Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

The wooden chip was etched with crooked, distorted characters that seemed strange at first glance.

But to the mutated plants, these characters automatically transformed into comprehensible information.

“Plant Little Courtyard,” “Exclusive Base”…

“Leader Qian Hui”?

A head of lettuce, no taller than a palm, stood in the center of the ruins, its gaze fixed intently on the wooden chip in its hand.

Is this for real?

Several months ago, Lettuce had wandered into the high-risk northern zone. Only in the past couple of days had it arrived in this area.

During its travels, it had encountered Carnivorous Flower and Carrot in different areas, but kept its distance and didn’t approach them.

Do Carnivorous Flower and Carrot know about this “base”?

It’s even called Plant Little Courtyard… Could someone from the original Little Courtyard be there? Did they deliberately choose the same name?

And what’s with “Leader Qian Hui”? This can’t be a coincidence, right?

Lettuce silently memorized the coordinates on the wooden chip, intending to investigate.

It was about to casually discard the chip when it hesitated.

After a moment, Lettuce snapped off the small piece inscribed with “Leader Qian Hui” and tucked it securely into its leaf crown.

Having done this, Lettuce hopped onto the recliner behind the mid-grade zombie.

Suddenly, the dormant zombie twitched violently, its eye sockets spasming involuntarily. It lifted its heavy head and turned to look sideways.

Lettuce immediately tensed, spitting a puff of pale green mist at the zombie.

The zombie inhaled the mist through its nostrils, instantly returning to normal and awakening from its dormancy. However, its red eyes remained fixed on the side, a low, guttural growl rumbling in its throat.

This was the zombie’s reaction to being summoned. The intensity of its response suggested that the entity on the other side was likely not a high-grade zombie.

If it wasn’t a high-grade zombie, then it had to be a Zombie King.

Lettuce had come here precisely because of a Zombie King.

This particular Zombie King had been diligently cultivating its Zombie Horde in a high-risk zone. Then, one day, it suddenly vanished without warning, and the horde dispersed in its wake.

Normally, even when a Zombie King’s horde scattered, the zombies would slowly drift in the same direction, never straying too far from their master, ready to answer its call at any moment.

Lettuce, having nothing better to do, intercepted a mid-grade zombie along the way, curious to see what was happening.

The mid-grade zombie carried it for days, half-dreaming and half-awake, until finally, for the first time, it received a powerful summons—and the source seemed to be nearby.

More importantly… the direction of the summons aligned perfectly with the coordinates of the “Plant Little Courtyard” marked on the wooden chip.

Lettuce’s expression grew serious as it exhaled another puff of smoke at the zombie, this time white.

The zombie’s mind cleared slightly, and it instinctively shuffled sideways, moving with the slow, clumsy gait of a low-grade zombie.

Settling back into its lounge chair, Lettuce retrieved the small wooden chip hidden above its head and lovingly stroked the name carved into it.

After carefully tucking the chip away, it lay back, gazing up at the sky.

Such a perfect sun. I’ll bask for a while and wait until the zombie gets closer to the summons before acting.

Meanwhile, near the ruins by the distant forest, Big Peanut was surrounded by several zombies, sustaining injuries to its waist and arms.

It fought valiantly, spitting out two massive peanuts while swinging a fist at the nearest zombie.

Big Peanut’s hands and legs were formed from intertwined root systems, its clenched fists surprisingly large. One swing sent the zombie’s nose bridge snapping sideways.

The two peanuts slammed into another zombie, their red shells bursting open to release a cloud of peanut fragments. The zombie was immediately critically wounded, and a nearby companion was also caught in the blast.

However, the sheer number of zombies overwhelmed Big Peanut. Barely dodging one attack, it was tackled to the ground by another.

This zombie, nearing high-grade status, possessed immense strength. It pinned Big Peanut down, snarling and baring its mouthful of black teeth, ready to bite.

Suddenly, a red shadow fell from above.

Before the zombie could react, a chill ran down its neck.

A chili pepper seed dart, launched with deadly precision, pierced its throat. Big Pea followed immediately, leaping down and delivering a powerful kick.

The zombie was sent flying into the nearby ruins, temporarily incapacitated and struggling weakly to retreat.

Sensing the aura of danger, the remaining zombies turned to flee.

