Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Cadet Ji Xinghai had gathered a full basket of wild mushrooms; one might think he had the mountain under contract and that he was the one cultivating these fungi.

"Are they poisonous?"

"All edible. He even found a few matsutake mushrooms." An audience member listed the pictures of the mushrooms he had collected.

"Well, if only he were as adept at finding treasure chests as he is at foraging for mushrooms."

"Gathering +1, +1, +1..."

In any case, things couldn't get much worse. The JiuZhou audience watched their cadet's unconventional actions with a peculiar sense of resignation, akin to throwing caution to the wind.

Other cadets were searching for treasure chests, while their cadet was looking for mushrooms.

As other cadets began seeking safe shelters, their cadet found a mountain stream, washed the wild mushrooms, his hands, and even his face, before descending the mountain.

After Ji Xinghai left, Zhang Ziqing returned to the forest that had forced him to flee in disarray. Like a vigilant mountain dog, he bent over to search for signs that didn't belong to the forest.

Undoubtedly, he discovered traces left by the mushroom gathering. For a moment, the face of this shrewd individual was filled with bewilderment and doubt about life itself.

"I bet he's wondering why Ji Xinghai didn't have a conflict with the humanoid anomaly and was happily picking so many mushrooms. Of course, he doesn't understand; he thought without him, JiuZhou would be doomed."

In truth, the JiuZhou audience didn't understand either, but that didn't stop them from mocking Zhang Ziqing's plans falling apart—after analysis by the experts, the audience knew that Zhang Ziqing's previous appearance wasn't accidental but a premeditated hunt.

Having found no further traces after searching around, Zhang Ziqing left the forest with various speculations, just as Ji Xinghai was descending the mountain with a basket of mushrooms on his back.

The mountain stream danced between the crevices of rocks, transforming into white streaks under the force of gravity. With a homemade staff in his left hand and an axe in his right, he admired the scenery as he walked down, painting a picturesque scene of autumn mountain trekking.

At the same time, Jie Sen, a randomly selected cadet from the Federation, bold and daring, had already reached the foot of the mountain, ready to explore new territories.

It could only be said that the cadets from the Federation lived up to their reputation, exploring the widest areas of the scenario, full of passion, and providing more entertainment value, attracting many viewers who also wanted to know what lay at the base of the mountain.

JiuZhou and the Federation had always been at odds, and now with the factor of Zhang Ziqing's enmity, they were jumping out of frustration at their rival's prowess. However, Ji Xinghai continued at his leisurely pace, enjoying the breeze and flowers along the way, completely out of sync with the rest of the world's atmosphere.

There were no developed paths in the forest where the cadets were located, but Ji Xinghai, agile like a monkey in the mountains, managed to smoothly descend to the halfway point of the mountain.

Halfway down the mountain, there appeared a hunter's cabin adorned with game, surrounded by a wooden fence, with a reddish-brown hunting dog barking fiercely at him.

He glanced at the dog.

The hunter's cabin stood in the shadow of towering pines, isolated from both village and inn, its presence eerie. The tranquil mountain dwelling background music in the audience's minds suddenly took a dark turn, adding a chilling and mysterious undertone, drifting eerily like a ghost's chant.

The viewers in the live broadcast room felt goosebumps through their screens, sparking a flurry of discussions.

The people outside had more clues than the cadets, and countless experts analyzed and guided them, so those with the god's eye view knew that there might be more clues at the base of the mountain, but also more dangers.

The cadets choosing to take risks for higher scores weren't limited to those from the Federation; some had encountered broken mountain deity temples or thatched huts by terraced fields while descending the mountain.

Some gained unexpected rewards, others faced unexpected dangers, and it was rumored that someone had been locked in a cellar by an NPC.

"Why can't he just avoid this cabin? It looks like something straight out of a horror movie." In the CCTV live broadcast room, the host voiced the question on behalf of many viewers.

"Danger and opportunity coexist. I know everyone wishes the cadets could hide in a safe corner until the scenario ends, but the cadets will make their own judgments. If the risk is manageable, they will give it a try." Representing the official stance, last year's outstanding cadet was explaining in the JiuZhou CCTV live broadcast room.

