Chapter 0004: Refuge
Opened my belly and started eating, my metabolism seemed to accelerate significantly. I put on a gas mask and ran outside to relieve myself, and after half an hour, I let out a joyful shout.
Frequent travelers likely have a deep understanding of this: during the journey, one often feels fatigued, and once they rest, the entire body feels sore and numb, leading to a reluctance to continue. Inertia is one aspect, and lack of oxygen is another. The retention time of odor molecules is limited, so regardless of how slow the pace is, Lin Xisuo grits his teeth and perseveres, rather than walking a bit and then stopping.
Wearing large sand rat fur boots, the road ahead is rugged, and one occasionally encounters swamps and puddles. Even after having traversed it once, there remains a lingering sense of trepidation.
Proceeding down the landslide gradually, move as slowly as possible, and in some areas, it is better to take a longer detour than to step foot on them
Once everything is ready, adjust the searchlight to its brightest setting and gradually venture into the foggy area
It is said that the spores extracted from the millennium honey mushroom have a delicious flavor, but Lin Xi Su has never tasted it. Such a thing is encountered only once in several decades, so it is not even worth contemplating.
Lin Xisuo believes that there must be a large amount of mycelium deep within the mushroom forest, but the accidental discovery of scorpion feces instills fear
The hot spring has been occupied; I have never seen scorpions of such size. Fortunately, they have lived underground for a long time and have poor eyesight; otherwise, a sudden flash of light would certainly attract their attention, leading to a catastrophic disaster
Looking at the black burlap, he exclaimed, "How can it smell so foul all over? It seems as if I just emerged from a muddy pond. This outfit is surely beyond salvage; what terrible luck!"
The fingers traced over the map, a smile curling at the corners of the mouth: "Yes, the location of the premium mycelium collected last time was quite concealed. My previous abilities were insufficient, but now with new equipment, I can certainly go there."
Last time, it was discovered that the premium mycelium was half a kilometer away from the camping site. To the left, in the belly of a giant rock, there is a relatively clean hot spring, which is just right for washing away the fatigue of the journey and conveniently planting medicinal plants. There is no certainty whether this unique plant can be sustained, but I hope that the bottle of culture solution can have some effect.
Hehe, gene fine-tuning is truly remarkable; even the scars on my body have faded. Without any restraint, without any restraint, next year there will definitely be a few poisonous mushrooms growing here
Five hours ago, news was received that Lin Xisuo was not found in the lower layer of the sunken ship, and there were considerable casualties. The village chief's face turned ashen with anger, and he subsequently instructed his son to purchase a batch of tracking devices at a high price from the merchant convoy. It is obvious that they intend to enter the underground caves for a search
Due to the hurried departure, not much information was obtained from the optical brain. During the fine-tuning period, engaging in extreme physical activities can repeatedly enhance one's physical condition. As for those nobles, they only sip tea in warm greenhouses or take their pets for a stroll in fitness centers; how could they endure the hardships of carrying heavy loads while walking?
Huh? Didn't I just eat before going to bed? Why am I hungry again? Having two meals a day seems a bit extravagant. Never mind, anyway, it's the period of genetic fine-tuning, and no one has been here, so I should be able to find some edible fungi.
Two scorpions are entwined together, indulging in the pleasures of intimacy; in short, they are mating
The fog here is quite thick, perhaps due to the proximity to the underground volcano, resulting in a higher temperature. The ground is relatively clean, without any unpleasant mud.
No one knows how many ditches and obstacles Lin Xisuo has traversed over the past few years with a pair of old leather boots. After the boots were worn out, they were mended time and again, as he was reluctant to throw them away
Wood's eyes were bloodshot as he awaited the moment to collect the premium mycelium, while simultaneously instructing his subordinates to quietly repay the debt owed to the dark-haired youth mhetushucomcom
10,000 credit coins are equivalent to 1 blue gold coin, and 10,000 blue gold coins are equivalent to 1 blue gold card. In the black market, gene modulation has been inflated to exorbitant prices, which can be completely disregarded in comparison to the transactions made by Wood. In summary, Lin Xisuo's persistent learning has yielded tremendous rewards that will impact his entire life
Stretching lazily, Lin Xisuo sat up, and his stomach let out an untimely growl.
The Earth Ring Star is like this; resources are scarce, and anything that can be filled into the stomach is considered good.
After making up one's mind, put away the map, pass through the massive rocks, avoid the quicksand areas, and walk further and further away
Clean water sources are rare, especially hot springs. Lin Xi climbed onto a rock, completely stunned by the scene before her.
Few people notice that beneath the stone wall lies a crack in the earth running east to west, with a faint toxic mist swirling at their feet, obscuring everything in a hazy blur
In fact, Lin Xisuo has taken a tremendous advantage; the foul-smelling substance on his clothes is the toxins accumulated within the body. The villagers of Sunken Ship Village already possess a strong resistance to toxic substances, and this enhanced resistance will only become stronger, effectively eliminating many chronic ailments, which can be described as a complete transformation.
From his own perspective, Wood also did not wish for the village chief to capture Lin Xisuo, so he tampered with the tracking device, ensuring it would always be off by a hundred or two hundred meters. He believed that under the circumstances of alarming the snake in the grass, with the intelligence of the black-haired youth, it would not be difficult for him to escape
He took out the provisions and fruits and began to eat heartily. Earlier, when passing over the sand rat burrow, many fruits had been squashed, but it didn't matter; he continued to eat without hesitation, not even planning to spare the fruit pits.
In the sunken ship village, the village chief is akin to a local emperor. Therefore, Wood does not dare to make it public; if the other party learns that he is secretly engaging in large-scale transactions with the villagers and the library, then next year's quota will be allocated to other merchant associations. Whether to immigrate or not is secondary; he cannot allow his subordinates to lose their livelihoods.
