Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 25

“Pick one and both will die. The mushrooms here all grow in pairs, which means they can’t survive without each other. So the only way is to pick them both at once.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao immediately changed his strategy. He tried to grab a pair of mushrooms with each hand but quickly let go due to the sharp pain.

“These mushrooms can bite?” he exclaimed in surprise.

Ying Feng noticed something amiss and said, “Your hand.”

“What’s wrong with my hand?” Ling Xiao looked down. “What is this? Why is there red powder?”

On his fingers, there was a faint layer of red luminescent powder, which would glow under the sunlight.

“I have it too.” Ying Feng checked his hand; only his was white.

“It might be related to the mushrooms we just picked?” Ling Xiao speculated.

Ying Feng lightly touched the red mushroom, feeling nothing, but upon touching the white one, a sharp pain shot through his fingertip, probably the “bite” Ling Xiao referred to.

The instructor, watching from the monitoring equipment, noticed that the two hadn’t moved for quite a while. Thinking that it was probably time, he generously sent a timely reminder via the communication device.

“Oh right, I forgot to tell you. These mushrooms have a memory function against their killers. Once you cause the death of a certain colored mushroom, it will leave a mark on you. For the next twelve hours, you cannot touch its kind again. Consider it their species protection mechanism.”

Ling Xiao was incredulous. “Instructor, why didn’t you mention such an important thing earlier?”

“I just forgot,” the instructor replied without any sign of remorse. “But if you two don’t make it back before the other students reach the top, I’ll regrettably have to cancel your scores for today.”

Ying Feng, always the calmer one, asked, “Instructor, is there any other essential information you ‘forgot’ to share?”

“Let me think… Oh, after picking the mushrooms, they must be placed in the box promptly. If you put them on the ground or anywhere else, they will die.”

“What kind of mushroom is this?” Ling Xiao complained. “It’s almost sentient.”

“This type of mushroom only grows by the lake where you are. It can’t survive away from its soil. So it resists being relocated, preferring to die in its homeland rather than be moved. The boxes I gave you are specially made for these mushrooms. They were designed by biologists to safely transfer them to labs for research.”

Ying Feng sorted out the known information. “Alright, I know what to do.”

After the communication ended, Ling Xiao excitedly said, “I know what to do too!”

“Tell me.”

“I’ll pick your mushrooms, and you’ll pick mine. We’ll pick them simultaneously, so they won’t die.”

That was also Ying Feng’s plan. “But be prepared. We can’t afford any mistakes. If any mishap causes the picked mushrooms to die, we’ll have no chances left.”

“Don’t worry,” Ling Xiao promised solemnly.

Under a certain tree, a pair of mushrooms suddenly shuddered, sensing two pairs of eyes glaring hungrily at them.

With one hand each, the two men carefully held the base of the mushrooms.

“Ready?” asked Ying Feng.

“Yes!” Ling Xiao nodded.

“On the count of one, move. Three, two, one!”

Together, they uprooted the mushrooms. Neither wilted nor exploded. They waited quietly for several seconds, but nothing happened.

“Did we… succeed?” Ling Xiao questioned. “Just like that?”

Ying Feng finally spoke. “Look at their roots.”

Ling Xiao did and noticed that the two mushrooms were connected at the base. “So they’re from the same root? No wonder they grow together.”

“We need to transfer them to the boxes quickly. They’ll die if they’re out of the soil for three minutes.”

This reminder made Ling Xiao realize that now wasn’t the time to study their ecology. Both took out the boxes provided by the instructor and paused. The box could only hold one mushroom, but if they separated the mushrooms, they’d likely die.

“Why do I feel like the instructor deceived us again?” Ling Xiao whispered.

“You’re not wrong,” Ying Feng said, examining the box for any hidden mechanisms.

“Did you hear something?” Ling Xiao suddenly asked from the side.

Ying Feng paused, listened intently, and his expression suddenly changed. “Duck!”

Ling Xiao instinctively ducked with him. In a split second, a gust of wind brushed past the back of his neck, whistling and hitting a tree ahead with such force that it snapped. The fallen tree made a loud noise, sending a chill down Ling Xiao’s spine. Only then did he realize the dire consequences had they not dodged.

What appeared in Ling Xiao’s view next was a pair of black, furry hands. He looked up, following the arm, and saw a baboon twice the size of a regular one roaring at them. At such close proximity, the roar was deafening.

