The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

Chapter 4: Buried In The Ground, Covered In Soil

Liu Ji no longer knew how long he had been a potato for.

Years… Uh, no, it couldn't be that short.

Perhaps several decades? Uh, possibly several centuries or a millennium?

Ahh… I don't know.

In any case, this extended vacation had lasted far longer than he had imagined.

A long time ago, he had tried countless times to revert to human form and search for villages or towns, but each attempt ended in failure, leaving him starving and utterly exhausted.

He even suspected that there were no human settlements nearby at all as he couldn't find any trace of human activity.

There were no footprints, no human voices. He didn't see signs of smoke or any roads.

Eventually, he could only give up.

After all, Liu Ji was just an ordinary college student who had spent his entire life studying; he knew practically nothing about surviving in the wild.

Actually, he felt somewhat regrettable that he hadn't watched some survival show episodes before, but now, it was too late for all that.

With no knowledge of wilderness survival, not knowing where he was, and being in another world, Liu Ji doubted that common navigational wisdom would be of any use.

Most importantly, he didn't know how to find edible food, nor did he know whether the foods he might find in this strange other world were safe to eat.

Unable to find food, he was forced to frequently turn into a potato, relying on photosynthesis to energize his body.

Over time, he simply gave up being human.

And so, he contentedly remained a potato.

Was it boring?

A little at the beginning.

But after being a potato for a long time, Liu Ji's mentality and perception of time also changed. He didn't want to move, and he didn't want to do anything. There was no pressure and no motivation.

Once Liu Ji accepted the fact that he was a potato, everything started to seem natural.

As a potato, not being dug up and eaten was considered a success.

As for other desires…

Well, perhaps praying that the next day brought about good weather?

When the weather was good, photosynthesis was a really comfortable process.

And perhaps because he was in another world and continuously drawing nutrients from the earth, Liu Ji felt a certain power of the earth accumulating inside him.

The process was slow, but given the long time Liu Ji had been a potato, after so many years passed, he felt that the energy accumulated inside him had reached some kind of…

Well, he also didn't know what sort of level to put it.

Moreover, he wasn't sure if this somewhat fantastical feeling was real or if it was just an illusion caused by the swelling of his tuber.

In his earlier years, he had reverted to human form but didn't notice much change in his body.

But thinking back, if he had been growing for so many years as a potato…

Hmm…

How much might he have grown?

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Deep within an ancient forest untouched for millennia, a towering tree stood majestically.

A humanoid tiger with white brows and dressed in light leather armor was perched atop the tree. After scanning the surroundings, he gently leaped down.

Beneath the tree stood two people: a petite girl in a tattered robe and a young man in black coarse cloth with a long sword slung at his waist.

"The environment in the vicinity seems good. I didn't find any traces of activity from any races, nor did I smell any powerful magical beasts," the tigerman said while brushing the leaves off himself. "If we find a water source, I reckon we can start building our new home."

"Beasts don't worry me, but I'm afraid it won't be long before the Empire's claws reach this area." The young swordsman shook his head slightly. "Building a temporary refuge is fine, but let's not get our hopes too high for a new home…"

"Ah, no way…" The tigerman scratched his head. "We've already crossed the Desert of Burials. Those bastards wouldn't come running over no matter how dogged they might be, right?"

"We've crossed the Desert of Burials, but do you think those monsters can't cross it?" The young swordsman shrugged.

"Ah, they can cross, but they have no reason to come here." The tigerman spread his hands. "According to those underground fellows, there aren't any civilized settlements here. They surely won't come all this way just to clear land and cultivate crops, eh?"

"Who knows. Before their own underground city was blown up, the dwarves also assumed that they could predict the Tyrant's way of thinking," sighed the young swordsman. "And what happened then? They just kept waiting for the Tyrant to come to negotiate until their entire race was buried underground. What do you think that bastard was after by burying these dwarves and their several millennia of wealth and creation?"

"Umm…" The tigerman was at a momentary loss for words. Then, after a pause, he suggested, "Perhaps a certain dwarf offended him?"

"That would be just great. My guess is that people from the Tigermen and Dragonblood races have offended him too," said the young swordsman with a grimace. "Sounds like we're doomed sooner or later."

"Ha, you're still as eloquent as ever," the tigerman sighed and turned to the petite girl who had been silent. "Yaine, what do you think?"

"Uh… I've been thinking about something," said the petite girl named Yaine as she stepped forward and pointed her staff toward something behind the two men. "Say, what do you think that thing actually is?"

"Ah? What thing?" The tigerman turned around to look and turned back in puzzlement. "Is there something strange behind us?"

"Right there." Yaine pointed to the front again.

"Huh?" The young swordsman followed Yaine's direction and asked doubtfully, "Are you… pointing at that huge three-meter-tall bush?"

"That's not a bush. I don't know how to describe it, but I think…" Yaine scratched her cheek. "I think it's like a potato plant enlarged many times over."

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Liu Ji felt strange.

He felt as if he had lost something, yet at the same time, felt like he hadn't lost anything at all.

In so many years that had passed, this was the first time he had this sensation. It was like someone cutting his hair, or rather, felt like someone trimming his nails.

The sensation was neither painful nor itchy, and it was only momentarily, so he didn't think much of it.

However, the problem was that this sensation kept recurring ever so often, occurring about five or six times in a very short period.

This feeling was somewhat subtle, similar to nail trimming in its lack of pain or itchiness, but it felt as though, if left unchecked, perhaps one day it might cut right down to the flesh of his fingers.

Could I be sick? Liu Ji couldn't help but wonder.

While he didn't know much about agriculture, he instinctively felt that perhaps he was affected by some pest or disease.

Maybe a certain insect was nibbling on his leaves?

Speaking of which, it had been a very long time since he had transformed back into a human.

Perhaps… It was time for him to revert back to human form and get some fresh air.

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