Chapter 49
When Lin Mo woke up, he was almost scared to death by the scene in front of him.
Red, spiderweb-like mycelium covered every inch of the room's walls and floor. This red was deeper than the one he had seen in the lab last time; it had turned from light red to deep red, densely packed like capillaries in the human body.
He reached out his hand, and the large clump of mycelium immediately enveloped his arm, like fine silk, smooth and cool.
Lin Mo lay in the middle of the room, like a butterfly caught in a spider web.
I wish I could stay here forever.
The mycelium spread across his body, from his arms over his chest, then his neck, lips, nose...
"Lin Mo, don't forget to revise your thesis! What rubbish you've written!"
"Why aren't you doing the experiments? Do you still want your name added to the project?"
"Please pay the surgery fees as soon as possible next month, otherwise we won't be able to help you..."
The faint sounds buzzed through his eardrums, constantly dragging him into the mire.
I'm so tired. Why is living so tiring?
I'd rather die right here.
The field of vision was obscured by large patches of mycelium.
But there is also the mother.
Mother……
Lin Mo suddenly woke up.
"We're not going to treat you. Save the money for your schooling."
"Linlin, go home early."
When he got home, his mother was still waiting for him in the hospital room.
Lin Mo grabbed the mycelium and pulled it away. He was so strong that the delicate roots of the mycelium were completely torn off.
Back at the hotel, he opened his eyes wide, as if finally realizing where he was, like waking up from a bizarre and wonderful dream.
He struggled to his feet from the mycelium and walked toward the door, the mycelium like chains binding his waist and abdomen.
Seemingly sensing the struggle of its prey in the net, countless mycelia surged up, almost completely enveloping Lin Mo's lower body.
The butterfly, trapped in layers of netting, tried to flap its wings, but it was too late.
Countless hyphae gradually poured into Lin Mo's mouth, nose, and ear canals, squeezing out the oxygen from his lungs little by little, and he almost couldn't breathe.
But as soon as you open your mouth, you only bite into tasteless mycelium, which, with a rough texture, goes down your throat and makes you feel nauseous.
"Will this attempt succeed, given the combination of pollutants and humans?"
"Not sure, but Number 45 won't hurt that human. At least he won't be drained like that idiot from the other day."
"That's true. It's hard to imagine that a monster like this could have feelings."
"How is the 02 test subject?"
"The performance was about what we expected, but in order to obtain the data, almost all of the people we sent were wiped out."
"These are all necessary sacrifices."
...
Today seemed to be the same as usual. The sound of teachers giving lessons could be heard from the white teaching building nestled among the green trees. The afternoon sun shone through the clear glass into the corridor, leaving a bright mark on the ground and occasionally shining on the white hems of the students' lab coats.
Bang bang—
"Come in."
Lin Mo hurriedly climbed the stairs with his schoolbag on his back, beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead: "I'm sorry, Senior Brother Liu, I've been too busy lately and really haven't had time to do experiments."
“I know you’re busy, but everyone in this lab is busy. If you don’t come, the experimental data can’t be collected, and the experimental progress will slow down.” Senior Brother Liu concealed the disdain in his eyes and earnestly instructed.
The basic data for testing those samples doesn't require much technical skill, but the workload is extensive and tedious, making it ideal for these newcomers.
He had heard some things about Lin Mo's family background. This person had no connections and a soft personality, making him the easiest to manipulate.
"Xiao Lin, hold off on your part-time job for now. Our project is about to have its mid-term review, and if the experimental results don't meet expectations, I'm afraid..."
The research subject of this project is a plant called Dream Grass, which is an important raw material for making special antagonists. Nowadays, resources in almost all fields such as military, scientific research, and economy in China are tilted towards the five major research institutes and thirteen military bases. Therefore, this project was approved very quickly after it was submitted.
Their main task is to determine the basic physiological characteristics and gene sequence of *Cymbidium goeringii*, and to try to improve its medicinal value by altering its characteristics through chemical or biological mutations.
Lin Mo was tasked with basic tasks such as measuring leaf size, and analyzing the proteins, cellulose, nucleic acids, and trace elements within the leaves.
“But these senior brothers can do it too, it doesn’t necessarily have to be me.” Lin Mo raised his head and looked quietly at the person in front of him.
Seemingly surprised that his gentle, even weak, junior brother dared to contradict him, Senior Brother Liu paused for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see many students stopping their work to watch the commotion. Senior Brother Liu frowned and said somewhat angrily, "This is to train you. With your current level, you can only do some basic work. Besides, doesn't your mentor already give you a stipend?"
“But those subsidies were because I was also helping him with another project, which was my senior’s job. The two are not the same thing.” A lot of people had gathered outside the lab. It was common for those in power to exploit students at the bottom, but it was rare to see such a courageous person who spoke out directly.
Lin Mo suppressed the anger in his chest and, relying on the last bit of reason he had left, made his way through the crowd to the laboratory next door.
Why not kill him?
The voice in my heart rang out.
Now is not the time.
As night deepened, Senior Brother Liu emerged from the laboratory building. The wind howled past, sending a chill through him.
Damn it, Lin Mo must have taken the wrong medicine today.
The more he thought about what happened today, the angrier he became. But then he thought that the poor guy with no money or power couldn't cause any trouble. As long as he was still under this mentor, he had a long life ahead of him.
