Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Qian Hui was overwhelmed with excitement and immediately wanted to select “Yes.”

But he forced himself to calm down and turned to Nan Tingjin. “Xiao Jin!”

Nan Tingjin was standing nearby and reached out to catch Qian Hui, who nearly threw himself into his arms.

“Xiao Jin,” Qian Hui said, his eyes shining as he hugged Nan Tingjin. “I want to…”

Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze. “What is it?”

The Back Mountain, as a dedicated base for mutated plants, seemed perfect in every way.

However, while the Game Map had approved the location, the area wasn’t unclaimed.

Choosing this site would mean directly encroaching on part of the Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Qian Hui naturally wanted to ask Nan Tingjin first, his heart pounding with anxiety, unsure if Nan Tingjin would be displeased.

“I want…” Qian Hui said nervously, “to build a base here—a base for plants.”

His eyes filled with anticipation as he asked softly, “Is that okay?”

“Here?” Nan Tingjin glanced around. “Yes, it’s fine.”

His answer came too quickly, as if he hadn’t needed to consider the question at all.

“Really?” Qian Hui’s eyes widened slightly. “D-don’t we need to ask the others? I can pay some compensation…”

“No need,” Nan Tingjin said, lowering his head to kiss Qian Hui’s cheek. “It’s a gift for you.”

When the Black Ridge Mountain Base was first established, the vast forest behind it had been enclosed due to the terrain and Nut’s presence.

Now that Nut was gone, the base had no use for the area and there was no need to consult anyone else.

Overjoyed, Qian Hui hugged Nan Tingjin tightly, showering him with kisses.

“Thank you, Xiao Jin…” he mumbled, reopening the Game Interface.

[ Establish base immediately? ]

Qian Hui held his breath and selected “Yes.”

[ Map verification in progress… ]

[ Resident verification in progress… ]

[ Base established successfully! Reward: 1000 Faction Points, 500 Prestige Points! ]

[ Congratulations! You have unlocked the Base Encyclopedia! ]

[ Detected a significant number of non-allied factions near your base. Would you like to form a bond with them? ]

[ Note: Forming a bond will create an independent friendly faction. ]

Overwhelmed by the flood of notifications, Qian Hui stared blankly at them before hesitantly selecting “Yes” for the final prompt.

The “non-allied factions” likely referred to the human ability users at the Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Although the two sides belonged to different factions, the game must have detected the Plant Squad’s assistance during the base’s siege the previous night.

The nearby human ability users posed no threat to the mutated plants, allowing the base’s location to be approved.

[ Bonded with Black Ridge Mountain Base. View details in the Encyclopedia. ]

[ Black Ridge Mountain Base has become your independent allied faction. Reward: 3,000 Faction Points, 1,000 Prestige Points. ]

Qian Hui opened the Encyclopedia and found a new entry: Black Ridge Mountain Base, the only illuminated entry.

[ Allied Faction Base ]

[ Base Leader: Nan Tingjin (Intimacy: 80%) ]

[ Base Size: Medium ]

[ Overall Combat Power: High ]

The Game provided no specific details about the base’s inhabitants, offering only a general description of its Overall Combat Power without numerical values.

But what was “Intimacy”?

Now that they had confirmed their relationship, with Nan Tingjin as his boyfriend, why wasn’t their Intimacy at 100%?

Puzzled, Qian Hui decided to ignore it for now.

Below Black Ridge Mountain Base were several grayed-out icons labeled “Enemy Faction Bases.” At the top of the list was Sky Base.

[ Enemy Faction ]

[ Base Leader: Wen Jue ]

[ Base Size: Large ]

[ Overall Combat Power: High ]

After staring at the information for a while, Qian Hui opened his own Base Details.

[ Base Name: None ]

[ Base Leader: Qian Hui ]

[ Base Size: Small ]

[ Member Count: 33 / Maximum Capacity: 1000 ]

[ Overall Combat Power: 33,000 / Relatively High ]

[ Pending Construction/Optimization Goals: Strengthen outer defenses / Recruit new members / Acquire base-exclusive weapons ]

Although the base was small, with some members not participating in combat, its overall combat power remained relatively high.

Qian Hui opened the Faction Panel again. In the faction rankings, the Plant Faction still held third place.

[ Faction Points: 15,000 ]

[ Prestige Points: 6,500 ]

Aside from mission rewards and special bonuses, both Faction Points and Prestige Points had increased slightly on their own.

Comparing these values to the Combat Power Value… they did seem a bit low.

