As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
Sunlight couldn’t pierce the dense, overcast clouds. Even though the heavy rain that had lasted all night had just ceased, the gloom in the sky and the lingering dampness in the air refused to dissipate.
The sticky atmosphere hinted at the strangeness of this unseasonal downpour.
For the mutated creatures in the wasteland, this was already a familiar occurrence.
Three years into the apocalypse, the cycle of seasons had long lost its original order.
The rain was corrosive, and its effects wouldn’t vanish anytime soon. Aside from the mutated plants greedily absorbing the acidic rainwater, no other mutated beings could be seen in the wasteland.
After the apocalypse, plants grew unnaturally large and menacing, with some even displaying striking beauty. However, in this perilous, uninhabited wasteland, the more vibrant and colorful a plant appeared, the more aggressive it tended to be.
A mutated lizard, driven by hunger after going without food for days during the rainy season, finally emerged from the deep black soil. Its eyes, protected by a natural membrane, glowed as red as freshly spilled blood.
It had set its sights on a small fruit on the ground, glowing faintly with a yellowish hue—no larger than an infant’s fist—yet emitting an irresistibly sweet and cloying fragrance.
Had the mutated lizard possessed slightly higher intelligence, it might have noticed how starkly the barren ground around the fruit stood out in this wasteland overrun by mutated flora.
Tempted by the food, it quickly approached the fruit and opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of densely packed, needle-like teeth.
In the next second, a shadow too fast for the naked eye to follow swept past. The mutated lizard had no time to flee before its abdomen was pierced by a sharp bird's beak.
A featherless bone bird descended from the sky like a missile locking onto its target, wings pressed tightly against its sides, allowing momentum and its own weight to accelerate it to maximum speed as it precisely snatched its chosen prey.
Fresh green liquid, resembling grass juice, flowed from the mutated lizard's body, silently dripping into the soil to become part of the nutrients.
Just as the bone bird flapped its wings, intending to carry away its not-yet-fully-dead prey, it caught a glimpse of violently churning soil. A flash of vibrant color passed by, and its body was instantly severed in two by teeth structured like a steel trap.
Its final instinctual cry of agony became the last sound it left in this world.
The bright-colored corolla of the flower concealed the small yellow fruit it had used as bait atop its head. Waving its green branches, it spat out the lifeless prey.
The instinct to absorb nutrients stirred within it, only to be overridden by another desire, compelling it to act against its nature.
Dragging the corpse of the mutated bone bird, it arrived before a small cave and carefully laid down the offering.
The cave entrance was only about five centimeters wide, seemingly dug out by some small creature. In front of the entrance lay a circle of shiny man-made objects: two coins, tiny gemstones fallen from jewelry, rhinestones, and even a glossy button.
These were all trophies and decorations the cave's owner took great pride in.
Perhaps due to the noise or because the rain had finally stopped, shortly after the prey was set down, rustling sounds emerged from the cave.
First, a small gray mushroom cap poked out. The plump cap nearly got stuck in the entrance, but after a couple of struggling sounds and a soft "pop," it finally pulled itself out like a radish.
Momentum sent it tumbling twice on the ground until it collided with the bone bird and came to a stop, plopping down dizzily and lying still.
The Titan Arum, several meters long, watched from a distance, its heart tightening with worry.
Fortunately, within half a minute, the little gray mushroom stood back up. Its snow-white stem appeared short and stout, but due to its tiny size—the entire mushroom was only five centimeters tall—it looked miniature and inconspicuous.
Staring at the bone bird corpse several times its size, Hui Gu fell silent for a moment before suddenly leaping up, hopping around while chattering angrily.
"Pfft pfft!?"
Who threw trash in front of my door again!?
It struggled like a tiny jerboa.
Adorable, but utterly non-threatening.
Yet the mutated S-class carnivorous plant, several meters long, trembled violently, lowering its corolla almost to the ground like a child who had done something wrong.
It couldn't understand the little gray mushroom's words, but it could sense that its gift was still unwelcome.
Even though this bone bird's level was nearly A-grade—a nutrient-rich delicacy coveted by countless mutated species.
Hui Gu soon noticed the orchid hiding nearby. Puffing up with anger, it emitted a sound even more delicate than a fledgling bird's chirp, chattering incessantly for it to go away.
The mushroom cap bristled slightly, like a kitten puffing up its fur, while its spores, carrying an innate alluring pheromone, instinctively drifted toward the colossal creature.
It was an existence invisible to the naked eye—if described through perception, it was akin to a fragrance radiating a kaleidoscope of colors.
