As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
They soon arrived at the apartment the agent had recommended. It had likely been an upscale residential complex before the apocalypse, and even now, after the end of the world, most of its original appearance had been preserved.
However, the fountain no longer flowed, and the roadside greenery had been completely cleared, leaving behind barren soil.
Agent: "The rent here is five hundred points for three months. Only someone as capable as you, a new human, could afford it."
He didn't forget to flatter while making the introduction, displaying impeccable professionalism.
This statement also served as a reminder that in an apocalypse where basic survival was the primary concern, anyone who could afford a monthly rent of five hundred credits—whether sharing or living alone—typically held an unusual status.
Such individuals were not to be offended lightly.
Seeing that this aloof man showed no reaction, the agent sighed inwardly.
He could only hope this tenant wouldn’t immediately provoke the wrong people upon moving in; otherwise, the extra commission he’d pocketed might have to be returned.
As it turned out, the agent’s concerns were not unfounded. The moment they went upstairs, they ran into a neighbor who was just heading out.
A man who, despite the apocalypse, had managed to grow plump all over, had one arm around a young beauty and the other around a handsome youth.
At the sight of Gu Wang, the fat man’s first reaction was displeasure.
The man was too tall—his upright posture and perfectly proportioned inverted triangle physique, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, made him look imposing even in a simple black combat suit.
In contrast, the ostentatious outfit the fat man had deliberately worn today lost all its flair in his presence.
The five-foot-three fat man glanced at the bandages wrapped around Gu Wang’s face, his tone dripping with unwarranted malice: “Did your face get disfigured?”
There was clear schadenfreude in his voice.
“So it’s Young Master Xiao!” The agent, fearing a confrontation, immediately bowed and scraped, trying to change the subject. “Heading to Nightclub?”
The fat man, addressed as Young Master Xiao, seemed somewhat satisfied with the agent’s subservient attitude and grunted in acknowledgment.
The agent quickly followed up, his expression obsequious: “Only someone as remarkable as you, a new human, can go to Nightclub. Us ordinary folks can’t even afford the entrance ticket, let alone spend anything there.”
The fat man sneered, “Someone like you wouldn’t even be allowed to polish shoes at their doorstep.”
“It’s not a place just anyone can go to,” he added, deliberately aiming the remark at Gu Wang.
Unfortunately, the man didn’t even glance his way.
It was like punching cotton.
The fat man glared at him fiercely and was about to say more when the young woman beside him leaned in and whispered something coyly.
Looking down at the large gold watch on his wrist, the fat man realized he was running short on time and had no choice but to give up on harassing them. He left with a disgruntled expression.
Watching their retreating figures from inside the backpack, Hui Gu felt somewhat puzzled.
Why did those two younger humans, who clearly disliked the fat man, still force themselves to cling to him against their instincts?
The agent wiped cold sweat from his forehead and spoke with a resigned tone: "That one must not be offended. Though he's only a C-Class new human himself, he's related to Lord Xiao. Others would kill to curry favor with him."
There weren't many people with the surname Xiao in the base, and only one could be addressed with such respect.
Gu Wang raised an eyebrow slightly: "Xiao Wubian?"
"Yes, yes, exactly." The agent looked surprised. "I didn't expect you to have heard of Lord Xiao already, having just arrived at the base."
That kid Xiao Wubian probably didn't even know he had a relative leeching off him.
Gu Wang raised an eyebrow but didn't explain further: "Hmm."
"Lord Xiao is the guild master of the Endless Night Guild, single-handedly establishing the most powerful guild in the base." The agent spoke earnestly: "So whatever you do, don't offend..."
He went on and on, talking until his mouth was nearly dry, convinced he had made everything perfectly clear, before finally handing the keys to Gu Wang and leaving him to the space.
As soon as the man left, Hui Gu immediately jumped out eagerly through a small opening in the backpack zipper: "Squeak!"
He ran around curiously, strutting proudly like a lion inspecting its territory.
