Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Grabbing me again, huh?" Lin Juan grumbled softly, shifting to sit on the bed. He tugged at his clothes, and as expected, it wouldn't budge.

Lu Mingxuan, who had been waiting outside for a while and hadn’t seen him emerge, poked his head in curiously. "Little Uncle, are you not ready yet?"

"I’ve been ready for ages. It’s Young Master Lu who’s holding onto me, not letting me leave," Lin Juan’s helpless voice drifted from inside the room.

"How could Little Uncle…" Lu Mingxuan cut himself off mid-sentence as a sudden realization dawned on him. He leaped up and rushed into the room. "Has Little Uncle woken up?!"

This was momentous news!

Little Uncle’s complexion had been improving daily, and the gloomy atmosphere that had pervaded the Lu estate had significantly lightened. Everyone had been eagerly awaiting Lu Yanzhou’s awakening.

"He hasn’t woken up," Lin Juan clarified as Lu Mingxuan entered, attempting to gently pry Lu Yanzhou’s hand open. "It’s similar to last time—he’s just gripping my clothes."

"Wait!" Lu Mingxuan interjected, stopping Lin Juan’s movement. "Little Uncle, let me go get Grandfather. Could you please stay still for a moment?"

Lin Juan: "?"

"Grandfather doesn't voice it, but I know he’s been deeply worried about Little Uncle’s condition. If he sees with his own eyes that Little Uncle is reacting to the outside world, I believe it will greatly ease his mind," Lu Mingxuan explained quickly, aware that his request might sound a little odd.

Lin Juan was perplexed, but the Lu family had given him so much that he felt he couldn’t refuse.

Old Mr. Lu was urgently summoned by his eldest grandson, fearing some misfortune had occurred. Yet, Lu Mingxuan’s expression didn’t suggest anything dire.

His mind raced with various conjectures until Lu Mingxuan, like a child presenting a treasure, pulled back the bed curtains.

"This…" Old Mr. Lu was utterly astonished.

On the meticulously crafted bed, the long-haired young man sat cross-legged on the outer edge. This wasn't the main point. The focus was on his youngest son, who had previously shown no response to the outside world, now extending his hand and gripping the young man’s clothes tightly.

"Yanzhou, he…" Old Mr. Lu was so emotional he stammered incoherently. "Has Yanzhou woken up? Did he say anything? What’s happening?"

"Uncle, please don’t get too agitated," Lin Juan said, concerned that Old Mr. Lu might overexert himself and end up in the hospital. He tried to calm him. "He hasn’t woken up. I just told him I was going out, and he grabbed my clothes."

"He hasn’t woken up…" Old Mr. Lu’s excitement was instantly doused as if by a bucket of cold water. He quickly composed himself, comforting both himself and Lin Juan. "It’s alright if he hasn’t woken up. At least he’s reacting to the outside world. That’s a good thing, a very good thing."

Compared to before, his youngest son’s condition had improved dramatically. Previously, Lu Yanzhou had relied solely on IV nutrients to sustain his life. No matter how advanced the medical equipment, it couldn’t halt the slow ebbing of his life force. Now, things were different. Without any special equipment, his body had miraculously begun to recover. He was no longer wasting away, and his complexion had improved significantly.

Doctors had examined him repeatedly, concluding that Lu Yanzhou’s bodily functions were gradually restoring. If this continued, there would be no need to worry about his life being in danger.

For Old Mr. Lu, who had faced despair countless times, this was truly the best news he could have hoped for.

"Yes," Lin Juan tugged lightly at his clothes to demonstrate. "And he’s quite strong."

Old Mr. Lu looked at his youngest son’s hand. Having been out of the light for some time, Lu Yanzhou’s skin had grown paler. Lin Juan’s jacket was light-colored, and the hand gripping the fabric so firmly clearly conveyed a sense of strength.

Tears welled up in Old Mr. Lu’s eyes.

Even though he had heard from Lin Juan before that his youngest son was showing signs of responsiveness, without witnessing it himself, Old Mr. Lu had always harbored a sense of unease. Moreover, since returning to the Lu estate, Lu Yanzhou had shown no further reactions. If not for Lin Juan’s direct account, he might have wondered if his own fervent hopes were causing him to hallucinate.

This time was different. He saw it with his own eyes—when Lin Juan tried to pull his clothes free, his youngest son tightened his grip, clinging firmly to the fabric, unwilling to let go.

