CHAPTER 1584: CHAPTER 1584: FUNGI

The Game Government has already acquired detailed information about D07-013, and the fungi there should have been thoroughly studied, which is why the information is so complete.

The data describes Zone 013 as a place rich in rainforests and water bodies. The land is scattered throughout the entire district and accounts for only one-tenth of the total area, mostly comprising rainforests. It’s humid and hot, with many areas not suitable for human habitation. Moreover, the rapid evolution of various fungi in such an environment means that some places cannot be entered without a gas mask.

This highlights the advantage of scattered land because the evolution of many fungi or mutated flora and fauna hasn’t stopped due to the increase in the number of players. The endless growth has led to many areas previously belonging to humans being invaded, and the water bodies are the best natural barrier.

Books regarding fungi are so numerous that just the indexes alone are thick volumes.

He couldn’t possibly finish reading all of them in a short time, so he only selected the Toxic Chapter and the Curious Chapter to learn about.

The Toxic Chapter is easy to understand, it’s about fiercely toxic fungi, differing from the common perception of edible poisonous mushrooms or metabolic products produced after parasitizing food, it’s broader and more bizarre. Apart from those visible to the naked eye, there are many invisible ones, which are harder to guard against. After evolving, some can even survive in environments extremely harsh to them, living long-term by wind or attaching to tiny objects.

In this Chapter, there’s a highly toxic fungus named Fish-Eating Fungus, which can lodge in the viscera of live fish, traveling overseas through fish to regenerate on another land—this was a real tragedy that occurred; the invasion of such fungi led to a change in the overall environment of that land. Some fungi mutated, causing many deaths, eventually forcing the surviving humans to leave their homeland.

It’s worth mentioning that the technology in this district is not advanced, lacking even some weapons well-known in Zone 014, with poor aviation conditions, and travel between lands mainly relying on ships.

But this doesn’t mean ocean navigation is safe. The weather at sea is violent, with ever-emerging mutated sea fish, causing a very high mortality rate for ordinary people crossing the sea. It could be said unless absolutely necessary, no one would travel between lands.

If the evolved players are strong enough, perhaps they can change the situation of Zone 013, but the babies born here start being poisoned in the womb, and even if they grow up, their lifespan is not very long. Consequently, many talented players have emerged here, but few actually survive to Rank-B and Rank-A.

Logically, in such a district, given human health is this condition, the total population should sharply decrease in a very short time. Surprisingly, after merely five years of a population trough, the people of Zone 013 have perseveringly survived and evolved some toxin resistance—some can allow various fungi to mutually restrain and grow together on them.

The Game Government was initially interested in this unique evolution, but after extensive research, it was discovered that although these district people have no major issues in reproducing, the fetuses being poisoned from the womb don’t adapt to coexisting with fungi better than their parents. This means even if these people can survive or extend their lifespan somewhat beyond their parents’ extent, they can’t achieve normal human standards.

Having lost interest in the people of Zone 013, the Game Government paid more attention to the statistics on fungi, contributing at least 127 entries for the S-rank fungal toxins existing in the game today.

types of S-rank toxic fungi, a thought alone tells how many people have died here.

The Curious Chapter primarily annotates fungi that cause strange changes in plants or animals.

For instance, a type of fungus called "Red Cloud" rapidly occupies the host’s digestive tract after residing within a living organism, producing a large amount of gas. However, during exhaust, the host expels them, and due to their overwhelming quantity, the scene of red mist spouting from the mouth during belching occurs.

This fungus doesn’t threaten human life shortly, yet its color and scent particularly attract a mutant bird called "Dropped Head Bird". This bird’s neck can rotate three hundred and sixty degrees without dead angles, small in size but with sharp beaks, capable of drilling through the human esophagus via the mouth to peck, which can quickly perforate human intestines and break the stomach. Due to this bird, many people died, leading to a prolonged period where people and livestock in the environment of Red Cloud fungus wore metal muzzles.

Another one is called "Skin Fungus", which allows for the complete shedding of human skin within a year post-infection—the year-long record comes from the only person who lived until the day their skin entirely shed, while most succumb to various infections within half a year.

In summary, the fungi in the Curious Chapter many lack the ability to kill quickly. For some, they can accompany people for years or decades yet manifest features that deviate from common poisoning, fungi like "Red Cloud Fungus", "Skin Fungus" aren’t even the strangest. Some fungi can parasitize in the uterus, causing women to appear pregnant and even go through childbirth, but what’s delivered is actually a fungal corpse carrying numerous spores.

But after "delivery", the process does not end. This fungus makes women continue the pregnancy and childbirth process until death.

From a partial glance at these fungi reveals the severe living conditions of life in Zone 013.

The only silver lining is, it’s hard to find places as suitable for fungal reproduction as Zone 013 in the game.

Xu Huo jumped to the last page of the book, where researchers wrote a passage:

"We tried various methods to solve the predicament of Zone 013, extensively irrigating with fungicidal potions, breeding fungi that devour their kind, changing climatic conditions... but none of these methods effectively curbed fungal growth."

"This is a place suited solely and exclusively for fungal growth, if devoid of humans and animals, fungi could still sustain on plants, soil, rocks, until all substances perish."

Nothing follows after, not certain whom the Game Government sent this time, in short, these people eventually gathered a large amount of fungi for experimental research, then compiled into data and books.

The Game Government showed no further interest here.

"You’re also reading the Zone 013 data?" A young lad, looking extroverted and cheerful, leaned over, pointing to the seat opposite Xu Huo, "Mind if I sit down?"

Xu Huo gestured "please" and followed his conversation saying, "Are you heading to D07-013 District?"

"That’s right," the other person flashed a cheerful smile, revealing white teeth, "Nice to meet you, I’m Chi Xian."