The Meat-Eating Ganoderma Grants Longevity and Immortality

He opened his pores to vent the heat generated by excessive exertion, then flexed his limbs, which had begun to show signs of damage. This was where he fell short compared to the Shadow Assassin; after all, he still possessed a human body. No matter how high his level of control, he could not avoid the physical limits of his vessel.

Lu Li reflected on his gains from this encounter. The release of long-suppressed emotions left his mind feeling empty. If he were to check his data panel, he would likely see an increase in his soul evaluation. Furthermore, his control over his own body had improved once again, to the point where he could observe his own genes to a certain extent—though this was merely observation, as such an act consumed a vast amount of his energy.

Walking past this stretch of dark green terrain, Lu Li regained his calm composure and began to wonder what the things the Witch had mentioned actually were. Moving deeper in, it was clear this was the living area for these monsters. Unlike their beast-like appearances, the living quarters were organized and orderly, with distinct zones marked out, despite the foul stench.

The sense of smell of a Ghoul differs from that of an ordinary person, allowing them to endure the smell of rot. However, they also possess a certain level of social structure. The bones at the cave entrance might have been placed there intentionally to deceive humans, leading them to believe it was merely a beast's den and reducing the risk of exposure. After all, Ghouls are a taboo existence in human society; once exposed, they easily invite extermination by humans.

Passing through the living area, the tunnel behind it became significantly narrower. The ground here showed a large number of fresh marks, suggesting this section had likely been excavated only recently. Lu Li walked toward the back with a hint of curiosity.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt something was wrong. The ground was soft, as if he were walking on jelly or chunks of meat. The sensation of his feet sinking slightly was indescribably disgusting. Lu Li stomped hard and discovered that this substance was, in fact, alive.

His brain unleashed its full capacity to perceive the surrounding information. Before long, Lu Li reached a conclusion: this entire section of the cave was covered in a type of fleshy organism, and this organism was growing rapidly. He estimated that within a few hours, the cave would be completely sealed shut, with the growth spreading further outward.

The shadow beneath his feet transformed into spikes, piercing the fleshy organism in the ground. A stream of black-red blood flowed out. The appearance of this blood actually triggered Lu Li's appetite. Just as a person feels the urge to drink when thirsty or eat when hungry, the human body automatically provides feedback on what it needs, and Lu Li's body signaled a craving to consume that black-red blood.

"So this is the cafeteria for those monsters..." Lu Li crouched down, dipped his finger into the black-red blood, and brought it to his nose to sniff. Some of the volatile substances from the blood entered his body through his respiratory system. Lu Li sensed the changes in his body after absorbing this tiny amount of matter.

In just a second, the inhaled substance was fully absorbed, and Lu Li felt his physical fitness improve slightly. In truth, had his control not improved just moments ago, he wouldn't have even noticed this minor boost. Although the improvement was minuscule, he had only absorbed a tiny amount through his breath. Gauging the size of the cave, Lu Li's overclocked brain quickly calculated that if he were to consume all the fleshy organisms here, his physical evaluation would grow from its original 1.52 to at least 2.52—an increase of roughly one full unit.

This would provide a qualitative leap in Lu Li's physical fitness, truly elevating him to a non-human level. If Lu Li were to further release his physical restraints, even some melee-type monsters would likely be crushed by him. However...

Lu Li's shadow split into two tentacles, their tips sharpening as he peeled back the fleshy organism. Black-red blood flowed out, revealing pale, disgusting chunks of meat. More importantly, there was a piece of an undigested skull embedded within—a human one.

The Ghouls were feeding humans to this fleshy organism, farming it, and using it to continuously strengthen themselves. Upon realizing this, Lu Li's expression shifted. He returned to the Ghouls' living area and began rummaging through boxes and cabinets, searching for any existing records.

Finally, in one of the bedrooms, he found a diary that was still relatively new. Lu Li flipped to a page, and the dialogue box at the corner of his eye translated the contents:

"March 17th: The plague has finally passed. Every household has lost someone, and they have been buried forever in the cemetery behind the mountain..."

"March 25th: Del the gravedigger has become strange. Although he was always odd, I still feel something is wrong..."

"April 3rd: Del was reported for secretly digging up graves at night. The villagers, having just lost loved ones, hanged him from the withered tree in front of the cemetery..."

"April 29th: The village has become very strange. Many people no longer show their faces. I went to find them, but I couldn't even get through their doors. Hast even argued with me through the door, but his voice sounded a bit strange..."

"May 6th: Heavens, what are they doing... They are actually feeding the dead to that disgusting thing..."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to die, and I don't want to be fed to that mass as food. I'm sorry..." There were traces of water stains and some grime on this part of the paper.

"May 27th: It's been a while since I last wrote. After a month of eating, my sense of taste and smell have changed. Today, I actually found that thing delicious. I feel like I am dying—not physically, but mentally. Another me is being born..."

"June 8th: I suspect this is the last time I will write. My hands have mutated, and my appearance has become strange. I have started to fear the sunlight. I can barely hold the pen anymore. If I hadn't been exposed to the sun today, I wouldn't have realized I had already started adapting to that life. The Witch found us and made a contract. We are moving to the forest tomorrow, otherwise, our mutations will be discovered... I understand. Today, I am about to die, and what remains will be a true Ghoul... Will's final words." The handwriting on this page was crooked.

Lu Li closed the diary, having roughly understood the sequence of events. The transformation of these monsters had clearly happened recently. Judging by the current weather, it was at most July, meaning it had only taken two or three months for these humans to transform into such monsters.

About three or four months ago, a plague struck the village where these monsters lived, killing a large number of people. After these people were buried in the cemetery, the fleshy organism appeared. The gravedigger discovered it and realized its utility, but while preparing food, he was discovered and hanged, and the fleshy organism fell into the hands of several villagers.

Those villagers also discovered the utility of the fleshy organism. They began using it in secret and coerced those who discovered them to join their ranks. Finally, a Witch got involved and struck some kind of contract—presumably the Witch he had encountered.

Later, because their mutations became too obvious, they moved to this cave in the forest to avoid detection, continuing to feed on the fleshy organism until today, when they were killed by Lu Li.

"It really is dark..." Lu Li thought of the Witch's expression. He suddenly felt that the role this Witch played was not simple—for instance, the plague that occurred, or how that fleshy organism came to be...