As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
Hui Gu didn't understand why, but the man's muscles tensed further upon hearing this.
As if he were wary of something.
He glanced around from the pocket, but saw no threat in the sallow, emaciated faces of the crowd.
While Hui Gu was distracted, Gu Wang finished inquiring about food.
Unfortunately, the canned tomatoes were the only clean food the middle-aged man could dig up.
The rest were all items with pollution levels.
Gu Wang could eat such food himself, but he inexplicably didn't want to feed Hui Gu these messy, contaminated items.
Perhaps sensing Gu Wang's thoughts, the middle-aged man whispered, "If you want low-pollution-level food, you should go to Director Yu. He controls all the Shelter's resources."
"Those resources belong to them?" Gu Wang asked.
"Of course not." The middle-aged man smiled bitterly. "Actually, almost all of us here fled from a medium-sized base in the south."
Those supplies were originally carried by all of them together.
A group that originally numbered over a thousand people, carrying ample supplies and weapons, had dwindled to just a few dozen by the time they reached this place. Too many had died along the way, and now that they finally had a Shelter to take refuge in, the new humans led by Yu Zhenxin were unwilling to go any further.
Even though their initial plan had been to seek refuge at Dawn Base, no one dared mention it anymore.
The ordinary people, afraid of being abandoned, willingly let the new humans control the resources. The increasingly oppressive atmosphere in the Shelter became something everyone accepted as normal.
Now, with the Shelter taking in more people, the few dozen had grown to over a hundred, but all the newcomers were ordinary people.
The new humans currently in the base were all from the southern base from the very beginning, making them exceptionally united.
From the middle-aged man's account, Hui Gu sensed something amiss.
The Shelter had been continuously taking people in, but how could it be that only ordinary people had been added?
After all, the ones most likely to appear in the wasteland were supposed to be new humans.
Even though new humans were scarce, making up only five percent of the ordinary population, those ordinary people who managed to find the Shelter alive must have had new humans escorting them beforehand.
Otherwise, they would have been devoured long ago in the wasteland.
The questions Hui Gu could think of, Gu Wang naturally considered as well.
He asked without hesitation.
The middle-aged man gave an awkward laugh, "Those new humans would bring ordinary people to our Shelter, but within a few days, they'd choose to abandon them and leave on their own to seek out larger bases."
"That's just human nature. We ordinary people are the easiest to discard as burdens."
Hui Gu narrowed his eyes and stared at the middle-aged man for a long moment.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this man wasn't telling the truth.
Abandonment was not uncommon in the apocalypse, but how could it be that not a single new human chose to stay?
People's thoughts varied greatly, and not every new human had the strength to safely reach a large base.
Although this Shelter wasn't very big, it treated capable new humans extremely well.
How could they fail to retain even one new human, leaving only the ordinary people they had brought with them?
Hui Gu nudged Gu Wang through the fabric with his head, trying to remind the man that this person might be lying.
Then he felt a gentle pat.
Gu Wang soothed the restless mushroom in his pocket and showed no intention of probing further.
The middle-aged man said no more, simply pointed out the way to Gu Wang, and went off to attend to his duties for the day.
When they reached a quiet spot, Hui Gu immediately sprang out from the pocket: "Chirp chirp chirp!"
He's lying! He's deceiving us!
Gu Wang looked down at the indignant little gray mushroom: "He did it on purpose."
On purpose?
Hui Gu looked confused, tilting his head in puzzlement.
Gu Wang was amused by his dumbfounded expression and couldn't resist gently stroking him: "Everyone who survives in the apocalypse is shrewd. Of course he knows there are holes in his story."
But he still chose to reveal part of the truth, hinting that there's something strange about this Shelter.
Maybe he wants to curry favor, or perhaps he hopes Gu Wang's arrival might change something.
Hui Gu listened with partial understanding, his Mushroom Cap wrinkling into a tight ball.
He still had many questions, but after chirping once, he gave up.
He could tell Gu Wang could only guess simple meanings from his tone - deeper communication was still too difficult for them now.
If he could become like humans, would they be able to communicate smoothly without barriers?
This thought flashed through his mind without leaving much trace.
From a mushroom's aesthetic perspective, humans weren't particularly beautiful creatures.
For the narcissistic little gray mushroom, anything other than his current form was considered ugly.
Only his smooth curves, rounded body, and understated luxurious gray were the most beautiful existence in the world.
Watching the mushroom who had inexplicably become happy again while hanging from his pocket with a silly grin, the corner of Gu Wang's mouth lifted briefly.
Soon that hint of smile disappeared, returning to his expressionless state.
