Enemies Are All Nourishment for My Fungi..

Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Second Mission (10)

Ye Nai clanged as she pulled out an outdoor power supply and then fetched a folding table. A water dispenser, offering both hot and cold water, rested on one corner of the table, with a long hose connected to a water barrel underneath.

“Want some instant noodles?”

The prepackaged food she had bought on a previous outing with Captain Mei now proved useful.

“Damn, you’re really well-prepared.”

“That’s Space Users for you, we love to hoard stuff.”

Ye Nai plugged in the water dispenser and laid out various flavors of instant noodles on the table. There were also homemade tea eggs in a lunch box, bagged ham slices, and instant soup made with hot water.

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All three of them had big appetites; Ye Nai could eat a lot and still keep training. She ate two tubs of noodles, and a decent amount of eggs and ham slices.

The aroma of the noodles drifted out of the tent, attracting a neighboring medic who saw the water dispenser and asked Ye Nai to bring some warm water for the wounded to take their medicine.

The medical tents varied in number of occupants—those unconscious or with internal injuries were in one tent on IV drips, while those without internal injuries, who could eat and were conscious, were in another.

After filling up, Ye Nai and the others packed up the table and moved next door to the wounded tent, pulling out the water dispenser again to provide each patient a cup of warm water for their medicine.

The scent of noodles still clinging to them made the patients’ stomachs growl.

Ye Nai then took out an induction cooker and fetched a huge aluminum foil bowl, usually used for barbecues; it was fireproof, heat-resistant, and waterproof, making it an excellent emergency pot.

Using it, she cooked two pots of tomato and egg drop noodle soup. The eggs were fresh, and the tomatoes came from a can—no need to wash or chop, and she used disposable paper bowls to serve each person a bowl.

She had bought a lot of these disposable utensils, specifically for missions. It’s inconvenient to wash dishes in the wilderness, so disposable items were a time-saver.

Warm noodle soup filled their bellies, and as the medication took effect, the patients gradually fell asleep. The two warriors took shifts, keeping watch here. Ye Nai, not on duty, packed up her things and went back to her neighboring tent to nap in her sleeping bag.

When she woke up after 1 PM, she stretched outside and noticed that the number of medical tents had increased and the medics were moving much faster.

Ye Nai silently watched for a while, then turned and went back into her tent.

She was just a civilian who got paid to run errands—earning hundreds of thousands per trip, and paying people for cigarettes, water, or meals was pocket change she was happy to spend. But when it came to military operations, she neither watched, asked, nor listened.

She could guess without asking—so many medical tents popping up during a nap meant the origins of the wounded were self-evident.

Ye Nai remembered her fungus’ special properties, which could kill or save lives. She opened her hand, released a wave of spores, and mobilized the mature fungi beneath the soil toward the new patients’ tents to sustain their lives and prevent an increase in deaths.

Then, she took out a gaming console to pass the time.

By just after 2 PM, tired of gaming, Ye Nai finally received the command for their task force convoy to retreat to a small town in the rear for rest.

51 people had come, but only 3 were unharmed; the rest had to be transported lying down.

Fortunately, there were Wood Element Warriors who used sturdy vines to set up suspension frames inside the truck cabins, allowing each cabin to accommodate eight stretchers, perfectly fitting six trucks.

As for the remaining three, including Ye Nai, since two warriors could drive, they didn’t squeeze into the trucks but followed behind in a car.

In less than an hour, their convoy of six trucks and one troop transport had prepared and set off to return under the lead of a head vehicle.

Jostling along, they left the wilderness, got onto the highway, and after driving for more than an hour, they arrived at a small town in the rear around five o’clock. The convoy entered the military camp, the injured were taken to the hospital, and Ye Nai and the other two were arranged dormitories.

“You can rest here for now, we won’t be leaving soon. Inside and outside the Secret Realm are two different worlds. There’s no network. We have to send someone out for communication, decide whether to send messages in or out. One round trip takes at least a week. Consider it a vacation,” one of them said.

The warriors who ran between the inside and outside of the Secret Realm knew the military’s operating process well. They relaxed once the reinforcements arrived.

“Hmm…so does that mean the main purpose of those two small towns at the entrance and exit of the Secret Realm is actually communication?”

“Yes, the initial intent of establishing the town was to facilitate communication, hence the name Communication Town. The difference lies in the numbering. You see, our rear towns here all have numeric IDs, but nationally, each entry town into the Secret Realm starts with 2, because 1 is for the one outside the Secret Realm. Like in this case, the message first goes to Town 2, gets printed into a letter, and is carried by manpower to Town 1 outside the Secret Realm, then passed to the recipient. Once the recipient responds, it’s carried back to Town 2 for a reply,” one explained.

“I see, it sounds very cumbersome, but it’s already the most efficient method,” another acknowledged.

“Yes, when it was discovered that an electrical communication network could be established inside the Secret Realm, the whole country was elated. It was a major relief, as initially, messages were entirely carried by manpower, which was a throwback to old-time communication methods,” he added.

Ye Nai didn’t know these historical facts, but soldiers in training are required to understand these difficult histories, so they spoke fluently about them.

“Ye Nai, come on, let’s take you to see a psychologist. The military doctors are really skilled in this area,” the two warriors didn’t allow Ye Nai any excuses and, gripping her from both sides, led her away.

“Ah? Is it really that urgent?”

“Yes, it is. Warriors who see gruesome scenes on the battlefield for the first time must report to a psychologist immediately. For raw recruits, timely intervention can lead to quick recovery, and you are no exception.”

“You’ll also be running in and out of the Secret Realm frequently in the future, seeing more and more horrific scenes. You wouldn’t want to ignore this issue and have it suddenly erupt years later, potentially ruining your bright future, right?”

“Hmm… Okay.”

Ye Nai thought about it and agreed. She believed she wasn’t affected, but to a professional doctor, this might already be a sign of impact. It was better to check, no need to be tough on herself.

After seeing the psychologist and talking for an hour, upon stepping outside and feeling the breeze, Ye Nai felt her mind was clearer and significantly more refreshed.

The two warriors, of course, had already gone off to their duties; they had to follow up and care for their comrades and couldn’t really take a complete break. Before she entered the psychology office, the three had added each other as friends to keep in touch over the next few days.

The two high-quality cars in the Space were also taken out, and each warrior drove one to the maintenance shop. There was still a long way back, and they needed to check the cars to avoid breakdowns on the road.

Ye Nai took out her electric scooter and leisurely rode out of the military camp to explore the entire town, looking for a place to have dinner.

The supplies in these rear towns totally depend on external sources, making their prices naturally higher than outside. The most expensive eateries are those that cook fresh dishes, but there are cheaper options like pre-packaged meals.

However, these expensive restaurants were bustling with business. Ye Nai cycled around the town, and wherever there was a long queue, it was at a place that cooked and sold food fresh.