She was a gentle and intellectual elder sister with a southern charm, also a cadet sent by the government last year.

Cautious yet daring, she had achieved perfect scores five times in twelve exams last year, earning her country five exemptions and securing many valuable resources, making her a recipient of the first-class military merit medal.

Her partner was a well-known CCTV host.

Because the analysis here was more comprehensive and accurate, when the viewers in the live broadcast room were unsure of direction, they would come to the CCTV live broadcast room for confidence.

Their work was crucial.

"Creak—" The wooden door of the hunter's cabin opened, and a thin middle-aged man dressed in black emerged, his beard thick but his skin wrinkled, appearing rather honest.

"Did you come down from the mountain?" the man asked.

Ji Xinghai stared directly into those eyes; in the elderly man's sunken sockets, his dark brown pupils darted around like a hyena lurking in the shadows.

"Yes, I've been walking for a long time," Ji Xinghai smiled and scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed. He resembled a student still seated in the ivory tower of academia, carrying the fragility of early spring.

The viewers watching the live broadcast were startled, rubbing their eyes in disbelief: Who was this person?

"That... Are these yours hanging there?" Ji Xinghai glanced at the game hanging under the porch.

"Yes, all game from the mountain, tender and succulent." The middle-aged man licked his lips, "Tired from walking so long? Why don't you come in and rest your feet?"

Ji Xinghai looked at the middle-aged man and then at the tethered dog. He bashfully lowered his head and rubbed the ground with his toe, blending his tracks among the blurred footprints.

If he lived alone, there were too many footprints on the ground, not belonging to one person.

The wind blew, causing the game hanging under the eaves to sway back and forth. Uncertain whether they were sheep or deer, the smoked ribs emitted an enticing luster.

In the CCTV live broadcast room outside the scenario, the former cadet suddenly sat up straighter, his expression turning serious. The host beside him sensed something amiss, but the audience, engrossed in the screen, remained fixated on Ji Xinghai's sudden 'performance.'

"How did he change so much? So strange, multiple personality disorder?"

"Wah wah wah, I'm a little scared."

"Can I come in? Is it convenient?" Ji Xinghai asked hesitantly, without any trace of acting.

"What's inconvenient about it?" The middle-aged man's stern face softened slightly as he turned around, still talking, "There sure have been a lot of people going up and down the mountain today..."

The axe arrived with the wind.

"Ahh!" The surprise came too swiftly, causing the viewers in front of their screens to involuntarily scream, widening their eyes, stepping back, and toppling over with their chairs.

Beneath the eaves, the meat hung swaying gently. The wind whistled through the forest, sounding mournful. With a swing of his arm, the axe fell, its cold glint flashing past, highlighting the sharpness in the visitor's pale eyes, akin to that of a beast.

The axe, carrying the momentum of a half-circle swing, struck precisely and effectively at the gap between the skull and spine, a crisp 'crack' echoing as the neck was severed halfway. The middle-aged man still wore a smile on his face as he fell like a powerless weed, collapsing heavily.

Through the screen, the audience clutched their lips tightly.

Crazy, insane.

Under the bright and radiant sunlight, a shadow bent over, chopping repeatedly at something. He was precise and ruthless, like an experienced lumberjack, severing the neck with just a few strikes.

The black head rolled twice, coming to a stop amidst the herb and vegetable seedlings, its eyes still wide open.

The shadow slowly straightened up.

"Ao, aow?" The previously arrogant red hunting dog now cowered, tail tucked between its legs, trembling and not daring to make a sound.

"..." The live stream suddenly fell silent, so quiet that one could hear the host inhale sharply.

He had known something would happen, but he hadn't expected this scene.

"Suddenly, but," in the midst of silence, the gentle sister, acting as commentator, chose her words carefully, "I think our student must have had his own thoughts and judgments in that moment. Sometimes, those outside the situation find it hard to fully empathize with the student in that state..."

She shifted her position, taking a strategic sip of water, her mind racing.

There were few comments in the live stream, the audience seemingly stunned into silence by the shock.

"Hmm?" The indicator light on the tablet in front of her flashed, displaying two small characters: human flesh.

"Although we don't know why he acted, he now has a fully equipped little house. Judging from the result, I think his actions were justified."

