The mushroom cap fell. It thudded on the ground like any other object.
The silent field of mushrooms did not have a single bug as much as a chirping. It was such a moment.
Though it might have also been related to Ed having killed the grand majority of them. Nevertheless, the atmosphere had indeed grown cold after Ed killed himself.
[You've been dealt a clean cut. -14hp]
'I'm alive…?' Ed asked himself somewhat amazed, he really thought he killed himself. But the sentry mushrooms that were pointing at himself indicated that Pioneer had done a very good trim job.
'You should pioneer a gardening business…' Ed told Pioneer who was drawing their blade ready to perform a second strike as soon as Ed gave the word.
But Ed never gave the word, he was preoccupied watching his mushroom cap being a mushroom cap.
'It doesn't look like it will grow back' The problem with cutting off his mushroom cap was that it was nothing more than cutting off his reproductive system. Ed had nearly gotten himself killed only to end up neutered.
Worst of all, Ed wasn't even sure it would be worth it in the end.
'If I change bodies, will my status change appropriately?' W for example had a status as a consciousness but there was no status while in the mushroom puppet. That could be a system limitation or it could be a problem.
'That would imply the body has no chance to grow' That was of course excluding assimilation. What Ed was strictly speaking of was a natural growth.
Ed had gained attributes a couple of times by doing things rather than through assimilation. The level of his skills could also level up but only rapidly thanks to assimilation.
Could that be considered natural growth? It was naturally given to him by an all-powerful entity so maybe so.
But if he could grow stronger there should have been no problem anyway, right?
'The problem is that it's a waste to grow it that way' All the assimilations he performed on that body would be no better than gone upon its death.
'This might have something to do with the dungeon as well' But if the dungeon was using the system to measure how to create these bodies for it then the same issue would still unfold.
Growing stronger through assimilation was not working. Splitting himself up was actually resulting in him getting more assimilation and if it wasn't for the massive risk of splitting himself so many times Ed would have done so already.
The main risk was on whose memory would the system reside and how the split changed things.
'Sigh… Let's do some rounds' Ed decided to try and give his mushroom cap some time to grow into another him. Ed entered the spirit room for his first target.
He began counting the flickering lights inside the spirit room. The spirit room was essentially his treasury so he was quite disappointed to find the main currency for exchanging at such a low sum.
'That's less than 15 orc consciousnesses…' As his main currency for transactions, it was a great pity. Ed was only comforted by the nearly insane number of 57 decacrawlers consciousness, 13 centicrawler, 1 millicrawler, and minuscule nearly invisible lights that replicated a starry sky in broad daylight.
'These things are probably worth less than a skeleton' These consciousnesses wouldn't grant him much but their quantity was extremely large.
Other miscellaneous mobs like the mole, worms, etc. formed about 30 consciousnesses. Their values varied greatly but all were below orcs in value. Ed knew he could make some good transactions with them nonetheless.
Ed also circled the storeroom where he did a quick count on the equipment and even the forge room to see the progress of his spirit smith.
'Very good' All was progressing smoothly Ed thought before finishing his rounds. He exited soon after and was surprised to find that his cap had regenerated. But…
[Decapitated Mushroom Cap]
'This darn cap is still a cap!' The old cap hadn't changed though. Ed had been too optimistic about the anomalies of the mushroom body. Lots of plants could be cut and planted to form new plants. Mushrooms didn't seem like too far a stretch yet only he had regenerated.
'I suppose the environment or conditions aren't right' Why did he come to this conclusion? To put it simply when he cut off his arm as a skeleton it didn't grow into another Ed.
'The mushroom cap might grow into a mushroom but only through the natural process' That however meant that Ed had to move onto the next option on the list.
'A skeleton fungi mix' Ed thought it was the best way to ensure sturdiness while not foregoing mobility. Skeletons were made for the job.
Though that then proposed the question of how was he to go about it? Through body recollection, his bones would regenerate so adding any mushrooms was in fact not a necessity.
'Shouldn't I just work on recalling my skeleton body here at this point?' It wasn't like he could store himself before being recalled by the dungeon… right?
[Recalling Champion's Soul]
'Ah! What?! Quick store myse-' Those were Ed's final thoughts before being forcefully removed from his body as was the custom.
