As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
Wang Xiaojun, looking very eager to latch onto Gu Wang as a powerful backer, immediately spoke up: "We can help too!"
Hui Gu felt rather baffled.
Why did this couple spend their days not doing their own tasks or completing missions to exchange for food, but instead just loitered around them?
Coincidence?
Hui Gu tilted his head, his little brain struggling to process it.
Gu Wang stopped and glanced at them, instantly causing the two to break out in a cold sweat.
For a moment, Wang Xiaojun felt that under his gaze, he was like an object stripped bare, with no secrets left—every thought in his mind laid bare.
He lowered his head, instinctively avoiding Gu Wang's gaze.
This was a common reaction for lower-level new humans when facing higher-level ones.
New humans were often viewed by some extreme ordinary people as sharing origins with those mutant creatures, partly because of this strict hierarchy.
Like in a wolf pack, the higher-level new humans were closer to the alpha wolf. Even when social status was equal, lower-level new humans couldn't help but feel compelled to bow to the higher-level ones.
It was mockingly referred to as a trait before losing rationality.
Fang Xiangxiang was a bit braver than him. Suppressing the feeling of her hairs standing on end, she spoke up: "Yesterday, we wanted to familiarize ourselves with the Shelter and accidentally walked into its restricted zone. Maybe there are clues there."
Restricted zone?
Who would have thought this Shelter had a place that was off-limits.
As a mushroom born with a rebellious streak, Hui Gu immediately became interested.
Fang Xiangxiang: "Let us follow you. There must be something we can help with."
After speaking, she couldn't resist patting Xiao Bao's head, a look of pity in her eyes.
As if she deeply sympathized with the boy whose mother had gone missing.
Gu Wang: "Just give me the general route."
The man's expression was indifferent, his words carrying only a cold, hard refusal.
Fang Xiangxiang had no other choice. To avoid irritating him, she stopped pressing the matter and roughly described the direction of the restricted zone.
The so-called restricted zone was located in the deepest part of the Shelter.
To approach it, one had to pass through the entire new human activity area, which also included where Yu Zhenxin lived.
However, the Shelter was now in chaos, with the new humans out searching for the source of Yellow Hair's death, making it the perfect time to enter the restricted zone and investigate.
Hui Gu stayed in Gu Wang's pocket, only poking his head out when they reached a deserted spot: "Squeak?"
Gu Wang indulged him, letting him come out.
They quickly found the restricted zone Wang Xiaojun had mentioned.
Yellow caution tape blocked the way, with warning signs posted beside it forbidding entry.
Of course, a few strips of tape couldn't stop them, but Hui Gu suddenly heard movement behind them.
The little mushroom immediately ducked back inside.
Footsteps, unconcealed, came from behind.
Then followed that hypocritical and familiar voice: "Oh? What brings Mr. Gu here?"
Gu Wang turned around and said flatly, "I'm lost."
He couldn't even be bothered to come up with a better excuse.
Yu Zhenxin nearly failed to maintain the smile on his face for a moment: "Lost your way?"
"Mm." Gu Wang glanced toward the restricted area. "What's inside?"
Yu Zhenxin didn’t beat around the bush and spoke frankly: "A laboratory."
"A laboratory?" Gu Wang repeated, a faint glint of darkness flashing in his eyes. "There are still researchers in the Shelter?"
Yu Zhenxin casually straightened his sleeves, looking impeccably dressed. "Yes, these are the researchers who escaped from the base with us back then."
"The conditions on the road were extremely difficult at that time, and we encountered too many mutant creatures. Many people died, but no one wanted to abandon those important research facilities."
Yu Zhenxin’s tone suddenly grew impassioned, as if he had finally torn off a bit of his usual hypocritical mask: "These are the most valuable assets for humanity—of course, we must protect them! If one day we can develop results that benefit the entire human race, it would be worth protecting this laboratory even at the cost of my life."
He sighed again, calming his emotions. "Sorry for the outburst, but this is also the reason why I chose not to continue toward the base and instead established the Shelter with all the survivors."
It sounded so noble, as if he had no selfish motives at all.
Hui Gu tilted his head inside the pocket, somewhat confused.
In his view, this Shelter was only temporarily safe, with so many hidden dangers still present. No matter how eloquently Yu Zhenxin described it, the fact remained that it was dangerous.
Once the Lord Titan Arum here stayed away for too long, the lingering aura alone wouldn’t be enough to intimidate the aggressive mutant creatures for long.
The so-called safe zone would quickly turn into an even more terrifying high-risk area, with countless high-level mutant creatures coming to compete for territory.
In the face of those high-level mutant creatures, this Shelter would be as fragile as paper.
How could Yu Zhenxin believe that such a small group of people could keep this Shelter standing indefinitely, allowing him to reign here like a king?
At this thought, Hui Gu’s mind unexpectedly conjured the image of that massive yet clingy figure.
It had been a long time since he last saw that Titan Arum. Given how attached it was to him, it would likely realize he was gone a few days after returning from its hunt.
He hoped it wouldn’t be too upset.
Among all the annoying mutant creature followers, the Titan Arum was one of the few he found slightly tolerable.
However, it always left "trash" near his dwelling, which still annoyed the mushroom.
Hui Gu didn’t pay attention to what Yu Zhenxin said afterward, only knowing that the other was unwilling to let them enter the restricted area.
Gu Wang didn’t insist on going in to take a look either, as if he had truly just happened to pass by.