"It's just an NPC death."

"As long as he doesn't die, it doesn't matter who else does."

Perspective determined attitude. Before the host could find a reason, the people of JiuZhou had already completed their own strategy.

Yes, the NPC seemed to have no issues, even warmly inviting the student inside for a rest. Ji Xinghai, who suddenly attacked, behaved like a calm psychopath.

But so what?

Was morality useful in the Hunger Games?

No.

So they could discard morality too. He killed, they buried. It was that simple.

'It seems there's no need for me to explain.' The commentator's lips curved slightly, three years of live streaming changing the common people of JiuZhou.

Against the light, Ji Xinghai held the axe, tilting his head to look at the corpse. His doll-like face, exquisite yet lacking vitality, showed no trace of his previous innocence.

A shimmer appeared on the body lying in a pool of blood, from which emerged a bowl-sized object, trying to sneak away. However, the cold gleam of the axe arrived faster. The axe cut off the creature's path, splitting it open.

He picked it up, revealing a withered, dark gray mushroom with black skirt and white edges, layer upon layer.

The fresh corpse on the ground had transformed into a withered, skeletal thing, vaguely resembling a human form. Its broken limbs glistened with oil, without a drop of blood in sight.

The mushroom in his hand, frozen like a cicada in winter, was lifted up. Its layers of white-on-black wrinkled flesh formed a flower shape, emitting a complex and enticing aroma when approached.

Aside from the incessantly flickering small eyes at the root and the misplaced tiny mycelial threads, this was clearly the delicious dried mushroom specialty of Southwest China.

"Woo, woo, let me go." The dried mushroom rubbed its mycelium, emitting a pitiful sound. Its layers of flesh quivered, releasing invisible spores that could bewitch the heart.

"Let me go..."

Ji Xinghai calmly crushed it: a spirit-possessed dried mushroom, surely it would be especially fragrant when stir-fried with rice.

"So he knew all along that the NPC wasn't human? How did he discover it?"

The hearts of the spectators outside nearly shattered along with the dried mushroom. This wasn't just any dried mushroom; it was the shattered worldview of countless ordinary people.

"Level 1 anomaly, Wood Bone Man, Level 3 anomaly, Black Crown Mushroom?"

The corpse had suddenly turned into two anomalies, one of them a relatively high-level Level 3 anomaly. This unexpected development left the commentator stunned for a second.

Strange indeed, these days anomalies knew how to cooperate?

Humanoid anomalies were rare. In the副本, anomalies mainly took the form of objects. But these anomalies each had their abilities; some could control, others could transform. For example, this Level 3 anomaly Black Crown Mushroom, originally a variant of the dried mushroom, had mutated to gain the ability to change forms, understand human nature, speak human language, and bewitch the mind.

However, colluding with the Wood Bone Man to disguise as a humanoid anomaly was a first!

"Holy cow, has this Black Crown Mushroom evolved? It actually knows how to team up with the Wood Bone Man to disguise as a human? But why didn't it move when caught? Isn't it a Level 3 anomaly?"

"Fellow commenter above, it was split open and then crushed. Moreover, the main ability of the Black Crown Mushroom is deception, bewitchment, and creating illusions. It's the Wood Bone Man that has decent close combat skills, alas, it's already dead."

"How did Ji Xinghai discover them? I rewound and watched three times but couldn't spot any flaws."

With the dead turning into anomalies, killing became a justified act of 'righteous retaliation'. The viewers with higher moral standards quickly accepted Ji Xinghai's previous actions.

The live stream came alive once more.

How did he discover the anomalies?

Ji Xinghai discovered nothing. He killed because he smelled the 'deliciousness' laced with malice, and the corridor was hanging with human flesh, conflicting with his menu. So he struck first.

If he made a mistake...

Then he made a mistake.

The emaciated monster on the ground held little attraction for him. But the spirit-possessed dried mushroom had a special fragrance, his body instinctively saying 'eat it'.

In his mind, phrases like "heavenly treasures of talent" and "great nourishment" fluttered back and forth, causing an unusual excitement. The appetite that had been aroused by the masked person could no longer be suppressed.

Hungry.