Chapter 86

Su Cheng found an umbrella-shaped red mushroom near the roots of a large tree. Its bright color made it look like a poisonous mushroom that couldn't be eaten.

But she was looking for poisonous mushrooms!

The herbs and red berries I gathered in the Plague instance were converted into medicine. There's no reason why the poisonous mushrooms in this forest wouldn't work.

As for the types of mushrooms, some can cause hallucinations, while others can cause poisoning and death.

And isn't poison exactly what she needs?

The previous illusion required injecting empty needles bought from the store, which only produced 5 poison needles. She still had 25 empty needles left.

If you can collect more poisonous mushrooms and then have someone with apothecary skills convert them into potions, it should be cheaper than buying them at the supermarket.

Su Cheng remembered some types of mushrooms that had been shown on the apartment's television.

She put on rubber gloves, picked seven or eight red-umbrella-and-white-spotted mushrooms that were stuck together, and threw them into a plastic bag.

Mushrooms thrive in damp, shady environments, so Su Cheng, wielding an entrenching tool, carefully searched among the decaying leaves under the tree.

Mushrooms are easy to find in the forest, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and colors.

Umbrella-shaped, disc-shaped, spherical, coral-shaped... with all sorts of colors, Su Cheng was dazzled by the sight and picked them all, regardless of whether they were poisonous or not.

In addition, Su Cheng also discovered several enlarged versions of insects. Perhaps because she had sprayed insect repellent, they mostly avoided her.

Among them was a nearly 40-centimeter-long, obese millipede. Without needing to avoid it, Su Cheng stepped back and made way.

She wasn't afraid of insects, but she had no desire to step on or touch this large one.

Because she really didn't want to see the "splattering juice" and staining her pants.

Su Cheng applied another layer of insect repellent spray to her legs to keep the insects away from her.

After nearly two hours of mushroom gathering in the woods, Su Cheng had a bountiful harvest.

The temperature has risen to around 37℃, which is enough to make you sweat outdoors.

Even with cooling patches on, Su Cheng couldn't stop her body from sweating and cooling down, so she simply turned back and returned to the cabin.

When she returned to the cabin, Laobo was no longer there.

Most of the fallen leaves used to conceal the animal traps were swept away, serving as a warning to passersby not to step on them.

The hand warmers on the floor of the wooden house were no longer there, but there was more firewood in the fireplace.

Laobo accepted her payment and also reciprocated with some kindness.

Su Cheng took off her two-piece raincoat and jacket, leaving only a short-sleeved shirt. She also changed out of her muddy shoes to avoid leaving dirty footprints on the wooden floor.

After sitting down in the chair, she took out a piece of Ice Stone and placed it on the ground. The surrounding temperature instantly dropped, just like going from the scorching outdoors into an air-conditioned room, making her feel much more comfortable.

Su Cheng drank a few sips of water, then took out bread, cakes, and snacks such as braised eggs and braised chicken feet and started eating.

She didn't plan to go out during the two or three hours when the temperature was at its highest.

But at the same time, she began to wonder whether she should leave the cabin once the temperature dropped a little.

Sudden changes in temperature could lead to thunderstorms, and if she stayed in the cabin, she estimated she would be soaked to the bone by the seeping rainwater.

But if we're not going to leave, we'll have to find a way to reinforce this little cabin.

Su Cheng leaned back in her recliner, took a few sips of orange juice to wash away the lingering taste of braised chicken feet in her mouth; snacks really do make you feel better.

Normal dungeons are almost becoming low-budget vacation dungeons.

It would be even better if we could go to dungeons with abundant resources. Consumables like food decrease in quantity with use, so you can never have too much stockpiled.

Su Cheng patted her oversized backpack; she figured she couldn't possibly fill it up in this dungeon.

As she was reflecting on this, she suddenly heard footsteps.

She sat up, picked up the Ice Stone and put them in her bag. When she went to the door, she saw that it was still Laobo.

This time he didn't drag trees or carry firewood, clearly indicating that he had returned after going back to his settlement.

Laobo hesitated for a moment before whispering, "My wife would like to invite you to our shelter. It might rain heavily tonight, and we hope you will accept."

Inviting a complete stranger, whom you've known for less than a day, to a shelter... isn't that a bit too risky? This is the apocalypse.

Su Cheng wondered if it was because her appearance or demeanor seemed too harmless that the other party mistook her for someone without any danger.

Or perhaps she had other intentions, but her acting was so good that she didn't notice.

Seemingly sensing Su Cheng's suspicion, Laobo explained, "My wife and I are not bad people, and we believe you are not a bad person either."

Su Cheng did not refuse the invitation. Whether Laobo were good or bad, she was not worried; this confidence stemmed from her own abilities.

Moreover, if there is a heavy rain, she cannot stay in this wooden house.

