Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

As Timothy sent a message to Chili Pepper, it was waiting for the forest plants to finish packing.

Timothy and its plant squad had lived in the forest for quite some time, accumulating a substantial stockpile of supplies.

There were various dried edible fruits and vegetables, Timothy’s favorite leaf tea, weapons crafted from stones and iron, and more.

The warehouse held even more miscellaneous items, mostly scavenged from outside, brought back in case they might prove useful.

Azalea, ignoring all warnings, insisted on bringing along a tattered tennis ball, stuffing it into its homemade cloth bag.

White Hydrangea was packing Timothy’s belongings, neatly folding seven or eight identical headscarves.

[ 🙁 ]

[ T, T ]

Timothy stared at the two symbols on the screen, momentarily puzzled.

The symbols conveyed simple emotions, but in plant language, they also meant “bad” or “sad.”

Without hesitation, Timothy pressed the real-time communication button.

With its tail held high, it paced anxiously around the communicator on the ground until the connection was established.

Timothy peered down at the illuminated screen. “Woo?”

[ What’s wrong? ]

It thought, [ Everything seemed fine this morning. Even though Chili Pepper was busy, it still had time to ask if I was going to the base. How could things have gone so wrong in just a few hours? ]

The communicator was silent, with only faint sounds audible in the distance.

Timothy pressed his ear closer. The sounds were vaguely familiar, like… Sweet Pepper?

Sweet Pepper was wailing anxiously, accompanied by frantic footsteps as it scurried back and forth.

Timothy’s heart sank.

If Sweet Pepper was this panicked, had something terrible happened to someone?

After another moment, an unfamiliar voice came through, cautious and wary: “Woo?”

Hello?

Chili Pepper nervously held the communicator and hurried to a quieter spot.

Sweet Pepper’s commotion faded. Timothy waited patiently and repeated his question.

Chili Pepper hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

It sensed a sudden shift in the other party’s attitude, a keen interest in the base’s situation.

But after several conversations, there was still no firm commitment to come…

Chili Pepper thought for a moment and mumbled that it had just received some news and lost control of its emotions, apologizing profusely.

“Woo?”

What news?

Sensing Chili Pepper’s hesitation, Timothy huffed: “Woo woo…”

What’s there to be afraid of? I already know the base’s location. I’m a plant, not a human or a zombie.

If you tell me what’s happening, maybe I can come help. Or we could summon a special-grade mutated plant.

Chili Pepper looked up. Carrot and the others hadn’t returned yet. Sweet Pepper was currently panicking, Carnivorous Flower had coaxed Little Mushroom away, and Nut was likely sunbathing on the mountain again…

Sunflower was nearby, but it couldn’t speak, and its light couldn’t transmit through the Communicator.

Chili Pepper sighed silently. “Woo…”

Then it reconsidered, realizing the other party had a point. Now that they could hear each other, and since they were all plants, they could be more candid.

So Chili Pepper told Timothy about the Leader’s ambush.

As it spoke, it sent another message to Qian Hui, asking about the situation outside.

“I’m fine. I wasn’t injured at all.”

Seeing Qian Hui’s reply, Chili Pepper felt somewhat relieved.

To demonstrate the base’s strength and ability to protect its plants, it also mentioned that the crisis had been temporarily resolved and the Leader would soon return.

Silence fell on the other end of the Communicator. Timothy sat on the ground, its tail swaying behind it.

So that’s what happened… Its pitch-black eyes narrowed. “Woo woo,” it murmured.

The ones who attacked your Leader were humans? From which base?

Chili Pepper answered honestly, including the information Yuan Ji had revealed: there was a place called River-Sea Base where the humans the plants hated most were hiding and plotting evil.

Timothy silently noted this, a cold smile forming on its face.

River-Sea Base, is it…

Although Chili Pepper had calmed down considerably, reassured that Qian Hui was safe after the ambush, the urgency and worry in its voice lingered. The situation must have been incredibly dangerous.

Timothy circled the Communicator, letting out a soft “woo” to acknowledge the message before flicking its tail to cut off the connection.

