Sub-Mod (1)
After handing Ppareumbo a solid defeat and finishing the cleanup, I took stock. It was a shame to lose the ironclad, but the auction house was overflowing with them anyway—restocking wouldn't be hard. Plus, I'd sold the owlbear corpse and logs, so my funds were plenty healthy. With the inner core up for auction too, tomorrow they'd be even fatter.
How much will the inner core go for? Cheonma had said it was tough to price. Which meant it might actually undersell. Inner cores were rare spiritual medicines, after all. With all the scam posts popping up in the auction house, who knew what people would pay for one. Good thing I'd built up some cred so far—otherwise, I'd look like a scammer myself.
I didn't even experience it directly. I'd gotten the effects from eating the fish, not the inner core itself. And even that wasn't a sure thing. I was barely dipping my toes into mana and internal power. Cheonma and the other high-nics had expertise, but they weren't here with me. Weird stuff was happening to my body that even they didn't know about, so it was hard to be certain.
Still, the effects are real. In less than a day, my strength and stamina had skyrocketed. Even brute labor like logging and digging felt easy now. I didn't know the exact reason, but I'd gotten stronger through the process. That much I could guarantee.
Got time left, so maybe scout the area first? The base repairs were done; I just needed the barrier from PassingDwarf. But first, decide where to explore. I headed into the shelter cave. Inside, Wonmo was curled up in a deep nap. How could even sleeping look so cute and lovable? This needed to go up on the Gallery.
Round furball YasaengGrill (photo of Wonmo curled into a ball while sleeping) (video of Wonmo sleeping soundly)
Every time I see this little one, my heart just calms right down. How is she this cute?
└Whoa. She really is cute;;
└If she's still cute when she grows up, I'll admit defeat lol
└Don't beasts grow fast?
└Usually full size in under a year?
└YasaengGrill, you telling me to stick around for a year, kiddos?
└It's the Four Seasons Forest—think you can even get out? lol
└YasaengGrill Gotta try. Planning to scout now.
└Leaving Wonmo alone? What if she gets attacked?
That was a point. Leaving Wonmo solo for scouting was too risky. I wanted to bring her, but her combat power was below mine. Last time at the river, Ppareumbo had popped out. I'd gotten back quick, and Ppareumbo wasn't aggressive, so it worked out.
Take Wonmo along? Or there was another option: station Ppareumbo in the cave. That might actually be best. Though it'd put me at risk. Last time, he'd saved me from that chameleon viper. With his insane dynamic vision and agility, he'd be perfect for exploration too.
Tough call. Leave Wonmo and go solo? Or park Ppareumbo here? After agonizing over it, I spoke to the guy hanging off my back.
"Ppareumbo."
"?"
Ppareumbo tilted his head slowly at my call.
"You're on cave duty."
"…."
"Guard it till I get back, and I'll hook you up with a Wall Valley Pill."
At that, he slothfully slid down my back. He definitely understood me. Wild. Not that I'm weird—it had to be him. Wonmo got me too, but let's skip that. Puzzles like that can wait for downtime. When survival's on the line like now, they're just distractions.
"Tell Wonmo where I went when she wakes up. Got it?"
Nod. Nod.
Ppareumbo nodded in agreement. With a reliable bodyguard posted, all that was left was prepping for the scout. As always: Cheonma's sword and golden shield. Even threw on some clean clothes—the ones I'd washed washing Wonmo.
ChangguPrincess said she'd send long clothes later, right? No idea when, but soon probably. She'd given me a top-tier uniform without batting an eye.
Elixir and Wall Valley Pills for emergencies—check. Time to roll.
West today? I'd been probing east, west, south, north from the cave a bit at a time. Northeast: river with golden frogs. Northwest: adult mandrake habitat. No compass, so it was all gut feel. This time, head west-ish.
Back before lunch. Then grab the barrier from PassingDwarf and reinforce the base. My overall physical stats had surged in under a week. Manual labor was a breeze now. Scouting would be the main gig soon.
"Heading out. Guard the house."
"…."
As I left the cave, Ppareumbo slowly waved goodbye. Looked just like a person, not an animal.
Chirrr-chirrr-chirrr.
Not toward the river or mandrakes—fresh direction. Cicada cries pierced my ears, ramping tension. Marked my path here and there to avoid getting lost.
Can't trust what I see. Chameleon snake lesson. Whacked trees with the sword flat, pushed through brush. Slow but safe. Elixir was precious—save it.
"Huh?"
Advancing steadily when my foot hit something. Black lump—thought it was charcoal at first. But flies buzzing? No way.
Shit. Animal scat. No clue whose. In civilization, just gross. Out here? Totally different. Animals mark territory with droppings. "This is my turf—trespass and die" warning.
Flies mean it's fresh-ish? Owlbear? Not an expert. Guessed owlbear since the missing one and Wonmo's looked identical, just smaller. Best check the Gallery.
Disgust warning needed. Could get banned. Stayed alert and posted.
Mild disgust warning: Whose poop is this? YasaengGrill (animal scat photo)
Found this scouting today. Anyone know whose dung? If owlbear, keep going. If something else, rethink.
└Ew, fucking gross.
└Dude shat a full meal lol
└Mix that with rice and it's a bowl lol
└Wtf blocking. So nasty.
└YasaengGrill Cut the bullshit—is it owlbear?
└Looks like it? Only owlbears shit that black.
└Owlbears and regular bears do.
└Olfather That's owlbear scat. Size suggests the one you caught before. As expected of Father. Lone sane one among idiots.
Olfather's word was gold. Thanked him and moved on. Deleted the post just in case—Judaek might ban on principle. She's a stickler.
Weird Cheonma didn't comment. Probably hates gross stuff too. Fair. Confirmed owlbear, so push on.
