Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

A murky wind blew in from the forest, carrying the stench of decay mixed with dust.

The Carnivorous Flower instantly grew several times its original size, positioning itself protectively beside Qian Hui.

The other plants closed in, their leaves rustling with alertness as they scanned the surroundings.

Qian Hui quickly fed Carrot a pill, while the Sunflower’s petals glowed with a warm light.

Under the combined effect of the medicine and the healing skill, the wound on Carrot’s flank rapidly healed, leaving only a small scar.

“Are there zombies nearby?” Qian Hui asked anxiously. “A large number?”

A sense of foreboding settled in his heart. Carrot was a special-grade mutated plant; the zombie capable of wounding it…

In an instant, the image of the Zombie King he had encountered that day, Number 03, flashed through Qian Hui’s mind.

Carrot nodded solemnly.

The Sunflower’s warm light continued to illuminate the grassy field, enveloping Carrot and transmitting its message to Qian Hui and all the plants:

The Zombie King is leading a Zombie Horde, and their target is this very place.

Carrot had been patrolling earlier that morning, riding a carrot thorn in a wide circle, when it first spotted the approaching Zombie Horde.

Realizing the danger posed by the overwhelming numbers, Carrot immediately turned back to warn the others. In its haste, it failed to notice a wind blade striking from behind.

The wind blade’s energy was terrifying, far beyond what a high-grade zombie should possess. Had it struck a weaker plant, it would have been instantly fatal.

Fortunately, Carrot reacted quickly, dodging the second wind blade and scurrying back to safety.

After relaying the information, Carrot glanced at Sunflower, guessing that the Zombie Horde had likely come for it.

It even suspected that Sunflower’s imprisonment in the basement of the low building had been ordered by the Zombie King, who had assigned two high-grade zombies to guard it.

But the Zombie King hadn’t anticipated that the two high-grade zombies would encounter a Plant Squad led by two special-grade mutated plants, who swiftly rescued Sunflower.

Now that the Zombie King had discovered Sunflower’s escape, it had immediately come to reclaim it.

Qian Hui asked anxiously, “Should we…?”

Carrot shook its head, indicating they couldn’t escape. The Zombie Horde surrounded them on all sides, far outnumbering the horde that had gathered outside the safe zone before.

It felt a pang of regret. The Zombie King must have a way to track Sunflower. They should have fled overnight yesterday, at least they wouldn’t have been so suddenly surrounded by the horde.

But now, there was only one option: fight!

The debt for imprisoning Sunflower hadn’t been settled yet. Did they think they could be trifled with?

The Carnivorous Flower had grown even larger, its chilling fangs bared as its sharp gaze swept the surroundings.

The other plants gathered around Qian Hui, also entering a combat-ready state, prepared to face the approaching Zombie Horde.

This was Qian Hui’s first time encountering such a situation, and his breathing trembled slightly.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he opened the Game Shop.

In this forest, they should have the advantage.

Under the Sunflower’s radiant light, communication between Qian Hui and the plants flowed more smoothly.

Having previously encountered the Zombie Horde, Carrot possessed a rough estimate of their quantity and a better understanding of the surrounding terrain. It assigned combat areas to all the offensive plants.

The surrounding perimeter was divided into two halves. One half was jointly managed by Chili Pepper, Potato, and Corn.

Their small size and the dense forest provided natural cover, allowing them to either disperse for individual combat or coordinate their attacks.

The other half of the area was narrower but had the sparsest tree cover, making it ideal for the Carnivorous Flower.

Carrot would accompany the Carnivorous Flower, standing atop its head for a clearer vantage point and using the flower’s sharp thorns as cover.

With its thick hide and robust build, the Carnivorous Flower was far more resilient than Carrot.

Little Bamboo Shoot was also assigned a mission. Skilled in close combat and without a fixed position, it was free to move as needed, tasked with eliminating any stragglers that slipped through the main defenses.

Money Tree and Sunflower stood guard beside Qian Hui, with Sunflower’s radiant glow enveloping a vast area, providing instant healing and energy to all the plants.

Having just consumed the Evolution Liquid, Money Tree could now project a transparent defense barrier, blocking the approaching zombies on the outer perimeter.

The remaining Little Cabbage, Mimosa, and Apple, not participating in the battle, hid safely in Qian Hui’s pocket.

This deployment seemed flawless.

Still uneasy, Qian Hui hastily purchased numerous Skill Points, enhancing the plants’ attack, defense, and speed until he reached the maximum limit.

The plants quickly swallowed the Skill Point Pills and hurried to their assigned areas.

