Chapter 529 – Mushroom

Most buildings in the Mushroomfolk Village used a common swamp reed for walls and roofs, giving the entire settlement a fluffy appearance. The gray-brown Mushroomfolk moving through vast stretches of these fuzzy structures stood out like yaks advancing across a prairie.

Complementing their architectural style, the Mushroomfolk’s movements were consistently “leisurely and light,” each individual appearing as if strolling through a garden while admiring the scenery. Thanks to these residents’ “slow motion,” time within the entire tribe seemed to flow with a decelerated illusion.

Of course, the Mushroomfolk didn’t truly prefer such extreme sluggishness—their slow pace stemmed purely from their fungal bodies’ physical limitations. Additionally, the height difference between tall and short Mushroomfolk was as drastic as comparing a pickup truck to a bicycle. To avoid stepping on or being stepped on by fellow tribesmen, they intentionally slowed their movements.

Upon entering the Mushroomfolk settlement, Punk had no interest in appreciating their almost musically synchronized gaits. His target from the outset was a cliff wall at the village’s farthest edge.

According to the Divination Spell’s guidance, hidden within that massive rock face was the Formal-Level shaman of this Mushroomfolk Village—also the sole Formal-Level powerhouse in the Tar Swamp Mushroomfolk tribe.

Punk felt no curiosity toward the Mushroomfolk’s tribal landscape, partly because he disliked wasting time on superfluous activities when pursuing clear objectives, and partly because… he had already learned about the Mushroomfolk race through Grand Arcanist Vedrasha and his cheap parents’ memories. In fact, Punk possessed more detailed knowledge of Mushroomfolk society than any native Mushroomfolk, making it natural for him to lack curiosity about already familiar subjects.

However, while Punk maintained zero curiosity, the two “country bumpkins” Kane and “Smile” were quite different. “Smile” held genuine fascination for the Mushroomfolk village’s various novelties—after all, she remained a nineteen-year-old girl whose maturity couldn’t completely suppress age-appropriate curiosity.

As for Kane… His current behavior is more like deliberately playing devil’s advocate to express dissatisfaction, provoke Punk’s patience, and gradually reclaim his autonomy…

It seemed… the cunning knight remained deeply displeased about being assigned rear guard duty last time. He had begun consciously emphasizing his opinions to Punk, aiming to gradually lower the “powerhouse’s” tolerance threshold—administering preventive measures to later make self-serving demands without triggering outright conflict.

Only… Kane’s methods of asserting presence remained as… exasperating as ever.

“Wow, look Cyan! The mushroom people are eating mushrooms”!

Noticing “Smile’s” curiosity, Kane immediately halted without hesitation, joining her in observing a Mushroomfolk street vendor.Before the Qin Ren, a simple charcoal brazier held seven or eight skewers of plump mushrooms. Upon closer inspection, these mushrooms indeed resembled miniature versions of the Qin Ren walking on the streets. Kane’s remark about “mushroom people eating mushrooms” was strikingly accurate.

Hearing the simultaneous exclamations from Kane and Smile, Punk could only turn around impatiently to look at these two food enthusiasts. Though he could never understand why so many adventurers found leisure for such distractions during tense journeys (and most who knew Punk likely wondered why this mage lacked such inclinations), he clearly couldn’t abandon Kane and Smile to proceed alone.

Standing beside the Qin Ren vendor, Kane and Smile’s expressions made it unclear whether they genuinely wanted to eat or were merely curious—especially Smile. The cat-eyed girl kept alternating her gaze between the mushrooms on the charcoal fire and the Qin Ren skillfully turning them…

It seemed Smile was utterly fascinated by this “Cult of mushroom people eating mushrooms.”

“These mushrooms look so much like themselves—almost like miniature versions. Yet these mushroom people can grill these little mushrooms so deliciously…”

Staring at the golden-brown mushrooms on the brazier, Smile’s ruby-red eyes nearly sparkled with delight.

After prolonged roasting, the mushrooms now steamed invitingly, their rich aroma slowly permeating the air. The distinct scent of swamp-grown spices spread as the seven or eight skewers neared perfect readiness.

“There’s nothing strange about Qin Ren eating mushrooms. It’s no different from humans eating meat—the fundamental distinction isn’t significant.”

Patiently approaching Smile, Punk used Mage Hand to retrieve a mushroom skewer from the vendor while explaining:

“In Qin Ren tribes, some individuals possess an Apprentice Rank spell-like ability called ‘Fungus Cultivation.’ This innate talent allows them to rapidly grow suitable mushrooms and specialized fungi. Powerful Qin Ren Shamans can even cultivate magical fungi for combat or warfare. So despite their low intelligence and slow movements, this race has developed unique survival advantages.”

Having said this, Punk calmly took a large bite of the fragrant grilled mushroom:

“Hmm, not bad. This mushroom’s fungus should be Bart Sweet Fungus—soft texture with a sweet aftertaste… They say in the northern regions of the Faerûn Plane, this particular fungus can be made into ‘Humble Loaf’ that serves as staple food.”

After briefly sharing his knowledge about the Qin Ren and grilled mushrooms, Punk devoured the entire skewer in three quick bites.

“Alright, curiosity time is over. We need to keep moving.”

Discarding the wooden skewer, the expressionless Punk immediately resumed walking. Following closely behind, Kane had to hurriedly catch up with Smile in tow.In fact, after Kane had subtly and implicitly expressed his dissatisfaction, Punk’s pause and explanation just now already represented an unspoken compromise. The wise knight was well aware of the folly of pushing one’s luck, so he had no intention of continuing to oppose Punk.

Knowing when to stop and where to draw the line—these were principles a knight with over a thousand years of life experience understood well.

However, aware of the potent and lasting nature of Suggestion, Kane childishly snatched all the Grilled Mushrooms from the charcoal brazier of the mushroom vendor before leaving:

“Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo, listen! The glow of adventure is calling out to this master with its gentle summons. A brand new future awaits the fearless warrior. Our legend shall… Oh, wait, wait! Let this master grab a few of these adorable little mushrooms to taste. I’m sure the hospitable mushroom folk won’t mind.”

Striking a flamboyant pose and marching in step, Kane held a bunch of mushroom skewers high. His comical appearance was already making “Smile” standing beside him barely able to contain her laughter.

(End of Chapter)