Chapter 84

Chapter 84

An Zhe sank into a dream.

He had had this dream before—on the day he left Lu Fen.

At times, even during the daylight and when he was awake, he would drift back into the dream, perhaps a hallucination of someone on the brink of death. He hadn't mentioned it to Boli; the inexplicable coughing up of blood, high fever, and pain all over his body had already taken too much of Boli's attention.

In the dream, his body was split in two - half in the Highland Institute, and half in some unknown place. There was no pain, nor the weight of a human body.

In the dream, he had no eyes or ears, no sense of smell or any human perception. It felt like being reborn, buried in soil soaked by rain—something that mushrooms could sense, but which couldn't be described in human terms.

He knew he was near Lu Fen, a delusion surely brought on by his departure from him. Nonetheless, it didn't stop him from drawing closer to Lu Fen in his dreams.

The dream wasn't always pleasant. Sometimes he was placed in an enclosed container, accompanied by cold liquid. At first, it was Dr. Ji beside him, then it was always Boli, with a revolving cast of many others.

With nothing else to do, if Lu Fen was there, he would cling to him. If not, he would soak in the liquid, reflecting on his life.

Distant memories resurfaced - in the soil, during rainy seasons, in winters, and within the base.

When certain thoughts arose, he would lean closer to Lu Fen. The man's fingers brushed against his tendrils, and it was as if he could finally be at peace, quietly sharing this moment with him. He hovered on the edge of consciousness but didn't wish to awaken, for in the real world, they could never be like this.

But after revisiting his memories a hundred times, there were still no dreams to be had, leaving him with no choice but to wake up.

He discovered that he was still alive.

Recalling that day now, he couldn't remember much. The emotional turmoil had erased many other details.

He only recalled standing by the door as Lu Fen emerged from a lush spring scenery – their eyes locked in a daze, neither able nor daring to approach. He had dreamt too much, reaching for that fragile full moon one time too many.

Not until Lu Fen stood right before him.

In the man's absence, he had cried countless times. At times, just the thought of him would make his heart tremble violently. Yet, in this very moment, upon actually seeing Lu Fen, he couldn't help but curve the corners of his lips.

Reaching out, he attempted to trace the contours of Lu Fen's face, but he couldn't tell if he had lost weight or looked haggard—it had been too long since he last saw this person.

Only now did a tear slide down his cheek. He retracted his hand, staring blankly at Lu Fen, who then embraced him from the front, wiping away the tear with a gentle touch. Leaning on Lu Fen's shoulder, his voice hoarse, he softly called out his name.

"It's me," Lu Fen said.

The folks in the laboratory congratulated him; Boli had seemingly resurrected someone who had been reduced to ashes – he couldn't fathom the underlying principle. The lab personnel bombarded him with jargon like genetics, frequencies, and samples, leaving him utterly perplexed. Yet, human technology had always been mystical, so he embraced it without question.

It has been three years since I jumped into the Simpson's cage.

The outside world, unexpectedly, had also calmed down.

The era of genetic chaos ended with a chime, its frequency reverberating worldwide. It defied judgment as good or bad, for in that instant, everything tangible was infused with stability. Humans remained human, monsters stayed their monstrous course. They might undergo polymorphic transformations, but the dominant consciousness was forever bound to the ruler who sounded the chime.

As for why this is the case, Boli's explanation is that, through extensive experimentation and comparison, the frequency resolved by Simpson's cage is found to be more akin to a definition inherent to matter itself.

For instance, when faced with an apple and an orange, humans are aware that it is an apple and that it is an orange. Yet, the apple itself has no knowledge of being an apple, nor does the orange comprehend its own identity as such — this understanding belongs solely to human cognition.

The ephemeral fungi are oblivious to the passage of months, and the cicadas know not the cycle of seasons. Human biology is but a flawed and superficial understanding of appearances; they are equally unaware of what constitutes their essence and what determines their humanity — a comprehension beyond the grasp of four-dimensional beings.