The Zombie Horde was closing in. Carrot, perched atop Carnivorous Flower’s head, instantly sprouted a barrage of sharp thorns.

Money Tree’s leaves trembled as a translucent, pale green barrier rose in a hundred-meter radius.

At the forefront of the horde, a diminutive zombie paused mid-stride, twitching its nose and howling toward its target.

The Zombie Horde surged forward, trampling through weeds and shrubs.

Behind them, a pitch-black figure stood on the ruins at the edge of the forest, its crimson eyes fixed on the gathering swarm.

The vanguard of high-grade zombies reached the defense barrier first, attempting to breach it. But before they could strike, a rain of carrot thorns descended upon them.

Immediately afterward, bombs coated with corn balls and chili pepper seeds began raining down, their explosions echoing across the battlefield.

A few high-grade zombies reacted quickly enough to dodge, but the mid- and low-grade zombies behind them had no such luck. Even if the carrot thorns and bombs missed their targets, the corn smoke and chili pepper seeds released still incapacitated many zombies.

One mid-grade zombie inhaled the corn smoke, becoming disoriented and punching its companion.

The companion, already wounded, retaliated with a furious roar.

On the other side, where dense trees offered no cover, the carrot thorns struck with even greater accuracy, piercing zombie skulls in unison and felling them in droves.

The Carnivorous Flower coiled its flower stalk around a tree and flung it with tremendous force, sending several more zombies flying.

For a moment, the Zombie Horde froze outside the defense barrier. The plants’ attacks pierced through from within, but the zombies couldn’t advance.

Yet even under this relentless assault, one high-grade zombie managed to reach the barrier and slash at the translucent shield with its razor-sharp claws.

Crack!

The defense barrier shattered. The high-grade zombie growled menacingly and took a small step forward, only to encounter another layer of the barrier.

The zombie roared in fury as a bomb coated with chili pepper seeds flew straight toward it.

The zombie leaped aside to evade the bomb, but as if possessing a mind of its own, the explosive curved through the air until it struck the zombie’s body.

The bomb and chili pepper seeds detonated simultaneously, sending the zombie crashing to the ground, riddled with injuries.

It flipped over and scrambled to its feet, only for another green blur to flash past.

Little Bamboo Shoot swung its bamboo blade, slashing the zombie’s arm. As the zombie lunged to retaliate, it looked up to see Little Bamboo Shoot already darting away, vanishing into the forest.

A second bomb hurtled toward it, this time strapped with a corn ball.

The zombie couldn’t dodge. Even as a high-grade zombie, its ability was severely restricted in this area, and the relentless attacks had rapidly deteriorated its status.

Just then, Little Bamboo Shoot reappeared, slicing through the zombie’s throat with a single strike.

Inside the defense barrier, Qian Hui fed a Skill Point Pill to Money Tree, while Sunflower swiftly replenished the energy drained by its ability.

Losing one layer of the defense barrier was no problem; a second layer could be erected immediately. As long as they maintained their offensive, the Zombie Horde couldn’t get too close.

Meanwhile, Sunflower’s light flickered, bathing every corner of the defense barrier in an even glow.

As the Zombie Horde stalled, two humans emerged from the distant city ruins, raising their binoculars.

They were the same team who had come looking for the special-grade mutated plant Sunflower the previous night. Spotting traces near the low-rise building and the sudden appearance of the Zombie King, they had quickly retreated.

But they hadn’t gone far. A special-grade mutated plant with healing abilities was too tempting to ignore. The base had ordered them to bring back any useful information.

So the squad remained in the area, and sure enough, they soon noticed something unusual.

Afraid to approach by vehicle, they sent two members to investigate on foot.

Through their binoculars, the Zombie Horde was clearly visible in the forest.

“Why is the Zombie Horde attacking that spot?” one of them wondered.

That wasn’t any base’s territory. If they were hunting human teams venturing outside, they wouldn’t need such a massive Zombie Horde.

“Look!” his companion whispered urgently. “It’s a Carnivorous Flower!”

The first man quickly shifted his gaze. At the edge of their vision, they spotted a deep purple head emerging from the trees.

High above, small patches of orange “raindrops” were also appearing.

“That’s… another special-grade mutated plant, Carrot?”

Carrot had attacked Sector 5, and the news had reached Sky Base, including details about its abilities and characteristics.

So, the Zombie Horde was attacking two special-grade mutated plants…

No, it might be three.

The two exchanged a glance, both recalling the horrific scene outside the low building last night.

