Chapter 1：Unlucky Perry

The crisp autumn air rushed in, and the cool breeze gently swept through every leaf in the forest, bringing with it a fresh, earthy scent. For mushroom enthusiasts, this was the best season, especially for Perry and his three friends, who had planned a day to venture into the woods and gather mushrooms. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled light that made the entire forest seem both mysterious and vibrant.

Perry stood quietly beside a tall oak tree, waiting for his friends. He took a deep breath, savoring the tranquility of the forest. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound coming from the bushes in the distance.

His heart raced, thoughts flashing through his mind. "Could it be a wild animal?" Unconsciously, he took a step back, his eyes fixed on the source of the sound, gripping the wooden stick he carried.

The sound grew closer, and Perry held his breath, his body tensing slightly. Just as he braced himself for the worst, a familiar figure emerged from the bushes—Mark, smiling as he stepped out from behind a tree, waving a small basket in his hand.

"Did I scare you?" Mark laughed heartily, seeing Perry's tense expression.

Perry let out a sigh of relief and chuckled. "I thought it was a wild animal. You nearly scared me to death."

"Ha! Relax, I'm no beast," Mark clapped him on the shoulder. "We're here to gather mushrooms today, not hunt."

Soon after, Ellie and Kevin appeared from different directions, each carrying a small basket and wearing excited smiles.

Perry and his three friends—Mark, Ellie, and Kevin—began weaving through the woods, baskets in hand, searching for mushrooms hidden beneath the shade of the trees. The air was filled with the damp scent of earth, and birds chirped occasionally in the distance, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

They split into two teams—Perry with Ellie, Mark with Kevin—and started an informal "mushroom-picking competition." Everyone excitedly scoured the forest, expertly identifying different mushrooms. Amid the friendly competition, the air was filled with relaxed laughter.

"Hey! There's a huge bunch of porcini over here!" Perry excitedly thought, gently tapping the mushrooms to release their spores before picking them, ensuring they could reproduce.

Mark, noticing Perry's success, wasn't one to be outdone. "Look what I found—king oyster mushrooms! Now these are a real delicacy."

"Seriously, Mark?" Kevin teased.

"This area has so many mushrooms," Ellie exclaimed, spotting a large cluster under a tree. Holding up a freshly picked porcini, she added, "Looks like we're in for a big haul today!"

"Just make sure you don't pick the wrong ones, or tonight's dinner might be our last meal," Kevin quipped, glancing at the mushrooms Ellie had gathered. He pointed to one growing on the tree trunk. "That's not an oyster mushroom, by the way."

"Really?" Ellie peered at the mushroom, intrigued. She was more interested in brightly colored mushrooms, fascinated by their appearance but less knowledgeable about the common varieties.

Perry, overhearing the conversation, joined them. "It's definitely not an oyster mushroom. This one is probably a Crepidotus. It has brown spore prints, whereas oyster mushrooms have white to light purple spore prints."

"I thought I hit the jackpot," Ellie sighed.

Kevin laughed from the side, "Let's hope we find more good ones. Tonight's dinner depends on these mushrooms."

Mark checked his basket, already filled with shiitakes, button mushrooms, and a few rare wild varieties. He nodded, "We've done pretty well this year."

As time passed, their baskets filled, and everyone had gathered quite the harvest. They decided to set up a small makeshift stove in the forest to cook a pot of mushroom soup and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Sitting around the improvised fire, the aroma of mushrooms wafting from the pot, Perry and his friends couldn't help but salivate.

"Today's haul was impressive," Kevin said, smiling contentedly. "We should celebrate!"

"Yeah, but as per tradition," Mark chimed in, lowering his voice with a mischievous grin, "we all know someone has to taste-test the mushrooms first. Since both teams picked about the same amount, how about we decide by rock-paper-scissors?"

The group burst into laughter, with no objections. It had always been their tradition, even though they were confident in their mushroom-picking skills. Safety first. They agreed to settle the matter with a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine the "test subject" for the day.

"Come on, bro, don't be a wuss!" Kevin grinned, extending his hand.

"Hey, it's not just bros here!" Ellie protested.

"Alright, alright. Well, let's settle it, brothers and sisters," Perry joked with a smirk.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" they all shouted.

