Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

The Black Ridge Mountain Base was responsible for clearing the outer perimeter, while the plants diligently worked on their tasks.

The ground spikes, barrel cannons, and other defenses along the perimeter remained untouched, ready to repel any zombie attacks. Scattered debris was quickly cleared away.

Apple tilted its head back, exhaling thick plumes of smoke to replenish the maze mist that had been disrupted by the attack.

Brittle Peach stood guard beside it, promptly feeding it pills and the crystal cores previously “offered” by humans.

After consuming several crystal cores, Apple conveniently leveled up, unleashing an even greater torrent of smoke that blanketed the Black Ridge Mountain Base.

Timothy, the cat-tailed grass, found a sunny spot to nap, refusing any plant companions and leaving White Hydrangea with Qian Hui.

The twenty-five new plants it had brought were all registered and added to the Little Courtyard.

All twenty-five were flowering species, including Baby’s-breath, Peony Flower, Jasmine, and Rose Flower.

The vast majority were mid-to-high-grade offensive mutated plants, appearing delicate but possessing formidable combat capabilities. Three support-type plants also stood out for their exceptional abilities.

The last remaining White Hydrangea was the only low-grade plant among them. Its skills were largely useless, and it was said to be responsible for Timothy’s daily care.

White Hydrangea counted on its leaf-fingers as it spoke, listing its daily tasks: bringing Timothy meals, washing dishes, trimming its tail, and washing its headscarf…

Sunflower, standing nearby, overheard and thought, This sounds exactly like… what I used to do for Timothy back in the Little Courtyard.

Back then, Timothy only had one headscarf, which Carnivorous Flower and Cabbage would occasionally wash and hang on a tree branch to dry overnight.

Qian Hui’s heart stirred with complex emotions as he looked down at White Hydrangea nestled beside him.

White Hydrangea seemed to have noticed the similarities between itself and Qian Hui. It touched its own petals, then pointed to Qian Hui’s silver hair, exclaiming happily, “Woo!”

Qian Hui hummed in acknowledgment and scooped it up into his arms.

These plants were accustomed to living together. Under Timothy’s leadership, they had long since become an experienced team.

Therefore, Carrot decided not to separate them. Following their established routine, Timothy would remain in charge, allowing them to find a suitable place to settle in the mountains and forests.

Gathering so many flowering plants was no easy feat, and it likely stemmed from Timothy’s unique preference for beautiful, fragrant plants. Having them around would undoubtedly lift its spirits.

Including Timothy, the newly acquired plants, Pomelo, Little Lotus Root, and the nine Little Bitter Gourds, the base’s membership now stood at 87.

They were still a bit short of the 100 members required for the Side Mission.

Originally, after retrieving Pomelo, Qian Hui had planned to explore the surrounding area on their return journey, hoping to discover new plants.

However, an unexpected incident forced the team to rush back.

Now that they had detected the presence of another Zombie King nearby, there seemed even less time to recruit new plants.

Surely some plants must have seen the wooden chips I scattered earlier, Qian Hui thought, inwardly troubled. Just then, Nan Tingjin handed him the Communicator.

It was a message from Yuan Ji: news had spread of the River-Sea Base’s failed operation, and three or four other bases had immediately contacted the Plant Base, seeking to establish friendly relations and purchase Mushroom Water.

In just a short time, the Human Faction’s situation had undergone a dramatic shift. With Wen Jue’s Pharmaceutical Factory facing complete collapse, some humans finally softened their stance and were forced to seek help from the mutated plants.

Qian Hui wasn’t good at handling such matters, and Nan Tingjin lacked patience. Fortunately, Yuan Ji oversaw the process, and Qi Yue occasionally offered suggestions.

He picked up Nan Tingjin’s communicator and replied, saying he would ask Little Mushroom to make some new Mushroom Water in the next few days.

After sending the message, Qian Hui returned the communicator to Nan Tingjin, gazing thoughtfully at the friendly faction entries in the Encyclopedia.

The Little Courtyard was likely being targeted by the Zombie King, making it unsafe for plants to venture out alone. Meanwhile, the humans were relatively safe and had spare time.

If they could get the humans to help transport the plants, it would be mutually beneficial. After all, the purpose of a friendly faction was to assist each other.

As for which humans to select for help… that would still need to be determined by the Black Ridge Mountain Base. They needed to think carefully about how to arrange things.

Qian Hui shared his idea with Nan Tingjin, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Do you think this could work? But I still want the crystal cores too…”

Nan Tingjin gently squeezed his palm. “Alright, I’ll ask around.”

Over twenty new plants, including White Hydrangea, were led away by Lettuce. They were told to find a place to rest or explore the base to familiarize themselves with its layout.

As they walked, Peony Flower let out a “woo” of amazement.

This place was much larger than the forest they used to live in, and the environment was far better. Although there were many unfamiliar plants, they all seemed friendly.

As they passed the lake at the foot of the mountain, Little Lotus Root popped its white head out of the water and waved at them.

Beside the path paved with sparse pebbles, Little Bitter Gourd ran past, clutching some food and greeting Lettuce and the other plants.

The nearest Baby’s-breath responded with a soft reply, then turned to see an identical Little Bitter Gourd running past with food as well.

Little Bitter Gourd called out a greeting: “Woo woo!”

Baby’s-breath stared blankly: “Woo…”

Midway up the mountain, Timothy wandered around until it finally found a satisfactory spot.

The area was an open space where dense grass wasn’t shaded by trees, allowing direct sunlight to reach it.

