Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Qian Hui was initially overjoyed, but then doubt crept in.

“What kind of plant is it?” he asked.

“It’s massive,” Nan Tingjin replied. “I only saw it once, so I’m not sure of the species.”

Qian Hui muttered, “Then how do you know it’s special-grade…?”

Nan Tingjin had never mentioned this before, but given their recent reunion and Nan Tingjin’s previous ignorance of Qian Hui’s quest to find all special-grade mutated plants, it made sense.

Leaning against Nan Tingjin’s chest, Qian Hui tilted his head back to look up at him. “Is it really true? You’re not lying to me?”

A subtle sense of wariness lingered in his heart. Moreover, the base was human territory, and they couldn’t just go there on a whim.

Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze. “When have I ever lied to you?”

Qian Hui fell silent, carefully recalling the past. The Nan Tingjin he knew before would never have lied to him.

Since coming here, Nan Tingjin… hadn’t lied to him either.

The Carnivorous Flower they had been searching for was nearby, and Nan Tingjin hadn’t concealed that from him.

Nan Tingjin murmured again, “Why would I lie to you?”

“I…” Qian Hui mumbled, “I don’t know.”

In truth, even with Nan Tingjin’s amnesia, he remained the only human Qian Hui truly trusted.

Some of Nan Tingjin’s companions had tried to capture the Carnivorous Flower, but when Nan Tingjin found it in the forest, he promised Qian Hui he wouldn’t harm it.

When they were together, Qian Hui would buy items from the Game Shop without hiding it from Nan Tingjin, who even warned him to keep it secret from others.

In short, despite being the leader of the Human Base, Nan Tingjin almost always deferred to Qian Hui, acting nothing like an “enemy faction.”

Qian Hui pondered this for a moment, almost convinced.

His eyes brightened slightly as he asked, “Then… how will we get there?”

By “we,” he meant he wanted to bring the entire Plant Squad along.

Nan Tingjin paused. “Promise me, and I’ll arrange it.”

Qian Hui hesitated. “I’ll ask Carrot and the others later.”

Nan Tingjin replied patiently, “Alright.”

The plants were still bathing. Little Bamboo Shoot, hiding behind a tree, struggled with its thoughts for a long time before cautiously approaching the lake.

It deliberately chose a spot far from the other plants, intending to quickly wash and return to its night watch in the trees.

But as soon as it touched the water, Corn and Potato splashed over.

Potato waved hello, “Woo!”

They had all seen Little Bamboo Shoot help kill zombies earlier. Since they had fought together, they were now friends.

Little Bamboo Shoot nodded reservedly, peeled off an outer layer of its husk, and placed it in the water to wash.

Corn’s eyes widened as it leaned in to examine the husk, reaching out to touch it.

Potato also crowded closer, snatching the husk away to try it on.

However, it had gained weight, and the husk wouldn’t close properly.

Corn turned to see Little Bamboo Shoot pull out its bamboo blade from behind and peel off another layer of its husk.

Moments later, Little Bamboo Shoot was dragged into the lake. Corn and Potato circled it, trying to see if it could shed another layer.

But Little Bamboo Shoot stubbornly pressed down on its third layer, refusing to let go.

Carnivorous Flower, drawn by the commotion, arrived and warned Corn and Potato to behave. If Little Bamboo Shoot got angry, they might not be able to defeat it.

The two plants, surprisingly obedient, immediately retreated. Little Bamboo Shoot retrieved its husk and bamboo blade from the water, scrambled ashore, and fled.

Once all the plants had returned, Qian Hui handed the sleeping Sunflower and Apple to Carnivorous Flower and used a towel to dry each of them off.

He casually brought up the earlier incident, asking if anyone had heard of a special-grade mutated plant in Black Ridge Mountain.

Carnivorous Flower shook its head first, indicating it knew nothing.

Carrot also shook its head. Aside from its previous attempt to fight the Zombie King, it rarely approached human bases and had never been to Black Ridge Mountain.

Even the most knowledgeable Chili Person was unsure, let alone the other plants.

Qian Hui hesitated. “I want to go check it out…”

Nan Tingjin hadn’t provided much detail about the plant, only mentioning its enormous size and lack of distinctive features.

With such limited information, Qian Hui couldn’t even begin to guess which plant it might be—or rather, any plant was a possibility.

When Carnivorous Flower was in the Small Courtyard, it had only reached Qian Hui’s waist. It was only after coming here that it could change its size.

Carrot pondered for a moment, then let out a “woo,” indicating its agreement to go.

Carnivorous Flower continued to shake its head. It didn’t trust Nan Tingjin. What if this was a lie, and Qian Hui would be in danger?

Carrot dismissed its concerns, pointing to its own neck.

