The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 192

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Han Ning's forehead, the temperature of the air around him dropped sharply, and a thin layer of white frost condensed on the ground.

The crystal shattered.

[Druid growth progress +341, current Lv10 (19623/20000)]

With the acquisition of the third crimson crystal, the scorching and explosive fire energy almost broke free from the constraints of the starfire.

Han Ning raised the temperature of the flames in his palm, forcibly suppressing the restless flow of fire.

The heat, like magma, seeped into the meridians, causing the skin to turn an abnormal red, and the sweat that had just seeped out was evaporated into white vapor.

The three energies with distinct properties were transformed into pure spiritual power within the body, eventually flowing into the depths of the limbs and bones.

boom!

An invisible shockwave exploded outwards from Han Ning, causing his clothes to flutter loudly.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing deep within his pupils. His surging aura rose steadily, and a wave full of life energy surrounded him. His spiritual power finally stabilized at a higher level.

[Druid growth progress +341, current Lv11 (64/40000)]

"Level 11..."

Druid level increased to Lv11

[Unlock New Skill: Spore Symbiosis]

【Spore symbiosis】: Establishes a life link between fungal spores and the target organism, triggering internal and external circulation and creating conditions for symbiosis.

"Hmm? This skill..."

As Han Ning absorbed the knowledge related to the newly unlocked skills, his expression shifted.

Although he did not form a spore society, Han Ning, as a druid, still unlocked a skill related to spores.

Just like a medical student who has to learn a lot of clinical knowledge before deciding on a career path.

"That seems very strange."

Spore Symbiosis isn't an offensive skill, but rather... a support-oriented skill?

Han Ning's first impression of it was that it was strange and eerie.

In layman's terms, this skill is the ability to combine living plants and animals with spores.

For example, humans can use spore symbiosis to grow fungi on their muscles.

Fungi absorb nutrients from the human body to grow, and since it is a symbiotic relationship, a mutually beneficial model, fungi will give back to the human body some unique abilities.

The specific abilities depend on the specific characteristics of the fungus.

For example, if there is a type of fungus that can release soporific spores, then a human, as the host of the soporific fungus, can control the spores of this fungus and release soporific spores against enemies.

However... the specific skills and knowledge for cultivating and modifying fungi can only be unlocked after forming a spore association.

"I feel that if used properly, it could be a very powerful skill..."

Han Ning thought about it casually. If some awakened individuals were infected with the poisonous fungus, they would undoubtedly gain a poisonous property, which would be equivalent to having a cheat-like ability.

Besides attacking spores, could there also be healing spores, spores that strengthen the body, and spores that stimulate mental power...?

If the earth and stars relate to the plant and animal kingdoms, then the spore society begins to explore the fungal kingdom.

No wonder they turned spore formation into a specialized form of association.

To see the whole leopard from a single spot—just thinking about it reveals a vast and profound realm, in no way inferior to the earth and the stars.

However... Han Ning currently lacks fungi with extraordinary characteristics; the only one with spore characteristics is the Feather Fruit.

Many plants actually have spores, but the skill description specifically specifies that they are fungal spores. He didn't know if the spores of the feather fruit could be used.

Thinking of this, Han Ning walked to the water purification pool and cut off a portion of the seaweed-like tissue from the feather fruit.

Then, his fingers transformed into the sharp claws of a star-shaped osprey, and he slashed his left arm.

The skin was cut open, and bright red blood immediately flowed out.

Han Ning poured the spores from the seaweed tissue onto the wound, releasing [spore symbiosis].

An eerie yellowish-green light shone, like chlorine gas, and permeated the wound.

The release continued for more than ten seconds, and even the wound healed, but Han Ning did not notice anything unusual.

"Looks like that won't work; we'll need fungi." Han Ning sighed.

Fungi and plants are two fundamentally different categories.

That being said, this world shouldn't lack extraordinary fungi.

Han Ning plans to ask Xiao Ba tomorrow to get some extraordinary fungi, similar to mushrooms.

Chapter 221 Fungi

The next morning, the area outside the gathering place was already bustling with activity.

The hardworking bees seem tireless, flying among the flowers even before humans wake up.

Han Ning went straight to Xiao Ba, who was busy in the flower field on the rocky slope.

"Xiao Ba, do you know where to find mushrooms with extraordinary properties? You mean creatures that look like these."

Han Ning got straight to the point, showing Xiao Ba a piece of paper with mushrooms drawn on it.

"Cuckoo..."

Little Eight glanced at it, let out a short cry, and gestured with its forelimbs.