“What is this?” Ling Xiao was perplexed. He was just picking mushrooms, and now they were in this predicament.

“It seems to be the guardian of this area,” Ying Feng calmly said, a usual demeanor when he was on high alert. “It doesn’t want you to take its mushrooms.”

The baboon roared again, swinging its two hands at them. Ling Xiao and Ying Feng, in perfect sync, jumped back, each still holding half of the mushroom.

“Hey bud, the instructor said once a mushroom is picked, it can’t be replanted. Just let us take it.”

Ling Xiao tried reasoning, but the creature didn’t understand.

“This won’t work.” Ying Feng quickly analyzed the situation. “We can’t always move in sync. If we get separated a little, the mushrooms will die.”

“So, what should we do?”

“One of us has to let go,” Ying Feng said, releasing his grip.

Ling Xiao, who was left holding the mushrooms alone: “……”

“Can I get a redo?”

“Don’t let go. If you drop it, it’ll die. Hand me your box,” Ying Feng commanded.

“Okay.” Ling Xiao obediently handed over his box. “What next?”

“Take the mushrooms and run!”

Ling Xiao bolted. Not because he was heeding Ying Feng’s words, but because the baboon was lunging at him. As he zigzagged through the woods, his voice echoed, “Ying Feng, you’re so treacherous!”

Ying Feng, engrossed in the two boxes, ignored him. “Don’t get too close to me, avoid collateral damage. Don’t get too far either, you won’t make it back. And don’t confront it head-on. Protect the mushrooms. The one in your hand can explode.”

“Ah!” Holding an unpredictable bomb, Ling Xiao sprinted through the woods, chased by an enraged baboon wanting to rip him and the mushrooms to shreds.

“Can you handle this or not?” Despite his agility in the forest, Ling Xiao was having a hard time escaping. With only one hand free, his movements were limited, leading to a few close calls.

“If I can’t find a solution in time,” Ying Feng continued to work on the boxes, “you’ll have to throw the mushroom at the creature chasing you. We can forgo this mission.”

“No way!” Even in dire straits, Ling Xiao wasn’t ready to give up. “If time runs out and you haven’t resolved the issue, I’ll throw it at you!”

Ying Feng was also rapidly dissecting the two boxes. The instructor mentioned that these boxes were custom-made for these mushrooms, so there must be a way to accommodate both without harming them.

Ling Xiao became increasingly adept at moving around. Even with just one hand, he could nimbly weave between the trees. From time to time, he would shout taunts. The baboon couldn’t catch up with him and, in frustration, continued to howl in anger.

As the time limit approached, Ying Feng had an epiphany—if the mushrooms couldn’t be separated, then join the boxes! He discarded the lids, joined the boxes mouth to mouth, creating a perfect seal.

He inspected the reassembled box, finally snapping one side open with only ten seconds left.

“Come back!” he shouted.

Ling Xiao, having awaited the command, made a feint, leading the baboon in another direction, and darted towards Ying Feng.

“Put it in!” Ying Feng held the opened box towards him.

Using a tree trunk, Ling Xiao propelled himself forward, placing the volatile mushrooms in the box just in the nick of time. Ying Feng swiftly secured the lid, ensuring the mushrooms’ safety.

“Take it down!” As soon as Ying Feng uttered these words, he had already rushed forward. Ling Xiao had been holding back for a long time. This was the first time he was chased without being able to fight back. Now, he wouldn’t miss this opportunity to confront the creature. He quickly turned around and launched a fierce attack on the baboon.

The giant baboon was much stronger than the previous creatures they encountered. Even working together took some effort. Ling Xiao finally understood the instructor’s meaning of real combat. This was probably the strongest opponent they had faced so far.

Unfortunately for the baboon, though it faced two fledglings, they were top-tier combatants among their kind. After an intense battle, the creature finally fell. From its corpse emerged a light brown, crystal-like object.

“What is this?” Ling Xiao picked it up from the ground.

“I don’t know.” Ying Feng had never seen such an object before. “Let’s ask the instructor.”

The two returned earlier than the instructor had expected and completed the task successfully. The instructor gave a nod of approval on the surface but was greatly surprised internally.

