The soldiers, upon witnessing the talking mushroom, acted in unison as they had been trained.
They pressed the button attached to their winter ski masks to activate purification magic and switched the goggles they wore to camera mode, preparing for the unexpected. As a result, the previously transparent goggles transformed into a pitch-black shade, and a small camera in the center began transmitting images to the inside of the goggles, replacing human sight.
The earmuffs they wore clung tightly to their ears due to magical properties, blocking out external noise and activating a communication function powered by magic.
However, Viktor chose not to utilize the noise-canceling feature of his earmuffs and continued listening to the song.
This was an act of confidence on Viktor’s part, believing that mere listening would not mesmerize him.
[ Hng-gl! Hng-gl! ]
[ When the time comes, we shall feast~ ]
[ Hng-gl! Hng-gl! ]
[ When a guest arrives, we make an invitation~ ]
[ And say, ]
[ May it be a joyous meal! ]
[ May it be a happy meal! ]
The mushrooms seemed to enjoy singing as they swayed their bodies, moving slightly from side to side as if dancing. With the massive Ferris wheel ablaze like the sun in the background, their performance looked reminiscent of a parade from an amusement park.
The only difference was that unlike a parade where dolls march, this time, there were no human participants in the ensemble.
Viktor gazed quietly at the singing mushrooms and muttered to himself.
“Is this the work of a fairy sorcerer?”
Fairy.
A term referring to beings that possess personality but are neither human nor transcendental.
Such beings can be easily found in legends, folklore, or mythologies. For example, nymphs from Greco-Roman mythology belong to the fairy category, and the entities considered neighbors and taboos in the stories of Europeans also fall under fairies.
Fairy sorcerers primarily used spells that summoned or mimicked these fairies.
The fairies they summoned, known specifically as “Fairy Mimicry,” possessed powers akin to those passed down in stories.
The magic used to create these fairy mimics has seen few losses due to its transmission alongside tales, resulting in several variations still existing and being relatively accessible, allowing sorcerers to acquire the skill, even if it is not their specialty, over time.
However, this does not mean there is a clear method of counteraction.
Even if many sorcerers become acquainted with it, the number of sorcerers themselves is limited.
With few samples available, proper manuals do not exist.
Thus, the only thing Viktor could do was detect elements that might pose a threat outside magic.
“Scan.”
At Viktor’s command, a wizard wearing a special helmet for scanning stepped forward, looking at the singing mushroom. The information was sent through a glove truck, and data on fairies similar to that mushroom was relayed to him.
“There are no traps.”
“Ugh. No traps, huh? So that means the mushroom plays the role of a trap.”
Viktor clicked his tongue in discontent.
“This is why magic is such a hassle. It’s impossible to tell.”
With a sigh, Viktor began to hypothesize.
“Since it takes the form of a mushroom, it might disperse spores if shocked, right?”
“Indeed.”
“It could be dangerous if burned, resulting in hallucinations or poison in the smoke. But if we attack with water, it might swell up unexpectedly. Approaching it closely would be madness. If it has a curse hidden within, that would be troublesome.”
“Correct.”
“Those disgusting sorcerers.”
The mushroom continued to sway and sing as if to taunt them, its demeanor reminiscent of those who pester at drinking gatherings.
“Damn it!”
Viktor felt the urge to smash a vodka bottle over the swaying mushroom’s head.
He glared at the ripping mushroom with its split opening undulating like a mouth, then signaled the soldiers to retreat. The plan was to create distance and obliterate it with multiple rocket launches.
In uncertain situations, artillery was always the answer.
Then, the mushroom sang as if urging them not to leave.
[ Guests must feast~ ]
[ Guests must be treated~ ]
[ For weary journeys, rest is necessary! ]
[ A tired traveler needs a warm meal! ]
This time, the tone of the song was urgent.
However, Viktor and the soldiers paid no mind to the lyrics and directed themselves towards the exit of the amusement park until they finally reached the entrance.
Yet, standing at the entry where no one should be after having dispatched all the evil spirits was someone wearing a tattered wooden mask and draped in ragged pieces of cloth.
A monster.
A thing appearing to straddle the line between human and beast.
A being that felt like a hybrid of plant and animal.
It slowly raised its head and asked in a voice mixed with static,
[ Where are you going? ]
The old wooden mask looked frail enough to crumble at any moment.
Rotting parts were visible here and there, and it bore mysterious stains as if it had rolled on the ground for a long time. Yet strangely, the stains squirmed as if alive, shifting their shapes, and with every movement of the stain, something seemed to bloom from the wooden mask.
