“I, Kihara Joji,” hum a tune as I skillfully arrange plates of food on the table. Tonight’s dinner consists of wild herbs gathered from the mountains and chicken tempura. I want to crack open a can of beer and gulp it down right now, but I resist the urge and start up my computer and camera.
I run a channel called “George’s Drinking Stream,” and I’m a streamer by what people generally call it. Though, I do have to admit it’s a small-time thing. But I don’t really mind. I’m not trying to get popular; I just want to eat and drink while chatting with my listeners, and that’s why I stream.
Alright, everything’s set. Let’s start the stream.
“Hey, everyone, good evening. It’s George.”
‘Good evening!’
‘Hi, George! Tempura today? Looks delicious!’
‘Tempuraaaaaaa!’
Oh, it’s rare for three people to show up right from the start. Usually, there are times when there are no viewers, which is a bit of a problem. But looking at the names, these three are regular viewers who come by often. I’m really grateful.
“Tonight’s dinner is tempura made with wild herbs I gathered from the mountain and chicken from the supermarket. Let’s dig in, and cheers!”
‘Cheers!’
‘Cheers!’
‘Kanpai!’
When I open the beer can, it makes a satisfying “shh” sound and foam starts spilling out, so I quickly down it. Ah, so good! As expected of the premium brand! I splurged on the first can.
I wet my throat with beer, and then pop a piece of my favorite perilla leaf tempura into my mouth. Ah, “legal herbs,” as they say. The crispy texture and refreshing aroma are irresistible!
‘You really love perilla leaves, huh.’
‘If you look closely, the plate’s got like one-third perilla leaves!’
‘We got ourselves some herb growth here.’
“When I eat perilla leaves and wash them down with beer, I get high,” I joke.
‘Hey, is it really just perilla? Not some illegal herb or something?’
“Don’t worry, it’s legal. Next up is this detox herb.”
‘Wait, I didn’t think it, but he really did make tempura with medicinal herbs!’
“Well, they’re edible, so it’s all good. Don’t worry, the rest I gather goes to delivery.”
Herbs, as expected, are used for recovery or poison-removal potions, but some are actually edible. In fact, even perilla leaves are a type of herb. It’s not surprising other herbs are edible. The detox herb tempura has a slight bitterness, but it’s a nice accent and quite tasty.
‘Man, you’re eating that so happily. Should I try medicinal herb tempura too?’
“It’s highly recommended, especially if you’re a drinker.”
‘Man, I’m jealous.’
‘Could that chicken be from a monster or something?’
“Unfortunately, it’s just regular chicken. I didn’t run into any monsters in the dungeon today.”
‘Come on, catch something like a Cockatrice!’
“I’ve never seen a Cockatrice… But isn’t that one of those with a snake tail? You could get both chicken and snake meat, wouldn’t that be a good deal?”
‘Snake meat’s pretty similar to chicken, so isn’t it basically just chicken anyway?’
Recently, I hunted a horned rabbit in the dungeon. That rabbit stew was really good. I’ll go hunt one again if I run into one.
As I keep eating, I finish my third can of beer. Now it’s time for the star of tonight’s dinner, the tempura. I hold it up to the camera.
“Alright, everyone, today’s main dish! Do you know what this is?”
‘Magical mushrooms, huh?’
‘Wait, you actually found some?’
‘You fried those too?’
As expected, they immediately recognize it. What I held out was a small mushroom with colorful polka dots on its cap, clearly resembling a “poisonous mushroom,” known as the “Magical Mushroom.”
Despite its appearance, it’s not poisonous. Instead, it’s a strange mushroom that gives positive effects to those who eat it, though only with a low probability. These effects include things like growing taller, gaining strength, becoming more handsome, improving body shape, or even gaining skills. Some people report that after eating it, they wake up to find a monster egg at their bedside, which hatches into a familiar.
This mushroom doesn’t grow in clusters but is rarely found, often just a single mushroom in dungeons. If you find one, you can sell it for a decent amount.
‘Do you have a target effect in mind?’
“Hmmm, anything’s fine, but maybe a skill? It’s kind of like a lottery, so I’m not getting my hopes up, but I’m hoping the taste is good.”
‘I’ve heard it’s like shiitake mushrooms.’
‘That makes it sound kind of cheap.’
“If it’s like shiitake, then tempura’s probably the right choice. Well, here I go.”
I didn’t hesitate to eat a mushroom that looked like it came from a horror movie.
…Hmm. It does taste kind of like shiitake. It’s decent, but honestly, I might’ve preferred eating shiitake mushrooms instead.
‘Yeah, didn’t need to ask, didn’t taste all that good, huh?’
“Yeah, now I kind of want some shiitake mushrooms.”
‘So, any changes?’
“Not really…? Oh, wait, I’m starting to feel sleepy.”
‘Already?’
I don’t usually get sleepy so quickly after drinking, so maybe the activities in the mountain dungeon wore me out more than expected.
Oh no, the sleepiness is getting stronger. I need to end the stream…
“Sorry, I’m having trouble staying awake. I think I’m going to have to end it here for today—”
Just as I was about to click the “End Stream” button, I lost consciousness and fell backward.
‘Wait, did George just fall asleep?’
‘This is the first time I’ve seen George pass out.’
‘Considering how much he drank, I’m surprised he didn’t fall asleep earlier.’
‘Should we leave too?’
Then there was a strange sound.
‘Wait, did you hear that?’
More odd noises follow.
‘What is that? That sound—what’s going on?’
‘Wait, is George pulling some prank?’
‘He’s not really that kind of person, is he?’
More creepy sounds came from the stream, and then something that sounded like a crackling light.
‘Wait, did something just light up?’
‘That’s where George fell, right?’
‘What’s happening? And my ears are scared but… I feel like something amazing might happen!’
‘Could this be the effect of the Magical Mushroom?’
Suddenly, there’s a burst of energy, and a strange, surreal atmosphere fills the stream.
Later…
I woke up feeling oddly light.
“Yawn…”
‘What was that voice just now?’
‘Wait, what?’
I looked at the stream, and to my shock, I saw a blonde woman wearing my clothes, which were now too big for her.
The woman’s ears were pointed, a feature I instantly recognized, but that shouldn’t be possible in this world.
“Wait… Am I… an elf now?”
‘George? Is that you?’
‘What!? An elf!?’
And so began my new life, as an elf.