It was a three-bedroom apartment with a very spacious kitchen, each room having its own bathroom, and near the entrance in the living room was a large bar counter, though the cabinets behind were already empty of alcohol.
All of this, without any roommates, was entirely theirs. Hui Gu could go wherever he wanted.
For a mushroom only five centimeters tall, it was enormous. Hui Gu ran for a long time without fully exploring everything, eventually panting as he rested in a small teacup on the table.
A hint of amusement flickered in Gu Wang's eyes, not regretting at all renting this large place.
Without roommates, the mushroom could run around freely.
The things he needed to do later weren't suitable to bring him along, nor could he bear to lock him up in a tiny room.
After resting enough, Hui Gu noticed the man's gaze and turned to see him silently staring.
Compared to how he usually looked at outsiders, his expression was much softer now.
Unfortunately, the mushroom was quite oblivious and couldn't sense the unusual warmth. He issued a command arrogantly: "Squeak squeak squeak!"
What are you looking at! Go to the kitchen and cook me a couple of dishes!
Gu Wang chuckled: "Hungry again?"
Hui Gu smacked his lips, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Gu Wang's wrist, where the wound was no longer visible.
He was indeed hungry.
But not in his stomach.
It was a spiritual hunger.
Hui Gu couldn't describe this feeling and didn't want Gu Wang to know, so he suppressed the craving further, pretending not to care.
He followed Gu Wang to the kitchen, where the man found some food left by the previous tenant: noodles made from special mutant wheat and an egg from an unknown mutant creature, which didn't smell highly contaminated.
There wasn't much left, but it was enough for their dinner that night.
Hui Gu had never eaten noodles before. He waited expectantly by the pot, the steam fogging up his view.
Gu Wang's teasing voice came from beside him, unusually playful: "Don't fall in and turn into an extra side dish."
Foolish human, how dare he mock the Mushroom King!
Hui Gu charged over angrily and bit down on the prominent wrist bone of the man's hand, though naturally, no mark was left.
Dangling from the wrist like a small trinket, Mushroom was deftly scooped up by Gu Wang's other hand, who then began kneading him with just the right amount of pressure.
Hui Gu let out a series of soft, squishy noises under the massage.
The noodles were ready quickly, seasoned only with basic kitchen condiments. In this post-apocalyptic world, even salt had become precious, so only a little was used.
The flavor was light, but after a day of relentless travel, the warmth of a bowl of hot soup was enough to leave a comforting, searing imprint on the heart.
Two bowls were placed on the table, the smaller one adorned with an extra fried egg, golden and glistening with oil.
A gentle night breeze drifted through the window, carrying with it the aroma of food and an indescribable sense of warmth that slowly filled the room.
...
The night passed without dreams.
The moment his dark, deep eyes opened, they fell upon Hui Gu sound asleep on his chest.
A trace of helplessness flickered in Gu Wang's gaze. "When did you pick up this bad habit?"
Ever since that day he was severely injured, this little one had taken to sleeping on his chest every night.
Like an insecure young creature, he seemed to need the closeness of his caregiver to fall asleep.
Yet, Hui Gu's quality of sleep showed no signs of insecurity.
Gu Wang gently moved him from his chest to the pillow, and Hui Gu merely mumbled drowsily, turned over, and continued sleeping soundly.
It wasn't until sunlight traced the passage of time across the bed, its faint glare finally rousing the slumbering Sleeping Beauty Mushroom.
"Gu..." Hui Gu rolled a few times on the pillow but, instead of being caught by the familiar person, tumbled confusedly onto the quilt following his momentum.
That woke him up completely.
Gu Wang had left at four in the morning, and Hui Gu had slept straight until eleven. Any residual warmth in the blankets had long since faded.
With a little hop, he bounced onto the nightstand.
Someone had anticipated that his first order of business upon waking would be to look for food and had specifically left a bowl there for him.
It was also the last of the household's food supplies.
