WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 40: Con Artist (1)
──────
I stared at the mushroom gleaming a brilliant gold.
It gave off its own golden light even after I put out the torch.
It looked like the Muscle Mushroom had been guarding that thing.
‘It looks poisonous as hell.’
It was safest to assume most mushrooms were poisonous.
And brightly colored plants and animals were poisonous nine times out of ten.
That meant there was a very high chance this Golden Mushroom was poisonous.
‘It is pretty fascinating, though.’
I slowly approached the Golden Mushroom.
Once I got closer, I realized it was much bigger than I had expected.
It was only a little smaller than the fish I had caught before. That was huge for a mushroom.
‘It looks like something that mustached plumber character would eat.’
A plumber in overalls suddenly came to mind.
If that character ate this mushroom, he might grow bigger or stronger.
He would probably crash into monsters and send them flying.
Even as I entertained those pointless thoughts, I stayed on guard.
It might suddenly start moving like the Muscle Mushroom earlier.
Thankfully, the Golden Mushroom didn’t leap to its feet. It just kept sparkling.
‘What the hell is this thing?’
Even while examining it, I didn’t forget to watch my back.
For safety’s sake, it would be best to pick the mushroom and head back.
‘Better put on gloves, just in case.’
I put on the gloves I had kept in my pocket.
It was big enough that I needed both hands to carry it, but that wasn’t a problem.
I could hang my sword at my waist and sling the shovel and shield over my back.
‘Come to think of it, I need a scabbard.’
Swords usually came with scabbards, but Heavenly Demon’s Sword didn’t.
Either it never had one, or she forgot to give it to me.
I’d be trading for Fasting Pills soon, so I could ask her in a private chat.
Tug!
“Hm?”
My eyes widened. It was firmly embedded in the ground, so it wouldn’t come out easily.
No, mushrooms didn’t have roots, as far as I knew. It just wouldn’t budge.
“Graaah!”
Pop!
Only after putting every ounce of strength I had into it was I barely able to pull it free.
The recoil nearly made me fall, but I caught my balance at the last second.
Looking at the spot where it had been, I found a round hole.
‘Has it been growing here for a long time?’
It must have been there long enough to bore a hole into stone.
Holding the Golden Mushroom carefully with both hands, I stepped outside.
The moment I exited the cave, a savory smell tickled my nose.
It was coming from the charred Muscle Mushroom.
‘Better get going.’
I hurried along before I ran into any animals.
Part of me wanted to poke through it with Heavenly Demon’s Sword.
But any more curiosity could put my life at risk, so I held myself back.
Throb!
A sudden headache hit me as I quickened my pace.
It came out of nowhere, and I frowned, but I couldn’t just brush it off.
‘What was that?’
I kept moving even as I grimaced.
The headache soon vanished, but I still felt uneasy.
Maybe the Golden Mushroom was the problem. I should get back to the shelter quickly.
‘At least no one ambushed me.’
Once I arrived at the shelter, I examined the Golden Mushroom again.
It really was enormous. And I was curious what it even did.
I took a picture and made a post on the gallery.
[Post title] Anyone know this mushroom?
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Photo of the Golden Mushroom compared to a hand)
[Post] Found it in the cave the Muscle Mushroom was blocking.
[Post] It’s giving off a brilliant golden glow. It’s poisonous, right? It’s also really huge.
└ [Starlight Princess]: It’s a pretty mushroom. But you shouldn’t eat mushrooms.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I only brought it back because it was interesting. I have absolutely no intention of eating it.
└ If you eat that, I’ll give you 100 billion Yura lol
└ I’ll give you 100,000 gold lol
└ [Starlight Princess]: You people are awful.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Look at that golden glow. You found it in a cave?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah. It was hard to pull out too.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: One look and it’s practically screaming, “I’m poisonous.”
└ [Wild Grylls]: So I’m thinking of keeping it as an ornament.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Not bad as an ornament.
Everyone found the Golden Mushroom fascinating.
Still, nobody seemed to know what it actually was. All they could say was that it looked pretty.
That left only Allfather...
└ [Allfather]: Hoho. You found something unusual again.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Do you know what this mushroom is?
└ [Allfather]: Of course I do. Throw it away immediately.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Huh?
The comment told me to throw it away right away. Naturally, I was confused.
Then Allfather left another comment that shocked me quite a bit.
└ [Allfather]: Did you experience any headaches or dizziness while bringing it back?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I had a slight headache, but it went away quickly.
└ [Allfather]: It seems the medicine I gave you was effective. You’ll develop symptoms just by getting close to it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What kind of mushroom is this?
└ [Allfather]: Its name is ordinary. It’s called a Golden Mushroom, one of the rarest mushrooms. Some even call it the king of mushrooms.
As expected of the Forest of Four Seasons, a place where all kinds of plants and animals lived.
