Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The Sunflower’s appearance in Little Bamboo Shoot’s strategy guide meant that Little Bamboo Shoot had definitely seen it, and might even know its location.

Qian Hui was overcome with excitement and immediately followed the Mimosa’s directions.

The other plants, still unaware of what was happening, trailed behind him. Carrot, manipulating its carrot thorns, kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

Hanging upside down at the very bottom, Chili Pepper was hooked by the tail by Potato. It lowered its head and dropped two crystal cores, which Corn and Potato caught in their open mouths.

Despite its injury, Little Bamboo Shoot moved with surprising speed. Qian Hui followed the narrow path through the ruins, eventually returning to the original forest.

Mimosa sniffed carefully, its leaves pointing toward a specific spot in the woods.

By now, Little Bamboo Shoot was exhausted and could run no further. It found a thicket to hide in, peeled back three layers of its outer shell, and carefully retrieved a sunflower petal from within.

This petal had been given to it by Sunflower the night before their escape, containing energy that could rapidly heal wounds.

Little Bamboo Shoot examined the petal again and again, still reluctant to use it.

As long as it could avoid being found by zombies, it planned to hide in the forest for a few days, reassess the situation, and then find an opportunity to rescue Sunflower and Apple.

Little Bamboo Shoot carefully tucked the petals back into place, preparing to rest for a while before venturing out to find water to clean its wounds.

Just as it finished, it heard familiar footsteps approaching.

Trembling with anxiety, Little Bamboo Shoot curled up and remained perfectly still, praying it wouldn’t be discovered.

The footsteps drew closer, stopping right in front of the bush, accompanied by rustling sounds as something else approached.

“Woo?”

A plant seemed to be asking who was inside.

“It’s a Bamboo Shoot,” Qian Hui said, peering into the bush. “I saw… something. It might have seen Xiao Kui.”

Hearing Sunflower’s name, Carnivorous Flower and Carrot perked up immediately.

In the Small Courtyard, the plants had often bickered, but Sunflower was the gentlest among them, always tending to their wounds after zombie invasions.

Like Little Mushroom, Sunflower lacked strong combat abilities, making it vulnerable to exploitation by humans and zombies in this harsh environment.

Carrot had considered searching for Sunflower before, but it had no leads and no idea where to start.

Hidden in the bush, Little Bamboo Shoot overheard Qian Hui’s words, growing even more anxious.

Xiao Kui… is that Sunflower?

Zombies were ruthless and cold-blooded, but humans were no better. Was Qian Hui also coveting Sunflower’s abilities, planning to capture and imprison it?

Before Little Bamboo Shoot could dwell further on this, leaves rustled outside the bush.

“Hello,” Qian Hui called out, attempting to communicate with Little Bamboo Shoot. “Have you seen Xiao Kui? It’s a sunflower, and it’s my friend…”

Friend? I don’t believe it.

Little Bamboo Shoot’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. It secretly gripped the bamboo blade behind its back, while its other hand prepared to retrieve the hidden petals.

This strange human was accompanied by several exceptionally powerful mutated plants—more than just one.

Fighting was out of the question. It had to find a way to escape. And after fleeing so far, hiding all the way here, it had still been discovered…

The bush remained silent, seemingly empty. Yet Mimosa was certain Little Bamboo Shoot was inside.

As Qian Hui hesitated, Carrot lost patience.

It drew its carrot thorn and slashed, severing the upper half of the bush in a single stroke.

With the dense foliage gone, Little Bamboo Shoot was suddenly exposed.

Corn seized the opportunity, hurling a corn ball. Little Bamboo Shoot reacted instantly, drawing its blade and slicing the projectile in half.

When it looked up again, a circle of mutated plants had surrounded the severed bush.

The silver-haired, red-eyed youth from before was crouched nearby, with another human standing not far behind him, looking equally formidable.

Little Bamboo Shoot gripped its bamboo blade, remaining motionless as it waited for an opportunity to escape.

Qian Hui spoke patiently, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I just want to find my friend.”

Chili Pepper nodded in agreement, and Potato followed suit, discreetly tucking away its miniature time bomb.

Striving to convey friendliness, Qian Hui retrieved the pills it had gathered and placed them again a short distance from Little Bamboo Shoot.

Little Bamboo Shoot stared at the pills, then at Qian Hui, showing no reaction.

It was injured, and Qian Hui knew it wouldn’t trust him easily. Normally, he might have left the pills and given Little Bamboo Shoot more time to adjust.

