Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Black Ridge Mountain Base, within the Restricted Zone.

Yuan Ji stood amidst the mountain forest, surveying the carnage around him.

The Carnivorous Flower had escaped under everyone’s eyes, and the search party sent after it returned empty-handed.

Of the thirty-odd Sky Base personnel who had entered the Restricted Zone, only Wen Jue and his four bodyguards remained. Zhao Xing’s entire squad had been wiped out.

The Giant Nut, which had been dormant halfway up the mountain, had also vanished, likely awakened and taken away by another mutated plant.

Yuan Ji had brought his team to investigate only after receiving news of the incident.

Even though they had previously known about the mutated plants in the mountain’s rear and had even confronted Sky Base personnel, the scale of the disaster still shocked them.

They had initially assumed Sky Base would suffer some injuries and hardships at most, never imagining an entire squad would be annihilated.

Wen Jue and his four bodyguards had lagged behind and managed to escape in time, or they likely would have shared the squad’s fate.

Yuan Ji, his face grim, ordered his subordinates to search the area thoroughly for any useful information.

The other half of Sky Base’s team, which had been stationed outside the Restricted Zone, also entered to join the search, removing all the corpses from the scene.

Ignoring his injuries, Wen Jue insisted on returning to the mountain’s rear with the team, sitting on a chair specially prepared for him.

Glancing at Zhao Xing’s blood-stained face, he calmly averted his gaze and closed his eyes to rest.

With Zhao Xing’s death, another subordinate took charge of the operation.

He found Yuan Ji, his eyes cold and piercing. “Someone saw Leader Nan here, and it appeared he was with the mutated plants. We demand an explanation.”

“An explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?” Yuan Ji leaned against a tree trunk. “Does this look like the aftermath of our Leader using his ability?”

The subordinate frowned, momentarily at a loss for words.

The surrounding area had been thoroughly searched. The battle traces were mostly from long-range attacks, likely from both the mutated plants and Zhao Xing’s squad.

Nan Tingjin’s ability was unique, making it impossible to deduce anything conclusive from the evidence alone.

“If that’s the case, Leader Nan is perfectly capable of concealing his movements,” the subordinate pressed. “In any case, Mr. Wen requires a meeting with your Leader.”

The loss of a thirty-man squad in the Restricted Zone’s back mountains was a major incident. The Black Ridge Mountain Base couldn’t afford to remain uninvolved.

Yuan Ji sighed. “To be honest, I’d like to know where our Leader is too.”

His expression turned worried, his tone growing serious. “I strongly suspect the plants kidnapped him and took him away.”

The subordinate sneered, “Kidnapped again? Leader Nan is truly beloved by mutated plants.”

Yuan Ji didn’t back down. “Believed or not, I can’t say. But your timing is certainly… convenient. Oh, right, you have a search warrant. What exactly are you looking for?”

The subordinate paused before asking about Qian Hui, “What about the heterochromatic-eyed youth who accompanies Leader Nan? Was he also taken?”

At the time, Wen Jue was standing some distance from his bodyguards, and Qian Hui was standing in the shadows of a tree, his pupils appearing dark, almost the same rusty color as his hair.

Though Wen Jue instinctively sensed Qian Hui’s unusual nature, he didn’t connect it to the characteristics of zombification.

Like Nan Tingjin, Wen Jue couldn’t perceive anything related to Qian Hui.

There was no future to glimpse, no past to piece together.

The plants around Qian Hui seemed shielded by some invisible barrier, making them undetectable. The escape route of the Carnivorous Flower remained a mystery.

“Heterochromatic-eyed youth?” Yuan Ji quickly caught on. “He hasn’t officially joined the base yet, so I don’t know much about him.”

“Alright,” the subordinate said, forcing a neutral expression, realizing he wouldn’t get any more information. “If you have any news about Leader Nan or the mutated plants, please notify us immediately.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say,” Yuan Ji replied with a smile. “Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything else.”

The subordinate nodded and left. Yuan Ji’s smile vanished.

He snorted coldly and resumed surveying the surroundings.

He genuinely didn’t know what had happened here or whether Nan Tingjin was involved.

But when faced with Sky Base, he would naturally prioritize protecting his own people.

In hindsight, their earlier decision to ignore the situation had been wise.

Otherwise, their personnel would likely have been attacked by the mutated plants as well.

Overall, apart from Nan Tingjin’s disappearance and the need to investigate the mutated plants’ infiltration, Black Ridge Mountain Base hadn’t suffered significant losses.

They had opened the gates for Sky Base to enter, allowed them to search freely, and even granted access to the Restricted Zone.

