Wasteland Development Diary

"The blast mushroom's tendrils enter the ground, making it difficult to remove. The Black Hand Mushrooms can dig it out and keep it stable, but if I were to carry it, the bumps along the way would easily cause it to explode. So, after much consideration, I decided against bringing an actual blast mushroom."

The Bone Man explained.

He then took out a clay doll made of mud and stone: "However, I also made a clay sculpture based on the blast mushroom. Although it won't explode, I molded its shape and size according to the original, so it can be used as a reference for identification."

Zhou Yi took the model.

The blast mushroom was flat, like a slightly raised lump of mud, with no patterns or bright colors on the surface, but some thread-like tendrils grew from the bottom.

Whether placed on the ground or buried in the soil, it would be difficult to discover or notice, blending seamlessly into the carpet of fungi.

Without local guidance, the mushroom forest is an extremely dangerous natural minefield.

Zhou Yi examined the clay sculpture of the blast mushroom and praised, "No wonder the mushroom forest has never been breached by other Lightborn and humans. You have a very comprehensive defense system."

"Please don't say that. Compared to your earth-shattering power to control the Dead Sea aberration, these things in the mushroom forest are not worth mentioning."

The Bone Man maintained a humble attitude: "These blast mushroom larvae are called Stone Pouch Mushrooms. As they grow, some of them will evolve into blast mushrooms. The blast mushroom's tendrils adhere tightly to the surface of the ground. If any life other than fungi enters the range detectable by its tendrils, the vibrations and trampling will detonate it."

"Ultimately, the blast mushroom is a special evolution to maintain the stability of the nearby land and prevent it from being destroyed."

Zhou Yi seized the key point: "Some of them? Are there other evolutionary paths for the Stone Pouch Mushrooms?"

"You are right,"

The Bone Man nodded: "The other part of the Stone Pouch Mushrooms grows upwards instead of collapsing downwards. It will turn into a shape like a large stone, inconspicuous, but the energy accumulated inside will increase, and the surface will be extremely hard, with an appearance no different from the hard stones in the oasis river."

"This growth stage will last from a few months to a few years, until it stops growing and maintains its shape. Then it will gradually crack, decay, and rot, turning into a large amount of nutrients and important nourishment that returns to the ground."

Zhou Yi thought, no wonder it's called Stone Pouch Mushroom.

But he also vaguely felt that something was wrong.

The blast mushroom and the Stone Pouch Mushroom, it always felt like there was some special connection between the two.

Zhou Yi looked at Sun Chonglai: "What's inside the Stone Pouch Mushroom?"

"It's not that I want to be mysterious, but please give me a moment to talk about my own affairs, because this is closely related to the Stone Pouch Mushroom. Enough to explain my current situation and why I am in the mushroom forest."

The Bone Man looked at the box at his feet.

"When I woke up, I found myself in the mushroom forest. My body has become like this, but about the past, who I am, where I am, what I am doing, I know nothing."

"But fortunately, there is this box next to my body. It is made of a special animal skin and has been treated with special drugs for preservation and insect prevention, so it basically maintains its shape."

The Bone Man recalled: "I opened the box and found some recorded papers inside. I actually recognized those words. The papers depicted and recorded sketches and characteristics of various plants, with a will enclosed."

"The will said that if I woke up and saw this, it meant that I had become a Bone Man, and asked me to start a new life with the name Sun Chonglai, not to care about the past, and to look forward."

Sun Chonglai's ten pale fingers intertwined and continued, "The paper said that because I had been conducting drug experiments for a long time, I would not live long anyway, and I was in long-term physiological pain and unable to sleep. So the past me reminded the present me not to care about death, this is not murder, just my natural death."

"The will said that I came to this mushroom jungle, originally to die peacefully in the coma created by the Giant Mushrooms."

"However, here, I met a white-clothed girl, exuding fragrance all over her body. She said she was very hungry and needed to eat my brain and body, but as compensation, she would piece me together and let me be reborn in the form of a Bone Man."

"At that time, I would not have lived long anyway, so I agreed without hesitation."

"Then I was eaten by her."

Speaking of this, the Bone Man's emotions were still very stable, as if he was just talking about someone else's affairs.

"The me at that time said that she was a powerful life existing in legends, a Death Angel."

Death Angel?

Zhou Yi heard this name for the first time.

Immediately, Red Falcon's supplement sounded in his mind.

