Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 518: Chapter 448 Transformation_1

It’s like when you have so many fleas that the itching no longer bothers you.

Huai Shi realized that when you have too many problems to face, people can mysteriously become incredibly calm.

Lately, he had been plagued by confusion and unease about the Future, but when he was thrown into the wilderness, he suddenly became aware of the restlessness that had simmered within him without his notice. It wasn’t just the burgeoning confidence, but also the growing anxiety that had been accumulating along the way.

The current arduous journey seemed like a slap that suddenly came flying at Huai Shi.

The slap was loud.

It was as if a brutal punishment from outside society jolted him awake from his previously meaningless rumination.

Idiot, stop dawdling so much. Hurry up and think of something you can solve!

No matter how complex and dark the past was, making it inescapable, or how vague and distant the Future was, making it impossible to make a decision... these were undoubtedly things worth confronting seriously and considering carefully.

But more importantly, it should be about the present.

The harsh reality forced Huai Shi back onto the ground. It compelled him, like everyone else, to begin a difficult journey on foot, rediscovering the real feeling of survival he once had.

Huai Shi felt joy and fulfillment from this.

Experiencing his powerlessness and limitations did not discourage him; instead, it made him increasingly happy.

As time passed, after getting through the trying initial period, Huai Shi gradually became familiar with this overly desolate world.

The pollution clouds from the edges of Australia had disappeared without a trace at some point.

But new problems started to emerge. The most pressing was water.

On the evening of The Sixth Day, Huai Shi, upon waking, went through his usual routine of checking his supplies and suddenly discovered that a third of his drinking water was already gone. He hadn’t even walked one-fifth of the journey, yet his water was already running low.

He triple-checked his calculations and repeatedly reduced the daily water ration for the coming days. Even after cutting it down to the bare minimum for survival, a huge shortfall remained.

Huai Shi tapped his pencil against the notebook in his hands, lost in frustrated thought.

In reality, no matter how much he reduced his intake, it wasn’t a solution to the problem.

There were only three choices before him now.

The first option was to turn around immediately and head back. Considering the risks and the possibility of getting lost, the remaining two-thirds of his water would undoubtedly be enough to support his return to Darwin for another round of supplies.

Fortunately, he had enough money.

At worst, he could find some troublemakers near the town, enforce the law, and get everything he needed—maybe even a car.

The second option was to adjust his course eastward starting now. If he controlled his intake, he could reach the Queensland Gulf before his current water supply ran out. By then, he would be able to replenish his water supply comfortably.

But the biggest problem was that the Queensland Gulf had been a radiation zone to this day and was also a focus of monitoring by the Astronomical Society. Even after more than a hundred years, the radiation there still hadn’t returned to safe levels, but it was more or less within the Mountain Ghost’s tolerance range.

However, Huai Shi didn’t know if he could maintain his current physical and mental strength after consuming food and water from the radiation zone, or if it would still be possible to traverse the desert ahead and reach Canberra. This was a gamble.

And if the first option was the safest and the second was a moderate gamble, then the third option would be seriously risky.

That was to stubbornly forge ahead and muscle through, betting he could find a new source of water in the ruins of a former city.

If he succeeded, he’d arrive in Canberra and enjoy a big meal. If he failed... he’d be relegated to eating cold meals on the bench of the Astronomical Society’s emergency rescue team.

It wouldn’t be life-threatening, given the efficiency of the Astronomical Society.

But it would be extremely embarrassing.

Overconfident in challenging nature, and after getting knocked down, waiting for the rescue team to come to the rescue—it’s even more ridiculous than amateur hikers blundering around and then having to call emergency services when they run into trouble.

Huai Shi found himself in a dilemma, facing three options.

The first was the safest, the second the steadiest, and the third the quickest.

Could there be no way that was both safe, steady, and fast?

Raven observed Huai Shi’s naive expression as he indulged in wishful thinking and finally couldn’t repress a sigh. ”Can’t you be a bit more self-aware... You’re a Mountain Ghost, after all, aren’t you?”

”Huh?” Huai Shi was bewildered.

”Are all those plant lives inside you accumulated for nothing?”

Raven rolled its eyes. ”Were all those ecological structures you saw along the way for nothing? In theory, as long as there’s a place where you can take root, you wouldn’t die of thirst or hunger. So why are you being so embarrassing?”

”Huh?”

Huai Shi was stunned. ”Can I really do that?”

”Why not?” Raven retorted. ”If a Yin Soul can specialize into an Earth Bounded Spirit, Red-clothed Ghost, or Headless Ghost, why can’t a Mountain Ghost adapt its genus and species?”

Feeling Raven’s ’your whole family is disappointed in you’ gaze, Huai Shi closed his eyes skeptically.

Trying... to turn myself into a plant person.

Well, I’m already a plant person, but this time I have to adjust myself from being part of the ’subtropical monsoon climate region’ category of mixed plant person.

I’ll temporarily seal away other unnecessary species and genera, then specialize as a ’tropical desert climate’ type of solitary survival class Plant Person.

I need to minimize water consumption to the greatest extent and enhance digestive efficiency to adapt to the harsh desert environment with alternating high temperatures and severe cold.

