"Are you here to save me?"
The fungal consciousness in the Culture Dish asked Li Luo, who had arrived here.
It sounded as though it had found a lifeline, its voice full of hope.
"I'm here to find a way to leave."
"Leave? Leave where?"
"Leave this network. I need to return to my own body."
"Why leave? Haven't I done well enough?" the fungal consciousness said sadly, as if it still cared deeply about its mission.
For some reason, Li Luo did not want to hide the truth from it. Perhaps sensing the loneliness buried beneath the sludge, she felt a trace of sympathy for the Underlying Consciousness of this Fungal Network.
"I've been adapting to the network for too long. I have other things to do, so I need to return to my body as soon as possible."
"I see... I'm sorry, it's my fault. I can help you." The fungal consciousness sincerely apologized to Li Luo, placing all the blame on itself.
"I'll make the mycelium leave your body. Then you can break free from here. I'm sorry. I thought everyone wanted to be linked together."
"Why did you think that?" Li Luo asked.
"Because everyone is lonely." The fungus explained calmly, "Even individuals find it difficult to understand one another, let alone different species. Everyone lives in a lonely world, where only they can hear their own voice. If everyone were linked together, other lonely individuals could hear it too. Then everyone could accomplish things together and no longer be lonely..."
Hearing that explanation, Li Luo fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Did your creator tell you that?"
"Creator?" The fungal consciousness seemed not to understand what Li Luo meant.
"Yes. Weren't you born in a Culture Dish?"
"Is that thing called a Culture Dish?"