For some reason, there was also a shallow pit in the grass, as if something had been placed there before.

Timothy settled into the pit, tucking its tail in and curling up snugly. It fit perfectly.

After adjusting its headscarf, it closed its eyes comfortably.

Before long, Nut hopped closer, bouncing with each step.

It reached the small pit and noticed Timothy lying inside.

Nut stared at Timothy, who, sensing the movement, opened its eyes. “?”

“Hmm…” Nut mumbled, pursing its lips, and declared that this was its spot.

It often came here to bask in the sun, always standing in the same place. Sometimes it would lie down, fall asleep, and then roll around a bit.

Over time, Nut had worn a small pit into the ground, making it its exclusive “den.”

Timothy and Nut glared at each other, their eyes locked in a standoff. Timothy flicked its tail dismissively.

Yours, mine—what’s the difference? First come, first served. Whoever’s lying here owns it.

Timothy couldn’t care less about such formalities. It closed its eyes and resumed sleeping.

Nut continued to stare at it from the side. When it realized Timothy wasn’t leaving, it hopped around the area before returning to the pit.

Then, Timothy felt a round object pressing against it, nudging it toward the edge.

It opened its eyes again. “Woo!”

You hard-headed nut! Long time no see, and now you’ve grown so bold!

Nut ignored Timothy completely, squeezed itself into the small pit with its eyes closed, and tilted its head to sleep.

The grass was soft, and both plants were small, so they could indeed fit snugly.

Timothy, furious, slapped Nut a few times with its tail. When Nut remained unmoved, it gave up, adjusted its position, and went back to sleep.

The afternoon passed in a flash. As dusk approached, the cabbage lamps hanging throughout the forest gradually lit up.

Carrot came to find Nut and also spotted Timothy. It called them down for dinner.

At the same time, Yuan Ji personally led a team to depart for River-Sea Base.

Before leaving, the team stopped at the gate of the Plant Base. Qian Hui stroked Mimosa’s leaves. “Don’t worry, they’ll protect you. We’ll be back by morning.”

Mimosa shook its leaves and voluntarily stood up from Qian Hui’s palm.

Qian Hui handed it to Yuan Ji. The tiny leaves clung to his light-colored sleeve, providing a clear signal during the journey.

“Rest assured, I’ll take good care of it,” Yuan Ji said.

He requested some of Mimosa’s favorite food, hurriedly boarded the modified car, and departed with the team.

If the captured individuals weren’t lying, there was a high probability they could capture Wen Jue on this mission.

Even if he escaped, searching the base for clues would still be worthwhile.

As the modified cars disappeared from sight, Qian Hui’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

He had actually had very little contact with Wen Jue. Initially, it was to avenge Little Mushroom and then to rescue the plants imprisoned at Sky Base.

He could easily list several reasons to hate Wen Jue, but beyond those, Qian Hui felt something indescribable.

He didn’t want to see Wen Jue again. It would be better if Yuan Ji found him and killed him outright, without bringing him back.

But the mission required him to see Wen Jue. Perhaps after meeting him, he could finally understand everything.

Qian Hui silently hoped Yuan Ji would return soon. He pulled Nan Tingjin back to the base.

Rubber Tree helped close the thick wooden door and followed them to the kitchen table.

With many new members joining, the Logistics Team plants were bustling about, bringing out the food.

There were dried rations Qian Hui had purchased from the Shop, meals sent from Black Ridge Mountain Base, and even a fish that Carrot had accidentally killed by feeding it too many carrots.

Carrot clutched its bowl mournfully, snatching a large piece of fish.

Timothy sat at a low table as White Hydrangea brought over a bowl of soup. It lowered its head to take a sip, found it satisfactory, and drank several more mouthfuls.

Lettuce approached with another bowl of soup. Timothy glanced at the Rose trailing behind it and couldn’t help but stare.

After a moment, Timothy approached Lettuce. “Woo?”

Is that Rose your little brother?

Lettuce pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Sort of a little brother… It had once pretended to be the base’s Leader, but after confessing the truth, Rose and several other plants had still followed it.

Timothy flicked its tail. “Woo!”

It’s quite pretty. Why don’t you give it to me?

Lettuce froze, and Rose beside it stiffened in shock.

Timothy didn’t press the matter, allowing them time to consider before turning away.

Dinner passed harmoniously, the morning’s dangers and battles already feeling like a distant memory.

As night fell, Qian Hui bid farewell to the plants and followed Nan Tingjin back to their small wooden cabin.

Before going to bed, Nan Tingjin took off Qian Hui’s coat and prepared to cover the cabbage lamp with a cloth shade.

Qian Hui reached out and hugged him. “Xiao Jin, I’m so happy today.”

He temporarily pushed thoughts of Wen Jue aside. Timothy had returned, the Little Courtyard finally felt complete, and there were so many new plants. Nan Tingjin was right beside him.

Although Zombie King 02 had suddenly appeared, and some lingering dangers remained, everything had largely returned to normal—back to the “Little Courtyard” Qian Hui remembered, even better than before.

Qian Hui clung tightly to Nan Tingjin, nuzzling against his neck. “Before, I couldn’t see you every day. You used to sleep for so long…”

Nan Tingjin’s breath hitched slightly. “What?”

Qian Hui looked up, noticing his hesitant expression. “Isn’t that right?” he asked, confused.

Nan Tingjin paused. “No.”

He stroked Qian Hui’s silver hair and leaned down to gently kiss him. “It’s you who sleeps for so long, then wakes up to see me.”