Sweet Pepper charged forward, brandishing a small knife. Big Pea, wearing a muzzle, spat twice, and the few zombies were swiftly dispatched.

Carrot hadn’t opened the Flyer’s transparent canopy, making it difficult to use its carrot thorn. It signaled Sweet Pepper and Big Pea to come down and assist.

Both were formidable in close combat and could handle the situation quietly.

With their mission nearing completion, they wanted to avoid attracting further trouble.

Amidst the ruins, Big Peanut clambered to its feet, clutching its wound and staring blankly at the two plants before it.

It soon noticed movement overhead. Looking up, it saw… four peculiar circular Flyers resembling flying saucers.

Having never seen such aircraft before, Big Peanut instinctively assumed they belonged to humans.

Panic-stricken, it turned and fled without a second thought.

Big Pea, unable to explain, reached out a hand and let out a muffled “woo…”

The area seemed unsafe, and Big Peanut was severely wounded, its condition critical.

Moreover, while their primary mission wasn’t to find new plants, now that they’d spotted one…

They had to take it!

Sweet Pepper exchanged a glance with Big Pea, signaling it to leave the matter to him. With lightning speed, Sweet Pepper vanished from its spot.

Ten seconds later, Sweet Pepper returned, carrying Big Peanut under one arm.

Big Peanut was slightly taller than Sweet Pepper, yet utterly helpless. Injured and with its head bowed, it struggled futilely against its restraints.

A wad of leaves stuffed into its mouth muffled its terrified “woo woo” cries.

Two Flyers descended slowly, their transparent canopies opening. Big Pea leaped into the first one.

Sweet Pepper jumped into the Flyer piloted by Chili Pepper, shoving Big Peanut into the narrow space behind the seats.

Chili Pepper sat beside it, rummaging through its backpack to find several pills.

By chance, a wooden chip remained in the backpack. They had brought fifty chips, scattering them strategically along their route.

Chili Pepper placed the pills and the wooden chip in Big Peanut’s hand, soothingly murmuring, “Woo woo…”

Sweet Pepper took over piloting the Flyer, and it rose again, catching up with the three Flyers ahead.

The four Flyers ascended into the high sky, becoming tiny black dots weaving through the clouds.

In the back seat, Big Peanut remained motionless, its eyes a mixture of wariness and blankness. It was both suspicious and bewildered by the events unfolding, its understanding shattered.

After sending a message to Qian Hui, Chili Pepper glanced back and, seeing Big Peanut’s state, grabbed a few pills, pinched its cheeks, and forced them into its mouth.

The pill melted instantly in Big Peanut’s mouth, and its wounds began to heal immediately. Only then did it snap out of its daze, as if waking from a dream.

It cautiously eyed the two Peppers, then turned to gaze at the vast sky outside the Flyer.

Still dazed, Big Peanut looked down at the wooden chip in its hand.

Plant… base?

On the return journey, the Plant Squad didn’t stop for a moment, flying at top speed and reaching the base in just half an hour.

The protective net detected unfamiliar plants on the Flyers. After the Game prompted Qian Hui for authorization, it allowed all the Flyers to enter.

As the four Flyers landed and their transparent canopies opened, Qian Hui hurried forward to greet them.

Sweet Pepper, the most eager, was the first to rush over, throwing itself into Qian Hui’s arms.

The other plants emerged one by one, Big Peanut among them, trailing behind Chili Pepper and nervously scanning its surroundings.

As the plants noticed the unfamiliar face, they gradually gathered around. Carnivorous Flower lowered its head to sniff Big Peanut, while Little Mushroom stood on its head, waving hello.

Faced with so many plants, Big Peanut seemed timid and withdrawn, silently taking a half-step back while furtively observing its surroundings.

Is this the plant base mentioned on the wooden chip?

It didn’t sense any immediate danger here, but besides the plants, there was also a silver-haired, red-eyed… wait, what?

Sweet Pepper nestled into Qian Hui’s arms, nuzzling affectionately. Carrot squeezed in beside it, announcing that their mission had been successfully completed.

“Good,” Qian Hui said, patting each of their heads. “You were both amazing!”

After the squad rescued Big Peanut, Chili Pepper sent a brief message explaining the situation. Qian Hui also received a notification that they had won the Faction Conflict.

The wooden chips they had brought out were scattered in various locations, in the hope that other plants would notice them.

