"Isn't it spectacular? There are quite a few mushroom forests like this one at the edge of the Green Zone. But they're all very safe mutants. Woody mushrooms like these have changed their ecological niche. They've suddenly gone from decomposers to producers!" The Mole led the group through the tall mushroom trees, muttering, "Look at that one! They say the bulbous growths of those mushrooms can be eaten like fruit."
After Jiang Ling entered the mushroom forest, the wind and snow subsided considerably, allowing her to finally find some leisure time to carefully examine these bizarre mushrooms. Most of them were about two stories tall, about the same height as the trees of yesteryear, but their stems were much thicker than those of trees. It seemed these modern-day growers still retained their old, meticulous habits, transferring more nutrients through the stems to the main underground part.
She noticed a host of other creatures already living in the mushroom forest, a fragile ecosystem seemingly forming. Small, dark creatures would burrow into the mushrooms, while worm-like creatures liked to hang out in the cracks of the canopy. She finally realized she'd eaten those bug-like creatures before. "Hey, can you eat the bugs that live on mushrooms?" she asked.
"You mean those worms?" The flying squirrel seemed interested. "They're being raised in the experimental area. They're said to have fifteen times the protein of beef. They'll probably be made into a food additive someday, just like cockroaches and earthworms were. Some searchers eat them raw, but I haven't tried that yet. The Countermeasures Bureau doesn't allow that."
"I suggest you don't try it, you won't like it!" Jiang Ling acted as a riddler this time to avenge what happened that day.
"Really? That makes me want to try it even more!" he replied, and his voice didn't sound like he was joking.
"I'll take you to eat after the task is completed. But let me be frank with you. If you can't eat it, I'll just pour it into your mouth." The mole in front joked.
"Where is the place they mentioned? Are we there yet?" Jiang Ling felt like she had been walking in the mushroom forest for half an hour.
"Let me see..." The Mole stopped and shone the flashlight on the map. "Almost there. The place they said is by the lake...Okay, I think I know what happened."
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