After Apocalypse, I Got Rich With Superpower

Chapter 39: Chapter 37 Entering the Forest

Chapter 39: Chapter 37 Entering the Forest

The Base Commander’s expression was stern and serious, “Pan’er’s safety is not only your concern. It is a major issue for our entire base and must not be mishandled. If the rich district dares to reach out, I will definitely chop them down.”

One who could rule a city would never be of a soft-hearted and weak nature.

“Alright, so after the treatment, we leave or what?”

“We’ll leave after the treatment is done. You guys can take a look first.”

The Base Commander had everything arranged.

Li Pan entered the room wearing a black mask and upon entering, she was greeted by an intense, choking stench that was peculiarly strange.

She sat in her designated spot, extended her wood vine tendrils to sense the surroundings, and inwardly nodded in approval that the condition was treatable; then she used the wood vines to slice open the diseased area to treat the patient.

The treatment took only twenty minutes, and the person was awake and able to stand up on the spot.

The man thought of lifting off his mask, but two soldiers, armed and ready, pointed their guns at him, “Think carefully before you act,”

If he dared to move, he would be executed immediately, without hesitation.

The man then slowly lowered his hand, bowed toward the direction of the curtain, and left without a word.

The three patients were treated quickly, all with conditions that Li Pan could handle, which weren’t difficult, and just like that, it was done.

After everyone had left, Xue Dong went to weigh the supplies they had brought and then sold them, arranging with the base to exchange for rabbits and donkeys, and to procure some aquatic plants. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The Base Commander escorted them to the main gate, instructing Liu Qian and several Middle and High-level Superpower Users, “Ensure Pan’er’s safety, everything else is secondary.”

“Rest assured, boss, we understand the importance,” they replied.

A Wood Power User was too important for the base, not only could they cultivate food to feed many people, but they could also grow medicinal materials to treat many people.

Together, they headed for the Black Forest.

The Black Forest used to be a protected area and a scenic spot, but only a small peripheral part of it had been developed before the disaster, while the interior was an ancient wild forest with a strong miasma and many unknown dangers.

Before the catastrophe, in times of peace, ordinary people didn’t dare to enter. Several archaeological teams who went in never came back, all perishing within.

After the catastrophe, during the surge of blood moon energy, geomagnetic and other anomalies caused many plants and animals to undergo mutant evolution, making the forest even more terrifying and bizarre. Due to the miasma, the sky above the entire forest appeared grey and black. Hence, it came to be known as the Black Forest.

General superpower users only dared to enter the peripheral areas for hunting; the deeper regions were off-limits. It was said that within, powerful demonic beasts existed, ones that could speak human language and possessed intelligence, exceedingly formidable.

Not far from the entrance to the Black Forest, soldiers stood guard. If anything unusual happened, they would sound the alarm, giving the city defense and residents time to evacuate.

Xue Dong showed them the token, and the guarding soldiers nodded, “Be careful. If you’re not out in a month, you’ll be considered dead.”

“Alright, this is some food for you two.”

Xue Dong brought food, drinks, vegetables, and fruits for the guarding soldiers, who would cook and eat there, usually rotating their post every half a month.

“Thanks, buddy,” they said gratefully, also receiving the long-desired cigarettes. They smelled them deeply, pressing them against their noses, too content to smoke, just savoring the aroma.

After the disaster, cigarettes became extremely expensive. Generally, people grew their tobacco leaves and then rolled them into cigarettes themselves.

They looked at each other, and then as a group, they proceeded inward.

The members who had come this time were Xue Dong’s teammates, life-and-death comrades who had fought back-to-back for several years and trusted each other profoundly.

Qin Jianzhong was staying behind to watch the house, but the Base Commander had sent people to patrol near the farm as a precaution against thefts, especially with the harvest season approaching—no incidents could afford to happen.

Li Pan was automatically positioned in the middle by everyone, with Liu Qian following her closely, never leaving her side.

“So this is what miasma is.”

“Everyone take a Detoxification Potion, drink it before we go further in.”

They had to walk a distance to reach the entrance of the Black Forest. The soldiers couldn’t stand being too close to the miasma.

This time, the Base Commander had exchanged for a considerable amount of Detoxification Agents for them, to cleanse the miasma from their bodies.

In the past, Li Pan used the money she saved to exchange for essential medicines, such as healing and detoxification potions, and always brought an extra portion for Xue Dong, an additional safeguard for life. That’s where her savings went.

After each person drank a detoxification potion, Li Pan frowned, her face expressing utter despair.

“Oh my God, why does it taste so awful?”

“Hahaha! Girl, you haven’t tasted it before; this stuff is extracted from medicinal herbs and is especially nasty. It’s refined by your high-level Wood Power Users. Their main job is this, and due to limited manpower, they can’t continuously produce superpower output twenty-four hours a day, which is why it’s expensive.”

“So, that’s how it is. It must be tough; I used to think it was a bit expensive.”

Li Pan lowered her head, embarrassed.

“Indeed, it’s pricey, but for a good reason. Currently, these medicines can’t be mass-produced and rely solely on Wood Power extraction, so the high cost is unavoidable.”

Xue Dong explained with a smile.

While talking, they moved further in. Upon entering the forest, the light dimmed several degrees, making the forest seem even more sinister. The trees grew very tall, and the fallen leaves underfoot were soft, indicating their age.

The temperature inside the forest was noticeably cooler than outside, and after a while, it even felt a bit chilly. They all dressed warmly using a layering method—to peel off a layer when hot and add one when cold—to avoid getting sick easily.

After walking for about an hour, to be honest, Li Pan had already lost her sense of direction. North, south, east, and west were completely indistinguishable; the same scenery surrounded her, with trees towering into the clouds, and only slivers of sunlight breaking through.

“Tired?”

“Not tired, but I can’t tell which way is which.”

“No worries, it’s normal to get disoriented on your first visit here.”

“Can I pick some valuable medicinal herbs to take back?”

“Of course, we’re here to help you advance. Hunting isn’t the top priority.”

“Got it.”

Li Pan happily agreed.

Next, she dug up valuable medicinal herbs she discovered, placed them in small clay pots, supplied a bit of superpower to keep them alive, and stored them in her space.

The space could briefly store plants, as long as she made arrangements with the Star Tree for a short-term hold.

“There’s a Second-level mutant animal over there.”

“You two, lure it here. If you can’t kill it, just bring it here.”

Xue Dong remained the team leader, responsible for commands and assignments.

In a short while, two team members brought back a Second-level antelope; it was already dead.

“Bleed it, skin it, move quickly.”

Everyone worked together to help with the skinning and the bleeding.

Li Pan also got busy along with them and afterward, she stored everything in her space.

They quickly left the area; the smell of blood could attract other mutant animals. They needed to work efficiently, or they’d become “dumplings” for the mutant beasts.

Whenever Li Pan came across valuable medicinal herbs or poisonous grass, she dug them up to take back. The poisonous grass could be used to protect the farm, blocking some small mutant animals.

By around two in the afternoon, everyone was getting a little tired. Xue Dong checked the time and said, “Let’s rest for an hour.”

Li Pan set up a small table board, took out prepared food including dishes, rice, steamed buns, and the like.

She also brought a portable power supply and used an electric rice cooker to steam rice; with the means available, they preferred hot food over cold.

“Having space is amazing; you can bring anything.”

Everyone chatted and laughed as they sat down to eat.

The meal was rich, with oil, meat, vegetables, and even fruits.