Hui Gu happily finished the meal, amused himself for a while, and then his pent-up energy transformed into a destructive force, causing chaos everywhere.
Ji?
What's this?
Tear it apart!
Ji?
This is in the way!
Toss it!
After turning the place upside down, Hui Gu's attention was suddenly captured by another room.
It was a smaller guest bedroom, cluttered with even more odds and ends, and in the most prominent spot stood a photo of the previous residents.
Taken before the apocalypse, the original owner must have cherished this photo deeply, as even the frame was impeccably preserved without a single scratch.
In the photo, two people smiled radiantly, backed by a dazzling sea of flowers.
Hui Gu had never seen humans display such beautiful, unguarded smiles in the presence of plants. Curious, he leaned in for a closer look.
One slightly shorter boy beamed happily at the camera, while the taller man beside him wasn't looking at the lens but rather turning his head to gaze at the boy, his eyes overflowing with adoration. The sweetness was palpable, vividly conveyed through the image alone.
Hui Gu circled around the photo and discovered a sentence written on the back of the frame.
["Taken with my beloved at the beginning of our happiness."]
The handwriting was delicate and elegant; if the writing reflected the person, the one who penned these words must have been exceedingly thoughtful.
Unfortunately, Hui Gu was an Illiterate Mushroom and couldn't decipher these little square characters.
Just as he still couldn't comprehend the heavy, complex emotions preserved within the photograph.
This time, he didn’t scatter things carelessly, but the other items on the desk weren’t so lucky—all knocked to the floor by the whirlwind-like Hui Gu.
A ballpoint pen, mischievously pushed off by Hui Gu, rolled forward until it bumped against the wardrobe and stopped.
Hui Gu craned his neck, watching it come to a halt, his gaze slowly shifting toward the wardrobe.
Before long, the clothes inside the wardrobe were also pulled out.
There were clothes in two sizes—some larger, while the smaller-sized ones were more numerous, mostly still quite new, with a wider variety of styles.
Hui Gu held up a white shirt, comparing it to himself, and a thought flickered through his mind.
This shirt seemed like it would fit him perfectly if he turned into a human.
Hmm… could he still transform now?
It wasn’t that he wanted to become human—he was just curious.
After mentally preparing himself, Hui Gu closed his eyes, recalling the mindset from that day, repeating the intention over and over in his heart. As that conviction grew stronger, his entire body began to heat up again.
After about fifteen minutes, Hui Gu opened his eyes and, sure enough, saw a completely different version of himself.
Curiously, he stretched out his hands to examine them closely.
Last time, he hadn’t had the chance to properly observe himself because he’d been focused on taking care of Gu Wang.
After admiring his ten-fingered hands, he touched his face, pinching and pulling at the soft flesh of his cheeks, making his mouth form a straight line one moment and a tiny beak shape the next.
When he let go, his overly delicate skin immediately reddened, as if someone had pinched him hard—a pitiful, easily bullied appearance. His innocent, guileless eyes, paired with naturally upturned cat-like eyes, gave him the look of an angel newly descended to earth to tempt mortals.
Imitating Gu Wang’s manner, Hui Gu clumsily pulled the shirt over himself. The clean white shirt outlined his slender waist with a pleasing curve.
Hui Gu stared at himself in the mirror for a while, taking in the reflection of someone with rosy lips, white teeth, and even hair that exuded refinement. He couldn’t help but shake his head: "So ugly. Is Gu Wang’s blood poisonous or something?"
He stretched out his hand, gripping at the air a few times, faintly sensing that this human form was even more unstable than before.
It would probably only last about five hours.
Unlike last time, right after drinking Gu Wang’s blood, he had spent much longer just to Shapeshift this time.
If he wanted to Shapeshift again, he’d have to drink Gu Wang’s blood once more.
Opportunities like that were rare—he had to cherish this chance to be in human form.
Thinking this, Hui Gu found a pair of shoes to wear and happily went to dig under the sofa for the keys.
