Chapter 859 - New Mushrooms
In the bottom cabin of the Future where it was pitch-black.
Frank Lee lit a candle which illuminated a table covered with flesh, mushrooms, wheat, and fish.
He casually pushed the items away and cleared out a space that was just enough to accommodate a piece of paper.
Right on the heels of that, he spread out a piece of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and wrote with an excited expression:
“My dear friend, Gehrman Sparrow, I’m delighted to know that you found the dry mushrooms to be pretty good. Perhaps it’s more useful than I imagined it to be. When I’m free, I’ll take another look at them.
“As I’ve been fully focused, in both body and mind, in the experiment you mentioned, I’ve already stopped all other creations. Most of the mushrooms have been burned away by Nina, leaving me with the last three. I hope it will be of help to you.
“Placed together with them are my latest products. One of them is a type of mushroom that grows by feeding on flesh and blood. They have three breeds. The first is crossbred with wheat and can be ground into a mushroom powder that can be used to make bread. Another has the characteristic of being mixed with milk, allowing milk to be drawn from them. The last has been crossbred with fish. They come with a refreshing taste and it has a thick meaty texture.
“The things to take note of is that they are absolutely not to be eaten raw. They need to be cooked in 90°C hot water for at least five minutes so as to kill any living characteristics; otherwise, regardless of what it turns into, it will absorb the flesh and blood around it, including human organs.
“Another point. It’s unable to distinguish between normal flesh and monster flesh, nor can they deal with the latter properly. They will accumulate with the corresponding toxicity and madness.
“I think they will experience different mutations because of the different types of monster flesh, producing different kinds of danger. However, I wasn’t able to verify that, because I lack a sufficient number of monster corpses. If you were to obtain one while adventuring, please mail me one. I only need a tiny amount.
“As for any other problems that might exist, I’m not sure either. It’s still a prototype, preventing further attempts and observation…
“I wish you all the best and to have a bountiful time adventuring. Sincerely, your friend, Frank Lee.”
After putting down the fountain pen, Frank read his reply in its entirety before folding in satisfaction. He found a gold coin and placed it over the letter.
He quickly set up the messenger summoning ritual in preparation to chant the incantation.
At this moment, he subconsciously surveyed his surroundings and was stunned.
Then, Frank moved the nearby pile of soil out the door.
…
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
Audrey was hiding in her room, observing the glass bottle in her hand.
In the bottle was a translucent, colorless, sticky liquid. It was like a mirror when still, completely reflecting everything within its vicinity. When undulations happened, a very tiny whirlpool would silently spin beneath the surface.
This was none other than the Hypnotist potion which she had just successfully concocted!
Audrey had already digested her Psychiatrist potion and planned on advancing to Sequence 6 before Backlund’s Psychology Alchemists contacted her.
After using Placate to quell her mental state, Audrey gently bit down on her lip, raised the glass bottle, and downed the potion.
After a brief chill, she suddenly felt her mind seem to explode. Her body also seemed to be contaminated as it turned somewhat incorporeal.
At that moment, her Soul Body, Astral Projection, and Ether Body were being absorbed and assimilated by her Body of Heart and Mind. Her entire person was like an amalgamation of pure thoughts that began churning. She felt the boundless sea of collective subconscious which connected all living creatures, and she sensed the spirituality sky that stood in contrast.
Having experienced the sense of alarm she received during her Psychiatrist advancement, Audrey didn’t panic. She ultimately maintained a sliver of lucidity and curbed her instinctive urge to fuse into the “sea.” She allowed her consciousness to spread out in all directions before contracting like a rubber band.
After an unknown period of time, she finally found her inner self. She saw the back of her hand covered in dense, firm golden scales and saw that the hair on her shoulders turned luxuriant and heavy, as though they were really made of gold.
After these anomalies receded, Audrey quickly recovered. However, when she looked into the mirror, she found her green eyes appear clear, but deep down was a strange bottomless whirlpool. It made it difficult for others to shift their gaze away from them, easily drowning within them.
This is a sign of the dispersing spirituality that has yet to have been fully converged… Audrey slowly eased her brows as her smile turned bright.
She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded gently, finding it hard to hide her smile.
“Audrey, you are already a Sequence 6!”
After she calmed her emotions, she seriously introspected herself to determine her new Beyonder powers and the qualitative changes.
After some work, Audrey came to a rough understanding of the situation.
