Diary of Guarding Monster Girls-Chapter 520 - 317 Mushroom Merchant (6.4K, please subscribe! Please vote!)

Chapter 520: 317 Mushroom Merchant (6.4K, please subscribe! Please vote!)

Speaking of Mushroom People, that was obviously a joke, for Herbert was familiar with this species.

The Mushroom People, or Fungus People, are a unique species somewhere between plants and animals.

They live in the Dark Territory, are naturally peaceful, adept at cultivating various mushrooms, and use them as food.

They resemble oversized humanoid mushrooms, preferring to live in dark places, avoiding light, moving slowly, yet their physique isn’t weak, and their strength surpasses many creatures.

Mature Fungus People can even release various spores, and some toxic spores are aggressive, considered an extremely tough-to-defend poison mist.

Moreover, although they appear silent and their entire colony makes no noise, they’re not mute in the strictest sense and are very skilled at telepathic communication with other creatures.

They are talkative but speak at an extremely slow pace, sometimes a single conversation can last for a whole month.

By the way, although Fungus People are edible, generally speaking, it’s not recommended to consume their bodies.

Some special types contain highly toxic substances that not only cause the eater to see all sorts of hallucinations but also irreversibly harm their spirit, leaving them drooling and babbling incoherently for a long time...

Some types may even cause death in an instant, too late to rescue.

"Red cap, white stalk, eat it and we’ll all lie down together~" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

However, being a rather laid-back species, as long as you don’t destroy their mycelium nests, they generally won’t take the initiative to attack, preferring instead to communicate with other creatures.

They count as a particularly interesting subterranean demon creature.

Herbert initially considered capturing some special demons from the Dark Territory to bring back to Elda, but he gave up because they are not easy to relocate.

He didn’t expect to encounter them at this time, particularly when the other party owed him a life-saving favor.

Perhaps he could take the opportunity to procure some specialties of the Mushroom People?

Although people in this world have acquired magic to discern toxins, ordinary mortals have yet to add mushrooms as a staple in their diet.

The risk and the low consumption mean mushrooms are rarely eaten, only by some mountain-rural hunters who would actively consume them.

Herbert had long wanted to try cold-dressed indigo mushroom... of course, stir-fried then cooled and dressed cold.

However, what truly piqued Herbert’s interest wasn’t the species, but the peculiar aura he sensed from this Mushroom Person.

This half-human-height little Mushroom Person, at first glance, seemed High Tier, yet at times gave off a Legendary Level threat feel.

How strange.

Before Herbert could even speak, the other party first sensed the gaze from behind, turned around and politely bowed to Herbert, lowering his head in deep respect.

"Brave Paladin, Your Excellency!"

"It was you who stepped forth heroically in the face of danger, vanquishing the incarnation of the Evil God, and crushing His maniacal scheme, saving everyone!"

"Thank you for your rescue! You saved this city from falling into the hands of the Evil God!"

"Your heroic figure, like the scorching sun, will be sung throughout the world; everyone should know of your great deeds!"

"Rest assured, after we leave, we shall never forget your kindness and will gratefully spread your story! Making everyone admire you! Revere you!"

...

Herbert raised an eyebrow in surprise.

It wasn’t surprising that a Mushroom Person would thank him, but rather surprising that she spoke to him at all.

The other party could not only speak but also speak the common tongue fluently!

Although her speech was a bit slow, it was clear she had the distinct characteristics of a female, with her petite figure projecting a surprisingly mature sound.

While some Fungus People are hermaphroditic and can even reproduce nonsexually (split) into companions, other branches do have a distinct sexual differentiation.

One of the Dark Territory adventure principles—never arbitrarily judge a Fungus Person’s gender.

Listening to her emotionally rich words, having expressed over a dozen unique praises, Herbert blinked, staring deep into her eyes.

What a flow of words, are you preparing for a public exam?

So eager to take initiative, scared I might act against you right off the bat?

"Don’t punch a smiling face man, don’t scold a gift-giver."

With such a "humble and understanding" attitude, Herbert found it hard to respond coldly right away.

He did not interrupt, instead observing with a bordering smile, curious to see how much she could fabricate.

"Praise to you! Our savior! Guardian of Malagas! Our... ahem!"

Herbert’s gaze made the Mushroom Person a bit embarrassed, and she noticeably choked, forcefully coughing once.

Her quite natural reaction piqued Herbert’s interest even more.

How fascinating, this Mushroom Person genuinely mimicked mundane human actions, how long had she been living in human society?

And observing her attire, Herbert’s curiosity deepened.

Pale, almost translucent skin with mycelial patterns, a grayish-white cap hat atop her head, and luminescent blue hair draping her shoulders.

She wore a grayish-purple robe, revealing upon closer inspection that it was woven from special fungal fibers.

Really, her half-human tall stature paired with the oversized cap hat made her look like a moving triangular cone barrier...