Chapter 25
A murky wind swept through the forest, carrying a putrid stench mixed with dust.
Xiaozhi instantly swelled to several times its original size, positioning itself protectively beside Qian Hui.
The other plants closed in, their leaves rustling as they scanned the surroundings warily.
Qian Hui quickly fed Luobo a healing pill, while Xiaokui, the sunflower, emitted a warm glow from its petals.
The combined effects of the medication and healing skill rapidly closed Luobo’s wound, leaving only a small scar.
“Are there zombies nearby?” Qian Hui asked, his voice filled with concern. “Are there many?”
A sense of foreboding settled in his heart. Luobo was a Special-Grade Mutant Plant; the zombies capable of injuring it…
In an instant, the image of Zombie King, whom he had encountered before, flashed through Qian Hui’s mind.
Luobo nodded solemnly.
Xiaokui’s warm light continued to bathe the meadow, enveloping Luobo and all the plants as it transmitted his message.
The Zombie King is leading a horde, and their target is this place.
Luobo had been patrolling that morning, soaring around on his carrot spikes when he first spotted the approaching zombie horde.
Realizing the danger posed by the sheer number of zombies, Luobo tried to rush back to warn them. In his haste, he failed to notice an attack from behind and was struck by a wind blade.
The wind blade’s energy was terrifyingly potent—far beyond the capabilities of ordinary High-Level Zombies. Had it struck a weaker plant, it would likely have been fatal.
Fortunately, Luobo reacted quickly. The second wind blade missed, allowing it to escape back to safety.
After delivering the message, Luobo glanced at Xiaokui again, guessing that the Zombie Horde had likely come for it.
It was even possible that Xiaokui’s imprisonment in the basement of the low building had been orchestrated by the Zombie King himself, who had assigned two High-Level Zombies to guard it.
But the Zombie King hadn’t anticipated that the two High-Level Zombies would encounter a Plant Squad led by two Special-Grade Mutant Plants, who swiftly rescued Xiaokui.
Now that the Zombie King had discovered Xiaokui’s disappearance, he had come straight to their doorstep, determined to reclaim it.
Qian Hui said worriedly, “Then we should…”
Luobo shook its head, signaling that escape was impossible. The Zombie Horde surrounded them on all sides, even larger than the one that had gathered outside the Safe Zone.
It felt a pang of regret. The Zombie King must have found a way to track Xiaokui. They should have fled overnight yesterday; at least they wouldn’t have been so suddenly surrounded by the horde.
But now, there was only one option: fight!
The debt for imprisoning Xiaokui hadn’t been settled yet. Did they think they could push them around?
Xiaozhi, the man-eating flower, grew even larger, revealing rows of chillingly sharp teeth. His piercing gaze swept across the surroundings.
The other plants clustered around Qian Hui, also entering combat readiness, prepared to meet the approaching horde.
Having never faced such a situation before, Qian Hui’s breath trembled slightly.
He forced himself to calm down and opened the Game Shop.
Being in the forest, they should have the advantage.
Under Xiaokui’s sunlight, Qian Hui’s communication with the plants flowed more smoothly.
Luobo, having witnessed the Zombie Horde and roughly knowing its size, also had a better understanding of the surrounding terrain. It assigned each aggressive plant to its designated area.
The perimeter was divided into two halves. One half was jointly managed by Lajiao, Tudou, and Yumi. Their small size and the dense forest cover provided natural barriers, allowing them to either disperse during combat or coordinate their attacks.
The other half was narrower but had sparser trees, making it ideal for Xiaozhi. Luobo would stand atop Xiaozhi, gaining a clearer view and using the man-eating flower’s spiky head as cover. With its thick, leathery skin, Xiaozhi could withstand far more punishment than Luobo.
Zhusun, the bamboo shoot, was assigned a mobile role. Specializing in close combat, it had no fixed position and roamed freely, eliminating any zombies that slipped through the main defenses.
Facaishu, the money tree, and Xiaokui remained at the center, guarding Qian Hui. Xiaokui’s sunlight covered a vast area, providing instant healing and energy to all the plants. Having just consumed Evolution Water, Facaishu could also project a transparent defensive barrier to block approaching zombies from the outer perimeter.
The remaining Xiao Baocai, Mimosa, and Pigguo the apple, stayed out of the battle, hiding safely in Qian Hui’s pocket.
This deployment seemed flawless.
Still uneasy, Qian Hui spent all his Skill Points, boosting the plants’ attack, defense, and speed to their maximum.