No one could have predicted the subsequent events.

Yuan Ji pondered for a moment, then retrieved his communicator and sent a message to Nan Tingjin.

He had already sent several messages earlier, but none had received a response.

This message, too, went unanswered.

Unfazed, Yuan Ji pocketed the communicator and urged his subordinates to hurry.

The Carnivorous Flower continued its relentless journey, steadily increasing the distance between itself and Black Ridge Mountain Base and the safe zone.

Following its original path, it carefully selected secluded ruins. After confirming each area was safe, it slowed its pace, occasionally pausing to sniff the air, searching for nearby wooded areas.

Through the gaps between the Carnivorous Flower’s teeth, Carrot peered out.

Qian Hui was still asleep, his breathing and body temperature now much more normal than before, resting securely in Nan Tingjin’s arms.

The Sunflower stood at the center, its petals radiating a gentle, steady light.

The Little Bamboo Shoot guarded nearby, clutching several pills Qian Hui had purchased earlier. It fed one to the Sunflower.

Beside the Little Bamboo Shoot sat a Pink Succulent.

The Pink Succulent was tiny, barely taller than an adult’s finger. Its limbs were slender branches, and its sesame-seed-sized eyes were located near its “root,” almost invisible without close inspection.

The succulent petals atop its head accounted for half its height, yet there were only three plump, tightly clustered lobes, a delicate shade of pink.

The Little Succulent crouched timidly in place, too afraid to move.

Little Bamboo Shoot discovered it—likely a low-level mutant plant brought by the Sky Base personnel. Its purpose remained unknown.

At the time, Qian Hui was feeling unwell and hadn’t noticed the unfamiliar plant nearby. Little Bamboo Shoot asked Carrot, who agreed to temporarily take Little Succulent along.

Later, Qian Hui slept soundly. Little Cabbage and Apple took turns comforting it for a while before hurrying off to tend to the other plants.

Soft Vine retrieved the stored food from the backpack and divided it among the Plant Squad. Little Cabbage and Apple then delivered the rations to each plant that had participated in the battle.

Potato quietly snuck over and pilfered half a bag of sugar from the backpack.

Corn, having unleashed its first charged attack, was both exhausted and exhilarated. It grabbed Money Tree and gestured wildly, explaining the details.

As it spoke, Corn finally collapsed, its eyes closing instantly as it fell into a deep sleep.

Durian, equally weary, rested close beside Carrot.

Chili Pepper sprawled comfortably in a corner, limbs stretched out.

Nut nestled in Qian Hui’s arms, and Little Cabbage brought it food as well.

Nut stared at the two crackers in Little Cabbage’s hand but didn’t move.

Apart from the three special-grade mutated plants, Nut was unfamiliar with the others and seemed reluctant to approach them.

Seeing Nut’s refusal, Little Cabbage scratched its head and went to find Carrot, hoping Carrot would deliver the crackers instead.

Carrot approached with the biscuit, but Nut still refused to take it, shrinking further into Qian Hui’s clothes, its eyes silently watching.

Accustomed to this behavior, Carrot simply ate the biscuit itself, crunching it down in a few bites.

Back in the Plant Little Courtyard, Nut had always been like this—not exactly timid, but certainly reserved.

After finishing the biscuit, Carrot patted Little Cabbage on the head and led it away.

Nut continued to watch quietly, then turned its back and went back to sleep.

It wasn’t until the Carnivorous Flower reached an unfamiliar forest and prepared to stop for rest that Qian Hui finally woke up.

Nan Tingjin carried him out, and Qian Hui gazed around at the unfamiliar trees, his mind still hazy.

A small stream flowed nearby. Carrot soaked a towel in the water and asked Chili Pepper to warm it up before bringing it over to wipe Qian Hui’s face.

After the wipe, Qian Hui seemed to fully regain his senses, staring blankly at Nan Tingjin.

Nan Tingjin sat beneath a tree, holding Qian Hui’s hand. “Feeling better?”

Still half-leaning against Nan Tingjin’s chest, Qian Hui nodded slowly.

Having just woken up, the Nan Tingjin before him almost perfectly overlapped with the one from his dream, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion.

Qian Hui couldn’t resist reaching out, his fingertips gently touching Nan Tingjin’s face.

At that touch, Qian Hui realized Nan Tingjin’s temperature was unusually high.

No wonder he had felt so warm when Nan Tingjin held him earlier.

Remembering Nan Tingjin’s brief discomfort in the back mountains, Qian Hui immediately snapped to attention, asking anxiously, “Are you injured?”

Nan Tingjin pulled Qian Hui’s hand away, pausing before replying, “No.”

