Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 42

t/n: Hello-hello! I’m just moving the novel~ This is the last chapter of my translation from the previous website. Before I can continue updating more chapters, I need to wait for NU to update the release link for this novel on their website first. Sorry for making you wait again, dear old readers. And to new readers—hello! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far. Love yaa 🤍

Chapter 42

The aura of a special-grade mutated plant, domineering and powerful, surged into the cramped room.

Not a base Ability User… a fellow plant?

The plants were confused, bewildered, and deeply afraid, shrinking back timidly.

Only two or three of the bolder ones remained, warily watching the Carnivorous Flower at the entrance.

Suddenly, a small leaf fell from the Carnivorous Flower.

The leaf rapidly grew, transforming into a Mimosa, its branches trembling with excitement.

The nearest Pumpkin, witnessing this, widened its eyes. “Woo…?”

The mutated plants behind it gradually recognized the Mimosa as well, crowding incredulously to the edge of the iron cage to peer out.

After being taken away by a human ability user, the Mimosa had never returned. The plants had long assumed something had happened to it, grieving for quite some time.

Now, seeing it again filled them with both joy and curiosity.

How could the Mimosa be with a special-grade mutated plant? Could it be… that this special-grade plant was also captured by humans?

Indeed, the special-grade plant carried the scent of humans, mingled with a thick, bloody stench.

The Pumpkin, who had been closest to the Mimosa, whimpered incessantly, its slender leafy hand reaching through the iron cage’s gaps.

Mimosa approached, its delicate branches gently taking hold of its hand.

Before Mimosa could devise a way to open the iron cage, hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell outside.

Two subordinates had originally been assigned to guard the area. However, after the base’s perimeter wall was breached, one was called up to assist, and the other, overwhelmed by anxiety, couldn’t resist leaving midway.

Upon returning, he discovered the upper door damaged, clearly forced open.

The subordinate panicked and rushed inside to investigate.

As he descended the stairs, a thick flower stalk lashed out from the darkness, coiling around him like a python’s tail.

The Carnivorous Flower exerted its full strength, effortlessly crushing the subordinate’s Defensive Ability. It hurled him against the wall, silencing his breath within moments.

After discarding the corpse, the Carnivorous Flower turned its gaze back toward the interior.

The atmosphere suddenly froze. The other plants were stunned by the Carnivorous Flower’s actions, unable to express their emotions in any way.

Then, the Carnivorous Flower used its leaf to pull Mimosa behind it.

After surveying the room, it lowered its head and let out a series of guttural roars, the resulting air currents sweeping through the entire chamber.

Crack! Crack!

The electronic locks on the iron cages shattered, their mechanisms failing.

In a corner near the door, Big Cherry’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

It stirred, its gaze growing increasingly agitated. With a sharp twist of its head, it bit through the electrical wires binding it.

All the iron cages could be opened directly. With Mimosa’s help, Pumpkin was the first to squeeze out, then hurried to urge the other plants along.

With no time for further explanation, the Carnivorous Flower lowered its massive head, gaping its maw wide open to allow them all inside—a swift and safe way to transport them.

But the plants were unfamiliar with the Carnivorous Flower and naturally terrified of special-grade mutated plants.

That massive mouth… could it accidentally swallow me whole?

Even with Mimosa’s reassurances, only Pumpkin and two other plants willingly crawled inside. The rest huddled in a corner, too frightened to approach.

The Carnivorous Flower’s patience wore thin. It narrowed its eyes, adopting a menacing posture. “Woo…”

It growled, threatening the plants to hurry up and stop wasting time.

The tactic worked. The plants trembled in fear, scurrying forward and diving into the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth as its roars grew increasingly deep and menacing.

Mimosa stood guard by the teeth, counting them off one by one. All the plants it had previously noted were present, none missing.

There were twelve in total, two of which Mimosa hadn’t seen before—likely captured later.

After confirming the plants’ numbers, Mimosa carefully searched the room again to ensure every plant had been rescued.

The Carnivorous Flower still stood with its mouth agape, waiting in place, when it suddenly caught a glimpse of a red shadow darting from the corner near the door, pushing past its leaves and rushing outside.

Why is this one hiding and not coming in?!

The battle outside wasn’t over yet. These plants had been imprisoned in the basement, and their overall condition must be poor. Running around recklessly would only put them in danger.

The Carnivorous Flower quickly grabbed Mimosa, its mouth already stuffed with a group of plants, and turned to give chase.

Climbing the stairs to the surface, it spotted a large, red cherry under the night sky.

