Con Artist (1)
I stared at the golden mushroom sparkling brilliantly. Even without a torch, it glowed with its own golden light. This must be what the muscle mushroom was guarding.
It looks poisonous as hell just from a glance.
It's safer to assume most mushrooms are toxic. And colorful plants and animals almost always pack poison. So that golden mushroom was very likely venomous.
Still pretty damn fascinating, though.
I approached the golden mushroom slowly. Up close, I realized it was way bigger than expected—slightly smaller than the fish I'd caught before. Huge for a mushroom.
This thing looks like something a mustachioed plumber character would chow down on.
Suddenly, I pictured a suspender-wearing plumber chomping it and growing big or strong, bouncing off monsters like bumpers. Pointless thoughts, but I didn't drop my guard. It might move like that muscle mushroom.
Luckily, the golden mushroom stayed put, just twinkling away.
What the hell is this thing?
I examined it while keeping watch behind me. For safety, I should pick it and head back.
Better glove up just in case.
I slipped on the gloves from my pocket. It was big enough for two hands, but no biggie. I could strap it to my black belt-thing, shovel on my back, shield on the other.
Come to think of it, I need a scabbard.
Normal swords have sheaths, but Cheonma's didn't. Either it never had one, or she forgot when giving it. I'd trade Wall Valley Pills soon—could ask in 1-on-1 chat.
Thud!
"Hm?"
I widened my eyes. Its roots were dug in deep; it wouldn't budge. Wait, mushrooms don't have roots. It just wouldn't come out.
"Grahhh!"
Pop!
I yanked with all my strength and finally pried it free. The recoil nearly toppled me, but I caught my balance. The spot left a round hole in the rock.
Been growing here a long time, huh?
Had to be, drilling a hole in stone. I hefted the golden mushroom carefully and headed out.
Outside, a savory aroma hit my nose—the charred muscle mushroom.
Better hustle before beasts show.
I wanted to poke around with Cheonma's sword, but curiosity could kill. Better play safe. My head throbbed suddenly as I hurried.
Ouch!
I grimaced but kept moving. The headache faded quick, but it bugged me. Maybe the mushroom's fault. Had to get back to shelter fast.
No ambushes, good.
Back at shelter, I checked the golden mushroom again. Massive. Wonder what it does. I snapped a pic with my hand for scale and posted to the Gallery.
Anyone know this mushroom?
YasaengGrill (photo of golden mushroom next to hand)
Found in cave guarded by muscle mushroom. Sparkles golden—poisonous, right? And huge.
└StarlightPrincess Pretty mushroom. But better not eat mushrooms.
└YasaengGrill Yeah, just curious so I grabbed it. No plans to eat.
└I'll give you 100 billion lira if you eat it lol
└I bid 100k gold lol
└StarlightPrincess You guys are awful.
└SunForever Look at that shimmer. From a cave?
└YasaengGrill Yep. Hard to pull out.
└SunForever Screams "I'm poison" lol
└YasaengGrill Thinking of keeping it as decor.
└SunForever Not bad for decor.
Everyone marveled at the golden mushroom, calling it cool. But no one knew what it was—except Olfather.
└Olfather Heh heh. You've found another oddity.
└YasaengGrill Know what it is?
└Olfather Of course. Toss it now.
└YasaengGrill Wut?
He told me to ditch it quick. Had to wonder why. His next comment shocked me.
└Olfather Any headache or dizziness carrying it?
└YasaengGrill Bit of headache, but gone quick.
└Olfather That medicine I gave worked. Symptoms hit near it.
└YasaengGrill What is this mushroom?
└Olfather Plain name: Golden Mushroom. Rare, called King of Mushrooms.
Of course, the Four Seasons Forest—full of weird shit. Even a mushroom king. Wonder what made it king.
└YasaengGrill King sounds good?
└Olfather Mushrooms have good and bad meanings. Which first?
└YasaengGrill Bad first.
└Olfather One bite melts all organs. Bones and muscles too.
└YasaengGrill ;;;
Hearing it sounded brutal. Organs melting—not even a vat of acid. Insanely toxic. No touching that.
└YasaengGrill Good side?
└Olfather If lucky, regenerates melted parts—body levels up big time.
└Isn't that Hwan-gol-tal-tae?
└Sounds like it lol
└Olfather Beyond simple Hwan-gol-tal-tae. Legend says god-like body.
└YasaengGrill Whoa. Fits the king title. High risk, high reward. Still not eating.
No reason to risk melting. Dizzying just thinking.
└Olfather Even poison-immune risky. Recommend dumping.
└YasaengGrill Even immunity no good?
└Olfather Legend: 50/50 odds. No discrimination.
└YasaengGrill Gotta toss. Or want for research?
└Why not us?
└Eat and test for us ㅇㅇ
└Don't value your life?
└Life's ruined anyway, might as well lol
└How ruined?
└All-in on Kasfel mine stock, tanked.
└Why?
└Mine collapsed
└A;;; hang in there
└Cheonma Intriguing but dangerous. This lady passes.
