Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Even before the Zombie Horde appeared, Qian Hui had already planned to go to the Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Little Bamboo Shoot had once heard about special-grade mutated plants, and Nan Tingjin hadn’t been lying. Qian Hui couldn’t afford to miss any news about the plants in the Small Courtyard.

There was also a crucial reason…

Although they had won the direct confrontation with the Zombie Horde, it wasn’t enough.

The Plant Squad wasn’t strong enough; they could become much stronger.

The Carnivorous Flower was being hunted by human ability users, and the Sunflower was imprisoned by zombies. If even special-grade mutated plants faced such fates, what hope remained for lower-grade, weaker mutated plants?

Qian Hui now truly understood that plants were simultaneously threatened by both humans and zombies. If this situation couldn’t be changed, they wouldn’t survive for long.

Even his Plant Squad, which had won this time, might face even more perilous circumstances in the future.

The fastest way to enhance the squad’s combat power was to find special-grade mutated plants.

In addition, he needed to cultivate relationships with more new plants and keep them by his side to nurture.

Qian Hui decided to first go to Black Ridge Mountain and then return to the forest where the Carnivorous Flower lived.

That area was a high-risk zone teeming with mutated plants, and the Encyclopedia entries there were the most numerous.

I wonder if the plants will remember me when I return…

Qian Hui asked, “Can Xiao Zi and the others come with us?”

Nan Tingjin replied, “Yes, they can.”

“You said you’d make arrangements,” Qian Hui said, still anxious. “There won’t be any danger, will there?”

“No,” Nan Tingjin said, holding him close. “I’ll be there.”

Finally reassured, Qian Hui nestled obediently in his arms.

Having left the forest and the zombie horde far behind, Qian Hui relaxed, though he felt utterly exhausted.

The massive purchase of Skill Points seemed to have drained his energy as well.

He buried his face in Nan Tingjin’s collar, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep, inhaling the scent of his clothes.

When he awoke, the Carnivorous Flower had traveled a great distance and arrived at the ruins of an unfamiliar city.

With no forest nearby, it found a relatively intact building and entered the ground floor.

The Carnivorous Flower exhaled several breaths onto the floor, blowing away dust and debris, then opened its mouth to release Qian Hui, Nan Tingjin, and the plants.

The environment here wasn’t too bad—a remote, low-risk area with few wandering zombies. The scarcity of resources also meant fewer human groups passed through.

The building’s interior was sturdy, with drafty windows. Qian Hui bought several large towels and spread them on the floor as makeshift carpets.

With no water source nearby, Qian Hui bought dozens of bottles of drinking water to wipe down and clean the plants.

The Plant Squad’s battle against the Zombie Horde had earned Qian Hui over eighty thousand credits in one go, making this expense negligible.

The original small basin used for washing faces was now filled with crystal cores, so Qian Hui bought a larger one.

The Carnivorous Flower, having worked tirelessly throughout the journey, was the first to be cleaned and went straight to sleep. The remaining plants lined up to wait their turn.

After a good night’s rest in a safe place, Qian Hui’s spirits lifted considerably, and he belatedly felt a surge of joy.

He hugged each plant in turn, praising them at length while checking their Status, administering a pill or two as needed, and offering their favorite snacks.

Little Cabbage and Apple stood by with small towels, occasionally helping out or handing Qian Hui water bottles.

Apple, new to the group, was a bit shy and quiet, but it adapted quickly.

Little Bamboo Shoot was last in line, clutching its two layers of outer shells and bamboo blade, intending to clean itself.

But Little Cabbage approached and proactively took the shells and blade away.

Qian Hui picked up Little Bamboo Shoot and gently wiped it down, including its delicate leafy hands and feet.

The towel carried too many mixed scents, and Little Bamboo Shoot, still drowsy, felt surrounded by a multitude of plants.

After wiping Little Bamboo Shoot clean, Qian Hui bought a bottle of Evolution Liquid.

“Thank you,” he said, placing the bottle in front of Little Bamboo Shoot. “This is for you.”

After the battle, Little Bamboo Shoot’s Loyalty had skyrocketed to 70%.

Although this was likely largely due to Sunflower’s influence, Qian Hui still bought the Evolution Liquid for Little Bamboo Shoot, despite its recent addition to the Plant Squad.

Before the Zombie King appeared, Sunflower had relayed information that Little Bamboo Shoot had specifically sought out and single-handedly killed a high-grade zombie known for its tracking abilities.

Little Bamboo Shoot was remarkably strong and had proven invaluable in this battle. It was also intelligent enough that Qian Hui wouldn’t mind if it chose to leave after consuming the Evolution Liquid.

Besides, with his current surplus of credits, a bottle of Evolution Liquid was a small price to pay, especially since it wouldn’t delay purchasing Resurrection Beans for Little Mushroom.

Little Bamboo Shoot was overwhelmed by the gift.

It understood the significance of Evolution Liquid—a substance that could accelerate evolution and was crucial for any mutated plant, regardless of its elemental affinity.

It clung tightly to Qian Hui’s hand, nuzzling against it for a long moment before accepting the shell Little Cabbage offered. After putting on the shell, it opened the bottle of Evolution Liquid and drank it down.

Just two minutes later, Qian Hui opened the Encyclopedia and saw that Little Bamboo Shoot’s advanced skill had already refreshed.

[ Basic Skill: Blade Technique (80% Accuracy) ]

[ Advanced Skill: Dual Blade Technique (70% accuracy) / Replicated Flying Knife (90% accuracy) ]

[ Berserk Skill: Unknown ]

Qian Hui hadn’t yet grasped the meaning of “Replicated Flying Knife” when he saw Little Bamboo Shoot swing its bamboo blade toward an empty corner of the wall.