Hastily donning gas masks, as toxic spores that are difficult to see with the naked eye often drift through the air. Although the villagers have developed a certain level of resistance to toxins after a millennium of natural evolution, caution is still necessary.
Sand rats rarely enter burrows, as most fungi are highly toxic. In addition, there are natural enemies present, specifically a type of diamond-shaped scorpion that enjoys consuming toxins
Within the cavern, jagged stones are scattered haphazardly, quicksand is densely spread, and toxic gases accumulate in the low-lying areas. Unknown fungi emit a ghastly green glow. Encountering such a scene for the first time would undoubtedly evoke a sense of dread.
In the depths of the cave, swamps are often synonymous with terror; once trapped, escaping is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Despite Lin Xisuo's young age, he possesses considerable experience, able to identify a relatively safe route with just a glance. He mused, "Having hidden so far away, the village chief probably has no means to deal with this, right?"
Lin Xisuo calmed his mind, hurriedly turned off the searchlight, and slowly retreated, not daring to make a sound
Lin Xisuo took out a map and a compass to compare, silently lamenting: "People die for wealth, birds perish for food; the village chief will do anything for the special-grade mycelium. Just wait and see, in a few years I will have the strength to challenge him. So where should I go next? The genetic fine-tuning seems to take about half a month; the quantum brain usually calculates according to the interstellar calendar, which translates to approximately fifteen and a half days in the soil ring star cycle."
Not long after, peculiar shapes stood before me. These are honey mushrooms, which, after growing for a thousand years, can cover an area of several dozen kilometers. A single honey mushroom resembles a forest of mushrooms
A traction beam was emitted, firmly grasping the mushroom cap at the other end. With a sharp "zing," it was pulled up high, and after a series of leaps, it felt dozens of times faster than the last time when I "cleared the obstacles".
Lin Xisuo boldly leaned forward to take a look, and his expression became peculiar. These two scorpions were somewhat different, and indeed, they were very different.
The superior mycelium and honey mushrooms share a symbiotic relationship. Fungi are quite fascinating; the honey mushrooms deliberately designate a territory that allows the mycelium to grow, while the fragrant aroma emitted by the mycelium can somewhat deter the encroachment of toxic mists. They resemble a pair of partners, supporting each other and taking root in this place
Initially, interstellar immigrants depicted this place as a paradise, but in reality, it was merely the government's intention to requisition land. The immigration agency's spacecraft unloaded the impoverished and flew away mercilessly. For thousands of years, many have attempted to escape their plight; some fortunate individuals ultimately achieved success, while many more were consumed by sandstorms, turning into desiccated bones
This was a long and arduous journey, and without perseverance, it would have been impossible to complete. After sixteen hours, Lin Xisuo found a stone wall. The nearby bioluminescent fungi were quite sparse, so this place was completely engulfed in darkness
Fifteen minutes later, the tent was set up. After a brief disinfection, I hurriedly crawled inside. I took off my clothes soaked with sweat and wiped myself down with a damp cloth
At this moment, an unprecedented feeling of hunger surged over me, and I suddenly recalled the final reminder from the smart brain, which stated that I must ensure adequate exercise and nutrition within the next 15 days
The next day, sounds came from the tent: "Ah, what a good sleep, I have never slept so soundly before!"
While Lin Xisuo was sleeping soundly in the tent in a rather unrefined manner, the hearts of two individuals were stirred: one was President Wood from the Green Ark, and the other was the village chief of Shipwreck Village
The reason for saying this is that there are many powerful trackers in this era. No matter how one hides, large-scale laser scanning and the identification of scent molecules possess remarkable tracking capabilities. Of course, it is unknown whether the village chief has similar products. In any case, caution is the key to longevity. Before arriving here, I deliberately took an extra twenty kilometers, passing by several scorpion nests. This information was bought with my life over the years. To search recklessly in the territory of scorpions, one can only imagine the fate that awaits. In any case, caution is the key to longevity. Before arriving here, I deliberately took an extra twenty kilometers, passing by several scorpion nests. This information was bought with my life over the years. To search recklessly in the territory of scorpions, one can only imagine the fate that awaits.
Strolled around the vicinity, found no new discoveries, and swiftly made my way to the water source.
With a somewhat unsteady gait, Lin Xi Su was truly exhausted. Upon finding the place where he had previously camped, he sat down on the rock with a thud, breathing heavily.
Unbeknownst to him, Lin Xisuo's physical abilities are rapidly improving, while the light brain, having experienced a millennium, remains unaware of the external circumstances. A thousand years ago, genetic fine-tuning was the highest reward of the noble academies, allowed to be performed a maximum of three times in a lifetime. However, times have changed; such technology has now become a tool for the government and certain large conglomerates to amass wealth. If one wishes to undergo fine-tuning, they must be prepared to part with a substantial amount of blue coins
The leather boots were left behind by my father, durable and long-lasting. Every time I put them on, I feel a warmth in my heart, as if my parents are right beside me, enabling me to overcome any setbacks I may encounter
Scorpions roam here almost unimpeded; a single adult scorpion can eliminate hundreds of sand rats. Fortunately, they are solitary creatures except during mating season when they pair up. If scorpions were to gather in groups, the villagers of Sunken Ship Village would likely struggle to make a living
Returning to the tent, I busily organized my gear for half a day, preparing to enter the toxic fog zone
Lin Xisuo would not consider so many matters; the immediate priority is to have a good sleep. Therefore, traps and warning devices are set up outside the tent
Lying back with his head tilted up, he comfortably laughed and said, "The sky is vast, the earth is vast, but sleeping is the greatest! It must be night outside now. I am indeed feeling a bit sleepy."