Regardless, the base had been successfully established and could now accommodate more new plants.

Mutated plants required flexible territory sizes, allowing the entire base to house up to 1,000 of them!

Qian Hui was delighted and typed “Plant Little Courtyard” into the base name field.

By this time, the plants had noticed Qian Hui’s prolonged distraction and gradually gathered around him.

Cabbage and Big Pea tugged at his hem, while Little Mushroom climbed onto his shoulder, clutching a strand of his hair. “Hmm?”

Qian Hui cradled Little Mushroom in his hands, stroking its cap. “We have a base now!”

Hearing this, all the plants around him widened their eyes.

Carrot, the cleverest among them, immediately understood and glanced at Nan Tingjin.

Except for Carnivorous Flower and a few others who had lived in the Little Courtyard, the rest of the plants remained somewhat bewildered.

Mutated plants were different from zombies and humans. They had never had a base before and didn’t understand its purpose.

If they hadn’t stayed by Qian Hui’s side, they might never have experienced the camaraderie of working together, helping each other, and defeating enemies as a team.

Mango curiously woo wooed, asking what a base was.

Big Pea, chewing on a blade of grass, raised its fist and wooed!

With a base, we’ll become stronger! We won’t be bullied so easily!

Its simple explanation resonated with the plants, and they immediately grew excited.

Especially when they learned that the entire mountain forest before them was their new base, Nut swelled several times its original size, rolling around excitedly in the wide grassy meadow.

The plants resumed exploring the land beneath their roots. Corn and Potato climbed onto Big Cherry’s head, and Big Cherry hopped around, shouting, “Awoo!”

Little Mushroom, equally delighted, spun in a circle in Qian Hui’s palm before clinging tightly to his finger. “Mmm…”

Its eyes flickered with a hint of sadness as it drew a tiny Sweet Pepper on Qian Hui’s fingertip, followed by a miniature Pomelo… then Lettuce and Timothy.

The drawings were so small that Qian Hui couldn’t make out what Little Mushroom was drawing, but he guessed from the quantity.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured it, “we’ll find them.”

Little Mushroom nodded, nuzzling Qian Hui’s finger in a gesture of dependence.

The base had been established, but it was still in its initial stages, merely a marked area on the map. Much work remained to be done.

Fortunately, the Game provided hints. Qian Hui browsed the Prestige Point Shop and found two weapons:

One was the Energy Net, similar to the Money Tree’s defense barrier, and the other was the Detector, capable of detecting enemy factions outside the base with a wide range and issuing immediate alerts.

The two weapons cost only 400 Prestige Points combined, but their daily maintenance cost was 100 credits each, totaling 200.

After considering it, Qian Hui bought both. He planned to use only the Detector for now, keeping the Energy Net as a backup to activate when needed.

In the meantime, Carrot had already flown a circuit around the new base on its carrot thorn, memorizing the general terrain.

Upon returning, it followed Qian Hui’s instructions and carried the two weapons to the base’s central area, burying them halfway up the mountainside.

After burying the weapons, the optimization suggestions for external defenses included “physical protection.”

Most of the outer perimeter was already secured by the Black Ridge Mountain Base’s walls, but the remaining half-circle was only separated by iron mesh. For added security, a complete perimeter fence was needed.

Qian Hui opened the Regular Shop and, following the prompts, bought a large quantity of bricks and cement in one go, also selecting an attractive wooden gate.

With the defense barrier in place, the walls didn’t need to be particularly high. However, as Qian Hui stared at the pile of building materials in his Game Backpack, he felt stumped.

No instructions… How do I use these things? Do I just stack the bricks?

The plants certainly wouldn’t know how to build walls—that was more of a human skill.

Afraid of wasting the purchased materials, Qian Hui sought help from Nan Tingjin.

He pulled Nan Tingjin aside and whispered nervously, “Xiao Jin, I bought some things…”

Qian Hui possessed a “space” invisible to outsiders, where he stored food, water, various pills and weapons, and the Resurrection Bean that had restored Little Mushroom’s life. Nan Tingjin was aware of this.

He asked softly, “What did you buy?”

“It’s just…” Qian Hui pulled out a wooden brick. “This, for building walls.”

The brick was unusual, made entirely of wood.

Nan Tingjin took it in his hand and examined it, guessing Qian Hui’s intention. “A perimeter wall?”

Qian Hui nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Now that they had a base, a perimeter wall was essential to mark their territory.

“Alright,” Nan Tingjin said. “I’ll get some people to help.”

Qian Hui’s face lit up with joy, and he nodded vigorously. “Mm-hmm!”

