As Alaric stepped into Frank's lab, he was greeted by a hopping mushroom.
The mushroom, white as milk and half a person tall, lacked human features but radiated palpable panic.
Chasing it was a pack of emerald-green watermelon dogs, barking as they hunted the mushroom.
"Mush mush!"
The mushroom leapt toward Alaric, sprouting a fist that swelled to several times its size and swung at him.
Alaric raised an eyebrow, catching the fist with curiosity. The force was decent... comparable to a Sequence 8 Fighter... but to Alaric, it was negligible.
Then, something unexpected happened. After its failed punch, the mushroom exploded into countless palm-sized mini-mushrooms, each darting to slip past Alaric. Before they could escape, the watermelon dogs pounced, gleefully snatching them up, some grabbing multiple mushrooms before scampering off.
One watermelon dog, having caught nothing, whimpered in disappointment but perked up and nuzzled Alaric's pant leg like a real puppy.
"Hey, little guy, you like me?" Alaric crouched, tentatively petting the green creature. It felt like actual watermelon, cool to the touch.
Boom!
A loud explosion from the lab's depths startled the watermelon dog, which yelped and fled.
Unfazed, Alaric glanced toward the noise and walked in that direction. Along the way, he passed more mushrooms, watermelon dogs, and other bizarre vegetable-animal hybrids, eventually reaching a lab filled with mushrooms. One patch was littered with mushroom debris... clearly the explosion's source.
Frank crouched among the wreckage, deep in thought.
Knock, knock, knock.
Alaric rapped on the lab door.
Frank snapped out of his reverie, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Alaric. He hurried over, opening the door. "Your Highness Lucifer, what brings you here?"
"Just checking on your progress," Alaric said with a smile, not hiding his purpose. "The republic's facing a major food shortage. I'm hoping you've got something to help."
"Food shortage?" Frank blinked, then nodded in realization.
Though engrossed in experiments, he wasn't oblivious to the outside world and grasped the situation.
"I've got some results on that front," Frank said, leading Alaric and Will to another experimental field filled with vibrant red mushrooms, strikingly beautiful.
For some reason, Alaric recalled an old nursery rhyme about red-capped mushrooms.
"What are these?" He asked tentatively.
"These mushrooms are a new strain, inspired by Suah," Frank said, brimming with pride. "They have incredible reproductive traits and need minimal energy... just a bit of water and sunlight to grow large and plentiful."
"They're also highly adaptable. After the initial version, I developed variants: this one tastes like chicken, this like beef, that one like lamb, and this one produces milk…" Frank excitedly guided Alaric and Will through the lab, pointing out the visually identical red mushrooms.
Alaric listened quietly until Frank finished. "Any negative effects?"
"Their strong reproductive traits are the main issue. To use them, they must be killed with high heat," Frank said, emphasizing, "And never eat them with fish. Fish triggers a reaction, even in cooked mushrooms, causing them to swell."
Alaric fell silent, recalling the infamous "death by fish and mushroom" Scene from the original story.
Guess fish is off the menu tonight… He mentally scratched it from his dinner plans before asking, "Anything else?"
"None so far. As long as they're cooked at high heat and kept away from fish, they're no different from regular mushrooms," Frank said, shaking his head.
"Great!" Alaric nodded, pulling out a coin for a quick divination to confirm the mushrooms' safety. The result verified Frank's claims.
Relieved, Alaric smiled at Frank. "You've done us a huge favor. These mushrooms will be a big help."
While not a staple, the varied flavors made them excellent as dishes or mood-lifters.
To ensure safety, they'd first be served to those in labor reform. Only after confirming their harmlessness would they gradually appear in various canteens.
To prevent mishaps, Alaric wouldn't sell the mushrooms publicly. Trained personnel would cook them before distribution.
After all, some people ignored instructions... countless poisonings in ancient times proved that.
***
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