CH23 - Mushmush?

Cipher's eyebrows lifted, and his eyes widened as he thought to himself, This must be a Mushmush. He watched as the small creature used its tiny arms to push itself upright. Turning around, the Mushmush stared at Cipher with its beady eyes, wearing a deadpan expression.

Before Cipher had knocked it over, the Mushmush had been minding its own business, searching for water. After walking into a clearing and spotting a small puddle, it had just been about to take a drink when, out of nowhere, this strange creature crashed into it. The Mushmush hated falling. Its head always hurt afterward, and getting back up was an annoying struggle.

Cipher quickly collected himself. Axel had taught him that when apologizing, it was polite to give a slight bow. Seeing the Mushmush struggle to get up, he felt awful for causing the situation. Bowing, Cipher sincerely apologized.

"Excuse me, I am so sorry. I should have been more careful and watched where I was going. Please forgive me."

The Mushmush gave a slight nod. Since that was the only way it could communicate, Cipher had no way of knowing what it was actually thinking. After a brief moment of staring at him, the Mushmush pivoted on one leg, turning halfway before facing away and walking off. It resumed its search for water, occasionally pausing to release a puff of spores from its dome-like cap. The spores drifted into the air like tiny smoke clouds before vanishing.

Intrigued by the mushroom-shaped creature, Cipher decided to follow it. Since it was heading in the same direction he was traveling, there was no harm in indulging his curiosity. He wanted to see what the Mushmush was doing and if there were more of them. DEM had told him that while the Mushmush were referred to as a tribe, they didn't actually live together. The name came from how they were born—when their spores landed in a suitable place, they sprouted into ten to fifteen new Mushmush at once.

Cipher had asked DEM if that meant he should expect to see a lot of red-and-white-capped Mushmush while traveling. DEM had informed him that they only lived for about a week, collapsing at the end of their lifespan to release their final "Tribe of Mushmush."

Cipher found their existence tragic—so short, so lonely. No meaningful connections, just a brief cycle of birth and death.

After a while, the Mushmush turned off the path, heading in a different direction. Cipher sighed, a little disappointed to see it go. He knew this was the last time he would ever see that particular Mushmush. He hadn't grown attached to it, but he still felt sympathy for anything that had such a fleeting life.

That sympathy, however, did not extend to Nightmares.

Cipher knew how dangerous it would be to hesitate against them. If he hesitated—if he felt for them—he could die. Of course, he was immortal, but he wasn't immune to pain, and testing his immortality was not high on the list of things he wanted to try. Honestly, if he could avoid testing it at all, that would be ideal… but he knew that was probably a pipe dream.

As Cipher continued walking, his surroundings changed. The mushroom stalks in the forest glowed in shifting colors, their hues pulsing gently like a heartbeat. Spores periodically drifted from their caps, causing a fog to roll over the forest floor.

It looked like an EDM concert—just without the music.

Actually… now that he thought about it, he could only hear his own footsteps.

{DEM ~ The forest isn't dead. There are many creatures here, but most are plant-based. Due to the constant spore production, few living things can survive here for long. The only reason you can is due to the generosity of the people of Sol. If you weren't wearing that mask, you wouldn't have been able to traverse the Laughing Forest at all.}

Cipher nodded. The mask had been a gift from the townspeople, and he was grateful for it.

Then an idea struck him.

[Cipher - DEM, are there any plants or materials here that might be valuable on our way to Future City?]

He had seen countless mushrooms and strange plants along the way. Maybe some of them had uses—medicinal properties, trade value, or something else.

DEM processed the request instantly, scanning its vast knowledge base at a speed that put supercomputers to shame.

{DEM ~ Yes. There are three notable materials: Dragaroom, White Veil, and Wizard's Eye.}

Cipher listened as DEM listed their properties:

Dragaroom – A red-scaled mushroom with a short stalk, found only in the Laughing Forest.

Effect: Known as "Dragon Bane." Its sickly-sweet aroma repels C-class and lower dragon-type creatures.

White Veil – A pure white mushroom with a long stalk, found only in the Laughing Forest.

Effect: Grants invisibility for one hour. (Note: Invisibility means others cannot see you, but they can still hear and smell you. This does not mask your presence.)

Wizard's Eye – A glowing green mushroom with an eye-like pattern on its cap, found only in the Laughing Forest.

Effect: Doubles the potency of any potion. Highly sought after by apothecaries, wizards, and witches.

Cipher absorbed the information and made a mental note of what to look for.

As he walked, he kept his eyes peeled for anything that matched DEM's descriptions. Thanks to his Appraiser ability, he could scan the area and pinpoint specific materials. Before he even realized it, he had gathered quite a collection:

Six Dragaroom, Five White Veil, Ten Wizard's Eye (A jackpot!)

Satisfied, Cipher was about to continue when DEM's voice suddenly called out.

{DEM ~ Cipher, stop.}

Cipher froze.

{DEM ~ We are about to enter Nightmare Valley.}

A chill ran down Cipher's spine.

This was about to get serious.