Chapter 51

The first thing I felt was the broth of the mushroom hotpot.

The salty taste of soy sauce I was tasting for the first time, the light oiliness of the meat, the subtle sweetness from the vegetables, and finally, the refreshing coolness of the cabbage leaf that made the swallow smooth.

As expected of Kurt’s cooking, the ingredients harmonized beautifully, creating a taste that didn’t disappoint.

It was a flavor that clearly elevated satisfaction just by putting it in your mouth.

But what made them feel repulsed by this mushroom hotpot wasn’t the broth.

It was the presence of the Thorn Horn Mushroom in their mouths.

With its bluish-gray cap and sharp, horn-like protrusions, this mushroom, honestly, looked more normal compared to the constantly wriggling mushroom or the other two mushrooms dyed in RGB colors. Objectively, it didn’t look appetizing.

For a moment, Karina considered swallowing the Thorn Horn Mushroom without chewing.

‘No. It’s not right to just swallow the food Kurt made with such care.’

But Mari had eaten the Mad Dancer Mushroom, which looked several times more dangerous than this Thorn Horn Mushroom, without any issues.

So, the Thorn Horn Mushroom, which looked more normal, couldn’t be dangerous.

Thinking this, Karina closed her eyes tightly and chewed the mushroom.

Squish.

‘What… It’s just a normal mushroom…?’

Contrary to her grand resolve, the mushroom was just ordinary.

The texture was springy, like chewing a king oyster mushroom, but that was it. It wasn’t toxic enough to cause a bodily rejection, nor did it have a sweet aroma that would make one ecstatic.

Relieved by its ordinary taste, and feeling a bit of regret somewhere in her heart, Karina chewed the Thorn Horn Mushroom in her mouth.

However,

Thinking it was just a normal mushroom with nothing special was Karina’s mistake.

That mushroom was anything but ordinary.

As she chewed and swallowed the stem and then the horn on the cap, Karina couldn’t help but doubt what she was eating.

‘Did I swallow some meat along with it…?’

It was a chewy texture reminiscent of meat.

No, it was even more than that—a springy texture mixed with the chewiness of beef.

When she tried to tear the mushroom’s fibers, the springy texture resisted, but with more force, it gave way to a chewy sensation.

It was definitely a texture that reminded one of meat.

It was like eating a completely new food, a fusion of mushroom and beef.

The texture was very unique, but if grilled alone, it would just be a peculiar mushroom with a meat-like texture and no flavor.

But this mushroom, having absorbed the beef broth in the hotpot, made the flavors of meat and vegetables its own, as if it had become the meat itself.

Like a doppelganger mimicking a human and taking their place.

The outer part was chewy enough to remind one of meat, but the inside melted softly, unlike other mushrooms, giving a texture reminiscent of the marbling of premium beef.

In fact, this texture had a unique charm that couldn’t be found in ordinary beef or pork.

While beef releases its components to extract broth, the Thorn Horn Mushroom absorbed all the broth from the meat and vegetables, making the flavor even richer.

To the point where the beef added to the hotpot seemed like just a sidekick for extracting broth.

Literally, like a doppelganger mimicking a human and taking their place, the Thorn Horn Mushroom’s special texture stole all the satisfaction that should have come from the beef.

‘Indeed… the protagonist of the mushroom hotpot is always the mushroom…’

Munch munch.

“Phew…”

After enjoying the texture of the Thorn Horn Mushroom, Karina swallowed it all and let out a satisfied sigh.

Her expression was similar to Mari’s after eating the Mad Dancer Mushroom, but it was a completely different kind of satisfaction.

If Mari’s satisfaction came from the mushroom’s intoxicating aroma, Karina’s came from the rich flavor and texture of the Thorn Horn Mushroom soaked in broth.

But despite the difference, both were satisfied after eating it. Enjoying the aftertaste of the hotpot, Karina soon started eating her portion of the hotpot as voraciously as Mari had.

“Uh, uh… What’s going on? Is everyone… okay?”

Serena, watching this, felt uneasy and a small sense of exclusion creeping into her heart.

