Chapter 98: Speculations on Flame Mushroom Cultivation

The loss of magic was visible to Liszt; he, however, wasn't a mage and couldn't investigate the root cause. But as a time-traveler with a scientific mind, he had his unique perspective.

"What's the most significant difference between the original mushroom substrate and the new one?"

"According to Bob the Crooked Neck, the growing conditions for most mushrooms are actually quite similar, with differences mainly lying in temperature, humidity, and nutrient ratios."

"But the fact that Flamecap can grow on the original substrate suggests it isn't entirely incompatible with it. After experimenting with the new substrate for so long and trying various proportions, we still can't get Flamecap to thrive. It's unlikely to be an issue with the substrate itself."

"If it's not an issue with the substrate, then what could it be?"

Moments later.

He formulated a theory - the key difference between the mushroom seasoning and the new ingredient was that the mushroom seasoning actually grew mushrooms on it!

In the Mushroom Village, mushrooms had been cultivated for many years without any intrusion from other varieties. Yet, Flame Mushrooms emerged, suggesting that they might be a variant of the regular mushrooms. This mutation might not have given birth to an entirely new species but rather a symbiotic variety within the growth of the ordinary mushrooms.

Mushrooms are fungi.

Fungi are ever intriguing, and it may well be that the mycelium of the common mushroom and the fiery cap intertwine and promote each other's growth in fascinating ways.

Thus, he said, "Master Gort, please inform the slaves engaged in cultivation to mix Flamecap and mushroom seeds together and see if it's possible."

"Mixed cultivation?" Gort didn't quite understand, but he carried out the order anyway.

Bob the Hunchback, upon hearing Liszt's words, perked up. "My Lord, Bob will attempt mixed cultivation right away. I'll definitely cultivate Flamecaps for you!"

"Remember not to touch this mushroom shed. Don't disrupt the environment needed for the growth of Flamecaps," Liszt warned sternly afterward.

It was fine if Flamecap cultivation took longer; he hadn't reached the level where he needed to rely on drugs to enhance his Aura.

But if he were to lose all the Flamecaps, he would go mad.

...

Five days passed in a blink of an eye.

Liszt would visit the thorn insect grass shrub every day to check on the progress of fertilization and logging. The logging team was experienced, especially after the blacksmiths had forged a batch of sharp axes, making their work much more efficient. All the trees surrounding the shrub had been chopped down.

Essentially, any tree that could be affected by the thorn insect grass had been cleared.

The fire dragon horse grazed peacefully on the grass, already carrying a foal within her womb, though it was not yet visible. As Marcus had assured him, it was still safe to ride her for a few more months.

Inside the box, the thorn worm lounged in a bed of jade powder, wriggling contentedly.

In recent days, Liszt could clearly sense that the thorn worm's mood was heightened, always in a state of excitement. This was highly unusual, for normally, the emotional fluctuations of an elf worm were minimal – after all, no matter how magical they might be, they were still insects, and one couldn't expect them to express emotions visibly.

"Could it be that this little fellow truly wishes to evolve?"

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The chances of success were too slim, and the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment would be in the end. It was best not to indulge in unrealistic fantasies.

At that moment, Blair, who oversaw the supervision, approached.

"My Lord."

"Have you found anything?"

Blair hesitated slightly but then spoke up, "I'm not sure if I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but around the bushes, there have been numerous sprouts of thorns appearing, as if they're growing from the soil like grass. They've already reached half a finger in length."

Liszt raised an eyebrow.

Lister accompanied Blair to inspect the thorn saplings.

Indeed, in the clearings where the trees had been cut down, tiny thorn saplings emerged from piles of fallen leaves. They were tender but vigorous.

These thorns were not like any species found on Earth; they were simply small, spiky shrubs that could grow no taller than a person. They were non-toxic, didn't flower, and didn't bear fruit. They reproduced by spreading their roots and sprouting new saplings. Technically, thorns belonged to the category of weeds and scrub. Thorns were, in essence, wild sprites. Untrodden wilderness forests would always harbor a small number of naturally occurring sprites.

However, the wild flora was disordered, and the soil was barren, making the likelihood of sprite worm birth very low. It was far less than the number of sprite worms produced by long-term human cultivation.

Moreover, the species of wild sprite worms were unpredictable. They might be just a common weed or a poisonous fruit tree, with relatively low utility.

When contracted by humans, the primary use of thorn worms was for constructing hedgerows. Especially among the nobility, a hedgerow would be planted around the estate's perimeter to separate them from commoners.

In Flower Town, however, thorn worms weren't particularly useful. The area outside the castle had been converted into a riding ground, so there was no need for a hedgerow to provide isolation.

Regardless, it was still an Elven Worm, so Liszt intended to nurture it.

He gently plucked a sapling. It was tender, but there were no signs of magical energy flowing through it.

"Initially, I didn't pay too much attention," Blair shook his head. "Not only did I overlook it, but all the slaves didn't notice either. It seemed as though they sprouted overnight."

Liszt inspected the area carefully.

It wasn't the "Magical Thistle" that he had imagined; they were just ordinary thistle saplings.

He decided to summon the Smoke Mission first to see what was going on. When the smoke twisted into a serpentine pattern, he suddenly realized— "Mission completed. Reward: Rapid Growth Thistle."

This meant that the Elven Worm's grass-feeding mission had been accomplished, but the reward was somewhat disappointing. He didn't obtain the Magical Thistle again; instead, he gained a type of thistle that could grow quickly.

"Straight to the Point Thistle. What use do I have for this?" Liszt sighed inwardly. Not every Smoke Mission would bring generous rewards.

He put aside his frustration and focused on the newly released mission.

"Mission: Without the depredation of the Fruit-Stealing Monkeys, the Fragrant Coconut Trees can finally bear mature fruits. However, one of the trees seems to have a fruit that is slightly different. Investigate the reason behind this. Reward: One Elven Worm."

Having finished the quest, the lingering disappointment was promptly soothed, replaced by excitement.

Why were the Coconuts of the Fragrant Palm Tree unique?

Because they were nurturing the Coconut Palm Tree Spirit Worms!

Familiar mechanics, familiar rewards—Lister shifted his gaze from the thorn saplings and said to Blair, "Don't stop the fertilization work in the bushes, but cease the logging for now. Instead, start building fences. Keep a close eye on these thorn saplings and document their growth."

"As you wish."

...

Moments later, Lister had already appeared in Oyster Village.

The construction of houses in Oyster Village wasn't rapid, but they managed to accommodate several hundred slaves. The houses were no longer built haphazardly; instead, they were orderly arranged according to the blueprint that Lister had personally designed.

By the seaside of the village, there was an enormous square.

In the square, a small hill constructed from multicolored seashells represented the specialty of Oyster Village - seafood.

On the sandy shores of the East Coast, clusters of towering fragrant coconut trees stood tall. Among them, near Oyster Village, was a larger house and courtyard known as the Monkey Picker Training Ground.

The best coconut farmers, who were now former slaves, resided here. They had been liberated from the fields and the sea to specialize in training and raising the monkey pickers, becoming honored as Coconut Fruit Farmers.

"Lord Liszt!"

Upon seeing Liszt, the coconut fruit farmers knelt in greeting.

"Rise, all of you. You've been training the monkey pickers for quite some time. Are they capable of climbing trees to harvest coconuts yet?"