It was through the Simpson Cage's analysis of elementary particles that they briefly caught a glimpse, a mere shadow, of truth—a faint trace of true definition, and grasped onto several remarkable frequencies. In this cosmic symphony, humanity was the note most easily disturbed by other lifeforms, while he, this inexplicably self-aware mushroom, was the stable frequency capable of encompassing it all. When this stability was imparted globally, even if only momentarily, peace descended.

"That's probability," Boli Joan remarked, "Probability is fate, and existence itself is but a chance occurrence."

As these words were spoken, An Zhe had just been fed a freshly cut piece of apple by Lu Fen.

A freshly picked apple needed only a gentle bite to release its sweet-tart juices, filling his mouth. He forgot what he was going to say earlier as Lu Fen stuffed another piece into his mouth.

"I wonder about oranges," he said. "What do they taste like?"

Lu Fen replied that they would have to wait until autumn.

Boli politely showed them and their apples, along with the anticipated oranges, out the door.

On his way back to his room, An Zhe finished half of the apple. The other half, he saved for Lu Feng – originally, he had intended to peel and slice it for the colonel, but Lu Feng wouldn't let him touch a knife.

An Zhe didn't argue over such matters; if it weren't for the fact that it was Lu Feng, he wouldn't have been too keen on slicing an apple anyway. He was feeling drowsy, it was time for his afternoon nap.

But he couldn't sleep. Instead, he held a tablet in his hands, scrolling through its contents.

The tablet stored all the information he had scavenged during his ten days of wakefulness: digital copies of the United Daily News, research records copied from Dr. Ji's computer, experiment manuals copied from Boli's computer, and many more similar documents.

Lu Feng sat down beside him, and An Zhe quickly turned away, not wanting him to see.

Lu Fen chuckled softly and stuffed the remaining half of the apple into An Zhe's mouth.

Although the apple was delicious and the colonel was attractive, An Zhe preferred not to have Lu Fen by his side when he was studying his documents. He was always paranoid, suspecting that Lu Fen was peering at his screen.

The frustrating part was that upon waking up one day, he found Lu Fen occupying the room he used to have in the research facility – everything in it remained identical to how it was before his death, except for the change in the occupant.

He tried to convince Lu Fen to move to the adjacent room, but the latter, with an expressionless face, replied, "If you don't want to share a room with me, you can always continue sleeping in the nutrient tank."

An Zhe: "...."

Three years had passed, yet this person's character hadn't softened in the slightest.

As a result, he had no choice but to share a room, a desk, and a bed with the colonel.

Eventually, his paranoia became so overwhelming that he couldn't continue his work, and weariness forced him to sleep.

"Soo boring."

In bed, Lu Fen embraced him from behind while gazing blankly at the white wall.

The colonel's voice was like a thawing stream of ice: "Where do you want to go?"

"Want…." An Zhe gazed at the wall, his eyes slightly lost.

He had a place he wished to go.

A place known only to him and Lu Fen, not even Boli was privy to it.

"I want to find An Ze," he whispered softly.

In that cave where everything began, An Ze's remains were still waiting for him. He had many things he wanted to say to An Ze.

He remembered every word An Ze had spoken to him. An Ze had said he was a meaningless existence alive – he wanted to tell An Ze about the series of upheavals in the Northern Base, to explain the source of that final tolling bell.

If he hadn't met Lu Fen, hadn't met An Ze, none of this would have happened. Fate had twisted and turned amidst countless coincidences.

But the abyss was vast, and he couldn't find it. Nor would anyone be willing to accompany him on such a search – it was an unattainable wish forever out of reach.

"But I can't find it," he murmured. "I don't know how, and I don't remember anything anymore."

"I will." At his ear, Lu Fen whispered, "Let's go find them."

An Zhe's eyes widened.