The plants quickly devoured the Skill Point pills and hurried to their assigned positions.
The Zombie Horde was closing in. Luobo, perched atop Xiaozhi, instantly unleashed a barrage of sharp carrot spikes.
Facaishu’s leaves rustled, and a translucent light-green barrier rose, extending a hundred meters in radius.
At the front of the horde, a short zombie stopped, twitching its nose and screeching as it pointed toward its target.
The horde surged forward, trampling weeds and bushes.
In the rear, a dark figure stood on the ruins at the edge of the forest, its crimson eyes fixed on the gathering zombies.
The lead High-Level Zombies reached the barrier first, attempting to shatter it. But before they could strike, a rain of carrot spikes descended.
Then, bombs—sticky corn balls and pepper seed clumps—flew over, their explosions echoing one after another.
Some of the High-Level Zombies reacted quickly, dodging the attacks with timely sidesteps. However, the lower-level zombies behind them weren’t so fortunate. Even if the carrot spikes and bombs missed, the released corn smoke and pepper seeds still incapacitated many zombies.
One mid-level zombie inhaled the corn smoke, becoming disoriented and punching its nearby companion. The companion, already wounded and provoked, roared in retaliation.
On the other side, where dense trees offered no cover, the carrot spikes found their mark with greater accuracy, each piercing a zombie’s skull. A large group of zombies collapsed in unison.
Xiaozhi, the man-eating plant, coiled its stem around a tree and flung it violently, sending several more zombies flying.
For a moment, the Zombie Horde froze outside the defensive barrier. The plants’ attacks pierced through, but the zombies couldn’t advance.
Yet amidst this onslaught, one High-Level Zombie managed to close the distance to the barrier, slashing at the semi-transparent shield with its claws.
Crack!
The barrier shattered. The High-Level Zombie growled triumphantly, taking a small step forward only to encounter another layer of the shield.
The zombie roared in fury as a bomb laced with pepper seeds flew straight toward it. It leaped aside to dodge, but the bomb, as if sentient, curved mid-air and slammed into the zombie’s body.
The bomb and pepper seeds detonated simultaneously, sending the zombie crashing to the ground with multiple wounds.
It flipped over and scrambled to its feet, and another flash of green streaked past.
Zhusun swung his bamboo-blade, slashing the zombie’s arm. As the zombie lunged to retaliate, it looked up to see Zhusun darting away, disappearing into the forest.
Immediately, a second bomb flew over, this time bundled with corn balls.
The zombie couldn’t dodge it. Even as a High-Level Zombie, its supernatural abilities were severely restricted in this area, and the relentless attacks had rapidly deteriorated its condition.
Just then, Zhusun reappeared, severing the zombie’s throat with a single strike.
Inside the defensive barrier, Qian Hui fed Facaishu a medicinal pill. Combined with Xiaokui’s support, this quickly replenished the energy expended by using their abilities.
Losing a layer of the barrier was no problem; a second layer could be deployed instantly. As long as they maintained their offensive, the Zombie Horde couldn’t get too close.
Simultaneously, Xiaokui’s light flickered, evenly illuminating every corner of the barrier.
While the Zombie Horde remained stalled, two figures quietly emerged from the ruins of the distant city, raising their binoculars.
They were the same team who had come the previous night to investigate the Special-Grade Mutant Plant, Sunflower. Seeing the traces near the low building and the sudden appearance of the Zombie King, they had hastily retreated.
But they hadn’t gone far. A Special-Grade Mutant Plant with healing abilities was too valuable to abandon. Their orders from Sky Base were clear: they had to gather useful information.
The squad remained in the area, and sure enough, they soon discovered another anomaly.
Daring not to approach in their vehicle, they sent two members to investigate.
Through their binoculars, the zombie horde was clearly visible in the forest.
“Why are they besieging that place?” one of them wondered.
It wasn’t near any base. If they were hunting human teams, there was no need for such a massive zombie horde.
“Look!” his companion whispered urgently. “It’s the mutated man-eating flower!”
The first man quickly adjusted his focus. At the edge of their vision, a deep purple head emerged from the trees.
High above, numerous orange “raindrops” materialized in small clusters.
“That’s… another Special-Grade Mutant Plant, mutated carrot?”
Luobo had attacked Safety Zone 5, and news of its abilities and characteristics had reached Sky Base.
So, the zombie horde was besieging two Special-Grade Mutant Plants…
No, possibly three.
The two men exchanged glances, both recalling the horrific scene outside the low building the previous night.