It was even called the king of mushrooms. I became curious what kind of king it was.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Isn’t being a king supposed to be a good thing?
└ [Allfather]: I cannot speak for other cases, but this mushroom has both beneficial and harmful aspects. Which would you like to hear first?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Tell me the negative part first.
└ [Allfather]: If you eat even one bite, all your organs will melt away. The same goes for your bones and muscles.
└ [Wild Grylls]: ;;;
Just hearing that was horrifying.
Not just the bones and muscles, but the organs too?
Even drinking a bucket of hydrochloric acid probably wouldn’t be that bad.
It meant it contained an absolutely terrifying poison. I had no choice but to keep my distance.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What’s the positive part?
└ [Allfather]: If you are lucky, you can restore those melted organs, bones, and muscles. Beyond that, your body itself will rise several levels.
└ Isn’t that Body Reforging?
└ Sounds like it from that description.
└ [Allfather]: It is more than simple Body Reforging. Legend says it can grant you the body of a god.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Oh.
So that was why it was called the king of mushrooms. High risk, high return.
Which was exactly why I wasn’t going to eat it. There was no reason to take that risk.
Just imagining my entire body melting made me shudder.
└ [Allfather]: It would be dangerous even for someone completely immune to poison. I recommend throwing it away.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Even poison resistance wouldn’t matter?
└ [Allfather]: According to legend, the odds are fifty-fifty. It makes no distinction between people.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I should throw it away, then. Or would you like it for research purposes?
└ Why aren’t you giving it to us?
└ I’ll eat it and test it out for you, yeah.
└ You don’t value your life?
└ My life is fucked anyway, might as well try eating that lol
└ Why is your life fucked?
└ Went all-in on Kaspel Mine stock and got ruined.
└ Why?
└ The mine collapsed.
└ Ah;;; Hang in there.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It is interesting, but it seems to be a dangerous mushroom. I am not particularly drawn to it either.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Scared?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Hm. I suddenly feel like bringing down the banhammer.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: sry;;
└ LOL she’s already gotten a taste for power.
└ Isn’t she going to get spoiled at this rate?
└ The Head Mod will deal with it.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Can’t you make alcohol with that?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Mushrooms probably won’t work. Someone once died after drinking water boiled with mushrooms.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Who was that? What a fucking idiot.
└ [Wild Grylls]: My father, you little shit.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Ah. I’m really sorry;;
└ [Wild Grylls]: That was a lie lol. My father died in an accident.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: You little shit.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: No, no;; Sorry. I’m just sorry;;
└ LOL
└ LOLOL
└ They came to their senses the second they cursed lol
└ That scared him lol
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Can’t it be used as an ornament?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Apparently, just being close to it causes headaches and dizziness?
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Put it behind glass, then. I really like that it’s gold.
└ [Allfather]: Pardon me, but I believe it would be more valuable for research. If you give it to me, I will reward you generously.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: I can reward you generously too. How much money do you need?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I don’t really need money, thoughhh...
Money was what I had in abundance right now.
The Owlbear corpse alone had made me well-off.
The problem was that even with plenty of money, I couldn’t buy what I needed.
AllHailTheSun seemed to realize that too and immediately left another comment.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Come to think of it, you’re right. Is there anything you want?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I want to get out.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Uh... Sorry. I don’t think I can do that. Just give it to that wizard.
└ [Allfather]: I do not have anything suitable to offer either. Is there anything you need?
I couldn’t put the Golden Mushroom up on the Auction House.
I didn’t want to hear that someone ate it and died the next day.
Selling something so dangerous for money didn’t feel right either. The risk was too great.
It was too valuable to throw away, but too dangerous to keep. After thinking it over, I wrote a comment.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Armor, maybe? I think that would do.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Good idea. Since you’re in a forest, leather armor would be better than metal armor.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Why not learn Protective Aura instead?
└ [Wild Grylls]: How do you even use that?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Grylls, you can’t even use Aura Blade yet. You’ll have to wait a long time before you can use Aura Shield.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Not Aura Blade, but Sword Force. And not Aura Shield, but Protective Aura.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Same thing, isn’t it? Do you really have to nitpick?
They were fighting again. Why were these people so eager to tear each other apart?
But as everyone knew, Heavenly Demon was currently an assistant moderator.
Assistant moderators had the authority to ban people too.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What did you say? It sounded to me as though you wished to be struck by my banhammer.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Ha, shit;; You’re seriously too much. Head Mod, are you watching?
└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: Assistant Moderator! Please show some restraint!
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Hm. Very well. I shall overlook it with my boundless generosity.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: ;;;
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Huh? Why do you need armor, you knowww? I gave you a uniform, you knowww.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Does this actually protect me?
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: That’s hurtful! Uniforms developed in Mephisto perform better than leather armor, you knowww!