Perhaps… Sunflower had been taken by those two special-grade mutated plants.

But in the years since the apocalypse, special-grade mutated plants had always operated independently. The only instance of cooperation they’d ever witnessed was between Carnivorous Flower and a Mushroom.

Beyond that, there had never been any record of them working together.

And if mutated plants were beginning to learn cooperation…

The two didn’t act rashly. They retreated further away and transmitted the information to the base.

Soon, the base’s reply arrived, instructing the squad to remain stationed and observe the outcome of the Zombie Horde’s assault.

In the forest, Qian Hui cradled Sunflower, taking a moment to check his credits balance.

The notifications of successful zombie kills flooded his screen, causing his credits to surge. A low-grade zombie yielded 1,000 credits, a mid-grade zombie 2,000, and a high-grade zombie 4,000…

The Skill Points he’d purchased earlier had already paid for themselves.

Yet despite this, Qian Hui’s heart remained uneasy.

The Game had long warned him of the Zombie King’s presence, and sure enough, it was Number 03.

Qian Hui had glimpsed it from afar once before. This time, he could faintly sense its aura, but he couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.

He scanned his surroundings, his breathing becoming erratic.

The sounds of the Zombie Horde seemed to be right in their ears—roars, screams, and moans layered upon each other in an impenetrable cacophony.

The sheer quantity of zombies was overwhelming, and there were likely more to come. Yet the Plant Squad’s main offensive force consisted of only a few members, and the Zombie King remained hidden in the shadows.

As a precaution, before the battle began, Qian Hui and the plants had devised a second escape plan. If the situation deteriorated, they would not linger in the fight but retreat swiftly.

Nervous and anxious, Qian Hui lowered his head and asked, “Xiao Kui…”

The Sunflower’s light instantly intensified, transmitting the status of the surrounding plants.

In the forest to the left, Chili Pepper and Corn were working together, concocting several chili pepper corn balls. The new weapon’s power proved effective, successfully repelling the nearby zombie horde.

Potato stood alone at the other end, tossing bombs outward while excitedly burying a massive landmine in the ground.

Little Bamboo Shoot ventured outside the defense barrier, darting through the forest in search of targets within the zombie horde.

Finally, it spotted a gaunt, high-grade zombie hiding behind a bush, its enormous snout twitching intermittently.

A zombie’s evolution manifests in its appearance. This high-grade zombie’s abnormally large nose likely granted it an exceptionally keen sense of smell.

If Little Bamboo Shoot’s guess was correct, this was the creature that had tracked down Sunflower.

Having confirmed its target, Little Bamboo Shoot swiftly closed the distance.

Despite being high-grade, this zombie was as weak as Mimosa, possessing minimal combat prowess.

Realizing it was no match for Little Bamboo Shoot, the zombie immediately turned to flee, only to be impaled through the back of its neck by a flying bamboo blade.

Little Bamboo Shoot leaped forward, sliding down the zombie’s head, and effortlessly sliced through its nasal bridge and jaw with another bamboo blade.

The high-grade zombie collapsed dead. Little Bamboo Shoot retrieved its blades and quickly retreated behind the defense barrier.

Meanwhile, Carnivorous Flower opened its maw, simultaneously seizing seven or eight zombies, and flung its head back with a violent jerk.

Perched on its neck, Carrot unleashed a barrage of split carrot thorns in all directions, striking zombies across the battlefield.

The Plant Squad’s offensive showed no signs of waning, growing fiercer with each clash.

Suddenly, Qian Hui sensed an overwhelming unease and turned toward the forest.

A pitch-black shadow plummeted from the sky, landing with a solid thud.

The Zombie King had finally revealed himself. He stepped forward, treading on the corpses beneath his feet, until he was halted by the defense barrier.

It tilted its head, studying the barrier, then extended a finger.

The moment its fingertip touched the barrier, a crisp crack shattered the defense.

A new layer of the barrier immediately materialized, less than a centimeter from the previous one.

The Zombie King withdrew its hand and bowed slightly.

In the next instant, its body launched forward, soaring over a vast stretch of forest.

Crack—

The barrier shattered again. The Zombie King landed, appearing before Qian Hui, only two or three meters away.

Qian Hui’s pupils constricted sharply, his body trembling slightly with instinctive fear.

In mere moments, the Zombie King had reached the very center of the defense.

Caught off guard, the plants scrambled to react. Money Tree hastily activated two new layers of barriers: one in its original position and another enveloping the Zombie King.

