Chapter 36: Fungal Spire
Technically, baldy HAD explained what they would find at their destination. Perhaps, Percy shouldn’t have been so taken aback by the sight before him. Yet here he was, blinking repeatedly, struggling to believe his eyes. Maybe they were playing tricks on him, tired as they were from the long journey.
‘CAW! CAW!’
‘Yeah, I didn’t realize it was going to be this big either.’
The Alchemists’ Guild was situated next to an extraordinary structure resembling a conical tree. An impossibly tall one too, its tip lost above the clouds. It was adorned from top to bottom with bright lights of all colours, making it appear man-made, seemingly erected for some grand festival.
Yet, this assessment couldn’t be further from the truth. To start with, this was no plant at all. Strictly speaking, it was a mountain. Its ‘trunk’ was really a narrow column of rock, several miles long, thrusting towards the sky like a giant’s spear. There was nothing artificial about it either. Countless huge mushrooms grew all over the steep slope, their stems bending upwards. As a result, their caps faced the stars, forming platforms hundreds of meters wide. These titanic protrusions constantly released mana of all types, giving the place its varied glow.
‘So, this is the Fungal Spire...’
According to his grandpa, it was among the greatest natural treasures on Remior. Also, one of the main reasons other races targeted them. Multiple underground rivers of mana converged beneath it, allowing the monstrous fungi to flourish. This, in turn, had given rise to a truly bizarre ecosystem where the main ingredient for the elixirs could be found. The Guild, where Percy would be living, was built at its base, while the hunting grounds, where he and Micky would spend most of their time, were the giant mushrooms themselves.
‘CAW!’
Reminded by his familiar’s cry, the young man gently tapped the horse’s side with his heel, urging it to gallop faster. There would be plenty of time for sightseeing later. He shouldn’t delay and risk getting attacked again.