└SwordTasteStar Scared? lol
└Cheonma Hm. Suddenly crave iron fist.
└SwordTasteStar Sorry;; too much.
└Cheonma ;;
└lol already power-tripping
└Won't get bad habits?
└Judaek handles it.
└PassingDwarf Can't brew booze with it?
└YasaengGrill Mushrooms? Nah. Guy died drinking mushroom tea.
└PassingDwarf Who? Dumbass.
└YasaengGrill My dad, fucker.
└PassingDwarf Oh shit sorry;;
└YasaengGrill Kidding lol dad died in accident.
└PassingDwarf Fucker.
└PassingDwarf No no;; sorry. Just sorry;;
└lolololol
└lololol
└Snapped back after curse lololol
└Jump scare lololol
└SunForever Can't keep as decor?
└YasaengGrill Headache/dizzy even nearby.
└SunForever Glass case. Love the gold.
└Olfather Beg pardon, but research value higher. Give me, reward generously.
└SunForever I can pay non-cheap too. How much?
└YasaengGrill Don't need money really…….
Money overflowed now. Owl-bear corpses made me rich. Problem: couldn't buy what I needed. SunForever got it.
└SunForever True. Want anything?
└YasaengGrill Wanna leave.
└SunForever ……Sorry. Can't. Give wizard.
└Olfather Nothing fitting to offer. Need anything?
Can't auction—don't want death news. Selling risky too. Total hot potato.
I commented after thinking.
└YasaengGrill Armor if anything? That'd do.
└SwordTasteStar Smart. Forest, so leather over iron.
└Cheonma Better learn Body Protection Aura.
└YasaengGrill How's that work?
└SwordTasteStar You can't even do Aura Blade yet. Aura Shield far off.
└Cheonma Not Aura Blade—Sword Aura. Not Aura Shield—Body Protection Aura.
└SwordTasteStar Same diff. Gotta nitpick?
Here they go again. Why always bickering? Cheonma's sub-mod now, can ban.
└Cheonma What? Sounds like craving punishment.
└SwordTasteStar Ffs;; way too much. Judaek watching?
└Don'tAbandonHero Sub-mod! Please restrain!!
└Cheonma Hm. Fine. This lady's mercy overlooks.
└SwordTasteStar ;;;
└ChangguPrincess Huh? Why armor? Gave uniform!
└YasaengGrill That defend?
└ChangguPrincess Rude! Mephisto uniform beats leather armor!
└YasaengGrill For real?
└Yeah. Some dungeon in uniforms lol
└Pricey but comfy/better than leather.
└YasaengGrill Why so good?
└Too many stabbings
└Protect players. Sports = mini wars.
└Tanks magic arrows lol
└YasaengGrill ;;;
Advanced culture, savage sports. Tested uniform with normal dagger—not Cheonma's.
Shhhk! Shink!
"Oh?"
Sliced fine—no mark. Stabbed stretched—no pierce. Perfect fit.
Forest beasts bad, but scratches worse.
Tiny cuts invite poison/infection. Still, uniform thin. Leather over = best.
└YasaengGrill Uniform good. But leather for safety. Too thin.
└ChangguPrincess Layer multiples?
└YasaengGrill Genius?
└ChangguPrincess Hehe smarty~
└Sure. Still Chaeyu fan ditz lol
└Just wear uniforms lol one-shot anyway.
└One-shot to Aragon~
Extra armor = more uniforms. Tried giving her mushroom—she refused. No decor buy, more uniforms instead.
Taking too much from her.
Cheering team enough, but felt bad. Pay back later. Mushroom decision later—too risky.
Wonmo might eat…….
Hide well. Gold everywhere-eye. Dwarf's box from last time. Stored inside, put outside so Wonmo's nose misses. Elixirs in other box. Buy more if needed.
Good. Done.
Mushroom handled, looked up. Sun dipping slightly. Prep for night.
Spore on clothes? Wash now.
Day done.
*****
Deep night, all asleep. Cricket chirps in forest. Shelter: faint crackle of fire, quiet human breaths, beast breaths. Peaceful sleep various ways.
Clunk! Clunk!
Coarse noise shattered quiet—from outside box. Box rattled, tipped.
Roll—
Contents spilled: golden mushroom, glowing in dark.
Swish—
Incredibly, mushroom righted itself. Tiny arms/legs sprouted—puny/cute vs muscle mushroom. But limbs = mobile.
Hop hop hop—
Short legs carried it into dark forest. Stealthy, unseen.
Shelter: only breaths as mushroom vanished.
Morning came.
"What? Where's the mushroom?"
I noticed late. Box tipped—suspicious. Check: gone.
"N-No way……!"
Eyes wide. Knew why. Rummaged box, rushed in.
"Wonmo! Open wide!"
"Kyuu……?"
"What'd you eat yesterday? Not mushroom, right?!"
Pried innocent beak. Wonmo innocent—slept fine. Checks done, relieved. Skipped Ppareumbo—sharp senses, stayed away.
Relief mixed doubt.
"No legs—where'd it go?"
It did grow legs. I never knew.
Mysterious Four Seasons Forest.