Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 322 - 314: Enjoyment

Langge and Karen were not the first group of werewolves to sneak down after Xiao Lan; they were the third group.

The young werewolves from the first two groups that returned were currently imprisoned together with Xiao Lan.

Two strong Old Wolves stepped forward, each firmly gripping the shoulders of Langge and Karen.

Karen did not resist, nor did she show fear. With her wolf eyes staring straight at the chief, she loudly questioned him so everyone could hear:

"Wolfgang was right, the outside world is ten thousand times better than this stifling little place!

You old geezers are willing to rot here all you want, I can’t stop you! But you want to keep me from leaving?

Can you control me, control all the young wolves?

What are you planning to do? Kill all the wolves that have been out? Or lock us up for life?

I’ll tell you, as soon as I’m let out, I’ll go out again! And next time I won’t come back!

Not just me, from now on, none of the wolves that go out will return!

By that time, will you old bones have to come out and catch us?"

Bang!

A heavy fist slammed into Karen’s face, and a bloody Wolf Fang flew out on the spot.

The one who struck was an enraged Old Wolf, Karen spat out blood, only giving him a nonchalant glance.

This completely enraged the other, and just as more punches were about to fall, his outstretched claw was firmly caught by another older yet equally strong hand.

"Chief?" The Old Wolf who acted looked in confusion at the old chief who stopped him, but he obediently stepped aside.

"Karen, we should stay here, waiting for the return of Lord Demon King, which is the long-cherished wish of our legacy. Leaving here is a betrayal to the Demon King."

As their eyes met, Karen didn’t see anger in the old chief’s eyes, only pain, helplessness, and even a hint of pleading.

The complicated look in the chief’s eyes made Karen hesitate for a moment, but soon, her strong self and desire for freedom quickly overwhelmed that bit of pity: "That’s not the long-cherished wish of all werewolves! It’s yours, it’s the wish of you old wolves! As for the Demon King?"

Her voice suddenly rose, with determination: "We never saw him at birth! Our parents were killed by humans, and he never showed up! Even now, where is he? You may not know, but some werewolves in the clan have resented that Demon King quite a bit, but not me! Because I’ve never felt he had anything to do with me! Much less the loyalty you speak of!"

The old chief, seemingly having anticipated Karen’s answer, let the last glimmer in his eyes dim, and he silently took a step back.

"How dare you blaspheme Lord Demon King! You should be bitten to death!" some Old Wolves roared, wanting to rush in and tear Karen apart.

However, the old chief raised his hand, stopping them, and even gestured to release the restraints on Langge and Karen.

Soon, Xiao Lan and the other six young werewolves who had been detained earlier were brought out, retreating to join Karen’s side.

"You all should leave," the old chief’s voice was heavy, "and never come back."

"Chief! You can’t let them go! If you do, all the young wolves will..."

"Anyone else who wants to leave," the old chief looked around, "can leave with them. Anyone who wants to leave, I will no longer restrict... nor can I restrict them."

His gaze finally landed on Karen: "Karen, you are right, waiting for the Demon King’s return is my long-cherished wish. So, I will stay here with the tribesmen who are still willing to believe in this wish, until we die. As for you, leave, and never come back. The next time we meet, I will bite through your throat."

The young werewolves looked at each other, whispering among themselves.

Finally, besides the nine werewolves who had already gone out, three more young werewolves gritted their teeth and stepped forward.

The young werewolves were far more numerous than this, and those with a longing for the outside world were more than a dozen, but the vast majority of werewolves couldn’t make a resolute decision like Karen to change their fate.

A total of twelve werewolves, under the watchful eyes of many, were permanently exiled from the tenth floor where they had spent their lives.

...

Just half a day later, Karen’s figure reappeared in the Flame Demon Cave. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

By this time, Norris and Qiong had already left.

The three young werewolves who had set foot here for the first time looked around curiously, feeling everything around them was incredibly novel.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lan opened his wolf mouth, occasionally looking back at the empty staircase behind him, and then at Karen with a calm expression, finally pointing at himself with a puzzled face: "Wait... What? How did I end up exiled?"

He had originally planned to find another chance to sneak down and play after finishing his confinement!

Now the opportunity was directly handed to him, saving him the trouble of sneaking around.

Karen crossed her arms, too lazy to explain to him.

At this moment, a Puki flapped its wings and flew over, landing on Xiao Lan’s furry head.

Xiao Lan sniffed with his nose — hmm, there was that same familiar scent with a slightly subtle difference.

A moment later, Xiao Lan said to the other werewolves, "Big Mushroom asked if we’re in trouble and if we want to visit its Mushroom Garden!"

"Huh? How are you communicating?" one werewolf asked curiously.

"Just like this!" Xiao Lan directly parted the thick fur on his chest, revealing the faint gray-white hyphal marks intertwined with his flesh.

For these young werewolves who had lived on the tenth floor all their lives, the concept of "parasitism" wasn’t in their knowledge. They circled around, marveling, and asked how to gain such "communication abilities," expressing their desire to get one as well.

Upon receiving consent, they brimmed with anticipation.

Lin Jun was not in a hurry to parasitize but instead, through Xiao Lan, led the werewolves to first settle in Mushroom Garden, leaving other matters for later.

...

Twelve werewolves.

This number was far less than Lin Jun had anticipated.

Originally, he thought he could at least take away nearly half of the hundred-plus werewolves!

This was all thanks to that old werewolf chief and... Karen.

The initial plan was to let the desire for freedom quietly spread within the werewolf tribe, allowing as many werewolves as possible to witness the beauty and vastness of the outside world through repeated "outdoor experiences."

Once most of the young werewolves’ hearts had been stirred, they would then be swayed to bring as many clansmen as possible out of the tribe.

Unexpectedly, the fiery and strong-willed Karen prematurely ignited everything.

And that old chief also acted resolutely, immediately expelling all the young werewolves showing a tendency to detach under the guise of "exile," thus completely preventing the further spread of "dangerous thoughts."

This severe method temporarily intimidated other restless werewolves who lacked the courage to act, suppressing their desire to explore below.

Although in the long run, the trend of events could not be changed by these measures.

But in the short term, it did effectively delay Lin Jun’s plan to incorporate the entire werewolf tribe.

In the face of an unexpected setback in the plan, Lin Jun was not angry.

On the contrary, this was quite interesting!

As he steadily advanced his plan, the other side was struggling and resisting with all their might, displaying such an ugly posture... This spectacle was one of Lin Jun’s delights.