Chapter 70: Whispers of Power and Paths Unseen Yuno moved like a shadow through the murmuring crowd, his small mushroom body pressed closely between swaying cloaks and boot-clad legs. The plaza teemed with life—players shouting for trades, pets sniffing each other with exaggerated curiosity, and guards marching in rhythmic pairs to keep the peace. It was chaotic, but it offered the perfect cover for a sneaky mushroom and his pink, apple-loving companion. The villagers still mistook him for some exotic pet monster, and as long as he stayed in character—head low, movements limited, mouth shut—he could navigate nearly anywhere without raising a single alarm. But in truth, he was groping his way through this new environment with no clear path, no real plan. He had no idea what lay ahead, only a jumble of instincts and fragmented memories from the game version of this world, pieced together like a riddle with half its clues missing. And worse still, he was starting to realize he wasn’t

Chapter 72: The Light Beneath the Bark Yuno had never known time could stretch so thin, like the very seconds themselves were being pulled and unraveled, strand by strand. The air inside the Village Chief’s hall was heavy with the scent of old cedar wood, oil lamps, and something faintly sweet—like the lingering presence of ancient flowers long turned to dust. The floor creaked with every step, whispering stories of countless feet that had passed through this sacred hall over the years. Chief Suplur, hunched and nearly consumed by his own robes, shuffled ahead with movements so slow and fragile it seemed like a single breeze could collapse him into a pile of cloth and bones. His wrinkled hand lifted as if performing a great rite, fingers trembling like the leaves of an aging tree in a windstorm. It took several painstaking minutes before the old man even reached the inner threshold, and Yuno’s arms began to cramp from how long he had to hold still, pretending to be just another pass

Chapter 74: The Punishment Space and the 10,000-Step TrialThe cold, flickering message from the system still hung in the air like a glowing curse etched into Yuno’s mind:Error. Previous Task Failed. New Task Will Appear Shortly.The letters weren’t just words anymore. They glowed with a dull yellowish light, pulsing with a faint, ominous rhythm that made Yuno's mushroom cap twitch. He gritted his sharp little teeth and hissed under his breath, his voice laced with frustration and desperation.“Why now of all times? Can’t you see I’m already in enough trouble?”His voice barely escaped past his lips, yet it echoed with such raw tension that a few children standing near him turned around. But before they could notice anything strange, the old village chief, known as Green Soup, suddenly froze. The hunched elder, whose body had moments ago appeared so feeble it seemed the wind might blow him over, now stood straight as a tree, his spine stretching as if awakened by a surge of ancient m

Chapter 76: If We Leave, We Leave TogetherThe glowing yellow step shimmered far above them like a cruel joke, shining in all its mocking brilliance. It was close—so close Yuno could almost reach it if he stretched his stubby little mushroom legs just a little farther. But again, no matter how much he tried, the jump wasn’t enough. And Piggy, the pink piglet on his back, seemed to be enjoying the rush a little too much. His tiny hooves wiggled in the air as if he was riding a rollercoaster instead of climbing a life-threatening magical stairway.Yuno’s breath came in ragged puffs as he dragged himself and Piggy back to the 9999th step. His legs were shaking like jelly, and every muscle in his mushroom body screamed at him to stop. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.There was no time to rest. The timer hovering above their heads ticked down mercilessly. One minute and eleven seconds remained. That number glowed red now, pulsing faster with each passing second, as if it was teasing him, laughi

Chapter 78: Shells, Glows, and Mushroom FrustrationThe sacred tree loomed tall and ancient, its twisting bark soaked with the quiet glow of soft green light. Its presence felt holy, as if time itself had woven blessings into every branch. The great jar of snail shells sat before it like an altar. Yuno squinted at it with both reverence and impatience. His small round mushroom body leaned forward slightly as he looked to the left, then to the right, then carefully down at the pile of shells again. His soft fungal brow furrowed. Nothing had happened. Not a sparkle, not a sound, not even a polite breeze.Piggy tilted his head and blinked at him from the side. The piglet's snout wrinkled with confusion, his ears twitching as if trying to catch some kind of invisible cue. But all he saw was Yuno talking to himself again.Yuno’s voice trembled with growing urgency as he whispered, “Did I… do it wrong?”He glanced down at the jar again, licking his dry lips and fidgeting nervously. His thou