It all felt like a dream. The next day, after bidding farewell to Boli, their armored vehicle was air-dropped right into the heart of the abyss by a transport aircraft. The pilot, who was also the driver of PL1109, reminded them before leaving to also search for any traces of Hubbard and Tang Lan. They had been confirmed missing since the monster siege on the research institute. The only thing certain now was that despite Tang Lan's severe injuries that were hard to describe, he was still alive – there were no corpses of the two within a ten-mile radius.

"I seriously suspect they went to recover from their injuries, got lost, and then laid eggs," the captain concluded, basing it on recent news, before piloting the transport aircraft away.

Lu Fen opened the armored vehicle door and helped An Zhe down. The ground was covered in velvet-like grass that reached their ankles. An Zhe gazed into the distance. It was late spring, and the deep greenery sprawled across the abyss as far as the eye could see. Ancient winds rustled through the foliage, while the flapping of birds' wings echoed in the distance. He had returned to this place.

He looked at Lu Fen. The fact that Lu Fen accompanied him here caught him off guard.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

Lu Fen quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't you want to come?"

"It'll take a long time," An Zhe said. "Aren't you working for humanity anymore?"

"The Court of Judgment has disbanded," Lu Fen replied, looking at him. "I'll return to the base if there's another war or when my services are needed."

In those cold emerald eyes, there was no trace of pain or hatred, or anything else - it was as though he had lost something, yet also felt a sense of relief.

An Zhe reached up to pluck a soft leaf that had landed on Lu Feng's shoulder. In response, Lu Feng pulled him into an embrace.

"In the stillness, An Zhe heard the colonel say softly, "I want to be with you now."

"…Why?" He nestled his chin on Lu Feng's shoulder, holding onto the man's arms in a whisper.

He didn't explicitly state what he was asking, but he knew that Lu Feng understood. The two of them seemed to always communicate without needing too many words.

He knew he liked Lu Feng, but he was unsure why Lu Feng would like him.

Taking a step forward, Lu Feng pressed An Zhe against the car wall. An Zhe looked up at him.

— Those eyes were just as serene and clear as they had been when they first met at the base's city gate years ago.

Lu Feng gazed at him for a long while.

Over the past three years, he had often dreamed of that day.

Back then, his soul was entrenched in a thorny quagmire, teetering on the brink of losing control. That was how he encountered him.

He was human, an abomination, and a monstrosity. He deserved to die and yet did not. He was the embodiment of all indeterminacy, the most insane of possibilities. He was like everyone in that pool of blood.

"Why did you step into Simpson's cage?" he asked abruptly.

An Zhe pondered slowly, then shook his head.

"I don't know," he said.

Then, An Zhe whispered, "So you don't know either."

"I do," Lu Fen replied softly, their foreheads touching. "Because you're a little mushroom."

This casual response provoked a hint of displeasure in An Zhe's eyes, but upon seeing the hidden depths in those cold emerald irises, his gaze softened involuntarily.

In the abyss, all things thrived.

In truth, he recalled every word Boli had spoken.

The entire cosmos is an incessant turmoil, and human consciousness merely fleeting glimmers amidst brief stability. A tale unfolds on a book's pages, but those pages are consumed by flames into ashes. The frequency of the magnetic field is like a cool breeze, resisting the scorching heat. His frequency turns the paper into asbestos, preserving it from the raging fire.

Yet the flames still burn. Unforeseen ripples, unpredictable chaos — they will return, with even greater intensity or in utterly unfamiliar forms.

Perhaps in the next second, perhaps in ten thousand years.

But—

It no longer matters.

They've all attained an outcome beyond their wildest dreams.

Leaning against the car, he smiled at Lu Fen.

Lu Fen bent down to kiss the corner of his eye, then turned to adjust the compass and navigation system.

While Lu Fen fiddled with the instruments, An Zhe continued flipping through his documents. He had nearly finished them before, and within five minutes, he had thoroughly read the remaining contents, promptly locking the screen with a snap.

By then, Lu Fen had also completed his tasks.

They came from the south, with a lake ahead of them, dense woods to the east, and swamps to the west.