"This is a rare life form with very high strength. In the public information of Recursive City, its skill rating is A. Its appearance is accompanied by the death and withering of a large number of lives. It is an individual extremely feared and disgusted by all kinds of life… Its mechanism is still unknown."

Zhou Yi was immediately alert.

Red Falcon's [Bird's Eye View] is equivalent to mind reading and is only rated C, but this Death Angel is an A-level skill user and comes with a death buff… This strength is a bit difficult to deal with.

However, the Death Angel can actually transform Bone Men?

That's new information.

"Most importantly, before leaving, that Death Angel Miss asked me to take good care of this place, and when a new Death Angel is born from her descendants, she will give me a gift to express her gratitude."

Sun Chonglai rubbed his bony hands, revealing a somewhat flattering skull smile: "I have never told anyone else about these things, I hope you can understand my sincerity."

Various thoughts flashed through Zhou Yi's mind.

The mushroom forest turned out to be a breeding base for a Death Angel. No wonder the Bone Man has been staying here. Is it equivalent to the Death Angel's nanny or babysitter?

That is to say.

"The Stone Pouch Mushroom is the descendant of the Death Angel?"

The Bone Man nodded solemnly: "Yes, sir. But in my 70 years as a Bone Man, I have not seen a new Death Angel born from the Stone Pouch Mushroom. They are just born one by one, and then quickly break and return to the earth, like eggs that cannot hatch chicks."

"That Miss instructed me to let everything follow nature, and did not tell me any way to increase the probability of the birth of a Death Angel. But this kind of legendary life is very rare, and it is only natural that it is difficult."

"All I can do is continue to expand and maintain the stability of the mushroom forest, and continue to watch."

"But please don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else, I'm just telling you everything I've experienced truthfully. The Black Hand Mushrooms I lead, they all grew up watching me. They are a species with a short lifespan, only living 10 to 15 years, shorter than human lifespan."

"These children, I cultivated and taught them little by little. What they are really good at is imitating humans. In fact, in the mushroom forest, the vast majority of humans are stolen from and ambushed by their own people, but it is claimed to the outside world that the Black Hand Mushrooms did it."

"The Black Hand Mushrooms have very weak combat abilities, so I require them to act in groups and learn to bluff, using blast mushrooms to deter outsiders. These children are very hardworking, they just want to protect themselves and this place. They have always been the ones who planted the Giant Mushrooms and further expanded the range of the mushroom forest."

Zhou Yi nodded: "I believe you."

The other party's somewhat tense bones relaxed slightly.

Zhou Yi reached out his right index finger: "I have a question that I need you to answer truthfully."

"Please speak."

"It is said that the Black Hand Mushrooms are proficient in theft, deception, and ambush. Are they reliable?"

The Bone Man said in a steady tone: "I can't guarantee anything else, at least the Black Hand Mushrooms in the mushroom forest basically grew up watching me. They are a species with a short lifespan, only living 10 to 15 years, shorter than human lifespan."

"These children, I cultivated and taught them little by little. What they are really good at is imitating humans. In fact, in the mushroom forest, the vast majority of humans are stolen from and ambushed by their own people, but it is claimed to the outside world that the Black Hand Mushrooms did it."

"The Black Hand Mushrooms have very weak combat abilities, so I require them to act in groups and learn to bluff, using blast mushrooms to deter outsiders. These children are very hardworking, they just want to protect themselves and this place. They have always been the ones who planted the Giant Mushrooms and further expanded the range of the mushroom forest."

Zhou Yi nodded: "I believe you."

The other party's somewhat tense bones relaxed slightly.

Zhou Yi reached out his hand to him.

"Welcome to the Wasteland Development Company."

The Bone Man wiped his hand bones with his clothes before cautiously reaching out.

"From today on, the mushroom forest is the company's mushroom wildlife reserve, protected by our company. You will still be fully responsible for it. I hope you grow more mushrooms, grow good mushrooms, and you can also make any requests."

The other party was overjoyed and hurriedly grasped Zhou Yi's hand with both hands: "Thank you, thank you, Chairman, we will definitely work hard and grow the mushrooms you need. The soil in the forest is very fertile, and most mushrooms can grow very well!"

Zhou Yi was in a good mood.

He was worrying about the lack of agricultural labor.

Although the Oriental Brothers are agricultural machinery, it takes months to cultivate farmland, plant, and harvest, and there is some uncertainty considering weather factors. It is a long-term investment and cannot be expected in the near future.

With the natives of the mushroom forest, there will be a source of edible mushrooms.