But Qian Hui was desperate to find Sunflower and worried that Little Bamboo Shoot might try to escape again, wasting precious time.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Qian Hui’s patience began to fray.

Seeing Little Bamboo Shoot still on high alert, Qian Hui hardened his heart and said, “…Capture it.”

Carrot had been waiting for this command. It leaped from the grass.

Chili Pepper, Potato, and Corn, accustomed to fighting zombies alongside Carrot, reflexively shifted into combat mode and charged into the center of the thicket.

“Be careful not to hurt it!” Qian Hui called out urgently.

Carrot was careful to avoid Little Bamboo Shoot’s wounds as it gripped the back of its waist and lifted it up.

Little Bamboo Shoot continued to struggle fiercely, throwing its bamboo blade at Carrot, but a corn ball intercepted the attack.

Several plants then pinned it down while Potato pried open its mouth and forced several pills down its throat one after another.

The pills dissolved instantly upon contact with saliva and were swallowed in the blink of an eye. Whether Little Bamboo Shoot wanted to take them or not, it had no choice. It let out an angry “woo woo” and glared fiercely.

Potato glared back, looking even more menacing.

As the pills took effect, the pain from its wounds subsided, and Little Bamboo Shoot’s cries gradually quieted.

So, it’s medicine… There must be side effects, or they’re planning to force me to do something…

Unaware of Little Bamboo Shoot’s thoughts, Qian Hui placed the cuff of his right sleeve near it.

“Xiao Cao, quickly sniff it,” he asked. “Does it smell like Xiao Kui? It’s a Sunflower… also special-grade.”

The Mimosa on the cuff grew slightly larger and extended its leaves to probe Little Bamboo Shoot’s body.

Having spent the previous night with Sunflower and still carrying a petal, Little Bamboo Shoot reeked of the unfamiliar special-grade mutated plant’s scent.

Not only that, but Mimosa also sensed danger.

It seemed another plant… had been injured as well.

Mimosa immediately lifted its leaves, turning them in another direction.

“You found it?” Qian Hui exclaimed, surprised. “Is it far from here?”

It was getting late. If it was too far, they could set out to find it tomorrow.

Mimosa shook its leaves to indicate it wasn’t far, then gently tapped Qian Hui’s fingertip with one of its tendrils, as if urging him to hurry.

Chili Pepper was the first to understand Mimosa’s meaning, letting out a soft “woo.”

Qian Hui’s other friend… was in trouble?

Knowing Sunflower might be in danger, Qian Hui grew anxious, unwilling to wait another moment.

Ignoring Little Bamboo Shoot, he rushed in the direction Mimosa had indicated.

Carrot tossed Little Bamboo Shoot into the bushes and hurried after him.

Little Bamboo Shoot scrambled to its feet and watched Qian Hui and the surrounding plants quickly leave, including the other human who had been standing quietly nearby.

Confused, it glanced down at the wounds on its body, now almost completely healed.

Staring after Qian Hui, Little Bamboo Shoot hesitated for a moment, then picked up its bamboo blade and sprinted after them.

Following Mimosa’s guidance, Qian Hui left the forest and returned to the abandoned streets.

To move faster, the Carnivorous Flower grew larger, allowing Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin to ride on its back. With all the plants in tow, it swiftly traversed the ruins.

The Sunflower’s location proved to be nearby. The Carnivorous Flower traveled less than twenty minutes before stopping in front of a collapsed, low-rise building.

Carrot surveyed the surroundings and realized they were very close to the area where they had encountered zombies earlier.

The Carnivorous Flower lowered its head to let Qian Hui dismount. Standing before the collapsed building, Qian Hui gazed at the towering rubble. “Is Xiao Kui here?”

Then he noticed that the Mimosa’s leaves were pointing… underground.

At that moment, three or four wandering zombies caught the scent of unfamiliar living creatures and charged forward, snarling.

Carrot slapped its forehead and raised a hand, splitting off dozens of sharp carrot thorns that shot toward the zombies.

Sensing that this situation was more complex than it seemed, Carrot abandoned its usual nonchalance. It turned to Qian Hui and let out a low “woo,” urging him to focus on his search.

This place was likely where zombies hibernated during the day. With nightfall approaching, more zombies might emerge.

The Mimosa was also growing anxious. It detected an increasing number of injury-related scents—layers upon layers that had accumulated over days.

It voluntarily left Qian Hui’s sleeve, jumped to the ground, and rapidly grew larger, tearing away debris beneath the collapsed building.

