Chapter Twenty: The Effects of the Phantom Mushroom

"King of Heaven? And that Du Lili is a woman?" The questioning earlier by the river had been rushed, so now that the topic was raised, Shen Lie found himself genuinely curious.

"Uh... cough, cough." Li Cheng cleared his throat awkwardly, then forced a smile. "The survivors gave those awakened ones nicknames like 'King of Heaven' because their powers after awakening are simply too overwhelming. They've completely transcended the limits of humanity; even guns can barely threaten them anymore. Though, for some reason, firearms seem weaker now. My old pistol—the bullets couldn't even kill a pig. It’s hardly better than an air gun these days."

As he spoke, Li Cheng cast a glance at Shen Lie's waist, where his pistol hung. Even if its power had diminished, it was still more useful than a knife.

Shen Lie ignored Li Cheng’s expression, contemplating for a moment before asking, "Tell me more about the other two. What abilities do they have? What are their personalities and morals like?"

"The remaining two are: Xiao Gang, formerly a teacher at the Central Primary School. After awakening, he can turn water into ice and shoot ice spikes. His ability is neither the strongest nor the weakest. The last one is Wang Qingshan, reportedly a villager who came to town for the market on the day the red mist appeared outside. Once the mist came, he couldn't return, and later awakened as a superhuman. His speed is extraordinary, definitely a speed-type ability."

"Of the four, Wang Qingshan is the most timid, Ma Zhanlin the most domineering, Xiao Gang the most ruthless. Du Lili rarely fights or competes, but she’s the strongest among them. No one dares provoke her."

To think that even a small town's survivors could foster their own miniature underworld, Shen Lie was speechless. What were these people thinking? Did they truly believe this tiny patch of earth was paradise, never considering what would happen if a horde of monsters appeared?

Regardless of others’ thoughts, Shen Lie listened carefully to Li Cheng’s account, gaining insight into the four who could pose a threat to him. As for the other faction in the town, he paid little mind. After personally testing the power of his pistol, he finally understood why these awakened ones could rule unchallenged. The black mist from another world had weakened firearms, and perhaps one day, hot weapons would vanish from history entirely.

"But the bodies of these awakened ones have all mutated to some extent," Li Cheng remarked.

"Mutated? What kind of mutations?" Shen Lie was startled by this, his curiosity piqued.

"Physical mutations," Li Cheng explained. "Ma Zhanlin’s skin has changed, covered in something like scales, so even in the hottest weather he keeps himself tightly wrapped. Xiao Gang’s neck is unusually long, and his eyes have turned blue. Wang Qingshan is even stranger—after awakening, he can't straighten his back, always hunched over, like a hunchback."

"So, what about Du Lili?" Shen Lie asked.

"Du Lili’s body hasn’t changed, but ever since awakening, she always wears a patterned mask. Most likely something grew on her face."

"Hiss!" Shen Lie was taken aback by this revelation. No wonder Li Cheng had immediately bowed to him after witnessing his hand turn golden—the root of it all lay here. Every awakened one underwent physical mutation, turning them into monsters of sorts.

If he refrained from using the mysterious energy within him, his body wouldn't turn golden, so Shen Lie had never cared much about such changes. Normally, he appeared just like any other person; it didn’t affect him. Yet, after hearing Li Cheng's account, he couldn't help but worry. If he were to become one of those 'non-humans' covered in scales or with an abnormally long neck, what would he do?

But soon, Shen Lie decided it was trivial. Before the apocalypse, he might have cared, but in a world where death could strike at any moment, anyone would choose mutation if it meant survival. Once mutated, one instantly became a superhuman; self-preservation increased dramatically and one could even decide others’ fates. Such temptation could make anyone tolerate minor physical flaws.

After chatting with the two for a while longer, Shen Lie dismissed them, though he asked Li Cheng to keep an eye out for any monster crystals from spider beasts. Since the locals had fought those creatures, there was a chance some possessed such crystals.

Once they left, Shen Lie checked his leg wound and was pleasantly surprised to find the swelling gone—the mysterious energy in his body had even more effects than he realized. What he most wanted now was to talk with other awakened ones about physical mutations, but given the town’s current state, such hopes were little more than fantasy.

He wrapped fresh bandages around his leg, then decided to head to the riverbank to retrieve his bags. His backpack was empty now, and leaving them there wasn't safe. Those supplies would be his rations for some time.

It was only midday; there was plenty of time. He’d hidden them well enough, so it would be better to fetch them closer to dusk. There were too many items for one trip, so it would be best to find a vehicle.

He had Zhang Jing ask Li Cheng if a usable car could be found, then returned indoors to take out the phantom mushroom. With all he’d learned, he was fairly certain of its effects. He decided to test it—if it proved potent, he might hire someone to gather more using his supplies.

The situation was urgent; there was no time for careful study. Shen Lie locked the door, sat in his chair, glanced at the mushroom in his hand, then swallowed it without hesitation.

Heat!

As soon as the mushroom reached his stomach, Shen Lie felt as though his gut was ablaze, almost as if he could spit fire. The next moment, the heat surged through his body, roasting him like a boiled shrimp. A tingling pain followed, and Shen Lie suddenly recalled the sensation of using a monster crystal.

The process was brief, lasting about half a minute before fading. Checking his condition, Shen Lie’s face lit up with joy—within those few seconds, the mysterious energy in his body had increased noticeably!

He had no idea how other awakened ones mutated, but most of his power lay in this mysterious energy. Only by using it did his body turn golden; without it, he was merely stronger and tougher than an ordinary person.

This mushroom possessed effects similar to monster crystals. Shen Lie was instantly excited.

Though its effect was far milder than a crystal, the advantage was abundance! These mushrooms were said to be plentiful outside the town, and he wouldn’t need to risk his own life—just trade supplies with ordinary people for them. No wonder those awakened ones fought so fiercely for power and resources. Whoever controlled more supplies could command more people to take risks, and their strength would grow faster!

No, he had to retrieve his supplies immediately, and his original plans needed to change. If he wished to trade for phantom mushrooms, keeping a low profile was impossible. Once word got out, his identity as an awakened one would be exposed; ordinary people couldn’t use these mushrooms.

In that case, there was no need to hide anymore. As long as he wasn’t facing two or more awakened ones at once, he shouldn’t be in much danger. Shen Lie’s mind raced, and he made up his mind.

"Bad news, Brother Shen! A group of people arrived outside, looking fierce. Brother Li tried to negotiate with them and was seriously injured!" Just as Shen Lie was about to leave, Zhang Jing rushed over, knocking on the door and shouting in panic.

"Calm down!" Shen Lie’s eyes flashed as he opened the door, speaking with composure.

Perhaps Shen Lie’s calmness gave Zhang Jing some confidence, so as they walked outside, she explained the situation.

It turned out the incident had started with Shen Lie himself. His arrival had been leaked by someone—not a major issue in itself, since the person who leaked the information didn’t know he was an awakened one. The real reason the outsiders came was that he’d crossed the river!

Someone who came from the other side, carrying a backpack full of food—this was enough to cause a stir among people whose supplies were nearly depleted. Since retreating to this side, almost no one had managed to cross the river safely. Everyone knew there must be plenty of food on the other bank, but no one dared risk it; those who did were already dead.

Just as everyone had given up hope of the other bank, suddenly someone appeared who had crossed with food. How could anyone hearing this not be tempted?

Having decided not to hide anymore, Shen Lie no longer cared whether the news spread or not. However, the person who leaked the information was still unforgivable. They had to be in this courtyard—eating and drinking here, only to betray him at a critical moment. No matter what reason they had, they must face consequences!