Hearing a woman’s voice from behind him, Ye Fei turned his head slightly, partially facing her.
He glanced over and saw that it was Xu Yi.
She was dressed in a heavy, yellow miner’s uniform, caked with dirt and grease. With a large shovel slung over her back, you might have mistaken her for a male miner at first glance.
"You’re... Xu Yi?"
Ye Fei said.
Seeing Xu Yi’s exceptionally clear eyes, Ye Fei breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, she’s not a Superpower User. Otherwise, she definitely would have heard what I just said.’
"Thank you so much, Ye Fei! This mushroom soup is incredibly helpful, and it’s delicious too!"
Luo Zai chimed in with a laugh from the side. He shot Ye Fei a knowing glance before picking up his mushroom soup and quickly taking off.
In his moment of triumph, Luo Zai had forgotten that a blind man can’t take a hint.
"Can I help you with something, miss?"
Ye Fei cut straight to the chase.
’He had a pretty good idea of what she wanted. But everyone who sought him out liked to start with small talk, trying to build some rapport. It was a necessary courtesy, of course, and good for building relationships, but as far as Ye Fei was concerned, this idle chatter had become far too frequent. It was a complete waste of his time.’
That was why he now got straight to the point and found out what people wanted.
"I’d like a serving of mushroom soup with the right dosage. Ye Fei, can you help me?"
Xu Yi asked sincerely.
She could, of course, brew the mushroom soup herself—after all, mushrooms were now being grown all over the tunnels. But everyone said the version concocted by Ye Fei had the best effects.
’The display from that Superpower User just now had proven it. Even Superpower Users had to ask Ye Fei to brew the soup for them, so of course she wanted to try it as well.’
"Sure, but I’ll say it again: this won’t increase a normal person’s chances of becoming a Superpower User. And if you happen to be allergic to the Hallucinogen, even a small dose could be fatal."
Ye Fei laid out the harsh possibilities upfront. This wasn’t just fearmongering. Not long ago, a survivor had tried to brew his own mushroom soup. Despite using only a few mushrooms, he had ended up foaming at the mouth. He was still in the infirmary on an IV drip, and whether he would survive was anyone’s guess.
"Yes, I understand. I’m doing this of my own free will. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility,"
Xu Yi said.
Ye Fei nodded and expertly tossed three mushrooms into the pot. Soon, the boiling water turned cloudy, then a faint red. This color didn’t indicate potency but was merely a sign of oxidation. Many people, including the other Superpower Users, were misled by it. Judging the hallucinogenic toxins based on the color was an easy way to miscalculate the dosage.
Having cooked mushrooms for at least twenty people, Ye Fei possessed the most comprehensive experience in preparing this ’Hallucinogen’.
Consequently, he also knew the optimal Hallucinogen dosage for each of those twenty individuals better than anyone—perhaps even better than they did themselves.
While the mushroom soup was brewing, Xu Yi started to chat with Ye Fei.
"When we encountered that Mutant Beast, you were braver than me,"
Xu Yi said with great admiration.
"When the Mutant Beast leaped from the tree, I hesitated for a split second, but you had already charged forward with your Long Spear," she continued. "Everyone says I’m brave, but deep down, I’m still a coward. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to awaken a Superpower."
"The fear of death is an instinct carved into our genes. Only a few lunatics aren’t afraid."
Ye Fei could only offer a vague platitude.
"We all thought you were a goner. We never expected you to not only survive but also awaken a Superpower."
"Oh, right, I heard that mushrooms were actually growing on your body, but you still pulled through. Do you think your awakening was also caused by stimulation from the mushrooms?"
Xu Yi asked, her curiosity piqued.
"It’s possible."
Ye Fei remained noncommittal. ’But to be fair,’ he thought, ’analyzing it from her perspective, the logic holds up. Especially now that we know mushrooms can aid Cultivation.’
"Think about it... The mushrooms grew on you and secreted hallucinogenic toxins that spread through your body. Perhaps you weren’t actually dead yet, so the stimulation triggered your Superpower, and that’s what saved you."
As Xu Yi spoke, her eyes began to shine.
"This isn’t an idea you just came up with on the spot, is it?"
Ye Fei said suddenly.
He could clearly perceive, right through Xu Yi’s clothes, several mushrooms scattered inside them.
’At first, Ye Fei hadn’t considered it, but now he suddenly realized this was likely Xu Yi’s true purpose.’
Xu Yi froze for a second. "Well... the idea came to me last night when I was trying to sleep. Do you think... if I were to go through the same thing you did, could it possibly..." she said, looking at Ye Fei.
’It had to be said, the idea was insane. Even Ye Fei was taken aback.’