At 10 p.m., the campus was pitch black, and there was no one on the road. It was even darker because two of the streetlights were broken.
The laboratory building and the graduate student dormitory are both newly built and located on the very edge of the school, so hardly anyone comes here.
Thinking about the recent spate of pollution incidents, Senior Brother Liu shuddered.
He quickened his pace, and a blurry figure appeared in the distance.
It's Lin Mo.
After seeing who it was, Senior Brother Liu breathed a sigh of relief. This junior brother was not only weak-willed, but also half a head shorter than him.
"You came here specifically to apologize? Too late. You're out of the picture for this project." He had intended to intimidate her first, but Lin Mo didn't react.
There were no lights here, and looking at the other person's face immersed in darkness, Senior Brother Liu felt inexplicably afraid.
He wanted to leave quickly, but he couldn't move an inch; it seemed as if something was entangled his feet.
What the hell is this thing?
The thing extended from his ankles down his legs, gradually sealing off his eyes and mouth.
"Waaah—"
He wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
Everything was hidden in the darkness.
This feeling is wonderful.
Lin Mo manipulated the mycelium. He didn't intend to kill anyone at first; he just wanted to use this ability to teach the other party a lesson.
But when the mycelium bound that person's body, it seemed that all the grievances of so many years had finally found an outlet.
Why should some people be high and mighty while I can only be trampled on?
Why...
The mycelium greedily absorbed human flesh and blood, and its original white color disappeared, leaving only pure blood red.
Lin Mo thought of Ren Jian's invitation, which granted him the ability to surpass everyone else. Joining them would bring him unimaginable wealth and power.
This is not pollution, but new life.
"This is the symbol of the True Knowledge Society."
Unlike his usual listless and carefree demeanor, Xian Yeting was now staring intently at the horizontal figure 8 on the screen, his tone tinged with a hint of gritted teeth.
This organization became active five years after the "Great Cataclysm," and its members were mostly researchers whose main task was to explore the secrets of a polluted world.
Their logo is a Möbius strip, which at first glance looks like a horizontal 8. Ye Ting was particularly sensitive to this logo because he had previously investigated a pollution incident committed by the True Knowledge Society.
“I’ve heard of those guys,” Chen Buyan said, frowning. “But at first, they seemed to have a cooperative relationship with the research institute.”
“Indeed. But ultimately, the two sides parted ways due to differing ideologies. They believed that the Awakened were a form of human evolution, and some of them hoped to find a way to mass-produce Awakened and maintain their stability. But you know, the source of superpowers is pollution, a mutation, and mutations are uncontrollable. The research institute hoped to eradicate the pollution at all costs and restore the world to what it was like before these invaders arrived.” Ye Ting lowered his eyes.
"But that was a long time ago. Our current task is to find Shen Yao. Compared to those grand plans, a life is more important."
"But the True Knowledge Society is elusive, and it's very difficult for us to find any clues."
Xiao Shengyun arrived at the research institute. He was already quite familiar with the place, but when he thought about what happened that day, he began to have second thoughts.
He didn't know if the other person would notice anything; that person was so perceptive. But if given the chance, he might do the same thing.
If someone paves the way for those who come after, getting covered in mud themselves, how could those who come after let them fall in front of them?
Can a monster be moved by the courage and sacrifice of a human?
The research institute, which was 18 stories high, was enormous and also extremely spacious. Xiao Shengyun submitted his application on a machine on the first floor and was granted one hour of time by Dean Zhou.
Zhou Zhi was wearing a lab coat but no glasses. He smelled of various chemicals, which made Xiao Shengyun inexplicably happy.
At least it won't be like last time.
His eyes fell on the man's neck, where there was a small wound. He glanced at it and then looked away, feeling inexplicably hot.
“If you want to bring out the True Knowledge Society, it’s very simple, just use this.” Zhou Zhi pointed to the reagents on the lab table.
Special antagonists.
The initial experimental ideas and methods were actually derived from equipment left behind by the Church of the Rose. However, judging from the later purge of this church, their level of expertise and technology had not yet reached this level. Therefore, the special antagonist should have originated from the True Knowledge Society, but various unforeseen circumstances prevented the experiment from progressing.
Since the other party has been researching this, they must also be interested in the finished product.
They could spread the word that some of the antagonists were being transported to Beichen District to lure them out, and then set up an ambush on a less crowded highway.
Having obtained the information he wanted, Xiao Shengyun breathed a sigh of relief, thanked them, and walked towards the door.
"Wait, didn't you leave something at my house last time?" Zhou Zhi's eyes revealed a hint of a smile.
Xiao Shengyun was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, unsure of what the other person meant by those words. The pollution level had inexplicably decreased upon waking up; how could this not arouse suspicion?
"I guess so." He lowered his eyes, seemingly genuinely innocent.
"But the drink is all gone. Can we make up for it with something else next time?" Zhou Zhi's eyes flickered, as if he really knew nothing.
It's like there's a thin layer of paper between us; we both know what's going on, but no one has dared to break through it.
The silence lasted for quite a while.
"Suit yourself, then I'm leaving." Xiao Shengyun's throat bobbed, like a criminal about to be executed who had been granted a reprieve by the executioner, his disbelief mixed with a hint of relief.
He left in a hurry, and the view behind him was not completely blocked until the car door closed.
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