Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

“That’s precisely why I’ve come.”

Jilannis agreed without any hesitation, and the Old Elf quickly gave her a set of coordinates.

The coordinates pointed to a set of ancient ruins hidden in a vast jungle far from the Vampire Castle. If one were to just blunder about like a headless fly, it would be nearly impossible to find the target.

But now that the Old Elf had given the coordinates to his student, the mists of uncertainty were parted. The path to her destination was completely unobstructed—at least, for the Moon Elf.

“I suggest you find a few more people—a superior, a subordinate, an assistant, anyone will do,” the Old Elf said, reminding her after a moment of silence. “It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities, Jian, but this damned place, Delusional Land… it’s truly not right.”

“I once hoped to find a quiet place to live out my final years, but this is clearly not it.”

“It would be good for you to have a few more friends to help out.”

“Thank you, Teacher. I’ll remember,” the Grand Mage said with a nod, taking his words to heart. She knew this was likely the last time.

Jilannis felt nothing but relief. She offered a silent prayer, thanking the three omnipotent Magic Goddesses for allowing her to see her teacher one last time. She had never been one to revere any Deity, but this time, her gratitude was heartfelt.

The Moon Elf’s body became ethereal again. The Old Elf nodded, smiled, and gestured to her before shuffling back into his small wooden cabin. The entire scene quickly blurred and vanished before Jilannis’s eyes. When she returned to the Material Plane, all she could see was an endless sea of Red Mould.

“I must… clear them out,” the Moon Elf murmured. After confirming her bearings, she chose not to storm the dragon’s lair immediately, instead turning to rendezvous with Ron and the others.

‘This was her teacher’s final lesson. She couldn’t forget it.’

For a Mage of her caliber, finding someone anywhere in the Multiverse was not a difficult task. It was even less of a challenge since Ron and the others, also in the wilderness, had no intention of hiding their tracks from her. As the Moon Elf rapidly approached Ron’s party, she saw them laying siege to a massive Spore Person.

This Spore Person was nearly ten feet tall, with a thick, powerful torso. Four malformed arms extended from its sides: one held a spear, another brandished a wooden shield, a third was splayed open to reveal sharp claws, and the last held a sling.

‘Is this… a mutated Spore Person?’

The Moon Elf didn’t reveal herself immediately, opting to remain hidden and observe the unusual Spore Person. Normally, Spore People had their own lords, but a Spore Lord was no different in size from an ordinary Spore Person, and even the power gap was pitifully small. Jilannis had never even heard of a giant Spore Person over ten feet tall.

Let alone one that had four arms!

“WHOOOSH—”

The giant Spore Person’s cry was like a raging gale. Its free, sharp-clawed hand wasn’t just a weapon for infecting enemies; it also served as a signal to control the surrounding Red Mould and other Spore People. As it roared and raised its hand, the surrounding Red Mould instantly came alive, twisting into large, hardened structures that came crashing down on Ron’s group with overwhelming force. If Ron hadn’t thrown up a barrier, everyone in the party would have surely been infected!

However, the tide of Red Mould was fluid and shapeless. When the giant Spore Person saw its direct assault had failed, the Fungal Mat under the party’s feet stirred to life again. Ropes woven from countless strands of Red Mould shot out, swiftly binding everyone’s feet and tightening around their boots!

“Damn it all, let me go!” the Goblin Hunter yelled, spitting a thick glob of phlegm. A verdant glow flared from his coat, seemingly merging him with the natural surroundings. The Red Mould wrapped around his legs immediately went slack as if it had lost its target, allowing the Ranger to break free.

“Let’s see how you like being tied up—Capture Vine!”

The Goblin Hunter first unleashed a volley of arrows with a Strong Acid Enchantment, clearing away a large patch of Red Mould at the Spore Person’s feet. Then, as he completed his Casting, a tough vine as thick as a man’s waist erupted from the ground, binding the giant Spore Person tightly before the Red Mould could reclaim the cleared space.

“Someone finish it off!”

“Dissociation Magic!”

A green gleam flared on the tip of the arrow Ron nocked to his bow. The ray of Dissociation Magic shot forth with the arrow. As the ray struck the giant Spore Person, a ten-foot-wide dissociation field instantly spread out, enveloping over ninety percent of its body. With a soft *POP*, the once-menacing Spore Person was instantly disintegrated into a puff of dust that scattered on the wind.

The few remaining limbs and fragments fell into the Red Mould and were immediately consumed by the mindless fungi, becoming nutrients for the colony. If any creature wanted to resurrect this giant Spore Person now, it would require a Complete Resurrection Technique or Prayer Magic.

“Where the hell did that big guy come from!”

Anastina panted slightly, leaning on her sword. “Have you guys noticed? The monsters we’ve been running into these past few days just keep getting bigger!”

“Spore People are supposed to be waist-high runts. Where did they grow one this big?”

“I should be the one asking you that,” Ron said, giving the Mercenary a wry look. “Weren’t you the one who said you were familiar with the Red Mould Ruins? You’ve never seen a variant like this?”

“Never! And I swear, no creature like this exists in the entire Red Mould Ruins!”

The Elf Great Swordsman held up three fingers and swore to the heavens, “If I’m telling even half a lie, may Jilannis herself drag me away!”

“She’s telling the truth,” the Moon Elf’s cool voice rang out at that moment, making everyone but Anastina jump. “A Spore Lord like that could not possibly exist in the Red Mould Ruins.”

“Just as there is no specially mutated Red Mould there, either.”

“Whoa, the big boss is back!” Delaford cried out. “You left us to wander around lost for days! Did you find any clues or what?!”

“Fortunately, my mission was a success,” Jilannis said, giving Ron a slight bow. “Ranger, I must correct you on a few points.”

“First, I don’t believe I was gone for several days. It should have only been a few hours. Second, you are not lost. If the enemies you’ve encountered have been getting progressively larger and your journey has become more difficult, then you are on the right path to our destination.”