Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The modified car left the park, the Plot Point progress bar now at 60%, with only two locations remaining.

The front hall, responsible for receiving and assigning various missions and bounties, and the base training grounds were both situated outside the Inner Gate area.

These two locations were usually the most crowded. Even with prior arrangements, Qian Hui’s appearance alongside Nan Tingjin would inevitably attract attention.

Before exiting the Inner Gate, Nan Tingjin thoroughly explained the mission assignment procedures. Qian Hui grasped the gist, and as the modified car approached the front hall, the progress bar jumped by 20%.

Hearing the footsteps of people coming and going outside and inside the hall, Qian Hui leaned closer to Nan Tingjin and murmured, “Let’s skip this place.”

Nan Tingjin responded with a curt “Alright” and steered the car away.

The modified car moved slowly. Qian Hui lifted a hand to touch the blindfold, discreetly lifting it a fraction.

Confirming no one was around, he quickly asked Nan Tingjin, “That day… the one delivering the grain… could he be connected to the zombies?”

Qian Hui recalled that one of Nan Tingjin’s subordinates had mentioned a grain delivery mission. The task of “secretly approaching the Zombie Faction to observe their activities” had immediately added 10% to the progress bar.

Qian Hui didn’t quite understand what was happening, nor did he know the cause of the incident. But he was certain it was another evil deed by the zombies, likely connected to the escaped Zombie King 03.

He wanted to complete the Plot Point progress first, so he decided not to go to the front hall immediately and instead told Nan Tingjin about his suspicions.

“Zombies?” Nan Tingjin asked. “Why do you say that?”

Qian Hui couldn’t answer right away, keeping his head down. “Just… a sudden thought.”

He hadn’t even figured out many things himself—why he and the plants had come here, whether they could ever return to the Plant Little Courtyard… So he had never mentioned the Game’s existence.

When Qian Hui told the three plants he had a way to revive Little Mushroom, they seemed to never doubt him.

But if he were to explain now, how could he possibly describe it?

A mysterious Game that had suddenly appeared, providing him with abundant resources and all sorts of strange information…

Nan Tingjin didn’t press further. “I’ll have them keep an eye out.”

The grain transport mission had already been accepted, with Yuan Ji personally leading the expedition. Before departing, Yuan Ji had sent a message to Nan Tingjin.

Arriving at the training ground entrance, Nan Tingjin stopped the vehicle, retrieved his communicator, and sent a message to Yuan Ji.

A subordinate came to greet him outside the training ground, but seeing Nan Tingjin raise his hand to stop him, the subordinate tactfully withdrew.

Qian Hui got out of the car and asked curiously, “What’s this place for?”

“Training and familiarizing with abilities,” Nan Tingjin replied, standing beside the car. He seemed reluctant to take Qian Hui inside. “It’s crowded in there. Do you still want to go?”

But this was the only location left. Once they visited it, they should unlock the Plot Point.

Qian Hui unconsciously leaned closer to Nan Tingjin and clutched his sleeve. “Yes.”

So Nan Tingjin took his hand and led him through the iron gate at the entrance.

Inside, the surroundings were a cacophony of indistinguishable noises.

Unable to see, Qian Hui only perceived the overwhelming din—at least several dozen humans were gathered here.

The aura of human ability users was thick and their emotions ran high. The two plants beneath his hood grew wary.

However, no one was near Qian Hui. Nan Tingjin must have guided him along the least crowded path.

After a few minutes, a subordinate hurried over and whispered, “Leader, this way.”

After two more turns, the noise subsided slightly, and Qian Hui was led to a chair and seated.

Nan Tingjin released his hand and moved a short distance away. Moments later, Qian Hui heard the sounds of a window closing and curtains being drawn.

“All done.”

Qian Hui tore off the blindfold and cautiously looked around.

He was in a room with the door and window shut, a narrow gap left between the curtains.

The former subordinates had already left, leaving only Nan Tingjin and Qian Hui inside.

The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a table and chairs. Qian Hui rose and walked around the room before stopping at the window.

He hid behind the curtain and peered outside, his eyes widening slightly.

The scene resembled an arena, with tiered stands rising from the ground, about half-filled with spectators. The crowd was larger than he had anticipated, numbering over a hundred human Ability Users.

In the central arena below, four figures were locked in combat.

Each possessed a different ability and wielded crude weapons. They fought with desperate intensity, their movements far too fierce for mere “training.”