Although Gu Wang had locked the door before leaving, the clever mushroom had already noticed him hiding the spare key there yesterday.
The key turned in the lock, and Hui Gu quickly opened the door.
Just before stepping out, the man’s whispered warning from last night before bed suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Absolutely do not go out on your own."
Those words all revolved around that central idea, emphasizing that if he were discovered as a mutant creature, he would immediately be captured and taken to a laboratory, locked away forever, and never to see each other again.
Such words might fool a child, but he was the Mushroom King.
Hui Gu thought smugly that no one would see through his disguise now.
Outwardly, he appeared completely human—just the most ordinary, unremarkable person in the base.
There was no way he would draw attention.
The only thing he needed to be careful about was returning before sunset.
Not just to avoid being discovered by Gu Wang, but more importantly, because his human form could only be maintained for one afternoon.
Having quickly reassured himself and pushed Gu Wang’s words out of his mind, Hui Gu pushed the door open and stepped out.
"Hey!"
The moment he emerged, a loud voice startled him.
Xiao Lai, seeing his neighbor’s door open, rushed out eagerly: "Didn’t have time to catch you last time, but now you’ve walked right into my hands again!"
His bulky, two-hundred-pound frame stood blocking the stairway—the only way down.
The elevator here had long been out of order, and the path he blocked was the sole exit.
Hui Gu slammed the door shut, his palm-sized, exquisitely beautiful face filled with annoyance at being provoked: "Who are you talking to?"
His tone was dripping with impatience.
Xiao Lai gaped, utterly stunned, like a toad choking at the sight of a swan—unable to look away.
So... so beautiful...
Even in the apocalypse, or back in the pre-apocalyptic era when beauty filters and makeup were all the rage, he had never seen anyone so effortlessly stunning. A face carved by nature, eyes clearer than a cat’s, and features with a mixed-race allure yet harmoniously doll-like.
Even anger only enhanced that face, and his voice was utterly captivating. Every movement was like a white jasmine—fragrant, elegant, and aloof.
Xiao Lai’s face flushed deep red, his whole body turning as red as a boiled shrimp. His mind went blank, unable to form any coherent thought except one: in that instant, he had fallen head over heels in love.
Hui Gu walked up to him, but seeing him still staring dumbfounded and motionless, his tone turned fiercer: "Get out of the way."
"Ah! Oh, right!" Xiao Lai jumped as if pricked by a rose’s thorn, his heavy frame making the movement awkward as he pressed himself against the wall to clear the path.
Watching Hui Gu’s retreating back without a hint of hesitation, Xiao Lai finally snapped back to reality. His first instinct was to wipe his mouth, relieved that no drool had escaped—or he would have been utterly humiliated.
Clearing his throat, Xiao Lai hurried after Hui Gu: "Sorry about that, I wasn’t trying to yell at you. I thought only that gloomy guy lived here."
He was completely mesmerized by Hui Gu; even standing beside him felt like breathing in a unique, refreshing fragrance that soothed the soul.
When Hui Gu ignored him, Xiao Lai grew even more excited, mistaking the silence for agreement. He continued, "Are you renting with him? He looks like the type who’d turn twisted after getting disfigured. I’ve seen way too many creeps like that."
He rambled on and on until finally revealing his true intentions: "You could move in with me! My place is big, and I won’t charge you rent!"
"No, no—wait, I’ll pay you rent! If you’re willing, I’ll give you all the points I earn every month!"
Noisier than those Mutated Bone Birds, even the brawling Mutated Wild Dogs at night were quieter than him. Hui Gu couldn't take it anymore and turned to glare, directly commanding, "Shut up."
Xiao Lai immediately pressed his lips together and fell silent, his body instinctively obeying Hui Gu's words while his dull mind hadn't yet registered anything amiss.
Hui Gu took a few steps forward before suddenly sensing something wrong. He turned around and sure enough, there was the fatso licking his lips and flashing an ugly grin at him.