“Let’s eat this tonight.” Ling Xiao handed over the mushrooms they brought back to the instructor. Seeing Ying Feng’s disdainful look, he quickly explained, “I’m just joking.”

The instructor took it with satisfaction. “Well done.” If this had been an entrance examination, both would have already qualified for the Royal Sky Military Academy.

“The task you gave was so easy I almost fell asleep,” Ling Xiao boasted.

“Easy, huh?” The instructor knocked Ling Xiao’s head with the box. “Do you know how many excellent students applied for Royal Sky last year, passed various challenging tests, but failed at this simple stage?”

“Really?” Ling Xiao was puzzled. “I thought it was okay. Oh, what is this?”

He showed the instructor the item they got from the baboon.

“This is a life crystal. Some call it a soul stone. Every beast has one inside. It’s a very important material.”

“Material? For what?”

“A type of consumable in battle. It’s a secret weapon unique to our people. Only by mastering it can you truly understand our way of combat.”

Ling Xiao was eager. “How can I master it?”

“Fledglings can’t use this tool. Only when you become adults and enter higher education will you learn its usage.”

Ling Xiao was immediately disappointed.

Without any more words, the instructor said, “You have completed today’s task well. Don’t be arrogant. Go prepare. Tomorrow is the main event.”

The next day arrived quickly. Due to the instructor’s reminder, everyone was well prepared, carrying everything they might need. The training location was a mine area densely populated with wild beasts, a barren land with many dark cave entrances.

“The previous days were just to familiarize everyone with the environment. Today’s training is the main event,” the instructor began.

“We have detailed the danger levels of various wild creatures in biology class. This mine area is the main habitat for beasts ranked from E to B. Defeating a B-ranked beast alone is our minimum requirement for tenth graders. Outstanding individuals should aim to defeat A-ranked beasts.”

“Occasionally, formidable A-ranked creatures appear in this area. But based on what I know of you all, with good teamwork, they can be defeated.”

“Different beasts drop different grades of soul stones. We’ll score based on your hunt: E-grade for 2 points, D-grade for 10, C-grade for 25, B-grade for 50, and A-grade for 100. The team with the highest score wins. Whether you work alone or in groups is up to you.”

“Everyone has an alarm in their personal terminals. I assume you all know how to use it, meant for emergencies. We hope you won’t need it. The school hasn’t provided any armor; we don’t use such burdens. Did everyone bring their weapons?”

Everyone swung their right arms in unison, revealing gleaming daggers.

“Good!” The instructor waved his hand. “Let’s go!”

Dozens of figures scattered, disappearing into various caves.

“The quality of this year’s students seems better than last year,” the medic commented.

“That’s because two of them raised the average,” the instructor replied.

“Those two you sent for mushrooms yesterday?”

“Exactly. The average requirement is B-grade, and the excellent ones go up to A. But what they defeated yesterday was an S-grade guardian of the mushrooms. Not the toughest in its rank, but still a formidable opponent.”

“You let fledglings face an S-grade creature alone?” The team doctor was shocked by his boldness.

“With their abilities, defeating an S-grade creature together is no challenge. I knew their strengths, that’s why I let them.”

“That’s risky.”

“It depends on who you’re taking a risk with.” The instructor thought of a student who could hardly hold a dagger. “If every student were at that level, I’d keep them locked on campus. When I see such fledglings, I doubt they belong with us.”

“You’re sure no A-ranked or higher beasts are in the caves?”

“Of course,” the instructor said. “Even if the outdoor training is militarized, the academy won’t forget they are fledglings. There can’t be any accidents.”

“This area has been surveyed. For a century, no S-grade or higher creatures have been spotted. A few A-grades, at most. They might get some minor injuries or hardships, but life-threatening? Never.”

“Don’t underestimate these fledglings. We are known as the battle machines in the galaxy. If a few wild beasts can defeat them, it’s embarrassing. Remember, our current principal, at their age, could single-handedly defeat an S-grade creature. He’s a legend in Bikong.”

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The author has something to say:

Tip: If A forcibly takes the heart’s blood from B, B can have four outcomes:

Enter the coming-of-age ceremony and succeed, they become the Qizhu; if they fail, they become the Qizi.

If B doesn’t enter the coming-of-age ceremony and succeeds, they defeat A and remain free; if they fail, they become the Qizi.

Unweakened fledglings cannot have their heart’s blood forcibly taken.

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