"Perhaps… let him hold on for a while?" Old Mr. Lu suggested cautiously.

After all, it was Lin Juan’s clothing, so his wishes needed to be considered.

Lin Juan had no objections: "It’s fine if he holds on for a bit."

It wasn’t causing any trouble.

Lu Mingxuan took out his phone, aimed it at his uncle, and snapped several photos, focusing especially on his uncle’s hand. He even secretly recorded a short video.

"What are you doing?" Lin Juan, sensitive to being watched, noticed Lu Mingxuan’s actions and asked.

"Heh heh," Lu Mingxuan chuckled mischievously. "I’m taking a few photos to show Uncle when he wakes up. I want him to see how clingy he was while he was unconscious."

He really wanted to see what kind of expression his uncle would make.

Old Mr. Lu was also curious about his son’s reaction. He gave Lu Mingxuan a light scolding, but his tone wasn’t severe. Lu Mingxuan understood that his grandfather didn’t actually disapprove.

In the end, Lin Juan changed into a different jacket before heading out with Lu Mingxuan.

Old Mr. Lu, supported by the butler, watched the two leave. Once they were out of sight, he spoke slowly, "Lin Juan… truly, he is a blessing from heaven, a lucky star bestowed upon our Lu family."

The location Lu Mingxuan’s club had chosen for their outing was a small hill on the outskirts of the capital—a newly developed park where they would be among the first visitors.

The club had eight members in total. Two, like Lu Mingxuan, came from wealthy families, while the other five were from more modest backgrounds.

Lu Mingxuan introduced both sides.

He didn’t reveal Lin Juan’s identity, only referring to him as an older brother from home.

Lu Mingxuan was popular at school and often brought friends along, so everyone was used to it. It didn’t take long for them to warm up to Lin Juan.

Lin Juan wasn’t much older than them. In his previous life, he had just graduated from university, so he had no generation gap with these college students. He was easygoing and good-looking, quickly blending in with the group.

The scenery on the hill was beautiful, with all kinds of flowers in full bloom. The girls in the club brought out the food they had prepared, arranging it for a barbecue.

The boys handled the heavy lifting, like setting up tents and arranging tables and chairs.

"Only a small part of this mountain has been developed so far. Most of it is still untouched, so everyone, be careful not to wander too far," the club President reminded them during free time.

"Got it, President!" everyone replied in unison.

The President, surnamed Qi, came from a more ordinary background but was well-liked and had strong organizational skills. Everyone in the club respected him.

The two from wealthier families were Chu Yuexi, a lively and energetic girl, and Suo Shuheng, a quieter boy who was almost always seen with a book in hand.

Lin Juan had spent most of his previous life living in the mountains with his master, so he was very familiar with everything the mountain had to offer. He led Lu Mingxuan and the others to find plenty of edible wild fruits and mushrooms.

"Brother Lin, you’re amazing!" The group of wide-eyed college students looked at him in admiration.

"I used to live in the mountains," Lin Juan said, pointing to a patch of brightly colored berries. "See these? The brightly colored ones are best avoided."

"So it’s not just brightly colored mushrooms that can be poisonous," Chu Yuexi remarked.

Lin Juan nodded. "When you’re in the wild, if you don’t have someone experienced guiding you, it’s best not to touch anything you’re unsure about."

"Understood."

When they reached a fork in the path, President Qi asked, "Should we split up?"

"We'll go that way," Chu Yuexi spoke first. "You boys go play together, and we girls will stick together."

"Alright," Club President Qi agreed. "Everyone, stay safe."

The group split by gender, and Lin Juan and the others took a different path.

"Have we wandered into an undeveloped area?" President Qi felt something was off.

The deeper they went, the denser the trees became, and the footpath narrowed, with branches encroaching from both sides.

"Probably not," Lu Mingxuan peered into the distance. "Undeveloped areas would be blocked off."

They hadn’t encountered any barriers along the way.

"Let’s keep going a bit longer. If it doesn’t feel right, we’ll turn back."

After a few more minutes, the trees on either side grew shorter, and the weeds on the ground gave way to a patch of mushrooms refracting dazzling light.

The mushrooms varied in size—some as large as a human head, others as small as a fingertip. Blues, golds, pinks—all interwoven, creating a shimmering, silken tapestry at first glance.

"Oh my god…" Lu Mingxuan unconsciously halted. "How come such a huge mushroom field wasn’t mentioned in the park brochure?"

