Tyler stared at the trees, confusion clouding his features. Dumbfounded, he muttered, "Did I kick it too hard?" A flicker of disappointment crossed his face at the monster's demise. He glanced around, his left hand still clutching the white scale staff. "Well, that was unfortunate," he muttered, "But do I still have my subjugation skill?"

The system panel shimmered into existence, displaying: User has used skill: Primal Subjugation. Skill is no longer available.

Tyler clicked his tongue in frustration. His hand drifted to his waist, and he thought, *That little bastard had to die right after I used the skill. Now I'm out.* He looked forward, chuckling slightly. "So, in the end," he said aloud, "No pet for me. Can't have one." He sighed and continued walking, then mused, *Although, Grone said I can pay monster tamers to tame monsters for me and bind them to me so I become their master...* He sighed again, muttering, "And so far, I haven't seen one."

"Well, I'll ask where I can find one after I head back."

Tyler entered a clearing, and a rancid odor assaulted his senses. The air, thick with a greasy, unfamiliar stench, felt wrong, clinging to the back of his throat. The ground beneath his feet was covered in a short, emerald carpet, a color unnaturally vivid, a shade that seemed to defy the dim light filtering through the overhead canopy. He clamped a hand over his nose, wrinkling it in distaste. "Damn," he thought, "What is that smell?"

He moved forward, his footsteps silent on the strange grass, the stench growing stronger with each step. The towering forms that made up the edge of the clearing stood like silent sentinels.

As he walked forward, the offensive odor intensified, and he thought, *It kind of smells like farts.* He summoned the scales from his inventory, and they coalesced around the lower half of his face, forming a white mask. He released his hand, and then pondered, *I wonder what's causing it?*

Suddenly, four colossal, dark green mushrooms loomed in the distance. Scattered slightly, they were no more than ten meters apart. "Those are some very big mushrooms," Tyler thought, the fungal giants dwarfing his head. *Are they the source of the stench? Mushrooms can smell truly awful, so that's probably it.*

As he moved closer, the mushrooms began to move. A rhythmic, bouncy dance, they stretched upwards and downwards, as if perpetually squatting. "Oh, what the hell? They're moving!" He paused, a realization dawning. "Wait, are they those monsters Serena was talking about?"

Then, from beneath one of the mushrooms, something emerged, its form bathed in an eerie, deep green glow. The mushroom itself, now revealed as the head of a creature, rose from the ground. Its body was stout and bulky, with a round, almost pot-bellied torso, giving it a formidable presence. Its arms were thick, ending in large, round limb-like structures. The humanoid monster, a strange fusion of plant and creature, shifted in the light.

The system panel materialized above the creature, displaying: "Gushroom Lv: 8."

The other mushrooms, which had been bouncing, did the same. The monsters fully revealed themselves, bursting from the ground, tearing through the grass. In their haste, they seemed to lose their footing, their limbs flailing as they struggled to pull themselves upright. Tyler thought, *Whoa, so these things were monsters all along, huh?* He smiled behind his mask, a predatory glint in his eyes. *I haven't hunted in long time.*

He readied himself, his senses heightened. *Serena said these things slow a person's movements with their aerial attack, a type of gas. I have something to test out. I'm immune to all poison and acid-based attacks, so I want to see if I'm immune to this gas as well.*

He scanned the group. A level 13 Gushroom, slightly larger than the others, dominated the clearing, flanked by a level 9 and a level 11. *Most of their levels are low,* he thought, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. *Is this going to be a challenge?*

The Gushrooms stood motionless, seemingly waiting. *You want me to make the first move?*

Suddenly, from behind the creatures, a female hunter with blonde hair emerged, wielding a massive brown iron hammer. Four long, insect-like limbs were strapped to her back, which Tyler didn't recognize. As soon as she saw the four monsters focused on Tyler, her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh shit! Run!" she yelled, and then burst back into the woods.

Tyler was taken aback. He'd assumed the monsters were weak, but the woman's reaction was clear. *What?* he thought, a question hanging in the air.

Suddenly, a resounding fart ripped through the air. Tyler's eyes widened in surprise. Green gas gushed from all over the Gushrooms' bodies. Simultaneously, the monsters began to emit a series of loud, flatulent noises as they released the gas from their bodies. The release was forceful, the pressure palpable.

