn't have the strength to reach out!"

"At this time, I saw a very beautiful female kobold, she has triangular hips and a pointed head, not to mention how iconic she looks, in short, every inch of her body is on my aesthetics!"

"I watched as she plucked the jumping mushroom from my arm and bit it into my mouth."

"At that moment, my heart was extremely happy."

Then I fell into a deep sleep.

"And when I woke up, I found that the poisonous fog had lifted, and I was still alive, but my body was covered with mushrooms, but my people were all dead."

"Since then, I have awakened the bloodline of the golden dragon and mastered some abilities that ordinary people cannot understand, such as these strange clones."

"With the help of mushrooms, my strength has grown by leaps and bounds, but in the dead of night, I am sometimes confused, sometimes terrified."

"Who am I now?"

"I can't still be the same kobold Will as I was, it's impossible for a kobold to have such a clear mind."

"I don't look like a normal mushroom either—how can a mushroom walk and cast spells?"

"It's even more impossible for me to be a true dragon, although the true dragon bloodline in my body is getting stronger and stronger......"

"I've never been sure who I am, but there's still a glimmer of hope in my heart - I'm still Will, kobold, but a little different because of some adventures."

"But this fluke mentality was soon completely shattered."

Said here.

Will sighed deeply.

Matthew asked curiously:

"How did it break down?"

Will explains:

"I went to the most famous kiln in Brimstone City, and there were quite a few beautiful kobold women in it."

"But I only went in for three minutes before I came out."

"Because of my despair to find that I have lost my interest in them......"

Matthew looked sympathetic.

Will sighed and continued:

"In the days that followed, I lived in Brimstone City, and with the strength and knowledge of my blood, I became a well-known physician in the area."

"When I was treating people, I met a skilled tomb robber, and since then I have found a new hobby in my empty life – archaeology."

"Archaeology can make me forget my identity, forget the confusion and pain."

"After that, I was active in the ancient tombs of the Dark Regions, and by chance, I heard about the bounty of the green dragon Fatina, so I came to the surface ......"

Will's statements do not have too many decorative words, and some are just accounts like running accounts.

Finally.

He sighed deeply:

"Actually, I know very well in my heart that Will the kobold has already died in the poisonous mist of the Purgatory Viper."

"A new life was reborn through his shell and inherited Will's memories, and that life was who I am now, a transcendent life form different from ordinary species."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"I only feel scared and lonely occasionally."

"But I know now that I'm not the only monster in the world, what do you call this life form - oh, companion? Sounds pretty good, I think it's okay to take it slowly......"

Speaking of which.

He hesitated for a moment, and suddenly looked at Matthew with some awe:

"So, what kind of great being is your companion?"

Matthew chewed all the mushrooms in his mouth.

He was trying to explain that not every member of the Spore Society had a companion, and that he was an exception.

Dudley already joked:

"His companion is a minotaur skeleton, much more powerful than us."

Will was in awe.

Matthew couldn't help but glance at Dudley, he casually explained two sentences, and then couldn't wait to point to the problem he was most concerned about:

"According to you, your compatriots died from the poison of the Purgatory Viper, but you survived and became a doctor, so do you have any experience with the Toxin of the Purgatory Viper?"

Hearing this, Will confidently said:

"No one knows the poison of the Purgatory Viper better than I do."

"I have a lot of ways to defuse it."

Matthew suddenly came to the spirit:

"As it happens, I might need a favor from you."

The kobold patted his chest vigorously:

"No problem!"

……

Rolling Stone.

Entrance to the Veterans Association building.

Old Fallon looked at Matthew and the kobold behind him with some surprise.

"Matthew? What a rarity. ”

"Come in, I'm a little busy today, and I may not be able to entertain you."

The old man said in a slow voice.

Matthew got straight to the point and said:

"Take us to the second floor, this is Will, he's a clever doctor and a great deal with the poisons of the Purgatory Viper."

Old Fallon looked surprised.

Suspicion was written in his eyes, but he quickly led the two of them to the second floor.

In the smoky lounge.

Soon I remembered the low voice of inquiry.

It didn't take long.

Old Fallon and Will stepped out of it.

Matthew got up and asked:

"How?"

Will looked at old Fallon:

"If I'm not mistaken, the residual toxin on their bodies must have come from Kennis, the king of pit vipers, right?"