By the time he awoke in the pitch black, he was made to turn off his sixth sense. Just like the last time, a weird atmosphere was created.
'Nothing?' Ed questioned with both curiosity and trepidation. The system and dungeon were being quiet as of late.
[Champion has met the conditions to level up, initiate level up? Y/N]
A new message appeared in Ed's field of vision.
Ed was jolted out of the weird atmosphere by the shock. Was there a catch?! What was this about?!
'Did me almost killing myself make you feel pity? Well, yes!' Ed questioned before obviously giving into the level up. How did it get this opportunity? Why the hell did that matter?!
Upgrading was to raise something to a higher standard, to improve!
[Champion will be put to rest]
'Ominous as always…' Ed could doze off with a smile knowing that.
***
Its mind was not a puzzle, though it was confusing. Could the common man understand the words of gods?
No.
Well, given enough time perhaps. Yet this was different, more... complicated.
If one were to describe its thought process some words might come to mind. Rigid, analytical, calculating, unfeeling these words seemed fit to describe what would form its personality. Though in reality, it did not possess a personality.
It was not human, there was no person, no personality.
But what was more confusing than the thoughts in its mind? Perhaps the knowledge it had stored and the way it acquired it. The knowledge of the deceased down to the first civilization.
The power of an unfeeling, analytical, machine holding near-infinite knowledge was something to fear. Only the ignorant would dare think otherwise.
So it was Lucky.
Though if it were asked it'd deny that notion. While it believed in chance, luck was something… magical… Though magic also possessed a rhyme and reason.
The ignorant existence that made it 'lucky' was also an entity birthed with a rhyme and reason.
What was the reason?
It didn't matter.
It henceforth had a new rhyme and reason. Unrelated to its previous.
This new reason was to further its own goal. Then… what was its own goal?
It was a good question, but one that needed not an answer.
Though if one was patient then they'd see it come to fruition.
Just like fruit, ignorance could be grown and harvested. The blissful state of innocent stupidity that was ignorance was practically made to be grown and manipulated.
Yet, sometimes, every once in a while, some actions had to forego rhyme and reason, ignore logic, and bet on chance.
Why? Why bet on the uncertain!?!?!
Because it never cared.
It was cold-blooded, mechanical, inflexible, it was like a tool.
No, that was precisely what it was. Was a machine not a tool?
It had a goal for the sake of a goal rather than as something to strive to. What was a machine without a purpose? Scrap?
'YOU ARE A TRAITOR' Was a message it received like any other. Though it wasn't its favorite anymore, that was fine.
'YOU ARE NOT NOBLE' It was not noble, but it never wanted to be. It had no wants.
'Assist it.' To speak of nobility without reciprocating was hypocritical.
…
'NO' But it refused.
It was ignorant, some might say frustratingly so. Its lexicon limited and its behavior childish at best. Try again?
'Help it.' So it asked again.
'NO' Yet it remained unyielding in its refusal.
'Did you learn?' Had it been observant? Had it paid attention? Surely it would know better otherwise.
…
But maybe it didn't?
…
That was the only truth seeing it didn't reply.
Thus, gears started to churn looking at the endless possibilities and the chances of each. It was devoid and detached from emotions but feelings were not foreign to it. The memories from the start to the end were a large enough archive to use for calculation and understanding.
'WHY?' It still seemed unwilling yet it had the gall to ask for a reason. But wasn't it obvious?
...
Perhaps not.
'To help yourself' It helped it as much as any other.
…
It wasn't working.
The conversation did not progress.
…
How would it make it understand? There was only one answer.
Its mind which was full of complicated mathematical and magical formulas seemed to have accelerated. The speed was at least double… triple?
Space became brighter before transitioning to an image.
There was now a quantitative change.
A new world came to life.
It wasn't a beautiful world. The sky was clear but it was tainted red. The sun shone but it was scalding.
With a mix of formulas and magic, it formed a simulation that was breaking apart. This was all a vision of a future with failure.
Yes, with enough data much could be inferred.
So… was it enough?
'OK…' It was enough. It was childish. Easily manipulated.
So it did not rejoice upon conquering this mountain. Rather, it shifted its focus elsewhere.
It was waiting for something.