Lichen’s trip to the unknown was long and dangerous. He and his minions have been riding the winds from plant to plant, trying to find the strangely structured plant known as the mushroom. According to the image Moss had transmitted into his mind, the mushroom came in various shapes and sizes.

 

But the only similarities that they share were their fleshy stems and hat-like heads. After searching about for the entire night, Lichen saw a glimmering white shimmering under the moonlight. Could that be it?

 

[Full speed ahead! Follow my signal!] Lichen roared out to his minions as they fluttered closer. [Turn right! Turn right!]

 

The pollen pods fluttered about in the wind before miraculously shifted slightly off course to the right. With their new flight path, the undead virus veered straight for ‘supposed’ mushrooms. Soon, they landed on a mushroom.

 

The mushroom had a tall, fleshy brown body with a bowl-shaped white head. If a villager was to see this type of mushroom, they would immediately recognize it. This mushroom was a velvet stem.

 

Entering this velvet stem, Lichen’s sense of danger heightened. Lichen linked up with his minions and told them to get into box formation. This was one of the many formation tactics Moss had taught him long ago.

 

As they waited, an entranceway suddenly opened before them and a flux of lean viral giants emerged. They seemed to be battle ready as if they knew Lichen had arrived. This couldn’t be the case unless the mushroom had some sort of intruder detecting ability. Or maybe the virus itself could detect intruders?

 

Lichen glanced over at the virus and tentatively asked. [Who are you?]

 

[Hmph! Is this something you should be asking us? Who the fuck are you?] A virus agent stepped up and pointed out.

 

[We are just passing by. We’ll be gone soon. Don’t mind us.] Lichen tried to explain, but the opposing agents seemed to have none of it.

 

The enemy virus agent menacingly intimidated. [Do you think we would believe that? You must be trying to take over our host. We don’t know who exactly you are but don’t think you can leave this place alive!]

 

The viral giant turned to its comrades and signaled them to attack. Lichen sighed and wiggled with slight disdain. [Since that’s what you want, then…CHARGE!]

 

[ATTACK!] The enemy virus agents roared in unison.

 

Though tall and lanky with seemingly unbalancing issues, the enemy virus agents moved like skilled sprinters. With a few steps, they already covered half the distance between Lichen and them.

 

Lichen led his agents and slithered about, trying to disorient the enemies and stirring up hesitation. But the enemy virus agents were straightforward individuals. They were not affected by the weird movements displayed by the undead virus. Instead, they continued aiming straight ahead, clashing with whatever and whoever.

 

Some of the undead virus agents were unlucky enough to get caught within the attack range of the enemy virus; however, most of them managed to dodge the attacks. Arriving at their rear, the undead slithered onto their bodies and strangled them in a chokehold.

 

However, the enemy virus, using pure brute force, lifted themselves and the undead agents up before smashing down onto the ground using a skill <<Shock Smash>> that those of their level have. The skill sent jolts of pain through the undead agents’ bodies, even though they could not feel any pain. The shock from the smash would cause normal viruses to freeze up and hallucinate from vertigo, but for undead agents, nothing happened.

 

Lichen, having realized the intended effects, secretly ordered his agents to act hurt. While the enemy agents relaxed their guards, Lichen counterattacked. The objective was to take over the enemy virus and reproduce as much as possible.

 

Once enough agents were reproduced, Lichen was to travel around and infect other nearby mushrooms. Lichen didn’t know how long it would take for the infected mushrooms to be discovered by humans, but once that happened, Operation Possession would activate. This was a long-term project.

 

Lichen looked over at the enemy he had wrapped around and decisively self-destructed. As soon as his host perished from the heightened lethality, the passive skill <<In Death, There is Life>> activated.

 

A wave of chilliness washed over everyone within the battlefield. The extreme cold had even slowed down time. Lichen escaped from his dead host and latched himself onto the enemy virus agent in his grasps. It only took him a few milliseconds before he completely overtook the body. With his new host, Lichen’s abilities rose. He had even retained some of enemy’s skills.

