Shinji's group had nearly reached the halfway mark. All around them, giant mushroom clusters clung to the rugged bark of the Great Tree Perga like intricate carvings. Everyone was panting and exhausted, except for the Lumber and Gumber brothers, who remained as energetic as ever.
Midway up the monolithic trunk, a massive mushroom shelf protruded, so large that it had formed its own isolated ecosystem. It was a lush, hanging island complete with a dense forest, thick vegetation, and even a small waterfall cascading from above.
After several more minutes of grueling climbing, they finally stepped onto this "mushroom island." Seeing the crystal-clear water, Shinji rushed over and cupped it in his hands, drinking deeply to quench his thirst.
"Finally, some trees that look normal," Omelet remarked, landing and resting his hand on a large trunk.
Lumber and Gumber couldn't sit still. They began darting around, parting the thick grass.
"Hey, want to play a game? Whoever finds treasure first wins!"
The two split up, leaving Lio to rest quietly on a fallen log. The cool water refreshed Shinji's spirit. Lio reached into his satchel, pulled out a specialty candy from the Ant Tribe, and shared it with him. The two sat on the log together, enjoying the sweets while taking in the breathtaking view below.
"We're so high up... you can even see Greenpath from here,"
Shinji remarked, gazing out at the distant forest.
Meanwhile, far below on the forest floor, the large cloud that had fallen earlier began to shift. It was no longer a static mist; a door-like opening appeared on its side, revealing a mysterious silhouette.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Akidou stood up instantly, his face tight with suspicion.
"Move aside, Akidou!"
Alba didn't hesitate. He curled his body into a ball and launched himself like a projectile toward the stranger. Akidou let out a roar, following close behind with a power-infused fist.
Back in the forest atop the giant mushroom, Shinji was peacefully enjoying his snack when he felt something brush against his leg.
"Lio, why are you touching my thigh?"
Shinji asked softly, his eyes still fixed on the horizon.
But when he realized Lio was actually walking with Omelet behind him, a jolt of panic shot through him. Sensing something was wrong, he spun around. There, right beside him, was a tiny, peculiar creature nibbling on the crumbs he had dropped. It was no bigger than a human hand, with a round body and two beady black eyes, wearing a large mushroom cap like a sun hat.
The two stared at each other for a heartbeat. Suddenly, the tiny creature let out a shrill, piercing shriek that sent Shinji tumbling backward in surprise. As it tried to scurry away, a large hand snatched it up. It was Gumber.
"I win! I found the treasure!"
Gumber cheered. The little mushroom person trembled in his grip, letting out high-pitched squeaks as if crying for help. The group gathered around, bewildered by the creature, when a tiny but menacing voice barked from beneath their feet:
"Put Gorlock down this instant, you giants!"
They looked down to see another tiny mushroom person brandishing a small wooden twig like a spear, poking Gumber's leg. This one wore a blue mushroom cap, unlike the red one in Gumber's hand.
"Hurry up! Don't make me lose my temper!"
Omelet quickly took Gorlock from Gumber and gently placed the red-capped creature back on the ground so he could run to his companion. Omelet tried to flash his friendliest smile to de-escalate the situation. "Ah... we don't mean any harm. We're truly sorry for scaring you."
From the bushes, another red-capped mushroom person with a small pink bow on her head ran out and called out loudly,
"Hey everyone! It's okay, come out!"
After a brief conversation, once they realized Shinji's group weren't enemies, the tiny creature turned toward a hollow tree and gave a special signal. Instantly, hundreds of red and blue mushroom people emerged from every leaf and crevice, swarming around the group. Some were even bold enough to climb up and pinch Shinji's cheek.
The one with the pink bow stepped forward and introduced herself politely.
"Greetings, giant friends. My name is Zoe."
"Hello Zoe, I'm Omelet. These are Shinji, Lio, Lumber, and Gumber,"
Omelet said, flying low to greet her. Zoe smiled, but her expression soon turned somber.
"You gave us quite a fright. We thought they had come back to take us away again."
The group looked at each other in confusion. "Who are 'they'?"
Omelet asked curiously.
Zoe shivered, her tiny hands reaching up to touch her mushroom cap.
"Our Musheria race has no way to fight back, and we are so small... so 'they' hunt us constantly for food..."
Shinji scratched his head and turned to Omelet.
"Hey, you keep saying race? What exactly does that mean?"
Omelet began to explain:
"Oh, this world is home to countless different races and tribes. For example, I belong to the Fairy tribe. Grand Commander Ares is from the Lumeria tribe, Prometheus is Ignaria, and Umi is Heliria. There's also Commander Raiden of the Thunderia tribe, and Commander Kairos of the Lithospheria."