Toward the Mountains

Inside the room, Xiang Kun of the bed. Hearing Alice's pitiful report, he didn't react at all, seemingly lost in thought.

Sitting at the computer not far from the bed, Xia Libing, who had come to check on Xiang Kun because she knew it was almost time for Xiang Kun wake up, also had her eyes wide open, expressionless, and remained silent.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

A few seconds later, Alice, having received no response, was no longer satisfied with reporting through the computer speakers and directly requested to be present.

Alice, now fully revealed, jumped up and down, shouting, "Boss! Little Radish is dead!"

Xia Libing didn't understand what was going on, but Xiang Kun roughly knew. He reached out and pressed down on Alice's head to stop her from jumping around.

"It's alright, Little Radish is fine." Xiang Kun said, standing up. He then said to Lao Xia, "When I went into the mountains, Little Radish showed some very interesting changes. I'm going to go and see."

Xia Libing stood up and asked, "Can I go take a look?"

Xiang Kun thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Don't go."

Xia Libing said "Oh," and then sat down again, not disappointed, but rather thoughtful.

Xiang Kun knew that based on his answer alone, Lao Xia understood that the changes in "Little Radish" must be related to "Mutated Creature".

Otherwise, if it's just another "special creature" like Gold Glitter and Egg Pie, only somewhat related to the "Super-Sensing Item System," then it wouldn't be a problem for her to go along—it's not like she's never seen "Little Radish" before.

Xiang Kun tries to keep Lao Xia out of things or information that might directly involve the core secrets of the "Mutated Creature." Before figuring out what kind of existence the so-called "ultimate hunter" of Mr. Liang and Academician Shen is, and how it operates, it is safer to transmit sensitive information through dreams or other extrasensory channels.

Stepping out of the house, Little Apple, who was pacing anxiously and worriedly in the yard, immediately looked up. "Uncle Xiang, is something wrong with Little Radish?"

In the past few days, after obtaining Xiang Kun's permission, Alice also told Little Apple about her new friend "Little Radish". Not only did she confirm "Little Radish's" location and status early on through contact with Gold Glitter, but the day before yesterday morning, she also went into the mountains with Lao Xia and Xiang Kun to play in the space that "Little Radish" built and extended with his own body.

She learned from Gold Glitter that "Little Radish" was not in good condition, but she didn't know the specifics, and Alice was also vague.

"It's nothing, don't worry," Xiang Kun said with a smile, gently rubbing her head.

After entering the mountain, Xiang Kun took off his shoes, quickened his pace, and soon arrived at the location of "Little Radish".

It was afternoon, and under the scorching sun, the big tree "Little Radish" was completely different from when he went to sleep. Not a single leaf or green branch remained on any of its branches; it was utterly bare. Moreover, the bark on the trunk had begun to turn black, devoid of any moisture, and most of it had peeled off, making it look like it was "dead."

But Xiang Kun knew that "Little Radish" was not dead, but had entered a state that appeared to be "dead".

Of course, in the conventional sense, it is indeed "dead," devoid of any vitality.

However, in the "Hyper-Sensory State," it is clearly perceptible through cognitive information that the existence of "Little Radish" has not completely disappeared, but is undergoing very drastic changes.

Alice actually knew this too. The reason she was so loud and boisterous just now was simply to deliberately exaggerate the situation so that Xiang Kun and check it out immediately. After all, the one who had the problem was her friend whom she had vowed to protect.

Xiang Kun circled "Little Radish" a few times, and Alice, who had followed him around like a little shadow, kept asking, "How's it going, boss? What's wrong with Little Radish?...?"

"Has Little Radish changed too much lately? Is it not getting enough 'nutrition'?"

"Shall we go get some fertilizer for it to eat?"

"Should I have Gold Glitter call more birds to come here and poop?"

"Has Little Radish joined our system too?"

"Does Little Radish currently possess the characteristics of a 'Super-Linked Object' or a 'Emotion-Infused Object'?"

"Has the Little Radish mutated? Is it going to end up like the boss?"

Will it turn into a person? Will it become an adult or a child, with long hair or bald?

Xiang Kun finally couldn't hold back and flicked Alice's forehead, causing her tangible body to vanish instantly.

"Boss, boss, when will Little Radish get better? Is there anything you can do for him?" The voice came from his pocket, from his cell phone.