They didn't stay in that area for long before Yu Zhenxin sent someone to find them.
It was the same Yellow Hair who had beaten Wang Xiaojun yesterday. He brought an invitation: "Our director hopes you'll honor us with your presence for dinner tonight."
His tone was confident, as if certain Gu Wang wouldn't refuse.
Gu Wang's response was quite indifferent: "No need."
Yellow Hair was taken aback, then became somewhat anxious: "Wait, our director has prepared many delicacies to celebrate the arrival of a high-level new human in our Shelter."
Others quickly chimed in: "It's all to welcome you. If you don't come, you'll be disappointing Director Yu's good intentions."
Delicacies?
Hui Gu caught the keyword and moved in the pocket, beginning to restlessly poke Gu Wang's abdominal muscles.
Gu Wang looked down warningly at his pocket.
Hui Gu raised his head and met his gaze innocently.
The hard abdominal muscles flattened the soft Mushroom Cap, making him look somewhat pitiful.
Gu Wang: "..."
The moment the man looked away, Hui Gu started poking even more vigorously.
Gu Wang: "...What time?"
Yellow Hair: "Six tonight."
Gu Wang didn't respond further, only giving a slight nod.
...
The dining location was naturally in the area where new humans lived.
Also deeper inside, closer to the heart of the Shelter.
Gu Wang hadn't been here before, but he didn't care about the other new humans in the Shelter either.
While following, he paid no attention to his surroundings.
Instead, Hui Gu was like a curious baby, secretly looking around everywhere.
To accommodate him, Gu Wang deliberately kept wearing tops with pockets, even allowing him to poke small holes in them.
The environment here was far superior to where ordinary people lived. Like Gu Wang, nearly every new human had their own private room.
The floors were clean and tidy, gleaming as if they could reflect light.
It didn't feel like a Shelter at all—more like a five-star hotel in its cleanliness, a world apart from the "refugee camp" they'd seen during the day.
The stark division highlighted an absurd and disheartening reality.
Soon, they discovered why this place was so spotless.
After walking a short distance forward, Hui Gu's gaze fell upon a woman kneeling on the ground.
She was meticulously wiping the floor with a small cloth, terrified of leaving any dirt behind and facing punishment.
Yellow Hair strode over and kicked her: "Why are you still here?"
The woman's first reaction to being kicked was to tremble and press herself flat against the floor: "I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling well today, so I'm cleaning slower. I'm almost done."
Perhaps from speaking too much at once, she couldn't suppress a few low coughs.
Her chest seemed clogged, as if something were stuck in her throat, producing a raspy, wheezing sound.
Her body curled even tighter until her spine nearly contorting.
Yellow Hair glanced at her with disgust: "You!"
He wanted to harass her further, but when he looked up, he noticed Gu Wang had already moved ahead.
The man didn't even glance their way, as if completely indifferent to the scene.
Yet his footsteps quickened slightly.
Afraid of losing him, Yellow Hair could only wave her off: "Get out of here. I'll let it slide today."
With that, he hurried after him.
The woman remained where she was, coughing continuously. The pain seeped deep into her bones, offering no relief. Her dazed mind hadn't registered Yellow Hair's words, leaving only primal thoughts.
Clean, clean, clean...
She had to clean, every spot had to be clean.
Only when it was clean could she buy tasty treats for Xiao Bao—Xiao Bao was still growing.
If she did her work well, she could exchange for supplies for Xiao Bao.
The weather was turning cold; winters after the apocalypse were harsh. She needed to get Xiao Bao a set of warm clothes.
Wipe, wipe, wipe.
As Gu Wang moved away, the woman soon vanished from Hui Gu's sight.
Uncharacteristically distracted, he shifted his attention to other humans.
That person just now... seemed to carry a strange scent.
He felt like he'd smelled it somewhere before.
From one of his most detested pursuers.
But there were far too many mutant creatures who had chased after him, and even more who didn't understand boundaries and tried to claim him as their possession.
Though Hui Gu couldn't remember all of them, a few particularly repulsive ones came to mind.
They were the mutant creatures that had left the mushroom with severe psychological scars.
A vague white figure gradually surfaced in Hui Gu's mind, its greedy red pupils growing clearer and more persistent.
It couldn't be...
He shuddered silently in his pocket.
Impossible. That disgusting creature had long been driven away with the Titan Arum's help.
How could it appear here, and even leave its scent on a human?
An illusion, it must be an illusion.
After reassuring himself, Hui Gu felt somewhat gloomy.
If it really was that thing, then everyone in this Shelter was doomed.
And he would be the most doomed—harassed by that vile being again.
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