285-283 Immortal mycelium




Yeah? Hmmm?
"Don't you remember? I was born in a labyrinth ruled by that dragon.
'Is that a mountain dungeon in the Vire? The monster that was born there?
"So I fought you and your men, and I lost. Those horrible wolves and orcs...!
Ah!

 I'm starting to remember something.

 Is that it? Viel once told me that he had modified a dungeon, and we all attacked it to see how it worked.
 The modified dungeon was divided into spring, summer, fall and winter areas, and I remember that each one had its own unique monsters that attacked us.

'I think there was a mushroom-shaped monster among them...?

 I think it was in the fall area.

"You're the mushroom from that time?
"So you finally remember. That's right. And my name is...'

 Accumulate.....

"Matan Go!
I don't care.

 It was so long ago that I had forgotten all about it.
 Why did it come up now?

I was there the whole time.
Yeah...?
"You brought my body back to this place.

 Yup.
 I once brought home a dead mushroom monster I killed in the mountain dungeon fall area and examined it to see if it was edible, in case it was.

 However, I said it looked tasteless and unhealthy, so I ended up declaring it unusable and discarding it.

'But I was not destroyed. I am the individual mycelium that makes up this basic body. The spores that spilled from the previous body you brought back danced through the air, and I have always existed.
"Ever since we hit the mountain dungeon?

 I feel like fumigating the whole house right now!

Oh, don't worry. Oh, don't worry, it's not physically harmful.
Are you sure...?
And I have other things on my mind.
Purpose? What?

 What does it have to do with being visible now?

I have been humiliated.
Hmm?
'You have judged me and branded me as useless. The dogs and turtles were of some use, but I was the only one who failed. It's very frustrating!''

 I mean, you don't look like you'd be much use as an ingredient or even a tool, right?
 The turtle shells were useful as shields, but what are they supposed to do with the bodies of those mushrooms?

'So I waited for my chance! They evolved by dividing many times while floating through the air as spores!'

 Is that what mushrooms are like?
 No, let's just say it's a fantasy.

"The reason we're having this conversation right now is a function of evolution! This time I will be of service to you!'
Why are you so devoted to...?

 The giant mushrooms were passionately excited.

 On one hand, I'm infinitely less excited about the shiitake mushroom cultivation I was looking forward to, which has become an ojan.
 I'm just listening to what the giant mushroom has to say, and I don't think I'll be able to get my mind off of it and burn it now.

 But I'll stick with it a little longer.

'So? What can you do now?

 You've evolved, haven't you?
 What other new abilities do you have besides being able to talk?

'I'm so glad you asked! Look at this!''

 The giant mushroom suddenly started to exert itself.

''Unnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnunnu...!

 What is it that you're standing on?

 Then, as if in response to the giant mushroom's footing, there was a change.
 A mushroom nursery log, which is the base of it. Here and there something white began to grow out of it, and the brown umbrella opened up to take the shape of a mushroom.

What is this?

 This shape, this color of the umbrella.
 A mushroom is a mushroom, but it's definitely a shiitake!

 Aside from the giant mushrooms, there are many mushrooms growing out of the log!

This is the mushroom you're looking for, right?
'Yes, that's right!'

 But why?
 I thought it was eliminated because it lost the race to survive in the log to giant mushrooms!

"The mycelium you implanted in the tree isn't extinct. They fused with me.
Fusion!
I can remember the shape of the fused mycelium, and I can reproduce it at any time. And this is the mushroom that grew!

 If this is for real, it's a great thing.

 The speed at which the shiitake mushrooms were growing now was incomparable to the natural ones.
 It was like watching a movie in fast forward.

 If they can produce shiitake mushrooms at this speed, it would be a great help.......?

''...........''
'Come on, have a taste of one! I'm trying to recreate the taste of it, too!

 I pulled out a shiitake mushroom as recommended by the giant mushroom that was pushing me relentlessly.
 From the original wood.

 The blackened shiitake mushrooms on the umbrella certainly look delicious....

....

 I looked up at the sky.
 It was a beautiful day. The blue of the sky stung my eyes.

 A speck of black on such a blue sky.
 It was a crow.

 A hateful vermin that snatches away at the crops on a daily basis.

Hey, come on, crow!

 And I held up my shiitake mushroom.

'Here's some bait. It might be poisonous.
''Saints-sama ah!

 The poisonous crow gobbled up a delicious shiitake mushroom and flew away cheerfully.

''........At least it's fast-acting?''
"There's no poison! ''I evolved for you, you can trust me!''

 The giant mushroom cried to me.
 It's a part of you, isn't it, originally?
 It takes a little courage to eat...!

 They went into cultivation in the first place because they were afraid of poisoning wild mushrooms, but if they're worried about getting hit by those cultivated mushrooms, what's the point of taking care of them?

''Please! Please!

 The giant mushroom was asking me so desperately that when I refused, I started to feel like a demon.
 I gave in to the pressure.

'Well, if we go through the fire, his cells will die too.

 Wash it with water first....
 I instantly picked the one that grew super fast so I didn't have to worry about bugs.

 I built a fire around it and tried to roast a whole shiitake mushroom on a skewer.
 I grilled it slowly.
 Grill it relentlessly.

 Until all the cells that make up a shiitake mushroom have burned to death and become just food.

"Uh...aren't you overcooking it? You're blackened, aren't you?'
A little more...

 Just in case.

 Okay, it's all blackened.

 This would have completely killed off all the cells.

 I'll take it.

''Amu........''

 The outside was burnt and jarred, but how could the inside be........

''It's hot........?

 The texture is crunchy.
 This is a true shiitake!

 Just a little bit of soy sauce dripped on the back of the umbrella....

This is delicious!
'Yes! Finally, all my hard work has been rewarded!

 I'm the one who got eaten by the shiitake mushroom.
 The giant mushroom was glad that he got to eat my shiitake mushroom.

 Each of us expressed our pleasure in equal measure.