He hugged Nan Tingjin tightly, nuzzling his cheek against his neck. “Thank you…”

Nan Tingjin remained silent, leading Qian Hui outside the iron gate.

Under the cover of privacy, they retrieved all the wooden bricks and several bags of green cement, placing them by the roadside outside the gate.

Qian Hui had purchased ample supplies to ensure they wouldn’t run out of materials mid-construction.

He also summoned Carrot and Carnivorous Flower, planning to assign several plants to learn wall-building techniques from the humans and work together for faster progress.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ji received Nan Tingjin’s message and selected a group of Ability Users with suitable abilities, preparing to head to Back Mountain.

Someone asked, “What are we going there for?”

“To help build a perimeter wall,” Yuan Ji replied, pausing slightly. “Oh, right, the mutated plants have taken a liking to our Back Mountain and want to establish a base there.”

“What?! This…”

“What? Do you have a problem with that?” Yuan Ji gestured with a “please” motion. “Want to go reclaim the Back Mountain that’s been abandoned for years?”

The man chuckled awkwardly and fell silent.

Even if they could win a fight, the base’s Back Mountain had been neglected for years and was of no practical use.

The mutated plants had helped defend the base last night, and now they were helping repair the walls… It made perfect sense, really.

Still… a mutated plant base?

That sounded quite extraordinary.

Soon after, Yuan Ji led his group to the iron gate, where neatly stacked construction materials awaited, along with several plants standing guard.

He pulled out the prepared map and approached Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin.

From this day forward, this area would no longer belong to Black Ridge Mountain. Yuan Ji had considered every angle, determined to completely separate the two bases, leaving them merely adjacent to each other.

“Move this section further back,” Yuan Ji pointed to the map. “We can simply shift our wall over here.”

Among the base’s Ability Users were several who could manipulate inanimate objects like stone. Moving the wall and Watchtower would be no problem; they estimated the reinforcements could be completed within a single day.

Having successfully repelled the attackers just last night, they were already rushing to divide the base today. Time was tight, but the teams undoubtedly needed rest and recuperation even more. It was best to seize the moment.

Once the separation was complete, the two bases were divided by a wide road, with their respective walls marking the boundaries.

Though it appeared Black Ridge Mountain Base had lost most of its territory, in reality, the area was largely unusable.

Nan Tingjin agreed to Yuan Ji’s arrangement, and Qian Hui carefully studied the map before nodding. “Alright.”

Carrot and Chili Pepper listened nearby. They had to admit, when it came to base construction, humans were still the experts.

With the area division confirmed, Yuan Ji put away the map and instructed his subordinates to begin moving.

Cementing and bricklaying were straightforward tasks. The plants watched for a while and quickly grasped the basics.

Carnivorous Flower went outside to help mix cement, while Cabbage, though short in stature, could extend its arms to stack bricks quickly and neatly.

Soft Vine and Morning Glory joined Cabbage, and the remaining plants pitched in, those less skilled at bricklaying focusing on spreading cement.

The human ability users worked even faster. One controlled the cement while the other manipulated wooden bricks, completing an entire wall in just over ten minutes.

The perimeter walls of Black Ridge Mountain Base began to shift and reconfigure. Qian Hui activated the buried Detector, setting it to maximum range and remaining vigilant for any anomalies.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the base, Sweet Pepper had circled around only to find itself back where it started.

Its expression twisted in frustration as it slammed a fist against a roadside railing.

How is this place so huge?! Roads everywhere! Everywhere!

Like Pea, Sweet Pepper was hopelessly directionally challenged, even more so than its companion.

After infiltrating the base, it had slept briefly that night, spending the rest of its time searching tirelessly for any sign of other plants.

It could detect faint traces of Carrot, Carnivorous Flower, and Nut, but the scents led in too many directions. Sweet Pepper wandered through the base, feeling like it was trapped in a maze.

Forcing itself to calm down, it adjusted its mask and decided to simply kidnap a human.

With no plants in sight, but numerous human ability users scattered throughout the base, Sweet Pepper chose a lone target and stealthily followed it.

After tailing the human for some distance, it seized its opportunity and darted forward.

Sensing the sudden movement, the human ability user instinctively raised a hand, only to freeze in shock upon realizing it was a mutated plant.

Seizing the opportunity, Sweet Pepper effortlessly knocked down the human ability user and pressed a dagger formed from chili pepper seeds against his throat.

“Woo woo,” Sweet Pepper growled fiercely. “Woo?”

