Chapter 30: Mushroom’s Bicycle (5th Update) (Bonus)

Chapter 30: Mushroom's Bicycle (5th Update) (Bonus Update)

The blacksmith became more enthusiastic than before, saying, "If you have other ores you need smelted, you can bring them to me too, and I'll smelt them all together tonight."

Jiang Ye opened his inventory and took a look—there was still a large bag of gold ore.

Mushroom asked, "What can gold ore be used for?"

He didn't have a blueprint for gold ingots, so he couldn't do anything with them.

Besides smelting ores, the blacksmith shop also sold finished metal tools, and of course, you could bring in ore to have tools made to order. As long as you were willing to spend money, you could get a private commission.

"Gold?" The blacksmith was a bit surprised, saying, "You've already mined gold ore? That's no easy feat."

Mushroom smiled—actually, it was pretty easy. He'd gotten it straight from a treasure chest, a full hundred pieces.

The blacksmith explained, "Gold ore is very rare. If you plan on going mining often, I'd suggest forging a Hero's Sword with it."

Mushroom's eyes lit up—a Hero's Sword sounded cool and powerful.

Ten gold ores could forge one Hero's Sword, with 60 attack power and 188 durability. That was way better than Jiang Ye's Boko Bat.

Mushroom daydreamed—if he could have a Hero's Sword like that, he wouldn't have to worry about being killed by small monsters. Fighting them would be like mowing down grass.

But... that's assuming Jiang Ye ever even ran into any monsters.

So far, Jiang Ye hadn't seen a single slime.

The blacksmith asked, "Do you need one?"

Mushroom nodded immediately, saying, "Yes, please forge two Hero's Swords for me. Here are the rupees and gold ore!"

For a moment, Jiang Ye felt like he was being quite generous, almost giving off some Dorin energy.

The blacksmith was taken aback, saying, "Two? A Hero's Sword is extremely durable—it's not gonna break on you anytime soon."

Jiang Ye was confused—wait, you're saying a Hero's Sword can break?

He'd never fought a monster before, so he had zero clue about that.

Mushroom explained, "I want to give one to a friend. I think he might need it."

Mushroom planned to give the second Hero's Sword to Dorin!

Dorin lived outside the town, and after dark, the area outside town seemed less safe—maybe small monsters hung around there. Mushroom thought that since Dorin lived alone, safety was important. If he had a powerful Hero's Sword by his side, he'd definitely feel a lot safer.

The blacksmith agreed, saying, "Forging a Hero's Sword is quite difficult. I can't have it ready by tonight—it'll be at least tomorrow."

"No problem, thank you." Mushroom said happily.

Jiang Ye left the blacksmith shop. It was a rare free day, so he didn't plan on leaving town. He'd just wander around, then wait until dark to pick up the copper and iron ingots for the bicycle.

"My bicycle is finally going to be done!"

It was actually pretty tricky to make.

With nothing else to do, Mushroom decided to greet everyone he met—maybe he could return the "lost items" in his pocket and score some points with the townsfolk.

"Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor!"

Mushroom hurried to catch up with the white-haired old man ahead.

The mayor turned to look at him, saying, "Oh, it's you, Mushroom Stew. How are you settling into Sun Town?"

After some small talk, Mushroom handed over his wig, saying, "I found your wig—here you go."

"Oh my!" The mayor hugged the wig excitedly, saying, "Where did you find it? The moment I touched it, I knew it was mine—that familiar feel and perfect shine."

As he spoke, the mayor yanked off the wig he was currently wearing and put on the one Jiang Ye had returned.

The mayor sighed, "See? Don't I look totally different now?"

Mushroom: "..." Really? I can't tell at all.

Mushroom kept a polite smile on his face.

The mayor said, "Thank you so much, Mushroom Stew. Where did you find it? It was snatched by that darn crow, and I searched for ages without finding it."

A crow...

Another crow...

Just like the blacksmith had said.

Mushroom was totally confused, with no clue what was going on.

Time passed, and the sky slowly got dark.

Jiang Ye couldn't wait to get to the blacksmith's to grab the copper and iron ingots.

"Mushroom." Someone called out to him.

Mushroom stopped, surprised, saying, "Dorin! What are you doing here?"

Dorin walked over from a ways off, pointing and saying, "I was planning to stop by the bar—want to come along?"

Mushroom thought, man, Dorin really is different from the other villagers.

