148: Chapter 148: How about trying raw Boletus edulis?

An Ke encountering the blue-staining mushrooms sparked heated discussions among the live broadcast room's audience.

"Honestly, I'm afraid of dying. No matter how delicious it is, I wouldn't eat even a little bit."

"Same here, I don't want to end up in the hospital just for eating something. It's not worth it."

"No matter how fresh and delicious it is, can it possibly be better than seafood?"

"Let me put it this way.

Over thirty years ago, even I couldn't understand why some people loved eating poisonous mushrooms so much, eating them every day even if it meant getting poisoned.

Back then, I was shocked, wondering how addictive could it be? Was there really nothing else good to eat?

That was until I tried a plate of stir-fried blue-staining mushrooms..."

"What happened next?"

"Damn it! Keep talking!!"

"You cliffhanger, huh?"

"Fuck! Dare to reveal your home address!!"

"How should I put it... After eating it, you either live or you die. Isn't takeout poisonous? Aren't pesticides poisonous? What's the big deal if the mushrooms are a little toxic? After all, they're so delicious~~ Thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

I haven't eaten blue-staining mushrooms for over twenty years now, but the memory is still vivid to this day."

"Are they really that delicious??"

"Is it that exaggerated?"

"The taste of mushrooms is really indescribable. You can describe other foods as sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy, but the flavor of mushrooms is on another level. Taking a bite is like tasting nature itself."

"I was fortunate enough to have eaten them a few times before they became scarce. I was dumbfounded the first time I tried them. It's like the feeling after a long, tiring day when you slip into a bathtub, warmly soothing every inch of your tongue."

"Oh, come on..."

"Dammit! Stop talking, you're making me really want to try some now."

"Why didn't I eat them over thirty years ago when mushrooms were still plentiful!!! Oh right! I'm only eighteen, so never mind."

"Those damn island-dwelling Japs, the main culprits behind destroying Blue Star's ecosystem."

"Don't worry about it anymore! The Wa Country has already collapsed and is in a state of anarchy."

"Hahaha! Soon enough, there probably won't be any Wa Country people left."

"..."

Inside the live broadcast.

An Ke gathered roughly 200 blue-staining mushrooms.

He picked one up and cut off the base.

The originally white "flesh" of the base immediately turned bluish-green.

After cutting it off, An Ke ran to the stream to wash it clean.

Then, he directly stuffed it into his mouth and started chewing.

"Holy shit!? Boss An is... oh right! He has the Poison Immunity Constitution, so it's fine."

"So jealous! So jealous! I've always wanted to try this, but unfortunately, I have the desire but not the guts!"

"It's not about lacking guts, it's probably about lacking the lifespan."

"Once poisoned, you'll be vomiting and having diarrhea; vomiting bile is considered mild."

"The key is you'll hallucinate and see little people."

"I once had the fortune of seeing a fish flying in the sky. My first thought at the time was, 'I'm done for.'"

"Once, I was at a friend's house, and he was stir-frying mushrooms when he got a phone call. He asked me to take over. Not sure if there was enough salt, I tasted a bite.

A few minutes later, his chicken came in through the door and told me it was almost done and to add some cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. That's when I knew something was wrong."

"Gotta say, Boss An is a real savage."

"I wish I had Boss An's Poison Immunity Constitution!!"

"..."

Because the "Poison Immunity Constitution" was a reward from the National Fortune Game.

So the audience knew about it.

Inside the broadcast, An Ke had long wanted to try what this way of eating tasted like.

He was afraid of dying before, but now he wasn't.

However, after taking a bite, An Ke wasn't very satisfied.

"This stuff really needs to be stir-fried to taste good."

Otherwise, the flavor doesn't come out well; it's dry and a bit like eating wax.

An Ke simply tossed this half-eaten blue-staining mushroom into his Portable Space as well.

He planned to grill it over charcoal when he got back.

As for whether charcoal-grilling might leave it undercooked, he'd already eaten it raw, so was he afraid of a little rawness?

And right at that moment, the [National Fortune Game] announcement suddenly sounded:

[Congratulations to Dragon Country's Number One Player An Ke for meeting the Thousand Times Materialization conditions for blue-staining mushrooms.]

[A total of 226 blue-staining mushrooms. Dragon Country will materialize 226,000 blue-staining mushrooms.]

This announcement directly set the entire live broadcast room abuzz!

"The long-awaited Thousand Times Materialization!!"

"Hahahaha! Thank you, Boss An, for making up for my regret of never having eaten blue-staining mushrooms."

"Mushrooms reproduce like crazy. Now that our Dragon Country has clean water sources and oases again, we'll probably achieve mushroom freedom soon!"

"Once blue-staining mushrooms are widely available for purchase, I'm definitely going to try them and see just how delicious they are."

"Remember to cook them thoroughly, or you might end up on a stretcher, seeing little people."

"To be honest, I'm really curious about what seeing little people is actually like."

"I'm also very interested. I want to see fish flying in the sky."

"By the way, if you get poisoned by blue-staining mushrooms, are the hospital treatment costs expensive? If not, if I get a chance to encounter them, I want to try and see what the 'little people' feel like."

"Several thousand to tens of thousands, depending on the situation."

"Over thirty, maybe even forty years ago, I got poisoned once and spent over thirty thousand."

"Over thirty thousand?? Did you get a liver transplant?"

"Alright, alright! My curiosity has been successfully killed."

"Mine too..."

"So curiosity also needs financial backing."

"..."

At that moment, the authorities immediately issued an announcement:

National Health Bureau: "Official reminder, do not joke with your life.

blue-staining mushrooms contain neurotoxins that affect the mind and carry a certain mortality rate. Ingesting an excessive amount of toxin can lead to liver failure, causing irreversible damage."

"Wow! They managed to draw out an official statement!"

"There can be sequelae? I'm out, I'm out!"

"..."

The official warning made many people stop joking about it.

Meanwhile, inside the live broadcast room, the Foreigners were collectively green with envy.

Especially the Finance Minister of the Lighthouse Country.

When she was young, she once ate blue-staining mushrooms at a restaurant and fell in love with them ever since.

She even accidentally got poisoned once and experienced hallucinations.

However, this Lighthouse Country Finance Minister believed it was absolutely not the mushroom's fault, but that it wasn't cooked thoroughly!!

After recovering, she remained her usual self, still deeply fond of blue-staining mushrooms.

Now, seeing Dragon Country materialize so many blue-staining mushrooms through Thousand Times Materialization, this Lighthouse Country Finance Minister couldn't sit still.

She immediately contacted the Dragon Country High Command, hoping to obtain some blue-staining mushrooms.

Even willing to spend a hefty sum.

However, the Dragon Country High Command responded domineeringly: They would only consider export matters after domestic needs were met and there was a surplus.

This left the Finance Minister eagerly waiting but helpless.

Inside the live broadcast.

After seeing the Thousand Times Materialization announcement, An Ke also felt happy for Dragon Country.

But he still hadn't figured out exactly what the conditions for Thousand Times Materialization were.

Since he couldn't figure it out, he simply let it go.

After all, there was likely a manipulator behind the National Fortune Game. How they wanted to change things was beyond An Ke's control for now.

After harvesting all the blue-staining mushrooms, An Ke didn't choose to return but continued exploring.