Perhaps… the mutated sunflower had been taken by those two Special-Grade Mutant Plants.
Yet, in the years since the apocalypse, Special-Grade Mutant Plants had always operated independently. The only exception they knew of was the man-eating flower and a mushroom that had once appeared together.
Furthermore, they had never heard of mutant plants collaborating.
But if mutant plants were starting to learn to cooperate…
The two didn’t act rashly. They retreated further and relayed the information to Sky Base.
Soon, Sky Base responded, instructing the squad to remain in position and observe the outcome of the Zombie Horde’s assault.
In the forest, Qian Hui cradled Xiaokui, the sunflower, and stole a glance at his balance.
Notifications of successful zombie kills flooded his screen, his balance steadily increasing: 1,000 for a low-level zombie, 2,000 for a mid-level zombie, 4,000 for a high-level zombie…
The Skill Points he had spent earlier had already been fully recouped.
Yet Qian Hui’s heart remained uneasy.
The game had long warned of the Zombie King’s presence, and sure enough, it was No. 03.
Qian Hui had glimpsed it from afar before, and now he could faintly sense its aura, though he couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.
He scanned his surroundings, his breathing becoming unsteady.
The sounds of the Zombie Horde seemed to press in from all sides—hissing, groaning, and screams layered upon each other in an impenetrable cacophony.
The number of zombies was overwhelming, and there were likely more to come. The Plant Squad’s primary firepower consisted of only a few members, and the Zombie King remained hidden in the shadows, yet to reveal itself.
As a precaution, Qian Hui and the plants had devised a second escape plan before the battle began. If things turned sour, they couldn’t afford to linger; a swift retreat was their safest option.
Nervous and anxious, Qian Hui lowered his head and asked, “Xiaokui…”
The sunflower’s light intensified instantly, relaying the status of the surrounding plants.
In the forest to the left, Lajiao and Yumi were tinkering with several chili corn balls. The new weapon proved effective, successfully repelling a nearby zombie horde.
Tudou, working alone on the other side, tossed bombs outward while crafting a massive landmine, which he excitedly buried in the ground.
Zhusun ventured beyond the defensive barrier, darting through the trees as it searched the zombie horde.
Finally, it spotted a thin, high-level zombie hiding behind a shrub, its oversized nose twitching intermittently.
A zombie’s evolution manifested in its appearance. This high-level zombie’s abnormally large nose likely meant it possessed an exceptionally keen sense of smell.
If Zhusun’s hunch was correct, this was the creature that had tracked Xiaokui.
Confirming its target, Zhusun swiftly closed the distance.
Despite being a high-level zombie, its combat prowess was comparable to that of Mimosa—hardly formidable.
Seeing Zhusun, the zombie knew it was outmatched and immediately turned to flee, only to be pierced through the back of its neck by a flying bamboo blade.
Zhusun leaped forward, slid down the zombie’s head, and effortlessly sliced through its nose and chin with another bamboo blade.
The High-Level Zombie collapsed dead. Zhusun retrieved its blades and swiftly returned to the defensive barrier.
Meanwhile, Xiaozhi, the man-eating flower, snapped its jaws shut on seven or eight zombies simultaneously and tossed its head back.
Luobo, the carrot, perched on Xiaozhi’s neck, its split carrot spikes unleashing a wide-ranging assault against zombies in all directions.
The Plant Squad’s offensive showed no signs of slowing, their courage growing with each victory.
Suddenly, Qian Hui sensed a profound unease and glanced toward the forest.
A pitch-black shadow plummeted from the sky, landing soundlessly on the ground.
The Zombie King had finally appeared. He strode forward, stepping over the corpses beneath his feet, until he was halted by the defensive barrier.
He tilted his head to study it, then extended a single finger.
The moment his fingertip touched the barrier, a crisp “crack” shattered it.
A new layer of the barrier materialized instantly, less than a centimeter from the previous one.
The Zombie King withdrew his hand and bowed slightly.
In the next instant, his body coiled like a spring and launched itself over the vast expanse of the forest.
Crack!
The defensive barrier shattered once more, and the Zombie King landed just a few meters away from Qian Hui.
Qian Hui’s pupils constricted, his body trembling slightly with instinctive fear.
In the span of a few breaths, the Zombie King had reached the center of the battlefield.
Caught off guard, the plants scrambled to react. Facaishu hastily activated two new layers of barriers: one reinforcing its original position, and another enveloping the Zombie King.
