Chapter 25: Praise for the Dull |
"Ah... I'm so exhausted..."
Early the next morning, Lino arrived at the Kram Cigarette Factory with a yawn, the bags under his eyes dark and heavy.
"Lino."
A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Lino turned around, sporting dark circles like a panda, and saw Amy.
The two hadn't seen each other since orientation, only finally crossing paths today.
Lino's shift started at eight in the morning and didn't end until past seven in the evening.
Amy, on the other hand, worked a standard nine-to-five.
The chances of them bumping into each other head-on were about as slim as a space station docking.
"I planted some mushrooms in the lab last night, so I wanted to come in early today to take care of them."
Amy looked Lino up and down.
"It looks like you've gotten taller and bulkier. Is the food in the Collection Department really that good?"
Lino looked down at himself. He really had grown quite a bit taller over the last few days.
Previously, he and Amy had been about the same height, but now he was a good three or four centimeters taller than her.
This visible growth spurt was brought about by the enhancement serum.
True to anything tied to The Warp, the effects were ridiculous.
Lino rolled up his sleeve and patted his bicep.
"I paid for this with my life. We have to inject the enhancement serum every day, and a few people die every single time. It's sheer luck that I'm still alive."
Amy's mouth fell open, too shocked to speak.
"What? You have to inject the enhancement serum? My god, isn't that stuff still in the live testing phase? Are you guys the test subjects?"
Wait, what?
Are you kidding me?
The enhancement serum was still in the experimental phase?!
Lino inwardly cursed that cunning old fox Robnos, shaking his head with a helpless sigh.
"You're right, Amy. We're probably being used as live test subjects. Otherwise, the Collection Department wouldn't offer such great benefits once you're officially hired."
Amy wanted to say something to comfort him but didn't know where to begin, falling into a stifled silence.
Lino smiled and changed the subject.
"What kind of mushrooms are worth you running in this early to take care of them?"
"Cocktail Fungus. Have you heard of it? Probably not. It's a new strain that popped up in the Ruins Zone."
Lino's smile widened.
"Of course I have. Is it a mushroom shaped like a goblet, with the 'cup' filled with a dark red paste?"
"How did you know?" Amy covered her mouth, deeply surprised.
Lino gave a small shrug.
"It's nothing. I have a few friends who grow mushrooms, and we just happened to be talking about the Cocktail Fungus recently."
"Is that so?" Amy looked suspicious.
Lino just smiled.
The Cocktail Fungus was recorded in the field guide Lai Ya had compiled, and there were ten samples currently sitting in the system's Fungal Storage.
Lino had been so entirely focused on the Dull Mushroom last night that he hadn't yet found the time to study the Fungal Ability of the Cocktail Fungus.
Honestly, he envied Amy a bit.
The laboratories at the Kram Cigarette Factory definitely had plenty of equipment that could strengthen the system's functions. If he were in her position, he'd be like a fish in water.
He could crush everyone else with his specialized knowledge while freeloading off the experimental gear. It would be an absolute dream.
Unfortunately, he had to wait until the Collection Department's training phase was over before he could transfer departments.
Sigh. Better focus on surviving until then.
He just hoped Brain Paralysis would work against the hallucinogenic effects of the Ghost Fungus.
The two chatted as they walked, entering the building and heading off to their respective departments.
Lino changed his clothes, stepped into the transport pod, and rode it down to the subterranean cavern with practiced ease.
Compared to his first day, he was much calmer now.
Thanks to his enhanced physical strength, the mechanical arms and oxygen tanks were no longer a burden.
Having adapted to the mild hallucinations, the whispers echoing in his ears had become little more than white noise he could automatically tune out.
As long as he didn't damage the roots while excavating, everything would be fine.
Lino walked toward the Ghost Mushroom and called up the Fungal Ability panel in his mind.
[Fungal Ability: Brain Paralysis]
[Description:]
[Consume a certain amount of Dull Mushrooms to attempt to put a single target into a state of Brain Paralysis. The amount of mushrooms consumed depends on the target's strength.]
[Under Brain Paralysis, the target's cognitive functions are frozen, granting a mental barrier against hallucinations. Duration: 10 seconds.]