He leaned closer and whispered, "Uncle, are these mushrooms poisonous?"

"I don’t know." Lin Juan stopped, having never seen mushrooms like these. They felt strange, and his intuition told him they shouldn’t look this way—so beautiful, so vibrant, so dreamlike.

Yes, dreamlike.

The presence of these mushrooms made it feel as if they’d stepped into a fairy tale, forgetting all worldly worries, wanting only to lose themselves in it.

Lin Juan: "Something’s wrong."

"Really? They’re just some pretty mushrooms. I’m going to pick some to take back…" Lu Mingxuan’s voice grew faint, his gaze increasingly dazed. As he spoke, he unconsciously crouched down, a strange smile on his face, reaching out to touch a mushroom by the path.

"Stop!" Seeing something was wrong, Lin Juan grabbed Lu Mingxuan.

He couldn’t pull him back at first.

It was as if he were twice as heavy. Lin Juan had to exert more force to drag him back.

Unfortunately, glowing mushrooms lined both sides of the path. As Lu Mingxuan stumbled backward from the pull, more mushrooms lay behind him.

Lin Juan had no choice but to yank him toward the center.

Lu Mingxuan collapsed on the ground, and the moment Lin Juan released him, he began crawling toward the mushroom patch.

Lin Juan had no option but to strike him on the neck. If that didn’t work, he’d have to find a way to tie him up.

Fortunately, the knocked-out Lu Mingxuan lay limp on the ground, unmoving.

Lin Juan scanned the surroundings. It wasn’t his imagination—the mushrooms were swaying slightly, releasing fine, nearly invisible translucent spores drifting toward them in the wind.

Some of the larger mushrooms, originally farther away, were inching closer.

Moving, living mushrooms.

A bad feeling settled in Lin Juan’s heart.

A sound came from behind. Lin Juan turned to see the others wearing dazed smiles, moving stiffly toward the mushroom cluster.

Damn it.

Now Lin Juan was sure these mushrooms were dangerous.

Given this world’s peculiarities, he guessed they’d likely encountered another anomaly.

Without time to overthink, Lin Juan moved swiftly, knocking out the others and laying them out on the path.

Standing in the middle of the trail, Lin Juan watched the encroaching mushrooms. He picked up a hiking pole from the ground and prodded the largest one.

It was tough.

Lin Juan applied more force. With a "squelch," the large mushroom burst, oozing pale blue liquid that was absorbed by the other mushrooms.

Visibly, the mushrooms that absorbed the liquid grew larger.

Perhaps intimidated, the mushrooms stopped advancing.

They didn’t cross their original positions but began crowding together layer by layer.

They couldn't stay stuck like this. Lin Juan considered the possibility of getting everyone out of there.

They should have come from that direction. Lin Juan looked back, but an inexplicable gray mist had obscured the view. The path vanished into the fog, and no one knew what lay beyond.

If he were alone, Lin Juan might take the risk, but he had several unconscious ordinary people with him.

The only option was to deal with these mushrooms first.

Lin Juan hefted the hiking pole in his hand. He’d test it out first.

Lu Mingxuan woke from his daze with a sharp pain in his neck.

So heavy.

He wiggled his fingers, feeling something weighty pressing on him, and his neck throbbed intensely.

"Ouch."

Hearing the sound, Lin Juan, who hadn’t ventured far, turned back.

Lu Mingxuan also saw Lin Juan.

Lin Juan stood with his back to him not far away, holding a hiking pole. With one swing, he sent the mushrooms scattering.

Under Lin Juan’s cold, emotionless gaze, Lu Mingxuan shivered, swallowing the cry of pain on his lips.

Oh my god, what had happened? His uncle’s look was terrifying, as if ready to strike him at any moment.

Lu Mingxuan gulped and whispered, "Uncle, what… what’s going on?"

"Are you awake?"

Lu Mingxuan nodded stiffly.

Lin Juan remained cautious, observing him for a moment, unsure if he was truly lucid. "Stay put for a bit. I’ll deal with these mushrooms first."

"Okay, okay." Faced with Lin Juan’s murderous aura, Lu Mingxuan didn’t dare say another word.

In that brief moment, Lin Juan realized that to deal with these mushrooms, they had to be destroyed before they could fully absorb the liquid from the broken ones.

This was simple, as long as he acted quickly.

So, over the next ten minutes, Lu Mingxuan witnessed a one-man show.

Lin Juan moved extremely fast, centered around their location, bursting the endlessly swarming mushrooms.

