bookrandom Chapter 9 Mutant Mushrooms
Chapter 9 Mutant Mushrooms
Seventh Base, Biological Sample Analysis Center, Laboratory No. 3
"Buzz—"
The sound of an electric cutter echoed in the sealed laboratory. Professor Yuan, wearing goggles, was busy working on the remains of the baboon.
"The density of these muscle fibers is just too high... We've already changed the cutting discs three times!"
He muttered to himself as he placed a freshly removed tissue sample into a petri dish next to him.
Li Fulan sat on the control panel next to him, playing with a mushroom he had just conjured, looking utterly bored.
"Hey Lao Yuan, this specimen won't be fresh if you leave it any longer."
"Enough nonsense! Get me another mushroom! This time, put it in the entrails area!" Professor Yuan roared without turning his head. "The law of conservation of energy tells me that the excess life force that was just injected, plus its own soul power, couldn't have disappeared into thin air! It must still be in the sample!"
Li Fulan sighed and tossed it aside casually.
The white, tender mushroom traced an arc and landed precisely on the baboon's sample.
The next second, something happened.
Without Li Fulan's mental control, countless fine white mycelia sprouted from the base of the mushroom, like countless greedy threads, tightly adhering to the sample tissue.
Visibly, the tissue sample rapidly shriveled and turned gray. Meanwhile, the once pure white mushroom began to tremble violently, as if it were drunk.
The color started to change.
From its jade-white color, it gradually took on a translucent bluish hue, much like the finest jadeite. The edges of the cap became as sharp as knives, and faint, flowing patterns appeared on its surface. The surrounding air even seemed to subtly distort because of this mushroom.
In thirty seconds, the sample turned gray.
The mutated mushroom stood there quietly, surrounded by tiny, visible vortexes that hissed softly, like a miniature fan spinning.
"This is... absorption."
Professor Yuan stared at the blue mushroom, his voice trembling, "It absorbed the 'energy source' of this soul beast, and then... it evolved."
"Who wants to try it out?"
He looked around.
"I'll do it."
Lei Zi strode over; he was the base's security captain and had seen it all. He picked up the green mushroom with tweezers and ate it without hesitation.
One second. Two seconds.
Lei Zi's pupils suddenly contracted.
"call--"
A visible stream of cyan energy surged from his body!
The airflow seemed to come alive, clinging tightly to his limbs and torso, forming a faint, flowing blue halo.
Lei Zi's hair moved on its own without any wind, and his whole body slowly floated up, about five centimeters off the ground.
"I feel...as light as a feather."
Lei Zi looked down at his hands, his voice filled with disbelief, "And, my reaction speed is several times faster."
"Give it a try!" Professor Yuan roared.
Lei Zi's eyes narrowed, and he shifted slightly at the ground.
"Whoosh!"
There was no start, no build-up of momentum.
To everyone else, only a blurry afterimage remained where Lei Zi had been standing.
The next instant, he appeared at the end of the laboratory twenty meters away, leaning against the wall with one hand.
"100 meters... less than a second?"
Lin An's usually calm voice had changed tone.
Lei Zi turned around, clenched his fist, and swung it sharply.
"Sizzle!"
An invisible blade of energy shot out, cleanly slicing through a metal frame five meters away! The cut was as smooth as a mirror!
"Wind attribute enhancement! Speed boost! And ranged attack capability!"
Professor Yuan was so excited he almost threw his glasses off.
He lunged at the microscope and frantically worked on the sample he had just taken from the mushroom.
A few minutes later, an even more excited shout echoed throughout the laboratory.
"I saw it! Spores! Active spores!"
Professor Yuan pointed to the splitting blue dots on the screen, his face turning bright red.
"This mutated mushroom has formed a stable structure! It has left behind spores!"
Do you even know what this means?!
He stared intently at Lin An and Li Fulan.
"This means we don't have to go looking for the wind baboon every time! As long as we have this one 'mother plant,' we can cultivate it in nutrient solution and reproduce it using spores!"
"We can grow it! We can cultivate this 'Windrunner Mushroom' on a large scale at the base!"
"As long as the conditions are right, we can provide as many as you need!"
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned speechless by this prospect.
If Li Fulan's abilities previously only gave everyone hope, then Professor Yuan's words have now kicked open a completely new door.
A superpower enhancer that can be mass-produced.
What does this mean?
Li Fulan leaned against the wall, watching the group of people who had fallen into a frenzy.
Mass production? That's great.
From now on, I'll be the biggest supplier.
He cleared his throat and looked at Lin An.
"Um, Commissioner Lin, since this thing can be grown, what about my treatment...?"
"It's not just a matter of compensation."
Lin An turned around, pushed up his glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses was more serious than ever before.
"Mr. Li Fulan, a notification has just been sent from above."
"What do you mean?" Li Fulan raised an eyebrow.
"It means that from this moment on, you can ask for any resources you need."
Lin An walked up to him, reached out, and gripped Li Fulan's shoulder tightly.
"The base will fully cooperate with your support."
What equipment do you need? We'll get the best.
What materials do you need? I'll get you anything I can.
What kind of manpower do you need? The base is ready to assist you at any time.
"As long as you continue to explore the Douluo Continent, as long as you bring back more discoveries like this..."
Lin An pointed to the blue spore that was still in the petri dish.
"We will be your strongest support."
Li Fulan was stunned for a moment.
He looked into Lin An's earnest eyes, then glanced at the researchers and security personnel around him who were casting expectant glances his way.
This feeling of being fully supported...
It's pretty exciting.
"Alright."
Li Fulan shrugged, a relaxed smile playing on her lips.
"Since you're so sincere, I can't keep it from you."
He pulled out the grayish-brown stone he had picked up earlier from his belt and casually tossed it to the materials researcher next to him, whose eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets.
"This is 'rutilated quartz,' containing thousands of natural crystal needles finer than a human hair. It has a very unique structure. We'll take it and study it to see if it has any practical applications."
"Also, give me a list."
Li Fulan's eyes lit up.
"Since we're going to do this seriously, I need to be better prepared next time."
"Prepare everything you can think of: detection equipment, protective gear, collection tools..."