Nan Tingjin was still under the control of Soft Vine. Since they had already captured the Leader, what harm could there be in taking a look around his base?

The Carnivorous Flower remained silent. It had never believed Nan Tingjin could be controlled by a mere vine, but caution was always wise.

In the end, Corn and Potato agreed to go, while Chili Pepper refused. The remaining plants were indifferent.

Qian Hui grew even more conflicted. “I’ll ask Xiao Kui again tomorrow…”

Or they could try to find humans to gather information, but that carried significant risks.

After wiping down the last plant, Qian Hui was about to put away the towel when he noticed Little Bamboo Shoot hiding nearby.

Under the moonlight, Little Bamboo Shoot was concealed behind a tree. When it realized Qian Hui had spotted it, it quickly ducked back into hiding.

Qian Hui walked over with the towel and crouched down in front of the tree. “Hello?”

After a moment, Little Bamboo Shoot slowly emerged from behind the tree.

Facing Qian Hui, it felt a little embarrassed. After all, it hadn’t trusted him earlier, had resisted fiercely, and had nearly delayed their rescue of Sunflower.

But Qian Hui didn’t seem angry. He beckoned Little Bamboo Shoot over. “Come here, let me wipe you down.”

Little Bamboo Shoot wore two layers of damp outer shells, water droplets constantly dripping from them.

It stood motionless for a moment, its nose twitching slightly.

The scent emanating from Qian Hui was pleasant, similar to Sunflower’s, as if he possessed a natural affinity for plants.

He waited patiently as Little Bamboo Shoot slowly edged closer, finally reaching his side.

Qian Hui first wiped its leafy hands. Seeing no resistance, he continued wiping its body.

But the water droplets seemed to multiply with each wipe. Giving up, he wrapped Little Bamboo Shoot in the towel, held it upside down, and gently shook it.

The water hidden within its bamboo sheath finally drained out. After drying Little Bamboo Shoot, he set it back on the grass.

Still slightly dizzy, Little Bamboo Shoot sat down. The towel’s mixed scents—a blend of all the plants—had been overwhelming. Being completely enveloped in it felt strange, as if it had been “humanized.”

Little Bamboo Shoot sneezed.

Qian Hui couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it. “Do you want to come with me?”

Having successfully rescued Sunflower, Little Bamboo Shoot’s Loyalty instantly surged to 50%, surpassing even Mimosa’s.

Whether it genuinely cared deeply for Sunflower or was simply a high-grade mutated plant, Qian Hui wanted to keep it by his side.

Little Bamboo Shoot sniffed Qian Hui’s fingertips, then glanced back at Sunflower and Apple nestled among the Carnivorous Flower’s leaves.

Hesitating, it turned and darted back under the tree, retrieved its bamboo blade, and raced back to Qian Hui’s side, clinging to his leg.

Qian Hui scooped it up and turned to leave.

The other plants showed no surprise at Little Bamboo Shoot’s decision to join them.

Sunflower and Apple nestled back into Qian Hui’s arms. While he held the three new recruits close, Carnivorous Flower expanded to its full size. It was carrying Qian Hui, the other plants, and all their belongings as it ventured deeper into the forest, seeking a safer and more secluded spot to spend the night.

Along the way, Qian Hui opened the Game. The Plant Squad’s Combat Power had already risen to 9,000.

Faction Points: 2,000

Prestige Points: 790

Credits: 70,000+

500 of the Prestige Points had been earned that evening by killing several mid-grade zombies, finally reaching the required 30 to complete the Main Mission.

Purchasing a strategy guide for a high-grade mutated plant cost only 5 Prestige Points, so this stockpile should last quite a while.

Since one Faction Point could be exchanged for 20 credits, the current 2,000 Faction Points should bring the total credits to over 110,000.

But it still wasn’t enough… He had only saved about a third of the credits needed to buy a Resurrection Bean.

The Side Mission remained incomplete. Raising the Loyalty of the two high-grade mutated plants to 40% and the two mid-grade mutated plants to 50% would yield another 2,000 Faction Points as a reward.

Four more plants were needed in total… Qian Hui opened the Encyclopedia. Mimosa’s Loyalty was stuck at 30%, while Apple, whom they had brought back with Sunflower, was a low-level mutant plant.

To complete the mission, the squad needed new plants to join their ranks.

Qian Hui glanced at his backpack. If he got a bigger one, he could probably hide them all, but…

Ever since he’d gathered more plants, especially after finding Carrot, many plants had fled at the mere scent of his team’s overwhelming presence.

In this forest, they encountered far fewer mutated plants than before.

Qian Hui frowned. He couldn’t just abandon Carrot and the others. He needed to find a solution.