Oh. Wild strawberries? Spotted tasty-looking berries. Red, plump—classic mountain strawberries. But Four Seasons Forest. Poison everywhere—even grass. Past poisoning made me check Gallery first. No dying from dumb eating.
Can I eat this? YasaengGrill (berry photo looking like wild strawberries)
Looks yummy—safe?
└Wild strawberries?
└Do they grow in forests?
└Normal ones are round? Why so flat?
└Try it. Report taste.
└YasaengGrill I don't trust you clowns.
└Then why ask?
└YasaengGrill Give a proper description.
└Olfather Don't eat. It's cheonamseong—suicide fruit, deadly poison.
└YasaengGrill Thanks;;
└Olfather Real strawberries are round—easy to tell.
└Dodged a bullet lol
└ㄲㅂ
└Get banned, idiot.
That's why I trust Olfather. Encyclopedia-level detail. Crushed the cheonamseong—path marker. "I passed here."
Buy paint? Handy for far scouts. Pushed through forest and trees, careful not to lose way.
Soon enough, spotted a landmark.
"Whoa. That's huge."
Looked up in awe. Jaw-dropping: massive mushroom right in front. Not normal—taller than me. Ultra-giant mushroom. What the hell?
Shaped like matsutake. Perfect as a marker. Scout around it.
Clear area around it? Weird. Checked surroundings first. Giant or not, standing alone was suspicious. Sucking nutrients from other plants? Posted to Gallery for ID.
Insanely huge mushroom found. YasaengGrill (ultra-giant mushroom photo)
Bigger than me. Compare to tree for scale. Anyone know what it is?
└Damn, car-sized.
└No way
└Pics or gtfo
└ㄲㅈ crazy bastard
└Olfather Be careful. Could be mushroom man.
└YasaengGrill Mushroom man?
└Olfather Yes. Monster-mushroom hybrid. Doesn't usually grow that big, but Four Seasons Forest...
└YasaengGrill How strong?
└Olfather Not very. But spreads spores—need fire.
Fire, huh. Nodded. Had Cheonma's fire starter, but no need to poke it. Not eating it, no point wasting energy. Started to skirt around—
"Huh?"
Realized: cave behind mushroom, entrance blocked solid. What's inside? Curiosity hit.
Not some dungeon boss guard. But life over curiosity. I'd nearly died plenty—easy pass.
Rumble rumble rumble!
World wouldn't let me. Sudden vibration—source clear. Giant mushroom shaking violently, like uprooting.
Shit. Always like this. Backed up slow. No fire, but gauge strength then bolt. Fighting only got cave peek.
Crack! Crunch!
Ground split, revealing true form. Olfather described: bloated body, tiny limbs inversely. Proportions same despite size.
"Kook."
Wrong. Limbs long like human arms—ripped like bodybuilder. Body mushroom-long, limbs human-muscular. Grotesque. Hideous.
...Face? Thin eyes up top. Perfect "mushroom man." Felt the fantasy world hard. Dark fantasy genre. What a mess.
"Kook!"
Mushroom man approached slowly. Hostile vibe. Olfather right—not super strong... wait, was strong. Very. Those limbs screamed power.
Thud!
While I spaced, it sped up. Leaped, closed gap instantly. One step, nose-to-nose. Speed okay—tracked it. Way slower than Ppareumbo.
Block once. Right fist to my gut. Raised golden shield. With its quality and my new strength, doable.
"Kuaaa!"
Mushroom man roared.
Boom!!
"Guh?!"
Shield shock launched me back.
*****
Wow. First time in my life... Safely back in cave, I lamented inwardly. Checked shield front: clear fist print. Shield saved me—bare body would've been fatal. Ran without looking back. Mushroom man didn't chase. Lucky.
What kind of mushroom man throws punches? Guessed from muscles, but not this level. Bare hit? Gut punctured, guts out mouth maybe. Sighed relief, posted.
Punched by mushroom man. YasaengGrill (shield photo with clear fist mark)
This bastard punched me—shield's wrecked. Lucky I had it or I'd be dead;;
└Whoa, mark's so clear;; Bare body = gutted.
└Mushroom men that strong? What do they even look like?
└YasaengGrill Limbs jacked. Muscles bulging.
└Can't picture. Pic please.
└YasaengGrill (muscular mushroom man photo)
└lololol wtf is that lolol
└Lmao better body than me lolol
└Looks jacked af lolol
└That's really a mushroom man?
└SunForever Why's my shield like that? Top quality;;
└YasaengGrill Without it I'd be dead? Thanks big bro.
└SunForever No need. Surprising tho. What'd you fight?
└YasaengGrill Mushroom.
└SunForever World never ceases to amaze.
└Olfather Fascinating. Any other details?
└YasaengGrill Nah. Just stupid strong.
└Olfather Hm... No idea. Truly no idea. What even is this place.
Olfather stumped too. Others just wowed. Beyond norms even for them. Four Seasons Forest: inhuman hellscape. Though sloth catching arrows was nuts too.
Why guard the cave like a sentinel? More curious. But too strong head-on. Need cheese strat to pass.
As I pondered, eye-catching comment.
└Cheonma Intriguing tale. Denting a golden shield? Rivals this lady's own.
Cheonma. Usual first commenter, late today—busy probably. But something else grabbed me.
└YasaengGrill Hello. Cheonma-nim? That you?
└Cheonma If you mean this lady, yes. Why ask?
└?? Why'd she turn blue??
└Why'd she go blue?
└Uh. Demon horse why blue? Spotted it first.
Users piled on, confused. Obvious why. Blue sub-mod badge by Cheonma's nick—never seen before.
└Cheonma Ah. Forgot. Call this lady Sub-Mod from now on.
Cheonma had become a sub-mod.