Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

One after another, modified cars pulled up to the base’s outer gate.

Leading the convoy was Sky Base, followed by vehicles from at least six other bases, judging by the emblems on their hulls.

Yuan Ji wasn’t surprised. Most Ability Users now relied on Sky Base’s medicines, which were fast-acting and had no side effects, making them far more convenient than traditional methods of comfort.

Wen Jue had always been almost prophetic, his decisions never proving wrong.

For smaller bases that had finally moved into the Great Safe Zone and desperately needed to align themselves with a powerful patron, this was the perfect opportunity to prove their loyalty.

The number of Ability Users present matched Yuan Ji’s expectations.

The base’s outer gate remained tightly shut, with no one emerging to greet the visitors.

The opposing forces had likely anticipated their lack of cooperation, lingering at the gate for only half an hour.

Then, the modified cars at the rear began to move, encircling the base.

They didn’t immediately attack, instead using this maneuver to intimidate and give Black Ridge Mountain Base one last chance to surrender.

How much time they would grant remained uncertain.

Yuan Ji had already ordered his forces to remain on high alert, waiting for the enemy to strike first before retaliating.

He glanced at his communicator—no new messages.

Nan Tingjin hadn’t arrived yet; he was still on his way.

Seeing the base surrounded, a subordinate beside him remarked, “So many of them… Aren’t they afraid their own territory will be overrun by the Zombie Horde while they’re here?”

Yuan Ji snorted coldly. “It’s probably that old man Wen again, making them some kind of guarantee.”

Wen Jue’s ability was Precognition. How could he not have taken precautions for such a large-scale attack on Black Ridge Mountain Base? They must have carefully chosen their timing.

This was a major reason for the growing anxiety among the base’s residents. They feared that even if Nan Tingjin returned in time, he might not be able to avert the crisis.

Wen Jue likely knew this siege was guaranteed to succeed, which was why he’d sent his forces.

Unless… he had other motives, and even failure wouldn’t matter to him.

But that seemed unlikely.

The base’s residents were accustomed to freedom and unwilling to relocate. They were also a stubborn bunch.

If they couldn’t win and the base fell, so be it. They’d rather die fighting than be cowards at the mercy of their enemies.

Take the incident where Sky Base’s people died in the Restricted Zone’s Back Mountain. Wasn’t that because Wen Jue insisted on entering?

The ambiguous search warrant offered no clear explanation of what they were supposed to find in the Back Mountain.

As for the mutated plants… they had remained dormant, causing no harm. Perhaps their only goal was to retrieve the Giant Nut.

“If you ask me, why do these mutated plants only target Sky Base personnel? Could it be revenge?”

“Do mutated plants even seek revenge? I’ve never heard of that.”

In their minds, mutated plants loathed both zombies and humans, making it impossible to determine which they hated more.

Meanwhile, rumors circulated that someone could control special-grade mutated plants, though most dismissed this as nonsense.

If such control were truly possible, Sky Base would have achieved it long ago.

“The one the Leader brought back and kept by his side… what’s his story? Is he really controlling special-grade mutated plants?”

“Who knows… maybe it’s all just Wen Jue’s fabrication.”

After all, no one had ventured into the Back Mountain for days, and they couldn’t even confirm if Nan Tingjin and Qian Hui were truly inside.

Amidst the varied speculations, Yuan Ji turned around. “Alright, stop guessing. Let’s just wait for the Leader to return.”

A subordinate couldn’t resist asking, “When will Leader Nan Tingjin return?”

“He’s on his way,” Yuan Ji replied. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back.”

He had originally planned to lead a team to escort Nan Tingjin back personally, but he feared being tracked, which would only make the situation more dangerous.

Now, all he could do was hope Nan Tingjin would hurry.

Before leaving, Yuan Ji hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

He wasn’t entirely sure about Nan Tingjin’s relationship with the mutated plants. He had tried to subtly inquire about it during their last communication, but Nan Tingjin hadn’t responded.

Since Nan Tingjin was returning, Yuan Ji hoped he had severed ties with the mutated plants.

Yuan Ji sighed silently, glanced down at his communicator again, and hurried downstairs with the two others.

Meanwhile, at Sky Base:

A subordinate put away his communicator and reported the latest developments to Wen Jue: “Preparations are complete. Two more teams are en route and expected to arrive by 3 PM.”

A crack of daylight streamed through the attic window. The hot water in the cup on the table had long since cooled.

Wen Jue responded with his eyes closed, “Mm.”

His complexion was pale, and his physical condition was clearly deteriorating.

Recent events had been overwhelming. To prevent himself from slipping into the Lost State, he had doubled his medication dosage, forcing himself to remain conscious.