The Big Cherry had no legs; its arms were slender branches, and a short, thick cherry stem stood upright on its head.

Seeing the situation outside, its eyes widened in shock, yet a faint flicker of excitement also shone within them.

Noticing the Carnivorous Flower pursuing it, the Cherry picked up a shard of glass from the ground for defense, then turned and fled, hopping away in a series of bouncy leaps.

Chaos reigned. Most of the base’s personnel had been eliminated, but a small group of stubborn resisters had retreated to the side where the basement was located.

These were all Ability Users, armed with firearms. Their intense firepower temporarily prevented the Plant Squad from approaching, and any long-range attacks were intercepted mid-air.

At this critical moment, Nut shrunk its body, rolled in with a “guruguru” sound, and lay down horizontally in the middle of the path.

With it present, the Plant Squad surged forward once more.

Cabbage and Little Bamboo Shoot cleared out isolated humans at a distance, while Durian, relying on its massive size and thick, spiky skin, endured an Ability User’s lightning attacks and rolled directly into the fray.

The human ability user was pierced by Durian’s thorns as a Carrot Rain descended from the sky.

Carrot thorns, enhanced with electromagnetic cannon power, exploded upon impact. Behind the human, several ordinary humans—researchers from the base’s laboratory—scattered in panic, only to fall beneath Durian’s sharp spikes.

Big Cherry charged into the battlefield, still bearing unhealed wounds. It, too, wanted to attack the humans.

But it wasn’t foolish. Knowing it might lose in a direct fight, it targeted a researcher without abilities.

Cherry bared its teeth, gripped a shard of glass tightly, and pounced on the man, stabbing him in the forehead with the sharp edge—a method it had learned from killing zombies.

The Carnivorous Flower pursued relentlessly, forcing Cherry to flee again, clearly unwilling to be swallowed.

Yet Cherry was injured, and the surrounding area was a resource-poor wasteland. Even if it escaped, its survival was far from assured. It couldn’t be left to fend for itself.

At the same time, the surviving humans recognized Cherry as one of the mutated plants imprisoned in the base’s basement.

Cherry was the most stubborn of the plants, refusing to cooperate despite all attempts. Many had grown familiar with it, yet the base’s Researchers remained clueless about its abilities.

It actually escaped… Have the other plants escaped too?

One subordinate, his expression blank, stared at the miniature nuclear bomb clutched in his hand.

The Base Director had entrusted it to him before dying, ordering him to use it promptly to destroy everything in the base.

The nuclear bomb, specially crafted by Ability Users from the Main Base, was extremely precious. Detonating just one would trigger a chain reaction, igniting the other bombs buried throughout the base and leveling the entire area.

No reinforcements had arrived, and they couldn’t possibly hold out on their own.

The subordinate’s gaze grew grave as he quietly retreated to the rear.

The battle was nearing its end. The Plant Squad had cornered the humans, leaving them with no escape.

Seizing the moment while they were clustered together, Chili Pepper stood atop Nut and unleashed a fully charged attack.

Whoosh—

An invisible shockwave erupted outward, stirring up dust and sand and scattering debris like shattered glass and loose rocks across the ground.

A barrage of carrot thorns rained down, striking each target with deadly precision.

Stripped of their abilities, the humans were no different from ordinary people, collapsing to the ground, dead.

Nearby, Cabbage delivered a final punch, finishing off the last two.

It turned just in time to see one of the dying humans hurl an object from its hand.

A miniature nuclear bomb landed on the ground and rolled a short distance.

Not only Cabbage, but many of the plants present sensed the nuclear bomb’s volatile energy, poised to erupt.

Potato, recognizing the familiar scent, cried out, “Woo!”

It’s a bomb!

In that critical moment, Cabbage called out to Little Bamboo Shoot and Durian to evacuate immediately. The Carnivorous Flower snapped its jaws shut, sheltering the plants inside.

Carrot led the remaining plants in retreat, while Nut’s body swelled slightly, wedging itself into the narrow passage to block the full force of the nuclear blast with its own body.

Being the closest, Nut was already enveloped in a shimmering aura as the bomb on the ground began to glow.

Mentally assessing the danger, Nut’s outer shell transformed into a different material.

Fully prepared, it suddenly saw Big Cherry excitedly hop over, snatch the nuclear bomb from the ground, and pop it into its mouth.

Nut: “???”

The other plants witnessing this: “!!!”

It ate it! It swallowed it whole!

The plants waited quietly for a few seconds, but Big Cherry showed no ill effects.

It glanced at Nut a few times, then turned and hopped away.