He wasn’t injured, but Zhao Xing had likely used something on him.

In that instant, Nan Tingjin’s head had throbbed violently, forcing him to abort the ability he was about to unleash.

Now that they had left the Restricted Zone and entered this forest, the lingering effects still hadn’t completely faded.

Yet outwardly, he showed no signs of distress, and his ability had returned to normal.

Qian Hui touched Nan Tingjin’s cheek and forehead again, then fed him three universal medicines he had purchased from the Game.

At that moment, the other plants crowded around.

Qian Hui checked each of their conditions, feeding them newly acquired food and pills.

This battle against a sizable group of human ability users had drained the Plant Squad even more than their previous encounter.

Several plants had used their charged attacks, but Corn’s performance thrilled Qian Hui the most.

He scooped up Corn, showering it with praise: “Now you’re a super-powerful Corn!”

Corn was ecstatic, eager to perform Corn’s Big Jelly again on the spot.

Potato, standing nearby, felt a pang of envy and wanted to learn the move too.

It crunched the candy in its mouth and scurried off to retrieve the small backpack Qian Hui had prepared for them earlier.

Inside Potato’s backpack were a few remaining crystal cores. It pulled them out and devoured them all in one gulp.

Nut successfully awakened and joined the Plant Squad. Qian Hui introduced it to the others.

“Xiao Guo is an old friend of mine,” he said, cradling the shrunken Nut. “It’s incredibly strong too.”

Qian Hui took a moment to glance at Nut’s encyclopedia. Its skills included the ability to freely change size, a three-layered shell with different defensive mechanisms, and remarkable agility despite its massive form. When triggered, its berserk skill could create ten self-destructing clones that lasted for twenty minutes.

Combining exceptional defense with offensive capabilities, the Giant Nut could roll and crush anything in its path, shattering even the thickest walls.

This very ability had prevented the Zombie Horde from breaching Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Nut remained quiet and still, looking a bit dazed, without offering any greeting.

Little Cabbage suddenly squeezed forward, offering Qian Hui a biscuit and then subtly gesturing for him to give it to Nut.

Qian Hui offered the biscuit to Nut, who leaned in to sniff it before taking a bite.

Little Cabbage, seeing this, finally cheered up and ran to grab another biscuit.

The surrounding environment was decent, with no wandering zombies in sight and a nearby water source.

The other plants were either resting or playing on their own. After feeding Nut the biscuit, Qian Hui set it down on the grass to join the others.

Just then, Little Bamboo Shoot led Little Succulent over, revealing another new plant.

“Huh?” Qian Hui picked up Little Succulent, examining it curiously. “Did those people have it with them?”

Little Succulent stood obediently, seemingly fond of Qian Hui, and boldly rubbed against his finger.

Its Encyclopedia entry showed it was already Bonded, a low-level mutant plant. It likely believed Qian Hui and the other plants had saved it, and its Loyalty was already at 50%.

[ Species: Pink Succulent ]

[ Grade: Low-grade (Docile and Adorable) ]

[ Status: Good ]

[ Loyalty: 50% ]

[ Basic Skill: Aura Concealment (Self-Targeting) (Duration: 50 seconds) ]

[ Advanced Skill: Aura Concealment (Area-of-Effect: 2-meter radius) (Duration: 50 seconds) ]

[ Berserk Skill: Unknown ]

[ Combat Preparation Details: Unlocked at 80% Loyalty ]

Qian Hui was stunned by the skill description.

This… this was essentially the same as part of the disguise medicine’s effect. Within a certain range and duration, it can conceal the scent of nearby mutated plants, making them undetectable by instruments.

No wonder Sky Base managed to bring it safely into Black Ridge Mountain. Even if they captured other mutated plants, they could still use Little Succulent to smuggle them out undetected. Though its grade was low, it was incredibly useful.

Qian Hui gently stroked Little Succulent’s petals and asked, “Would you like to come with us?”

Little Succulent hummed softly and wrapped its tendrils around Qian Hui’s finger, indicating its willingness.

Nearby, Carnivorous Flower silently observed the scene.

Another new plant had joined them, and it was pink.

Little Mushroom was also pink… If it were here, it would have loved Little Succulent.

After watching for a while, Carnivorous Flower turned its head and lay down to sleep.

Nut, who had also been watching, sensed that Qian Hui was busy. It hopped over to the stream alone, leaned down, and took a few gulps of water.

Curious, Potato crept closer and leaned over the edge to observe Nut.

The two were roughly the same size and color, and at first glance, they looked quite similar.

Potato quietly edged closer, sniffing Nut’s scent.

