Chapter 92 Effects of the Mysterious Seaweed Fruit

Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Effects of the Mysterious Seaweed Fruit

Ordinary Black Snake Monsters couldn’t stop them at all. Before the main force of the Black Snake Monster Swarm arrived, Han Ning and Snow Cake—one human, one lizard—beat a hasty retreat, decisively pulling out.

As they widened the distance from the monsters, the roars behind them faded until they were completely inaudible. Only then did Han Ning breathe a sigh of relief. He really didn’t want to experience that hair-raising sensation again anytime soon.

To prevent their escape route or scent from being tracked by the Black Snakes, Han Ning intentionally took a detour, circling an area far from Biyun Resort. After waiting for a moment and confirming that no monsters were in pursuit, he finally headed back to Biyun Resort.

By the time they returned to Biyun Resort, the sky had completely darkened.

"SIZZLE SIZZLE!"

Even before reaching their suite, the sound of stir-frying drifted out, accompanied by the mouthwatering aroma of food.

"Dad, when is Uncle Han coming back?"

"Soon. If you’re hungry, Yinyin, you can drink some milk first."

"...Yinyin isn’t hungry. I’ll wait for Uncle Han to come back before eating."

"..."

Hearing the little girl’s eager voice, Han Ning couldn’t help but smile as he pushed the door open and walked in.

Inside, a low-wattage energy-saving lamp barely illuminated the dining table area. Professor Ye, Xu Yinyin, and Yu Na were sitting around the table. On it sat a small plate of stir-fried cured meat, a dry-pot dish of hotpot meatballs, and two opened cans of mushroom meat paste. Xu Ming stood in front of an electric wok nearby, stir-frying a plate of shredded potatoes with a rhythmic CLACK CLACK CLACK. The spicy scent of dried chilies mingled with the earthy aroma of potatoes, filling the entire room.

"Uncle Han, Snow Cake! You’re back!" Xu Yinyin exclaimed in pleasant surprise when she saw Han Ning and Snow Cake walk in.

"Yinyin, are you hungry? Let’s eat." Han Ning patted the little girl’s head, signaling the others not to wait any longer.

At that moment, Xu Ming walked over carrying a plate of topaz-colored, vinegar-glazed shredded potatoes. "Dinner’s ready, let’s eat!"

Han Ning knew that if he didn’t eat, his team members wouldn’t touch their food either. So, he took the lead, scooping a bowl of rice and picking up a chopstick-full of shredded potatoes, tucking in heartily.

Xu Ming hadn’t been bragging; he really had a knack for cooking. The shredded potatoes were sour, spicy, and incredibly appetizing. It was worth noting that the potatoes used in the dish were mutated Yellow Jade Potatoes. The group had been eating these potatoes for two days now. As ordinary people, Xu Ming, his daughter, and Professor Ye had all experienced noticeable improvements in their physical fitness.

"There’s something I need to discuss with everyone," Han Ning suddenly spoke up halfway through the meal.

"Go ahead," they replied, setting down their chopsticks as their expressions subconsciously turned serious.

"Ahem, it’s nothing serious, so don’t look so grim." Han Ning waved his hand and continued, "Professor Ye, Xu Ming, you’ve both been eating the Yellow Jade Potatoes for two days now, and your physiques have improved a lot. Plus, we now have guns... I’m thinking of finding some time tomorrow to take you out into the wild to try hunting monsters, just to see if you can absorb Energy."

Han Ning had always been trying to find a way to improve his team members’ strength. Professor Ye and Xu Ming were ordinary people; according to other Awakened, they wouldn’t be able to gain Energy even if they hunted the weakest Crocodile Lizard. But now, after eating the potatoes for two days—especially Xu Ming, whose physical fitness was already much better than the average person’s—and with the firearms seized from Lei Gang and his group of invaders, Han Ning wanted to test this theory himself. Otherwise, if they remained ordinary people forever, they would gradually fail to keep up with his pace.

"So that’s what it is..." Professor Ye and Xu Ming breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"We’ve never faced monsters on our own before. Will there be any problems?" Professor Ye asked nervously.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be watching from the sidelines. Nothing will go wrong."

"Understood, Mr. Han." Xu Ming appeared relatively calm; after all, he was someone who had already faced a swarm of lizards alongside his companions.

"Dad, Uncle Han, Yinyin wants to go kill monsters too!" Xu Yinyin, who had been burying her head in her rice bowl, jerked her head up with a SWISH upon hearing they were going out to hunt. Her eyes sparkled brightly, and a few grains of rice were still stuck to her chubby, pink cheeks.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." Yu Na couldn’t hold back and nearly sprayed out the rice in her mouth.

"Don’t talk nonsense. You’re just a little kid, what monsters could you possibly kill?" Xu Ming’s face changed instantly upon hearing his daughter wanted to tag along.

"Yinyin is still small. When you grow up a little more, I’ll take you to kill monsters," Han Ning laughed heartily.

"...Yinyin is really strong too..." Xu Yinyin sighed in disappointment.

Seeing her so earnest, everyone was amused. The little girl was actually very obedient; she always listened to what they said. For a time, a cheerful atmosphere filled the dining table.

"Mr. Han, regarding that Seaweed Fruit, my research has yielded some results..." Professor Ye spoke up right after Han Ning finished.

"Let’s eat first. We can talk after dinner."

...

After dinner, Han Ning and Professor Ye approached the makeshift workbench.

A rechargeable desk lamp emitted a soft white light, brightly illuminating the workspace. Professor Ye carefully opened a transparent petri dish and used tweezers to pick up a small, paper-thin piece of dark green seaweed tissue with slightly curled edges. Under the light, the seaweed displayed a translucent texture. Fine, reticulated veins were faintly visible inside, and it gave off a faint fishy smell.

"The seaweed wrapping around that Magic Staff is actually an accessory tissue growing from the top of this fruit." Professor Ye gently placed the piece of seaweed on a tissue. "Based on my preliminary observations and simple experiments, this seaweed... has a highly significant Purification effect on murky wastewater!"

"Purification of wastewater?" Han Ning’s expression shifted slightly. "Isn’t this a fruit affected by the Black Tide? It can actually purify water?"

Professor Ye shook his head, his expression turning solemn. "That is precisely the strangest part.

"I suspect that this fruit itself is likely not a product of the Black Tide, but rather an aquatic Extraordinary Plant native to this world!

"They even repel the influence of the Black Tide."

He took the fruit out of the acrylic box. Han Ning noticed that the originally somewhat murky standing water had now become very transparent, with a layer of silt accumulated at the bottom.

The fruit was about the size of an apple, shaped like a plump oval sphere. It was dark green all over, its surface covered in fine, net-like patterns reminiscent of a cantaloupe. The top was connected to a few short, withered stems, which was exactly where the seaweed had been attached earlier.

"Those Fishmen are also very likely native creatures of this world.

"After the Black Tide descended, they were affected and became bloodthirsty and crazed. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that this was their original nature.

"Mr. Han, try injecting a little Energy into it. Don’t use any Skills, just the purest Energy."

Han Ning nodded and extended his index finger, gathering a wisp of gentle, emerald-green Energy at his fingertip. He carefully pressed his finger against the surface of the fruit.

The moment the Natural Energy touched the fruit, the dark green fruit trembled violently, and the withered stems at its top swayed slightly. Immediately after, an astonishing scene unfolded.