’No way in hell!’
That was what Ye Fei’s instincts screamed at him to say.
’After all, if he hadn’t cultivated the mushrooms and spurred their Evolution, they wouldn’t even have had any hallucinogenic abilities. How could they possibly stimulate a human body?’
But then he had another thought, and a bold idea suddenly took root in his mind.
"It’s possible," he said calmly.
Before Xu Yi could get excited, he continued, "But there’s no way you could succeed with that method right now. You’re a living person, and a living person’s immune system is extremely powerful. If it weren’t, the bacteria in the air would have killed you long ago."
"So, under normal circumstances, mushrooms can’t grow in the flesh of a living person."
"But if you somehow cause your immune system to collapse, you’ll be knocking on death’s door anyway. That’s no different from facing a Mutant Beast head-on—in fact, it’s even more dangerous. A Superpower User might be able to pull you from the jaws of a Mutant Beast, but they can’t save someone who’s already dying."
"And even setting all that aside, we don’t have any drugs that could suppress your immune system."
Ye Fei’s reasoning was sound, and he quickly convinced Xu Yi.
"Then what should I do?"
Xu Yi asked.
"You should start by taking those mushrooms out from under your clothes, so you don’t get a bacterial Infection and die."
Ye Fei said with a completely straight face.
’He didn’t even know what to think about this woman. Was becoming a Superpower User really so desirable that she’d risk her life for it?’
Xu Yi’s eyes widened, though she forced her voice to remain steady.
"Because I’m a Superpower User," Ye Fei said, pointing to his nose. "The mushroom smell on you is practically pouring off you like Black Smoke."
SNIFF... SNIFF... He even leaned in, pretending to take a whiff.
UGH! He hadn’t expected the wave of body odor that assaulted him. With his heightened sense of smell, it was like a critical hit with a 100% damage bonus. It felt like someone had just kicked him square in the nose.
"You..."
Seeing Ye Fei recoil as if he’d been shocked, Xu Yi finally lost her composure.
She gritted her teeth. ’Damn it, what’s with that look on his face!’ But then she lifted her collar for a sniff. "Oh my god... how do I stink this bad?!"
She nearly fainted from her own stench. Forgetting all about getting even with Ye Fei, she scrambled to find a place to bathe.
"Be careful not to catch a cold, it can be deadly! And remember to disinfect your wounds with alcohol!"
Ye Fei called after her, suppressing a laugh.
’I have to admit,’ he thought, ’staying in this sunless mine for so long is really making me a little twisted. All I did was chat with a girl, yet I feel a rare sense of relaxation and amusement?’
’Sigh... Goblins are so evil and depraved. Is it just because they live in caves for too long?’
Ye Fei couldn’t help but make a snide comment to himself.
’It’s no joke that your environment changes you. Especially in this era of rapid mutation, the outside world changes more in a single day than it used to in a hundred years.’
’As for Xu Yi, Ye Fei didn’t actually think she was unhygienic. The conditions in the mining tunnels were just that terrible. For an ordinary person with a weaker constitution, it was normal to go ten or fifteen days without a bath. First, they lacked the facilities. Second, the water was freezing and radioactive. People avoided bathing whenever possible. Catching a simple cold was far deadlier than it was before the apocalypse—it could easily kill you.’
’So, expecting to find some delicate, sweet-smelling beauty was basically impossible. The apocalypse was just that full of piss and shit, just that wretched. All the ordinary people were a complete mess, looking like refugees.’
’But if they could repel the surrounding Mutant Beasts and secure this Shelter, everyone’s living conditions would improve.’
’And the method Xu Yi had thought of... it was actually a potential breakthrough.’
’But just as Ye Fei had said, the time wasn’t right yet.’
’The reason he hadn’t completely shot down her idea was to leave the possibility open. Once the mushrooms’ rate of Infection became strong enough, her method might actually work.’
"Truly worthy of being the handsome badass who will change the entire layout of this Shelter. You made that girl blush and shriek so effortlessly."
Just then, Zhang Zhen emerged from a dark corner, clapping his hands.
"Are you some kind of pervert?"
Ye Fei snapped.
’He’d barely resisted the urge to chuck the spoon in his hand at the guy. Doesn’t he know how terrifying it is to suddenly emerge from a pitch-dark corner like that?’
"Ye Fei, don’t you realize it yet? Your casual actions have saved all the ordinary people in our Shelter, and in doing so, you’ve saved the entire Shelter itself."
"Have you been drinking too much mushroom soup?"
’Why does this guy always show up with that "I’ve seen through it all" look on his face?’
’Doesn’t he know that acting like that is a good way to get your ass kicked?’