As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
In response to Gu Wang's question, Hui Gu grumbled and refused to answer.
Although mushrooms should prefer shady and damp environments, and mutant mushrooms in particular should thrive on corpses to nourish themselves, he really disliked the smell of blood.
Of course, Gu Wang's blood was an exception.
Gu Wang's blood smelled sweet and fragrant.
Hui Gu, who had never been to school, couldn't describe it properly—he only knew he genuinely loved the scent of this human.
But the man still sensed something from his reaction.
A mutant creature that didn't like fresh flesh and blood...
Gu Wang glanced sideways at the little gray mushroom on his shoulder for a few seconds, then quickly let it go.
After all, this was a mushroom completely different from other mutant creatures—dull-witted and clumsy, likely a newborn that hadn't experienced danger yet.
It wasn't surprising it didn't even know how to eat.
Gu Wang: "Don't like rabbits?"
Hui Gu showed no reaction, and just kept playing on his shoulder.
Gu Wang: "Don't like mutant creature meat?"
Hui Gu still didn't respond, even becoming interested in the man's hair, wanting to grab and play with it.
Unfortunately, Gu Wang's hair wasn't long enough, and the mushroom was too short—even standing on his shoulder, it couldn't reach.
Gu Wang was extremely patient: "Don't like eating it raw?"
This time, Hui Gu finally let out a squeak.
Somewhat lazy.
The pampered little mushroom, who was hungry, wanted to throw a tantrum.
It eyed Gu Wang's temptingly appealing neck eagerly, then—while the man was lost in thought—chomped down with an "aowu" bite!
Naturally, it left no mark.
A mere mushroom didn't even have the chance to drool all over a human's neck!
As a top-tier new human, Gu Wang's skin, bones, and flesh had long become extremely tough.
Hui Gu released him somewhat disappointedly, then was distracted again by the man's peculiar actions.
It watched curiously as Gu Wang began using his supernatural ability to skin the creature.
If the sleek, handsome palm-sized throwing dart had a mind, it would surely feel deeply underutilized.
But under the man's control, even the mutant creature's resilient skin was perfectly removed in under a minute.
The filth-covered hide—its original color unrecognizable—was tossed aside. The rabbit had likely just fed on other small insectoid mutant creatures; its belly was bulging, and when cut open, there was no fat—only firm muscle.
Ninety-nine percent of mutant creature flesh was highly toxic to humans, containing intense contamination. A few bites would lead to contamination and death.
But new humans could tolerate these toxins—the higher their level, the greater their tolerance.
Not because they could digest the contamination, but because their bodies had higher contamination capacity and their own contamination levels were elevated.
Yet, no matter how high their tolerance, there would always come a day when they approached collapse.
This was the fate of all new humans—they would ultimately perish from contamination.
From beginning to end, they knew they were walking a path with no future, with the bones of countless comrades behind them and only a faint, almost illusory hope ahead.
Before becoming fully contaminated, these individuals would be centrally disposed of.
To prevent them from turning from humans into enemies of humanity, turning their blades against former family and comrades.
Gu Wang was the primary proposer of this rule and the one who pushed it through against opposition to implement it two years prior.
Central disposal was not euthanasia.
The base didn't have enough resources to provide for those already doomed.
The methods of disposal were extremely cruel and impersonal—a key reason he still faced significant opposition even after becoming chief.
But after fully taking over the base, he managed it with increasing order, leaving no openings for opponents, only to be betrayed by his trusted deputy.
A brief lapse in focus made killing intent gradually gather again in the man's eyes. The pungent blood scent of the contaminant he was handling invaded his mind, impossible to ignore.
Before him, everything seemed to be slowly turning into an endless expanse of bloodred.
His contamination level had long been approaching the critical point, and after sustaining severe injuries, the continuous exposure of his wounds to the wasteland air had accelerated the contamination.
Even he himself didn’t understand why he hadn’t completely lost his sanity yet.
His head throbbed as if it were about to split open. Just as black substances began to uncontrollably seep out around him, he was abruptly interrupted by a strange, gurgling sound.
Hui Gu: "Jiji ji gugu?" What is this?
He was extremely curious, like a newly weaned kitten, questioning the pulverized meat paste before him.
The meat paste had been ground to an exceptionally fine consistency, without a single shred of flesh or tendon left.
It was even finer than if it had been processed in a blender.
Gu Wang suddenly snapped back to reality and looked down, only to realize that he had unknowingly crushed all the flesh into paste.
Beside his hand was the "eagerly waiting" little mushroom.
He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he hadn’t accidentally ground him into the mix.
Seeing that the man didn’t respond to him immediately, Hui Gu bumped his hand in annoyance.
"Gu?"
Gu Wang pulled a military-grade lighter from another pocket, casually lit a fire by the roadside, and then, surprisingly, used his supernatural ability to form a pot.
This was the first time he had used his ability to create something other than a weapon. Unexpectedly, he felt no discomfort and had done an excellent job.
He poured the meat paste into the pot and began to cook it.