But these barriers proved utterly ineffective. With a flick of its hand, the Zombie King unleashed a wind blade, shattering the defenses and simultaneously slashing a gash across the Carnivorous Flower’s body as it lunged forward.

Undaunted, the Carnivorous Flower lunged again, its jaws snapping fiercely.

The Zombie King dodged too late, its shoulder grazed by the sharp teeth. The wound slowly closed and healed.

Carrot thorns and bombs swerved to redirect their attacks. The Zombie King raised its hand again, summoning chaotic walls of wind that deflected the vast majority of projectiles.

As it moved, its crimson eyes remained fixed on Qian Hui, ignoring the other plants and the fresh wounds on its body.

It seemed to be assessing whether Qian Hui was one of its own kind or gauging his combat power.

Regardless, its target was Qian Hui.

Everything happened too quickly. Distracted by the other plants, the Zombie Horde pressed closer.

The defense barrier shattered, and dozens of zombies swarmed the Carnivorous Flower, immobilizing its flower stalk. One even climbed onto its body, trying to snatch the Carrot from its head.

The Carnivorous Flower wanted to unleash its charged attack, but Qian Hui was too close and might be caught in the blast.

On the other side, the Little Bamboo Shoot slashed a high-grade zombie and dragged the Chili Pepper away.

In an instant, the Zombie King moved again.

It swung a wind blade, aiming for Qian Hui’s neck.

Bang!

A deafening roar erupted as the Money Tree frantically deployed multiple layers of defense barriers, only to realize they hadn’t been struck.

The wind blade vanished inexplicably, and an invisible force hurled the Zombie King backward, slamming it against a distant tree.

It rose, its crimson eyes glaring.

Nan Tingjin stepped in front of Qian Hui, his expression cold and resolute.

A low growl rumbled from the Zombie King’s throat as it raised both hands simultaneously. But it quickly sensed its body was restrained, its ability unable to activate properly.

It roared, tearing open its skin without hesitation, and wind blades seeped endlessly from the rents in its flesh.

The Carnivorous Flower rushed forward to shield them with its body, and at that critical moment, the Money Tree erupted with full force.

Countless defense barriers layered upon each other, shattering and regenerating in rapid succession.

Carrot gritted its teeth, its black bean eyes nearly spitting fire.

[ A mutated plant nearby has entered a Berserk State. Please take cover! (from Encyclopedia entry “Carrot”) ]

A dense rain of carrots instantly descended, piercing the skulls of every zombie with perfect accuracy.

Simultaneously, the ground began to tremble.

Leaves whipped through the air, tree trunks cracked and splintered, and broken branches tangled with mud and even the corpses of dead zombies, all churning together in a chaotic maelstrom.

Everything was under control. The ground surged like a raging sea, expanding outward to engulf and drown the Zombie Horde.

At the heart of the surging chaos stood Nan Tingjin.

The earthquake intensified, yet the Zombie King remained rooted in place. The tears in its flesh multiplied, its wounds deepening under the relentless assault of Carrot’s thorns.

Wind blades erupted from within its body, coalescing into a swirling vortex, but they couldn’t advance even an inch further.

Still, the Zombie King resisted Nan Tingjin’s control. Its twisted arm straightened, and it slowly rose to its full height.

Forcing itself to move, the Zombie King flickered, vanishing from its spot.

Through the chaotic wall of wind, Nan Tingjin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The wind howled louder, and Sunflower urgently summoned all plants to retreat. Outside, a series of massive explosions echoed as zombies triggered Potato’s buried landmines.

Amid the chaos, Qian Hui could see nothing. He reached out and grabbed Nan Tingjin’s arm. “Xiao Jin?”

Nan Tingjin glanced sideways. The wind abruptly ceased, and the churning ground stilled.

Qian Hui’s breath trembled as he slowly surveyed the surroundings.

A vast clearing had been carved out of the once-dense forest, the vegetation uprooted, and the pungent stench of fresh earth filled the air.

The Zombie King had vanished.

The Zombie Horde at the front had been completely immobilized, leaving only a few stragglers fleeing at the rear.

Carrot tried to pursue the Zombie King, but Qian Hui stopped it.

“Carrot,” Qian Hui fed it an energy booster, “let it go.”

Carrot had just used its energy-charged attack and was now at its weakest. The other plants had also sustained injuries.

Though the Zombie King had escaped, the Plant Squad desperately needed to regroup and recover.

Carnivorous Flower opened its mouth, intending to carry everyone away, but Chili Pepper refused to budge.