Chili Pepper was still holding the Communicator, too stunned to react, when Sweet Pepper rushed over.

Sweet Pepper darted to Chili Pepper’s side, just in time to hear Timothy’s final “woo.” Curious, it asked who that was.

The voice was unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar… Sweet Pepper pondered for a moment but couldn’t place it.

Chili Pepper explained that it was the mysterious plant they had been communicating with these past few days.

Sweet Pepper nodded dismissively and tugged Chili Pepper away, eager to head up the mountain to gather Nuts.

Chili Pepper couldn’t afford to dwell on the mysterious plant’s true intentions. Perhaps it had decided the base wasn’t safe and wouldn’t come after all.

The most urgent task now was to alert everyone to prepare for a potential attack. If the base were indeed targeted, even the newly joined plants would have to join the fight.

The two plants set off together, disappearing into the dense mountain forest.

Meanwhile, Timothy tossed aside the Communicator.

With a wave of its hand, Baby’s-breath and Rose Flower unfurled a map on the ground.

It was the same map they had used before, marked with the precise locations of numerous bases—mostly larger ones unlikely to relocate easily.

Timothy stepped onto the map, burying its head in careful study until it found the words “River-Sea Base” in one spot.

Confirming the base’s location on the map, Timothy retreated a few steps, signaling the other plants to roll up the map and store it as a backup.

Without knowing the exact situation, they still needed to head to Black Ridge Mountain Base first.

If the opportunity arose… Timothy would secretly go and cripple that River-Sea Base!

Nearby, White Hydrangea hurriedly lugged over a cloth bundle of luggage. Timothy glanced at it with disdain.

Why did you pack so much junk?

Timothy lowered its head and began sorting through the bundle, keeping only some easily stored food. The other plants weren’t allowed to bring much either—this wasn’t a vacation.

White Hydrangea leaned closer, asking curiously, “Woo?”

Boss, how are we going to get there? Will the plants who came last time send a small plane to pick us up?

Timothy flicked its tail, gently tapping White Hydrangea.

It didn’t need any small plane to pick it up… Besides, the Plant Base must be busy right now. It wouldn’t be appropriate to ask them to spare the time to fetch them.

Timothy then gazed beyond the forest, its tail swaying behind it as it narrowed its eyes in thought.

This forest was a high-risk zone, and beyond it lay ruins. Timothy remembered that a little further ahead was a medium-risk zone connecting several directions, where humans often passed through.

Timothy turned its head again, urging its subordinates to hurry up with packing.

They couldn’t wait any longer. They had to set out today.

—

As dusk approached, a modified car drove through Sector 7.

With nightfall nearing, the zombies would soon seek shelter to hibernate, allowing the occupants of the car to relax slightly as they passed a sign marking “Medium-Risk Zone 11.”

The small squad consisted of only four Ability Users, returning from a mission to deliver messages to nearby bases. They had deliberately chosen to travel at night, minimizing the risk of encountering zombies, and the area seemed devoid of aggressive mutated plants.

As the base drew closer, the driver chatted casually with his companions.

Suddenly, the car’s speed plummeted, as if it had inadvertently driven into quicksand or collided with a giant cotton ball.

Before anyone could react, a figure materialized in the moonlight, hurtling toward them. With a crash, the side window shattered.

Timothy nimbly stepped onto the steering wheel, his fluffy tail swaying.

Inside the car, the four occupants froze, each staring at a razor-sharp tail stinger hovering inches from their pupils. Any sudden movement could mean instant blindness.

They held their breath, feeling as if their bodies were sinking into quicksand, their movements sluggish and numb.

Moments later, they watched helplessly as more plants emerged, encircling the car completely.

A Rose Flower swiftly burrowed through the shattered window, holding up a Communicator for the driver to see.

The Communicator’s screen lit up, displaying the message: “Go here.”

Below the message was a string of numbers—precise coordinates.

—

Meanwhile, the Plant Squad’s two modified cars were also on the road, not expected to reach the base until late at night.

The plants driving the vehicles took turns to ensure sufficient rest and energy.