Closing his eyes against the swirling green miasma, Tyler felt the gas wash over him. The air thickened, becoming a suffocating blanket of foul stench. The green fog enveloped the entire clearing. The monsters were now partially obscured by the haze, their forms blurred. The terror, a near-physical presence, tightened in Tyler's chest. *"Oh man, what the hell is this? Its So bad,"* he thought, his breath caught in his throat.

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He scanned his surroundings quickly. He felt no slowing, no hindrance to his movement, but his lungs burned, struggling to draw in clean air. *I have to get out of here,* he thought, already planning his escape.

Then, a shape materialized from the swirling, smoky gas. A Gushroom, its body seeming to solidify from the air itself, launched itself at him. Its right limb-hand was pulled back, poised to strike with a jab.

Tyler's eyes widened. Reacting instantly, he struck the Gushroom with the staff, putting all his strength into the blow. The staff connected with the monster's abdomen with a resounding BOOM! The force of the impact reverberated through the air, the shockwave pushing the gas away from him, clearing a wide circle around him. *"Whoa, that surprised me. I didn't think they could jump,"* Tyler thought, his adrenaline surging.

Tyler could now see the remaining Gushrooms bearing down on him, a comical, yet deadly, spectacle. Their short legs were a blur, a furious dance of frantic motion. Behind them, the level 13 Gushroom, the one he'd struck, remained supine, its tiny legs thrashing in the air like a struggling beetle. *What, it's not dead?* he thought, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. There wasn't even a scratch. The impact hadn't felt like a blow, but more like a deflection, as if the staff had struck something made of rubber.

The level 8 Gushroom was nearly upon him. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Tyler surged forward, his staff a blur of motion. The impact was devastating. The staff met the Gushroom's head with a sickening *CRACK!* The mushroom cap, severed clean, became a projectile, rocketing through the air to slam against the trunk of a sturdy tree, a spray of fungal debris exploding outwards. The monster's body collapsed, then erupted in a blinding, pressurized explosion of putrid green gas. The force of the blast was immense, sending Tyler hurtling backwards, launched into the air like a discarded leaf.

He spun, a chaotic ballet in the noxious atmosphere, his legs instinctively lashing out, connecting with the rough bark of a nearby tree. The impact served as a pivot, allowing him to redirect his trajectory toward another charging Gushroom. With a guttural yell, he thrust the staff forward, aiming for the vulnerable point where head met body. The target was a sliver, a scant two inches of an exposed opening . The staff found its mark, skewering the narrow neck with brutal efficiency. Before Tyler could even begin to descend, the creature exploded in a final, desperate burst of green, noxious gas.

The force of the explosion launched him skyward once more. Tyler, a skilled combatant used to such situations, reacted instinctively. He executed a graceful backflip, landing lightly on his feet. He stumbled backward two steps, the ground unsteady beneath him. Before he lost his balance, he slammed the staff into the earth, anchoring himself against the turbulent forces of the gas. He coughed, the acrid fumes burning his throat. *"They keep exploding as soon as I kill them,"* he rasped, *"And the explosions... they're no joke. Come on, I have to finish this."* The stench was nearly unbearable.

He charged forward, the remaining Gushrooms still obscured by the churning fog. *Serena should have warned me about this!* he thought, his mind racing.

Through the swirling green murk, he spotted the level 11 Gushroom. It was supporting the struggling level 13, its arms straining to help the larger creature regain its footing. *"They're helping each other!"* he realized.

A grim smile touched his lips. He focused his will, and the end of his staff began to transform. The scales shifted and reformed, becoming sharply pointed, a deadly, piercing weapon. He hurled the staff towards the two Gushrooms. It flew true, impaling both creatures simultaneously. A tremor ran through their bodies, followed by a synchronized explosion of gas. The combined force sent the staff hurtling back towards Tyler. He caught it effortlessly, the momentum barely affecting him. *"They exploded,"* he thought, the air finally clearing a bit. *"That means they're dead."*

The scales at the end of the staff once more reformed, returning to their original flat configuration. The clearing was silent, save for the lingering scent of decay and the faint hiss of escaping gas.