Lino had tested Brain Paralysis last night.
After entering the state, his brain literally felt paralyzed, rendering him completely unresponsive.
Could this state really fend off hallucinations?
Lino remained skeptical.
Might as well try it out first. He'd know soon enough.
Lino steadied his mind and mentally activated Brain Paralysis, targeting himself.
A second later.
The murmurs vanished. The only sound left in his ears was the heavy panting from his own breathing mask.
Lino stood frozen in place like a wooden dummy, his eyes losing focus.
Ten seconds later, he gave a slight shiver, broke out of the Brain Paralysis, and regained his ability to think.
The murmurs caused by the mild hallucination instantly returned.
Lino widened his eyes in disbelief and tried it again.
All the whispering murmurs faded away, leaving only his own ragged breathing lingering in his ears.
Another ten seconds passed, and he once again recovered his wits.
Only then did the hallucinations latch back onto him, harassing him with those familiar whispers.
While in the state of Brain Paralysis, be it whispers or murmurs—they practically didn't exist!
Brain Paralysis really could fend off the hallucinations!
Who said Brain Paralysis was useless? This ability was fantastic!
Lino was so thrilled he almost shouted out loud.
"Hey, hey, hey. Listen up, everyone. This is a broadcast."
Robnos's voice suddenly crackled in his earpiece.
Lino immediately calmed down.
Through the broadcast, Robnos said, "Now that your strength has increased, pay closer attention to how much force you use with the brushes. Some unlucky bastard just pushed too hard and shoved his brush straight into the root system. The resulting burst of hallucinations was so overwhelming that the mushroom swallowed him whole before I even had a chance to save him."
Robnos paused before shouting, "So stay sharp! Don't get sloppy! Anyone who has survived this long is a future pillar of the Kram Family! You don't want to die down here in the pitch black, do you?!"
The broadcast clicked off, leaving the earpiece completely silent.
Lino's racing heart rapidly settled.
Robnos's reminder had come at the perfect time.
People were most likely to trip up when they were riding high.
He couldn't let Brain Paralysis go to his head.
Lino began excavating the roots, casually opening his Fungal Storage to take a look.
He had been far too tired last night to spare any energy cultivating more Dull Mushrooms.
There were only thirty kilograms of domesticated Dull Mushrooms sitting in the Fungal Storage, and he had no idea if that would be enough.
...
The hours slipped by in a blur of root excavation and combat training.
In the blink of an eye, it was almost time for dinner.
The security personnel entered the break hall carrying syringes.
The apprentices all looked grim. Some kowtowed while others prayed; everyone sought their own way to cope with the mounting pressure.
At Robnos's command, the guards jabbed the syringes into the apprentices' necks.
A hot current flooded Lino's body. His temperature spiked, and his heart rate skyrocketed.
Overlapping layers of whispers instantly seized Lino's mind.
He mentally tapped the system interface, activating Brain Paralysis.
In a flash, the hallucinations vanished completely!
They were replaced by the sounds of his surroundings: agonizing whimpers, extremely heavy panting, and the dull thuds of heads slamming against tables.
While everyone around him suffered terribly, Lino alone managed to carve out a sliver of peace amid the hallucinatory invasion.
Brain Paralysis was freaking awesome!
"Sha—"
"Ma—"
"Ku—"
The state of Brain Paralysis ended without him realizing it, allowing the insidious hallucinations to launch a sneak attack.
Lino let out a muffled groan and hurriedly activated Brain Paralysis again.
Firing it off time and time again, he finally made it through the most agonizing part of the evening.
By the time the enhancement's effects subsided, Lino looked around. He saw three corpses lying on the floor and Robnos's dark, sunken expression.
"Damn it, three dead tonight. Counting the idiot from earlier today, we've actually lost four people!"
Robnos slammed his fist into the table, eyes spitting fire.
The massive bang made everyone jump.
The hall was dead silent; no one dared to risk Robnos's wrath.
They all knew his amiable facade was just an act. At his core, he was a humanoid beast who would chew you up and not even spit out the bones.
Right as the air in the room seemed to freeze, a bizarre noise came from one of the corpses.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
Along with that rhythmic sound, the corpse began to convulse.