After shrinking, Nut retained little of its original special-grade mutated plant’s formidable aura, instead emitting a fragrant nutty aroma.

Drawn in by the scent, Potato couldn’t resist moving closer until it was pressed against Nut’s side.

Nut slowly rotated, glancing sideways at it.

The two plants stared at each other for a moment. Potato nearly leaned in to lick Nut’s face.

Nut suddenly jerked, pushing Potato away slightly, then spun rapidly several times before coming to a stop at the water’s edge.

Potato approached again, only to find Nut’s eyes and mouth had vanished, seemingly retracted into its shell.

But this only made it resemble an even more fragrant, oversized nut…

Potato circled Nut, peering around furtively, plotting to carry it away.

It reached out with its slender arms and tried to lift Nut, but found it was too heavy.

Puzzled, Potato retreated and examined Nut again, but saw nothing obstructing it.

It tried again, exerting all its strength, but the nut didn’t budge an inch.

Soon, Corn noticed the commotion and joined in the fun.

The two plants exhausted every method they could think of—pushing directly, lifting from below—but all attempts ended in failure.

Potato even borrowed Little Bamboo Shoot’s knife, but it couldn’t pry the nut open. Finally, they brought Soft Vine over, tying one end of its tendrils to the nut and having the plants grab the other end to pull with all their might.

Corn, Potato, and Little Bamboo Shoot lined up, followed by Chili Pepper and Durian, all gripping the vine.

They pulled for several minutes, but the nut remained stubbornly motionless.

Just as they were about to give up, the nut suddenly toppled over, sending the plants at the other end of the vine sprawling into the grass.

It then righted itself, shook off the Soft Vine, and reverted to its original form.

The nut glanced at the fallen plants before turning and hopping away.

Meanwhile, Qian Hui opened the Game to check the current information.

With Nut and Durian joining the team, Corn had successfully triggered its berserk skill. The Plant Squad’s Combat Power had skyrocketed to 16,000.

Faction Points: 3,500

Prestige Points: 1,540

Credits: approximately 130,000

The 3,500 Faction Points could be exchanged for 70,000 credits, bringing the total to 200,000.

Still 100,000 short…

It was a pity that the battles against human ability users only rewarded Prestige Points, unlike the previous zombie encounters, which had yielded a substantial amount of credits.

Now that the Prestige Points had surpassed four digits, a line of small text appeared below:

[ Prestige Points reach 3,000 to establish a Faction Base! Unlocks the new Prestige Point Shop~ ]

A Faction Base… could plants even have a base?

Qian Hui, confused, tapped around randomly, but couldn’t find any information about the Prestige Point Shop.

The Game’s regular Shop did offer some basic building materials like bricks and cement, but nothing advanced.

As Qian Hui scrolled through the options, Sunflower suddenly appeared beside him, gently touching his hand with its leaf.

Qian Hui looked up. “Xiao Kui?”

Mimosa was there too, a tiny leaf clinging to Sunflower’s petal.

It stirred, then leaped into Qian Hui’s palm, growing slightly larger as it nestled against his fingertip.

Through Sunflower’s radiant energy, Qian Hui sensed Mimosa’s distress.

Terrified and helpless, Mimosa finally mustered the courage to ask Qian Hui for help.

“Are many plants being imprisoned?”

Learning the full extent of Mimosa’s plea, Qian Hui frowned, his heart a mix of anger and worry.

He should have realized sooner… Little Mushroom and Carnivorous Flower, Chili Pepper, Mimosa, and Durian.

Given humanity’s track record of cruelty, there must be countless other plants suffering similar fates.

Mimosa’s leaves trembled slightly, its anxiety palpable.

This thought had been buried deep within it for a long time.

Ever since witnessing Qian Hui rescue Sunflower and casually keep Apple by his side, Mimosa had also found a way to save Durian.

Just recently, the Plant Squad had encountered human ability users from Sky Base.

During the entire confrontation, Mimosa had cowered in Qian Hui’s sleeve, trembling uncontrollably.

The familiar scents were overwhelming; several humans present had undoubtedly seen it before, perhaps even used it as a “Hunting Hound.”

If discovered, if captured again…

But the plants were strong, successfully eliminating the human team, leaving only a few survivors who managed to escape.

Mimosa could no longer bear the secret and quietly confided in Sunflower.

Upon learning the truth, Sunflower immediately sought out Qian Hui.

Qian Hui stroked Mimosa’s leaves, his heart aching with sympathy. “We’ll go rescue them,” he promised without hesitation, catching Mimosa off guard.

So it really is possible… to save my friends.

Mimosa raised its leaves, gesturing in a specific direction. Despite the distance, it could accurately guide them.