The Carnivorous Flower moved closer to help, using its massive head to smash through the ruins of the low building and fling debris aside.

Carrot single-handedly dealt with three mid-grade zombies, while several more approaching from another direction were repelled by a burst of chili pepper seeds.

Just then, Little Bamboo Shoot arrived at a distance, cautiously peering at the scene.

The Mimosa beside Qian Hui was formidable; it must have been the one who found him, and also Sunflower.

Still, Little Bamboo Shoot saw the current situation as advantageous. Regardless of Qian Hui’s motives, their clash with the zombies was ideal—the more both sides were weakened, the better his chances of rescuing Sunflower.

Little Bamboo Shoot crept closer, waiting for the right moment to act.

Meanwhile, the gap beneath the low building widened, revealing a staircase leading to the basement.

The Mimosa sniffed at the entrance before slipping inside. The Carnivorous Flower pushed aside a broken wall to enlarge the opening, and Qian Hui quickly followed.

The basement was dimly lit. Little Cabbage popped out of Qian Hui’s pocket and spat out a Cabbage Lamp.

Nan Tingjin remained outside, while Carrot and Chili Pepper stayed to fend off the zombies. Only Little Cabbage, Money Tree, and the Carnivorous Flower accompanied Qian Hui.

The Carnivorous Flower shrank to a smaller size and followed them down.

As they descended the stairs, a dimly lit basement came into view.

The source of the light was a corner not far away.

Qian Hui rushed over excitedly, froze for a moment, then hurried forward.

“Xiao Kui, it’s me…” He crouched down, his breath trembling as he stared at the sturdy iron cage. “How could this happen…”

A familiar Sunflower stood in the corner, imprisoned in a cage made of steel bars, trapped in the cramped space.

Qian Hui had initially thought Sunflower might be injured and hiding to recover, but he never imagined it would be held captive.

Seeing Qian Hui, Sunflower grew equally agitated.

It silently approached, its soft leaves reaching through the gaps in the cage to touch Qian Hui’s hand.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here right away…” Qian Hui reassured it. He tried to open the cage but couldn’t find any latches. The moment his fingertips brushed against the dark red steel bars, they were instantly burned.

Carnivorous Flower squeezed forward just in time, its sharp teeth clamping down on several bars and yanking with all its might.

Bang—

With a muffled crash, the Ability-infused steel bars snapped.

Qian Hui quickly pulled Sunflower out of the cage. Looking down, he noticed a Mutated Red Apple huddled in the corner as well.

Outside, more and more zombies were closing in.

Carrot unleashed a mass attack, sending countless carrot thorns flying through the air. Combined with Potato’s occasional bomb tosses, they effectively cleared the zombies.

Chili Pepper and Corn guarded the stairwell, ensuring no stragglers slipped through.

Nan Tingjin stood nearby, still bound by Soft Vine. He neither needed to fight nor required protection for the time being.

When the iron cage in the basement was breached, a faint tremor shook the ground, almost imperceptible.

Immediately afterward, an enraged zombie roar echoed from the distance.

A high-grade zombie.

Carrot’s expression turned serious as it prepared to generate more thorns.

Under the dim sky, a massive, muscular zombie appeared on the horizon.

It let out two more roars before charging toward the low building.

In an instant, seven or eight mid-grade zombies materialized, seemingly returning from a hunt alongside the high-grade zombie.

Dozens of carrot thorns shot forward with ferocious force, but they were suddenly blocked by a crimson barrier.

The red light formed a shield as solid as glass. The thorns pierced only halfway through, the remaining portions corroded by the barrier, their killing power drastically reduced.

It was a zombie with an Ability to defend against attacks.

Carrot remained calm and composed, coordinating the other three plants in a coordinated assault.

Just a high-grade zombie. We can handle this…

As it thought this, another roar echoed through the ruins, and a second high-grade zombie emerged.

Carrot’s expression twisted with fury as it unleashed even more sharp thorns.

The second high-grade zombie moved with remarkable speed, weaving through the debris. Enhanced by the red light, it proved impervious to ranged attacks.

Its target was Carrot, attempting to flank and pounce from the side.

At that moment, a thunderous crash shook the ground as massive stone slabs were hurled aside. The Giant Carnivorous Flower erupted from the earth, its jaws snapping shut on the zombie’s right leg.

The zombie shrieked in agony, tearing free and retreating. It spotted Qian Hui emerging from the basement, cradling Sunflower in his arms.