Already in a foul mood, Hui Gu's expression darkened instantly. He pointed at him without any courtesy: "Stop following me, or you'll face the consequences!" His voice carried anger, but it was softened considerably by that faintly soft tone at the end.
Like a cat arching its back and hissing.
Xiao Lai had no choice but to halt. If anyone else had said those words, no matter how much he liked their face, he would never have listened.
But for some reason, he didn't want to defy a single word from Hui Gu. So he could only stand there like a fool, watching him cross the street and disappear into the distance. Even though every fiber of his being screamed to chase after him, his legs felt like lead weights, utterly immobile.
This must be because he's found true love, making him unable to bear refusing any request from the other.
Xiao Lai explained it to himself with a mix of agony and sweetness, grinning foolishly as he sank into nauseating fantasies.
Finally free of the annoying trash, Hui Gu could finally take his time to explore. Compared to the limited view from inside the backpack before, this time he could experience everything without any restrictions or distance.
At this hour, almost everyone was at work. There weren't many pedestrians on the street, mostly ordinary people or low-level new humans rushing to their jobs.
But every passerby couldn't help stealing glances at Hui Gu, their eyes revealing obvious astonishment.
They all wanted to approach and strike up a conversation, yet no one dared to actually try, only watching from afar until he disappeared from view.
Someone so stunningly beautiful who could swagger around openly either possessed exceptional abilities themselves or had someone backing them with exceptional power.
Those who considered saying a word had to carefully weigh whether they were worthy.
Hui Gu naturally felt these burning gazes. Back when he was Mushroom, casually wandering the wasteland had much the same effect.
After getting used to it, he paid it little mind.
But now he felt a bit worried, wondering if he had somehow given himself away.
Hui Gu looked down at himself, somewhat troubled, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a girl wearing a cap passing by. Like the others, she froze upon seeing Hui Gu's face.
When she saw him walking towards her, she grew so excited her nails dug into her palms: "H-Hello."
Hui Gu offered her a friendly smile: "Hello, could you sell me your cap?"
The girl dazedly took it off: "I can just give it to you, it's only an ordinary baseball cap..."
Halfway through her sentence, staring at Hui Gu's impossible-to-ignore face, she suddenly had an epiphany and hurriedly pulled a face mask from her pocket.
"This too, I'll give it to you." Her cheeks flushed slightly, experiencing the flutter of a maiden's heart for the first time.
Hui Gu looked at her carefully: "Thank you, I'll remember your face. When we meet again, I will definitely repay you."
"Okay." The girl took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her composure.
She had almost forgotten how long it had been since she last felt such emotions. After the apocalypse, she had grown numb—let alone love at first sight, simply not wanting to kill someone on sight could be considered a sign of goodwill.
But the moment the young man glanced her way, she felt her hands and feet go numb, as if a cat had encountered catnip. A voice in her mind seemed to scream: Agree to whatever he wants! No matter what it is!
It wasn’t until her rationality slowly returned that she realized she had forgotten to ask for his identity badge ID. Unfortunately, by the time she looked up, Hui Gu had already walked far away.
Hui Gu’s face was naturally small, with a petite head circumference. With a cap pulled low and a mask covering most of his features, only a pair of Persian cat-like eyes were visible.
Even with so much concealed, most passersby would still find themselves inexplicably glancing back at him, drawn in by an uncontrollable attraction they themselves weren’t even aware of.
Thankfully, with his face covered, these onlookers would only sneak a puzzled glance his way, and no one would stare directly anymore.
Hui Gu felt much more at ease and finally had time to think about what he needed to do next.
Since he was already out, he might as well find a way to lighten the burden on his Incubator.
The person he had picked up was just too poor, even having to find ways to earn money as early as 4 a.m.—what difference was there from hunting before dawn?
Hui Gu sighed inwardly and shook his head.
Such an unambitious human. Better let the Mushroom King earn a living instead.
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