Tyler muttered, *"No wonder that hunter ran away."* He began to walk quickly, searching for the remains of the Gushrooms. He soon spotted the first mushroom head, the one he had severed earlier, lying on the forest floor. He picked it up. It felt dusty and dry, yet possessed a strange, rubbery texture. Smooth, not rough. He examined it, its familiar size slightly larger than his head. With a faint blue shimmer, the mushroom vanished into his inventory.

He continued his search, retrieving the other mushroom heads. As he picked them up, he mused, *"It seems the gas doesn't affect me, but these things are tough. A level 13 didn't die from a single blow. I actually had to pierce it."* He collected the final head, and it too disappeared into his inventory. *"Oh man,"* he thought, *"about two of these left. Now I know why this quest is worth 35 gold. No one would want this."*

He quickly walked out of the clearing, eager to escape the lingering scent of the gas. He imagined the plight of those affected by the gas, struggling to breathe, their movements sluggish. *The gas slowing its target must compensate for the monsters' own lack of speed,* he realized.

As he left the small clearing, the green gas still swirled in the air behind him, though its intensity was fading. He took a deep breath of the surrounding air. The stench still lingered, a faint echo of the earlier assault, but it was a world of difference compared to the suffocating gas itself.

Tyler continued his trek, the clean air a welcome relief. *"Now,"* he thought, *"where can I find more?"* He scanned his surroundings, the familiar landscape of vines and trees stretching out before him. Silence reigned, save for the gentle rustling of leaves.

Then, a sound – the distinct crunch of feet against the grass – reached his ears. Two sets of footsteps, far in the distance, approached from his side. Though he couldn't see them, his enhanced hearing made their presence clear. Laughter and casual conversation drifted on the breeze. Two men, he surmised. The sound of other humans brought a sense of relaxation, and he sighed, *"There are people."*

He continued walking, his guard lowered, until a new sound shattered the peace. A wet, squelching noise, followed by a sharp *whoosh*. It came from above. Reacting instantly, he whirled around and leaped backward. Two thick vines, descending from the canopy, narrowly missed his head, striking the ground with a resounding *SNAP!* before retracting back into the shadows. *"A monster,"* he thought, his senses now on high alert. He couldn't see the creature, hidden within the dense foliage.

Suddenly, a volley of projectiles rained down from above. Small, black, pointed objects, the length of three-inch nails, pierced the ground around him. He backpedaled, his reflexes honed. The spikes peppered the earth, forming a menacing row of black, wooden-like projectiles. The assault ceased as quickly as it began.

Then, from his side, another barrage of spikes descended. Reacting with practiced ease, he launched himself forward in a powerful leap, landing on his hands. With a swift push, he propelled himself into a graceful front flip, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectiles.

*"There are two of them,"* he muttered, his voice muffled by the mask. *"You think you can hide from me?"*

With effortless grace, Tyler leaped, soaring towards the towering trees. He easily cleared the lower branches. Mid-air, he swept his arm through the dense foliage, his strength ripping through the branches like paper. He carved a clear path, the broken fragments of wood and leaves cascading down below. As he plunged into the leafy canopy, he was met with utter surprise.

Clinging to a sturdy branch, he stared. A cabbage. *Huh?* he thought, utterly bewildered. He had expected a monster, something grotesque or menacing. Instead, he found a vegetable, and a vegetable that looked exactly like the cabbages of his own world.

*"A cabbage in a tree?"* he mused, disbelief lacing his tone. *"No way. This must be some kind of disguise."*

Without hesitation, he extended his hand, the scales on his hand rushing to form the staff, its tip reforming into a sharp, pointed weapon. With a decisive thrust, he impaled the cabbage. A shrill, guttural shriek ripped through the air. The cabbage's outer leaves began to unfurl, revealing a monstrous form. A pumpkin-shaped head, covered in wickedly sharp spikes, sat atop a body of coiled, dark green vines that served as legs. A mouth filled with rows of jagged, wooden teeth gaped open. The monster's colour was a deep, almost black green, a shade that seemed to absorb the light.

The system panel flickered into existence above the creature, the words displayed in stark relief: "Vicus Plant Lv: 20."

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