But these flimsy defenses proved futile. The Zombie King raised its hand, unleashing a wind blade that shattered the barriers and slashed a wound across Xiaozhi as it lunged forward.
Undaunted, Xiaozhi snapped its jaws shut in a ferocious bite.
The Zombie King dodged too late. Sharp teeth tore into its shoulder, leaving a gash that slowly closed and healed.
Carrot spikes and explosives swerved mid-air, redirected by the Zombie King’s raised hand. A chaotic wall of wind erupted around it, deflecting most of the incoming projectiles.
Throughout this, its crimson eyes remained fixed on Qian Hui, ignoring the other plants and the fresh wound on its shoulder.
It seemed to be scrutinizing Qian Hui, trying to determine if he was one of its own kind or gauging his combat prowess.
In short, its target was Qian Hui.
Everything happened too quickly. Distracted by the mutant plants, the Zombie Horde closed in further.
The defensive barrier shattered, and Xiaozhi found itself surrounded by dozens of zombies. Its stem was immobilized, and one zombie even climbed onto its body, trying to snatch the carrot from its head.
Xiaozhi wanted to unleash its charged attack, but Qian Hui was too close and might be caught in the blast.
Meanwhile, Zhusun slashed a High-Level Zombie and dragged Lajiao away.
In the next instant, the Zombie King moved again.
It swung a wind blade toward Qian Hui’s neck.
Bang!
A deafening crash echoed as Facaishu, the fortune tree, frantically activated multiple layers of its barrier, only to realize it hadn’t been hit.
The wind blade vanished inexplicably, and an invisible force suddenly flipped the Zombie King onto its back, sending it crashing into a nearby tree.
It stood up, its crimson eyes glaring.
Nan Tingjin stepped in front of Qian Hui, his expression cold and resolute.
A low growl rumbled from the Zombie King’s throat as it raised both hands. But it quickly sensed its body being restrained, its supernatural ability unable to manifest properly.
It roared, tearing open its skin without hesitation, and wind blades seeped endlessly from the gaps in its body.
Xiaozhi rushed forward to block the attack with its body, and at that critical moment, Facaishu unleashed its full power.
Countless layers of defensive barriers shattered and regenerated in rapid succession.
Luobo gritted his teeth, his black bean eyes nearly spitting fire.
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered a berserk state. Please take evasive action! (From Handbook: “Carrot”) ]
A dense rain of carrots fell instantly, piercing the skulls of every zombie with perfect accuracy.
Simultaneously, the ground began to tremble.
Leaves swirled in the wind and sand, tree trunks cracked, and broken branches tangled with soil and even zombie corpses, all churning together.
Everything was under control. The ground surged like a turbulent sea, spreading outward to engulf the Zombie Horde.
At the epicenter of this tidal wave stood Nan Tingjin.
The earthquake intensified. The Zombie King remained rooted in place, its body riddled with fresh tears and wounds from the carrot spikes.
The wind blades erupting from within its body coalesced, yet they couldn’t advance even an inch further.
The Zombie King resisted Nan Tingjin’s control, its twisted arm snapping back into place as it slowly straightened up.
Forcing itself to move, its body flickered, vanishing from sight.
Through the chaotic wind wall, Nan Tingjin narrowed his eyes.
The wind intensified, Xiaokui urgently recalled all plants, and a massive explosion erupted from the perimeter as a zombie stepped on Tudou’s buried landmine.
Amidst the chaos, Qian Hui could see nothing. He reached out and grabbed Nan Tingjin’s arm. “Xiao Jin?”
Nan Tingjin glanced sideways. The wind abruptly ceased, and the churning ground stilled.
Qian Hui’s breath trembled as he slowly surveyed the surroundings.
A vast clearing had been carved out of the once-dense forest, trees and plants uprooted entirely, the metallic stench of disturbed earth filling the air.
The Zombie King was gone.
The Zombie Horde at the front was completely incapacitated, leaving only a few stragglers fleeing in the rear.
Luobo tried to give chase, but Qian Hui stopped it.
“Luobo,” Qian Hui fed it a Recovery Herb, “let it go.”
Luobo had just unleashed a powerful energy attack and was at his weakest, while the other plants had also sustained injuries.
The Zombie King had fled, but the Plant Squad desperately needed to regroup and recover.
Xiaozhi opened its mouth, ready to carry everyone away. But Lajiao refused to budge.
After swallowing the medicine Qian Hui fed it, Lajiao dragged Yumi and Tudou to nearby corpses of mid- to high-level zombies, determined to dig out every last crystal core.
