"What kind of mission?" Coppelia asked.
"This team is primarily responsible for investigating the ecological conditions of the northern rainforest region. Incidentally, we also clear out monsters that threaten road safety to open up passages for future development. Currently, only the problem of the Fungi remains to be solved," Suleiman explained. "In this area, both the quantity and frequency of Fungi proliferation are abnormally high. As soon as we clear one batch, new ones quickly emerge. We need to find their source, or rather, the root cause of their breeding."
"Once the Fungi problem is resolved, a portion of the team members can return to the Akademiya ahead of time with the compiled investigation reports," he looked at the two of them. "At that time, we can travel together."
"I want to help," Columbina said immediately. "That way, your mission will end a bit faster, right?"
A gentle smile appeared on Suleiman's face once again. "Several students have already mentioned you two to me this afternoon. I am already aware of your capabilities. If you are willing to help, that would naturally be best. Later, I will speak with the specific operation leader and enlist you both as temporary members of the team."
"Since the matter is settled," Coppelia said, placing one hand on the table as she prepared to rise, "then we won't disturb you further."
Her movements suddenly stopped, and she sat back down. "By the way, there is one more thing I forgot to ask." She looked at Suleiman. "Kelvin... who exactly is he?"
Suleiman's expression did not change much, as if he had anticipated this question. "Since Kelvin was the one who brought you to find me just now, does that imply he was the first person you met here? Did some things happen involving him that you found difficult to understand?"
"You are right," Coppelia admitted. "I do indeed feel he is somewhat... suspicious."
"Another purpose for our visit to the rainforest is to search for a kind of glowing white stone. That type of stone naturally radiates elemental energy and pollutes the environment..." Speaking of this, she asked as if seeking confirmation, "Have you, apart from Kelvin, seen that kind of stone?"
If only Kelvin had come into contact with those stones, then what exactly was his true purpose in collecting them?
"We have," Suleiman's answer was certain. "Initially, we also wanted to collect some for research. But later we discovered that the energy contained in these stones would continuously dissipate, eventually vanishing completely. In the process, it would cause interference and pollution to the surrounding elemental environment. After weighing the options, we decided not to keep them and entrusted Kelvin to use the machines he controls to transport the discovered stones deep underground for centralized disposal."
This was completely consistent with Kelvin's own account. The doubts in Coppelia's heart dissipated by more than half. But another point of suspicion immediately surfaced.
"Those machines he drives..." she pressed, "are they really as he said, just things he picked up and repaired himself?"
Suleiman nodded slightly. "Kelvin was once a believer of the Scarlet King; he used to be a scholar specifically responsible for mechanical research and maintenance. Although the technical lineage of the machines he drives now differs from the system left by the Scarlet King, given his ability and knowledge reserve, repairing and controlling them is indeed not a complex matter."
"So it was Scarlet King technology..." Coppelia nodded, her doubts basically dispelled. "Alright. I have no other questions."
...
The next day.
Coppelia and Columbina followed the investigation team leaving the camp, heading deep into the rainforest to begin investigating the root cause of the abnormal Fungi proliferation.
Considering that Fungi generally lack effective anti-air capabilities, and that Columbina could not only fly herself but also carry others, the mission leader entrusted her to go deep into the airspace above the Fungi gathering area to ascertain their specific distribution and activity patterns.
However, Columbina and Coppelia did not master professional ecological investigation methods, so several scholars had to accompany them. Once the news spread, no fewer than ten young scholars in the camp were eager to try, all wanting to personally experience the sensation of flying. Yet, the mission did not require so many people. After a round of "friendly" selection—the method being drawing lots, with priority given to members with relevant backgrounds in botany, zoology, or elemental ecology—three accompanying scholars were finally determined.
Columbina took Coppelia and the three selected scholars, ascending into the high altitude and arriving above a valley occupied by Fungi. They first circled at a high altitude, assisting the scholars in drawing a rough sketch of the valley's terrain and the distribution of the Fungi groups. Only after completing the preliminary mapping did they lower their altitude to begin observing the Fungi below at close range.
The scene in the valley below was impressive. Blue, brown, green, red... Fungi of various forms were scattered everywhere. Some maintained a standard mushroom shape, while others had grown two thin legs, pacing about like birds. They gathered in small groups of twos and threes, spaced no more than a dozen meters apart. The ground of the entire valley was almost completely filled by these colorful monsters.
Coppelia activated her Elemental Sight. She saw that the mycelium-like roots of these Fungi were continuously drawing trace amounts of elemental power from the soil.
Those Fungi that were "satiated" would break away from their static state. They would bend their short, thick stalks like compressed springs, then release suddenly, using this elastic force to bounce up clumsily but effectively, moving in droves toward the deeper parts of the valley.
"These are mushrooms?" Columbina looked at the bouncing groups below, feeling extremely confused.
"Sort of," Coppelia replied.
"But how can mushrooms move?" Columbina pressed. "Are they animals, or plants?"
"They are monsters," Coppelia gave the classification answer of this world.
While Columbina asked this and that, the three accompanying scholars worked efficiently. They rapidly recorded the morphological characteristics of different Fungi species, estimated the population numbers, and marked their movement directions and behavioral patterns. The group flew slowly from one side of the valley to the other, conducting an aerial patrol that basically covered the entire area.
During this time, a few Fungi with keen perception occasionally discovered the uninvited guests in the sky. They raised their caps, condensing wind orbs, water bullets, or rock clumps, and clumsily fired them upward. But these attacks either lacked sufficient range and dissipated in mid-air, or were easily blocked by the translucent aqua-blue shield Columbina deployed in advance, causing no interference whatsoever.
Once the investigation was complete, the group landed on a spacious hilltop outside the Fungi's range of activity. They rested briefly and began to summarize their observation results.
A young scholar with slightly curly hair and thick-rimmed glasses spoke first, his tone carrying the excitement of discovering a pattern. "I think I've figured out what these Fungi are doing."
The others immediately gathered around.
The scholar laid the wooden board holding the map flat on the rock in front of everyone, using a charcoal pencil to point at several trajectories he had marked with dotted lines on the map.
"Look, the activity routes of those Fungi that actively absorb elemental power and then move are quite fixed." His pen tip moved along several roughly parallel dotted lines. "Moreover, these many trajectories starting from different areas all ultimately point to the same place."
His charcoal pencil finally stopped where the dotted lines converged. There, he drew a conspicuous circle, marking that area out individually.
"I suspect," he raised his head, his eyes behind the lenses flashing with the light of judgment, "that in this area we haven't yet explored deeply, there exists another, more powerful monster individual. These Fungi moving about everywhere, collecting elemental power, are very likely doing so to feed it."
He tapped that circle lightly with the pen shaft. "It is simply because that big guy probably cannot leave that location that it spawned so many 'workers' to solve the problem of 'eating' for it."
____
New Story: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina
✅ Read up to 40 chapters in advance (all stories)!
✅ Access exclusive posts and updates first!
Let's achieve our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 extra chapter for everybody
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters on ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan