Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Pomelo was unaware that the human teams passing through this area had almost always been heading to or returning from Sky Base.

Pomelo only ever snatched small amounts of food, making a quick getaway without intentionally harming anyone.

The humans it robbed couldn’t catch up to it or even find where it had gone.

It disguised itself with leaves, masking its scent so completely that no one could tell it was a special-grade mutated plant.

Thanks to its unique abilities, it was impossible to confirm that the same plant had been repeatedly “robbing” the area.

Over time, the human teams passing through grew indifferent to these minor incidents.

But just a few days ago, Sky Base had been attacked and nearly reduced to ruins, and Wen Jue had vanished without a trace.

Moreover, interference from Cloud River Base prevented many teams from even approaching the ruins, forcing them to halt far earlier.

Pomelo, oblivious to these events, sat patiently on a low rock behind the ruins, waiting.

The pomelo leaves hanging from its body gradually fell off, replaced by fresh ones sprouting from its head. Pomelo lowered its head and blew a puff of air, scattering the old leaves.

The weather was pleasant. Pomelo squinted through the gaps in its leaves, gazing at the sky. Basked in the warm sunlight, it almost forgot about its hunger.

But soon, Pomelo’s stomach rumbled.

The small bite of dried food had barely staved off its hunger.

Just then, a mid-grade zombie wandered nearby, its breath rasping with a guttural “Hrrgh… hrrgh…”

Pomelo tensed, not daring to look back. It tucked in its limbs, its round body sliding off the low stone and rolling swiftly across the rubble.

The zombie heard the movement and immediately gave chase, but it couldn’t keep up, only managing to swipe at a few fallen Pomelo leaves.

Pomelo rolled until it felt safe, finally stopping to hide nervously behind a section of broken wall.

All its leaves had been shed during the frantic escape, but now they sprouted anew, covering its entire body once more.

After several minutes, Pomelo thought it was safe, only to hear the “Hrrgh… hrrgh…” again.

Terrified that the mid-grade zombie had somehow tracked it down, Pomelo couldn’t resist peeking out.

In the distance, another mid-grade zombie was stumbling forward over the rubble.

Another one…

This zombie appeared to have been recently turned, perhaps only a few months ago. Its clothes were still relatively intact, consisting of a thick jacket and a grimy backpack slung over its shoulder.

Backpack!

Pomelo’s eyes lit up as it pushed aside the obstructing leaves, peering intently.

It was indeed a human backpack, its exterior barely intact and bulging, clearly containing something.

Perhaps it held food—some dried rations that could last a long time.

Pomelo stared at the backpack until the zombie spotted it, lunging forward with a guttural roar.

It swiftly curled into a ball and rolled away, evading the zombie’s attack.

Leaves sprouted from its body as it circled the zombie’s feet, stealthily kicking it several times before ramming into it with full force.

As a special-grade mutated plant, Pomelo possessed considerable strength. The zombie crashed to the ground, its legs and arms fracturing in multiple places.

Pomelo shook off the leaves stained with zombie blood, tentatively reached out to snatch the backpack, and fled.

The backpack was heavy and reeked of decay. Pomelo didn’t get far before stopping.

It set the backpack down, used pomelo leaves as makeshift gloves, and carefully opened it.

As expected, the backpack was filled with food in various bags, but all of it had spoiled.

Heartbroken, Pomelo meticulously discarded the rotten contents piece by piece. Finally, at the very bottom, it discovered two packets of dried rations.

The rations were meager, hard as stones to the touch.

Pomelo eagerly opened one and lowered its head to sniff.

Not spoiled! Still edible!

Pomelo gathered the rations and prepared to return to its dwelling. As it looked up, its gaze met a pair of wide eyes.

It was a… very thin Little Bitter Gourd, staring intently.

Pomelo had been so focused on searching for food that it hadn’t noticed when Little Bitter Gourd approached.

The little gourd’s eyes held a hint of fear, yet it didn’t flee. Summoning its courage, it stood its ground, its gaze fixed on the backpack behind Pomelo.

Little Bitter Gourd had likely come to the area seeking food as well, assuming that Pomelo had discarded the bags from the backpack because it didn’t want them.

I don’t want them, but can’t it smell they’re spoiled?

Pomelo turned away without acknowledging Little Bitter Gourd, its leaves dragging across the ground with a soft rustle.

It deliberately walked slowly, glancing back midway.

Little Bitter Gourd had already reached the backpack, picked up a food bag from the ground, and was about to bite into it.

Pomelo instinctively cried out, “Woo…”

Startled, Little Bitter Gourd froze, unsure what to do with the food in its hand.

This won’t do… Eating spoiled food will definitely make it feel awful.

Pomelo rushed over and kicked over a nearby pile of rubble, burying the backpack and food bags under the fallen stones.

Little Bitter Gourd clumsily dodged the falling debris, looking dazed as it sniffled.

Pomelo let out two woo woos, signaling that the food was spoiled and shouldn’t be eaten.

Little Bitter Gourd looked up, silent and uncomprehending.

Pomelo suddenly realized that even if Little Bitter Gourd knew the food was spoiled, it might still eat it.

If even Pomelo couldn’t find food, the nearby plants must be in even worse shape.

Hesitantly, it tossed one of the two dried rations it had found earlier to Little Bitter Gourd.

After giving the food, Pomelo turned and hurried away, leaving the area quickly.

The road was quiet. Pomelo slowed its pace, opened the ration, and took a small bite.

Ugh… This tastes awful.

But it would fill its stomach.

Pomelo took another small bite, saving the rest as it walked slowly in the sun.

With no passing human teams and no zombies, the area was eerily silent, as if cut off from the world.

Pomelo wondered if it should tear open the roof of its “room” after getting back to the Plant Base to let in some sunlight.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from behind.

Pomelo turned to see Little Bitter Gourd following it.

Little Bitter Gourd, clutching its rations, panted heavily. When it spotted Pomelo, a flicker of light appeared in its eyes.

Pomelo ignored it, burying its head and continuing to walk. After a while, it glanced back and saw Little Bitter Gourd was still following.

Oh no…

How did it catch up?!

Panicked, Pomelo tucked in its limbs and rolled away with a thump-thump-thump.

Little Bitter Gourd hurried after it, but Pomelo had vanished in an instant, leaving only scattered pomelo leaves behind.

It carefully picked up a leaf and held it reverently, trying to follow the trail of fallen leaves.

Meanwhile, two modified cars sped down the abandoned streets.

The cars bore no markings, and their one-way windows concealed the occupants within.

At the wheel of the first car sat Four-Leaf Clover, with Durian beside it, ready to take over driving duties mid-journey.

In the back seat, Carrot pressed against the window, gazing out, flanked by Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin.

Mimosa clung to Carrot’s forehead, occasionally probing the surroundings.

Pea, Lettuce, and Big Peanut were also in the car.

Big Peanut initially sat stiffly, clutching its small backpack and only daring to peek out timidly.

But after a night of excitement, it had fallen asleep, its head lolling against the seat.

Qian Hui was checking his Communicator. Chili Pepper had sent him a message: A powerful plant hasn’t come to the base.

Although Chili Pepper could read, human characters were simply too numerous. It had learned many of them on its own, so its messages sometimes failed to fully convey its intended meaning.

Qian Hui strained to decipher the message, guessing that Chili Pepper was asking them to bring back more new plants.

He sent back an “Okay” and casually inquired about the base’s plants, asking if Sweet Pepper and Eggplant had eaten their breakfast properly.

“Yes!”

“I’m Tian!”

Seeing the replies, Qian Hui smiled and sent another message: “Good. Tiantian is being very good. You can have two snacks.”

“Mm!”

“All gone!”

The modified car continued its journey. Eager to find Pomelo as quickly as possible, Qian Hui decided to head straight for their destination.

They had brought Mimosa along on this trip, planning to deal with any unexpected situations along the way.

Carrot rolled down the car window a crack, sniffing the outside air.

Behind it, Cabbage reached out and tugged at the leaf on top of Carrot’s head. “Woo!”

Cabbage complained that Carrot was blocking its view, preventing it from seeing the scenery outside.

Without turning around, Carrot told it to be quiet, pointing out that there was nothing but ruins out there—no scenery to speak of.

Cabbage clenched its fist, itching to punch Carrot.

Suddenly, Carrot tensed.

The Mimosa on its forehead stirred, its rightmost leaf lifting and pointing forward.

This was the pre-arranged signal: a leaf on the left meant plants, a leaf on the right meant zombies, and a leaf in the middle meant humans.

The Mimosa’s reaction indicated at least five zombies were present.

Carrot let out a “woo” to alert the squad, then gently nudged the sleeping Big Peanut.

Big Peanut shot upright, clenching its fists as it scanned the surroundings.

Just a few zombies blocking the road—nothing to worry about. They’d be dealt with quickly.

Four-Leaf Clover gripped the steering wheel, spotting several zombies in the distance, and pulled the car to the side of the road.

The vehicle behind them also stopped. As the doors swung open, the Plant Squad leaped out, charging toward the small Zombie Horde ahead.

Big Peanut, brimming with excitement, led the charge, knocking down a mid-grade zombie with a single punch.

When two more zombies lunged at it, Big Peanut opened its mouth and spat out three massive Peanuts, crushing them instantly.

Big Pea and Carrot, watching from the car, were astonished.

Back at the base, Big Peanut always seemed so docile and spoke in a slow, simple manner. Who knew it could fight like this?

Big Peanut was eager to show off his skills and stretch his limbs. With a quick turn, he knocked down another zombie, resembling Cabbage in its ferocity.

From the side, Cabbage nodded inwardly in approval, thinking, Once we get back, I’ll officially add Big Peanut to the attack squad.

Soon, seven or eight zombies were swiftly dispatched. Durian was responsible for extracting the crystal cores.

After collecting the cores, Durian kicked the zombie corpses aside and hurried back to the car.

The two modified cars continued their journey, disappearing at the end of the street.

Ten minutes later, another vehicle arrived at the scene, stopping before the Zombie Horde.

This car, also unmarked, carried two people who disembarked to inspect the zombie corpses before returning to the vehicle.

The driver picked up a Communicator, reported the coordinates, and said to the person on the other end, “They’re heading southeast in Sector 5. Their destination remains unclear.”

“Understood,” replied the voice on the other end. “Maintain a safe distance and avoid detection.”

The number of gathered mutated plants was growing rapidly. With the Main Base severely damaged, they had to remain extremely cautious, lest the mutated plants harbor any special abilities.

“Understood.”

The communicator went silent. The man put it away and drove the vehicle away from the area.

Inside the vehicle were five other individuals, all from River-Sea Base, which had long maintained the closest ties with Sky Base.

On the very night Sky Base was attacked, Wen Jue and several subordinates had fled to River-Sea Base, a secret known only to the Leader’s inner circle.

Even before this, River-Sea Base had stationed observers near Black Ridge Mountain and immediately detected the two departing vehicles.

Regardless of how many mutated plants were on board, or whether Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin were among them, ambushing these two vehicles would be far easier than attacking the base itself.

Once they determined the mutated plants’ destination, they would arrange reinforcements.

And incidentally… they could also test the efficacy of the medicine Wen Jue had provided, to see if it was truly as miraculous as he claimed.

Within the six-person squad, one member possessed an ability that enhanced his vision, allowing him to clearly discern faint traces left on the road through the vehicle’s windows.

This enabled them to track the vehicles ahead even from a considerable distance.

His focus was absolute as he stared intently at the road, constantly guiding the driver forward.

—

The sun set and rose again. In the desolate ruins, a stone shifted slightly.

The stone was pushed aside, and Pomelo peeked out, peering around.

The dried rations it had found yesterday were meager, and it had foolishly shared half with Little Bitter Gourd out of momentary pity.

Later, Little Bitter Gourd had actually found its way here, but after failing to locate Pomelo’s hiding spot, it seemed to have left again.

The rations were barely enough to last three days at most, and the fact that no vehicles had passed by yesterday left Pomelo feeling increasingly anxious.

It needed to be more proactive, not wait until the food ran out before searching for more.

Pomelo sighed deeply, its brow furrowed in worry, as it crawled out of its “room,” determined to stake out the crossroads again.

