Chapter 21: A Debt of LifeThe mushroom could see it in his eyes. Right now, he wasn't looking at them as harmless creatures.He was looking at them as threats.A wave of tension spread through the air. The chicks, oblivious to their father's suspicions, chirped and rubbed against him for comfort. But the falcon wasn't responding. His muscles were locking up, his vision unfocused.Night fell over the prairie.The only source of warmth now came from a small fire burning nearby. The flickering glow illuminated the falcon's weakened form, casting long shadows across his feathers.And inside the fire.The chicks.The mushroom's cap tilted. At first, it thought its eyes were playing tricks on it. But no. The three chicks were curled up inside the flames, their small bodies rising and falling with deep, peaceful breaths.For a brief second, the mushroom panicked. They're burning alive!But then it remembered.These weren't normal birds. They were Firestorm Falcons.They weren't suffering.T

Chapter 23: A Debt of Life 3The night progressed in complete silence except for the fire's crackling sounds and occasional wind noises. The falcon stayed awake longer than planned despite being tired while it watched the mushroom and the sleeping piglet next to each other.It still couldn't understand.The mushroom had what reason to save the falcon?The creatures of their kind never provided assistance to others unless they had a specific purpose. Every living thing in this world functioned based on survival instincts. The world consumed its weak members by the strong ones. The crafty creatures survived while the naive ones met their end.And yet...The tiny unimportant mushroom placed itself at risk.For what?To help a dying predator?To keep its offspring safe?The falcon briefly glanced at its young ones who remained hidden beneath its wings. A comforting sensation filled its body which had been absent for many days.The mushroom declared the man to be "a repaying man."How absu

Chapter 25: Descent into the Mushroom Kingdom The wind howled past the falcon's wings as it soared high above the Mushroom Kingdom's outer perimeter. The kingdom stretched out below, a massive circular stronghold of fungal life. Thick, twisting vines wrapped around towering walls, their surfaces dotted with glowing spores pulsing faintly like veins of a living organism. The mushroom sat rigid in the falcon's grasp, its small body trembling with anticipation and fear.The piglet, however, had no such worries. It squealed in delight, kicking its stubby legs as if trying to swim through the open air. The falcon, keen-eyed and ever-vigilant, scanned the kingdom for a landing spot. But as soon as it began its descent, a powerful wave of energy surged through the air. A gut-wrenching pressure bore down on the falcon's chest, forcing it to pause mid-flight.Something wasn't right.It was a presence, an overwhelming force emanating from within the kingdom's core. An unseen power, like an anc

Chapter 27: "My Cousin"The little mushroom's mind raced. The mushrooms reacted this way because of the piglet he knew. Any unfamiliar presence in this environment automatically became a threat to the stone mushrooms because she did not belong to their kind.The piglet displayed no signs of fear throughout the encounter. The piglet planted her hooves firmly on the ground before letting out a loud snort while flicking her tiny tail as if she wanted the stone mushrooms to approach.The tiny mushroom delivered a swift blow to her head before she could take any dangerous action."Don't provoke them!" he hissed.She stared at him with a puzzled expression before deciding to stay silent.Good. The situation demanded practicality instead of foolish bravery. Running presented the most effective solution at this moment.The small mushroom immediately ran away from the piglet while pulling him toward the opposite direction.The stone mushrooms responded when the two characters started moving.

Chapter 29: Awakening in the Battlefield 1His body trembled while his vision became hazy. His hold on reality began to escape him while his mind descended into overwhelming sadness. His environment faded into a hazy blur of colors as the world around him disappeared.And then.A mist.His body performed an automatic response to his grief through natural instinct. His spores released into the air as thick golden particles that shimmered with a faint glow while spreading through delicate waves. The mist moved softly through the air while disappearing into thin air as if expressing a silent sorrow.He didn't even notice.His body shook uncontrollably as he wept from the burden of his guilt."This is my fault… If I hadn't brought her here… If I had been stronger… If I"A soft breath.A twitch.And then.SMACK.A powerful blow struck his face which knocked him backward as he tried to understand what was happening. The step brought his world to whiplash and his thoughts raced from the abru