"Where are we going?" asked Lu Fen.

"I don't know," An Zhe replied, sounding somewhat disheartened.

"We'll head east," Lu Fen said indifferently.

"Why?"

"I don't know where your cave is," Lu Fen said, setting the navigation device aside. "But I know where I first saw you."

Upon hearing this, An Zhe's mood took a turn for the worse.

He looked up at Lu Fen, his brows furrowing slightly as his eyes reddened, on the verge of tears.

For once, Lu Fen wore an expression of helplessness. He reached out to cup An Zhe's face. "What's wrong?"

"You don't like me at all," An Zhe frowned, saying.

Lu Fen replied, "I like it."

An Zhe raised his voice, "What about my spore?"

—Lu Fen had never mentioned the spore to him. With the man's previous hostility, An Zhe didn't dare to inquire proactively and could only search for news articles to find out where that inactive sample had gone.

But there was nothing. It wasn't until he reached the end of his search that he stumbled upon scattered news about an "inactive extract," along with a photograph—a tiny, snow-white spore the size of a date seed, contained in a glass vial.

Now, Lu Fen remained silent, and there was no sign of the spore anywhere.

There was only one possibility: it had perished under his care.

Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Lu Fen's eyes.

An Zhe was so frustrated, he couldn't form coherent sentences.

"You shrunk it more and more," he said, his vision blurred by tears threatening to fall, "and now you've killed it."

Lu Fen denied, "No."

"It's just that it perished," An Zhe held onto his arm, his throat constricting. "You didn't take good care of it at all... Give it back to me."

"Still here, don't cry." Lu Fen said, "What is this spore to you?"

"It's..." An Zhe struggled to describe it in human terms, but he couldn't find the words. He could only say, "It's just the spore."

"Is it that important?"

"Yes." An Zhe was so agitated that he was almost shaking. "I can die, but I must plant the spore. I thought you could take care of it."

"More important than your life?"

"......Mm."

"To any living being, one's own life is the most important thing."

"The spore is the most important," An Zhe shot back without mercy, "You're not a mushroom, anyway."

"Alright." There was still a gentle amusement in Lu Fen's voice. "So, is it your child then?"

An Zhe bit his lip. In the world of mushrooms, there were no parents or children, no relatives, not even friends. Each variety of mushroom in the abyss was distinct from the others. He couldn't use human relationships to describe his connection with the spore; he couldn't claim it was his child. All he could say was, "I gave birth to it."

"I raised it."

"You didn't raise it properly at all."

"Hmm?" Lu Fen asked, "Then why, at the lighthouse, did it come to you but only actively float by my side?"

Revisiting old matters, An Zhe had just been dwelling on the fact that Lu Fen had inadvertently killed the spore. Now, he recalled the spore's two-faced behavior.

- Neither of them were good creatures.

Not knowing what else to say, he could only insist, "But I did give birth to it."

Lu Fen smiled again.

The world spun around them.

An Zhe was pinned firmly against the car by this man.

Lu Fen's fingers gently traced his abdomen, stirring a shiver in the most vulnerable and tender spot with their cool touch.

An Zhe let out a soft gasp.

Lowering his head, Lu Fen whispered something into An Zhe's ear.

"Let's see if you can create another one."

The author has something to say: Colonel is still bullying the mushroom today.

The atmosphere in the previous chapter was too good, so I couldn't resist marking it as 'The End,' but this chapter was actually intended to be the final one.

Initially, this story was categorized as a fairy tale, and my friends said I was asking for trouble. So, I had to change it, www. But now, thinking back, it didn't stray too far from the essence of a fairy tale. I just adore this mushroom too much! Anyway, thank you all for accompanying me on this journey. There were many gains and some regrets, but I'll share a summary on Weibo after I cool down a bit. The crucial conclusion coincided with the most hellish exam week, which was an irresistible force. There are parts of the ending that I'm not entirely satisfied with, and I'll revise them later. But the story remains the same.

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