How to Raise a Baby in an Apocalypse - Chapter 429

An Ran quickly takes a small bucket from Little Mint. It’s filled with crystal cores—ones Little Mint has picked out from the pile of fat thorn balls.

Among those thorn balls are the remains of the small mutant mice they’ve consumed.

The crystal cores from these mice are of the lowest grade—the same kind An Ran once consumed in the hospital. They’re useless for her, but still effective for Zhao Ru. After all, Zhao Ru’s energy output isn’t high, and the amount she needs to replenish is minimal.

This level of core is just enough for her to barely keep the water zombie under control.

Zhao Ru can hardly believe it herself—she doesn’t even dare move. And neither do the Strength-Type Ability Users hiding nearby—they watch, wide-eyed and frozen in place.

Of course, An Ran doesn’t dare move either. She stands slightly behind Zhao Ru, tense and alert, afraid that if Zhao Ru loses control, the water will reform into the zombie again.

In that moment, An Ran finds herself wondering: should she be like the other Strength-Type Ability Users and hide with Doll? Or… run?

Outside at the entrance, Zhan Lian fights hard to hold off the copper-skinned zombies. But he’s clearly worried about his wife and daughter—if that water zombie gets loose, they’ll be in danger. So after clearing a path, he rushes inside to check the situation.

Time passes.

Zhao Ru continues absorbing crystal cores. She and the water zombie remain in a tense standoff—neither side moves an inch.

“Ugh, think of something already,” Zhao Ru mutters through clenched teeth. Cold sweat beads on her forehead. One hand clutches the bucket of crystal cores, the other constantly feeds them into her energy stream. She glances at An Ran and pleads, “I’m holding it down right now. Come up with a way to get rid of it.”

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking—don’t rush me.” An Ran takes a deep breath and looks behind her.

Little Mint stands at the entrance of the maternity and baby store, watching her with absolute trust in her eyes. Heng Heng is by the crawling mat, guarding Doll, who happily rolls around, completely oblivious to the tension in the air.

On the ground, the fat thorn balls continue absorbing the zombie’s water. Several have already split off into new thorn balls. The team of plants is growing.

Their impact on the water zombie isn’t huge—but it isn’t nothing either.

Doesn’t it seem like the water zombie has gotten a little thinner?

Suddenly, an idea flashes through An Ran’s mind. She turns to Zhao Ru and says, “Move toward the side door. There are more plants over there. Isn’t there a saying that many hands make light work? Let’s see if the plants there can help absorb water faster.”

Zhao Ru rolls her eyes. “You really think too highly of me.”

She’s already struggling—one hand holding the iron bucket, the other feeding crystal cores into her system with great care. And now An Ran wants her to move the zombie? To the side door downstairs? The place swarming with fat thorn balls?

But… what choice does she have?

Unless she comes up with something better herself, she has to try what An Ran suggests.

Abilities have to be developed little by little.

So Zhao Ru starts doing exactly that—controlling the water zombie bit by bit, slowly guiding it toward the stairs.

“Let’s go! Hurry!”

Someone hiding in a corner suddenly screams and dashes down the stairs. His shout snaps the other survivors out of their daze.

In an instant, the people who’ve been cowering begin to stampede down the steps, yelling and clutching their heads in panic.