Wen Jue rarely took these medications. His condition was too severe, and he preferred to find a permanent solution.

Though the drugs were effective, they carried a risk of dependency. Even at Sky Base, their use was strictly regulated.

Moreover, Wen Jue’s unique ability meant that even when in the Lost State, his symptoms remained mild and non-lethal, at least temporarily.

A subordinate, still present, asked, “Do you really think Nan Tingjin will return?”

“He will,” Wen Jue replied, opening his eyes. “Because I can’t see the outcome.”

The very fact that he couldn’t foresee the result meant it must involve Nan Tingjin. He would return to Black Ridge Mountain.

Besides him, Qian Hui and some other mutated plants were also likely to appear.

The failure of his ability only reinforced this certainty.

The subordinate hesitated, seemingly unconvinced. “Sir, isn’t this too risky?”

“We’ve come too far to turn back now,” Wen Jue said, picking up a red mechanical device from the table. “We can’t afford to worry about the risks.”

The recent attack on the supply convoy had also been largely resolved.

Qi Yue successfully completed his mission, bringing back over a dozen children who were uniformly housed within Cloud River Base.

It was also rumored that… a group of familiar mutated plants had killed the Black-Reef Zombie King and participated in the rescue.

Wen Jue’s expression turned icy. “Ridiculous…”

Killing a single Zombie King and suddenly these mutated plants are hailed as saviors?

Cloud River Base even sent a pretense of an inquiry, asking if the plants were among those on the assigned list.

Wen Jue didn’t reply, nor did he have the energy to intervene further.

He waved his subordinate out, picked up the cold tea on his desk, and swallowed a few pills.

There were two medicine bottles at his side: one to suppress the Lost State and another to temporarily amplify his ability.

Wen Jue had long realized that human ability users could also unleash “charged attacks,” just like mutated plants.

For example, the ability “Tranquil Heart” typically only soothed Ability Users’ emotions to prevent them from entering the Lost State. But when unleashed, it could briefly control a person’s actions.

However, such Ability Users were exceedingly rare, and only with the aid of medication was there even a slim chance of success.

Another reason Wen Jue was interested in Nan Tingjin was because he wanted to know the upper limits of Nan Tingjin’s ability. Most high-level abilities awakened by humans were either offensive or purely defensive, and their post-activation enhancements offered nothing particularly special.

As for drugs that temporarily boosted abilities, Wen Jue had always refused to take them, believing he didn’t need to rely on external forces.

Until a few days ago, when he accidentally grabbed the wrong medicine bottle while suffering from a headache and inadvertently swallowed two or three pills.

The attic room was empty, with no one present but Wen Jue.

He leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes.

Occasionally, the footsteps of subordinates passing by downstairs could be heard. The curtains swayed gently as a cool breeze drifted in, rustling the paper documents on the desk.

Suddenly, the wind ceased abruptly, and everything fell silent.

The corner of a document that had been lifted seemed frozen mid-air before slowly settling down in a tiny arc.

The wind surged again. Wen Jue’s eyes snapped open, his chest heaving violently, and his forehead drenched in sweat.

He drained his teacup in one gulp and collapsed weakly back into his chair.

By afternoon, several more modified cars arrived outside Black Ridge Mountain Base before 3 PM, bringing reinforcements from two other bases.

Following the pre-arranged deployment, all teams guarded their assigned sectors, effectively encircling the entire base to prevent anyone from sneaking out.

However, due to the large number of Ability Users gathered—all from different bases and safe zones—some remained uneasy.

Among the newly arrived teams, one captain contacted a familiar contact at another base and quietly inquired, “Did Sky Base also assure you there wouldn’t be any Zombie Horde attacks recently?”

The reply came: “Yes, we sent scouts to investigate.”

Moreover, for some reason, the high-grade zombies that had previously roamed near the base had vanished without a trace.

In any case, everything seemed to be in order. Many bases trusted Wen Jue.

The captain let out a slight sigh of relief. “Good, I understand.”

He put away his communicator, awaiting orders from Sky Base, patiently biding his time.

Meanwhile, in a distant high-risk zone…

Several zombies weaved through the chaotic ruins, converging on the central area.

Ahead stood an intact skyscraper, atop which loomed a Zombie King.

Its physique was abnormally robust, towering three times the height of ordinary zombies. Hideous muscles bulged across its body, and black veins pulsed beneath its skin.

Upon seeing the massive Zombie Horde summoned below, the Zombie King roared, instantly shattering a nearby wall.

Its crimson eyes burned with fury as it crushed a black skull beneath its foot.

The skull fragments tumbled to the ground, unrecognizable, yet its lingering aura revealed it belonged to Zombie King 03.