It resembled white powder.
Gradually growing into the shape of a pillar and cap.
Yes.
Mushrooms were sprouting from the wooden mask.
At an astonishing pace.
The mushrooms grew so quickly that they could not withstand their own weight, with one falling flat on the ground, and as they did so, they clustered into a mass the size of a human head. They took root right there, transforming into a singular entity, creating a small crossbar along the pillar.
[ Hng-gl! ]
[ Hng-gl! ]
It became indistinguishable from the talking mushroom that had previously grown by the roadside.
Thus, the entrance was blocked.
Not by bars, nor by evil spirits.
Simply by mushrooms no larger than a human head.
[ You should eat before leaving. ]
The being with the wooden mask spoke directly to Viktor’s location.
And the mushrooms that grew beside the creature began to sway and sing in unison.
[ When a guest arrives, we welcome them! ]
[ When a guest arrives, we feed them! ]
[ That is the rule of Hng-gl! ]
With a crackling sound—
Alongside the song, static flowed from the wooden mask.
Viktor sighed in annoyance and infused his sword with energy. The sword energy, akin to burning flames, surged and flickered, seeming as though it would burst forth from the sword at any moment.
It looked as if his rage was being reflected in the sword energy.
“I only eat flesh. Got it?”
With that, he swung his sword, sending the sword energy flying.
Cutting through the air, the energy flew and scored a precise line through the monster’s waist, cleaving it in two, yet it maintained its posture as if still staring at Viktor despite being severed by gravity.
[ Just so happens I have some meat prepared. What say you? ]
Viktor’s sword energy meant to char and disrupt the monster had no effect.
The diagonally cut wound effortlessly mended as if kneading clay, and the ragged cloth it wore restored itself as if nothing had happened.
[ Viktor Alexandrovich Smirnov. This will surely be an intriguing time for you. ]
The monster spoke to Viktor once again in that calm voice mixed with static.
[ Hng-gl! ]
[ Hng-gl is a fascinating thing! ]
[ Hng-gl inevitably arrives! ]
[ Indeed! Just like! ]
[ Destiny! ]
The mushrooms chimed in with the monster’s words.
“You think a sorcerer would try to charm people with words? Do you think I’ve encountered your kind only once or twice? There was a gypsy girl who tried to hoodwink me with fortune-telling to steal my valuables, and a scammer who came saying there were good investment opportunities while targeting my precious money. There was even a stock trader who asked me about investing in China, and another who tried to pull a Ponzi scheme promising returns. Do you know what happened to all of them?”
Viktor scoffed at the creature’s words and swung his sword again.
The blade of sword energy cleaved through the air, reaching the monster and cleanly slicing from its groin to its crown.
Yet, Viktor wasn’t satisfied and swung wildly again.
Horizontally, diagonally. Once more horizontally, then vertically.
The slicing energy formed a net, soon turning into something resembling pure chaos rather than adhering to minimal rules. As he swung his sword repeatedly, his hands moved so swiftly they became a blur, tearing through the air until they became part of it.
Thus, the monster vanished without a trace.
Crushed away by the sword energy.
Indeed.
Literally, torn apart by the encroaching sword energy into a form close to mere surface.
The once messy wooden mask left no powder behind, and the ragged cloth was shredded so finely that it became nearly indistinguishable from dust. It was as if someone had been thrown into a blender, breaking everything into smithereens.
“Everything has disappeared like this from the world.”
Yet oddly enough, despite being torn to shreds, there was not a drop of blood, nor a piece of flesh.
[ Viktor~ ]
This indicated that the monster wasn’t an actual person, but merely a puppet.
[ I shall wait for you under the Ferris wheel. ]
The body, pulverized by Viktor’s sword, began to congregate back into powdery form. The powder formed a shape resembling a human head, and in a strange timbre that mimicked human speech while echoing insect sounds, it spoke to Viktor.
[ There’s delicious meat, so hurry over! ]
Behind it, the mushrooms echoed loudly.
[ Delicious meat! ]
[ The picky eater Viktor will surely enjoy it! ]
[ This Russian yokel who has never left Russia doesn’t know this taste! ]
[ It’s even more tender than the lamb I used to sneakily eat as a child! ]
[ More fragrant than the chicken I bought right after receiving my paycheck! ]
Viktor frowned slightly at the mushroom’s song.
After a moment’s contemplation, he spoke.
“I’m curious about your face.”
As if in response, the facial shape pulled into a smile.
[ I can show you as much as you’d like, but you should hurry before the meat cools. ]
