They Wanted a Hero. They Made a Monster: Born at the Bottom
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 29: The Extra Intelligence
Beside Poisonmist Lake, three young adventurers lay beneath the caps of several enormous gray mushrooms, secretly observing a few mutated Puffcaps in the distance.
After the Puffcaps occupied the stratum, the spores they released had produced great numbers of blue and gray mushrooms in every size.
Experience suggested that although these mushrooms grew from Puffcap spores, they had no direct connection to the Puffcaps themselves.
The only link was that a new Puffcap might occasionally emerge wherever the mushrooms grew especially well.
The mushrooms here had broad, low caps, making them excellent cover.
Unfortunately, every breath carried the rotten stench seeping from the soil. A monster carcass must have lain here before.
Faye, the young woman with the shortbow, rubbed her nose. The smell was almost strong enough to destroy her sense of smell.
“Vera, stop dawdling. We won’t know whether it works until we try!”
“All right.”
Further observation seemed pointless. Vera lowered the two large cloth sacks from his back and pulled a dead Two-Headed Python from one of them.
The creature had a serpent head at either end, one black and one white, while alternating bands of black and white covered its body. It was a common monster on the dungeon’s Second Stratum.
All valuable materials, including the serpent fangs and venom sacs, had already been removed. What remained was nothing more than low-value serpent meat.
Vera coiled the Two-Headed Python, hoisted it over his shoulder, and took a throwing stance. Then he softly called the other young woman’s name.
“Fiona.”
“All right.”
Her nearly inaudible reply came from behind him.
Fiona raised a small wand about two hands long and cast a strengthening spell on Vera.
[Power Boost]
The Two-Headed Python immediately felt much lighter in his hands.
Vera bounced it twice, then hurled it.
The carcass uncoiled in midair and landed heavily near the Puffcaps.
Boom!
One startled Puffcap immediately fired.
Its Spore Cannon had already reached LV8. The blast struck the middle of the Two-Headed Python and blew the medium-sized monster from the Second Stratum into two pieces.
The three adventurers beneath the mushroom broke out in cold sweat at the sight of that power.
No wonder so many people had died to these Puffcaps, including skilled adventurers capable of reaching the Sixth and Seventh Strata.
One attack was already that powerful, yet monsters like these traveled in groups!
Rumor held that even if a party defeated one group of Puffcaps, a larger force would arrive and chase them down.
No one could blame most Silver-rank adventurers for crowding into the taverns to drink while they waited for a reliable strategy.
After the Puffcaps confirmed that the Two-Headed Python was dead, two of them extended tendrils and balanced half of the carcass on each cap.
Then the whole group returned toward the Marsh Zone as though carrying home the spoils of a hunt.
The guide had been right. A monster carcass could lure the Puffcaps away!
More importantly, all the valuable materials had already been harvested. The remains were nearly worthless. Carrying them down was the only inconvenience.
“It really worked...”
Faye’s mouth fell slightly open. She still could not believe Vera had stumbled onto genuine firsthand intelligence.
Vera was equally excited.
“I knew it was real!
“Faye, Fiona, let’s wait before going to the caverns for Ironheart Orchids. I want to check that extra piece of intelligence first!”
Faye saw no reason to object, so she nodded.
The three followed the path toward the edge of the Gnoll Forest.
None of them noticed the two men who had been watching from beneath another giant mushroom farther away.
“They seem to have a guide. Do we still attack them now?”
The speaker was Nash, a Half-Elf.
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