Chapter 17: The Flesh-Eating Mushroom Grants Longevity
Lu Li's pores opened, releasing the heat generated from his excessive exertion. He then flexed his injured limbs. This was where he fell short compared to the Shadow Assassins. After all, he still had a human body. Regardless of how much control he had over it, he couldn't avoid its physical limits.
Lu Li felt a sense of relief with his recent gains. The long-suppressed emotions had been released, leaving him feeling empty. Checking his data panel would likely show an improvement in his soul assessment. Additionally, his control over his body had increased to the point where he could observe his genes, although this observation was mentally exhausting.
As he walked through a dark green area, Lu Li regained his calm and started to wonder about the things the witches had mentioned. The deeper parts of this area were evidently where these monsters lived. Despite their beastly appearance, their living quarters were surprisingly organized, with clearly divided areas, even though the smell was unpleasant.
Ghouls had a different sense of smell compared to humans, which allowed them to endure the rotting stench. They also exhibited some social traits. The bones at the cave entrance were likely placed deliberately to deceive humans into thinking this was a beast's lair, reducing the risk of exposure. In human society, ghouls were taboo. If discovered, they would easily attract a human siege.
Passing through the living area, the cave ahead became significantly smaller. This passage bore numerous fresh marks, indicating it had been recently carved out. Lu Li's curiosity led him further in.
Upon entering, he noticed something was amiss. The ground was soft, like walking on jelly or flesh, with a slight sinking sensation that was unsettling. Stomping harder, Lu Li realized this substance was alive.
His brain fully engaged to sense the surroundings, and soon he concluded that the cave walls were covered with a flesh-like organism, rapidly growing. In a few hours, this cave would be fully closed off, spreading outward.
His shadow transformed into spikes, piercing the flesh. Black-red blood oozed out, igniting Lu Li's appetite, similar to thirst or hunger. His body instinctively desired this blood.
"This must be the monsters' feeding ground…" Lu Li squatted, dipped his finger in the black-red blood, and brought it to his nose. The vapors entered his respiratory system, and he sensed his body changing upon absorbing a small amount.
In just a second, the absorbed substance enhanced his physical attributes slightly. Without his improved control, he wouldn't have noticed the minor improvement. This minimal increase came from merely breathing in a tiny amount. Estimating the cave's size, Lu Li's brain calculated that consuming all the flesh here would increase his body's evaluation from 1.52 to 2.52, enhancing his physical capabilities significantly, making him superhuman.
Lu Li's shadow split into two tendrils, their tips sharp, peeling away the flesh to reveal black-red blood and a pale, disgusting mass. Amongst this was a partially digested human skull.
The ghouls fed humans to this flesh-like organism, cultivating it to strengthen themselves. Realizing this, Lu Li's expression changed, and he returned to the ghouls' living area, rummaging through it for any records.
Finally, in a bedroom, he found a relatively new diary. Flipping through a page, the dialogue box translated the contents:
**March 17th: The plague is finally over. Every household has lost someone, forever buried in the cemetery behind the mountain.**
**March 25th: The gravedigger Dell has been acting strange. Though he was always peculiar, something feels off.**
**April 3rd: Dell was reported for digging graves at night. Villagers, mourning their recent losses, hanged him on the dead tree in front of the cemetery.**
**April 29th: The village feels odd. Many people are missing. I couldn't get into their houses. Hasst even argued with me through the door, but his voice sounded strange.**
**May 6th: My God, what are they doing... They're feeding the dead to that disgusting thing…**
**I'm sorry, I don't want to die, nor do I want to be fed to that thing. I'm sorry…** The page was stained with wet marks and smudges.
**May 27th: It's been a while since I wrote. After a month of eating, my taste and smell have changed. Today, I found that thing delicious. I feel like I'm dying, not physically, but my soul. Another me is emerging...**
**June 8th: This will probably be my last entry. My hands have mutated, and my appearance has changed. I now fear sunlight. I can barely hold a pen. If not for being exposed to sunlight today, I wouldn't have noticed how much I've adapted. The witch found us and made a contract. We're moving to the forest tomorrow, or our mutations will soon be discovered. I understand now; today, I will die. The one who will live is a true ghoul... Will's Last Words.** The handwriting was shaky. [TL: Poor Will]
Lu Li closed the diary, understanding the events. These monsters had not been transformed for long. Given the current weather, it was no later than July, meaning these transformations had taken two to three months.
Around three to four months ago, a plague struck their village, killing many. After the burials, the flesh-like organism appeared in the cemetery, discovered by the gravedigger, who then found its properties. While preparing food for it, he was caught and hanged. The organism fell into the hands of some villagers who also discovered its use. They began using it secretly, forcing others to join them. A witch got involved, forming some contract—likely the witches mentioned earlier.
Due to their obvious mutations, they moved into this forest cave to avoid detection, continuing to consume the organism until today when Lu Li killed them.
"It's all so dark…" Lu Li pondered the witch's role. He suspected she played a significant part, possibly even causing the plague and bringing the flesh-like organism.
[ END OF CHAPTER ]