Next, Qian Hui carried Sweet Pepper and Carrot over to Big Peanut.

Big Peanut grew even more nervous, standing frozen in place, too afraid to move.

“Don’t be scared,” Qian Hui said with a friendly smile. “You can stay here for now and heal your injuries.”

Little Cabbage, standing nearby, promptly offered half a bag of cookies.

Hesitant at first, Big Peanut eventually reached out and accepted them.

Knowing that new plants needed time to adjust, Qian Hui rose and left with the others, giving Big Peanut some space to be alone. Little Cabbage and Apple remained at a distance, keeping an eye on it.

Big Peanut’s arrival at the base was unexpected. Once more plants voluntarily joined, it could be assigned to a few special-grade mutated plants for guidance.

However… it remained uncertain how effective the distributed wooden chips would be.

Carrot and Chili Pepper had discussed going out again in two days to search the forested areas for any plants that might have gathered there, waiting.

With half the wooden chips used up, they would also need to make a new batch.

Qian Hui led a group of plants away, while Big Peanut stayed behind, watching as the four Flyers were driven off to be parked in the mountains.

After standing alone for a while, it noticed several plants hiding behind a bush, secretly observing it.

They appeared to be a Mini Cabbage, an Apple, a Little Pink Mushroom, a Pink Succulent, a Little Bamboo Shoot…

Were they wary of it?

Big Peanut pretended not to notice and sat down on the grass, slowly finishing the half-eaten bag of crackers.

On the way back, after taking the pill Chili Pepper had given it, its injuries had mostly healed. It could actually leave right now, but it didn’t know where this place was or how many zombies were outside…

Big Peanut finished its biscuit when a sudden noise startled it.

It looked up to see a water bottle wobbling across the grass, slowly approaching.

Thump! The bottle fell in front of Big Peanut, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps retreating.

Big Peanut remained motionless, glancing toward the bushes. Little Cabbage was gone.

After a moment’s hesitation, it picked up the water bottle.

Behind the bushes, Mango had arrived.

Stretching its limbs, Mango prepared to confront Big Peanut, eager to gauge its strength in a fight.

“Mmm!” Little Mushroom tugged at Mango’s arm, pointing toward the distant lawn where an open-top car sat. It wanted to go for a ride.

Mango had learned to drive the open-top car recently, though its skills were still rough. It was only allowed to drive on flat ground.

Scratching its head, Mango glanced at Big Peanut, then at Little Mushroom’s expectant eyes. After a moment of internal conflict, it abandoned the idea of fighting Big Peanut for now and led Little Mushroom and Little Succulent away.

Little Bamboo Shoot followed closely behind, guarding the three plants.

Two days prior, Yuan Ji had sent a crate of knives and another of kitchenware, prompting the base to construct a “kitchen” at the foot of the mountain.

Like the log cabin, the kitchen was quickly built using tree trunks for walls and a hastily assembled roof.

Once the base’s supplies became more plentiful, Qian Hui and the plants could use the kitchen to make soup, cut fresh fruit, or bake warm meals.

Qian Hui unconsciously recalled the past, burying his face in Nan Tingjin’s chest and murmuring, “Back then, every time I visited you, you would make soup for me…”

“What kind of soup?” Nan Tingjin asked instinctively, stroking Qian Hui’s silver hair, his mind seemingly drifting. “Herbal soup?”

Qian Hui lifted his head, his expression confused.

He didn’t actually know what kind of soup Nan Tingjin had made. It smelled faintly herbal, but had he ever mentioned it to Nan Tingjin before?

Just as Qian Hui was puzzling over this, Nan Tingjin’s communicator vibrated.

He retrieved it and saw a real-time communication request from Qi Yue.

Nan Tingjin accepted the call, and Qi Yue’s urgent voice came through: “Leader Nan, was Black Ridge Mountain Base also affected by the raid that day?”

His words came out of nowhere, and Nan Tingjin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“We suspect Wen Jue is behind this,” Qi Yue said, taking a breath. “Over the past few days, Lost Tides have erupted in multiple bases.”

A Lost Tide refers to a simultaneous outbreak of Lost State symptoms among a large number of Ability Users. All those affected had participated in the siege of Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Cloud River Base had excused itself from the siege at the time, but Qi Yue accepted an invitation to another base today to investigate the situation and learn the details.

