Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Boss Battle
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"Hoo...."
Yoon Young had reached level 5.
Behind him as he let out a light sigh lay the corpses of countless mushrooms.
'I've mastered mushroom hunting. I'm invincible.'
He'd even acquired some powerful new gear.
Rare Item
Lightweight with high defense. Provides extra protection against mushroom-type attacks.
As the name implied, it was a shield made from dried shiitake mushrooms.
The processed mushroom's unique features were fully on display in its appearance.
He had no idea why something like this even existed, but despite its shabby looks, it was incredibly sturdy and solid.
Like those YouTube videos where they made armor out of bonito flakes.
Considering how tough the mushrooms around here had been, it might actually hold up just fine.
Anyway, being a rare item, it offered solid defense while remaining lightweight, plus bonus protection when attacked by mushroom-types.
The perfect shield for Yoon Young right now.
'Power Slash hit level 3 too.'
Thanks to his diligent training in between hunts, the skill's level had shot up, unleashing power far beyond level 1.
Yoon Young was brimming with confidence.
He was certain a mere Thorn Mushroom—the quest target—would be no match for him.
'Hang on, Ria. Big bro's coming to save you.'
Before that, he decided to head back to the village lightly for some resupply.
For peak condition, he stretched, hit the hay sharp the moment it got dark.
Sex drained his energy too naturally, so that night he didn't sleep with Ria—just a bit of kissing before calling it quits.
The next morning, he inhaled Ria's mushroom hotpot.
[Finished eating.]
[A warm energy swirls in your stomach.]
[Ate Ria's mushroom hotpot.]
[Vitality slowly recovers over 30 minutes.]
[Stamina stat +1 level for 30 minutes]
[Stamina recovery speed +1 level for 30 minutes]
"Hang on, Ria. I'll go save your little brother."
With the cooking buff secured solidly, he set off on his journey.
Past the vegetable monsters, through the mushroom ones, portal jump.
Finally, he arrived at the 'deep part of the Mushroom Field' Ria had mentioned.
'It's dark.'
Unlike before, the map itself had an ominous vibe.
Like it was advertising, Boss ahead!
As he scanned the surroundings warily—
Sob... hic...
A faint sound reached his ears.
Focusing, it sounded like a child sobbing.
'A kid crying here...? Must be Ria's little brother.'
He was about to start searching for the kid when—
Thump... thump...
A heavy thud that set off his danger senses.
Turning at the presence, a vicious-looking mushroom with thorns bristling not just on its cap but all over its body glared at him, eyes glowing.
'There it is...!'
Yoon Young quickly backed away to create distance and sized up the thing.
Its bulk was the size of a mid-sized car.
It never took its eyes off him.
Obviously hostile.
Thump.
Each step made its massive body jiggle.
'Defense doesn't look that high.'
The problem was the hedgehog-like dense thorns.
Getting close would be impossible.
He'd get stabbed before landing a hit.
Yoon Young stayed calm and composed himself.
First, he retreated, picked up a rock, and chucked it.
"...!"
Thump... thump...!
The thing stamped its stubby feet like it was pissed.
At first he thought it was just mad, but—
Whoosh!
That was the attack prelude.
The beast shook violently, launching thorns from its body.
"Gasp!"
Yoon Young ducked behind his Dried Shiitake Shield in a hurry.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
The shield performed amazingly.
Just a few thorns embedded, but it fully protected his body.
As he swept the shield aside to glare at the Thorn Mushroom—
Its look had changed.
Gaps here and there where the dense thorns had been.
Tiny new thorns were slowly growing in the empty spots.
'It launches the thorns attached to its body.'
Had to be.
Thorns weren't sprouting from thin air.
'A gap! I can thrust my sword without getting pricked where they're gone.'
Confirming that, Yoon Young charged with shield forward.
Shield out like a medieval knight with a lance, arm extended to stab his sword into a thornless spot.
Squelch!
"Kreeek!"
Solid hit!
The mushroom screeched.
Whoosh.
Startled, it spewed thorns at point-blank.
So close this time, hit rate high—shield couldn't block them all.
"Ngh!"
Thorns stabbed into his legs and feet like crazy. Hurt, but thanks to leveling up his physical stats, he could endure.
'This guy's nothing special.'
As it kept firing thorns, it kept exposing openings.