Its bloodshot eyes burned with renewed fury. With a deafening roar, it commanded the remaining zombies to reclaim Sunflower.

But with the Carnivorous Flower joining the fray, the Plant Squad’s combat power surged dramatically. Even the first high-grade zombie had been wounded by Carrot’s thorns.

Qian Hui was shielded by the Money Tree’s leaves, Nan Tingjin at his side, his gaze sweeping the battlefield.

Sunflower nestled in Qian Hui’s arms, its radiant glow spreading outward, instantly replenishing the energy of all the surrounding plants.

At that moment, a withered, diminutive mid-grade zombie silently approached.

Potato, absorbed in preparing bombs, was unaware of the zombie lurking behind the rubble, its eyes fixed on Sunflower.

Just as the zombie was about to strike, a green shadow suddenly descended from the sky.

Little Bamboo Shoot swung its bamboo blade, slicing open the zombie’s forehead and throat in a single motion.

The critically wounded zombie collapsed to the ground, and Little Bamboo Shoot leaped down to deliver a final blow.

Having eliminated the zombie, it sheathed its blade and turned to gaze at Sunflower.

So… I misjudged the situation?

Sunflower, nestled in Qian Hui’s arms, appeared completely relaxed and dependent, clearly familiar with him.

Recalling Qian Hui’s earlier words, Little Bamboo Shoot felt a pang of regret.

I should have trusted him sooner. At least I didn’t waste any time saving Sunflower.

With numerous zombies still lurking nearby, Little Bamboo Shoot gripped its twin blades tightly and continued to assist the Plant Squad.

Meanwhile, after finding Sunflower, Qian Hui received a Game Notification: Bonded with special-grade mutated plant. Loyalty increased to 100%. Reward: 20,000 credits.

After sheltering Sunflower, Qian Hui received a new notification:

[ Dwarf Bamboo Shoot]’s Loyalty has increased significantly, now at 50%! ]

[ Huh? ]

Qian Hui was astonished. When he had first found Little Bamboo Shoot, its Loyalty had been at 0.

Peering through the leaves of the Money Tree, he scanned the surroundings and spotted Little Bamboo Shoot’s familiar figure, also helping to attack the zombies.

Including Little Bamboo Shoot, all the offensive plants had considerable combat experience and fought with great ferocity.

Two high-grade zombies were being dealt with by Carrot and Carnivorous Flower. Their coordinated attacks forced the zombies into a single spot, where Carnivorous Flower bit through their defensive red aura, unleashing a rain of carrot thorns.

As dusk fell, the battle was nearly over. Little Bamboo Shoot killed the last low-grade zombie, and Qian Hui received a Game Notification:

[ The third Faction Conflict has ended. Congratulations to our side for winning! Reward: 80 Prestige Points! ]

Over twenty zombie corpses lay scattered nearby, the air thick with a foul stench and the aftermath of the fierce battle.

Carnivorous Flower carried Qian Hui, Wen, and all the plants back to the forest for the night.

On the way back, Qian Hui glanced behind and saw Little Bamboo Shoot following closely, finally putting his mind at ease.

Half an hour later, Carnivorous Flower stopped by the lake.

They had returned to their original resting spot, where the water source made it convenient to wash off the grime.

Little Bamboo Shoot panted as it caught up, keeping its distance and cautiously observing from afar.

Qian Hui sat beneath a tree, surrounded by the plants.

Carrot and Carnivorous Flower were the most excited, while the other plants, seeing the special-grade mutated plant responsible for healing for the first time, were both curious and thrilled.

Corn, the boldest of the group, secretly touched Sunflower’s petals—warm and soft.

Sunflower’s leaves gently brushed against each plant in turn, greeting them.

It remained quiet, its soft, gentle glow resembling a nightlight, conveying friendliness and joy.

This was likely Sunflower’s unique ability: communicating through light and energy, possessing an innate affinity for connection.

Qian Hui had also brought back Apple, who peeked timidly from his pocket, sizing up the outside world.

Now that they were safe, Qian Hui cradled Sunflower, carefully arranging its slightly disheveled petals while feeding it a universal medicine.

Though Sunflower could heal all living beings, it still needed time to replenish its own energy.

Thinking of what it had endured, Qian Hui felt a pang of sympathy. “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Kui. We’ll protect you… It’s a good thing we ran into Bamboo Shoot this afternoon, or I wouldn’t have known where to find you.”

He shared some of his own experiences with Sunflower, carefully avoiding any mention of Little Mushroom.