Soon, one of the fighters was wounded in the abdomen and collapsed to the ground, his fate uncertain. The pitch-black arena floor made it impossible to discern how much blood he had lost.

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers and curses as the fighter fell.

In a corner beneath the stands, a table surrounded by several people appeared to be a betting station.

Qian Hui’s pale eyelashes trembled, his expression dazed, as if he had been frightened.

Suddenly, his vision went dark as a strip of cloth was re-tied over his eyes.

Nan Tingjin wrapped his arms around him from behind. “It’s alright, don’t look.”

Qian Hui slowly turned and clung tightly to Nan Tingjin.

Still shaken, he couldn’t help but ask, “That person… is he dead?”

“No,” Nan Tingjin said, stroking Qian Hui’s hair. “After it’s over, someone will heal him.”

In a battle of this scale, an Ability User wouldn’t die so easily.

The base’s training grounds had always been like this—not just for combat practice, but also to determine winners and rankings. Only the strong could claim everything. If anyone couldn’t handle it, they were free to leave for another base.

Qian Hui murmured softly, “Then… did you used to be like them too?”

Nan Tingjin paused. “Yes.”

Before him, there had been two other Leaders. Every Ability User who joined the base had to enter the training grounds.

Yet throughout the entire base, few had ever managed to injure him.

Qian Hui knew Nan Tingjin was incredibly strong, but his heart still ached. He clung tightly to him.

So this was how Nan Tingjin had spent the six years they were apart.

And what about Carnivorous Flower, Carrot, Sunflower captured by zombies, Nut slumbering in the mountains, and Little Mushroom, still waiting to revive…?

He loathed this place and longed to gather all his plants and return with them to the Little Courtyard.

Qian Hui was in low spirits when he heard Nan Tingjin ask, “Shall we go back?”

The notification that the Plot Point progress had reached 100% popped up just as he let out a soft “hmm.”

Nan Tingjin led Qian Hui out of the room and back along the outermost edge of the stands, retracing their steps.

The battles inside continued, but Qian Hui tried not to listen. Only after they were back in the modified car did he open the Game Interface.

[ Black Ridge Mountain Base exploration complete! Hidden Plot Point obtained.</i>

The modified car began to move, heading back to the low-rise building. Qian Hui opened the Plot Point.

[ Black Ridge Mountain Base: Medium-sized, ranked among the top three in overall strength. Criticized by outsiders for refusing to accept any ordinary humans. It survives by taking on various commissions and bounties, often disregarding rules in daily life but maintaining relative integrity in business dealings. Several years after the apocalypse, it was jointly besieged by several Great Bases during a conflict, ultimately defeated, and taken over by Sky Base.</i>

Qian Hui frowned as he read through the information. Another notification popped up.

[ Obtained original endings for key base personnel.</i>

[ Nan Tingjin: Leader of the base at the time, his ability was Rule-type, grade SSS. Cold-blooded, ruthless, and merciless, he reveled in slaughter. A lifelong bachelor, he disliked companionship, though rumors once circulated about his pursuit of a same-sex partner, which ended without resolution after the apocalypse. He vanished without a trace after the base was captured and taken over, at the age of twenty-six.</i>

[ Yuan Ji, then Captain of the Base, natural-type ability user, SSS-grade…</i>

Several unfamiliar names followed, and Qian Hui didn’t scroll further.

He reread the passage describing Nan Tingjin repeatedly, confusion growing.

‘Long-term bachelor’…

Qian Hui understood the meaning of those words, but wasn’t he Nan Tingjin’s lover?

Could the information be wrong? Or… or were they secretly together, their relationship never discovered by anyone?

‘Once pursued someone’… What did that mean? Who was it?

Qian Hui’s mind grew more chaotic, and he didn’t notice the modified car had already stopped.

The door opened, and Nan Tingjin lifted him out of the car, carrying him toward the low building.

Qian Hui remained silent in his arms. Once they were upstairs in the room, he removed the blindfold and stared intently at Nan Tingjin.

Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Qian Hui mumbled, unable to resist leaning closer to inhale Nan Tingjin’s scent.

He carefully sniffed from Nan Tingjin’s cheek to his collar, examining every detail.

Could he have mistaken him? Was this Nan Tingjin, the one here, not the same Nan Tingjin from the cabin in the woods?

But how could this be? They looked exactly the same, even their auras were identical.

Moreover, the other plants from the Little Courtyard were here, and he himself was here too.

Qian Hui couldn’t understand what was wrong. He had always trusted the Game Notification’s information.

