"You... why do you have such a high-quality Demon Crystal?"
"How long do you think I've been here..."
Lin Jun isn't sure how long he's been in this world. In the depths of the Underground City, there's no day or night, no seasons, but he feels it's been at least two or three years.
Even if you count from the time the Mushroom Garden was established, it's not short. This entire rock face is his personal mine, and after extensive mining, naturally, there'd be some high-quality Demon Crystals.
However, Lin Jun collected them not because he knew their value but simply because the cleaner Purple Crystals looked better, attracting magic and serving as decoration around his body.
"Can you use this to cast other spells faster?"
"For me to use? Really?"
Even though he wasn't yet familiar with Inanna, it was clear that she genuinely liked Demon Crystals or anything related to magic.
"Of course, I want to see more spells. Speaking of which, Inanna, I haven't asked, which spells do you know?"
Lin Jun could indeed see information on his panel like "Light Magic Level 4," but this only indicated the highest level light magic she could cast was Tier Four, not the specific spells.
Each type of magic has a variety of spells at each tier, and some spells have many variants. For example, the Biological Transformation Technique can be subdivided into transformations such as eagle, dog, or Puki...
Inanna stood in place for a while, seemingly recalling the spells she knew.
Lin Jun felt that if she were still in human form, she would probably be counting on her fingers right now.
"Let me see... Water Snake Technique, Water Mirror Refraction, Ice Blade, Purification, Light of Healing, Revealing and Concealing Technique, Lighting Technique, Water Creation Technique, Energy Protection, Mud Swamp Technique... Um... that's all."
Quite a lot.
"Then try casting Mud Swamp Technique on this Puki."
A mining Puki, busily striking rocks with its shell-covered mushroom cap, was directed by Lin Jun to the open area left by the self-destruction, and meanwhile, a tentacle emerged from beneath the mushroom, attaching the A Level Demon Crystal to Inanna's mushroom cap.
"Be careful not to tear it off; it's the last one here."
"I'll be careful."
Magic Power surged from Inanna into the Demon Crystal, and unlike the previous attempt, magic power swarmed in as soon as the spell began, with the A Level Demon Crystal above her head acting like a small vortex devouring magic.
It's no wonder it's said to be used for making a Magic Staff; with so much magic enhancement, any spell's power would surely be multiplied.
"Here it comes!"
The mining Puki sank slightly as the firm ground beneath it turned into a patch of sludge. It tried to lift its foot but remained stuck, unable to move.
Actually, the Mud Swamp Technique was only supposed to slow movement, and even with the A Level Demon Crystal's enhancement, it should have increased the range instead.
The mining Puki couldn't escape purely because its shell was too heavy, and it didn't have enough Power, leaving it pinned.
"Try using Ice Blade on it next."
"Huh? Is it okay? It might..."
"It's fine, just cast it."
It's just a Puki. Even if it dies in the Mushroom Garden, it'll become fertilizer for the cycle, so the loss is negligible.
"Alright, I'll cast it."
In no time, the Ice Blade formed in front of Inanna, startling even herself this time.
Unlike the Mud Swamp Technique, the enhanced Ice Blade Technique showed a dramatic change; originally less than a meter long, the Ice Blade reached over two meters with augmentation.
Moreover, the deep chill emanating from it made Inanna realize its power had likely greatly increased.
"Go!"
The chitin shell and Ice Blade clashed, and with a crisp sound, it was sliced through, stopping only after cutting through three-quarters.
This power impressed even Lin Jun—it must be noted that it was a Level 4 Chitin Shell, and Lin Jun himself needed two shots of his Level 6 Mushroom Cannon to break through it, yet the same level Ice Blade cut through most of it at once.
Whether it was the spell itself or the A Level Demon Crystal's enhancement that was impressive, probably both played a part.
Magic is truly amazing. If I knew spells, the early stages wouldn't have been so difficult.
But it's not too late now. Even though I don't know any spells yet, having an ally who can cast spells means I can start working on some plans to venture to the upper layers.
Of course, that doesn't mean confronting the Flame Demon guarding the passage. Lin Jun had seen it through the sacrifice of a scouting Puki. Although the level gap was too great to gather detailed info from the panel, just its super high Level 64 was enough to deter any ideas.
But who says the only way up is through that passage?
"Inanna, do you want this Demon Crystal?"
"You're going to give it to me?"
Huh?
This mushroom is being so nice to me; is it a trap?
Inanna, having just been betrayed, was extremely cautious now, not to mention the subject in question was Lin Jun, a mysterious magical creature.
"Of course, it's not free. Help me hunt some demons, and it's yours."
"Okay!"
Upon hearing there were conditions, Inanna was relieved. She really wanted the Demon Crystal, but if Lin Jun gave it for free, she wouldn't dare accept it.
But demons?
Speaking of which, this is the deep part of the Underground City. With so many weird things in the Mushroom Garden, I almost forgot about that.
But a mushroom wanting to hunt demons...
How will it hunt, using Puki?
"But which demons do you want to hunt?"
"Earth Worms, do you know them?"
Earth Worms?
Sounds familiar, where have I heard it before?
Ah, I remember...
"Sorry, are you talking about those large creatures with rock-like skin that like digging deep underground and eat minerals all day, those Earth Worms?"
Lin Jun thought for a moment: "That's right."
"Are we hunting Earth Worm larvae?"
"Adults."
"Aren't adults at least Level 45, requiring a complete Golden Level adventure team for a safe hunt? Mr. Lin Jun, I'm only Level 28!"
Now Inanna's head was filled with: Me, hunt Earth Worms?
Even if I don't transform, I'd be eaten in a single bite by an Earth Worm.
Is this mushroom out of its mind, wanting to hunt Earth Worms?
"It seems you've misunderstood my abilities a bit..."
Seeing the incredulous look on the Pink Puki's face, Lin Jun remembered he had yet to take her to see the boundary of the Mushroom Garden.
No wonder she didn't trust his strength.
Hunting Earth Worms was something he had wanted to do for a long time. These worms have a skill called High-Temperature Drilling.
They can generate high temperatures to brittle rocks, then use their rotating mouthparts to crush stones and swallow them, expelling unwanted components through side gills to reinforce tunnel walls.
If he could acquire this skill, he could dig a direct passage to the upper layers within the rock wall, without risking sneaking past the Flame Demon's watchful eyes.
The problem was, these worms were excellent diggers, burrowing away if losing a fight, and their large size and tough hide meant finishing them off when they're low on health took a long time.
He had tried once before, resulting in significant loss with nothing gained.
But after seeing Inanna's Mud Swamp Technique, Lin Jun felt hope again. Earth Worms probably can't move fast through mud.
However, before that, he should indeed test the synergy with the new member.
"It's not like we need to hunt Earth Worms right away. You'll also need practice using that Demon Crystal for spellcasting, so this is a great opportunity to train with the expedition team."
"Expedition team?"