As darkness gradually fell, they ate dinner in the cars.

Pomelo remained unconscious, lying on its back on the seat cushioned with clothing.

The Little Bitter Gourds and Little Lotus Root sat obediently across from it, temporarily under Durian’s care.

Qian Hui fed Pomelo a few more pills and covered it with a towel.

Pomelo’s eyes remained tightly shut, its breathing slow and steady. The leaves on its head continued to grow slowly, one by one, before falling to the ground.

Big Peanut crept closer and quietly picked up a fallen leaf.

Seeing this, the nine Little Bitter Gourds lined up to each take a leaf as well.

Qian Hui didn’t stop them, patting each of their heads.

The journey had been safe so far. The earlier ambush had been a close call, but the plants had recovered their energy and gradually relaxed.

Pomelo’s condition wasn’t serious; it was likely just exhausted and would recover with rest.

Qian Hui opened the Game Interface, glanced at the Encyclopedia, and closed it.

Earlier, he had inexplicably triggered a Hidden Mission, and a notification of victory in the Faction Conflict had arrived, rewarding him with a full 5,000 Prestige Points and 3,000 Faction Points.

Qian Hui was deeply curious about the Hidden Mission’s Plot Point, but he couldn’t seek out Wen Jue directly yet. He needed to bring the plants back to base first.

After learning that Wen Jue was hiding at the River-Sea Base, Nan Tingjin contacted Qi Yue to request assistance from the Cloud River Base. They hoped to seize an opportunity to capture him.

Qi Yue agreed and had already dispatched a team to scout the area near the River-Sea Base.

For some reason, Qian Hui felt uneasy. Perhaps it was the inexplicable physical discomfort he’d experienced after seeing Wen Jue, which had instilled in him an instinctive aversion to the man, making him dread ever encountering him again.

Lost in thought, Qian Hui was suddenly pulled into Nan Tingjin’s arms.

Nan Tingjin murmured, “What’s on your mind?”

Qian Hui buried his face in Nan Tingjin’s collar, nuzzling against it before looking up and muttering, “Nothing…”

Gazing at Nan Tingjin before him, Qian Hui’s loathing for Wen Jue intensified.

“Xiao Jin,” he said anxiously, clutching Nan Tingjin tightly, “you must never leave me. I’ll protect you…”

Wen Jue possessed numerous methods to target human Ability Users, including devices that amplified the Lost State and various strange potions.

However, these methods were ineffective against mutated plants. In fact, mutated plants possessed a natural resistance to such tactics.

The triggering of the Hidden Mission and the new Plot Point reminded Qian Hui of the original Plot Point concerning the Black Ridge Mountain Base and Nan Tingjin’s original fate.

The sky outside the window was pitch-black, and the interior of the car was dimly lit. Nan Tingjin seemed to chuckle.

He stroked Qian Hui’s pointed chin. “Why are you suddenly saying this?”

Qian Hui stammered, “I… well, I can protect you.”

He couldn’t quite explain it. He knew Nan Tingjin’s ability was formidable, and there had been times when he had actually needed Nan Tingjin’s protection.

Nan Tingjin hummed in acknowledgment, picked up a nearby cup, and fed Qian Hui a sip of water.

Just then, Big Peanut urgently tugged at Qian Hui’s sleeve.

Qian Hui turned to see Pomelo stirring on the seat, slowly opening its eyes.

“Youyou!”

Hearing Qian Hui’s voice, Pomelo gazed up at the pitch-black car ceiling, its newly awakened consciousness still hazy.

The car was dark, but the outside was even darker. Suddenly, a large green face loomed close.

Big Pea cried out in delight, “Woo!”

Pomelo, our leader! You’re awake!

Pomelo’s eyes slowly widened, and Qian Hui scooped it up in his arms.

Qian Hui popped a universal medicine into its mouth. “How are you feeling? Hungry?”

Pomelo didn’t answer, but it noticed more plants crowding around, their eyes filled with concern, care, and relief. Big Peanut even wiped its eyes with a look of adoration.

In the next moment, leaves rapidly sprouted from Pomelo’s head, completely covering it.