That night, as the teams prepared to withdraw, everyone suddenly felt unwell, and their abilities failed for two or three minutes.

The Plant Squad had a Mutated Chili Pepper among them. At first, they all assumed it was the mutated plant’s ability. Fortunately, no further incidents occurred, and they successfully returned to their respective bases.

But over the past few days, these individuals have gradually begun exhibiting Lost State symptoms.

Originally, several bases were awaiting Wen Jue’s explanation. Many had believed the siege of Black Ridge Mountain was guaranteed to succeed, which is why Wen Jue had gathered such a large force.

Now, not only had the siege ended in utter failure, but a new crisis had emerged.

As news of Sky Base’s Ability Transplantation research gradually leaked, rumors began to spread that were detrimental to Wen Jue.

At this critical moment, Sky Base, which had been silent for a long time, finally issued a statement. They offered to provide more potent medication free of charge, but Ability Users would have to leave their original bases and join Sky Base.

Alternatively, bases could choose not to join directly but instead place themselves under Sky Base’s jurisdiction.

Sky Base repeatedly emphasized that the widespread Lost State among Ability Users was caused by mutated plants and had nothing to do with them.

After the statement was released, some bases lost faith in Sky Base, while others, unable to endure the torment of the Lost State, chose to compromise.

“I believe this is all part of Wen Jue’s plan,” Qi Yue said. “The exposure of his research last time planted seeds of doubt that would inevitably erode his authority. It’s better for him to bring the issue into the open and use this method to control other bases, turning them into his pawns.”

Qi Yue hurried back to his base, then remembered Black Ridge Mountain and wanted to inquire about the situation there.

Qian Hui, who had been listening nearby, asked blankly, “The Lost State… what is that?”

Qi Yue paused, then explained, “When ability users push their abilities to their limits, they’re prone to developing various abnormal symptoms. If these symptoms aren’t treated promptly… they might die from their own abilities.”

Each person’s ability is different, and so are the abnormal symptoms they experience. In mild cases, these symptoms might go unnoticed.

As for treatment and relief, there are many methods, tailored to each individual’s preferences and specific circumstances. Medication offers the quickest relief.

Hearing this, Qian Hui frantically turned to Nan Tingjin.

Now she understood what Sky Base had been secretly doing: deliberately inducing Lost State symptoms in large numbers of ability users to control them.

And Nan Tingjin… he had experienced discomfort before, more than once.

Qian Hui racked her brain, trying to recall if Nan Tingjin had shown any recent abnormalities. It seemed he had…

He had been staying up late these past few nights, and his body temperature had been slightly elevated.

Nan Tingjin remained silent for a moment before speaking. “Only a small fraction of us were affected.”

Yuan Ji had tallied the numbers at the time: just over a dozen ability users near the main gate had reported discomfort. They were all ordered to rest, and no new cases had been reported since.

The mutated plants had promptly repelled the attacking forces that night, so Sky Base likely only targeted those individuals.

Black Ridge Mountain Base wasn’t at the epicenter of the attack, which meant their personnel experienced milder symptoms.

Most of them… probably hadn’t even realized they were entering the Lost State yet.

Moreover, the symptoms of the Lost State could vary even in the same Ability User, depending on their environment and emotional state at the time of each episode.

“That’s good. I’m worried Wen Jue might still try to take Black Ridge Mountain. You must remain vigilant.”

Qi Yue was unaware that the mutated plants had remained near Black Ridge Mountain Base and were constructing a New Base nearby.

He had other urgent matters to attend to, so he quickly bid farewell to the two men and disconnected the Communicator.

Nan Tingjin put away the Communicator. Qian Hui tugged at his sleeve, his voice filled with concern. “Xiao Jin, are you feeling unwell too?”

“No,” Nan Tingjin replied, lowering his gaze. “Don’t worry.”

He pulled Qian Hui into his arms and murmured, “I need to go back briefly. Wait for me here.”

Qian Hui wanted to go with him, but he feared he would only be a burden and hinder Nan Tingjin’s efforts.

He nodded obediently, his voice tinged with reluctance. “Come back soon…”

Nan Tingjin gazed at Qian Hui for a moment, then couldn’t resist kissing his cheek. He released Qian Hui and turned to leave, striding away quickly.

A modified car, specially left by Yuan Ji, waited at the base entrance. Qian Hui watched from afar as the car made a U-turn on the road and headed toward the side gate of the Black Ridge Mountain Base.

He waited anxiously, but Nan Tingjin didn’t return even after nightfall.

Worried, Qian Hui asked Chili Pepper to send a message to Nan Tingjin, but there was no reply.

His anxiety grew, and Chili Pepper quickly contacted Yuan Ji again.

Ten minutes later, Yuan Ji drove to the Plant Little Courtyard himself.

He arrived alone and explained vaguely to Qian Hui, “The Leader… has locked himself up.”

Bewildered, Qian Hui asked, “Where is he? Can you take me to see him?”

Yuan Ji was about to refuse, but before he could speak, he noticed the group of plants surrounding Qian Hui.

The Carnivorous Flower glared menacingly, as if ready to swell in size and hurl his car into the air.

“Uh,” Yuan Ji relented, “I can.”

He opened the rear car door, preparing to take Qian Hui to the base.

Besides Qian Hui, the Carnivorous Flower and several other plants boarded the car, while the rest remained at the base.

The modified car sped along, entering Black Ridge Mountain Base and quickly arriving at the dungeon.

Yuan Ji parked the car and continued explaining, “Several people are being held together for added security.”

What he didn’t mention was that these prisoners possessed highly destructive abilities and were prone to accidentally harming others in their Lost State.

As for Nan Tingjin… Yuan Ji doubted he could truly be contained, but Nan Tingjin had insisted on it.

Perhaps it would have a psychological effect, helping him maintain emotional stability and resist losing control.

Qian Hui remained silent, following Yuan Ji through the dungeon gate and down a narrow staircase into a corridor.

The corridor was lined with rooms enclosed by iron bars, most of them empty.

These dungeons were guarded by two special Ability Users. The iron bars were reinforced with transparent walls that suppressed abilities and induced drowsiness, making escape nearly impossible for ordinary Ability Users.

The corridor was dimly lit. Yuan Ji rounded two corners and stopped at the far end.

He cleared his throat lightly. “He’s over there.”

Qian Hui hurried forward and found Nan Tingjin in the narrowest cell.

He was worried and distressed. “Xiao Jin…”

Nan Tingjin sat on a chair against the wall, looking up.

He didn’t seem surprised to see Qian Hui, or perhaps the ability permeating the room had dulled his senses.

Qian Hui called out again before Nan Tingjin finally stood up and slowly approached.

“What are you doing here?” he murmured. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

“But…”

On the way, Yuan Ji had mentioned that Nan Tingjin used to forgo conventional healing methods, instead venturing out to hunt zombies.

This extreme approach was likely unique to him… Yet this time, Nan Tingjin had chosen to isolate himself, likely because of Qian Hui.

He couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t hurt Qian Hui, yet he couldn’t bear to stay too far away.

“How are you feeling now?” Qian Hui asked, his voice trembling with concern. “I… can I help you?”

Yuan Ji had also suggested some common ability-based relief methods, such as talking with loved ones or spending time in quiet environments to vent and soothe emotions.

“Help me?”

Through the iron bars, Nan Tingjin’s voice was low and heavy. He reached out to Qian Hui, as if to confirm that the figure standing outside wasn’t a hallucination.

Qian Hui slipped his hand through the gaps in the bars and grasped Nan Tingjin’s feverish palm.

“I can stay with you,” he said. “It’s too dark in here. Let’s go back to the Little Courtyard…”

After a long silence, Nan Tingjin finally replied, “No need.”

Qian Hui pressed his lips together, feeling a pang of disappointment.

He knew that since they had confirmed their relationship, too many events had crowded their path, leaving them little time to truly connect.

Nan Tingjin had locked himself away without a word, and Qian Hui felt both heartache and a flicker of anger.

He lowered his lashes. “Then… then…”

But then Qian Hui realized Nan Tingjin was still holding his hand, refusing to let go.

He froze for a moment, then tried to pull his hand away, but couldn’t break free.

Nan Tingjin’s gaze shifted, and suddenly the iron bars before him began to groan and twist.

Several thick bars bent outward simultaneously, as if forced apart by invisible hands, until a gap wide enough for a person to pass through freely appeared.

Qian Hui stood rooted to the spot, watching Nan Tingjin step out.