Old Fallon nodded repeatedly:

"You went to the Valley of the Snake for the Winter?"

The old man was already impressed by the kobold brought by Matthew, and his tone couldn't help but bring a kind of respect.

Will shook his head:

"No, but my clan and I did deal with Kennis."

"I have a way to solve the residual toxins on human bodies just now."

"But they've been suffering from the toxin for too long, and many of their physiological functions have been damaged, so it's hard to get back to what they were before......"

Old Fallon looked excited:

"It's good to be able to detoxify!"

Will nodded and said:

"Then I'll go back and prepare, and I'll come over in two days to help with the treatment, because there are too many people, maybe come in batches, and I hope you can provide me with a place to see patients, that lounge is too messy just now......"

Old Fallon repeatedly:

"That's fine!"

"This building has rooms and venues, which one you like, it will be given to you directly!"

"By the way, there is also the medical fee......

Will shook his head:

"If it were replaced by other toxins, I would definitely collect money, but even if it is a purgatory pit viper, I have also struggled under the toxin of the purgatory pit viper, and I hate Kennis to the core, so I will not charge for medical treatment."

"You just need to prepare some herbs that I need, they are all very common herbs, and they shouldn't cost much."

So saying, he made a list for old Fallon.

The latter applauded again and again.

Will said a few more words, and then retreated to the door in amusement and waited.

Matthew soothed the agitated old Fallon.

The two talked for a while.

Old Fallon not only had to return the original amount of money Matthew had spent on Bing's double blades and Renysme's bow and arrows.

He also plans to give Matthew a blueprint called "Activated Mana Armor".

Money Matthew didn't ask for.

The drawings he took away.

"Activated Mana Armor" is a very powerful standard equipment that can provide extremely high armor and spell resistance with a simple enchantment.

But this thing is not suitable for ordinary army equipment, because it is too heavy!

But this shortcoming is nothing in front of the army of necromancy.

Skeletons really can't hold it up.

But zombies or mummies don't dislike armor being too heavy.

If this activated mana armor can be manufactured in batches, Matthew will hopefully create a real tortoise shell army!

After leaving the Veterans Association.

Matthew temporarily settled Will in the mushroom garden.

Some time thereafter.

Will began treating the veterans.

His medical skills were indeed superb, and coupled with his various magical abilities in the field of spores, the condition of the veterans was greatly alleviated.

This incident even alarmed Rhaeggar.

It didn't take long.

Will the kobold became a well-known physician in Rolling Stone.

Every now and then, other patients come to the door.

There are even husbands who come to ask if they can help their wives give birth.

Will was patient with that.

To make it easier to see a doctor.

He deliberately opened an outpatient clinic at the Veterans Association.

For a while, he became the new man of the year in Rolling Stone.

Other things in the cemetery and in the forest are also going well.

At the end of March.

The vigorous tree planting campaign has finally come to an end.

With his hands free, Matthew is finally ready to restart the Traces of the Dead project.

Recruitment of apprentices and assistants is still in full swing.

And before that.

He quietly came to the Jade Garden, intending to investigate the situation of the traces of the dead on the spot.

In order to get the information you want faster.

He also made a point of contacting a "guide".

……

Early April.

On the southern wall of the Jade Garden.

Clusters of bare phoenix flowers and trees are violently pumping their buds.

Matthew and an excited-looking Beanna stood on the city walls and looked out over the city.

"In the summer, these phoenix flowers will bloom very beautifully."

"You're going to be an eye-opener......"

Beanna introduced to Matthew with some wistfulness.

But at this time.

The two of them suddenly heard a wail from under the city walls.

They couldn't help but look down.

Immediately after that, I saw a figure rushing towards the city wall at a very fast speed!

Bang a lifetime muffled.

The man knocked himself on the head, bleeding and collapsed to the ground.

The breath of death began to spread.

Oddly enough.

The figure lying in a pool of blood was not an elf.

It's a human being.

Matthew's eyes couldn't help but widen:

"Truly eye-opening......"

"What's the matter with this person?"

He thought it was an accident.

Beanna, however, seems to have gotten used to it.

The girl pursed her lips slightly:

"Jade Courtyard Syndrome."

"This is the eighth of the year."

"I don't know if I can surpass last year's record......"

……

(End of chapter)