Reborn As A Mushroom

Chapter 1: I'm A Mushroom

Chapter 1: I'm A Mushroom

Yuno experienced confusion and dizziness when he regained consciousness while his mind operated at a sluggish pace through a heavy, fog-like state. His mind operated like a person awakening from deep sleep, but he sensed something unnatural about this experience.

"Where… am I?"

His final memory involved the intense headlights' glare and tire screeching that happened before he witnessed a massive truck speeding toward him in absolute terror. His body remained motionless while his heart blasted like a war drum inside his chest.

The situation denied him both escape possibilities and any chance to respond. Just the overwhelming dread of his impending demise.

Then.

Nothing.

No pain. No impact. No final moments of agony.

Just… darkness.

And now, here he was.

But where was here?

He breathed in an intense mixture of damp soil and decaying leaves together with fresh moss, which filled the surrounding air. The ground seemed to welcome him with its warm touch in this unfamiliar place.

The surrounding atmosphere carried gentle whispers that floated through the air. These whispers barely reached an audible level, yet their disturbing, unnatural quality could still be heard. A peculiar squelching sound emerged from the wet and slimy substance that shifted across the ground.

Yuno’s eyes adjusted to the dim environment, which revealed his surroundings.

And then, he saw them.

Giant snails.

The enormous creatures glimmered under dim light as their transparent, slimy skin showed the environment through a glass-like surface. With their elongated antennae, the creatures performed erratic movements to detect everything in their environment.

Each snail surpassed his size by at least double. The creatures slid along the wet ground using their slippery underbellies, which left behind thick, shiny mucus trails that were at least two times larger than his body.

Yuno’s body tensed instinctively. His survival demanded that he retreat from the scene and start running.

But.

His body wouldn’t move.

A sudden bolt of panic struck his mind.

"Why can’t I move?!"

He tried again. His entire mental strength concentrated on moving his arms and legs and any other part of his body.

Nothing.

His breathing grew faster, although he remained uncertain about his actual breathing state. Something was wrong.

His body didn’t feel right.

It felt… compact.

Almost as if.

A tiny puddle shimmered next to him while its calm surface showed the world above it.

Yuno’s eyes met his reflection in the mirror.

A wave of terror descended upon him.

A round, stubby cap. A thick, pale stalk extended deep into the earth for stability.

No arms. No legs.

No human features at all.

Just a mushroom.

Terror filled every part of Yuno without making a sound.

"NO! No, no, no! This isn’t real! This CAN’T be real!"

The shaking motion of his cap seemed to echo his unsettled state.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Then.

A mechanical voice suddenly spoke within his mind.

Brave Mainland greets you as its Chosen One through this system message.

The voice spoke with complete detachment while maintaining an authoritative tone that had delivered these words many times before, showing no concern for the listener.

The system has given you a chance to redesign the course of destiny. Your mission is to stop Demon Lord Golem from returning.

Yuno’s thoughts spiraled into chaos.

"Wait, what?! A mission?! A chosen one?!" The voice delivered these words in a detached and remorseless tone while using strange RPG-like terminology.

The reborn existence of his character now found itself within a world that functioned through game mechanics.

[World information is available to you.]

A piece of his being demanded him to dismiss it all and deny the madness. The person sought to disregard this insanity while praying for this to be only a terrifying dream.

But deep down, he knew.

This wasn’t a dream.

"...Yes," he muttered, his voice sounding strange—not spoken through a mouth, but vibrating through his entire form, as if his very essence carried the words.

A sudden influx of knowledge entered his mind.

The land of Brave Mainland used to be inhabited by humans and monsters who maintained an unstable power equilibrium.

The harmony between these two groups collapsed because of betrayal.

Demon Lord Golem emerged as a destructive entity whose power came close to obliterating all civilization.

The land experienced a devastating war that drove both humans and monsters to near annihilation.

→ His defeat at the hands of legendary heroes.

→ And the looming prophecy of his return.

The information overwhelmed Yuno so much that his cap started shaking uncontrollably.

"This… this feels like the plot of a game."

The deep fear within him caused his stomach to twist.

My situation becomes hopeless because stopping Golem stands as the only path to return home.

Because he was a mushroom.

He lacked all physical capabilities, including weapons, strength, and arms.

What was he supposed to do?!

A helpless thought rose from his consciousness.

"Wait!" he blurted out. "Preventing Golem from returning back to my world should allow me to return home."

[Affirmative.]

A small spark of optimism appeared in his mind.

But it was immediately extinguished.

[Your first trial begins now.]

A loud ringing tone entered his ears.

[Mission: Survive for 60 minutes.]

→ Reward: Choose one, Body Toughness or Limbs

Yuno froze.

"Survive?! Why would I need to—"

Then.

A fresh alert appeared in front of his eyes.

[Warning: They are coming.]

His small body shook violently with one shivering movement.

Reality itself seemed to tear apart while a distortion formed behind him in the air.

The portal emitted powerful energy waves through a spinning vortex that illuminated the space like an enormous open wound. The ground displayed unnatural shadows that extended from side to side while twisting in disturbing ways.

The portal released an ominous feeling into the room.

A figure was about to emerge through the portal.

The countdown continued.

00:59

00:58

00:57

Through the portal, Yuno watched with terror gripping his entire body.

"What the hell is about to come out of there?!"