As a treasure-hunting bee, Xiao Ba was extremely familiar with the distribution of the surrounding plants and mushrooms, and answered Han Ning's question almost without hesitation.

"Good to know. Can you take me there to have a look?" Han Ning asked.

"Cuckoo!"

Xiao Ba immediately agreed.

It emitted a high-frequency insect chirp, and pale blue blue crystals, dark brown brown rocks, and emerald green stamens flew in response. The four brothers hovered beside Han Ning, looking ready to go.

Xiao Ba transformed into a golden ray of light, leading the way, with Han Ning following closely behind. The four streaks of light, each a different color, pierced through the cold mist and headed straight for the northern part of the mountain range.

Below, floodwaters raged, murky waves crashed against the mountain ridges, and dark fog, like a living thing, slowly churned among the distant forests.

The further north you fly, the denser the forests become. The twisted branches of the towering ancient trees pierce the gray sky like ghostly claws, and most of their leaves are an ominous blackish-purple.

"Gurgle!" Little Eight descended and landed on a half-withered giant redwood branch at the edge of the forest, its tentacles pointing into the depths of the dense forest.

This forest, the place where Hachiko and the others used to live, is now also polluted by the Kuroshio Current.

"Coo coo coo~ Gu~"

Upon reaching this point, Xiao Ba stopped moving forward and instead made inquiring "coo coo" sounds towards Han Ning, as if asking a question.

"You mean... that place where the mushrooms are located is an area contaminated by the Kuroshio Current, and there might be danger there?" Han Ning understood what it meant.

"Goo!"

"Go over there."

Come here.

Xiao Ba was not surprised by Han Ning's answer. It and its three companions wiggled their bottoms, flapped their wings, and flew in a different direction.

Just as Xiao Ba said, a considerable part of this forest is still relatively normal, with lush green leaves that exude vitality.

The forest is home to many small animals, including some extraordinary creatures with remarkable abilities.

They continued flying for about ten kilometers through the forest.

Two hundred meters to the northeast, a dense patch of enormous purple mushrooms, at least tens of meters tall, with huge caps spread out, appeared.

The surface of the umbrella is dotted with pale green spots, which shimmer with a faint, luminous green light in the dim, foggy environment.

Every so often, the giant purple mushroom would expel visible purple powder from beneath its cap, spreading outwards as if it were breathing.

The white mist and purple powder mingled together, shrouding the mushroom forest ahead in a pale purple haze, making the path leading deeper into the forest difficult to see.

"The temperature here has obviously risen." Standing on the branches outside, Han Ning felt that even the strong wind had become warm.

Without further hesitation, they walked straight to the boundary between the forest and the mushroom forest, with Xiao Ba and the others leading the way.

"Boom~"

Xiao Ba's body emitted a faint, bright yellow light, and the purple spores in the air gathered around it as if they had encountered a vacuum cleaner.

Soon, a vacuum zone with a radius of 5 meters was formed around Xiao Ba, completely free of any spores.

The tiny spore particles were not absorbed and accumulated below the roots, forming a puddle of powder.

The forest floor was covered with countless tiny purple mushrooms and some small grasses that shimmered with a purple sheen.

At first, Han Ning thought that the giant purple mushroom would suddenly launch an attack on them at some unexpected time.

But as Han Ning ventured deeper into the mushroom forest, he discovered that these large mushrooms were more like mindless fungi, showing no danger except for spitting out spores.

Of course, it's also possible that it was deterred by Xiao Ba's presence, but the probability of that is very low. The entire hillside is covered with giant mushrooms. If they were extraordinary fungi, how much energy would it take to supply them?

After carefully flying two or three kilometers through the mushroom forest, they continued in this manner.

Before my eyes, there was still an endless forest of purple mushrooms.

Although the mountain was not steep, there was no road ahead, so they could only rely on Hachi and the others to lead the way, which meant they were not moving very fast.

Even though no creature launched an attack, the eight of them remained extremely vigilant.

Moreover... along the way, we didn't see a single living creature other than the purple mushrooms.

"It's bizarre, so bizarre... In such a vast forest, isn't there a single living creature? Not even a corpse to be seen."

Han Ning maintained his Starry Osprey form, constantly surveying his surroundings.

He also discovered that the temperature increased the further in he went.

He estimated that the temperature had reached around 30°C, which was unusual for this post-apocalyptic environment.

Unlike other bees, the flower stamens seem to really like the environment here. Ever since they entered the mushroom forest, their leaves have been swaying incessantly.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly.