Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Bang!

A rock struck the Nut’s shell, sending splinters of dust and debris flying.

Staring up at the towering Nut, Lettuce’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Since leaving the Little Courtyard, the Nut was the only plant it hadn’t encountered.

Though many times, it had only “encountered” them unilaterally, spotting them unharmed before quietly turning away.

Before Lettuce could react, a string of interconnected plants descended from the sky.

Carrot, having pinpointed their location, led the fully armed Plant Squad to the ground.

Big Pea jumped forward first, hands on its hips, and squinted at Lettuce. “Woo?”

What’s our “Leader” doing looking so disheveled?

Not long ago, the plants had been in a state of shock and confusion.

Carrot had just emerged from the base. Qian Hui was safe and sound in the wooden cabin, and Nan Tingjin had returned to normal, protecting him. How could there possibly be any danger…?

Immediately afterward, Big Pea detected Lettuce’s scent on the leaf ball and questioned Rose about their “Leader’s” appearance.

Upon confirming it was indeed Lettuce, the plants were both overjoyed and deeply puzzled.

That’s impossible… the Flying Squad hadn’t encountered Lettuce at all during their wooden chip dispersal missions.

And when did it become “Leader” and “Qian Hui”?

But there was no time for further investigation. According to Rose’s account, they had been ambushed shortly after separating from Lettuce.

They were nearly at their destination. For Lettuce to have been forced to abandon them… the situation must have been dire.

Carrot immediately rallied the squad, bringing Mimosa along for added security.

They raced in the direction Rose indicated, Mimosa using its heightened sensory abilities to track Lettuce’s scent trail as it fled. They finally arrived just in time.

Lettuce remained seated on the ground, gazing up at Big Pea and the group of plants gathering behind it.

Carrot, Cabbage, Sweet Pepper… and unfamiliar ones like Chili Pepper, Durian, Potato, Corn, Four-Leaf Clover, Cactus, Big Cherry…

Uncertain of the situation, Carrot wanted to bring every plant from the attack squad to ensure overwhelming force against any creature.

Especially Big Cherry, who had recently consumed several landmines and fully charged its explosive attack, ready to unleash a devastating blast at any moment.

Lettuce remained dazed, silently refusing to answer Big Pea’s questions.

Carrot yanked Lettuce to its feet, shielding it behind its back, and twisted its head to scan the surroundings. “Woo?”

Where was the enemy? Where was it hiding? Why couldn’t it see it?

The shrunken Mimosa pressed against Carrot’s face, trembling as it raised a leaf and pointed in a specific direction.

Simultaneously, several fragments of broken rebar hurtled toward them from the distance. Seeing this, Nut swapped to a tougher outer shell, swayed its body, and deflected the sharp projectiles.

Lettuce finally spoke up. “Woo.”

The Zombie King.

Following human custom, this Zombie King had a simple, easily understood name: Giant Corpse.

The Giant Corpse stood four to five meters tall, possessing superhuman strength and acute senses.

It was also cunning. Remembering Lettuce’s ability to release paralyzing gas, it maintained its distance during the chase, relying on ranged attacks to wear Lettuce down.

If the Plant Squad hadn’t arrived in time, Lettuce would have been in grave danger.

Giant Corpse… Big Pea frowned.

It recognized this Zombie King, but the Giant Corpse was supposed to be confined to the high-risk, uncleaned zone. Why had it suddenly appeared here?

Could it be because they had killed the Black-Reef Zombie King recently?

Zombie Kings were exceedingly rare. In the years since the Doomsday, only four had ever emerged. Black Reef was already dead, and another had been killed by human Ability Users in a coordinated assault.

These Zombie Kings could summon and command Zombie Hordes at will, and they might even possess a unique form of telepathic communication.

Carrot’s expression grew grave. Zombie Kings were typically accompanied by massive Zombie Hordes. After quickly assessing the squad’s overall strength, it hesitated, wondering if they should retreat first.

Just then, Mimosa’s leaves trembled again.

Lettuce tilted its head back and sniffed the air, surprised. “Woo?”

It ran away?

So timid—scared off so easily?

Carrot blocked Cabbage and Pea from chasing after it, fearing a trap.

It pulled out its carrot thorn, flew into the air alone, glided in a small circle, and landed again.

It really slipped away fast…

Mimosa could no longer sense the Giant Corpse’s presence. It had indeed left, and there were no other zombies nearby.

Finally safe, Lettuce flopped onto its back on the ground.

This journey has been exhausting…

It sighed inwardly, while subtly observing the Plant Squad again, its pitch-black, round eyes darting around.

Chili Pepper pulled out a Communicator from its backpack and shared the Giant Corpse’s appearance with Yuan Ji.

Nut suddenly shrank, hopped closer, and tilted its head to examine Lettuce.

Big Pea leaned in, also staring at Lettuce with a curious gaze. “Woo?”

Leader, where’s your base? Should we take you back?

Lettuce pressed a hand to the wound on its cheek and closed its eyes, pretending to be too weak to hear.

Pea had already noticed the small wooden chip around its neck and was examining it closely.

Cabbage rushed over, worried. “Woo woo! Woo?”

What was going on? Had Lettuce met Qian Hui beforehand? That didn’t seem right…

Hearing Qian Hui’s name, Lettuce immediately sat up, hesitating before asking, “Woo?”

Was Qian Hui really here?

Even with the name on the wooden chip and having seen the plants from the Little Courtyard, Lettuce still couldn’t fully believe it.

Carrot sensed something amiss from Lettuce’s reaction. “Hmph,” it scoffed, stopping Cabbage from speaking for now.

It demanded Lettuce confess everything: the dozen or so unfamiliar plants that had come to the base, and what exactly was going on with this “Leader.”

Lettuce remained silent for a moment, scratching its uninjured cheek. Then, it honestly recounted the entire story from beginning to end.

Two minutes later, Cabbage clenched its fists. “Woo!”

Don’t hold me back! I’m going to beat it up!

No wonder when they went out the second time, after searching the surrounding forests, they only managed to bring back four plants…

So Lettuce tricked them all into following it!

With Lettuce’s lazy, dawdling nature, who knows how much time it wasted along the way!

Carrot continued to restrain Cabbage, quickly calming it down.

Forget it… The outcome was good after all. All the plants arrived safely at the base.

Even though they took a detour and ended up near Black Ridge Mountain.

Sweet Pepper and Big Pea squatted nearby, watching the drama with amusement.

Lettuce felt a twinge of guilt but quickly regained its composure. “Woo!”

It wasn’t my fault! It was a misunderstanding! Besides, I stayed up for days to protect the plants, even losing my little lounge chair…

Lettuce scrambled to its feet, dusted off its leaves, and turned to retrieve its lounge chair.

Carrot immediately blocked its path again.

What’s the point in looking for it now? We can just make a new one when we get back to the base!

With the misunderstanding cleared up, it was time to return.

Carrot pulled out a sharp thorn, and the Plant Squad swiftly arranged themselves into their familiar formation, ready to take flight.

Big Cherry cut in line and clung to Potato’s other hand, Nut hopped into Cabbage’s arms, and Big Pea brought up the rear.

Pea turned to Lettuce, extended a hand, and grinned, baring its teeth. “Woo!”

Come on, Leader! Let’s take you home!

After Carrot and the squad departed from the base, Carnivorous Flower returned with over a dozen plants.

Excited and curious, they constantly looked around, taking in their surroundings.

This was the true Plant Base. As far as the eye could see, everything was green—towering forests, lush meadows, and even the walls smelled of wood and were made of green concrete, adorned with strings of mini cabbage lamps.

The simple wooden gate bore a sign carved with characters plants could understand: “Plant Little Courtyard.”

The environment alone exceeded the plants’ expectations, even surpassing Lettuce’s descriptions.

Soon, they saw a silver-haired, red-eyed youth approaching swiftly to greet them.

Carnivorous Flower shrank to a smaller size, with Little Mushroom and Mango perched on its head. Mango introduced the youth as the base’s Leader.

Leader…

This was the true Leader of the base? What about Lettuce…?

The plants were bewildered and still somewhat timid, huddling together as they cautiously observed Qian Hui.

Qian Hui crouched down, extending a hand gently. “Don’t be afraid,” he said warmly. “You’re safe here.”

The plant aura clinging to him was thick and distinct, utterly unlike that of any human or zombie.

Rose and Lychee were the first to muster their courage, approaching and nudging Qian Hui’s hand.

The other plants followed suit, greeting him in their own unique ways.

They had already been willing to join the base; otherwise, they wouldn’t have abandoned their former homes to follow Lettuce here.

Now, everything before them filled them with delight.

The base was vast, housing several special-grade mutated plants that were surprisingly gentle. Many native plants also thrived here, living comfortably.

Little Cabbage and Apple even brought out food for the plants to eat freely.

The only unexpected change was the Leader’s altered appearance.

Rubber Tree was the most dejected, head bowed as it kicked its right foot with its left, muttering gloomily under its breath.

Little Cabbage slipped away invisibly, darted back, tugged at Qian Hui’s sleeve, and pointed toward the distance beyond the base.

Having known that Lettuce had been with these plants before, Qian Hui guessed Rubber Tree was lamenting Lettuce’s absence.

He stood up and walked over, gently touching the Rubber Tree’s broad leaves. “Don’t worry, Cai Cai will be back soon.”

Despite his words, Qian Hui remained deeply concerned.

After entrusting the new plants to Little Cabbage and the logistics squad, he went to the perimeter wall to anxiously await their return.

The Carnivorous Flower and Little Mushroom followed him. Soon after, Yuan Ji brought Sunflower and Little Bamboo Shoot back to the base as well.

Finally, Chili Pepper sent a message saying they were rushing back at full speed.

Less than ten minutes later, a long line of plants appeared on the horizon.

As the plants drew closer, Lettuce, at the very bottom, squinted and spotted familiar figures.

Qian Hui waved excitedly. “Cai Cai!”

Lettuce was overjoyed, shouting “Woo woo!” from mid-air. If Pea hadn’t been holding it back, it would have jumped down immediately.

Once Carrot landed safely, Lettuce darted straight toward Qian Hui and leaped into his arms.

Lettuce whimpered with excitement, having also spotted the Carnivorous Flower, Sunflower, and Little Mushroom.

Everyone was here—they were all really here!

Lettuce felt like it was dreaming, clinging tightly to Qian Hui’s hand.

Qian Hui gently touched Lettuce’s injured face, his heart aching, and fed it a medicinal pill.

Lettuce obediently swallowed the pill and greeted the other three plants nearby.

Little Mushroom leaped into Qian Hui’s arms, happily taking Lettuce’s hand.

A group of new plants, seeing the squad’s return, couldn’t resist approaching.

Observing Lettuce’s interaction with Qian Hui, several clever ones quickly deduced the relationship between the old and new “Leaders.”

Rubber Tree, still dazed, let out a “woo” and addressed Lettuce as “Leader.”

Lettuce stiffened, immediately playing dead again.

Big Pea leaned closer, grinning mischievously. “Woo!”

Leader, they’re calling you!

Cabbage, still disgruntled, pointed at Lettuce and loudly accused it.

Sunflower, standing nearby, explained everything to Qian Hui.

Lettuce remained motionless, its leaves drooping, still pretending to be dead.

Qian Hui first pulled Cabbage aside and soothed it with a few comforting words.

Cabbage finally huffed and stopped holding a grudge against Lettuce.

Qian Hui then accepted the towel Little Cabbage offered and wiped the dust from Lettuce’s face, saying, “Bringing back so many plants, Cai Cai, you’re amazing!”