In the original endings of the previous two Plot Points, the first half of the descriptions had matched perfectly. For example, the Carnivorous Flower being hunted by human ability users and the Sunflower being imprisoned by zombies.

Only this time was different.

Even so, Qian Hui remained deeply worried.

He tugged at Nan Tingjin’s sleeve, frowning. “You… you all need to be careful of Sky Base. They’re definitely not good people.”

Nan Tingjin took Qian Hui’s hand. “Mm, I will.”

His quick agreement made Qian Hui emphasize again, “Really.”

The Plot Point didn’t specify the cause of the conflict. Remembering Nan Tingjin’s original ending, Qian Hui added, “And you need to be careful too. Don’t… don’t go running off on your own.”

His face was tense with worry, his words stumbling over each other. Nan Tingjin’s lips curved into a smile as he bent down to hug him. “Okay, I understand.”

Just then, Nan Tingjin’s communicator beeped twice in quick succession.

He released Qian Hui, took out the device, and checked it. The smile gradually faded from his face.

Several modified cars, bearing the Sky Base insignia, were parked along the road outside the Outer Gate of the base.

A group of people emerged from the vehicles and handed a paper document to the guard on duty.

The guard’s expression darkened. “Wait a moment,” he replied. “I’m notifying the Leader.”

The group’s leader, Zhao Xing, one of Wen Jue’s closest confidants, took the document and tucked it away. “The search warrant is properly stamped and signed,” he said calmly. “Even if your Leader refuses, you must open the gate.”

The search warrant was a rule jointly established by the Great Bases. Once approved by all responsible parties, it granted access to any human territory.

If the base refused to comply, Zhao Xing could immediately force entry with his men, and Black Ridge Mountain Base would face subsequent trials and punishment.

The guard suppressed his anger and forced a smile. “Your previous mission wasn’t completed, and the deposit was refunded, right? Didn’t you receive it?”

What else could Sky Base possibly want?

Yet even the guard knew that Wen Jue’s status and influence meant his word was law. Obtaining a search warrant would have been trivial for him.

Zhao Xing chuckled. “Then there’s even less to worry about. We only want to take a look around. If we’ve made a mistake, we’ll provide full compensation.”

In the car behind them, Wen Jue sat in the back seat.

He closed his eyes to rest, slowly turning a string of sandalwood beads in his hand.

After a moment, Wen Jue murmured, “The Carnivorous Flower… here of all places. How intriguing.”

He wasn’t particularly concerned about the Durian that Qi Yue had lost. It was just a high-level mutant plant. Even without this incident, he would have come here eventually.

As they approached their destination, the precognitive visions in Wen Jue’s mind grew clearer, though still fragmented.

Flashes of images flickered through his mind—not just the Carnivorous Flower, but other plants as well.

The visions grew increasingly chaotic, finally settling on a blood-soaked, lifeless face.

It was Zhao Xing.

Wen Jue’s hand stilled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

By now, the Outer Gate of the Black Ridge Mountain Base had opened. Zhao Xing leaned in through the car window. “Sir?”

Wen Jue’s expression darkened. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Enter.”

Inside the base, Shan Jun stood at an elevated vantage point.

He lowered his binoculars and murmured, “They’re here so soon…”

After sending the message that day, he received no reply. Shan Jun had assumed they’d given up.

Nan Tingjin had never been fond of Sky Base, and who could just waltz into the base anyway? It was obvious he would refuse.

Yet only two days later, Sky Base had obtained a search warrant. They must have been preparing for this long before even contacting him.

In the distance, behind tightly drawn curtains on the second floor, Qian Hui hid, also observing through binoculars.

He counted ten modified cars entering the base, with another four or five parked outside.

Recalling the description from the Plot Point he’d recently triggered, Qian Hui felt a surge of anxiety.

The other plants were in the back mountains, leaving only Chili Pepper and Carnivorous Flower by his side. Chili Pepper poked its head out from under his hood and took the binoculars from Qian Hui.

After studying the scene intently for a moment, Chili Pepper lowered the binoculars, its eyes simmering with suppressed fury, and handed them to Carnivorous Flower.

Carnivorous Flower, its head resting on Qian Hui’s other shoulder, shook its head to indicate it didn’t need them.

Its black bean eyes remained fixed on the distance, its nose twitching slightly as it sniffed the air.

A low growl rumbled in Carnivorous Flower’s throat, and its sharp teeth ground together menacingly.