As the bus drove on, the traces of human civilization that could be seen through the huge clear glass windows of the bus became more and more sparse, replaced by huge colorful mushrooms, desperately burrowing out from every corner that one could think or not think of.
Roger even saw an abandoned building filled with giant mushrooms, a local specialty, growing from the inside out, reminding him of the edible mushroom farms he had seen on other planets. There people would open a whole packet of pre-made mixed nutrient base with a small, marked opening and put it in the middle of a humid and warm greenhouse, and with just one day and night's work, the edible mushrooms would show their buds and grow wildly into something like this building in the next few days.
But Parry's mushrooms grow so large that they have become as tough as rubber trees and are simply inedible and are generally used locally as industrial raw materials for processing starch or biodegradable environmentally friendly plastic, and the mushrooms in the pancakes he eats on the space station use its shoots.
In addition to the giant non-moving mushrooms, the moving ones are gradually becoming more numerous.
They are half a meter tall, in groups, appearing and disappearing between the huge jungle of mushrooms, jumping and crossing, with the similar mottling on their bodies and surroundings becoming a good protective color, hiding a pair of tiny soulful eyes under the big cap.
These are a special kind of plant aliens, known as goblins by the locals, and Roger called them little ones.
The reason they are called little ones is because there is also a large one that is particularly large.
No matter how they are called, these little aliens are a somewhat dangerous jungle companion creature, and the spore powder they unconsciously spread has a strong hallucinogenic effect, and humans can cause severe hallucinations and even death after inhaling them.
They are not allowed to approach or even enter human settlements under normal circumstances. Federally registered collectors employed by the local government will get rid of them by arranging something they don't like, such as emitting specific frequency band of ultrasonic sound emitters to keep them away from human settlements.
But now apparently things are different, because the mushrooms on this planet are on the rampage, invading the human settlements, destroying pavement and buildings, and seemingly wanting to restore the land to a jungle state.
Just when Roger was thinking about the relationship between man and nature, a tall and exaggerated building appeared at the end of the road that had become rugged because it was crowded by mushrooms, and it was his destination, the Kakapuro Hotel.
The hotel, a major asset of the Kaka Group, the Federation's leading five-star hotel chain, on Parry, was designed with what seemed at the time to be a very redundant means of controlling the growth of mushrooms.
They used a large number of plant aliens as helpers in the construction of the building, and the main building frame with life activity built by them not only complied with the harsh conditions required by the Federal Environmental Protection Law for development in the mushroom jungle of the planet Parry, which is recognized as special forest land, but also managed to avoid the tragic fate of being parasitized by spores and growing mushrooms in the jungle today.
Once the news of the jungle stampede on the planet Parry and the enactment of an emergency by the local planetary government spread, the number of visitors to Parry fell off a cliff and the hotel was barely able to operate normally, but the lack of traffic also brought it to the brink of closure.
However, soon, the government invited experts, scholars and trainers to come to Parry Star to explore the forest and solve the abnormal state began to settle in the hotel for a long time, the government funding also repaired the hotel's financial chain.
After that there were many uninvited loiterers staying at the hotel to explore the ancient treasures of the planet Parry that were rumored to exist. Until recently, many fierce battles broke out deep in the jungle, and many people were injured or even disappeared, this craze only cooled down.
Roger was not interested in any treasures, but as an alien collector, he could not miss this valuable opportunity to practice, so once he heard this interesting news, he immediately departed for Parry.
Before getting off the bus, Roger looked out the window at the mushrooms and the goblins hiding among there watching them, and asked Elena a question, "Do you, as locals, have any opinion about this event?"
Elena, who was engrossed in interacting with Hill, heard Roger's question and first looked at him blankly for a few seconds, then came back to her senses and said, "Sorry, Mr. Roger, it's the first time I've seen such an amazing creature and I'm too fascinated."
"That's okay, but please think about my question, it may be vital to help get the forest back to normal here."
Elena meditated for a while and didn't get any answers, shaking her head bitterly.
But before Roger got out of the car, she added, "We locals who moved into the federal city have not lived in the real jungle for a whole century, and many legends have been lost; perhaps you could ask the tribesmen who never left the jungle."
Roger nodded seriously and thanked her, "Thank you very much for your valuable advice, let's go, Hill."
Hill, the toaster sheep who looks like a toaster, heard his master's call and immediately got rid of the temptation of being touched on the head by the pretty girl and caught up with Roger at a fast pace.
The porters at the entrance of the Kakapuro Hotel apparently also did not expect that today, when several trainers have been injured and hospitalized as well as missing, there would be people walking towards them like ordinary tourists, carrying backpacks, dragging suitcases and wearing ordinary summer clothes.
After a few seconds, the older porter was the first to react, took a few steps forward, took the luggage from Roger's hand, and enthusiastically inquired, "Welcome to stay at the Kakapuro Hotel, we are the closest hotel to the jungle on the planet, and offer the same excellent and attentive service as any of the Kaka Group hotels."
By this time the younger one, the porter, had also caught up and said apologetically, "Sorry Sir, I just got a little lost in thought, may I ask if your alien needs uniform care? Our hotel now has collectors from the Kaka Group who are specifically responsible for helping you powerful trainers take care of the aliens."
Roger shook his head and refused, "No need, I will take care of Hill myself, he doesn't really like to live with other aliens."
"Then I wish you a pleasant journey, and again, I apologize for my rudeness." When the younger porter heard Roger say this, he apologized again and then turned to the hotel door to wait for the next guest who might need his help, as was the training standard.
As they speak, Roger and the old porter have walked into the hotel lobby, the fresh air conditioning cold air, with the fragrance of various alien or native herbs planted in the lobby pots, let Roger's spirit, a little brisker pace.
Hill does not feel anything about this, the environment of the planet Hecal is somewhat special, making it a good ability to adapt to the hot and cold temperatures.
But he found a variety of potted plants in the hotel lobby, there are several smells delicious, decided to find the opportunity to try.
He thought for a while and thought that a good time to commit a crime would be at night when Roger was taking a bath according to his habit.
At this time, Roger reached out and hit Hill's hard head hard and said, "Not the same as last time, in my bath time out to mess up, and not to bring others together!"
Hill's hard metal brain obviously does not care about Roger's blow, but he still hurriedly put on a look of grievance and obedience, so that Roger cannot continue to teach him in public.
To the hotel reception, opened a window facing the forest room, Roger on the way to the room, asked the old porter the same question, as he asked Elena.
But unfortunately, he also got the same answer.
It seems that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he needs to be ready to explore the depths of the mushroom forest.
And for now, he was ready to rest a little, so he went to take a brief shower and then called room service to order two full meals of the hotel's special jungle delicacies.
About half an hour later, a waiter pushed a food cart into Roger's room, according to his request will be one of the dinners on the table, the other poured in Roger prepared in advance belongs to Hill's bowl.
The ingredients include mushrooms, insects and seafood meal is indeed very local characteristics, spicy and sour taste, eat very appetizing, and properly handled, even the shape of the odd exaggerated insects, the actual taste and texture into the mouth is just like a special meat, and not as odd as imagined.
When Hill also finished his share of lunch, and let a waiter waiting for a long time to collect those belonging to the hotel tableware, Roger took a paper towel to wipe its mouth, once again admonished him not to go out in his bath time nonsense, and then into the bathtub has been filled with hot water, slowly lie down, feel their own body because of the exertion of running and gradually relaxed under the soothing hot water, a sigh of satisfaction.