"I need to head to the blacksmith shop right now," Mushroom said. "Why don't you wait for me at the bar? I'll be there in a bit." Mushroom decided to show the bicycle to Dorin first as a surprise.

Dorin said, "I can come with you, and then we'll go to the bar together."

"Sure." Mushroom nodded.

The blacksmith shop wasn't far. The blacksmith had promised to rush the order, so he was still open after dark, with clanking sounds coming from inside.

Mushroom walked in and asked, "Excuse me, are my copper and iron ingots ready?"

The blacksmith looked up and said, "Almost done—just a sec."

Dorin didn't go in; he stood outside the yard with his arms crossed.

The blacksmith handed the finished ingots to Mushroom, who thanked him and hurried out of the yard.

"Dorin, Dorin!" Jiang Ye called out. "Come quick, I wanna show you something awesome!"

Dorin asked, "What is it?"

Mushroom gave a mysterious smile.

"Should I craft a bicycle?"

"Bicycle crafted successfully!"

A system notification popped up in front of Jiang Ye, and the little mushroom was screaming internally: Finally! It finally worked!

Once the bicycle was crafted, it went straight into the mushroom's item slot.

A bicycle icon popped up in the item slot—all he had to do was tap it...

A silver bicycle appeared out of nowhere in front of Jiang Ye and Dorin.

"Hmm..." the mushroom pondered for a moment, "It's just that the style looks a bit like an antique. And also..." How come this bike was so big and so tall?

The mushroom looked down at his pint-sized frame, then at the enormous bicycle. He could probably handle it, right?

"What's this?" Dorin had clearly never seen a bicycle before.

The mushroom explained, "My invention—the bicycle! Hop on and you'll go super fast, and it saves energy too."

"Ride it?" Dorin asked.

The mushroom cleared his throat and said, "Let me show you how it works." Hopefully I don't wipe out during the demo.

The mushroom smartly whipped out two long legs—made of mycelium, obviously—and then popped out two long arms.

The little mushroom sucked in a deep breath, hopped on the bike, grabbed the handlebars with his long arms, and his long legs easily reached the ground. Absolutely perfect.

Jiang Ye turned around to look at Dorin and said, "See, this is how you ride. Come on, Dorin, hop on the back and I'll give you a ride."

Dorin was quiet, and you could tell he was a bit skeptical.

Two seconds later, with the mushroom egging him on, Dorin did as he was told and sat on the back seat behind the mushroom.

Dorin asked, "Then what?"

The mushroom said, "Hold on to me, so you don't get flung off."

Dorin reached out and hugged the mushroom in front of him.

The mushroom nodded and said, "Great, great, just like that. Let's go!"

The mushroom kicked off hard with his long legs. The bike was way lighter than he expected—even though it looked like an antique, it shot off like a rocket, and all they could hear was the wind.

Dorin said in surprise from behind, "It actually works!"

"Of course, pretty cool, huh?" The mushroom was feeling pretty pleased with himself. This is way faster than running.

The mushroom pedaled like crazy, taking Dorin for a full lap around town. It was a nice little joyride, especially since there were tons of stars out tonight—it looked super dreamy.

Villagers passing by spotted the bicycle, and their usually indifferent faces showed surprise and curiosity. The mushroom was the center of attention and felt a little smug.

Dorin really liked the ride and said, "Your bike is awesome. Can I give it a try?"

"Of course, go ahead!" The mushroom was super generous about it.

But Dorin didn't know how to ride a bike—he only knew how to ride horses.

The mushroom laughed and said, "This is way easier than horse riding. Yeah, yeah, get on, just get on first. Can your feet reach the ground? Uh... the seat seems a bit too low. No worries, I'll adjust it for you—this seat can be adjusted."

Jiang Ye never would have guessed that Dorin's legs were even longer than he thought—this super tall bike was actually too short for him. He adjusted the seat height until it was just right.

The mushroom gave serious instructions: "This is the brake—squeeze it and it stops. Don't slam on the brakes too hard, or you'll go flying."

"Yeah, yeah, just pedal and keep your balance."

"Balance... it's like a feeling you just get."

Dorin's first time on a bike was all over the place. Jiang Ye had to hold him up the whole time, afraid he'd put a big dent in his helmet.

Dorin just couldn't get the hang of it. He stopped and looked at him, saying, "I'm so bad at this."

"No way." The mushroom said sincerely, trying to encourage him. "It's totally normal to not get the hang of it the first time. Riding a bike is super easy—I promise you'll get it after a few more tries."

