Chapter 5: Strength in Spores
When I came in to, the clearing was still glowing with that soft, eerie light of the Glowshrooms.
Where it had fallen, the Mushroom King's enormous body was lying, its spongy form rapidly dissolving into luminous spores.
The image seemed almost mystical because of the little shimmer in the air, but I was soon reminded by my sore muscles how genuine the fight had been.
I sat up slowly, wincing as my arms and legs protested. Everything hurts, but the pride of victory was strong to keep me moving.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have gained a Boss Relic Shard.
In my hand, a small fragment of glowing crystal materialized. It was warm, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Relic Shards are powerful artifacts left behind by Boss Monsters. Collect and fuse them to create Legendary Relics.
"Legendary, huh?" I said aloud, holding the shard up to catch the faint light. It sparkled faintly, its golden hue making it look like a treasure out of a book. "Not bad for a baby ogre."
The system wasn't done with its notifications:
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Skill Acquired: Spore Manipulation (Level 1).
"Spore Manipulation?" I repeated, curious. I focused on the new skill, and a small window opened in my mind, listing its abilities:
Spore Cloud: Release a cloud of spores to obscure vision and hinder enemies.
Spore Burst: Trigger an explosion of spores to deal minor area damage.
I couldn't help but grin. "Now this is something I can work with."
---
Before I could test my new powers, the ground beneath the Mushroom King's body trembled. My heart leapt as I scrambled to my feet, expecting the worst. But instead of the monster springing back to life, a large bulbous pod pushed its way out of the remains.
It was unlike anything I'd seen before, pulsating softly like a heartbeat. The surface glimmered faintly, and the air around it felt heavy with energy.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have discovered a Spore Pod. Do you wish to harvest it?
"Yes, please," I said without hesitation.
The pod cracked open with a wet, squelching sound, releasing a burst of golden light. I shielded my eyes, blinking as the glow subsided to reveal several items:
1. Glowshroom Spores – Seeds for growing Glowshrooms.
2. Boss Relic Shard (x1) – Another piece of the mysterious relic.
3. Rare Material: Luminescent Mycelium – A magical crafting material.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Resource Node Depleted: Glowshrooms will not regenerate for 30 days.
"Guess I'd better use these wisely," I muttered, tucking the items into my makeshift pouch—a tattered scrap of cloth I tied around my waist.
---
As I returned to the cave, the forest felt different. The often suffocating mood was clearly gone, and the air was lighter.
It seemed like a curse had been lifted from the area in some way by slaying the Mushroom King.
I took a moment to practice my new ability in a little clearing. I turned on Spore Cloud and focused. Around me, a thin golden mist started to swirl and eventually grew into a thick fog that obscured my eyesight.
"Not bad," I muttered, waving a hand to clear the air. Unfortunately, I inhaled a bit of the mist and immediately coughed. "Okay, note to self: don't stand in your own cloud."
Next, I tried Spore Burst. A small explosion erupted a few feet away, scattering glowing particles in every direction. The potential was obvious, but it wasn't very strong.
I wiped my hands and smiled as I made my way to the cave thinking of all that I could do with it.
---
As I got closer to the cave entrance, I heard the same noises of arguing.
As usual, the adults inside were fighting over food crumbs.
When I walked closer, Grumpy, who was sitting near the fire, looked up. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he fixed them on the shimmering fragment in my hand.
His tone was stern as he snarled, "What's that?"
"Just something I picked up," I said casually, holding the shard up so it caught the light.
Grumpy's jaw tightened, and I could practically see the gears turning in his head. "You better not think you're better than us, runt."
I sighed. It seemed Grumpy had a one-track mind when it came to finding reasons to hate me.
Before things could escalate, the leader of the group stepped forward. He was the biggest of the adults, with broad shoulders and a deep scar running down his face. His sheer size and calm confidence silenced the rest of the cave.
"What's going on?" he rumbled, his voice low and commanding.
"Nothing," I said quickly, slipping the shard into the pouch I made by stealing some of the used clothes from the others. It was hellish since there weren't any needles around but it worked.
"I brought back some food."
I pulled out one of the Glowshroom caps I'd harvested and tossed it toward the group. They eyed it suspiciously at first, but the leader took a bite, his expression shifting from caution to surprise.
"This… this is good," he said, his voice full of approval.
The others crowded him, snatching at the Glowshroom and tearing off chunks to devour.
"Looks like I'm useful here after all," I mumbled, leaning against the cave wall with a slight smile, as the sound of contented chewing replaced the customary complaints of dissatisfaction and, for the first time since I'd joined them, no one seemed to be staring at me which was good enough for me!
---
I sat close to the cave entrance that night as the others slept, gazing out at the moonlit forest.
I replayed the day's events in my head, feeling a silent sense of pride at each win.
In addition to learning a new skill and surviving a boss fight, I also acquired some respect from the gang.
However, I felt in my heart that this was only the beginning. I declared to the night, "This baby ogre's just getting started," while holding the Boss Relic Shard.
But for now? I was content, just a bit...