He opened the Quest Log again. A new Main Mission had been issued:

[ Main Mission: Use Evolution Liquid from the Shop to successfully evolve your plants. (2/5) ]

[ Mission Reward: Faction Points +300 ]

This seemed straightforward enough. Qian Hui had already given Evolution Liquid to Chili Pepper and Soft Vine. He just needed to use three more bottles.

Coincidentally, Corn, Potato, and Money Tree’s Loyalty had reached 70%, making them eligible for cultivation.

Qian Hui bought three bottles of Evolution Liquid and stored them in his game inventory, planning to use them tomorrow.

He closed the game and leaned against Nan Tingjin, gazing at the pitch-black night stretching before them.

The Mimosa, clinging to his sleeve, gently raised its leaves, scrutinizing the three new plants nestled in Qian Hui’s arms.

Qian Hui had said Sunflower was his friend, but Apple and Little Bamboo Shoot didn’t seem to be.

Apple, being a low-grade mutated plant, was considered “useless” by Mimosa. If humans captured it, they would likely discard it rather than take it back to imprison it.

But Qian Hui was different. He brought Apple along, perhaps simply because it was convenient while rescuing Sunflower, and even fed Apple food and pills.

So… am I Qian Hui’s friend?

After helping find Sunflower, Qian Hui had praised Mimosa softly for a long time that night, calling it exceptionally capable.

Mimosa shifted uneasily, its leaves gazing toward a distant point.

That was where it had once been imprisoned, along with many other plants.

Plants typically don’t have friends, but during their shared captivity, the surrounding plants had become Mimosa’s companions.

Now that it had finally escaped, it never had to return to that place.

The plants around Qian Hui were all strong and willing to protect it.

But its friends were still there.

If only Qian Hui would save its friends too… Mimosa gazed at Qian Hui, its leaves drooping quietly.

The forest was silent, save for the occasional rustling of grass and swaying of branches. Mutated plants, catching their scent, fled into the distance.

Carnivorous Flower deliberately chose a path with sparse trees, stopping after half an hour.

They were now far from the ruins and the low buildings there, and all the zombies they had encountered had been killed. It should be safe here.

Qian Hui pulled out the Cabbage Shell and led all the plants inside, including Little Bamboo Shoot.

Tonight, Carnivorous Flower was on night watch. It patrolled the perimeter before returning to lie down beside the Cabbage Shell.

Nan Tingjin remained outside, sitting beneath a tree, his figure shrouded in shadow.

As he sat there, a high-grade zombie emerged from the forest.

It was remarkably short and emaciated, appearing weak at first glance. Yet its limbs were unnaturally long, and its nose occupied nearly a quarter of its face.

The zombie advanced slowly, its head lowered as it sniffed at lingering scents, searching for its target.

Day broke in the blink of an eye. Qian Hui had stayed up too late the previous night and didn’t wake up until nearly ten o’clock.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the Cabbage Shell door was ajar. The plants had all slipped out to play, leaving only the three newest members of the Plant Squad by his side.

The Sunflower’s petals emitted a faint glow, while the Little Bamboo Shoot and Apple sat obediently nearby, too timid to wander off.

Qian Hui hugged the Sunflower and patted the Little Bamboo Shoot and Apple. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

He got up, washed his face, and opened his backpack to prepare breakfast. Soon, the other plants returned from their morning adventures.

After feeding them, Qian Hui took out three bottles of Evolution Liquid.

Corn, seeing the bottles, quickly stuffed the jerky in its hand into its mouth and nudged closer to Qian Hui.

“Woo…” it whined, pointing at the Evolution Liquid with eager eyes.

Qian Hui picked it up. “Yes, this is for you.”

Corn’s excitement surged, instantly boosting its Loyalty by 10%.

It swallowed the jerky and eagerly gulped down the entire bottle of Evolution Liquid.

Potato and Money Tree were equally thrilled. Evolution Liquid meant they could grow stronger, and few plants resisted the urge to evolve.

After finishing the liquid, Corn burped.

It patted its belly and quickly asked Chili Pepper to check if it had grown taller.

Chili Pepper shook its head coldly, indicating no change.

Corn snorted and pulled out another corn ball, seemingly unchanged from before.

Qian Hui was opening the Encyclopedia to check its new advanced skill: “Explodes upon impact, releasing hallucinogenic corn smoke…”

The smoke was a group attack that could induce a hallucinatory state in enemies, with a 99% success rate. In severe cases, it could even cause them to attack their allies.

Corn finally felt the effects of its evolution. Sensing its newfound power, it grew excited again, eager to test it on a target.

Potato and Money Tree’s skills had also been updated. Potato’s bombs had transformed into flyable, tracking missiles, available in three different sizes and power levels.