Instantly, a second blade materialized, flying out and embedding itself deeply into the wall before slowly vanishing.

So… it’s transformed from melee to ranged combat!

Little Bamboo Shoot’s eyes widened. After hugging Qian Hui for a long moment, it scurried over to Sunflower to show off its new skill.

All the plants were resting at this time. Qian Hui patted Little Cabbage and Apple, urging them to rest as well.

Little Cabbage tugged Apple away, and Qian Hui rose to approach Nan Tingjin.

“Are you really okay?” Qian Hui produced two universal medicine pills. “These might be safe for humans too…”

Nan Tingjin pulled him into a hug. “I don’t need them.”

But Qian Hui insisted, determined to make Nan Tingjin take the medicine.

Seeing the pills offered before him, Nan Tingjin finally swallowed them.

Qian Hui watched him intently. “Do you feel anything?”

“Nothing,” Nan Tingjin replied.

“Alright…”

Qian Hui lowered his gaze, reaching out to touch the Soft Vine coiled around Nan Tingjin’s neck.

Recalling the events after the Zombie King’s appearance, he suddenly realized that the Soft Vine’s restraints seemed to have no effect on Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui hadn’t originally planned to ask Nan Tingjin for help. He was the human leader they had “kidnapped,” and the zombies’ target was only the Plant Squad.

Qian Hui had known Nan Tingjin was formidable since their reunion, and now he had gained a new level of understanding.

So… there was no longer any need to keep him “bound.”

As if understanding Qian Hui’s thoughts, Soft Vine released Nan Tingjin and smoothly retreated to Qian Hui’s wrist.

Qian Hui stroked Soft Vine’s leaves, then glanced nervously at Nan Tingjin.

Just last night, Carrot had insisted on keeping him bound, arguing it was the safest way to reach Black Ridge Mountain Base, since they held the Leader’s life in their hands.

But now…

Yet Nan Tingjin showed no reaction to Soft Vine’s departure.

He remained as before, his aura subdued and gentle, with no sign of any intention to act.

Qian Hui recalled the Game Notification that had awarded him 50 Prestige Points for “winning a promise.”

The notification had offered no further details or explanations, leaving the outcome entirely unknown.

But now, it seemed he could trust Nan Tingjin.

Several plants around them were asleep, only Chili Pepper remained alert, still counting the crystal cores in its small wooden basin.

Qian Hui lowered his voice, quietly asking Nan Tingjin, “How are we going to get to the base?”

Nan Tingjin’s lips curved into a smile as he reached out to stroke Qian Hui’s silver hair.

Around four or five in the afternoon, three modified vehicles pulled up to the roadside.

The squad waited for a long time, until they were certain the Zombie King had left and wouldn’t return, before venturing into the forest to gather information.

When they reached the forest’s center and witnessed the scene of utter devastation—the ground littered with zombie remains—their faces were a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Could all this… have been caused by those two special-grade mutated plants?

The two scouts who had observed through binoculars earlier had a limited view. They had only seen the Carnivorous Flower and the Carrot’s thorns. After the Carnivorous Flower left, they hadn’t noticed its mouth was completely stuffed.

“What’s this?” Someone bent down, wearing gloves, and dug a clump of yellow material out of the soil.

He examined it closely, frowning. “…Corn?”

The small, sticky clump of corn had a strange odor and was corrosive.

It looked like something mutated plants used to attack…

The squad quickly searched the area and found more bombs and fragments of chili pepper seeds.

They carefully collected these items, preparing to take them back to base.

The team also examined several zombie corpses, identifying the wounds as having been inflicted by mutated plants.

This confirmed that more than just two or three mutated plants were coordinating their attacks; there were likely five to six… or even more.

But who had created the horrifying scene before them? The squad’s first thought was the Carnivorous Flower. Its energy-charged attacks could unleash shockwaves with similar effects, but according to the base’s understanding of it, the flower shouldn’t be capable of such devastation.

Regardless, they needed to bring back every piece of information they could find.

One member of the team pulled out an old-fashioned camera and snapped several photos in quick succession.

Meanwhile, inside the abandoned low-rise building, Chili Pepper was boiling water with chili pepper seeds.

Carrot plucked several carrot thorns from its head, mashed them into a paste, and added it to the water, along with a bit of corn oil squeezed from corn dough dumplings.

Dissatisfied with the color, it grabbed a leaf from the Money Tree, tore it into pieces, and tossed them in.

Nearby, Qian Hui stood with his eyes wrapped in a strip of cloth. He carefully took a step forward, trying to adjust to his sudden blindness.

But with complete darkness before him, Qian Hui grew increasingly anxious, instinctively reaching out. “Xiao Jin?”

In an instant, a familiar hand grasped his.

Qian Hui removed the cloth and looked at Nan Tingjin, hesitating. “Are you sure this will work…?”

To infiltrate the human base, he needed a disguise, but the potion’s effects were temporary. The plants were helping him prepare a hair dye that would cover his silver hair and last for several days.

His eye color, however, couldn’t be changed and had to be completely hidden.

“Don’t worry,” Nan Tingjin reassured him. “This is the simplest way.”

Qian Hui could pass as a human ability user, claiming his ability was concentrated in his eyes, making it understandable why he couldn’t show them freely.

But this meant he would be effectively blind, only able to move freely when alone with Nan Tingjin.

After several attempts, Qian Hui still struggled to adapt to the sensation of being blind, likely due to the limited practice time.

Nan Tingjin slowly pulled him into his arms, soothing him. “With me here, there’s nothing to worry about.”