Su Cheng put on the coat that had been placed on the chair, slung her bag over her shoulder, and left with Laobo.

The firewood that was originally left in the cabin was also taken away by Laobo.

Laobo's refuge is about a 40-minute walk from the cabin.

It was built outside the forest, and underground.

Laobo pulled back the concrete slab, gesturing to Su Cheng, "Go inside."

Su Cheng stepped onto the rusty thin iron ladder and landed on the ground.

The underground space was a completely different world. Dimly lit by candlelight, the 30-square-meter space was filled with various items, but they were neatly arranged and did not appear cluttered.

The thin, middle-aged woman had been waiting for a long time, and a hint of joy appeared on her face when she saw her.

Upon seeing the woman, Su Cheng understood the reason for the couple's "enthusiasm" towards her.

As people of the same race, she and the woman, even disregarding their pupil color, share some similarities in their eyebrow and eye shape.

The woman stared at her for a long while, tears welling up in her eyes. She turned her head to wipe them away before smiling and saying, "Hello, my name is Moya, and I'm Laobo's wife. I've already heard about you from him."

Moya warmly invited Su Cheng inside to sit down, "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

"No, thank you."

Su Cheng said politely, looking around the shelter full of life, her gaze falling on the family photo on the wall.

The glass frame of the photograph was spotless, clearly indicating that it was frequently wiped clean. The photograph depicted five people: two elderly people, Laobo and Moya, and a young girl.

If Su Cheng and Moya only share a slight resemblance in their eyes and eyebrows, she shares a five-tenths resemblance with the young girl in the photo. If she were to cover her face, revealing only her eyes, it would be enough to leave one mesmerized.

However, given that only the couple remains in the shelter, it is highly likely that the elderly man and his daughter have perished.

The two elderly people who resembled Moya were her parents, and the young girl was Moya Robert's daughter.

No wonder when Laobo first saw her, after associating her with time travel, he wanted to see her face; he was probably hoping his daughter had returned...

Moya placed the tea on the heated table in front of Su Cheng. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Laobo told me your name is Su Cheng."

"Yes."

"You really look like my daughter Lili, much more so than Laobo said."

Moya's voice was soft, her eyes filled with tenderness. She stared at Su Cheng for a long while, as if she were seeing another person through her.

"I need to go out again. Where is Moya's toolbox?" After entering the house, Laobo piled firewood by the fireplace, saw Moya staring blankly at Su Cheng, and patted her to ask.

"I put it in the cabinet, I'll get it for you later." Moya stood up, only then realizing her voice was a little hoarse.

Laobo did not deceive Su Cheng. Even though the sun was shining brightly now, based on years of experience, a downpour was indeed expected in a few hours.

He had just discovered that the gaps in the stone door needed to be reinforced.

A note from the author:

I'm taking a day off tomorrow and will be back the night after tomorrow. Happy New Year everyone!

Chapter 86

Moya tidied up the house while chatting with Su Cheng.

Su Cheng's incongruous aura with this world gradually made Moya, who was initially skeptical of Laobo's "time traveler" claims, start to believe them.

"Laobo was a physicist before the apocalypse. He firmly believed in the existence of parallel universes and thought that as long as some kind of bridging material was found, people would be able to travel through them."

"I heard Laobo mention you, hoping Lili would return to us, but how could that be... She died six years ago at the hands of her own kind..."

Moya sighed softly, "This is not a good time. You should return to the world you originally belonged to as soon as possible."

Su Cheng nodded in agreement. "I'm looking for a way back, and I might leave in a few days."

Moya pointed to the cleared-out wall side, quite apologetically. "The shelter is too small, so I could only make room for this."

Su Cheng shook her head and thanked them. The shelter was much better than the places she had stayed in the wild before.

Because of the extreme cold at night, everyone slept around the fireplace, with carpets and quilts covering the area where Moya and her husband slept.

Sleeping bags have been placed on the space cleared for Su Cheng, also not far from the fireplace, to help keep warm at night.

"Now we can prepare dinner. Can you eat mushrooms and ferns?" Moya asked.

Are those enlarged bracken ferns edible?

"Yes, but it needs to be soaked in water for two hours, boiled, and then filtered before use."

Seeing Su Cheng's curiosity, Moya took the initiative to lead her to see the kettle containing the ferns.

"Besides being used in soups, it can also be pickled, which allows it to be stored for longer."

Su Cheng nodded. Compared to fast food, although bracken fern is easy to obtain, the process of making it edible is too troublesome.

She took out a jar of jam, a can of luncheon meat, and instant noodles from her backpack. "We can add these to dinner tonight."

Moya looked at the food in her hand with surprise, accepted it with a complicated expression, and said nervously, "This food disappeared from this world many years ago. You can't easily expose yourself outside, or you'll attract danger."

Are there other survivors around here?