But to Serena’s question, the two focused on eating the hotpot in silence without answering.

“Is it… that delicious?”

They say when three people gather, they can create a tiger out of nothing.

Having seen the two enjoy the hotpot so much, Serena’s heart already had two-thirds of a tiger.

Eventually, even Serena, the last one left, succumbed to curiosity, exclusion, anticipation, and the aroma of the hotpot, and scooped up a spoonful of the colorful mushrooms.

And she put the Paintbrush Mushroom, which looked like an enoki mushroom dyed in rainbow colors, into her mouth along with the broth.

Slurp.

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The first thing she felt was the broth of the hotpot.

Though satisfied with the broth, the real important thing remained.

It was the Paintbrush Mushroom in her mouth.

Chosen for its pretty colors without much thought, but wasn’t a multicolored mushroom quite dangerous? This thought made her hesitate to chew it.

But the hesitation didn’t last long.

Seeing the other two enjoying the hotpot while she was the last to start, Kurt looked at her with concern.

“Not feeling well? You don’t have to force yourself.”

“Uh, uhmm. Ah, no, I’m fine.”

Under his concerned gaze, Serena boldly chewed the Paintbrush Mushroom in her mouth.

And what she felt was a subtle sweetness followed by an explosive umami hitting her palate.

The Paintbrush Mushroom, resembling an enoki mushroom in appearance, also shared some of its taste.

Enoki mushrooms are among the edible mushrooms with almost no distinct mushroom aroma.

Instead, they have a strong sweetness and umami.

Unlike most mushrooms, which have very mild flavors but unique aromas, this one stood out for its lack of aroma, making its umami even more noticeable.

It was like eating a broth simmered with kelp for a long time.

Moreover, the mushroom’s long, dense structure inevitably held the hotpot’s broth within its crevices.

With each bite, the springy bundle of enoki-like mushrooms released the broth hidden between its fibers, flooding her mouth.

The broth, mixed with the Paintbrush Mushroom’s umami, enriched the flavor even more.

Not just the broth.

The cabbage leaves she chewed, the beef in her mouth, all were coated with the umami from the Paintbrush Mushroom, elevating the ingredients’ flavors to a higher level.

If the Mad Dancer Mushroom stood out with its unique aroma, and the Thorn Horn Mushroom absorbed the broth to become the protagonist, the Paintbrush Mushroom was the opposite.

It didn’t emit a special aroma or use other ingredients’ flavors to stand out. Instead, it enhanced the flavors of other ingredients, playing a supporting role.

Indeed, the three types of mushrooms, each with their unique appearances, elevated the hotpot’s perfection in different ways.

“What… It’s just incredibly delicious!”

Though it’s unclear if something can be both ordinary and incredibly delicious, that was Serena’s honest impression.

At Serena’s exclamation, Mari, who was eating the wriggling Mad Dancer Mushroom on her spoon, responded.

“Huh? Now I’m curious about Serena’s mushroom too!”

“Hmm… At first, its poisonous-looking appearance made me hesitant, but seeing it now, the colorful pattern is quite pretty.”

“Heh. What, curious about my mushroom’s taste?”

“Yes! Very curious!”

“Then if you share a bit of yours, I might consider exchanging.”

“Sure!”

“Ahem…! What about my Thorn Horn Mushroom?”

And so, the three happily exchanged their chosen mushrooms, enjoying the hotpot’s flavors as if they had never struggled with it.

On the other side, Kurt quietly watched them enjoy the hotpot.

“Hmm… They’re really eating those weird-looking mushrooms.”

Saying this, he simply swallowed a shiitake mushroom.

Though Kurt usually tries any ingredient without hesitation, after nearly dying from consuming a lethal dose of poisonous mushrooms, his adventurous spirit with mushrooms had slightly waned, making him hesitant even with edible ones.

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And so, the four of them finished a satisfying dinner with the mushroom hotpot.

That day, rumors spread in the Adventurer Guild about a party of four who sat around a table eating a dangerous-looking mushroom dish, smiling ecstatically.