These were their hard-earned spoils of war!
Zhusun joined in the effort. Xiao Baocai, the little cabbage, popped out of Qian Hui’s backpack with Pigguo, the apple, carrying a small wooden basin used for washing faces. They collected all the crystal cores they found.
Once all the cores were secured, Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin entered Xiaozhi’s mouth first, followed by the other plants.
Xiaozhi surveyed its surroundings, chose a direction, and lumbered away.
Meanwhile, outside the forest, beneath the ruins, Zombie King No. 03 glared at Xiaozhi’s retreating form, his crimson eyes burning with fury.
[ The fourth faction conflict has ended. Congratulations to our side for winning! Reward: 200 Prestige Points. ]
The game notification arrived belatedly after Qian Hui had escaped the forest.
He read the message repeatedly, still shaken by the experience.
The sheer number of zombies in the horde had been overwhelming. With the horde’s support, the Zombie King would have been impossible for the Plant Squad to defeat in their current state.
If not for Nan Tingjin, the Plant Squad would undoubtedly have suffered far greater losses.
Fortunately, none of the plants were seriously injured. With Xiaokui’s healing abilities and the medicine they had taken, they recovered quickly, though they were still somewhat fatigued and needed time to rest.
However, the battle had yielded a substantial reward—a staggering eighty thousand units of currency!
Just then, another game notification popped up.
[ Triggered story event. Obtained the original ending for the Special-Grade Mutant Plant Xiaokui. ]
[ Xiaokui, Special-Grade Mutant Plant. Origin unknown, age unknown. Supernatural ability: unique healing type. Temperament: gentle, combat power: minimal. Several years after the apocalypse, captured and imprisoned by Zombie King (No. 03). Later discovered by human ability users, it was injured and died during the ensuing conflict between the two factions vying for its possession. ]
Qian Hui’s breath caught in his throat. He silently closed the notification, unwilling to share this information with the other plants.
So… if they had failed, the consequences might have been far more severe than they imagined.
Qian Hui felt a surge of lingering fear, and immense relief.
Thank goodness he had found Xiaokui in time, and thank goodness they had won.
Just like with Xiaozhi, he had altered the original fate of two plants.
Luobo noticed Qian Hui sitting motionless and silent, still shaken from the battle. It nudged him comfortingly.
With a series of “woofs,” Luobo first cursed the Zombie King, vowing to twist its head off at the first opportunity.
Then, it praised the entire Plant Squad for their excellent performance, including Nan Tingjin.
Thanks to Nan Tingjin’s intervention, the Zombie King had escaped so quickly. In any case, Luobo’s impression of Nan Tingjin had drastically improved, and its gaze toward him was now much friendlier.
The other plants lay scattered about, exhausted but visibly pleased with their victory.
Lajiao sprawled contentedly atop the backpack filled with crystal cores, fast asleep.
Tudou kept pestering Yumi, demanding to know if it had heard the explosion. It had hidden a massive landmine in the forest.
Qian Hui rested his face against his knees and gently stroked Luobo’s leaves. “Mm.”
Xiaozhi advanced relentlessly, a few strands of sunlight piercing through its slightly parted teeth.
A familiar presence approached, and Qian Hui looked up.
It was Nan Tingjin.
Nan Tingjin reached out his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Qian Hui burrowed into his embrace.
“Thank you,” Qian Hui whispered. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” Nan Tingjin replied. “Don’t be afraid. We’re safe now.”
Qian Hui hummed in agreement, tightening his grip around Nan Tingjin’s waist and basking in his warmth.
After a long while, his racing thoughts gradually calmed, and his body relaxed. Then Nan Tingjin asked, “Have you made up your mind? Will you come back with me?”
Qian Hui looked up at him, momentarily speechless.
“I’ll take you to find a Special-Grade Mutant Plant,” Nan Tingjin murmured. “I can protect you.”
[ You seem to have secured certain commitments from the opposing faction. A single seed may yet grow into a towering tree. Reward: 50 Prestige Points. ]
Qian Hui stared blankly, his expression dazed.
Unable to resist, Nan Tingjin leaned down and pressed a light kiss against his cheek.
The kiss was fleeting, a gentle touch that lingered only for a moment—the kind Qian Hui had grown accustomed to. Purely tender, devoid of any forcefulness or ulterior motives.
He waited patiently. Qian Hui’s eyelashes fluttered before he finally nodded. “Mm.”
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