Xiang Kun took out his phone, glanced at the P40 Pro that Lao Xia had given him, and reluctantly put it back.

"It's alright, Little Radish will be fine soon. Let's wait here for a while."

Xiang Kun finished speaking, he sat down cross-legged next to the tree, closed his eyes, and entered a "Hyper-Sensory State".

"Little Radish" was originally a bell-shaped tree, but after Xiang Kun's transformation on the day Joel collapsed, it has undergone great changes.

Especially during this period, in its interactions with Alice, it has been constantly adjusting its biological posture. The entire tree is growing horizontally, covering an increasingly larger area. Moreover, it is flowering, bearing fruit, and has all sorts of strange vines twining around it. The whole tree is like a "strange species in the tree world." If it weren't for Alice's various influences, ensuring that no one entering the mountain could reach this location, if someone took a picture of this tree and posted it online, it would definitely become a "celebrity tree," attracting a bunch of tourists and experts.

Its "free-range" mutation has led Xiang Kun to suspect that it has actually become a "Mutated Creature," but its cognitive information is quite unique, and he cannot fully distinguish it based on the model he has built up in the past.

However, now, in his "Hyper-Sensory State," as he perceives the gradual changes in "Little Radish's" cognitive information, he suddenly discovers many familiar aspects.

Xiang Kun sat under the tree from the afternoon until sunset.

Before the last rays of the setting sun disappeared, "Little Radish" finally began to undergo dramatic changes.

The remaining bark on the tree trunk fell down in a rustling sound, like the peeling paint from a collapsing building, while the once-dried branches, like hungry snakes awakening from hibernation, stretched their bodies, flicked their tongues, and slowly came to life.

Green leaves sprouted at a visible speed, and the tree trunk, which had just been lifeless and seemed about to be blown to dust, was transformed into a lush and vibrant tree within minutes.

But at the same time, within a radius of several dozen meters centered on "Little Radish," all other trees, grasses, and various other plants were rapidly withering away.

Xiang Kun was still in his "Hyper-Sensory State," intently sensing the changes in "Little Radish's" cognitive information.

Alice had already appeared, standing in front of "Little Radish," with her arms outstretched, her fists clenched, striking a victory pose.

"Little Radish! Come back to life!" Alice shouted.

Meanwhile, the "Little Radish," which had regained its vitality and seemed to have grown taller, began to move on its own without wind, its branches swaying constantly, as if echoing Alice.

A dozen minutes later, the surroundings changed again. The withered flowers, grass and trees began to revive in the soil beneath them, and various plants broke through the soil and began to grow wildly.

However, they do not have the growth ability of "Little Radish". They are mostly small sprouts, which look messy and tenacious among the withered plants.

Xiang Kun opened his eyes and looked at "Little Radish," feeling somewhat amazed.

At this point, "Little Radish" finally exhibited the characteristics of a "Mutated Creature." Whether using traditional olfactory senses or extrasensory information, it could detect the characteristics of a "Mutated Creature."

However, it was different from all the "Mutated Creature" that Xiang Kun had encountered before. In its "Hyper-Sensory State," most of its cognitive information remained the same as before, with only a small portion possessing the characteristics of a "Mutated Creature."

Strictly speaking, it should perhaps be called a "semi- Mutated Creature"?

Moreover, "Little Radish" has been fully integrated into the "Super-Sensing Item System," able to merge with all the surrounding "Super-Linked Object" into a single system, or rather, it is a subsystem within the entire system.

The reason why "Little Radish" was "reborn" at this time, coming back to life from the dead, is also closely related to Xiang Kun's blood-drinking slumber.

It was precisely during Xiang Kun's slumber that its body underwent a phase of mutation and evolution, rapidly withering and dying. And it was after Xiang Kun awoke that it completed its transformation into a "semi- Mutated Creature."

It was as if it had gained access to the "Super-Sensing Item System" by transforming into a "semi- Mutated Creature".

Xiang Kun discovered that although the "Little Radish" and the newly emerging "new plants" around it were not connected by roots or other parts, they were very closely linked to each other, just like the "carrier-based aircraft" launched by the "Little Radish".

Furthermore, through these "child plants," the "Little Radish's" plant perception range has expanded many times over, and ordinary plants that are not child plants in the vicinity can also be connected to its perception network.

"Subsidiary plants" are like antennas used to expand its sensing range, and at the same time, they can also change the soil and water environment to a certain extent.