After taking the medicine Qian Hui had given it, Chili Pepper grabbed Corn and Potato and began searching for nearby dead mid- and high-grade zombies, determined to dig out all their crystal cores.

These are our spoils of war!

Little Bamboo Shoot helped, while Little Cabbage, with Apple peeking out of its backpack, carried a small wooden basin used for washing faces to collect the crystal cores.

Once all the crystal cores were dug out and stored, Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin entered Carnivorous Flower’s mouth, followed by the other plants.

Carnivorous Flower scanned its surroundings before choosing a direction and moving away.

Meanwhile, far beyond the forest, beneath the ruins of the city, the Zombie King glared at Carnivorous Flower’s retreating form, its blood-red eyes burning with fury.

[ The Fourth Faction Conflict has concluded. Congratulations to our side for securing victory! Reward: 200 Prestige Points! ]

The Game Notification arrived belatedly after Qian Hui had escaped the forest.

He repeatedly reread the message, still shaken by the near-disaster.

The Zombie Horde’s sheer quantity had been overwhelming. With the horde’s support, the Zombie King proved impossible for the current Plant Squad to defeat.

Without Nan Tingjin’s intervention, the Plant Squad would have suffered far greater casualties.

Fortunately, none of the plants sustained serious injuries. Thanks to Sunflower’s presence and the healing potions, they recovered quickly, though they remained somewhat fatigued and in need of rest.

However, the battle yielded a substantial reward: their credits had increased by a staggering… eighty thousand!

Just then, another Game Notification popped up.

[ Story Point Triggered: Obtained the original ending for the special-grade mutated plant Sunflower. ]

[ Sunflower, special-grade mutated plant. Origin unknown, age unknown. Possesses a unique healing ability. Temperament gentle, Combat Power negligible. Years after the apocalypse, it was captured and imprisoned by Zombie King (Number 03). Later discovered by human ability users, it died from injuries sustained during the ensuing struggle between humans and zombies for its possession. ]

Qian Hui’s breath caught in his throat. He silently closed the notification, unwilling to share this grim revelation with the other plants.

So… if they had failed, the consequences would have been far more severe than they could have imagined.

Qian Hui felt a wave of lingering fear, but also immense relief.

Thank goodness he had found Sunflower in time. Thank goodness they had won.

Just like with Carnivorous Flower, he had altered the original fate of two plants.

Seeing Qian Hui sitting motionless and silent, as if still shaken by the ordeal, Carrot nudged closer to comfort him.

It let out a series of “woo woo” sounds, first scolding the Zombie King—vowing to twist off its head sooner or later!

Then, it praised the Plant Squad’s excellent performance!

Carrot complimented each plant individually, including Nan Tingjin.

It was thanks to Nan Tingjin’s intervention that the Zombie King had escaped so quickly… In short, Carrot’s impression of Nan Tingjin had drastically improved, and its gaze toward him was now much friendlier.

The other plants lay scattered about, exhausted but visibly pleased with their victory.

Chili Pepper sprawled comfortably atop a backpack overflowing with crystal cores, fast asleep.

Potato dragged Corn around, repeatedly asking if it had heard the explosion at the end. Potato had hidden a massive landmine in the forest.

Qian Hui rested his cheek against his knees and stroked Carrot’s leaves. “Mm-hmm.”

The Carnivorous Flower advanced relentlessly, sunlight filtering through its slightly parted teeth.

A familiar presence drew near, and Qian Hui looked up.

It was Nan Tingjin.

Nan Tingjin reached out, and after a moment’s hesitation, Qian Hui burrowed into his arms.

“Thank you,” Qian Hui murmured. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Nan Tingjin replied. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”

Qian Hui hummed in acknowledgment, tightening his grip around Nan Tingjin’s waist, relishing the warmth of his body.

After a long while, his thoughts gradually calmed, and he relaxed completely. Then he heard Nan Tingjin ask, “Have you decided? Will you come back with me?”

Qian Hui looked up at him, momentarily speechless.

“I’ll take you to find the special-grade mutated plant,” Nan Tingjin said softly. “I can protect you.”

[ You seem to have secured some promises from the opposing faction. A single seed may yet grow into a towering tree. Reward: 50 Prestige Points. ]

Qian Hui stared blankly, his expression dazed.

Nan Tingjin couldn’t resist leaning down to press a gentle kiss against his cheek.

The kiss was light, fleeting, the kind Qian Hui was accustomed to—purely tender, devoid of any forcefulness or ulterior motives.

He waited patiently. Qian Hui’s eyelashes fluttered, and finally, he nodded. “Mm.”