Instantly, the Titan Arum felt as if intoxicated, floating in ecstasy, as though some mysterious force had stripped it of control over its body.
So fragrant... so delightful... so adorable...
It swayed its floral crown, utterly bewitched by Hui Gu, yet its body was compelled to act in complete opposition, moving in the opposite direction.
It seemed deeply reluctant, glancing back every few steps, but soon vanished from Hui Gu's sight.
These bothersome mutants would, time and again, be enchanted by the spores he unconsciously emitted, clinging to him relentlessly.
Hui Gu stared at the corpse that had ruined the beautiful scenery at his doorstep, a wave of irritation washing over him.
But he was simply too small; even his fits of anger came off as endearing.
After a brief bout of helpless fury, Hui Gu resignedly climbed onto the skeletal bird's remains, just as he was about to figure out how to dispose of it, a chorus of human voices reached his ears.
Hui Gu: !
Startled, he tumbled down with a thud, landing perfectly within a palm-sized withered leaf.
The dusty little mushroom was completely concealed by the leaf, utterly inconspicuous.
The human voices grew louder. First, a somewhat anxious female voice spoke up.
"Where is Gu Wang?"
"Didn't you place a mental restraint on him?"
Then came a weak-sounding male voice.
"After the North Rift battle, he was severely injured—there's no way he could recover so quickly. Now, with his psyche attacked, even if he doesn't die, he's probably crippled."
Huang Xiaojun's expression eased slightly at this. "But he's missing now."
"So what if he ran?" The man, who had a delicate and refined appearance, smiled, though his words were venomous. "This is the wasteland. A bit further and it's the territory of the S-class Titan Arum. Saves us the trouble—he won't even leave a whole corpse behind."
What did it matter if he was the only super S-class mutant in human history?
He was still going to obediently become a stepping stone.
Huang Xiaojun looked at him in surprise. "Rumors say he adored you and treated you extremely well. I never expected you to be so ruthless."
Ji Nianwen concealed the ruthlessness in his eyes, feigning helplessness. "But my heart belongs only to your brother. He was the one who insisted..."
He left the rest unsaid, as if deliberately inviting speculation.
Their conversation didn't last long, as the roar of a mutant creature from somewhere drowned out their voices.
Although this was a common occurrence in the wasteland, Huang Xiaojun still felt a chill run down her spine. "Let's hurry back to the team."
They were dangerously close to the territory of the long-wanted S-class Titan Arum—a persistent headache for the base, which lacked the power to eliminate it.
If discovered, given their abilities, escape would be hopeless.
The sound of hurried footsteps faded into the distance, and eventually, everything around returned to its original deathly silence.
Hui Gu emerged from beneath the fallen leaves, gazing curiously in the direction they had departed.
Humans.
To him, they were a species both somewhat unfamiliar and yet known.
They were peculiar, possessing an intellect unlike any other creature.
Hui Gu could understand their speech but was unable to communicate with them.
He felt a flicker of interest in what they had just mentioned.
Gu Wang? What was that?
An unusual scent of blood wafted over—unlike the foul, stinking blood of mutant creatures, this carried a faint, enticing sweetness.
Following the sweet aroma, Hui Gu trailed along until he spotted traces of blood splattered on the ground.
It hadn't begun to dry yet; it was completely fresh.
Curious, Hui Gu followed the droplets of blood, gradually lifting his head until he met a pair of profoundly deep black eyes, icy coldness shimmering within them. The faint, phoenix-like eyes should have been calm, yet they held a chilling intensity capable of freezing everything.
The man's wounds were still bleeding, but it didn't make him seem weakened; instead, it added a layer of fierce, untamed aura.
Hui Gu froze for a moment, halting in place.
Hearing the faint noise, Gu Wang opened his eyes and glanced over, just in time to meet the gaze of the little gray mushroom: "..."
Seeing this silly little thing, Gu Wang frowned slightly, then indifferently closed his eyes again, suppressing the surge of blood that rose with every breath.
Watching himself being ignored so blatantly, Hui Gu stayed quiet for a few seconds before his Mushroom Cap abruptly puffed up a bit.
"Chirping and chattering!"
Unintelligible, but it probably involved some very foul language.
Gu Wang had never heard such tiny noises before and couldn't help but lift his eyelids again.
The little gray mutant creature had already jumped onto him, and whether intentionally or not, landed right on the wound on his leg.
Gu Wang, who struck fear into countless mutant creatures: "…"
He reassessed the mushroom, his dark eyes filled with implication.
Combat ability unknown, courage considerable.
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