Sunflower likely still didn’t know about Little Mushroom, and Qian Hui didn’t want to upset it. He planned to tell it later when the time was right.

Hearing Bamboo Shoot’s name, Sunflower lifted its head.

Qian Hui quietly pointed in a direction and whispered, “It’s over there, still too scared to come closer.”

Relieved to know Bamboo Shoot was safe, Sunflower gently curled its leaves around Qian Hui’s palm.

Hidden behind a tree, Little Bamboo Shoot peeked out and finally felt reassured.

Thank goodness, Qian Hui really is Sunflower’s friend, not a bad guy.

It studied the other plants around Qian Hui, then glanced at Sunflower in his arms, its eyes filled with envy.

Most mutated plants rarely interacted even with their own kind, let alone humans or zombies.

The idea of a group of plants cooperating was unimaginable. Since the apocalypse began, Little Bamboo Shoot had only ever been close to Sunflower.

But looking at the plants surrounding Qian Hui, Little Bamboo Shoot thought it might not be so bad after all.

With companions, it’s harder to be bullied.

Remembering the time it was trapped in the basement, Little Bamboo Shoot still felt a surge of anger.

But escaping didn’t mean it was completely safe. It recalled encountering several particularly powerful zombies…

After a moment’s thought, Little Bamboo Shoot retreated to a safer distance and climbed a tree to keep watch over Qian Hui and Sunflower through the night.

Meanwhile, three modified vehicles pulled up to the roadside.

Someone emerged through the sunroof of one of the vehicles, raising binoculars.

“There are a lot of dead zombies over there… What happened? Did someone steal the Sunflower?”

They were from Sky Base. A few days earlier, a team passing through the area had discovered the energy radiating from Sunflower.

But Sunflower was guarded by a massive horde of zombies. The team lost two members and barely escaped.

Upon learning of Sunflower’s existence, the base immediately dispatched a team to investigate.

They specifically chose to approach at night, when the zombies were dormant and less likely to detect them, intending to first estimate the zombie quantity before planning their next move.

But now it seemed… they might be too late?

“Stolen? By whom…?” His companion frowned deeply. “Is there another base nearby? Could it have been taken by other zombies?”

“Let me check the map… It’s definitely not zombies. They wouldn’t do this.”

Although zombies of different grades commanded their own Zombie Hordes, regardless of the situation, they would never slaughter their own kind.

In the back seat, a companion was still examining the map when the energy detector in his hand suddenly activated.

His face paled. “Extremely high energy readings… It could be the Zombie King! We have to get out of here now!”

The Zombie King’s appearance might be related to the missing Sunflower. If they were discovered, they would almost certainly die here.

The three modified vehicles retreated silently, quickly vanishing into the night.

Amidst the corpse-strewn ruins, several loose stones tumbled to the ground.

Above the completely collapsed low-rise building stood an abnormally tall figure.

Its skin was pitch-black, its limbs and head disproportionately long, and its crimson eyes lacked whites.

Surveying the corpses scattered across the ground and the empty basement, the zombie’s joints creaked softly as it let out a low, furious growl.

After the battle, the plants were covered in grime and jumped into the lake to wash off.

Corn found Little Bamboo Shoot hiding in a tree and, with his usual familiarity, called out to it to join them.

Little Bamboo Shoot maintained a stiff expression and didn’t respond. Only after Corn had left did it slowly slide down from the tree.

Sunflower, exhausted, curled up with Apple in Qian Hui’s arms and fell asleep.

Still uneasy, Qian Hui sent Carnivorous Flower to the lake to hurry the others. Once the plants had finished bathing, they would move to a more distant location to rest for the night.

Carnivorous Flower nodded and departed as footsteps approached.

Nan Tingjin sat down beside Qian Hui, his familiar warmth drawing Qian Hui closer. Qian Hui couldn’t resist leaning into his embrace.

Though they had successfully rescued Sunflower, Qian Hui still felt shaken by the near-disaster. He hugged the plants in his arms, burying his face against Nan Tingjin’s neck and nuzzling him.

Nan Tingjin wrapped his arms around Qian Hui, gently stroking his silver hair. “You’re looking for special-grade mutated plants?”

Qian Hui hummed in affirmation. “They’re my friends.”

Nan Tingjin added, “There’s one at Black Ridge Mountain too.”

Qian Hui froze, lifting his head. “R-really?”

“Really,” Nan Tingjin said, stroking Qian Hui’s cheek. “Come back to the base with me, and I’ll take you to find it.”