The Temptation of Fungi

The Temptation of Fungi

"Xiao Bai!" Lin Feng ordered, "Use Extreme Ice Storm!"

"Chirp?"

Xiao Bai licked his paw and looked at Lin Feng, who was eight hundred meters away, as though asking what nonsense he was talking about.

Lin Feng: "..."

Having already realized that Xiao Bai was lacking in intelligence, Lin Feng was not too disappointed.

Climbing out of his hiding place, Lin Feng ran to Xiao Bai's side, sighed, picked him up, and placed him on his shoulder.

Forget it. There was nothing wrong with being physically invincible.

After consoling himself, Lin Feng gave up on creating a small-scale disturbance to lure over the Forest Rangers, then secretly following them out.

He continued onward with Xiao Bai, following the flow of the water.

If there was a human camp nearby, the many people there certainly would not survive on wild fruit alone for drinking water like he did.

Following the stream would clearly give him a better chance of finding them.

Along the way, Lin Feng did his best not to make any unnecessary noise.

Even so, he still attracted the attention of some creatures along the way.

Jungle Tree Frogs hopped away from his feet, Night-Colored Birds watched curiously from the branches, Crystalflies scattered in fright, and there was even a bouncing Slime on the opposite bank.

These weak creatures did not affect Lin Feng's journey. They merely reacted instinctively to his arrival.

But Lin Feng was deeply interested in these unique little lives.

—A genuine otherworldly environment!

This was something Lin Feng had never experienced in the game!

If he had not needed to conceal all traces of his movements as much as possible,

he would definitely have rushed over to examine them carefully.

Slimes and the like were something Lin Feng had long wanted to touch for himself.

After walking some distance, Lin Feng saw some household waste floating down the river.

His relaxed body instantly tensed. He first had Xiao Bai scout the surroundings for enemies, only to receive a negative answer.

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Feng retreated a short distance. After making sure he was well concealed, he had Xiao Bai investigate the area nearby.

Watching the three Treasure Hoarders by the campfire share his mushrooms, Farbod, trapped in the cage, felt his heart bleed.

Farbod felt that he had been unbelievably unlucky today!

In order to realize his dream of buying a house in Sumeru City as soon as possible, he, who had been a Forest Walker since birth, had gotten up early today as well.

The freshest, biggest, and most valuable mushrooms could usually only be picked in the morning. Among mushrooms, the most precious were those called King of Trees mushrooms or something like that. They were especially sought after; as long as one could find them and have someone transport them into the city, they could make a fortune immediately.

With dreams of getting rich, Farbod gathered his courage and entered a patch of forest he did not usually visit.

Looking at the basket filled to the brim in his hands, Farbod felt that his morning self had been incredibly wise.

He normally could not even bear to eat Starlight Fungus, but today, he had decided to indulge himself for once. He used the precious fungi he had just picked to make lunch, intending to reward himself.

"Glug glug."

Watching the fungi boil in the pot and smelling their alluring fragrance, Farbod could not help swallowing. Before the fungi had even fully cooked, his craving got the better of him, and he served himself a huge bowl of mushroom soup.

Savoring the lingering flavor in his mouth, the thoroughly satisfied Farbod watched the colorful little people dancing before him and happily lost consciousness.

"Boss, are these mushrooms edible?"

"Look at that idiot over there. Did he pass out because he ate these mushrooms?"

The Treasure Hoarder rookie in a gray mask looked doubtfully at their leader.

"Heh, you don't trust your boss?"

The burly Treasure Hoarder leader, who had a scar across his face, unhappily patted his underling's shoulder and said proudly,

"Your boss here once worked with Sumeru's biggest Black Crow Treasure Hoarders. There was even a Great Treasure Hunter in the crew. You know what a Great Treasure Hunter is?"

"I heard him say it myself. There's nothing wrong with mushrooms. The only problem is that whoever eats them doesn't cook them thoroughly. Simmer them a while longer, and nothing will happen!"

"Come on, brothers, drink up!"

"Let's celebrate a successful start!"

In the night, Lin Feng, carefully disguised, looked speechlessly at the three low-tier Treasure Hoarders before him. He felt as though his wariness at noon had made him look like an idiot.

After discovering signs of people living nearby at noon, he had first cleared away the footprints along his route. Then he had sent Xiao Bai to determine their numbers and direction. Only after disguising himself had he decided to use the cover of night and strike after they fell asleep.

Not only that, Lin Feng had warned Xiao Bai in advance that if anything unexpected happened, he was to act decisively. Even if he had to kill them all, he had to ensure Lin Feng's safety.

Who could have known that the opponents who had put him on such high alert were merely three beginner Treasure Hoarders below level twenty? The "goods" in the cage also looked dull-witted, clearly not worth much. This job might even leave them at a net loss after Food Expenses.

Lin Feng had already been unable to stop himself from mocking this group's amateurism inwardly. When he watched them gather around the campfire, talk for a while, drink a pot of soup stewed from who knew what, and then all collapse in unison, he began to deeply question the intelligence of the people of Teyvat.

Out of his last shred of respect for them, Lin Feng used Inspect on the Treasure Hoarder leader.

Individual Information: Human—Hu San

Level: 18 (A skilled fighter with some training)

Element: None

Traits: Fighting 2, Strong and Sturdy 1, Food Poisoning

Mood: Happy

Favorability: 0 (You do not know each other)

Seeing the glaring words "Food Poisoning" after the traits, Lin Feng felt as though ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart. His vigilance now made him feel like a clown.

After confirming that there were no other enemies, Lin Feng emerged from his hiding place, used rope he found in the camp to tie up the three idiots wearing blissful expressions, and walked over to the conspicuous wooden cage in the middle of the camp.

"Hero, save me! Hero, save me!"

Seeing Lin Feng walk toward him after dealing with the Treasure Hoarders, Farbod, who felt that he had been saved, shouted desperately for help.

Hearing the victim in the cage cry out, Lin Feng was surprised to find that although the accent sounded somewhat strange, he could understand every word—having no language barrier was wonderful.

Looking at the unlucky fellow in the cage, Lin Feng used Inspect to confirm that he posed no threat. Then, using the key he had just found, he opened the cage door for the young man inside.

Farbod crawled out of the cage with tears in his eyes and looked at Lin Feng with a face full of gratitude.

"King of Trees above!"

"Waaah, I'm finally saved!"

"I thought I was going to vanish into the rainforest together with my mushrooms!"

"Brother, you're practically my savior! Since the day I was born, I've never been this grateful to anyone else! Waaah..."

Seeing the rescued unlucky man looking so grateful that he seemed ready to hug his leg, Lin Feng pushed the snot-faced Farbod away from himself in disgust.

"Brother, you absolutely must come back to Gandharva Ville with me! I, Farbod, swear before the benevolent King of Trees that after we return, I will treat the savior of my life to the finest mushrooms I have in my collection!"

Farbod looked utterly sincere.