Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Qian Hui stared at the numbers on the game interface, stunned.

The sudden windfall was overwhelming. He had expected to wait much longer after rescuing the plants before accumulating enough credits for a Resurrection Bean.

He immediately converted all 8,000 Faction Points into credits, opened the Shop, and was about to press the purchase button when two prompts popped up:

[ Resurrection Bean activation requires time. Purchase now? ]

[ Resurrection Bean added to cart. Host’s current credits are low. Recommend purchasing when credits are sufficient! ]

Hesitation crept in again.

With exactly 300,000 credits, buying the Resurrection Bean would leave him with only a few hundred if Little Mushroom didn’t immediately revive and light up in the Encyclopedia.

The surrounding area was a wasteland, with barely any zombies to be found. The rescued plants were in poor condition, and the Plant Squad urgently needed reinforcements.

Even with Sunflower, Qian Hui still needed to buy food and water. A few hundred credits simply wouldn’t suffice.

He couldn’t rush this. He needed to save up at least… another ten or twenty thousand credits.

With great effort, Qian Hui tore his gaze away from the Resurrection Bean in the Shop, resisting the urge to buy it immediately.

Just wait a little longer, Xiao Fen. It’ll be soon.

As he thought this, his palm was suddenly squeezed tightly.

Nan Tingjin asked, “What’s wrong?”

Several plants noticed Qian Hui’s distraction and gathered around him with concern.

Chili Pepper, thinking Qian Hui was afraid, leaped onto his shoulder and gently stroked his hair to comfort him. Cabbage gazed up anxiously, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Qian Hui shook his head. “It’s nothing…”

He had enough credits, but he still couldn’t revive Little Mushroom. He decided not to tell the plants yet, planning to save up a bit more and buy the Resurrection Bean outright.

Besides, Cabbage probably didn’t know yet… The most urgent thing now was to leave this place and find a safe spot to rest.

Qian Hui crouched down and patted Cabbage’s head. “Let’s go.”

The number of plants had suddenly surged to twenty-nine.

Fortunately, most of them were small enough to squeeze into the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth.

Qian Hui didn’t go inside; he chose to sit outside with Nan Tingjin, leaving his backpack behind with enough food and pills.

As each plant entered in turn, Qian Hui carried in the last one, Big Starfruit, and whispered, “It’s okay, don’t be scared.”

Sunflower stood at the center, healing and replenishing the plants while calming their nerves.

The dozen newly rescued plants also needed extra care, a task assigned to Money Tree, Little Cabbage, and a few others.

Carrot and Cabbage stood guard at the jagged edge, with Nut and Corn nearby.

Corn quietly clutched a corn ball, sizing up the newcomers. If any of them acted up, it would give them a good thrashing first.

But the plants, having been confined to the base for so long, remained slightly bewildered and uneasy. With four special-grade mutated plants watching over them, they were all remarkably well-behaved.

Even Big Cherry, who had previously been running wild everywhere, now looked utterly docile, following behind Potato and willingly leaping into the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth.

After confirming no one was missing, the Carnivorous Flower closed its jaws and lowered its head, allowing Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin to climb onto its neck.

Then, it burrowed out of the low building and sped off in the opposite direction from the base.

The night wind was strong. Qian Hui huddled in Nan Tingjin’s arms, continuing to check the Game Interface.

His Prestige Points had reached 3,000, and a new section had appeared: the Prestige Point Shop, divided into two categories: “Base Weapons” and “Items.”

Qian Hui examined the Base Weapons carefully. Unlike the weapons in the Regular Shop, these were almost all large-scale equipment designed for plant use.

There were Dual-Plant Modified Vehicles, Triple-Barrel Mortars, High-Efficiency Energy Shields, Multi-Function Ground Spikes…

There were even two types of aircraft: one for single-plant operation and another for dual-plant control.

Qian Hui’s eyes swam with dizziness as he scrolled through the options. These were all powerful items, yet surprisingly affordable; a Dual-Plant Modified Vehicle cost only 500 Prestige Points.

However, Base Weapons could only be equipped and used after establishing a base. Otherwise, they remained stored in the Game’s backpack, inaccessible.

Once a base was established, vehicles and aircraft had no usage restrictions.