At the same time, five kilometers away, Zhuang Yufeng and his team, trapped in an attack by a mushroom swarm, were under heavy assault.

The Class C Anomaly "Magic Mushroom" was the most powerful anomaly they currently faced. Having returned from the apocalypse, Zhuang Yufeng knew that if they didn't eliminate it while it was weak, once it grew stronger, the capital would face a massive disaster.

The "Magic Mushroom" seemed harmless but had spores that were nearly impossible to defend against. Its spores could drift with the wind to any place, infecting humans, using human flesh as fuel to form a new anomaly: the Class D Anomaly "Mushroom Person."

Additionally, the "Magic Mushroom" had extremely powerful hallucinogenic abilities. It could silently draw people into illusions, where the confused would fail to distinguish friend from foe, not only recklessly attacking their own allies but also harming themselves at all costs.

Zhuang Yufeng and his team were all injured.

Zhuang Yufeng covered his bleeding arm, using his purification superpower to heal his teammates.

"Brother Zhuang, don't waste your superpower... ouch..." A teammate who had just snapped out of the hallucination, seeing Zhuang Yufeng's pale face, tried to stop him from continuing the treatment but was given a firm pat.

"What nonsense are you talking? Isn't my role to make sure you can fight without worries?"

Zhuang Yufeng didn't show it on his face, but his heart was heavy.

In his past life, by the time they learned about the "Magic Mushroom," it had already occupied a large area north of the capital, with nearby small cities wiped out completely. Thousands of "Mushroom People" were active, and they had paid an extremely heavy price to win that battle.

Especially... Zhuang Yufeng tilted his head slightly, his gaze gently falling on the man beside him.

Sheng Tianzong, the original captain of the special operations team's vanguard squad, had died together with the "Magic Mushroom" in that battle.

After rebirth, Zhuang Yufeng didn't dare delay and requested authorization early for the "Mushroom Elimination Operation," originally intending to avoid Sheng Tianzong's fate. Yet somehow, he'd still been put in command.

At first, everything went smoothly.

Little did they know, they still underestimated the cunning of the "Magic Mushroom."

It gave them the illusion of victory, only to surround them at the very center. Under the layers of towering, swaying mushrooms all around, their fighting strength was quickly drained.

They were trapped within walls created by the mushrooms.

Everyone was severely injured, including Sheng Tianzong.

Although the "Magic Mushroom" wasn't as powerful as in his past life, they were also far less experienced than before. This battle was no easier than the one in his past life.

Sheng Tianzong looked ahead, clenched his fist at his side: "Wait a moment, I will use 【Starfire】. Use the chance to escape."

"Starfire," an A-level superpower—a single spark can start a prairie fire. When pushed to its limit, it can destroy all existence. In his past life, Sheng Tianzong had forced the evolution of the A-level superpower "Starfire" into the S-level superpower "Starflame" at the cost of burning his life, destroying himself along with the "Apocalypse Mushroom," which had grown into an A+-level anomaly.

Despite all their preparations, could they still not escape fate?

Zhuang Yufeng felt utter despair.

Realizing what Sheng Tianzong intended, his teammates' eyes grew red one by one.

"Captain, there must be another way, don't..."

"There's no time," Sheng Tianzong said.

Everyone understood he spoke the truth. They couldn't resist the infection of the "Magic Mushroom." The longer they stayed in the anomaly's center, the greater their risk of transformation.

Even so, they couldn't accept trading their captain's life for their own survival.

The "Magic Mushroom" layers coalesced into giant mushrooms, surrounding them from all directions.

Its patience had run out; it was eager to devour these prey that had wounded it.

"Now!" Sheng Tianzong commanded grimly.

He raised his hands, red flames burning on them. Under the extreme heat, the surrounding air distorted. The flames converged into a massive fireball centered around him.

"No!" A scene similar to his past life reappeared. Zhuang Yufeng's eyes went wide with fury as he activated his superpower and rushed forward without hesitation.

"Brother Zhuang!"

"BOOM!!!"

A loud explosion echoed as the largest mushroom was sent flying by some tremendous impact.

The fireball stopped in its tracks.

The wave of sorrow halted. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the place where a passage had been violently torn open.

A gap was torn in the mushroom wall. Under the glaring light, a lanky young man strode calmly.

His long hair flowed behind him as the youth's voice rang out like heavenly music.

"Huh? Do the mushrooms here spit fire?"

Author's Note: