Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

As the modified car drew closer to the mountains, the massive object within became increasingly visible.

Qian Hui slowly widened his eyes. “That’s…”

Three plants perched on his shoulder. Chili Pepper and Little Bamboo Shoot gazed with curiosity, while Carrot’s expression gradually shifted from confusion to delight.

It nearly leaped off to fly toward the object on its thorn, but Qian Hui stopped it.

“No running off!” Qian Hui pressed Carrot against his chest, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “We’ll be there soon.”

With no humans nearby, caution remained paramount. The plants couldn’t be seen.

The car continued until it reached an iron gate.

The gate stood unguarded, with only a surveillance device attached to the lock. The instrument’s screen was completely covered in dust, suggesting it rarely saw use.

Sensing the approach of a special-grade mutated plant, Nan Tingjin exited the car alone. Just as the device was about to transmit a signal to the base, he deactivated it.

He retrieved a key, unlocked the gate, and returned to the car.

Beyond the gate lay the mountains, their edges enclosed by high walls that formed part of the base’s perimeter. The walls stretched endlessly into the distance.

Watchtowers were spaced along the walls, each manned by rotating guards. Anyone attempting to breach the base’s Restricted Zone from the outside would be immediately detected.

The iron gate stood unguarded, allowing seamless entry from within.

After passing the “Restricted Zone” sign, Nan Tingjin drove the modified car into the mountains.

There was no road through the forest initially, but as the car approached, the trees and vegetation slowly parted, the uneven ground automatically filled in and smoothed out, and a road materialized out of thin air.

Qian Hui knew this was Nan Tingjin’s ability and gazed curiously out the window.

As they drew closer to their destination, the massive shadow looming between the mountains gradually revealed its true form.

It was incredibly tall, dwarfing even the largest Carnivorous Flower by a significant margin. From a distance, its rounded exterior resembled a giant gray-brown egg.

Qian Hui murmured, “Xiao Guo…”

Even though it looked different from before, he was absolutely certain it was the plant from the Little Courtyard—his former friend, Round Nut.

Qian Hui suppressed his excitement, but Carrot couldn’t wait. The carrot thorn shot out from his arms and darted forward.

This time, Qian Hui didn’t stop it. Carrot weaved swiftly through the forest, occasionally leaping and gliding, moving faster than the car and vanishing in an instant.

Chili Pepper and Little Bamboo Shoot remained quietly by Qian Hui’s side. Chili Pepper sniffed the air outside, finding it remarkably clean.

This was the territory of the Black Ridge Mountain Base, devoid of humans and zombies. Apart from the scent of vegetation, there was only a faint… nutty aroma.

Yet the aura of this special-grade mutated plant was surprisingly weak. Whether intentionally concealed or due to some other reason, it smelled only slightly stronger than a high-level mutant plant.

After several minutes, the vehicle finally approached Round Nut.

Qian Hui quickly got out and saw Carrot standing beside the giant nut’s massive body, turning to look at him.

From a distance, Carrot’s black bean eyes and expressionless face revealed no emotion, yet they seemed to convey a hint of loneliness and worry.

A sudden unease gripped Qian Hui’s heart, and he hurried over.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, picking up Carrot and looking up at the giant nut.

“Xiao Guo?” Qian Hui called out, raising his voice slightly, and reached out to touch the nut’s rough shell.

The shell felt warm to the touch, its surface marked with several abrasions and scars.

There were even zombie bite marks, seemingly old but not fully healed.

Qian Hui called out again, “Xiao Guo!” and finally realized something was wrong.

The nut didn’t respond, not even twitching.

Confused and puzzled, Qian Hui circled half the giant nut, calling out again, “Xiao Guo!”

Carrot tugged at his sleeve and shook its head.

It had already tried earlier, even flying to the top of Nut and forcefully slapping it several times.

Nut remained motionless, silent, and unresponsive. It couldn’t even find its eyes or mouth.

In its current state, it seemed to have withdrawn its entire body into its shell.

At that moment, Nan Tingjin approached. “It hasn’t moved for a long time.”

Qian Hui looked at him, anxious and helpless. “What… what’s wrong with it?”

“I’m not sure,” Nan Tingjin replied truthfully. “Perhaps it’s asleep.”

This special-grade mutated plant had appeared shortly after the apocalypse.

It seemed to have always inhabited these mountains and forests, but it often hid itself, rarely revealing its presence. Later, when humans began constructing a base nearby, it was once besieged by a Zombie Horde.

It was during that attack that the massive Zombie Horde likely startled or enraged it. The plant grew to an enormous size, attempting to crush any living creature that approached.

Special-grade mutated plants possess immense power, and this one was not only gigantic but also had an incredibly hard shell, seemingly impervious to pain.

With its presence, the besieging Zombie Horde failed and fled. Yet the plant remained in its colossal form, ceaselessly roaming the mountains and forests like a colossal, runaway boulder.

Initially, because the inner part of the forest was difficult to wall off, human ability users tried to drive it away, but all their methods proved futile.

The other mutated plants hiding in the area, fearing accidental harm, gradually fled.

Later, human ability users discovered that it never left the mountain forest, so they simply incorporated the area into the base and designated it as a Restricted Zone.

Over time, its movements became increasingly infrequent, slowing from days to weeks, then to months.

Now, it had been over seven months since its last movement, and its aura had noticeably weakened.

When stationary, it remained completely unresponsive to external stimuli, just as it was now.

Around this time last year, some at the base speculated that it might be nearing death.

After years of maintaining its colossal form, even the most formidable mutated plant would eventually exhaust itself.

Initially, it had repelled massive Zombie Hordes, indirectly providing invaluable assistance to the base, giving it a precarious status within the community.

Wen Jue had once proposed relocating the plant, but the base’s residents refused. Yet they also feared its awakening, fearing it would cause further trouble.

Even if they wanted to awaken it, they lacked any means to do so.

Hearing Nan Tingjin’s account, Qian Hui’s breath trembled, his heart aching with sorrow and pity.

Back in the Plant Little Courtyard, Nut’s unique ability had always forced it to shield its companions, enduring the brunt of zombie attacks and suffering the most injuries.

Nut appeared brave and fearless, never showing fear in the face of any zombie.

The other plants in the Little Courtyard dared not provoke it; its shell was too hard, like fighting a wall, and their leaves would be scraped raw in just a few clashes.

But Qian Hui knew that Nut was actually introverted and quiet, not particularly brave. It preferred to hide away and carve wooden sculptures and create handicrafts alone.

It was also very gentle, its voice always soft and muffled, making it seem shy and reserved.

The ring Qian Hui had given Nan Tingjin was one Nut had taught him how to carve.

After arriving here, Nut must have been terrified.

Qian Hui could imagine how panicked it must have felt when confronted by the Zombie Horde.

So many zombies—hundreds, even thousands, more than the ones that had invaded the Little Courtyard before. In its panic, Nut had expanded to its maximum size to arm itself, then retreated deep inside its shell.

It probably had no idea how much time had passed, or whether the Zombie Horde had left. As time wore on, it gradually forgot and fell into a deep slumber.

The giant Nut stood motionless. Qian Hui approached and tried to hug it, pressing himself tightly against its shell.

He felt the warmth radiating from within the shell. “Xiao Guo…”

The game’s Encyclopedia had lit up, but it didn’t show a connection being established.

Carrot perched on Qian Hui’s shoulder, gently stroking his hair in a comforting gesture.

Chili Pepper and Little Bamboo Shoot peeked out from under the hood, remaining silent.

Before setting out to find this special-grade mutated plant, none of them had imagined it would be in such a state.

They had found it, and the journey had been surprisingly smooth, but now they didn’t know when it would awaken.

Even Carrot and Qian Hui’s calls were useless… Chili Pepper sighed quietly and clutched a strand of Qian Hui’s hair.

Footsteps approached. After waiting for a moment, Nan Tingjin slowly pulled Qian Hui closer, noticing the boy’s tearful expression.

He bent down and embraced Qian Hui, reassuring him, “It’s still alive. It will wake up.”

Qian Hui sniffled, “Mm.”

“It’s safe here,” Nan Tingjin added. “The wounds on its body were from the Zombie Horde’s attack. They’ve healed significantly.”

At least since Nan Tingjin became Leader, the base had no plans to remove this special-grade mutated plant, and no one dared trespass into the Restricted Zone.

Qian Hui hummed in agreement and tightened his arms around Nan Tingjin.

“Its name is Xiao Guo?” Nan Tingjin asked softly, stroking Qian Hui’s back. “What kind of plant is it?”

“It’s a Nut,” Qian Hui replied, lifting his head with a hint of reproach in his eyes. “I told you about it before.”

Unfortunately, Nan Tingjin didn’t remember, so he naturally wouldn’t know the mutated plant’s name.

Qian Hui took Nan Tingjin’s hand again and touched the wooden tail ring. “Xiao Guo taught me how to make this.”

Nan Tingjin hummed in acknowledgment and pulled him into another embrace. “Alright, I understand.”

After resting in Nan Tingjin’s arms for a while, Qian Hui looked back at the giant Nut.

“I need to bring Xiao Kui here,” he said. “Xiao Kui will definitely know what to do.”

The Nut’s current state was peculiar. Since it wasn’t awake, Qian Hui couldn’t administer medicine to it. But the Sunflower’s light might heal it, and perhaps even awaken it.

So Qian Hui stayed in the forest, continuing to try talking to the Nut, with Carrot and Chili Pepper keeping him company.

Nan Tingjin returned to the base to bring the Sunflower alone, while Little Bamboo Shoot would accompany him.

The two temporarily parted ways, and Nan Tingjin got back into the car.

Little Bamboo Shoot jumped in through the window, gave him a polite smile, and sat upright in a hidden corner beneath the window, clutching its bamboo blade.

They retraced their route and returned quickly, with the Sunflower carried in a backpack.

Qian Hui immediately took the Sunflower and sat beside the giant Nut on the grass.

He stroked the Sunflower’s leaves. “Xiao Kui, only you can help Xiao Guo now.”

Before Sunflower arrived, Qian Hui and Carrot had tried everything to move Nut, from shouting its name repeatedly to attacking it with carrot thorns, but nothing worked.

Sunflower’s petals flickered with light, seemingly surprised by Nut’s changed appearance.

It extended a leaf and gently touched Nut’s shell. In an instant, the light radiated outward, enveloping Nut’s entire body.

The soft, warm light was soothing rather than harsh, continuously transmitting healing energy and gentle calls.

Carrot leaned closer and saw the scars on Nut’s shell slowly healing.

Half an hour later, the shell had completely returned to its original state, even lightening in color, appearing significantly more vibrant than before.

Qian Hui waited anxiously for another half-hour.

Sunflower’s intense light had been constant, but now it seemed exhausted and paused to rest.

Qian Hui fed it a mana medicine and asked, “How is it going?”

Sunflower shook its head sadly, indicating it still hadn’t been able to awaken Nut.

The light could heal Nut’s old wounds and replenish much of its depleted energy, but Nut remained in a deep slumber, unresponsive.

Sunflower immediately comforted Qian Hui, suggesting that perhaps not enough time had passed and it would continue trying.

Qian Hui lowered his gaze and nodded. “Mm.”

Throughout the morning, Qian Hui and Sunflower remained by Nut’s side.

Nan Tingjin was also present. His communicator buzzed repeatedly, likely subordinates from the base trying to reach him.

Qian Hui urged him to return first, but he refused to leave.

By noon, Qian Hui needed to return to the base himself. The other plants were still there, and he was worried about them.

Sunflower volunteered to stay and continue watching over Nut.

Little Bamboo Shoot quickly raised its hand, offering to protect Sunflower and urging them both to go back.

As Qian Hui hesitated, Nan Tingjin assured him, “It’s perfectly safe here.”

No one could enter the Back Mountain Restricted Zone without the Leader’s permission, and guards patrolled the outer perimeter around the clock. Within the base’s boundaries, absolute security was guaranteed.

“Alright,” Qian Hui finally agreed, nodding. He bought some food and pills and handed them to Little Bamboo Shoot. “We’ll be back soon.”

Little Bamboo Shoot had invested numerous Skill Points and consumed Evolution Liquid, significantly enhancing its strength and intelligence.

Just to be safe, Carrot gave Little Bamboo Shoot a carrot thorn. If anything happened, Little Bamboo Shoot could crush it, and Carrot would sense the signal.

Little Bamboo Shoot accepted the carrot thorn, carefully tucking the pointed end into its outer shell. It sat beside Sunflower and waved goodbye to Qian Hui.

The modified car turned back the way it had come. This time, the road and forest behind the wheels slowly returned to their original state, leaving almost no trace of their passage.

During the return trip, Qian Hui remained gloomy.

Chili Pepper gently rubbed against his hand and pointed to its leafy leg.

It wanted to reassure Qian Hui that Nut would definitely wake up; it was just a matter of time.

Just like when Chili Pepper had been injured, its legs nearly severed and unable to walk, it had eventually fully recovered.

Qian Hui understood its meaning and forced a smile. “Yeah.”

At least he had successfully found Nut. It probably wasn’t too late yet.

Qian Hui thought that he and Sunflower could visit Nut every day, bringing Carnivorous Flower along.

With its old friends nearby, Nut would surely sense their presence.

Qian Hui even considered moving into the Restricted Zone forest permanently, so he could monitor Nut’s status at any time…

He hadn’t forgotten the Plot Point notification from the previous night. Opening the Game’s Quest Log, he checked for any progress updates.

Sure enough, the Plot Point progress had increased to 20%, with a new line of text added below:

[ Exploration of the base’s Restricted Zone completed. ]

Upon closer inspection, Qian Hui confirmed it was indeed the Plot Point triggered last night.

So it wasn’t about the special-grade mutated plant after all…

It was about the Black Ridge Mountain Base itself?

If that were the case, this Plot Point should contain even more information than the previous two.

The base wasn’t just home to Nan Tingjin and Nut; it also housed numerous other human ability users, all of whom might be relevant to this Plot Point.

Qian Hui pondered this, silently noting the information.

Now that the completion progress had been updated, should he take the time to explore other areas of the base?

Before long, the modified car approached the base’s residential area. Chili Pepper and Carrot ducked under their hoods, and Qian Hui pulled out a strip of cloth to blindfold himself.

The surroundings gradually grew less quiet. Occasionally, people stood by the roadside chatting or hurried past.

As the modified car came to a stop, Qian Hui sensed several gazes piercing through the windows, directed at him.

A stranger’s voice called out, “Leader, you’re finally back.”

Nan Tingjin had clearly returned and hadn’t left the base all morning, yet he’d been nowhere to be seen, taking Qian Hui with him to some unknown destination.

Nan Tingjin opened the car door. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing urgent, but we’ve suddenly received a surge of grain transport commissions. I thought I should check with you first…”

The speaker stood at a distance, occasionally glancing at Qian Hui.

The Black Ridge Mountain Base had a formidable reputation, but its commissions were notoriously high. Commissions like grain transport were usually handled by smaller bases.

Recently, however, two small bases had approached them in quick succession.

They claimed that their grain transport teams had mysteriously vanished mid-journey, along with the supplies. This had happened more than once recently.

In the years since the apocalypse, such incidents had become rare. If it were a zombie attack, at least the bodies would be found. Mutated plants, moreover, had no need to steal such large quantities of food.

They still suspected someone had deliberately orchestrated this to force the Black Ridge Mountain Base to intervene.

Hearing this, Nan Tingjin glanced up, his gaze sweeping over them coldly. “What? Do I need to teach you how to handle such matters?”

The man quickly lowered his head. “That’s not what I meant…”

Indeed, there was no need to consult Nan Tingjin on this. As long as the commission was adequate, any assignment could be accepted.

Moreover, Yuan Ji was at the base. He had full authority to accept or reject the transport of a few truckloads of grain.

The man had merely been passing by and happened to see Nan Tingjin with Qian Hui, wanting to steal a few more glances.

Sensing Nan Tingjin’s displeasure, he quickly excused himself, turning to leave with his companion.

Once they were alone, Nan Tingjin walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and reached in to lift Qian Hui out.

Qian Hui’s game interface was still open. He suddenly noticed that the progress bar for his Hidden Mission, “Infiltrate the Zombie Faction,” had jumped by 10%.

He let out a soft “Huh?” and asked quietly, “What was that man saying just now?”

“Some assignments,” Nan Tingjin said as he carried Qian Hui into the low building. “If you want to know more, I’ll take you to see them another day.”

Nan Tingjin had only said it casually, but Qian Hui nodded earnestly. “Mm.”

With the special-grade mutated plant in the Restricted Zone having awakened, it meant he would be staying at the base longer. He seemed willing to remain.

Nan Tingjin paused briefly before pushing open the door to his room.

He set Qian Hui on the low cabinet by the door and leaned in to kiss his pale cheek.

Qian Hui pushed him away, but Nan Tingjin didn’t budge. He reached up and tore off the blindfold, just as a muffled thump came from the adjacent room.

Carrot and Chili Pepper reacted instantly, popping out of Qian Hui’s hood and darting toward the sound.

The door to the next room was locked from the inside. Carrot pressed its face against the crack under the door, peering through.

Inside, chaos seemed to reign. Several plants scurried about, trying to keep the noise to a minimum.

Suddenly, Potato rolled past at top speed, pursued by Durian, who was trying to stab it with his thorns.

Potato cried out in panic, “Woo woo! Woo!”