Rumors of "zombie wolves" and "puppet Demon Wolves" spread like wildfire.
The idea that fungi could parasitize Forest Wolves was incredible enough to completely upend conventional wisdom.
Fungal parasites were generally thought to be limited to insects like cicadas and ants.
The difficulty in parasitizing mammals stemmed from two main factors: their Constant Temperature systems were naturally unsuitable for fungal growth, and they possessed far more robust immune systems.
’If they can parasitize and control Forest Wolves, then humans won’t be exempt either.’ This was Su Chen’s first thought.
He recalled the horsehair worm-like creature that had parasitized the Flying Mantis. It must have evolved mouthparts for devouring flesh, as it had desperately tried to burrow into his body at the time.
’The fungi in this world are probably some kind of crazily enhanced version, too.’
The threat to humans was likely far more severe than a simple athlete’s foot infection. If people started becoming parasitic puppets like zombie cicadas and ants, it would be a major disaster.
Moreover, he noticed that more people seemed to be coughing on the way back.
Aside from the addicts obsessed with hallucinogenic mushrooms, some people had developed what looked like hay fever, sneezing intermittently.
Su Chen glanced at the dust particles drifting over from the forest. It was hard to tell if they were spores or willow catkins, but it was clearly not a good sign.
Not dwelling on it, Su Chen returned to his parking spot. Yuan Haotian, who was perched high in the sentry post, lit up when he saw him and nimbly slid down the pole.
"Brother Chen, I went to the trading hall this afternoon. There are three people who can meet your demands; they’re willing to trade Fire Element essence and a critical-hit Rune," Yuan Haotian said, puffing out his chest, looking pleased to have fulfilled his duty.
As he explained the details, he boasted that he was the center of attention. When he posted the list on himself, he nearly drew the eyes of half the hall.
The reason was simple: at this stage, anyone who could offer a Lv. 4 Lightning Shield for trade was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.
"But they were skeptical and probably took me for a common swindler. I was so mad I could’ve pulled my hair out! I kept explaining I was just the middleman, but some of them refused to believe me."
Yuan Haotian chuckled and joked. As he spoke, he took off his hat, revealing a clean-shaven head. That, combined with his brawny physique, really gave him the air of a street boss.
And you couldn’t blame people for mistaking him for a swindler.
Beyond his personal aura, there were genuinely people in the trading hall looking to pull a fast one.
Once they managed to acquire a Rune, they’d just run off into the forest and try to slip back to the city. After all, once they left the campsite, they were free and clear.
Without being able to verify the goods beforehand, it was indeed difficult for anyone to believe the offer was real.
"Alright. Thanks for your hard work."
Su Chen listened, then asked thoughtfully, "When is the trading hall the busiest?"
"Probably after dinner. It’s most crowded around seven or eight. Even during the storm last night, a lot of people were there. But when I went this afternoon, it was way more packed than yesterday," Yuan Haotian explained.
"Alright, let’s aim for that time. I’ll make a trip to the trading hall then," Su Chen said with a nod.
Considering the large amount of Rune Essence he’d obtained from killing the giant hippo and clearing out the tree hollow that afternoon, he would have a whole batch of items to trade.
The surprising number of people looking to trade was because, with the revelation of the profession system, everyone was starting to seriously plan out their personal Rune Constructions.
Excellent.
Besides the public trading hall, Su Chen had another sales channel: the circle of Archers represented by Yan Ziqian.
In terms of overall strength, they were part of the upper echelon of the Qingye Collection campsite.
His trade with them last night had gone quite smoothly.
This group was also bound to be making major adjustments to their Rune systems.
When Su Chen returned to his RV, he found Yang Xiaoxiao playing with the little tabby cat, teasing it with a ball of yarn.
Using Strong Thought Penetration, he confirmed that the Gray Ore Crystals in the RV’s side storage compartment hadn’t been moved.
After entering the RV, he first checked the four-way surveillance footage to ensure no suspicious individuals had approached. Only then did he pick up the walkie-talkie from the table. As he turned it on, he could already hear people talking on the channel.
A gruff, hearty voice was speaking. The person said they had just gotten back from the forest and warned everyone to be careful on the path to the great lake in the north, as there were mushrooms that sprayed poisonous mist.
From the sound of the voice, it was undoubtedly the band leader from the University of Technology.
That group had also been out exploring in the afternoon.
Coincidentally, Su Chen recalled that the man specialized in the Earth Element, which meant he was the perfect person to take the batch of Earth Element Runes Su Chen had accumulated off his hands.
After the man finished his report on the forest, Su Chen immediately chimed in. The moment he announced he had a batch of Rune Essence to get rid of—including multiple High Level Thunder and Earth Element Runes, and even a Lv. 3 Spirit Element Rune—the channel erupted with activity.
It wasn’t just people from Capital City University and the University of Technology; the channel also had members from Jiangnan University and another university of science and tech.
After a flurry of people clamoring to talk, Pang Peng, who had just returned from the forest, simply suggested they all get together for dinner.
「6:30 PM.」
The food court. An all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant.
Cooking fires were once again lit in the fairly spacious, abandoned shop.
After rounds of looting, ingredients were naturally scarce. However, some of the induction cooktops were still there. With the help of a gasoline generator contributed by the University of Technology, several of the self-serve burners flickered to life.
There were 23 people present: Su Chen, the lone wolf, and the archery clubs from four different universities.
As for ingredients, there wasn’t much choice.
There was just some of the frozen meat that had been distributed in the past.

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