The result was obvious—three rocks, and Perry threw scissors.

"Haha! Tough luck, Perry!" Mark laughed, giving him a playful pat on the shoulder, his face full of schadenfreude.

Perry sighed in defeat and reluctantly picked up a piece of cooked mushroom. "Fine, fine. It's not like this is my first time," he muttered before popping the mushroom into his mouth.

"How does it taste?" Ellie asked mischievously.

Perry chewed and nodded, "Tastes pretty good, no weird flavors." He continued sampling the other mushrooms from the pot.

The others watched him intently, waiting for the agreed-upon thirty minutes to pass. They relaxed and began chatting, eager to dig into their meal.

However, less than five minutes later, Perry suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. The world around him seemed to spin, and the sounds around him stretched and distorted.

"Perry, are you okay?" Kevin's voice sounded distant and fuzzy.

Perry struggled to breathe as his vision blurred. He saw his friends gathered around him, concerned, but everything appeared doubled. Finally, he slipped into darkness.

Perry felt weightless, as if he were drifting. He couldn't feel his body—no pain, no touch. It was as if his consciousness was slowly fading.

"I just want to sleep."

[Don't sleep!]

Who was speaking… so noisy… let me sleep.

[No!]

Are you angry? Why…

[I won't let you disappear, just hold on a little longer.]

[Currently searching for a suitable host body. System is scanning… 10%… 30%… 70%…]

The system's voice was emotionless but conveyed a sense of urgency. In Perry's hazy mind, he heard a series of mechanical sounds.

[Host's prepared body has been occupied… searching for a new compatible body… transferring soul…]

Pain. It felt as though his body was being torn apart. The agony was unbearable.

"Ahhh—"

Perry wanted to struggle, but he couldn't control his body. He felt an overwhelming sense of being ripped apart, as if his soul was being forcibly yanked from him. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Amidst this excruciating pain, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Perry found himself staring at a simple ceiling. He was lying on an unfamiliar bed in an entirely unfamiliar room. The room was bare, with a few tattered maps hanging on the walls, and through the window, he could just make out a forest in the distance.

"Where am I?" Perry muttered weakly. His head felt heavy, his limbs weak, and he struggled to sit up. "Why am I here… was it just a dream…?"

He suddenly remembered eating the mushrooms in the forest. Could it have been food poisoning? But this place didn't look like a hospital.

As he tried to piece together what had happened, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[System booting up… connection successful… scanning host status…]

"What's that voice?" Perry sat up abruptly, the movement causing him great discomfort. After recovering from the pain, he looked around the room. There was no one else, but the voice continued clearly in his head.

It sounded different from the one in his dream.

[Welcome, host. You have activated the system and entered an alternate world. You are currently on the planet Duras.] The system briefly explained the situation, noticing Perry's distress.

Perry was stunned. An alternate world? Planet Duras? It sounded like something out of a video game. Was he still dreaming? Or hallucinating?

"Wait a second, a system? What the heck? I was just gathering mushrooms in the forest—or, well, eating them—and now suddenly…" Perry's mind was a jumble of confusion as he tried to process the sudden influx of information.

[Host consumed an extremely rare mushroom—the "Dimensional Mushroom"—which caused your soul to be transported to an alternate world. The system's role is to assist the host in adapting to this new world.]

"Dimensional Mushroom?" Perry almost laughed. "Is this some kind of joke? I just wanted a picnic, and now I'm stuck in this other world."

[The situation is dire right now. The body originally prepared for host has been taken. The transmission process drained much of the system's energy, and there were unforeseen complications. The system's power is gradually depleting.]

Perry was dumbfounded. He had no idea what was really happening.

"Wait, you're telling me… your power is running out?" he asked in disbelief.

[Yes, host.] The system's voice was emotionless but carried a determined tone. [Host needs to first adapt to this body. The simplest way to restore the system's abilities is to complete the mission, as this body will only survive for three years.]

"Three years? Why?"

[This body has been injected with a rare poison. If the antidote is not found within that time, host will perish.]

Perry couldn't believe his ears. So not only had he been transported to other world, but he'd also been saddled with a poisoned body.

"What a mess…"