Money Tree, being defense-oriented, could now activate a protective shield within a certain radius without needing to enlarge its leaves to envelop targets.

Potato pulled out a mini-missile and nudged Corn. “Woo!”

It boasted that its missile was superior and challenged Corn to a competition.

Corn refused to compete. Instead, it snatched the missile, examined it, and stuck its own corn ball onto it.

It proudly presented the corn missile to Qian Hui, who carefully took it. “So clever!”

Potato, watching from the side, asked Chili Pepper for a chili pepper seed. It tied the seed to some weeds and a missile, then squeezed over to show Qian Hui.

Qian Hui praised each of them in turn, finally managing to soothe them. He then went to find Sunflower.

“Xiao Kui,” he asked, “do you know where Flat Cabbage and the others are?”

Sunflower extended a leaf and placed it in Qian Hui’s palm. This was its unique way of communicating, telling Qian Hui that it didn’t know.

Since arriving here, Sunflower hadn’t seen any of the plants from the Small Courtyard until Qian Hui rescued it from the zombies.

It also conveyed its concern for Little Mushroom, who wasn’t with Qian Hui. Sunflower had asked Carnivorous Flower about it that morning, but Carnivorous Flower refused to answer.

Qian Hui lowered his eyelashes, his voice strained. “Xiao Fen… Xiao Fen will be alright. I’m here.”

Every time he found another plant from the Small Courtyard, he had to mention Little Mushroom. The feeling was unbearable, but he was terrible at lying.

Sunflower’s glow flickered slightly, having already sensed the truth from Qian Hui’s emotions. It gently wrapped its leaves around Qian Hui’s wrist, trying to comfort him.

Sunflower had witnessed the earlier scene: Qian Hui could evolve the plants’ skills, so he must be able to help Little Mushroom too.

Qian Hui hummed in acknowledgment, turning to glance at Nan Tingjin, who stood not far away. “Xiao Jin also mentioned there’s a special-grade mutated plant near Black Ridge Mountain, but he wasn’t sure who it was.”

Sunflower recognized Nan Tingjin and told Qian Hui to go if he wanted, but to be extremely careful.

Qian Hui nodded. Suddenly, Little Bamboo Shoot let out a soft “woo” beside him.

It had been following Qian Hui closely and had overheard the entire conversation.

Little Bamboo Shoot lifted its head, its eyes filled with hesitation.

It gently touched Sunflower’s leaves, transmitting its thoughts through Sunflower to Qian Hui.

“You’re saying…” Qian Hui exclaimed in surprise, “there really is one there?”

Little Bamboo Shoot nodded. It explained that this had happened long ago, when Sector 5 Safe Zone was expanding. It had passed by the area and encountered several plants preparing to flee.

The plants had warned it about a strange special-grade mutated plant near Black Ridge Mountain, advising it to stay far away if it didn’t want to die.

Little Bamboo Shoot wasn’t afraid of special-grade mutated plants, but it had no reason to go there, so it simply left.

Qian Hui picked up Little Bamboo Shoot, expressing his gratitude. “I understand now. Thank you.”

This at least confirmed that Nan Tingjin hadn’t been lying to him.

But how were they going to infiltrate the human base?

Nan Tingjin had said he would arrange everything. Did that mean they would have to sneak in?

Qian Hui opened his backpack and found only one bottle of disguise medicine left.

He set down Little Bamboo Shoot and went to find Nan Tingjin.

When Nan Tingjin learned that Qian Hui had a way to transform into a human, but the effect only lasted two hours, he said, “There’s no need.”

He lowered his gaze and took Qian Hui’s hand. After days of massage, the bluish-gray discoloration of his bones and joints had faded significantly, and his skin had regained a healthy, rosy hue.

Nan Tingjin pulled Qian Hui closer and stroked his silver hair. “Two hours isn’t enough.”

Qian Hui was puzzled, but Nan Tingjin suddenly turned serious, his gaze shifting to the distance.

The Carnivorous Flower raised its head and let out a low growl.

In an instant, nearly all the plants sensed the rapidly approaching danger.

Thud—

A carrot thorn flew through the air and landed in the grass near Qian Hui. Carrot, the carrot itself, crashed to the ground alongside it.

Carrot had been out on patrol earlier and had likely wandered too far again. Qian Hui hadn’t seen it since breakfast.

Now, clutching its wounded side, Carrot struggled to its feet, its face contorted in pain, looking quite disheveled.

Qian Hui panicked. “Carrot?!”

As he approached Carrot, a Game Notification popped up:

[ Detected a large number of enemy faction units nearby. A Faction Conflict is highly likely to erupt. Please respond promptly! ]

Outside the forest, a massive Zombie Horde was converging on their position.