Dorin didn't learn it, and it was getting late—they still had to go hang out at the bar. In the end, the mushroom rode the bike with Dorin on the back to the bar.

Once they got there, he put the bike back into his item slot. That way it wouldn't get lost—super convenient.

"Welcome in!" the bartender greeted them warmly.

The mushroom was in a really good mood today and said, "Dorin, I'll buy you a drink."

Dorin said, "I don't drink alcohol."

"How about orange juice?" The mushroom flipped through the menu and was surprised to see cola!

Jiang Ye spoke up right away, "We'll take two ice-cold colas."

He hadn't had a cola since he entered the game. Jiang Ye kind of missed it.

The bartender quickly brought them each a glass of cola, along with the fries and fried chicken that Jiang Ye had ordered.

The two chatted while sipping their colas and eating. Dorin asked, "Are you going down to the mine again tomorrow?"

"Oh, tomorrow?" Jiang Ye said. "No, I'm not going tomorrow. I've got other stuff to do."

Dorin said, "Okay."

Jiang Ye asked, "Are you busy tomorrow night? Can you come by and see me?"

"Yeah, I'm free," Dorin said.

Dorin answered right away, without even asking what it was for.

The mushroom said with a smile, "I want to give you a present! It's a surprise—you're gonna love it."

"Thanks," Dorin said.

The mushroom said, "I haven't even given it to you yet, and you're already saying thanks."

Dorin said quietly, "It's been a long time since anyone wanted to give me a gift. They usually expect me to give them something in return."

"Who are they?" The mushroom furrowed his brow. "Sounds like a bunch of bad guys."

Dorin shook his head and didn't say anything else.

Jiang Ye felt like Dorin always had this mysterious vibe, and a kind of unexplainable sadness.

The mushroom opened his bag, pulled out a box of chocolate, and said, "Don't think about the sad stuff. I've got some chocolate here—it looks so good. Here, take a few. Eating something sweet will make you happy."

Mycelium tore open the chocolate box in a few quick motions, and Dorin took one piece, tilting his head to taste it.

“Hmm, the flavor...” Dorin put it mildly: “Quite unique.”

Mushroom popped one into his mouth and chewed—whoa, that was pretty spicy. After all, they were liquor-filled chocolates. But honestly, it was fragrant and sweet, with a flavor that really grows on you.

“Pretty tasty.” Mushroom tossed another one in.

The bar was pretty quiet tonight. A few adventurers were chatting in hushed tones, and a bard sat in the corner, softly strumming a harp.

Jiang Ye was chatting for a bit when he suddenly started feeling hot, and then...

Mycelium propped up his huge mushroom head and said: “Is my head getting bigger? It feels so heavy. And my tongue... why does my tongue keep getting twisted and I can't straighten it out?”

Dorin looked at him, pointing at the empty chocolate box: “You're drunk.”

“No way.” Mushroom shook his head: “I didn't drink any alcohol.”

But he'd eaten eight alcohol-filled chocolates.

“Heh heh.” Jiang Ye let out a silly laugh: “I'm a mushroom, so how could I have a tongue? It's gotta be my imagination.”

“Oh, Dorin! Dorin, what are you doing here?”

“Dorin, have you seen my bicycle? I built a bicycle! It goes so fast!”

Dorin: “...”

Jiang Ye kept talking, and his rambling got more and more ridiculous.

Mycelium grabbed Dorin's hand and said: “Oh my god, man, your hands are huge. Right, with your height, big hands make sense.”

Eight strands of mycelium rubbed back and forth across Dorin's hand.

Mushroom marveled again: “Oh my god, Dorin, your legs are way too long. What's your secret for having such long legs? Can you share it with me?”

Dorin: “...”

“Oh, and also,” Mushroom looked at him earnestly, suddenly leaning in, and announced: “Can I have your purple briefs!”

“What?”

“Briefs?”

“What's he saying?”

The adventurers who had been deep in conversation stopped talking and looked over. Even the bard who was playing looked over with a smile.

Dorin: “...”

Mushroom was too drunk to care what anyone thought, his eyes full of nothing but desire for those purple briefs.

Mushroom begged: “Dorin! I'm begging you, give me your purple briefs! Oh no no, I mean, can I buy them! I want to buy those purple briefs of yours! I really, really want them so bad mmmph...”

Before he could finish, Dorin clamped his hand over Mushroom's mouth.

