Chapter 133: Mushrooms

Lin Dong watched with absolute fascination as the fungus morphed into a human form.

He was not a learned man and had no idea how such a principle worked, but he had once heard of a substance called an 'enzyme' that could lower its own metabolism to achieve a biomimetic state. People referred to it as a—'base-mimetic enzyme'.

After the woman fully formed, her expression turned dull and her gaze hollow. She took a step forward and began walking away into the distance.

Lin Dong guessed that she was undoubtedly searching for a new host.

Most likely, one of the dead woman's companions.

There were still other humans in this mountain forest...

Thus, Lin Dong followed in her footsteps.

After walking for about ten minutes, they had moved out of the fungal zone, and the mountain forest returned to normal. Although it was still pitch black, the chirping of nocturnal insects could be faintly heard from the grass clumps and tree tops.

Even fist-sized mutated spiders were weaving giant webs among the tree branches.

Lin Dong sniffed the air lightly and soon caught the scent of humans.

Not far ahead stood a massive, withered tree thick enough for three people to embrace, surrounded by piles of weeds—clearly bearing traces of human activity.

The woman's footsteps were heading straight toward that large tree.

Beneath the thick weeds, a hollow tree trunk was concealed, sheltering three young men inside. Due to the cramped, dark, and damp space, it felt deeply oppressive.

The three of them were huddled together, and the sound of each other's breathing was audible.

One of them wore ragged clothes, his face covered in stubble, as he held up a mobile phone, scanning left and right.

"The signal is too terrible. We can't connect to Tech Corp's network at all."

"Let's walk closer to the edge of the forest tomorrow; we should be able to get a connection then. You should stop messing with it for now and save some battery."

Another person advised him from the side.

Recharging in the forest wasn't easy; they had to rely entirely on solar-powered batteries.

"Yeah..."

The stubble-faced man nodded, a trace of yearning in his eyes. "I wonder what it's like outside. If Tech Corp really wipes out the zombies in the city, life will be so much easier!"

"Exactly! By then, we can join Tech Corp and never have to worry about food or clothing again."

The other youth said, his heart itching with anticipation.

He felt as though he couldn't bear to stay in this remote mountain ditch for another single day.

Yet the third youth showed no excitement whatsoever. Instead, his brows were tightly furrowed, carrying a hint of irritation.

"Xiaoyan hasn't been back all afternoon, and you guys still have the mood to talk about this?"

"So what? Not coming back just means she's dead."

The stubble-faced man said nonchalantly.

In this apocalyptic world, dying was entirely too common. Since the girl had been missing for so long, she was most likely toast.

Enraged, the youth grabbed the stubble-faced man by the collar.

"Shut the hell up, you bastard! See if I don't tear your mouth apart!"

"Alright, alright... Brother Ning, we can't start infighting. We have to stick together. Let's go look for Sister Yan together when daybreak comes tomorrow."

The other man quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Although the stubble-faced man felt contempt in his heart, he simply turned his head away and stopped arguing with Ning Chuan.

Ning Chuan gritted his teeth, silently released his grip, and leaned back against the tree wall, his gaze growing even more sorrowful.

Clearly, his relationship with Xiaoyan was out of the ordinary; he cared for her deeply and held affectionate feelings toward her.

The two of them had met while fleeing for their lives after the apocalypse began.

For several months, they had depended on each other for survival. Once, when Ning Chuan injured his leg and the scent of blood attracted a mutated beast, the other companions fled in all directions, but Xiaoyan stayed behind and saved his life.

In the days that followed, she never abandoned him and cared for him meticulously.

"Xiaoyan is a good girl..."

Ning Chuan felt that she was different from others who were purely selfish, maintaining a kind heart even in the midst of the end times.

Whenever he thought of this, he felt an urge to go out and search for her.

Yet walking through the mountain forest in the dead of night was practically synonymous with suicide.

Just then, however, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside the tree hollow, resembling someone walking and stepping on dried weeds.

"Who's there?"

The stubble-faced man was alert. Like a startled rabbit, his body shot upright in an instant.

"Xiaoyan, it's Xiaoyan! It must be her, she's back!"

Ning Chuan's spirits lifted instantly, his eyes glowing as he scrambled to run outside.

"Wait, are you out of your mind?"

The stubble-faced man grabbed him by the arm, saying, "In the middle of the night like this, how could it possibly be Xiaoyan?"

"Let go of me, dammit! Who else could it be besides Xiaoyan?"

Ignoring the restraint, Ning Chuan shook him off and crawled straight out of the tree hollow.

The stubble-faced man furrowed his brows.

Inwardly, he cursed: *Being lovesick is truly terrifying!*

Since things had reached this point, neither of them had any choice but to follow him out and see what was happening.

All three of them crawled out of the tree hollow.

Gazing into the moonlight filtering through the branches and the dancing shadows of the trees, there really was a woman standing not far away.

"Xiaoyan, you're finally back!"

Ning Chuan's brow unfurled, his previous sorrow instantly swept away. He hurried forward with a few brisk steps, greeting the woman happily.

Meanwhile, the stubble-faced man and the other youth stared in utter shock and disbelief.

*It really is her?*

*How can this be?*

Both of them maintained a guarded expression, deliberately keeping a distance from the woman.

Ning Chuan spoke up.

"Where have you been all afternoon? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

"Don't worry, I'm doing great."

Xiaoyan narrowed her eyes and revealed a smile, except that the corners of her mouth pulled all the way back to her cheek muscles in perfect symmetry, looking rigid and terrifying.

"Hiss....."

The stubble-faced man drew a sharp breath, finding her more unnatural the longer he looked.

The person beside him also felt a sense of bizarreness.

"Brother Ning, Sister Yan..... she seems different from before."

"What's different? Don't make a fuss over nothing."

Ning Chuan didn't care at all.

Xiaoyan swept her gaze across them, noticing how far back they were hiding, and spoke slowly.

"What's wrong with you guys? I spent the whole afternoon picking a lot of mushrooms in the forest, which is why I was a bit late."

"Uh...."

The stubble-faced man froze, realizing she seemed to have returned to normal.

*Was what I saw just an illusion?*

Immediately afterward, Xiaoyan lowered her head and fished several white mushrooms out of her pocket. They looked fresh, plump, and extremely appetizing.

"Here! Eat them quickly before they lose their freshness."

*Gulp!*

The stubble-faced man's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He had been starving for a long time and genuinely needed food.

However.... could these really be eaten?

He didn't move, instead casting his gaze toward Ning Chuan, thinking that this fellow would definitely eat them, and he could watch to see if there were any adverse reactions.

Sure enough, Ning Chuan didn't hesitate in the slightest. He picked up a mushroom, shoved it straight into his mouth, and wore a look of utter satisfaction accompanied by a smile.

"So delicious! Xiaoyan, you actually managed to find so many normal mushrooms. You're amazing."

"Just got lucky."

Xiaoyan smiled faintly with pursed lips, raising her eyes to look at the stubble-faced man and his companion. "What are you two waiting for? Hurry up and come eat."

Yet the stubble-faced man remained rooted to the spot, his expression still somewhat hesitant as he watched Ning Chuan, confirming that nothing was happening to him at all.

He looked again at the mushrooms in the woman's hand.

They were just ordinary oyster mushrooms. Before the apocalypse, he used to eat them all the time in hot pots, paired with a spicy beef tallow base. One bite would leave your mouth bursting with a delightfully tangy and spicy flavor.

The stubble-faced man's saliva began to secrete profusely. The more he thought about it, the hungrier he became...