Chapter 1590: Wipe Them All Out
The king fungus mycelium would absorb a type of fungus growing on the stones. After consuming this fungus, the growth rate of the king fungus mycelium would increase significantly.
There wasn't enough time now to verify whether these mycelia could continue to reproduce indefinitely, but judging by their growth rate, it was far more efficient than simply using Nuwa Stone to cultivate the king fungus.
To confirm whether these newly grown mycelia possessed detoxifying effects, he tested them on the spot with other toxic fungi, and the results were positive.
This discovery eased Xu Huo's mind a little.
Deciding to push the entire pile of bones aside, Xu Huo once again expanded his spatial barrier, both to guard against poisonous insects and to prevent other fungi from contaminating the ground. He then cut off all the newly grown mycelia and began cultivating them anew.
Two hours later, he had already separated over a hundred strands of mycelia. Although none were very long, they should all be viable within a day. Moreover, the earliest planted mycelia had already split into several branches.
After observing for another hour, Xu Huo gradually confirmed that while these mycelia could continue to grow and their growth rate had increased, they would tend to stop dividing once they reached a certain point. Even when grown on that edible fungus, they wouldn't extend another inch.
But at least from current observations, the mycelia grown here were sufficient for use. He just didn't know how long they could survive.
He cut off the first batch of mycelia that had stopped growing, packed them into containers, and handed them over to Team Leader Lu through the Under Dimension, leaving a message instructing her to handle them in a sealed environment. He wasn't sure if the containers might carry some special fungi inside, and the Special Defense Department had already been searching everywhere for detoxifying fungi, so they should know how to deal with it.
Additionally, he kept a sample for himself, mainly to see how long it could ultimately survive. If it lasted as long as the mycelia cultivated with Nuwa Stone, then the king fungus could be mass-produced.
Just as he was busy with sowing and harvesting, a loud crash suddenly came from the entrance of the cave, followed by the sound of stones tumbling down. Accompanied by a cloud of unknown, ash-like fungi blown into the air, two figures appeared, locked in combat.
One was the bodyguard from the group of seven who had traveled with Xu Huo on the same train. The other was a man covered in the characteristic pustules of Zone 013 residents, his condition far worse than the Liu Da and others Xu Huo had seen earlier, though still better than Cong Yu—at least his face was still recognizable.
The two of them, upon descending, were somewhat surprised to find someone already busy there. However, the bodyguard didn't pay much attention, while the Zone 013 player gave Xu Huo a couple of extra glances.
Xu Huo had known they would eventually come down, but he hadn't expected them to be so reckless. The fungi in the underground cave were even denser than in the rainforest. A casual wave of the hand could stir up large clouds of dust, and the air was filled with webs. The poisonous insects, disturbed by the destruction above, were now crashing about blindly—under these conditions, they were still fighting with gusto.
The Zone 013 native was already adapted to the local environment and hadn't even worn a protective suit when descending. The outer zone player, on the other hand, was wearing a protective suit, but it already had several tears, and the wounds underneath had only been given simple treatment without being tightly covered.
Both of them were unsafe in the underground cave, yet neither showed any intention of backing down. After shifting their attention away from Xu Huo, they immediately resumed their fight.
Xu Huo couldn't let them ruin this place he had worked so hard to find. He directly opened the gateway to his spiritual realm and tossed both of them outside, then deployed his Space Tangent at the entrance.
With no one to disturb him for now, Xu Huo continued to portion and cultivate the mycelia. The Special Defense Department soon replied with good news—the mycelia he had sent back were effective—and asked if he needed them to send someone to help.
If he had enough time and the nutrient fungus, Xu Huo could cultivate enough mycelia for Zone 014 all by himself, without needing any help from the Special Defense Department.
Ignoring that message, he released the combat robot maid, instructing her to go outside and investigate whether there were any hidden passages leading to this underground Butterfly Bone Town.
Maid Unit 11 and Housekeeping Unit 25 were both acquired from Fresh Flower City. Unlike Housekeeping Unit 25, which was proficient in various life skills, Maid Unit 11 was a combat-type robot equipped with over a dozen weapons, including miniature tracking missiles. Xu Huo's task for her was to find and destroy any passages leading to the underground Butterfly Bone Town.
If this underground cave's parasitic rock was to remain useful in the long term, then this place was best left undestroyed.
As for the local players teaming up with ordinary people to trick outer zone players, that scheme was best completely blocked.
Before long, the sound of gunfire rang out from above—thermal weapons couldn't be brought onto the train, so ordinary players generally didn't carry firearms. This must have been Maid Unit 11 making a ruckus.
Within a minute or two, someone came rushing toward the underground cave.
Xu Huo first drove a batch of poisonous insects outward, then arrived at the entrance, where he came face to face with Scarface Glasses, who was just coming down from above. "Something wrong?"
They had met before, so Scarface Glasses naturally recognized him. The earlier battle had left him wounded. Though the injuries weren't severe, the infected wounds had clearly taken a toll on both his body and spirit—he was in a bad mood.
"Master Mo ordered us to bring everyone here out."
"Is that all the locals, or everyone? If you're looking for the people of Butterfly Bone Town, there's no one down there. If you're looking for me, we can talk right here." Xu Huo said calmly.
Scarface Glasses had already heard from his companions about what had happened in the underground cave earlier. He didn't press further and asked, "What's down there?"
"Are you asking knowingly?" Xu Huo gave a light smile. "Of course, it's toxic fungi—important materials for making poison. It would be a shame to destroy them."
Scarface Glasses glanced downward, then turned his gaze back to Xu Huo, only to find that he was now holding a pitch-black long blade in his hand.
His expression darkened. Scarface Glasses said, "Since you say so, sir, I'll take your word for it."
With that, he vanished from the spot.
The overall strength of the group of seven was middling. In other words, that young master seemed to have some background, but the players he brought were only mid-level among advanced players. They weren't here for an instance—they seemed to be looking for someone. Judging by their methods, it was likely a personal grudge.
Xu Huo lingered at the entrance for a moment before turning back to collect the newly grown mycelia.
Up above, things were far from idle.
Not only Liu Da's family, but the remaining dozens of residents of Butterfly Bone Town, along with the six players lying in ambush outside the town, had all been dragged to the surface.
The young man in sunglasses, Master Mo, stood before them, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and then asked, "Where is Midsummer Night Star River?"
The six players had already been beaten to a pulp and thrown to the front. Hearing Master Mo's question, they were all taken aback. However, the harsh survival environment had long since stripped them of any sense of dignity. One of them, a player with disheveled hair, cautiously asked, "May I ask what characteristics this Midsummer Night Star River you speak of has?"