It had barely taken a few steps when it heard a slightly surprised voice: “Woo!”

Pomelo immediately felt a sense of foreboding. Turning its head, it saw Little Bitter Gourd approaching.

Little Bitter Gourd was clutching a few pomelo leaves in its arms, likely having finished its rations. It trotted over eagerly.

As it drew closer, it stopped at a moderate distance, neither too close nor too far.

Pomelo felt conflicted, unsure what to say. It let out a fierce “woo” to warn Little Bitter Gourd not to follow, then quickly slipped away.

However, the memory of encountering two zombies yesterday gradually slowed Pomelo’s pace.

But I’m hungry too… If I find more food, will I have to share it with Little Bitter Gourd?

Pomelo suddenly remembered the wooden chip etched with the Plant Base’s location.

It stopped, deep in thought.

Should I give the chip to Little Bitter Gourd and let it go on its own, or…?

Pomelo shook its head, deciding to squat at the crossroads and find more food first.

Maybe after a while, Little Bitter Gourd will just leave and stop following me.

Ten minutes later, Pomelo, covered in pomelo leaves, squatted by the roadside, sighing dejectedly.

Nearby, Little Bitter Gourd hid behind a pile of rubble, peeking out cautiously.

It hadn’t left; it had followed after all.

Oh well…

Pomelo pretended not to notice and waited patiently.

Time passed unnoticed as the sun gradually climbed higher.

Pomelo, drowsy by the roadside, suddenly sensed something and snapped its eyes wide open.

It reached out to touch the road, feeling a faint vibration.

A vehicle was approaching!

Pomelo quickly retreated, its gaze fixed on the direction of the tremors.

Little Bitter Gourd, seeing Pomelo’s movement, also scurried back.

Soon, two modified cars came into view.

The cars appeared relatively new, with no markings on their bodies, indicating a desire to conceal their identities from outsiders.

Pomelo, drawing on its experience, knew that such vehicles usually signaled greater danger.

In the past, it would have turned tail and sought out another team.

But times had changed… If this team left, there was no guarantee another would come along.

Pomelo prepared itself thoroughly, sprouting more pomelo leaves that completely covered its body.

As it listened to the approaching tires, it noticed the two cars slowed significantly as they reached the intersection.

Never mind…

Pomelo closed its eyes, tucked in its limbs, and expertly rolled forward, positioning itself in the middle of the road.

Pomelo gripped a leaf tightly. If the human team didn’t stop to investigate and drove straight past, it would use the leaf’s sharp tip to puncture their tires.

This tactic had worked flawlessly for Pomelo time and again. Each time, it covered itself entirely with leaves, making it impossible to identify its species and piquing the curiosity of passersby.

But then it heard a familiar, faint sound.

Oh no, this is bad… Pomelo thought anxiously.

In the middle of the road, Little Bitter Gourd lay down, mimicking Pomelo’s pose, eyes closed, pretending to be dead.

The air grew still as the modified car came to a halt.

Pomelo couldn’t get up now. It could only hope the “humans” in the car would approach it first, ignoring Little Bitter Gourd.

The leaves covering its face obstructed its sense of smell.

Then it heard footsteps, but something felt off…

A faintly familiar scent drifted closer. By the time Pomelo realized what was happening, it was too late.

The leaves covering its face were blown away. Lettuce lowered its head, peering down at Pomelo. “Woo?”

Pomelo froze for two seconds, then abruptly flipped over and stood up.

Behind Lettuce, several other plants stood—some familiar, others new…

The door of the modified car swung open, and a silver-haired, red-eyed youth stepped out. Spotting Pomelo, he exclaimed in delight, “Pomelo!”

[ Bonded special-grade mutated plant “Round Pomelo”! ]

[ Round Pomelo’s Loyalty has increased dramatically, reaching 100%! ]

Pomelo held its breath, feeling like it was dreaming.

Was this real? Had they come to pick it up?

Or had Qian Hui and the plants merely been passing by, nearly becoming victims of its “robbery”?

Overwhelmed, Pomelo instinctively closed its eyes, curled into a ball, and began rolling away, muttering “guruguru” as it sought a place to hide.