Chapter 443

Chapter 443: A Locked Direction

One hundred kilometers west of Hope City.

The setting sun cast its golden rays over a vast expanse of vegetation; towering trees, low-lying shrubs, and ground-hugging herbs greedily absorbed the sunlight, converting it into biomass by solidifying more carbon.

The barren surface of the planet posed a significant challenge for mycelium survival. While humans still had tools from the Old Era to aid their cultivation efforts, mycelium had endured true hardships from the very beginning.

The first generation of mycelium derived nutrients from three primary sources: the human remains found in the spaceship debris, the supplies within the debris, and the materials exposed when the debris shattered the planet’s crust.

However, mycelium recognized the toxicity of that mysterious biomass far earlier than humans. Unlike any toxins produced in the biological gene banks aboard spaceships, ingesting it beyond a certain threshold would instantly kill mycelium life in a localized area.

This was detrimental to the will of the mycelium as well, so for a long time, they treated the underground materials with extreme caution.

Since establishing a solid foundation several decades ago, mycelium began to proliferate on the surface, using sunlight to solidify airborne substances and continuously grow, rather than endlessly drawing from the underground reserves.

This cautious strategy allowed the mycelium-controlled surface area to expand, bolstering their confidence in future victories.

Until an unforeseen variable emerged.

At this moment, the three consciousnesses embodied by the will of the mycelium convened once more to deliberate on the future direction of mycelium development.

Though the three consciousnesses were fundamentally one, their differing focuses naturally led to varied perspectives during discussions.

This divergence was precisely why the main will had chosen to split into three.

"Recently, there have been some issues with our evolutionary and imitative efforts,"

Atropos, the mycelium will overseeing evolution, stated within the consciousness space.

"The failure of our last operation has heightened human vigilance, and the new synthetic organisms we created are insufficient to pose a significant threat to them."

"We cannot assist in that area; it lies beyond our expertise,"

Clotho, the mycelium will responsible for nurturing, replied.

"Indeed. Unless you propose something within our capabilities, we cannot offer help,"

Lachesis, the will governing erosion, added.

"There are two matters we must discuss together,"

Atropos shared its mycelial perception with the other two wills, enabling them to sense the current state of the area in question.

"First, if we cannot resolve the current issue in the near term, should we further imitate humans?"

"What do you mean by ‘further’?"

"Tools. I have repeatedly accessed the minds of valuable humans and uncovered certain traits.

"For us, if a capability benefits the tribe’s development, we analyze and imitate it, ultimately acquiring that ability ourselves."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

The other two consciousnesses inquired.

"Of course not. In fact, it’s entirely correct.

"Once a capability is successfully replicated, we permanently master a new path, and in the future, these foundational abilities could unlock infinite possibilities.

"But this is where we differ from humans: while we choose assimilation, humans choose manipulation.

"In their eyes, all materials acquired after birth fall under the category of tools, whereas we lack the concept of ‘tools’ entirely."

"We employ ‘assimilation,’ which ensures that once acquired, it is ours forever. However, human ‘tools’ become entirely ineffective once detached from their bodies. Yet, their proficiency in mastering these ‘tools’ surpasses ours by a significant margin.

"Our tribe has expanded to an immense scale, yet we have only managed to analyze ten types of human abilities. For humans, awakening an ability is all it takes; with appropriate training, they can swiftly master it…"

"Alright, Atropos, we grasp the essence of your message, but the specifics of your proposal remain unclear to us."

Clotho cut short Atropos’s extensive monologue.

"My point is, through our surveillance, we’ve already deciphered the usage of those human tools. By placing the remnants of what they call a ‘rocket’ in the path of the exploration team, we aimed to uncover its true purpose.

"The same logic applies to other tools; we’ve extracted a wealth of knowledge from human minds. Why not attempt to utilize these tools, or even craft our own?

"While this doesn’t rival the advantages of assimilation, it could, at least temporarily, bolster our capabilities."

"How do you propose to achieve this?"

Lachesis inquired. Atropos responded:

"I suggest that Clotho nurture a special lineage of offspring, designed to mimic human physiology, enabling them to use these tools.

"Subsequently, we could leverage the knowledge gleaned from humans to forge our own tools."

"An intriguing proposition. Clotho, what are your thoughts?"

"…"

Within the sea of consciousness, Clotho, the will of the mycelium tasked with nurturing, remained silent.

"Is there an issue?"

"…"

"Your reaction is peculiar. I believe a merging for self-examination is necessary."

"Wait."

Clotho finally responded, though the message was tinged with other emotions.

"I… I cannot do it."

That was Clotho’s reply.

"What do you mean you cannot? Our gene banks are vast; creating extraordinary beasts akin to humans should pose no problem."

Atropos’s skepticism cut to the core.

"I don’t know, and I cannot explain."

Clotho stated:

"I request a merging and to commence a self-examination."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

Soon, the three consciousnesses within the sea of consciousness dissipated, replaced by a Supreme Will that eclipsed all, permeating every crevice of the void.

It began to assess its nurturing aspect, initiating a self-examination.

After a considerable duration, the Supreme Will reverted to its normal state.

The self-examination was complete; its avatar, one-third of itself, Clotho, was truthful. The will of the mycelium cannot deceive. For it, for them, this matter was succinctly encapsulated:

It cannot be done.