A new entry appeared on the Main Mission Panel: “Base Details.” Qian Hui clicked on it.

[ Base Details: None ]

[ Base Establishment Requirements:

1. Overall Combat Power: 25,000
2. Stored Prestige Points: 5,000
3. This Faction’s Resident Quantity: 30
4. Stored Credits: 100,000
5. Site Selection Approved by Game Evaluation ]

Qian Hui carefully reviewed the requirements. They didn’t seem too difficult.

He currently had 29 plants by his side. If they all agreed to stay, adding himself would reach the required 30.

With some training, their Combat Power should easily meet the threshold.

As for site selection… Qian Hui wasn’t sure how that worked.

A base for plants would undoubtedly differ from human settlements. Plants thrived in dense forests with lush vegetation.

After pondering for a while, Qian Hui opened the Regular Shop and glanced at the Resurrection Bean.

With his plant squad growing larger, he couldn’t keep relying on the Carnivorous Flower to swallow and transport them every time.

He needed to establish a base, and he wanted to establish a base, even if it was small, like the Plant Little Courtyard.

So now he not only had to work hard to accumulate credits but also earn Prestige Points. He needed 5,000 Prestige Points to meet the requirements for establishing a base.

Almost all Prestige Points came from winning Faction Conflicts.

Killing ten low-grade zombies would earn him 10,000 credits.

Qian Hui suddenly remembered something and opened the Quest Log.

He had almost forgotten about the unfinished Side Mission.

[ Increase the Loyalty of three high-grade mutant plants to 40% and the Loyalty of six mid-grade mutant plants to 50%. ]

He had already completed the objective for the three high-grade mutant plants. Only two mid-grade mutant plants remained, and he could easily select them from the newly acquired plants.

Completing this Side Mission would reward him with 2,000 Faction Points, which could be exchanged for 40,000 credits.

With that, he could first buy a Resurrection Bean, then accumulate the remaining 100,000 credits to fulfill all the requirements for establishing a base.

Cultivating new plants, buying a Resurrection Bean, accumulating Prestige Points, establishing a base…

Among these four steps, accumulating Prestige Points would likely be the most challenging, requiring him to actively seek out enemy factions and provoke conflicts.

To earn more credits, the obvious first choice was the Zombie Faction.

The Main Mission had refreshed, now requiring Qian Hui to unlock 100 Plant Encyclopedia entries without needing to form bonds. Completing this would reward him with 10,000 credits.

Qian Hui pondered for a moment, then bent down to stroke the Carnivorous Flower’s head. “Xiao Zi, can you sense any nearby forests?”

The Carnivorous Flower blinked, slowed its pace, and sniffed the air repeatedly before veering off to the side.

It was now between 3 and 4 a.m., with a faint moonlight bathing the horizon and the wind gradually subsiding.

Nan Tingjin readjusted Qian Hui in his arms and straightened his collar. “Want to get some sleep?”

Qian Hui yawned but shook his head. “I’m not tired.”

His body was growing weary, but his mind remained sharp, filled with thoughts of a Resurrection Bean, Xiao Fen, and when he could finally establish a base.

After taking universal medicine and eating some food, Qian Hui reopened the Prestige Point Shop to check his item inventory.

To his surprise, it contained only two items:

One was disguise medicine, identical to the kind he had used before, usable by both the Host and the Plant Squad, with the same two-hour duration.

The blind box offered a random draw, potentially yielding two items from the Shop or even a hidden item.

Two items from the Shop… Qian Hui’s heart raced as he read the description.

Only 10 Prestige Points per box? What if I get a Resurrection Bean?

He immediately bought one and clicked to open it in the Game Interface—

A low-grade universal medicine.

Qian Hui stashed it in his backpack and bought five more in quick succession, only to receive five cement bricks, a building material.

Staring at the cement bricks in his backpack, Qian Hui frowned and casually fed the universal medicine to Nan Tingjin.

Nan Tingjin, unaware of Qian Hui’s thoughts, merely noticed his distracted state. He obediently swallowed the medicine and leaned down to kiss Qian Hui’s cheek.

With Nan Tingjin’s assistance, they had successfully rescued the plants. The earlier tension between them seemed to have vanished.

Everything was progressing smoothly. They had enough credits to buy the Resurrection Bean, needing only to save a little more for backup. Qian Hui’s mood brightened.