Three minutes later.

Little Bamboo Shoot, pressing a knife against Big Cherry’s back, dragged it back.

Big Cherry resisted, growling menacingly, but fell silent as more and more plants surrounded it.

It rubbed its belly, thought hard, and decided not to attack the plants for now.

Cabbage and Carrot searched the base thoroughly, while Carnivorous Flower led the other plants to retreat to the entrance.

Once the pair emerged, Big Cherry was forcibly stuffed into Carnivorous Flower’s mouth and carried away.

As Carnivorous Flower crossed the collapsed perimeter wall, it ran into Nan Tingjin, who was returning.

Carrot poked its head out from between Carnivorous Flower’s sharp teeth. “Woo?”

It asked Nan Tingjin where he had been. He seemed to understand and replied, “Just a little trouble. It’s taken care of now.”

The two support teams had wisely left and never reappeared near the base.

Carrot didn’t press further. Though Nan Tingjin had left midway, he had helped resolve many issues.

It nodded and beckoned Nan Tingjin over.

The Carnivorous Flower lowered its head, allowing Nan Tingjin to climb onto its neck. With him aboard, it swiftly traversed the ruins.

In the distance, a modified car lay concealed. The captain, peering through binoculars, witnessed the scene.

He gestured to his team, and the driver quietly turned the steering wheel to follow.

Meanwhile, Qian Hui remained hidden inside the Cabbage Shell.

Outside was eerily quiet. It was night, and no wandering zombies were likely to pass by.

He waited anxiously, constantly checking the plants’ status in his Encyclopedia.

Fortunately, everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. As time passed, the plants’ stamina and energy gradually depleted, but they quickly replenished some with the pills they carried, maintaining an overall healthy state.

Toward the end, several plants sustained minor injuries, and their pill supplies appeared to have run out, leaving them without treatment.

Qian Hui waited a while longer and saw Chili Pepper activate its Berserk skill, its status shifting to fatigued.

Yet the Game provided no notification of victory or defeat in the Faction Conflict. Increasingly worried, he considered venturing out to check on them.

Soft Vine could help him travel quickly, and he could deliver some medicine to the plants before leaving.

Sensing Qian Hui’s intentions, Little Cabbage tugged at his sleeve and shook its head vigorously.

Cabbage had told Qian Hui to hide well, and its mission was to protect him here.

Understanding Little Cabbage’s meaning, Qian Hui picked it up. “But I’m so worried…”

This was the first time he had been so far from the plants in battle, completely unaware of the situation. He couldn’t shake off his unease.

Little Cabbage nuzzled Qian Hui’s finger, then wrapped its tiny, gloved hands around it in a comforting gesture.

Sunflower and Money Tree also drew closer, and Qian Hui hugged them all tightly, continuing to wait silently.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Finally, commotion erupted outside the low building.

Corn, unable to contain itself any longer, poked its head through the Carnivorous Flower’s teeth and shouted, “Woo woo!”

Arriving at the low building, Carnivorous Flower set Nan Tingjin down, and the plants gradually emerged from its mouth.

Potato hopped to the ground and carefully dug up the landmine outside the entrance, patted it to extinguish the fuse, and stowed it in its backpack for future use.

Hearing Corn’s voice, Qian Hui immediately opened the Cabbage Shell’s door and saw Carrot and Chili Pepper running in together.

They rushed toward Qian Hui and leaped into his arms. Cabbage followed closely behind, then Corn, Potato, Durian…

The Sunflower’s radiant light flooded the room. Qian Hui quickly checked each plant in his arms. “Are you all okay?”

Carrot removed its helmet, its eyebrows dancing with excitement. “Woo!”

We’re fine! And everything went smoothly!

Relieved, Qian Hui glanced up and saw Nan Tingjin.

He temporarily set down the plants, rose to his feet, and rushed forward to embrace him tightly.

“What about you?” Qian Hui asked anxiously. “Are you hurt?”

Nan Tingjin lowered his head and couldn’t resist pecking Qian Hui’s nose. “I’m fine.”

The Carnivorous Flower stood at the back, maintaining its full size.

Noticing it waiting, Qian Hui released Nan Tingjin and approached the Carnivorous Flower.

The Mimosa on the Carnivorous Flower’s eyelid leaped down into Qian Hui’s palm, then grew slightly larger, wrapping its stem around his wrist and affectionately nuzzling him with its leaves.

[ Loyalty: 80%~ ]

At that moment, the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth slowly opened, revealing all the plants inside.

The plants were still uncertain about what had happened, having been anxious throughout the journey.