First, her constitution had received a significant enhancement. Be it her strength or agility, it had exceeded an ordinary person’s. She could also form a layer of “Scales” over her skin, largely resisting and reducing any damage. Second was a qualitative change in Psychological Cue. It became a form of hypnosis within the non-combat domain. As long as she made the target focus on something, Audrey could open the door to their Body of Heart and Mind and directly alter their conscious and affect their subconscious.
This way, the target wouldn’t notice that they were abiding by her arrangements, taking actions that didn’t match their true intentions.
Of course, if Audrey’s “arrangement” directly harmed the target’s life or something he subconsciously placed great importance to, then the target would produce an intense resistance, causing the hypnosis to fail. In addition, if the target had a strong soul and firm body and mind, they would be able to resist the hypnosis to a certain extent.
Third, Battle Hypnotism. Audrey could forcefully hypnotize an enemy, making them do something abnormal, such as attacking their companions or avoid her, the Hypnotist. However, such hypnosis only lasted for short periods of time. The target would quickly snap awake and sense the problem. Similarly, it was unable to harm the target’s life and make the enemy commit suicide.
Fourth was Psychological Invisibility. With one’s control of the target’s Body of Heart and Mind, allowing oneself to remain in the blind spot of one’s consciousness, she could achieve the effect of invisibility despite someone standing in front of her without being able to sense her.
“Very impressive… My only regret is that I still lack Beyonder powers that can launch direct attacks…” Audrey puffed her cheeks in an indiscernible manner as she tried hard to converge her spirituality and make her eyes less intoxicating.
After mostly eliminating her abnormalities, she opened the door and let Susie in. With the help of her golden retriever, she began familiarizing herself with her new Beyonder powers.
Before long, her lady’s maid, Annie, knocked on the door and entered with an invitation letter in hand.
“My Lady, the Church will be organizing a charity party on Saturday night for a newly established bursary foundation that’s targeted at the poor. They have invited you.”
Audrey didn’t directly agree as she asked, “Did they invite my parents?”
“Yes, they were also invited, as well as Lord Hibbert,” Annie replied honestly.
Audrey nodded and said with a smile, “Tell the Church that I’ll be participating.
“Also, figure out the exact situation with the charity foundation so that I can better decide on the amount to donate.”
…
In the evening at the Intis Srenzo Restaurant.
“This place is truly dazzling. It’s much prettier than the living rooms and activity rooms of many nobles.” Fors looked around as though she was here to gather material.
Although she had participated in many noble-organized literature saloons, she had always visited them at their residences and not at such top-end restaurants.
Xio grabbed at her coarse blonde hair.
“This is the style of Intis. It’s different from us. It might look pretty, but it lacks substance.”
“How does it lack substance? Look, those are all famous oil paintings and sculptures…” Fors deliberately retorted.
During this process, she suppressed her voice, as they hadn’t entered by the main door.
As she spoke, she found the private room mentioned by Walter. Fors directly used Door Opening and pulled Xio in. They hid inside a pantry cupboard and waited for their target of protection, Dwayne Dantès, and his guests to arrive.
“How much do you think the 3% shares of Coim Company is worth?” Bored, Fors casually asked.
In the morning, she had entered Saint Samuel Cathedral with Xio to provide protection while feigning prayer.
Xio hesitated and said, “At least several thousand pounds. The bishop seemed to place a great deal of importance on the matter.”
“How rich. Donating thousands of pounds just like that. Why doesn’t he save poor people like us?” Fors said poignantly in a joking manner.
At this moment, the door to the room opened. Dwayne Dantès and Macht’s family walked in and took their seats. The waiters also started rushing around.
Xio and Fors didn’t speak further as they eavesdropped on the chit chat outside as they observed the surrounding situation. From time to time, their noses would twitch because of the food’s fragrance.
Suddenly, Xio frowned as though she had sensed something before quickly easing her brows as though nothing had happened.
“What’s wrong?” Fors leaned in towards her friend’s ear and whispered.
Xio shook her head.
“Nothing. I was uptight, causing me to overreact.”
At that moment, Klein put down his fork and knife, glancing to the side with a normal expression.
In his eyes which had his Spirit Vision activated, a blonde, red-eyed head had appeared out of the void. In its mouth was a thick letter.
Klein faintly caught the scent of milk, wheat, and fish.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he secretly reached out his left hand to grab the letter. And sitting in the other three seats, Macht, Riana, and Hazel didn’t notice anything.
Klein stuffed the letter into his pocket without anyone noticing as a waiter walked out of the pantry, serving a new dish to the four customers. Among the dishes, two of them were butter-fried mushrooms.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly felt disgusted. His expression turned odd as his left palm that remained in his pocket trembled.