DELTATOAD [Chapter 1]

11) ❤️ Man-(in Green)-hunt

The two of you continued along the grassy purple path deeper into the field. Along the way, you even found out that some of the trees here can grow mushrooms! You found this out when you stumbled upon a tree that wasn't folded up like the rest. It was still unnaturally colored compared to the normal green and brown, but the mushrooms that grew on the branches looked absolutely amazing.

After collecting a few of these mushrooms for later, you and Tippi were back to following Mr.L's tracks - almost literally because of the deep of bootprints you found in the dirt. You noticed that Olivia didn't seem all too excited to speed ahead of you and Tippi when you passed by the origami princess. It seems that Mr.L might've scared the little girl into submission already without even finishing a fight. As you and Tippi followed Mr.L's trail, you came across the first destroyed landmark on this blazed path.

While it wasn't anything overly spectacular like a shattered statue or a burning house, it was still a chaotic mess. 

It was a table. On the table, there was a magnificent and overly intricate cake that looked like it had a giant scoop taken out of it.

Also, it was somehow smoking...

"Is... Is that cake on fire?" Tippi whispered, sounding completely dumbfounded.

Looking beside the table, you noticed a Toadstool. Or, at least, you thought they were a Toad... While they shared the standard Toad "physique", their color scheme was unnatural compared to the Toads you were used to.

This Toadstool, for starters, was yellow from top to bottom. Also, they were shaped like a top. From the little chef hat atop the mushroom dome on the Toad's head to the apron and shiny shoes, they were all yellow. Even the skin color of the Toadstool was an unnatural yellow as if they had jaundice! However, they didn't exactly seem sick, per se... 

This Toadstool in particular seemed to be panicking about the smouldering cake beside them.

"Oh my..! Oh dear..! I'm Tayce T. I really love to cook! ♡" The Toadstool exclaimed as you and Tippi approached. "I've spent this entire morning trying to recreate this Cake! This Cake is the very cake that won my late darling's heart... ♡"

You and Tippi couldn't help but cringe in second-hand regret as you cast a glance toward the mangled Cake.

"I swore I would never make it again, but it was the only thing I could remember of him... Just one bite will make anybody go ga-ga! ♡" Tayce T. declared. "I laid down to rest, my energy spent... Only to wake up to a scary noise!"

You and Tippi both nervously gulped simultaneously.

"A demon was hunched over the Cake! My precious Cake! ♡" Tayce T. cried. "I shooed it off by throwing a pebble at it, and it hissed at me before running off! Oh... But my precious Cake... ♡"

Seems like Mr.L has quite the appetite, or at least a sweet tooth. 

"That sounds like Mr.L to me! Hehe!" Tippi giggled. "We're on the right track!"