Main constituent species: Crassulaceae, Cactaceae, Aizoaceae, Liliaceae, and so on...

Visible to the naked eye, Huai Shi’s Source Fluctuation began to drop rapidly, as if taking a dive.

He had never really stored any Abyss plants. Now, after stripping and sealing away other ecological families from within himself, he could feel his strength plummeting.

The Mountain Ghost Stigma was quickly shrinking and withering, until in the end, the only remaining plant species were enough for the complex root system spreading from the slit in his chest to support a Domain of about four inches, barely enough to cover his entire body.

Nevertheless, curiously, Huai Shi felt his breathing become easier. For once, he could sense... that very faint trace of moisture in the air.

I’ve grown weaker, yet I feel an unusual sense of relief.

The dry heat and desiccation that troubled him were rapidly diminishing. Though not entirely gone, they steadily maintained at a level of being just a bit hot and dry.

Moreover, his own threshold for Endurance was rapidly increasing. The thirst that used to be unbearable now seemed trivial.

When Huai Shi opened his eyes, he felt something was wrong.

His hair was rapidly retracting, getting shorter!

In Huai Shi’s astonished expression, his once waist-length hair had shrunk to a length that couldn’t even be tied with a hairband, turning into a short cut he hadn’t had in a long time.

I’m losing my hair!

”Have you ever seen a lush plant in the desert?” Raven shook its head in resignation. ”What’s the panic? You think it’s just the hair that’s changing?”

Then, Huai Shi noticed.

His skin was rapidly roughening, losing its past resilience and softness. It quickly hardened, becoming tough and taking on a dry, yellowish hue.

All over his body, the pores were swiftly contracting. At their limit, a layer of nearly imperceptible fine down grew out, swaying almost invisibly in the air with Huai Shi’s movements, adroitly capturing every whisper of moisture.

Huai Shi picked up a spoon and poured a little water on the back of his hand.

He saw that drop of water quickly diminish under the absorption of countless tiny hairs, until it was completely absorbed by his skin.

After his Endurance had doubled, his Ability to absorb and store moisture also received a tremendous boost.

He was, however, limited by the human body’s intrinsic constraints. He couldn’t truly endure like a Populus euphratica, which can survive pseudo-death from thirst and revive vigorously with just a sprinkle of water after several years.

But the demand for water consumption had already dropped to about one-fifth of the original.

That was still because all the plant vitality stored in Huai Shi’s type was just average. If he could acquire more desert Abyss plants, he could probably take root on the spot without needing water at all.

In fact, Huai Shi could also forcibly plunder the vitality and moisture of other plants to sustain himself.

But after being the Mountain Ghost for so long, he really didn’t want to harm those plants that had been so helpful to him.

The water sufficient for Huai Shi to have a sip could keep them alive for more than half a year.

Even the desert plants, which usually rejected foreign Plant People, had not entirely refused to serve Huai Shi.

The Mountain Ghost itself relies on the plant ecosystem to exist. If the ecosystem were destroyed, the Mountain Ghost would have no basis for survival. Unless he was at death’s door and had no other choice, Huai Shi generally wouldn’t consider such a cruel method.

After three successive adjustments, a brand-new desert ecosystem within Huai Shi was finally established.

And at this moment, the Huai Shi in the mirror had become a boy with a dry-yellow complexion, rough skin, and short hair; his lips also faintly revealed a hint of brown.

Above his pupils, a new membranous layer now covered them, greatly minimizing the loss of moisture.

His specialization was complete.

He had successfully transformed himself into a tropical desert Plant Person.

And the Mountain Ghost Stigma was no longer sluggish and slow but started to operate smoothly again, fully adapting to the desert environment.

Huai Shi couldn’t help but start to reflect.

Have I grown a little too accustomed to recklessness? Having grown used to forcing my way through everything, it’s only now that I’m grasping these common techniques used by ordinary Mountain Ghosts.

Each Stigma has its strengths, especially those from the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy crafted by the Astronomical Society, which scoured the entire Mythological Source Text. Each path, each Stigma, had been endowed with many characteristics even before it was born.

It can be said that each one has its unique Domain.

If Raven hadn’t reminded me, I never would have thought I could adjust the ecology within my body to adapt to the external environment.

”You see the benefits of pay to win, right?”

Raven glanced at him. ”Think about the range ordinary Mountain Ghosts can endure, and then compare it to yours. A standard version that can accommodate three ecosystems is already considered meticulously planned. Who else could grab every piece of grass like you, without restraint, recklessly absorbing things until your body could simulate all ecological environments of the Current Circumstances?

”What else? Those embarrassing types who get thrashed by no paid seals only prove one thing: they haven’t paid enough.”

Raven shook its head, fluttering its small wings, and perched atop Huai Shi’s head. ”Come on, no more preening. We’ve got a long road ahead.”

Huai Shi packed up his things and picked up his saddlebag again, feeling his steps become heavy.

Has my muscular strength regressed as well? Fortunately, the weakness isn’t significant; it’s still within an endurable range.

As dusk began to fall, Huai Shi once again set out on his journey.

For some reason, when he glanced back, he could always hear the faint echo of thunder at the edge of the sky, like an illusion.

”Is it going to rain?”