Mushroom Reborn [LitRPG]

Ellena, Samora and Ellephwen were sitting around the dinner table. Ellephwen had just tried cooking dinner for the first time since the loss of her arm. It was decent, but obviously the quality had suffered somewhat. Now, Samora stood at the sink, cleaning what remained. Opposite Ellena Ellephwen still sat, reading a book.

“What do you guys actually know about the Lonely Wolf?” Ellena asked.

It was a question that had been sitting on her mind since speaking to Rugtug. Even those living in the dungeon knew very little about them. Someone must have met the Wolf at some point.

“All my knowledge comes from a group of pretty tough adventurers some sixty years ago,” Ellephwen answered without looking up from her book. “I’m afraid I just know the Lonely Wolves appearance and strength, not much beyond that.”

“Then how do you this Lonely Wolf is so powewful?”

“Well. Belric told us,” Samora replied.

“So he’s met them then?”

Finally Ellephwen lowered her book. “Not quite. When the Wolves' appearance was mentioned to Belric his face grew pale. Or as pale as a Bear's face can grow. He told us the Lonely Wolf's appearance is reminiscent of a now extinct subspecies of Wolves.”

“Belric told us that they’re something like the royalty of Wolves and even the weakest member has strength on par with him,” Samora finished.

“You know I’ve still nevew seen Belwic in action. I get that he’s strong, cus you two say he is, but I’ve got no context for this compawison.”

“Try and fight the Lonely Wolf and you might get an idea,” Samora smirked.

Ellena decided that she did not in fact want to attempt that. At the very least she had a good idea that she wouldn’t stand a chance against either one as it was. Over the months Ellephwen had mentioned Belric amongst a few others in and around the Council of Ents. Though she seemed hesitant to mention most. The point was that the young Mushman had heard some of Belric's feats. Such as fighting an army of Humans invading the forest solo.

It was the kind of power that got Ellena excited to see. She needed to reach that level one day. Not just to stop Levias, but for her too. Perhaps it was greed. Or maybe ambition. She wanted the power to protect what she wanted to and fight what she wanted to.

“Anything happen in the dungeon recently Ellie?”

Ellena, whose mind had once again wandered far beyond the breakfast table, shot back to attention. She noticed that the other two were watching her a little concerned.

“W-why?”

“Well there’s these sudden questions about the Lonely Wolf,” Samora pointed out.

“You also came home early yesterday,” Ellephwen added.

“It’s not like it’s the fiwst time I’ve come back eawly?”

“Yeah but this time you had no injuries Ellie. You weren’t even tired.”

She now understood why they may have been a little curious. “Ah. Well yeah. I met a Tugglit.”

The other two waited for a minute, then Samora gestured vaguely. “And?”

“Oh wight, sowwy. A smawt Tugglit. Like a talking one. Living deep in the dungeon. His name was Rugtug.”

“So you just spent the day having a pleasant conversation.”

“Yeah, basically. He also had some pwetty decent magic. Eawth magic. Shot me back up to the suwface stwaight after ouw convewsation.”

Ellephwen inched a little closer. “Fighting Levias level magic?”

“I did ask. He didn’t think he would be much help. Didn’t seem much of a fightew.”

Samora and Ellephwen both swapped a look that seemed to hold an entire conversation. Samora placed her arms on the table and cupped her hands, resting her chin on them.

“Next year. We’ve accepted you’re going to travel. Neither one of us can go with you, but that doesn’t mean you should go alone.”

A snort of disbelief escaped Ellena. “Wait, you want me to ask Rugtug? I’ve only known him a day and you’ve never even met him! Besides, he holds his entire clan's lives in his hands. He’s probably not gonna bite.”

The Dryad waved Ellena’s concern away. “We’re not saying this Tugglit specifically, maybe if you grow to trust him he would be a good candidate. We just mean in general. There is strength in numbers and your goal will be far more achievable knowing someone has your back.”

“Besides Ellie. We want you to have someone. The road can get lonely,” Samora smiled. Next to her Ellephwen nodded in agreement.

More and more Ellena realised how much these two worried about her. If it weren’t for the fact that they were fine with her risking her life in a dungeon every day she would call it doting. The difference was the dungeon was close enough for them to come to her aid if she were in true danger. Or at least that was why she assumed that they didn’t mind as much.

“So faw the only people I’ve met outside of you have been old men or Human villagews. I’m not saying no to youw suggestion, I just think it’s gonna be a stwuggle.”

Samora chuckled. “Whilst you’re not wrong, even an old man can be a conversation partner.”

“In my expewience those convewsations are very one sided,” Ellena retorted back with a smirk.

***

The dungeon delving ex-Human was back off to her exploration of the second floor not long after breakfast. A rather heavy conversation leaving her stomach full well into the later morning.

