Everyone had confirmed it at the time, including her, the doctor, who had personally performed an examination. Only then was the body moved to the deepest part of the mine for cold storage.
Of course, he really had been dead—a fact that only Ye Fei knew.
It was for this very reason that Ye Fei didn’t dare say much now.
The more you talk, the more you risk a slip-up. So he simply put on an act of being extremely weak and listless. Now that he’d been diagnosed as blind, it was even more convenient for his disguise.
’As for whether I should tell them I have a Superpower and can see... ’ Ye Fei glanced at the sharp scalpel to the side. ’Forget it. I’ll find an opportunity for my vision to "recover" later.’
Liu Ru said caringly, "The amnesia should just be temporary. I’ve already bandaged your abdominal wound, but you can’t be moved for now. It’ll take about half a month to heal, so just rest and recuperate here."
"Okay, Sister Liu."
"Also, if you feel anything is wrong with your body, you must tell me. On another note, I have some good news for you: you’ve very likely awakened some kind of Superpower."
"Mm."
Ye Fei remained silent.
He had come back from the dead and was now dazed, extremely weak, and blind, so Liu Ru didn’t notice anything strange about him.
Once the examination was over, Liu Ru turned and left the ward. From outside came the concerned questions of Wang Gang and a woman.
Ye Fei, for his part, tried to close his eyes and pretend to rest, but he quickly realized it was redundant. Whether he looked around or not, his eyes were lifeless, his pupils permanently dilated.
Immediately, he focused his attention directly on Liu Ru.
Or more precisely, on the contents of the trash bag in her hand.
Even after the mushroom had left his body, it still maintained a mysterious connection with him.
He could clearly sense the mushroom getting farther and farther away, finally being taken to the surface and thrown out with the trash.
The trash was mixed with the flesh and blood of other creatures, likely from when Liu Ru dissected mutated organisms to understand their weak points.
’This environment is nutrient-rich, and the temperature and humidity are just right...’ Sensing the information coming from the mushroom, an idea struck Ye Fei. He willed the mushroom to open its Mushroom Cap.
’I wonder what’ll happen next?’
’The scientific name for a mushroom top is the Mushroom Cap, right...? And underneath the Mushroom Cap are lots of white, powdery Spores.’
Ye Fei carefully recalled memories of picking mushrooms as a child.
Back then, he used to pick a kind of green-capped mushroom. He didn’t know its official name, but he often brought them home to stir-fry. They were savory and incredibly delicious.
If the environment was right, those things grew extremely fast. Usually, after it rained, they would pop up everywhere the next morning, just like bamboo shoots after a spring shower.
’Speaking of which... will I be able to control the mushrooms that grow from this?’
’If I can, then wouldn’t that mean...’
The thought flashed through Ye Fei’s mind.
Soon, he discovered that he could indeed sense the Spores!
Countless faint sensations, like a rising tide, washed over his mind.
For a moment, Ye Fei felt dizzy. The Spores... there were too many. Every single Spore was mysteriously connected to him, just like one of his own organs.
Fortunately, this mysterious connection was like breathing. When you became aware of your breathing, it immediately switched to a conscious mode and felt a bit strenuous. But when you ignored it, you would breathe automatically.
’That’s rather convenient...’
Ye Fei thought to himself.
CRACKLE~
CRACKLE~
As the mushroom opened up, the Spores under the Mushroom Cap were exposed to the air and began to mature rapidly. Simultaneously, the mucus clinging to them began to dry and evaporate.
WHOOSH~
Just then, a gentle breeze rustled past. The mushroom head swayed slightly, and a vast number of mature Spores scattered into the air.
The Spores drifted on the air, landing several meters... or even hundreds of meters away.
Unfortunately, the Spores that landed hundreds of meters away felt a chill as soon as they touched down—they must have landed in water. Gradually, the connection to those Spores in Ye Fei’s mind blurred, then disappeared.
They had clearly died.
But Ye Fei wasn’t the least bit sorry, because a mushroom typically produces around 100 to 200 million Spores each time it reproduces.
Soon, Ye Fei sensed that one lucky Spore had landed in a suitable environment. The Spore first split open, and Fungal Hyphae unfurled from within. Like tiny tentacles, the Fungal Hyphae crept outward, greedily absorbing nutrients and continuing to grow still more hyphae.
Ye Fei was surprised to discover that this mushroom grew even faster than any he had ever known. It didn’t even need a full night; in just over ten minutes, it had completed its "germination" phase, transforming from a single Spore into a small clump of Fungal Hyphae.
The Fungal Hyphae are a mushroom’s root system. With this foundation laid, the next part was much simpler.
Once the Fungal Hyphae absorbed enough nutrients, they began to sprout mushrooms.
This same process was playing out in hundreds of locations at once.
Ye Fei excitedly joined in, embarking on his own "mushroom-growing" journey. With his intelligence now guiding them, the simple fungus instantly "ascended" to the level of a sapient, hairless primate.
The mushrooms began to grow in a much more efficient and logical manner. For a moment, their growth rate skyrocketed once more.
By the time Ye Fei snapped out of the joy of "cultivation," a small forest of mushrooms had already sprouted around the trash heap. One, two, three... a whole 1,000 mushrooms!
At the same time, as the mushrooms continued to reproduce and grow, their bodies also began to get larger. The newest mushrooms even started to secrete some mucus. Ye Fei’s Perception of these phenomena left him pleasantly surprised. ’Could it be... the mutation is still ongoing? Or are there other forms?’
He was just about to investigate more closely with his Perception when he suddenly felt an itch on his abdomen. He tore open the gauze bandages to look and saw that the wound was already scabbing over!
His body was recovering at an astonishing speed, and he felt more energetic!
To Ye Fei, trapped in the dim underground, this discovery was like seeing the Sun. Everything suddenly seemed bright and full of hope...