Lettuce seemed to come alive instantly, obediently burying itself in the towel and rubbing against it in a circle before nuzzling vigorously against Qian Hui’s hand.

After successfully retrieving another plant from the Little Courtyard and welcoming even more new plants to the base, everyone was overjoyed.

The base’s membership had grown from its initial 33 to 50, completing the mission to illuminate 100 entries in the Encyclopedia and earning a reward of 10,000 credits.

New missions immediately refreshed, and a Side Mission that had been vacant for a long time finally appeared.

<i>Main Mission:</i> Elevate the Plant Faction’s rank to second place.

<i>Mission Reward:</i> +5,000 Faction Points, +10,000 Prestige Points

<i>Side Mission:</i> Expand the base’s membership to 100.

<i>Mission Reward:</i> +2,000 Faction Points, 50,000 credits

Both missions offered substantial rewards, but… they didn’t seem easy to complete.

Especially the Main Mission, as the Plant Faction remained in third place.

To reach 100 members, they would need to continue their recruitment efforts.

Qian Hui pondered quietly for a moment before Sweet Pepper called out to him from nearby.

After settling in the new plants, Carrot and Carnivorous Flower led Lettuce on a tour of the base. By now, it was noon.

Yuan Ji arrived with a group, bringing carefully selected and prepared food, along with the five fish Carrot had requested.

The fish weren’t large, but they were fresh and lively, leaping and splashing. Carrot was overjoyed and released all the fish into the small pond to raise.

The other plants gathered at the wooden cabin. A new table had been set up outside, and they planned to eat lunch together with the one inside.

Lettuce had only just returned, but it showed no signs of shyness, circling both tables and trying to pick its favorite spot.

As it passed Nan Tingjin, it subtly glanced at him twice.

Nan Tingjin leaned against the door, his gaze fixed on Qian Hui, seemingly lost in thought.

Only when Qian Hui approached did he stir, following him into the cabin.

Meanwhile, at the neighboring base:

Yuan Ji returned to his quarters after delivering the supplies and picked up the Communicator he had deliberately left on the table.

As expected, he found several messages, all from other bases.

Yuan Ji scoffed coldly, replying only to Cloud River Base before tossing the Communicator aside.

These bases had previously either remained neutral or sided with Wen Jue, ignoring Black Ridge Mountain Base’s attempts to contact them—perhaps out of fear.

Now, in such a short time, everything seemed to have been overturned.

But whether to accept these bases’ requests for assistance would depend on Qian Hui and the plants’ opinions, as well as the sincerity and compensation they could offer.

After lunch, Qian Hui skipped his nap and sat beneath a tree, keeping the plants company while listening to Lettuce recount its adventures over the past few years.

Lettuce had traveled more than any other plant, wandering wherever its fancy took it.

It had witnessed humans fighting each other and humans battling zombies, and occasionally, when it saw humans or zombies capturing plants, it would secretly trip them up.

It had faced danger several times, but always managed to escape unscathed. Lettuce’s unique abilities and small size made it easy to hide.

Neither human armies nor zombie hordes frightened it; the greater the enemy’s numbers, the more opportunities its skills had to shine.

Only the morning’s encounter had truly terrified it—being chased relentlessly by the Giant Corpse, nearly meeting its end.

Qian Hui, still shaken, hugged Lettuce tightly.

Their current location was within Sector 5, considered a safe zone. Although the Black Ridge Mountain Base was somewhat remote, it should have been classified as a low-risk area on the map.

The sudden appearance of the Giant Corpse was undeniably bad news.

Sector 5 was home to other human settlements, the Black Ridge Mountain Base, and the new Plant Little Courtyard.

The Giant Corpse’s intentions remained unclear, and its horde size was unknown.

After a moment’s thought, Qian Hui asked, “Cai Cai, do you know where Pomelo and Maomao are?”

Lettuce nodded. “Woo!”

I know!