His supernatural ability allowed him to control the heat perfectly, so even without any oil, there was no risk of the paste burning.
Soon, the air was filled with the aroma of cooked meat.
Hui Gu naturally received the first bowl.
Gu Wang had specially crafted a tiny, miniature bowl for him, which was still about the same size as his entire body.
Hui Gu had never eaten cooked mutant creature meat before and found it incredibly novel.
He was extremely hungry. Previously, the Titan Arum’s offerings hadn’t appealed to him, and he had eaten very little, mostly plant-based fruits.
"Ao ao!"
Hui Gu let out a somewhat satisfied sound and buried his head in the cooked meat paste.
The meat paste had no seasoning, but the gamey smell had almost completely disappeared.
This wasn’t due to the fire—simply cooking mutant creatures couldn’t eliminate their inherent foul odor. It was Gu Wang’s supernatural ability that had absorbed the stench.
The contamination level in the meat had also been reduced to a minimum, with most of it absorbed by the ability.
Hui Gu was unaware of these details; he only knew that the meat paste tasted much better now.
Gulping it down, he finished one bowl after another.
His hunger had been alleviated, but it was replaced by another feeling.
Hui Gu didn’t know what he truly craved. He only knew that, although the meat paste tasted good, like the prey other mutant creatures had offered him, it couldn’t provide the energy he truly desired.
His stomach was full, but his desires remained unsatisfied.
Drawn by the pleasant scent emanating from the man, Hui Gu couldn’t resist the urge to eat more, so he continued.
By the fifth bowl, the man stopped refilling it.
Hui Gu let out a low, threatening growl in displeasure.
Of course, this was only his own perception.
To others, it still sounded like a childish whimper.
Then, the man’s rough fingertip gently rubbed his belly.
It was round and plump, as if the already chubby mushroom had become even rounder.
Gu Wang’s expression turned stern. "No more eating."
Then, as if realizing his tone had been too cold, he added, "There will be more later."
Hui Gu looked at him suspiciously: "Gu?" More later?
Gu Wang was becoming increasingly adept at understanding the little creature's gurgling expressions. He nodded slightly, "Yes, I'll catch more for you."
Only then did Hui Gu reluctantly release the bowl—he had practically crawled inside it earlier.
After eating and drinking his fill, Hui Gu wanted to climb back into his warm bed to continue sleeping. But before he could fully settle in, he felt the man's muscles tense up.
Having lived alone in the wasteland for a long time, Hui Gu's sensitivity was actually quite sharp. Soon, the unfamiliar scent carried through the air made him lift his head, searching for the source of the smell.
His head-tilting antics caught Gu Wang's attention.
The man who had originally planned to turn a blind eye spoke with displeasure, "Stop following me."
He had noticed early on that someone had been tailing him since that night at the kindergarten.
They kept their distance and didn't dare make any rash moves, but his observational skills were too keen.
And just now, while they were eating, the stalkers had presumptuously moved closer, thinking they went unnoticed.
So close that even this little creature had detected them.
Hui Gu was most skilled at bluffing with borrowed authority. Immediately, he chirped, "Ji!" Get lost!
His voice was too soft—naturally, no one but Gu Wang could hear it.
The corner of Gu Wang's mouth lifted briefly before flattening again.
As if the fleeting smile had been an illusion.
Seeing they had been discovered, the people behind them decided to throw caution to the wind and stepped on the accelerator, quickly driving over.
Noticing they weren't retreating but instead approaching, a faint killing intent surfaced in Gu Wang's eyes, though it was well concealed when he lowered his gaze.
At this moment, he trusted no one, let alone strangers appearing in the wasteland.
Soon, the vehicle came into their view. Hui Gu had never ridden in a car before and tilted his head to examine this massive contraption.
Perhaps to lower Gu Wang's guard, the woman in the passenger seat was the first to step out and immediately raised her hands to show she had no hostile intentions.
Fang Xiangxiang called out softly to him, "Hello, there are only two of us. We mean no harm."
They weren't lying about the numbers. Hui Gu sniffed the air and indeed only sensed two humans.
Seeing that Gu Wang showed no reaction, Fang Xiangxiang mustered her courage and took two more steps forward. Suddenly, a sharp blade of energy appeared before her, carving a fissure at her feet.
Had she taken one more step, her toes would have been neatly severed.
Fang Xiangxiang’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, her boyfriend in the driver’s seat rushed out anxiously, shouting, “What are you doing?!”
He hurried to his girlfriend’s side and asked urgently, “Are you okay?”
Fang Xiangxiang’s face was deathly pale. “I’m fine.”
Wang Xiaojun quickly embraced her, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting words. “It’s good that you’re okay, it’s good that you’re okay.”
Hui Gu had never seen a couple before and watched them with a mix of curiosity and confusion. Then, he was abruptly pressed down and plopped back into the pocket.
Gu Wang firmly pushed the nosy little mushroom back and said curtly, “Sleep.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
The completed novel is now available in my Ko-fi page.
If you appreciate what I do, please consider supporting me on kofi. Thank you!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•