He wrapped his arms around Nan Tingjin, burying his face against him and closing his eyes.

Inside the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth, the plants rested peacefully.

Little Cabbage and Soft Vine helped distribute food and pills to the plants. After filling their bellies, the newly arrived plants huddled together on one side, feeling more familiar with each other and sleeping closely.

Mimosa also went over there, shrinking to the size of a palm and settling on top of Pumpkin’s head.

Cherry, however, was an anomaly. It seemed particularly interested in Potato, following it as soon as it entered. It didn’t eat any food, only swallowing a few pills.

Unable to change its size, Cherry was one of the larger plants inside. It forcefully pushed aside Little Bamboo Shoot to get closer, nearly stepping on Potato’s foot.

Potato pursed its lips and moved to the other side, but Cherry followed, leaning in to sniff it with its curious, beady black eyes.

“Woo!” Potato protested, punching Cherry and clutching its small backpack as it darted over to Nut.

Undeterred by the punch, Cherry casually patted itself and continued to follow.

Seeing the unfamiliar Big Cherry approaching, Nut opened its eyes and scanned it.

Knowing Potato was hiding behind it, Nut suddenly enlarged its form as Big Cherry drew near.

Nut stood tall, blocking the way and towering over Cherry, glaring down at it.

Cherry looked left and right, realizing there was no way past.

Just then, Carrot arrived and grabbed Cherry by the stem on its head.

Carrot was only slightly taller than Cherry, but it possessed immense strength. With a single lift, it hoisted Cherry into the air.

Carrot wore a stern expression. “Woo?”

It had been observing Big Cherry for a long time. Among the new plants it had brought back, Cherry was the most restless.

This wasn’t the first time. Cherry had even eaten a Nuclear Bomb…

If Carrot hadn’t seen with its own eyes that Cherry was completely unharmed, it wouldn’t have allowed it inside.

Big Cherry dangled in the air, swaying slightly, and looked at Carrot.

Its expression was meek, as if it knew it had done wrong. It patted its belly and whined, “Woo…”

Was it hungry?

Carrot carried Cherry over to the backpack and retrieved two pieces of dried meat.

Cherry leaned in to sniff them but refused to eat.

“Woo…” It glanced longingly toward Potato, looking pitiful but now too afraid to approach. With a twist, it hopped into a corner and settled down quietly.

Meanwhile, several modified cars quietly entered the base through the breached perimeter wall.

These were the two teams dispatched to provide support, having followed the Carnivorous Flower and Nan Tingjin all the way. They spotted a warm light emanating from a low building.

The captain mustered his courage and approached, observing carefully through binoculars.

The warm light’s source remained unclear, unlike ordinary lamplight. Through a broken window, he saw Nan Tingjin accompanied by another person.

Too distant to discern Qian Hui’s features, he only saw the Carnivorous Flower bowing its head submissively before Qian Hui, its jaws agape.

More plants emerged from the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth, yet none attacked the two figures.

The mutated plants inside soon detected their presence, and a carrot thorn struck the modified car’s door with pinpoint accuracy.

The captain dared not linger and immediately drove away.

On the road, a team member recalled that Qian Hui was the person who had been with the mutated plants during the Sky Base’s previous mission.

So, he’s controlling all the mutated plants’ actions?

But how could those mutated plants be so obedient?

A team member asked, “Should we report Nan Tingjin’s actions?”

Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that he had prevented the team from providing reinforcements.

The captain frowned deeply, and after a long pause, he said, “Let’s check the base first.”

Upon arriving at the Sky Base’s branch, even though they had mentally prepared themselves, the sight inside still shocked everyone.

A massive breach had been torn in the perimeter wall, blood stained the ground, and corpses lay scattered amidst the wreckage of battle.

The group cautiously entered, taking care not to disturb the scene as they searched for any usable information.

The attackers were likely the mutated plants mentioned in the mission briefing. After causing chaos at the Black Ridge Mountain Base, they had swiftly traveled this great distance.

Both casualties had been Sky Base personnel. The captain couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Both their squads were from neighboring bases and had regular contact with the Sky Base. They knew the Sky Base had been capturing mutated plants, claiming they were trying to find a cure for the Ability Users’ Lost State.