As the Carnivorous Flower reopened its mouth, warm light flooded in.

A young man with strikingly unique hair and eye colors stood outside. He was exceptionally handsome, and his aura radiated a gentleness akin to the light filling the room.

The nearest Pumpkin sniffed cautiously, its eyes filled with curiosity.

Not human… not a zombie either.

Qian Hui reached out and gently patted Pumpkin’s head, saying softly, “Don’t be afraid. Come out.”

Pumpkin didn’t resist. It glanced at the Mimosa, which had grown larger and was now coiled around Qian Hui’s wrist, then cautiously rubbed against it, offering a gesture of friendship.

The Pumpkin was barely taller than a palm’s length, with several scars on its forehead that looked quite old, though not fully healed.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Qian Hui scooped up Pumpkin and fed it half a biscuit.

Having been confined for so long, the mutated plant had never tasted proper food. Pumpkin’s eyes immediately welled up with tears as it ate, whimpering softly between bites.

Encouraged by Sunflower’s soothing light and Mimosa’s closeness to Qian Hui, the other plants gradually approached after seeing Pumpkin being fed.

Cherry, who had been crouching in a corner, seized the opportunity and darted out.

The boldest of the group, Cherry immediately made itself at home, circling the room before its gaze landed on Potato, who was tearing open a candy wrapper nearby.

Thinking Big Cherry wanted to steal its candy, Potato quickly hugged its backpack and hid behind Durian.

The plants emerged one by one from the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth. Qian Hui crouched down and bought them a large amount of food in one go.

Carrot removed the Electromagnetic Cannon from its neck and carefully stowed it in its backpack.

After securing the weapon, Carrot suddenly sensed something amiss. It turned its head toward a damaged window on the side.

With a swift leap, Carrot reached the window and tossed several sharp thorns outward.

A soft thud echoed in the distance, as if the thorns had struck something metallic.

“Someone’s there?” Qian Hui instinctively shielded the plants behind him, assuming humans from the base had followed them.

Nan Tingjin joined him at the window, frowning. “They’re from a neighboring base.”

Carrot’s eyes widened as it scanned the area. It pointed in one direction, signaling for the others to flee immediately.

Nan Tingjin’s expression darkened. “I’ll go kill them.”

They learned that the group had originally intended to reinforce Sky Base but had been deterred by Nan Tingjin’s interference. Instead of retreating, they had secretly followed the group, drawn by the light in the building, hoping to observe them more closely before Carrot discovered them.

“Wait,” Qian Hui hesitated. “They’re already gone?”

When Carrot attacked outside, Qian Hui had initially wanted Sunflower to extinguish its light so everyone could hide.

But he hesitated. Having already chosen to assault the human base and caused such a commotion at Black Ridge Mountain, there was little point in hiding now.

Being discovered didn’t matter. Regardless of his true identity, he was already a member of the Plant Faction.

However, the team Nan Tingjin mentioned wasn’t from Sky Base, nor had they chosen to reinforce it.

Now, their rapid departure clearly indicated they wanted to avoid conflict with the plants.

Just like when he’d indirectly saved that small squad on the road, Qian Hui preferred to avoid conflict with humans unless absolutely necessary.

“Forget it,” he said, pulling Nan Tingjin back. “Let’s get moving too.”

Nan Tingjin’s expression softened slightly. He took Qian Hui’s hand in his, replying, “Alright.”

At that moment, several Game Notifications popped up in succession:

[ The eighth Faction Conflict has ended. Congratulations to our side for securing victory! Reward: 500 Prestige Points~ ]

[ Bonded with fifty mutated plants. Main Mission completed! ]

[ Purchased “Weapons” (3/3). Main Mission completed! ]

[ You have performed an extraordinary act that will significantly impact the Human Faction. Reward: 500 Prestige Points, 500 Faction Points! ]

[ The Prestige Point Shop is now open! Explore new possibilities! ]

Rescuing over a dozen mutated plants at once lit up several new rows in the Encyclopedia, all now Bonded.

The previous Main Mission had been completed smoothly, and the newly issued one related to weapons. The helmets and two guns Qian Hui had purchased for the plants were sufficient to complete the task.

The two missions awarded a total of 2,500 Faction Points, plus an additional 500, bringing the total to 3,000.

Perhaps due to the sudden increase in plants nearby—though their average Loyalty remained low—Faction Points continued to rise automatically, now reaching 8,000.

If all these points were converted to credits… combined with the original 140,000, it would be just enough to purchase a Resurrection Bean.