The other plants, unaware of Qian Hui’s words, gradually gathered around, learning the cause of the commotion from Sunflower.

Shock and fury swept through them.

Corn brandished its fist, declaring they should immediately rescue the plants and teach those humans a lesson!

Chili Pepper wasn’t surprised. Due to its unique ability, it had been imprisoned separately and had heard rumors of other plants being captured.

Carrot picked up a branch from the ground and snapped it in half with a fierce woo…

“Go! Of course, we’re going!”

Beside him, Durian snapped off a branch, scratched its back, and growled fiercely, “Woo woo!”

Seeing the plants’ reactions, Mimosa felt both touched and delighted, clinging tightly to Qian Hui’s fingertip.

But it was getting late; night would fall in just two hours, and the plants hadn’t fully recovered their energy.

Carrot made the decision to rest in the forest for the night and set out early the next morning.

Mimosa would lead the way, and once they arrived, they would finalize their combat preparation details.

The plants huddled together, brainstorming strategies: whether to sneak in or attack directly, and how to escape afterward.

Nut lingered nearby for a while, eventually squeezing in to listen.

Meanwhile, Qian Hui approached Nan Tingjin.

“Xiao Jin,” Qian Hui asked, “will you come with us?”

In truth, having brought Nan Tingjin out of the base, he had no other choice. He couldn’t just abandon him halfway.

Nan Tingjin didn’t refuse. “Okay,” he replied.

He reached out, and after a moment’s hesitation, Qian Hui nestled into his arms.

After taking the universal medicine, Nan Tingjin’s temperature gradually returned to normal. Qian Hui tilted his head back, resting his chin against Nan Tingjin’s chest. “Are you feeling better?”

“Mm,” Nan Tingjin replied. “Don’t worry.”

Qian Hui looked at him for a moment, then hesitated, stopping himself from speaking.

Night soon fell. The plants finished their dinner and went to bed early.

Carnivorous Flower and Carrot took their usual shifts guarding the night, while Nut, who had just awakened, was allowed to rest for a few more days.

Durian, desperately sleepy but wanting to join the watch, clung to Carrot’s back. Unable to shake him off, Carrot reluctantly let him stay.

In the pitch-black forest during the late hours, Durian yawned and nudged closer to Carrot, asking timidly when he would transform back into a durian.

Carrot’s expression was indescribable. “…Woo.”

We’ll see. I’ll change when I need to.

Durian nodded, seemingly understanding.

Carnivorous Flower and Carrot switched shifts, returning to the Cabbage Shell to sleep.

Nan Tingjin remained outside. The other plants lay sprawled inside the Cabbage Shell, with two of them squeezing into Qian Hui’s arms.

Only Mimosa remained awake, its leaves twitching slightly.

Overwhelmed with excitement, it couldn’t sleep. It silently recited the names of all the plant friends it wanted to rescue, repeating them several times to ensure no one was forgotten.

Meanwhile, in the distance…

A few lights still burned in a certain base, its entrance marked by a white cloud—a small branch of the Sky Base used to detain mutated plants.

As the night deepened, the guard on duty suddenly received an alert.

He immediately checked the monitoring equipment and discovered an energy signature detected by the sensors along the perimeter wall.

The energy readings were unstable, spiking sharply before dropping again, suggesting the approach of a zombie or mutated plant of considerable grade.

But since it was night, zombies were unlikely.

The guard immediately contacted the patrol team in the area, ordering them to investigate.

Minutes later, the patrol team reported back: they had found nothing. It was likely a mutated plant had briefly approached the base before fleeing.

With the energy readings stabilized and no further movement detected, the team resumed their patrol in other directions.

After they left, a cabbage leaf cautiously peeked out from behind a low wall in the distant ruins, observing the scene in secret.

In the forest, before dawn had broken, Qian Hui awoke.

He had dreamed again, similar to his previous dream, but this time it was clearer.

The plants around him were still asleep. Qian Hui slowly sat up and carefully placed the Nut and Chili Pepper he had been holding to the side.

He quietly opened the Cabbage Shell and crawled out.

Nan Tingjin was sitting under a nearby tree. Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes.

Just as Nan Tingjin sat up, Qian Hui groped his way into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

Nan Tingjin stroked Qian Hui’s hair. “Awake so early?”

Qian Hui mumbled in response, “I had a dream… about you…”

Nan Tingjin kissed his cheek. “What kind of dream?”

“I… I dreamed,” Qian Hui said softly, his expression confused and lost, “that you weren’t my boyfriend.”

Nan Tingjin fell silent for a moment, his breath catching slightly. “What?”