Nuclear war destroyed the old world, and the survivors huddled underground. The surface of the earth is covered by giant fungi. The toxic spores in the air can dissolve all organic matter, but they have also unexpectedly evolved neural connection functions. As long as the sclerotia are implanted, humans can share the perception of the fungal network.
The protagonist, Ah Chen, is the "fungus farmer" of Bunker No. 7, Cultivating glowing edible mushrooms day after day. With the local fort on the verge of collapse, he is sent above ground to find the legendary pre-war laboratory. On the way, a rare golden spore infected Ah Chen, giving him the ability to read the "fragments of the dead" in the fungus' memory - he saw the leaders of the bunker plotting a collective sacrifice.
The deeper truth is shuddering: the fungus has acquired subjective consciousness. It is not a passive symbiosis, but is systematically transforming human genes, trying to turn the entire human race into its reproductive organs. Half of the residents in the bunker have been latent infected, and they fanatically believe that "fusion" is the end of evolution.
Ah Chen must find the bacterial phage left in the laboratory within 72 hours. However, releasing it means killing everyone infected - including his teachers, friends, and the girl who once saved his life. When the choice comes, there are no heroes in the wasteland, only walkers carrying butcher knives.