It wasn’t until they returned to their room that Hui Gu nudged him discontentedly with his head.
Gu Wang stroked him. "We’ll go again tonight. Today’s timing was a bit too coincidental."
Hui Gu: "Ji?"
Looking at the unconsciously tilting Grey Mushroom, a faint smile appeared in Gu Wang’s eyes, like a patient parent guiding a child’s thoughts: "Yu Zhenxin should have been busy dealing with the mutant creature invasion. Why would he suddenly have time to come to the restricted area, and just when we arrived?"
There were no surveillance cameras here. For the timing to be so precise, aside from coincidence, it could only be deliberate.
Gu Wang never believed in the former; he only knew that success depends on human effort.
So someone had tipped them off.
Hui Gu suddenly understood, and two figures flashed through his little brain.
If anyone could report so quickly, it was only that couple.
But why would they do this?
Hui Gu looked at Gu Wang with a humble desire for knowledge.
Very obedient.
Gu Wang's expression softened slightly as he gently rubbed the mushroom cap: "If Yu Zhenxin really didn't want us entering the restricted zone, he wouldn't have deliberately revealed information about the laboratory."
He was a smart man.
At the very least, he should have guessed that his identity wasn't just that of an ordinary survivor.
So he wanted to use this reversely, deliberately revealing part of his hand to lure him in.
If he wasn't mistaken, there must be something waiting for him in the restricted zone.
And Yu Zhenxin was playing a chess game only he understood - he had already placed the consumable pieces in the most vulnerable position, confident that he would act again tonight.
To make another trip to the restricted zone under cover of darkness.
As for Yellow Hair's death, that was probably an unexpected variable outside his chessboard.
The faint panic on his face this morning wasn't fake - if he were that good an actor, those artificial flaws wouldn't have shown through earlier.
Hui Gu listened with partial understanding but still nodded with feigned profundity.
Gu Wang chuckled softly.
He never expected this little fellow to understand these human complexities - this was just fine as it was.
"Want to go?"
Hui Gu looked up, meeting Gu Wang's dark eyes that softened noticeably when filled with laughter.
Gu Wang casually stroked the mushroom, deliberately keeping his movements gentle: "If you're curious, let's go take a look."
A trap? This level of danger wasn't even within his consideration.
Hui Gu nodded somewhat confusedly, feeling so comfortable under the man's touch that he unconsciously narrowed his eyes. The sense of crisis from smelling the familiar scent gradually faded away.
Slowly melting into a puddle of mushroom pancake under Gu Wang's hand.
But the incident occurred before nightfall.
While Hui Gu was playing alone on the bed, he suddenly heard a strange sound.
The sound was somewhat distant, so at first he thought it was his imagination.
But listening carefully, it became clearer.
Crunching, crackling sounds came from overhead, starting as faint noises before growing increasingly impossible to ignore. It was clear that something was approaching them through the ventilation duct above the room.
When encountering trouble, don’t panic—just call for backup.
Hui Gu looked up and let out a series of chirping sounds to summon Gu Wang.
Ever since he had been caught sneaking out to play through the vent last time, the opening had been quietly blocked by someone.
This also meant that those inside the room couldn’t see what was happening inside the duct.
The noise grew increasingly shrill, eventually turning into loud thuds—the sound of flesh colliding with the cold metal pipes.
Curious, Hui Gu moved closer to the blocked vent. Before he could figure out what it was, a tremendous noise erupted right beside his ear.
"Squeak!"
The loud sound startled the mushroom, who instinctively leaped onto Gu Wang, who had rushed over upon hearing the noise, and scurried up to his shoulder to curl into a ball.
It took only two seconds for the Charming Mushroom to turn into a Timid Mushroom.
Gu Wang soothingly patted the curled-up mushroom, his gaze turning cold as he looked upward.
Another loud thud echoed—the thing in the ventilation duct was trying to break through the blocked opening.
It sensed no killing intent, only a frantic desire to find the source of the scent, to locate the existence the Mother Body craved.
After several consecutive impacts, a crack was actually forced open.
A deathly gray woman’s face suddenly squeezed through, her distorted features twisting into a grotesque, extreme smile. As she opened her mouth to speak, a crimson tongue lolled out: "Fo—found you."
Like, like, like... I like it so much!!
The creature’s instincts and lingering obsessions from life had completely vanished, leaving only the 100% mental control inflicted by the Mother Body. It began to mutate wildly, both in body and soul, its pollution level instantly peaking.
A pair of blood-red pupils fixed directly on Gu Wang, bloodthirsty emotions tangling like a ball of yarn, growing more and more chaotic until all thoughts twisted together into one sharp, clear goal—plunder.
On him, it’s on him.
The thing she liked, the thing she must have, had been taken by him.
That belonged to the Mother Body—the Mother Body found it first, the Mother Body should have it.
Why abandon the Mother Body? Why go with him?
Why drive the Mother Body away?
Does he hate the Mother Body?
Why? Why? Why!!
Tears of eerie, inexplicable blood began to stream from the woman’s eyes. With her face hanging above the room, some blood drip as she stared down at the man below.
Her eyes were so sharp they seemed about to bulge out, her irises reflecting the man’s figure down to the finest details.
So this is what He likes.
Then seize him, use this skin as the Mother Body’s new incubation sac.
The half-mutated woman opened her mouth and let out a piercing, mournful shriek.
Kill him!!!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
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!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•