As soon as Lichen acquired the new host, the passive skill <<In Death, There is Life>> deactivated. Everything that was slowed down began to gradually adjust to its normal speed. Clueless as to what had happened, the enemy virus agents continued attacking Lichen’s undead agents.

 

Meanwhile, Lichen had already gotten rid of the dead Tulip Breaking Virus host and moved his new body towards a distracted enemy agent. As the enemy agent’s allies were too busy fighting their own battles, they did not notice when it suddenly lost focus.

 

Lichen had crept up to it and attacked first with <<DNA Consume>> to make it weaker before collapsing it with <<Viral Instability>>. As the enemy agent struggled to regain strength, Lichen appeared above it and activated <<Zombification>>. In less than a millisecond, the virus agent had turned.

 

Like all unhindered zombie outbreaks, one turned into two and two turned into four. A hundred turned into two hundred and two hundred turned into four hundred. Soon, the battle ended with no casualties…well, not in the normal sense.

 

Lichen moved his agents inward and rapidly took over the entire mushroom. As the mushroom grew in groups, Lichen had access to nearly a thousand similar mushrooms. It took him the entire morning to take over all the mushrooms.

 

Now that the sun had reached past its peak, it was time for Lichen to spread out his agents and expand his territory. However, before he was about to, he received an uneasy feeling. Something was not right. But what?

 

As if by response, he received a response from one of the few undead agents he had secretly left over at the Crimson Verdant Fields to watch over Moss and report back to him if anything happened. Fearing for the worst, Lichen quickly opened up the communication link.

 

[What’s wrong? Did something happen?] Lichen questioned as soon as the link connected.

 

The undead agent at the receiving end hurriedly reported. [Bad news! Invaders of unknown origins have attacked us! Master is meeting them in battle right now.]

 

[What? Are they strong?] Lichen asked, a sense of worry welling up within him.

 

[They don’t look that strong. But since Master is fighting them, it should be over soon.] The undead agent stated.

 

[Okay. I got it. Keep reporting to me if anything changes.] Lichen nodded and ended the conversation.

 

Hopefully, this is just a minor setback. Lichen thought as he assembled his agents. But…what is this unpleasant feeling I’m still having?

 

But, unfortunately, this was not a minor setback. Seconds later, the undead agent phoned in another urgent report. [The enemies are too strong! Master seemed to be having trouble!]

 

[What? What about Tully and Norm? And that unnamed undead virus?] Lichen perked up anxiously.

 

[Tully and Norm had arrived to help but they’ve reached a stalemate once again. As for the other undead virus, no sight of them.] Lichen’s agent responded.

 

[Keep the link open! Report everything!] Lichen paced about as he tried to think about what he could do. If he left for the fields, it would take him hours to get back. There must be another way.

 

While Lichen pondered about the situation, his agent reported in again. [The unnamed virus had joined the battle. Its firepower had dealt insane damage to the enemies but they…they’re too adaptable! The fire doesn’t seem to affect them anymore!]

 

[Oh no! Master is surrounded! He’s in big trouble!] The undead agent reported back to back.

 

Lichen shook from the stress. [What about Tully and Norm? Why aren’t they helping Master?]

 

[Master tried to reach out for them to help…but they didn’t!] The agent responded.

 

[Those bastards! Wait till I get back and pummel them to pieces!] Lichen spat out angrily.

 

[The unnamed virus agent charged through the enemy to Master’s side and…and sacrificed itself!] Lichen’s agent replied excitedly. [Master! He’s unleased Devour! The enemies have been consumed by our almighty Master!]

 

[Great! Well done!] Lichen exclaimed. [What’s happening now? What of the undead virus? Did Master resurrect it?]

 

[Master just killed Tully and Norm. As for the unnamed virus…Master is using a new skill on it! He’s named it Stein! Master! He…He’s in pain! No, he’s dividing! There’s two Masters now! No, one of them is now named Herb!] The undead agent reported everything that had happened afterwards.

 

Lichen was grateful for Moss’s safety. He told the agent to keep in contact if anything goes wrong and wait for his return. With nearly all of Moss’s agents dead, Moss needed all the help he could get. With that, Lichen disconnected and waited for everyone to assemble.