Apocalypse Arrives: I Become a Powerhouse by Scavenging

Moira Lynch, who was in her yard studying vegetable gardening, was stunned for a moment after hearing Shane Rhodes’s reason for seeking her out. Then, a strange look crossed her face.

This was the first time she’d ever heard of someone having a falling out with their own Spiritual Body and needing an outsider to mediate.

"Can’t you sense what it’s thinking?" Moira asked.

Shane Rhodes shook his head. "It refuses to communicate with me."

Moira: "..."

’That Spiritual Body sure has a personality.’

She glanced again at Shane Rhodes.

He had the look of a gentle, senior student—the kind who seemed very easygoing. And in her experience, he was. It was just shocking that the Spiritual Body he manifested could be so rebellious.

Remembering that a Spiritual Body reflects its owner’s true personality, Moira’s expression as she looked at Shane Rhodes became full of meaning.

’It seems that beneath that gentle exterior, Shane Rhodes is hiding a rebellious heart.’

"Alright, I’ll give it a try."

As she spoke, Moira released Snowy. Spiritual Bodies could always communicate better with one another.

Soon, Moira received a message back from Snowy.

However, after hearing it, Moira’s expression grew even stranger.

Seeing this, Shane Rhodes couldn’t help but grow anxious. "What is it?"

After learning the little beast was his Spiritual Body, Shane Rhodes had done a lot of research.

But on the Astranet, every Spiritual Body and its owner were described as seamless partners. There wasn’t even a single case study for a situation like his.

Moira opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for how to even begin.

’Recalling the message Snowy had just relayed,’ Moira wondered to herself, ’how can I say this without crushing Shane’s fragile spirit?’

"Um, so... Snowy just told me that the reason your Spiritual Body is ignoring you is simply because it finds you disagreeable and just doesn’t want to bother with you."

After hearing this, Shane Rhodes stared at Moira in shock, his eyes seeming to ask, ’Are you serious?’

Moira nodded emphatically and patted his shoulder. "It just manifested. You should take time to cultivate your relationship. After all, you two have a long road ahead of you."

"Moira!"

Just then, Kai York’s voice suddenly called out from a distance. Moira decisively abandoned the dumbfounded Shane Rhodes and ran toward Kai in the distance.

After she’d run a little way, she saw another person standing behind Kai York: Caden York.

Caden York had come to give Moira something.

Only then did Moira remember—the game had ended so abruptly that she hadn’t gotten her Space Button back from Caden York yet.

"Whoa, what a huge mushroom!"

Kai York watched as Moira took a Steambun Mushroom—bigger than his face—out of her space, and he couldn’t help but let out a gasp of amazement.

"This thing looks familiar. I think I saw it in the game before. Are these mushrooms valuable?"

For Moira to have taken an interest in it and brought it back, being edible was the most basic requirement.

At the time, he had been in a rush to complete his mission, so even when Kai York spotted the mushroom, he didn’t stop, not even to use his Intelligent Brain to look up its name.

It was just a fleeting glimpse, so he hadn’t given it much thought. If Moira hadn’t suddenly pulled one out, he probably would have never remembered it.

"It’s not valuable. On the contrary, if this Steambun Mushroom appeared on other planets, it would be considered an invasive species. But it’s edible, nutritious, very filling, and pretty much like a big steamed bun."

Kai York’s eyes lit up as Moira finished her explanation of the Steambun Mushroom’s properties.

Although quite a few people had already moved to Veridian Prime, many more still remained on Caelus.

And if you had to name the one thing Caelus was shortest on, it would undoubtedly be food.

One more food source meant more people could survive.

"Doesn’t that make the Steambun Mushroom sort of like the Soldier Food Rattan?"

Moira nodded, then quickly shook her head. "They’re similar, but not the same. The Soldier Food Rattan is a material for making Nutrition Supplements; very few people eat it directly. But the Steambun Mushroom is actual food."

Holding the Space Button, Moira turned to the two brothers, Kai and Caden, and asked, "You two aren’t busy, are you?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, the two of them subconsciously nodded.

Seeing this, a faint smile touched Moira’s lips. "Since you’re free, come and help."

"Oh, okay."

Moira led the way with the Space Button, Kai and Caden followed behind, and in no time, the three of them arrived in a patch of woods.

Not far from the woods was a lake. While it couldn’t compare to the environment on Aquaria, there was still plenty of moisture—it should be enough to satisfy the Steambun Mushroom’s growth requirements.

Moira took a Steambun Mushroom out of the Space Button, placed it near a tree trunk, and slapped it firmly, knocking out the spores contained within.

Kai York saw what Moira was doing and immediately understood her intention, but...

"Moira, are you sure this will really work? Maybe we should just hand them over to the people at the base."

Moira finished smacking a Steambun Mushroom and straightened up. "I’ve already set aside the portion for the base," she said. "But I also want to see if the environment on Veridian Prime is suitable for them to grow."

’If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just have to resort to greenhouse farming.’

As for giving up, she’d never once considered it.

Giving up was impossible. It would never happen in this lifetime.

As for whether the method she’d just used would succeed, she wasn’t entirely sure. But hey... the ones in her space were growing just fine.

By the time the three of them had gone through and slapped every last Steambun Mushroom from the Space Button, several hours had passed.

By then, the three of them were so tired they could barely stand up straight, and their stomachs were rumbling in protest.

Moira looked at the Steambun Mushrooms they had thoroughly abused and said, "Let’s eat these today. Caden, you should stay and eat with us, too."

Caden York didn’t refuse Moira’s invitation, because he was, in fact, hungry.

Good ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods.

The three of them chose a flat spot by the lake and sat down.

Moira took out a portable grill she had with her, and Kai York produced the seasonings.

They gave the Steambun Mushrooms a simple rinse, sliced them, and put them on the grill to cook. Just before they were done, they sprinkled on a little seasoning. And just like that, a simple dish of grilled Steambun Mushrooms was ready.

"Hey, the presentation’s not bad at all," Kai York said, impatiently grabbing a skewer of Steambun Mushroom and starting to eat.

The grilled Steambun Mushroom was fresh, tender, and juicy. The flavor of a single bite was simply unforgettable, and the three of them were quickly won over by its taste.

"Maybe we should consider opening a barbecue joint in The Federation. With skills like this, business would be booming, and we’d have customers lining up around the block."