At this point, Xiang Kun can directly use "Little Radish" to control the entire plant network and utilize the plants' special sensory methods to collect various special sensory information and judge the surrounding environment.

For example, the condition of groundwater, the distribution and activity of various insects in the soil, the growth of various plants, and various conditions such as sunlight, rainfall, and wind.

Xiang Kun can sense things through the "Little Radish" whenever he wants.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly useless "plant-like" information. With Alice's current information processing capabilities, she can quickly organize a model that combines the "Little Radish" plant network with the "Super-Linked Object Network" to create a plant monitoring network.

It can be said that "Little Radish" not only became an excellent "developer" of Xiang Kun's "Super-Sensing Item System", but also brought with it a brand-new monitoring information network.

Later, after spreading "Little Radish's" "seed plants" to a wider range of mountains and forests, even if his "Super-Linked Object" have not been fully deployed and covered, the "Mutated Creature" hiding in those mountains and forests will no longer be able to escape his and Alice's monitoring and search.

Alice controls electronic devices in human settlements, while Little Radish controls a network of subplants in the mountains and forests. With the help of "Super-Linked Object" and "Emotion-Infused Object," Xiang Kun's perception range should only be limited to the sky and the ocean.

Of course, for the time being, the "Little Radish's" perception range is only a small area around it, and judging from Xiang Kun's observation of the "Little Radish's " self-growth trend, it seems that it first wants to develop the "seedlings" in the direction of Chongyun Village.

It's obvious that this is due to Alice's influence; she now considers not only Chongyun Mountain but also Chongyun Village as her primary territory to protect.

It was completely dark when Alice, now fully revealed, happily jumped up and down the tree, like a little girl decorating her new house, talking to "Little Radish" about how to make it more "fun"—now that "Child Plants" could help, they could create a larger plant paradise for Egg Pie, Gold Glitter, and Little Apple to play in.

Xiang Kun wasn't in a hurry to go back. Anyway, with Lao Xia taking care of Little Apple, they were sure they could manage to have dinner.

He continued to observe the "Little Radish" and the surrounding "sub-plants," as well as other ordinary plants and various small organisms.

This transformation of Little Radish into a "semi- Mutated Creature" not only brought him a new sensory network and sensory abilities, but more importantly, it allowed him to further improve the extrasensory information model of the "Mutated Creature".

"Little Radish" did not mutate into a "Mutated Creature" on its own; the transformation occurred under Xiang Kun's forceful influence. Therefore, during this process, the most crucial extrasensory information becomes more prominent and easier to perceive.

Xiang Kun did indeed perceive many special extrasensory information, and he would need to work with Alice to refine the model later. However, he now had a new discovery to confirm: some very special extrasensory information fragments, which seemed to have obvious "Mutated Creature" characteristics, were not only found in the extrasensory information of "Little Radish," but also in the extrasensory information of other ordinary plants and even animals.

In the past, Xiang Kun wouldn't have taken these extrasensory information seriously, because he couldn't immediately correlate them with reality, and they were widely present in ordinary organisms, seemingly lacking the characteristics of "Mutated Creature."

But this time, through his perception of the transformation process of "Little Radish," he discovered these unusual extrasensory information.

He suspects that this might be the "High-Dimensional Factor" or "Consciousness-Entangled Particle" that exists widely in living organisms before it is activated and takes effect.

He crouched down in front of an ordinary shrub, entered a "Hyper-Sensory State," and then tried to influence the special cognitive information he had locked onto through the "Super-Linked Object" on his body.

Unexpectedly, before he could figure out how to influence it, that cognitive information underwent a drastic change.

The characteristics of "Mutated Creature" have disappeared!

Xiang Kun opened his eyes and looked at the shrub in front of him with some surprise. It was completely unchanged, and from the perspective of normal senses, there was no change at all.

Just as he was puzzled and about to conduct another experiment, a feeling of hunger struck him, and he was overcome by a bloodthirsty urge.

What happened?

He just finished a blood-drinking slumber!

Xiang Kun did not immediately sense the "Emotion-Infused Object" beside Lao Xia, which used her rationality to suppress this impulse; instead, she carefully sensed it.

The more he felt and pondered, the more he realized something was wrong. This bloodlust, this hunger, was not entirely the same as how he felt when his blood-drinking period was over.

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