As she arrived at the dungeon, she noticed something quite clearly different. An extra doorway standing next to the main one. A Mushman sized door. She hoped there was only one individual that could do such a thing. Though caution washed over her, Ellena headed through the small door.

It was a gradual slope down with a few turns here and there, but for the most part she just carried on straight down until hints of blue flame began to flicker in the distance.

Finally the Mushman arrived in the same cozy stone decorated room she came from the day before. Sitting on the same seat as last time was Rugtug, sipping a fresh cup of tea. Opposite him was another steaming cup.

“Heya lassie,” he greeted her with a sip.

Ellena blinked. “Uh, hey Rugtug.”

She moved over to the seat and sat down. Ellena had just had breakfast, so tea was not something she particularly desired at the time. Even so, it was nice enough last time that she had to take it.

“So. What’s that about?”

The Tugglit looked up from his drink to see Ellena pointing at the doorway she had entered from. “Hm? Ah yeah. Well I said I ‘joyed havin’ a conversation partna’ for the firs’ time in a long time, so thought I might as well invite ya’ back down. ‘Sides, it’s more convenient than the usual route, yes?”

It definitely cut the travel time through the first floor from over an hour to a few minutes. The shortcut was nothing to complain about.

“Okay. Come on now. What’s the catch? Gotta be one.”

Rugtug thought for a moment, scratching his long yet well groomed fur. “‘Spose the catch is ya gotta conversate with me a bit in da mornin’. S’not so bad is it?”

Ellena considered the deal before her then simply shrugged. “Hardly a cost is it? That’s fine by me.”

Her conversation partner clapped his hands together. “Fantabby. Well, I’ll let ya’ get on wiv’ it today, but if ya’s got any questions let me know. I’ll answer what I can.”

Not wanting to be rude, Ellena finished her cup of tea, then did exactly as he suggested and disappeared back into the dungeon. One choice was to go straight for the Black Wolves pack leader, the other was not suicidal. Well, maybe she could beat the beast, but there was no point risking it when she still hadn’t seen most of the first floor.

So that was her plan. To explore as much as she could, and see what else the second floor had in store for her. Hopefully not another giant Wolf lying in wait to rip her throat out.

***

The next few days passed by with exactly that goal in mind and Ellena got a good idea of what the second floor had in store. She also got a good idea of what Rugtug was all about. Not that it was complicated.

He was a simple man. He desired conversation, tea and family. Perhaps he would join Ellena on a journey, but she was still yet to ask him, it would involve practically abandoning his family after all. That wasn’t something she wanted to be a part of.

Ellena had also explored the rest of the tunnels that the Tugglits called home. It had the comfiest atmosphere of any territory she had been in up until this point. It wasn’t as if there weren’t hostile monsters, but they were few and far between. Those that wandered in were either too stupid to be scared of Rugtug, or too… New.

Other than those tunnels, Ellena only had the chance to go down one other one. Perhaps she could have explored even more, but this particular pathway was quite heavily guarded by creatures far more troublesome than expected.

She wandered down the viney tunnel and very quickly came across said troublesome beasts. Lizard-like monsters that seemed to be made of vines and leaves. They stood on their hind legs at between 5-7ft tall. They had long tails and dagger-like claws, standing at lengths of up to about 20ft.

Ellena didn’t know what they were, but, judging by Ellephwens description of each of her potential evolutions, it seemed likely to be a Cission. Or something similar at least. She didn’t imagine she would instantly jump to that size in one evolution.

The trouble with these Cissions, is that they were quite cunning. Acted like ambush predators. The first one she saw called another two over. She survived, but took far more scrapes and cuts than intended. Had to head home as soon as the fight was over.

Then, when Ellena came back the next day she thought she was prepared. Only to get caught out by one staying perfectly still against the viney walls. That one also led to her coming home early. It took until the third day to successfully cut deeper into the viney walls and that was when she discovered their true variety.

There were some that were much smaller, some even larger taking up most of the corridor. These ones were also a different shape and walked on four legs instead of two. There were even some that appeared to be herbivores. She had no idea if they were the same species, but they all seemed to be made of the same things. Vines and leaves.

If they had a boss, Ellena wasn’t even sure if she would be able to tell. Still, her third day had been far more successful than the first two, letting her see far more of the ivy tunnels.

She wanted to see everything these tunnels had to offer. Ellena realised that she was the type that had to finish one task before moving on to the next. After the ivy tunnels there was only one more set that she had to look through. She did hope that she would find the route to the third floor in the ivy tunnels though. Not because she wanted to go down there yet, but just because it was the most interesting area she had been to thus far.

For now though, that was another day done. At this point the forest had grown cold and trees were losing their leaves. Gorgeous browns, oranges, reds and yellows littered the ground on the journey from home to the dungeon and more and more Ellena realised just how long she had been living as a Mushman for. Yet it never felt wrong. Sometimes she thought it felt more right than when she was human. That was just her getting used to the body though, right?