The massive figure atop the skyscraper resonated with the Zombie Horde below, which erupted into a cacophony of roars in response.

As night fell, the Sky Base-led forces remained stationed outside Black Ridge Mountain.

The base was pitch-black, with no lights on anywhere, intensifying the tense atmosphere.

Yuan Ji stood on the observation platform, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. His face was as still as water as he gripped the Communicator in his hand.

Just moments ago, Nan Tingjin had sent a message saying he would arrive shortly.

He’s returning at just the right moment… Yuan Ji thought. It’s already dark, and those outside are likely growing impatient.

Under the moonlight, the two rows of modified cars parked at the entrance gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.

Yuan Ji wore a small, real-time Communicator in his ear. Moments later, the guard responsible for reconnaissance reported, “They’re moving!”

Outside, two teams had quietly disembarked from the modified cars and were approaching the southern perimeter wall.

Two figures positioned themselves before the wall, taking deep breaths.

In an instant, a powerful vortex of air formed a circular blade, as sharp as a razor, and slammed into the base of the wall, attempting to breach an entrance.

But the base had anticipated this. The moment the air blade pierced half an inch into the wall, the Ability Users stationed above activated the defense barrier, sending the attackers closest to the wall flying backward.

The counterattack began immediately. The first wave of Ability Users unleashed ranged attacks, dozens of fireballs illuminating the night sky as they hurtled outward.

As the fireballs fell, dark storm clouds coalesced overhead, crackling with electricity.

The Black Ridge Mountain Base’s walls were exceptionally sturdy, and the terrain offered no cover for the attacking forces.

Their advantage lay in sheer numbers and robust defenses, their immediate goal being to wear down the defenders inside.

The two sides exchanged relentless barrages. The defense barrier shattered repeatedly, only to be instantly repaired, though it was clear the Black Ridge Mountain Base’s repair rate was lagging.

Yuan Ji dispatched a small squad to reinforce the Outer Gate, then gazed into the pitch-black night, calculating how long they could hold out.

They said they’d be back soon… Where are they?

In a darkened corner by the roadside below the mountain, unnoticed by anyone, a flash of red darted past.

A Red Chili Pepper, its face half-concealed by a black mask, moved with surprising speed. Its rounded form resembled a Sweet Pepper as it closed in on a modified car.

The Sweet Pepper concealed its presence, clutching two chili pepper seed darts as it cautiously surveyed the scene.

What’s going on here? Humans fighting humans?

Sweet Pepper narrowed its eyes, studying the scene and stroking its chin.

Intriguing…

It wondered which side was stronger. If the ones inside were losing, it would secretly kill a few of the attackers outside. If the attackers were losing… infiltrating the base would be difficult, but it might be worth a try.

Not for any particular reason, of course. A balanced fight was just more interesting to watch.

Just before its concealment skill wore off, Sweet Pepper turned and swiftly retreated to a safer distance, hiding itself.

A dark bundle was slung across its back. It pulled out two stale flatbreads, took a large bite, and continued watching the spectacle while eating.

Midway through the show, Sweet Pepper suddenly caught a familiar scent and whipped its head around.

Its expression was both puzzled and surprised. After a moment’s thought, it retreated even further, ensuring it wouldn’t be discovered.

At that moment, the defense barrier of Black Ridge Mountain Base rose for the sixth time.

The perimeter walls remained secure, but the Outer Gate was the weakest point. Several attackers seized the opportunity to breach the defenses and clashed with the small squad stationed there.

Yuan Ji rushed to assist, severely injuring two of the intruders, forcing the rest to retreat.

A violent explosion immediately followed from the rear. The guards in that sector didn’t respond to real-time communications, leaving the situation temporarily unclear.

At this rate, they could hold out until tomorrow afternoon at most…

Yuan Ji remained calm and composed, instructing two subordinates to bring over the prepared bombs and place them near the gate.

Though he had repeatedly assured everyone that the Leader would return, Yuan Ji had always planned for the worst in his arrangements and strategies.

Another explosion rocked the rear, and the guards finally reported that two soldiers had been injured and temporarily relieved of duty.

Yuan Ji was about to check on them when he suddenly froze.

He slowly lowered his head. A pebble beneath his foot trembled slightly, and the ground vibrated with increasing intensity.

Yuan Ji turned around in astonishment, immediately stepping onto the guardrail to gain a higher vantage point and pulling out his night-vision binoculars.

However, he couldn’t find Nan Tingjin’s figure.

What appeared at the edge of his vision was a massive, oval-shaped…

…Nut?

Confusion and shock flashed across Yuan Ji’s face. He activated his real-time communicator, but he didn’t know how to explain the situation to the others.