Despite wearing a black mask and carrying a small bundle on its back, it was unmistakably a red sweet pepper.

The human ability user recognized the threat in its tone and hesitated.

Is this… another mutated plant that entered the base last night?

The sheer quantity of plants made it impossible to identify them all.

He cautiously replied, “What… what do you need?”

Sweet Pepper frowned, puzzled by the human’s cooperative attitude.

Still, cooperation would make things much easier.

It retracted the dagger slightly and used its other hand to draw a Nut on the ground.

The human ability user guessed, “Nut? Did you get separated from them?”

Everyone in the base remembered the Giant Nut from the previous night, and he was no exception, immediately recognizing it.

Sweet Pepper couldn’t fathom why it was looking for Nut. It never imagined another special-grade mutated plant could have infiltrated the base undetected.

Sweet Pepper nodded in agreement, and the human ability user sighed in relief. “I can take you there. It’s right over there…” He pointed toward Back Mountain, where Nan Tingjin’s low building stood at the end of the path.

Sweet Pepper turned to look and caught a glimpse of a familiar orange figure in the sky.

It sheathed its dagger and quickly slipped away, vanishing from sight in an instant.

The human ability user stood up, noticed Sweet Pepper was gone, and looked around in confusion. After a moment’s thought, he retrieved his Communicator to report the incident before turning and leaving.

Meanwhile, Sweet Pepper had concealed its presence and was hiding near the low building.

It watched as Carrot glided to the ground on its carrot thorn, a Durian hanging from its left foot and a Chili Pepper from its right—a slender, green chili pepper.

The three plants entered the low building together.

Sweet Pepper smirked coldly and followed them inside.

On the other side, Qian Hui led Nan Tingjin around, carefully selecting the location for the base’s main gate.

The heavy wooden gate was carried over by the Carnivorous Flower. Above it hung a plaque, presumably for writing the base’s name.

“I’ve decided!” Qian Hui’s excitement hadn’t waned. “We’ll call it Plant Little Courtyard too!”

Nan Tingjin responded with a simple “Good” and used a sharp stone to carve the name into the plaque.

Once the words “Plant Little Courtyard” were carved, Qian Hui paused, slightly dazed.

The original Plant Little Courtyard had also had a similar plaque at its entrance, and the characters on it looked remarkably similar to these…

He stared intently for a moment before Nan Tingjin pulled him into an embrace.

Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze. “Happy?”

Snapping out of his reverie, Qian Hui nodded obediently. “Mm-hmm.”

He tilted his head back, resting his chin against Nan Tingjin’s chest. “I also want a little stone cottage, like the one you used to live in…”

Nan Tingjin listened quietly, then leaned down to kiss him. “Alright.”

Off to the side, Yuan Ji sat cross-legged on the ground.

He pressed his fingers to his temples and swallowed a stimulant pill he carried with him.

Since the previous night, his physical condition had changed. He tired more easily and felt inexplicably irritable.

Yuan Ji didn’t dare take any other medications, relying solely on the stimulant to calm himself down, which offered some relief.

He closed his eyes to rest, and only reopened them when the strange sensation had dissipated.

Nearby, Big Pea and Cactus were busy smoothing cement. Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the nearby grass.

Yuan Ji turned to see a pink Little Mushroom and a pink Little Succulent approaching hand-in-hand, followed by their protector, Little Bamboo Shoot.

Little Mushroom looked up at Yuan Ji, its gaze filled with curiosity.

Yuan Ji tried to offer a friendly smile. “Hello?”

Little Mushroom made a soft “mmm” sound, as if responding, and slowly moved closer, sniffing Yuan Ji’s scent.

It released Little Succulent’s hand and approached Yuan Ji, circling him a few times.

Finding Little Mushroom adorable, Yuan Ji couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it. But just as his hand extended, Little Bamboo Shoot cleared its throat softly, its gaze sharp.

Yuan Ji quickly withdrew his hand.

Undeterred, Little Mushroom stood before Yuan Ji, looking up at him again.

“Mmm…” It reached into its umbrella-like cap, rummaged around for a long moment, and seemed to pull something out. Cupping it in its hands, it blew the contents toward Yuan Ji.

Having completed this gesture, Little Mushroom turned and scurried away.

Little Succulent followed, and the two plants returned to Little Bamboo Shoot’s side.

Little Mushroom hugged Little Bamboo Shoot and made a soft “woo woo” sound. Little Bamboo Shoot then retrieved a small packet of shredded meat from its outer shell and fed it to Little Mushroom.