Reincarnated as a Mushroom?

Chapter 32: The Trumpet of War

A heavy realization settled over them like a suffocating weight. The mushrooms they had just fought so hard to defeat every single one of them were rising again. Those who had been reduced to lifeless husks only moments ago now stood, their fungal bodies stretching as though they had merely woken from a deep slumber.

Among them, the swordsman who had moments ago plunged his blade into a mushroom's chest now stared in horror as that very same creature twitched, its head snapping toward him. The wound he had inflicted was gone, erased as if it had never happened.

"No… No, that's impossible…" he muttered, his breath shaky.

In blind desperation, he drove his sword forward, piercing the same mushroom's chest once more. The blade slid through with ease, yet the creature did not fall. His hands trembled as he twisted the hilt, but the mushroom simply stood there, unbothered.

A rough voice snapped him back to reality.

"Get a hold of yourself!" the bald warrior barked, his eyes darting across the battlefield. "We need to regroup NOW!"

The swordsman turned to face him, but before he could move.

CRACK!

A sickening, wet crunch echoed through the battlefield. Time seemed to slow as a dark shadow loomed over the bald warrior. His eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening slightly but no words came out.

Then, in a single horrifying moment, his face caved in.

The sheer force of the strike was monstrous, shattering not just his skull but the very shield he held in defense. Blood and fragments of bone scattered like shattered glass. His body crumpled, lifeless, hitting the dirt with a dull thud.

For the first time in the battle, silence fell over the humans.

The swordsman stood frozen, his entire body trembling as he gazed upon the thing that had just obliterated his comrade with a single strike.

A new nightmare had arrived.

There, standing amidst the chaos, was a towering mushroom with thick, bulging muscles, its fungal skin glistening under the dim battlefield light. It exuded an overwhelming aura of power one that sent shivers down every warrior's spine.

And then, as if the grotesque image wasn't terrifying enough, its lips curled into a grin.

The Juice-Loving, Needle-Fearing Mushroom.

Level 47.

The remaining warriors stood in stunned silence, their hands tightening around their weapons.

Then, one of them roared in defiance.

"I'LL BURN YOU ALL TO ASHES!"

A brilliant flame erupted into existence, illuminating the battlefield in a fiery glow. The Fire Mage stood tall, his body radiating with raw magical power. His fiery aura burned like an inferno, and as he raised his hands, flames coiled around his fingers like living serpents.

The fire mage's fury burned hotter than the battlefield itself. His clenched fists trembled with raw power, and the flames coiling around his arms flared wildly, scorching the ground beneath him.

"This is where you all burn!" he roared.

With a swift motion, he raised both hands, and the flames twisted together, forming an enormous fireball above his head. The intense heat radiated outward, causing the surrounding air to shimmer. Even from a distance, the warriors could feel their skin sting from the sheer intensity of the magic.

All eyes turned to the towering mushroom that had crushed the bald warrior. It stood still, unbothered, watching the fire mage with an almost amused expression.

Then the fireball was unleashed.

Like a miniature sun, the flaming mass hurtled toward its target, illuminating the battlefield with an orange glow. The air screamed as the fireball carved a path through it, leaving trails of embers in its wake. The ground beneath it blackened from the sheer heat.

The mushroom had only seconds to react.

It took a single step forward, its muscles flexing, preparing to evade.

But then, something else moved.

From the side, another mushroom emerged. Smaller, hunched, and wrapped in a dark cloak of spores. It held a crooked staff in its gnarled hands. The air around it shimmered as mana surged through its frail-looking body.

A single spell was cast.

A faint, eerie glow surrounded a small mushroom standing beside the muscular one. Its form wavered, shifting and expanding unnaturally.

Then it changed.

In an instant, the tiny mushroom grew. Its cap expanded, stretching like a living shield. Its body thickened, forming dense layers of protection. The transformation was grotesque, almost unnatural, as its cap solidified into an impenetrable dome.

BOOM!

The fireball struck the massive cap head-on.

Flames exploded outward, consuming everything in the vicinity. The battlefield was swallowed in fire, embers raining down like a fiery storm. The shockwave blasted through the air, sending nearby warriors staggering backward.

But when the flames dissipated.

The mushroom still stood.

Unharmed.

The fire mage's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No… that's not possible…" he muttered.

He had used everything he had, put all his strength into that attack, yet.

The mushroom had blocked it effortlessly.

From behind the massive cap, the muscular mushroom took a step forward. Its expression was one of mild amusement, as if entertained by the fire mage's futile efforts.

Then it grinned wider.

"SNEEZE!!"

The instant the word escaped his lips another mushroom released a loud and repulsive sneeze.

PFFT!

The weapon launched a projectile from its cylindrical body at an incredibly fast speed. The fire mage managed only a split-second to comprehend the situation before the impact produced a powerful shockwave that hit his chest.

His body stiffened.

A burning pain burst out from the impact site before it spread across his torso with intense heat. His silent scream escaped his mouth while blood spurted from his lips.

His knees buckled.

Then he collapsed.

The battlefield fell deathly silent.

The fire mage's fellow warriors watched in terror as their strongest combatant remained motionless on the battlefield. His body made one brief movement before becoming completely still.

Panic set in.

A warrior attempted to flee when a powerful commanding voice pierced the air.

"DON'T BREAK FORMATION!"

The disorder did not stop military commands from being issued. The surviving warriors maintained their defensive positions while attempting to withstand the massive mushroom force advancing against them.

The enemy forces had already gained the upper hand during this battle.

The situation was about to deteriorate further.

The battlefield transformed into a state of complete disorder.

The fire mage, once the strongest among them, now lay motionless. His body lay motionless as smoke escaped from the hole in his chest. The warriors standing near him paused in their movements as their confidence waned and their weapons grip became tighter.

The mushrooms continued their relentless attack without any indication of slowing down.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The enemy launched an unending stream of projectiles and spores from above. The atmosphere became heavy with the burning flesh odor and the pungent smell of gunpowder fungi.

"Spread out! Don't let them surround us!"