Yoon Young hid behind his shield and relentlessly stabbed the gaps.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
Stab the stabbed spots again!
Sensing doom, the Thorn Mushroom twisted its bulky body.
"Guh!"
He tried dodging but reacted a tad slow.
Yoon Young got smacked by the Thorn Mushroom's arm and sent flying.
Not a direct hit, though.
Just some thorns in his cheek as he reeled back.
'That all it’s got?'
Didn't live up to the size.
Just mind the thorns embedding all over.
'Total trash... nah, maybe I've just gotten too strong.'
Grinding specs to steamroll the boss.
That's the joy of RPGs, right?
Feeling he'd tanked the hit plenty fine, Yoon Young's confidence maxed out.
He went even more aggressive on the Thorn Mushroom.
Kept getting pushed back by its desperate flailing, but patterns familiar now—blocked most with shield, then stuck right back on.
'Power Slash! Power Slash! Power Slash!'
Post-exploration, he spammed the skill whenever an opening showed.
How much sweat later—
"Kreee—"
The giant Thorn Mushroom collapsed.
Tongue lolling out thorny, it dropped an item and vanished.
"Hah...! Hah...! Hah...!"
Leaning on shaking knees, he caught his breath.
Once calmed a bit, he finally checked the drop.
Ranged blunt weapon. Fires thorns like the Thorn Mushroom.
Regrow after firing. Caution: Using all thorns turns it into an ordinary club.
"This thing...."
A club shaped like an elongated mushroom.
Thorns covered everywhere but the handle.
Per the description, a blunt weapon capable of ranged attacks.
Probably shot thorns like the Thorn Mushroom.
Fired ones regrew after a bit.
'Useful?'
Attack power decent, not bad.
Of course a boss drop would be worthwhile.
'Haha, got the boss. I beat the boss!'
Short-lived glee.
Something forgotten.
'Oh right. Ria's little brother.'
Having drifted a bit during the mushroom brawl, Yoon Young resumed the search.
Sob... hic.
Easy now that he'd heard it once.
He pushed through nearby bushes.
Inside, a young boy huddled, crying.
[Talk]
"Huh...? Who are you?"
[Came to rescue you on your big sister's request.]
Yoon Young voiced the option aloud.
"Came to rescue you on your big sister's request."
"Really?! Oh! But be careful! There's a ferocious Thorn Mushroom around here!"
"Don't worry. I already took care of the Thorn Mushroom."
"Whoa! You're super strong, adventurer!"
[Quest conditions satisfied.]
[Return to NPC Ria to complete the quest.]
The mystery of Ria's little brother—which had grated on his ears since arriving—finally unraveled.
Just escort this kid back and done.
"Let's go to your big sis."
"..."
Yoon Young said so, but no response from the kid.
Just staring blankly.
Follow-if-lead rescue? Tried walking ahead—kid stayed put.
"Come on. Don't you wanna go home?"
"..."
Damn NPC AI.
In the end, Yoon Young scooped up the kid to carry him.
But the instant they moved to the previous map—
Ria's little brother was gone without a trace.
"What the...?"
No sign anywhere, so straight to the village.
Found Ria, and there was the boy from before standing beside her, who-knows-when-he-got-there.
"My dream is to become a cool adventurer! Just like the adventurer who saved me!"
Auto-teleport on village return after talk, huh.
I was the idiot!
Yoon Young reflected lightly.
[Complete the quest?]
"Confirm."
Quest complete.
Wondering Ria's reaction.
"Adventurer! You saved our Riel!"
She clasped her hands, eyes sparkling.
"Thank you so much! You're our family's benefactor...! Here, the ring I promised. Mom wouldn't mind giving it to you."
[NPC Ria's favorability toward you has risen to Stage 3.]
[Acquired Ria's Ring.]
[Portal to the next region unsealed.]
System messages piled up, but the third one grabbed Yoon Young's eyes.
"Next region!"
He'd suspected, but next region for real.
Excitement bubbled at the thought of new experiences beyond mushroom bumming.
What awaited?
A city maybe?
'Hope there are lots of pretty female NPCs!'
Ria's Ring slightly boosted Luck.
Dunno if it'd help, but better than nothing.
'Gotta say goodbye to Ria properly...'
And that goodbye was, naturally, sex.