But no one knew the specifics of their methods.

After stepping over countless corpses, the two squads surveyed the area and discovered a damaged door at the edge of the base.

The door was in a relatively hidden location. Despite its damaged state, the captain decided to investigate, hoping to find survivors.

But when he reached the basement, he was shocked once again.

The cramped, dark room was filled with open iron cages, clearly designed to confine mutated plants.

The sight immediately reminded the captain of the plants hidden in the Carnivorous Flower’s mouth.

Did they break into the base to rescue the imprisoned plants here?

The captain and his nearby teammates fell silent, their expressions subtly shifting.

Judging by the environment, the imprisoned plants had undoubtedly suffered harsh treatment, likely even abuse.

The captain recalled that when Sky Base first began capturing mutated plants, some had objected, arguing that these plants were intelligent life forms worthy of study, but that there should be limits.

Especially since they were capturing mostly mid- to high-grade plants, with occasional low-grade specimens. The gap between these plants and special-grade mutated plants was so vast that they could practically be considered separate categories.

At the time, Sky Base had responded that they would exercise restraint and that all captured plants, under normal circumstances, would eventually be safely released.

Now, it seemed…

Just then, a team member discovered a stack of paper documents in a corner near another small window.

The member casually flipped through a few pages, gasped, and shouted, “Captain!”

The Carnivorous Flower traveled south all night, reaching the nearest dense forest before dawn.

A sign warning of a high-risk area stood at the forest’s edge, which suited Qian Hui’s plans perfectly.

After entering the forest, the Carnivorous Flower found a water source and stopped beside a large lake.

The plants emerged one by one. Qian Hui first fed the shrunken Carnivorous Flower some food and a pill, urging it to rest.

Then, Qian Hui sat beneath a tree, checking each plant’s condition in turn.

Having taken their medicine and received continuous healing from Sunflower throughout the journey, the plants’ wounds had mostly healed, and they were in good condition.

The Plant Squad members who had participated in the battle had nearly exhausted their stored energy attacks and were now slowly recovering.

Carrot, still full of energy, took Durian and used its carrot thorns to fly out on patrol, ensuring the surrounding area was safe.

The thirteen newly joined plants huddled together, still timid and afraid to move.

Qian Hui hugged each of them, offered small treats, and glanced at the strategy guide.

Among the thirteen plants were Cherry, Pumpkin, Cactus, Eggplant, Brittle Peach, Morning Glory, Starfruit, Dragon Fruit, Four-Leaf Clover, Pomegranate, Watermelon, Pothos, and Yellow Tulip.

There were four high-grade plants and nine mid-grade ones, with both offensive and support types represented.

Qian Hui didn’t have time to study their skills in detail yet, but he wanted to keep them all by his side.

He held the most timid one, Yellow Tulip, stroked its leaf, and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now… Will you stay with me? I can protect you.”

Yellow Tulip curled up timidly, its leaf cautiously touching Qian Hui’s palm.

Nearby, Nan Tingjin raised his head to watch.

His eyes were dark, his thoughts unreadable.

With Qian Hui’s gentle reassurance, the plants’ condition improved significantly.

They had been imprisoned for so long that escape had become a distant dream. They never dared imagine someone would actively come to rescue them.

Moreover, though Qian Hui resembled humans and possessed crimson eyes, his scent was remarkably pleasant.

After a while, Starfruit mustered the courage to approach and tentatively grasped Qian Hui’s wrist.

Qian Hui smiled and stroked it gently.

He picked up Starfruit and glanced around.

Where did Cherry run off to…?

Suddenly, Potato let out a loud cry.

In the nearby woods, Big Cherry was hopping away with a small backpack, Potato hot on its heels.

As Cherry fled, it unzipped the backpack.

Furious and anxious, Potato quickly shaped a bomb and hurled it. “Woo!”

Sugar thief!

Sensing the bomb’s scent, Cherry twisted mid-air, opened its mouth, and swallowed it whole.

Potato froze in shock, then watched as Cherry pulled out… two landmines from its backpack.

Cherry nearly wept with joy as it crunched down on the landmines.

Potato sprinted forward, snatched the backpack, and found the sugar untouched.

Cherry buried its face in the backpack, its eyes gleaming.