Chapter 22: A Debt of Life 2
The falcon's beak parted slightly, its voice taking on a thoughtful edge. "A common mushroom like you should be a mindless existence. Yet you can think, speak... demand things from me."
The realization sent a chill down the mushroom's tiny frame.
"A low-level monster with intelligence is rare," the falcon continued, tilting its head. "You would make a perfect meal for my chicks."
The words hit like a hammer. The mushroom's entire body went rigid, its spores trembling.
Then.
A deep, rumbling chuckle.
The falcon let out a low, amused laugh.
"I'm joking."
The mushroom did not find it funny. If it had a heart, it would have stopped beating right there.
"Relax, little one." The falcon smirked, eyes still gleaming. "I am not like humans, who destroy everything just to satisfy their selfish desires."
The amusement faded from its voice, replaced by something deeper.
"Humans..." The word was spoken with quiet contempt. "They once lived peacefully alongside us. But they have forgotten."
The falcon's claws dug into the ground, its powerful frame trembling, not from weakness, but from something else.
"Their greed knows no end."
The air around them shifted, the temperature rising.
"They only need the eggshells," the falcon continued, voice growing harsher. "But they shatter them before they hatch."
The mushroom didn't need to ask what that meant.
"That is how I lost my previous brood."
The silence that followed was deafening.
A low growl rumbled from the falcon's throat, its breath coming out in hot bursts. Flames flickered around its body, the air distorting with heat.
Anger. Pure, unrestrained rage.
The mushroom took a cautious step back.
And then.
A piercing scream shattered the night.
Flames erupted from the falcon's wings, the sheer intensity of the heat forcing the mushroom to stumble. The firestorm bird's power surged, the embers dancing wildly in the wind.
Even so.
Despite the rage, the grief, the power overwhelming its very being.
Its gaze never left its chicks.
They were still there. Still alive.
Because of the mushroom.
The fire dimmed. The falcon exhaled, chest rising and falling. Its wings folded tightly against its back, the heat in the air dispersing.
Then, at last.
A single word.
"Thank you."
The mushroom stood frozen.
Had it... just been thanked by a creature strong enough to incinerate it in a single breath?
It swallowed the lump in its throat. "I-It was no problem at all."
The falcon sighed. "You are insistent. I see that now."
It glanced toward the horizon.
The night was ending. Dawn was approaching.
And then.
At last.
It spoke the words the mushroom had been waiting to hear.
"Tomorrow... I will take you to the Mushroom Kingdom."
The words hung in the air like an unshakable decree.
Tomorrow.
The mushroom's small body trembled with excitement. It had prepared itself for more resistance, more arguments, but the falcon had agreed. The journey to the Mushroom Kingdom, the place it had dreamed of reaching, was finally within its grasp.
But just as quickly as the excitement came, doubt crept in.
The piglet.
Would it truly be safe?
The falcon had warned it, the path was filled with dangers. It might be able to survive as a mushroom, but the piglet? The image of its tiny friend curled up in peaceful slumber flashed through its mind. It was defenseless, slow, and had no means to protect itself. The mushroom had made a promise to look after it. If it died because of this journey...
It clenched its small hands into fists. No. It wouldn't let that happen.
The falcon, meanwhile, had already settled down, tucking its wings in and closing its eyes. The antidote was working faster now, and though it would still take a full night to recover, the poison no longer held it in its grasp.
"Sleep," the bird muttered, barely opening one eye to glance at the mushroom. "You'll need it."
The mushroom nodded quickly, lowering itself onto the ground beside the piglet. It glanced at its friend, watching its tiny chest rise and fall in rhythm, unaware of the danger ahead.
It had to figure something out.
But first...
Its stomach grumbled.
Well, not exactly a stomach, more like an internal energy reserve. But the meaning was the same. It was starving
Yuno glanced at the bird, his small, round body shifting slightly. His tiny eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Go to sleep," he said casually, waving a stubby hand. "There are still some things I need to do before I rest."
The bird didn't move. Instead, it narrowed its eyes, its feathers ruffling slightly. There was something suspicious about this little mushroom.
It wasn't like Yuno to just let things be. And with all those strange ingredients scattered around, the bird had a bad feeling.
Its gaze shifted to the items, various plants, powders, and a sticky, pulsating gel. If Yuno was making something, then before the falcon slept… it should at least taste some.
Yuno held a chunk of slime gel in his hands. Without hesitation, he dropped it into a small, bubbling potion he was brewing. The liquid fizzed upon contact.
Next, Yuno placed a stone beside the bowl. His small legs wobbled as he climbed on top, positioning himself carefully.
Then… he started moving.
At first, it was just a slow sway. But then, the motion became deliberate. He swung his lower half from side to side.
The bird's head tilted.
Wait… was he swinging his butt?
Yuno leaned forward, pressing his round bottom against the liquid. A faint glow surrounded his body.
A skill was activating.
[Skill Activated: Decomposition]
The potion sizzled as Yuno absorbed it directly through his rear. The thick, glowing liquid drained rapidly, pulled into his small mushroom body like a sponge soaking up water.
The bird's beak opened slightly in shock.
Even though it looked simple, the process required a lot of energy. Absorbing everything through his butt, was that even normal?
Once Yuno was done, he let out a satisfied sigh. Then, as if nothing had happened, he opened his mouth.
And vomited into a small vial.
The thick, glowing liquid sloshed inside, releasing a pungent, almost acidic stench into the air.
The bird immediately recoiled.
Its entire body stiffened, feathers standing on end. That smell, it was so putrid, so overwhelmingly disgusting that it nearly made the bird throw up on the spot.
Yuno wiped his mouth with a tiny hand, still unfazed. His lower half was damp from the potion, but he didn't seem to care.
"We're gonna need a lot of these," Yuno said, shaking the vial. "This is a stamina potion."
The bird's eye twitched.
Just imagining drinking that made its stomach churn.
---
📜 SYSTEM MESSAGE 📜
🎁 Loot Obtained:
📜 Recall Scroll x3
💰 Gold Coins x497
❤️ Small Red Potion x18
🔵 Small Blue Potion x13
💛 Small Yellow Potion x11
🧙 Mage Equipment...
🔬 [Decompose] Obtained:
📜 Red Potion Recipe
📜 Blue Potion Recipe
📜 Yellow Potion Recipe
---!