└ [Wild Grylls]: Really?
└ It’s true. Sometimes people wear uniforms into dungeons lol
└ They’re expensive, but more convenient and better than leather armor.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Why are they like that?
└ Because too many people keep stabbing each other.
└ It’s to protect the players. Sports are basically tiny battlefields.
└ You’d probably be fine even if a magic arrow hit you lol
└ [Wild Grylls]: ;;;
It seemed that regardless of how developed their culture was, their barbarism had kept pace with the times.
Just in case, I found another uniform.
Heavenly Demon’s Sword was too much, so I used an ordinary dagger.
Slash! Slash!
“Oh?”
I slashed the uniform repeatedly with the dagger, but it was completely fine.
Just to be sure, I pulled the uniform taut and stabbed it with the dagger.
Still fine. It was perfect for me.
‘Animals are dangerous in the forest, but small wounds are even worse.’
Even a tiny cut would become a serious problem if poison or germs got inside.
Still, even considering its performance, the uniform was too thin.
If I wore leather armor over it, I could get even better protection.
└ [Wild Grylls]: The uniform really is good. But I think I’ll still need leather armor just in case. It’s too thin.
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Then why not wear a few uniforms layered together, you knowww?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Are you a genius?
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Hehe, I’m pretty smart, you knowww.
└ Yeah, but you’re still an idiot who cheers for Chaeyu lol
└ Just wear uniforms lol Whatever you wear, you’ll be a one-hit kill anyway.
└ One hit and you’re off to Aragon’s side~
In the end, the extra armor was replaced with more uniforms.
Afterward, I tried to give PrincessChaenggu the mushroom, but they refused immediately.
They didn’t want to buy it as an ornament and said they would just give me a few more uniforms.
‘I keep taking things from them.’
They said it was enough if I supported their team, but I still felt guilty. If I found something good later, I would definitely give it to them.
Anyway, I put off deciding what to do with the Golden Mushroom.
The thing was so risky that it was hard to know what to do with it.
‘Wonmo might eat it...’
I needed to store it somewhere as inconspicuous as possible.
It would stand out anywhere because it was gold, but I had somewhere in mind.
There was the box that had come with the items the dwarf gave me last time. I put it inside that box.
Then, so Wonmo with his excellent sense of smell couldn’t detect it, I placed the box outside the cave.
The Elixir was stored in another box, so there was no major problem.
If I ran low, I could just buy more from the Auction House.
‘Good. That takes care of it.’
With the Golden Mushroom dealt with, I looked up.
The sun had started to set, even if only a little. It was probably time to prepare for night.
‘Spores might have stuck to my clothes, so I should wash right away.’
Another day passed.
* * *
Late at night, with everyone asleep, only the sounds of insects could be heard in the forest.
Inside the cave, the faint crackling of the campfire could be heard.
Then came the quiet breathing of a person, the breathing of animals, and more.
Everyone slept in their own way. It was a very peaceful scene.
Rattle! Rattle!
A rough noise broke through that quiet peace.
It didn’t come from inside the cave, but from outside. From the box placed there.
The box rattled repeatedly before toppling onto its side.
Roll-
Its contents spilled out as it fell.
It was the mushroom that glowed gold even in the darkness of night.
Rustle-
Astonishingly, the Golden Mushroom that had fallen over raised itself upright.
Tiny arms and legs that hadn’t been there before had sprouted from its body.
Compared to the Muscle Mushroom, its limbs were pitifully small and cute.
But having arms and legs meant it could move.
Pitter-patter-
The Golden Mushroom moved its short legs and headed into the dark forest.
So secretly that no one would ever find it.
Until the Golden Mushroom vanished completely, only peaceful breathing could be heard in the cave.
Time passed, and morning came.
“What? Where’s the mushroom?”
Grylls realized far too late that the mushroom was gone.
He had sensed something strange from the moment he saw the box outside had fallen over.
When he checked it, lo and behold, the Golden Mushroom stored inside was gone.
“D-Don’t tell me...!”
Grylls’s eyes widened. He thought he knew why the mushroom had disappeared.
He stopped rummaging through the box and hurried into the cave.
“Wonmo! Open your mouth!”
“Kyuu...?”
“What did you eat yesterday? You didn’t eat the mushroom, did you?!”
All Grylls did was pry open poor Wonmo’s beak.
Thankfully, Wonmo hadn’t eaten the mushroom. He had just slept peacefully.
After thoroughly checking him, Grylls was relieved. He didn’t inspect the Fast Sloth separately.
Its instincts were unbelievably sharp, so it hadn’t even gone near the mushroom.
Relieved, Grylls was also puzzled.
“No. It didn’t have legs, so where did it go?”
It really had grown legs. Grylls simply had no idea.
Such was the mysterious Forest of Four Seasons.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
