Chapter 62

The fire was quite expansive.

The pathway I was growing in order to determine the fire’s size was about maybe 2/3’s the size of the mycelium pathway it took me to reach buttons.

Growing tendrils of mycelium only for them to be immediately turned to ash was not a fun experience let me tell you. There was no pain obviously, but after the 6th tendril I was getting nervous at how large of an area this thing had. I eventually reached the opposite end though.

Thank fuck I found that lichen. Obtaining a stable ongoing nutrient source is really gunna come through if this is how large of an area the fire is affecting.

Also the fact that I can now tell when its day or night through the amount of nutrients the lichen produces really sets my former human sensibilities at ease. Its day now, at least so I think. The amount the nutrients I’m getting seems excessive for it to be night.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Thing is, and this really isn’t important but, I can stop growing the mini mushrooms to measure time now. Of course I immediately stopped growing them the moment I realized I needed to manage my nutrients better, but the fact that I effectively have a diurnal rhythm again makes me really happy.

Amazing, the things you miss when you don’t have them anymore…

Anyways thus far, I've measured the fire from where its at near my border to it’s opposing side but there are still other measurements I have to make in order to get an exact picture of its size. To get those measurements I grew two tendrils from the middle of the pathway and grew them outward in opposite directions. Then just like before every so often I’ll grow a tendril aboveground just like before.

In the meantime I was growing as much mycelium on trees and on the ground as I possibly could.

Hopefully i'll find more colonies of lichen on these trees I can tap into.