Dorin stayed calm and said: “I don't have any of those.”

“You do, you do!” Mushroom wriggled free from his hold and said firmly: “You're wearing them right now! I know it!”

Dorin: “...”

Dorin couldn't keep his cool anymore. He stood up and scooped Mushroom up like a kitten, and carried him off with one hand.

The bartender smiled and said: “Come back anytime.”

Mushroom lived at the small inn next door. Dorin seemed to know his room well, hauling him straight upstairs, fishing the key out of Jiang Ye's pocket, opening the door, and going in.

“Please, Dorin!” Mushroom thrashed around, his mycelium clinging to Dorin's waist and not letting go, even trying to grab Dorin's butt.

Dorin felt that grabbing his own butt would be undignified, so he backed away a few steps to dodge Mushroom's grabby hands.

Mushroom thrashed around on the bed, saying: “I want purple briefs! Briefs! Oh yeah, my purple briefs!”

In his daze, he still hadn't forgotten to “collect briefs.” He opened the universal duplicator box, and with a pop, out shot two purple briefs, burying the little mushroom underneath them.

Mushroom hugged one brief with his left hand and another with his right, saying, completely satisfied: “Awesome, one more. Hehe... these are Dorin's purple briefs.”

Dorin denied it right away: “Those aren't mine.”

Mushroom lay on the bed without answering, and the room got so quiet you could hear him snoring.

Jiang Ye was asleep...

Then...

The next morning came.

“Spring, the 13th, Thursday”

“6:00”

“Open Grandpa's cookie tin?”

Ugh... my head is killing me.

Mushroom lay in bed, unable to get up. He only remembered having a good time yesterday, going for drinks with Dorin... the rest was a total blank.

“So sleepy, so sleepy...”

Mushroom tried to get up but failed.

He flopped back onto the bed with a thud, pulled the covers over his head, and crashed out again.

Sleep dulled the hangover. Who knows how much time passed before Jiang Ye finally woke up on his own, rubbed his eyes, and sat up in bed.

Mushroom looked out the window, curious—it's still dark out. Is it that early?

“20:50”

He did a double-take, and Mushroom freaked out.

“I slept all day?!” Jiang Ye couldn't believe his eyes.

He couldn't even remember how he got back to his room at the inn, but there was one thing he did remember: today he could go to the blacksmith to pick up the Hero's Sword!

“I gotta go get it right away.” Jiang Ye wasn't sure if the blacksmith would still be open at this hour.

He took off running, hopped on his bicycle outside the inn, and sped over to the blacksmith's yard like a shot. Good thing it was still open.

The blacksmith saw him and said, "Thought you weren't gonna show today."

"Sorry I'm so late," Mushroom said.

The blacksmith said, "No worries."

He pulled out two big, long boxes and handed them to Mushroom, saying, "Two hero's swords—they're super sharp, so be careful."

Mushroom opened the box and couldn't help thinking, man, these are gorgeous.

The two swords were exactly the same, with blue hilts and super sharp blades that gave off a golden glow—you could tell they were top quality.

Mushroom shoved one hero's sword into his backpack, kept the other in its box, hugged it to his chest, and left the shop feeling pretty pleased with himself.

"Dorin still not here?" Mushroom went back to the inn and leaned out the window to look.

"22:30"

A figure came walking up from the distance, and Mushroom waved at him right away, yelling, "Dorin! Dorin!"

It was Dorin.

Dorin came upstairs, knocked on the door, and walked in.

Mushroom rushed over and said, "You're finally here! A gift! For you!"

He shoved the big box at Dorin.

Dorin looked down, reached out and touched the box gently, and said, "Thank you."

"No problem." Mushroom waved his little fungal tendrils. Giving Dorin a gift felt great, because his thanks were so genuine it gave you a real sense of accomplishment.

Mushroom urged, "Come on, open it—my gift is super practical."

"Alright." Dorin nodded.

He held the box with one hand, and—click—the lid popped open.

Golden light spilled out of the box, blazing in the dark, so beautiful it looked like holy light.

Mushroom asked with a grin, "So, you like it... or what?"

Before he could finish, the holy light washed over Dorin, then swallowed him whole, and suddenly thick black smoke burst out of his body, smothering the glow.

Jiang Ye was in shock.

Right before his eyes, Dorin transformed into a massive crow.

"Caw!"

The crow let out a loud caw, dropped the box, smashed through the window, and flew off.