Chapter 34
[ You have formed a bond with the Special-Grade Mutant Plant “Round Nut”! ]
[ Round Nut’s loyalty has increased dramatically, now at 100%! ]
Qian Hui looked up in delight. “Xiao Guo!”
The giant nut’s timely intervention proved decisive. The extinguished fireballs rained down uselessly, having accomplished nothing.
Immediately afterward, it slid again, crashing into a bush with a loud thud and flattening it. Its oval shape maximized the surface area it could use to block attacks, transforming it into a living wall.
The sight stunned the mutant plants momentarily, but they quickly resumed their assault with renewed ferocity.
The nut had awakened!
Luobo, nearly thrown off by Xiao Guo’s movement, scrambled to regain its footing, its excitement surging.
It activated its Berserk Skill on the spot. A dense barrage of carrot spikes erupted like an orange rain, unerringly targeting every attacker regardless of obstacles.
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered Berserk State. Please take evasive action! (From the “Carrot” Handbook) ]
Lajiao couldn’t use its Berserk Skill just yet, so it leaped down to join the fray.
Tudou conjured a homing missile, while Yumi frantically hurled corn balls, throwing its head back and howling with glee, “Awoo-woo!”
Zhusun, accompanied by Lulian, closed in on the remaining three opponents, brandishing its blade.
Despite its small stature, Zhusun possessed remarkable agility. Its thin bamboo blade felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and it could instantly conjure a handful of duplicates, catching its foes off guard.
Lulian doubled in size, its thorns sharpening to razor edges. With a sudden charge, it knocked one of the opponents to the ground.
Having only recently joined the Plant Squad, Lulian had spent most of its time trailing after Luobo, barely warming up to Qian Hui. Now, fueled by the electric atmosphere and the sight of the carrot rain, it too was brimming with excitement.
In a moment of impulsive fervor, Lulian unleashed its own charged attack.
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered Berserk State. Please take evasive action! (From the “Durian” Handbook) ]
The creature shuddered, releasing a colorless, odorless gas with a 95% hit rate that swiftly locked onto its targets.
Three or four opponents collapsed one after another, but the remaining fighters stubbornly resisted. By the time they sensed something was amiss, it was already too late.
Zhao Xing felt dizzy and his vision blurred. Through the haze, he vaguely saw a swarm of durians charging toward him.
He forced himself to shout, “Cover your mouths and noses! Take the antidote now!”
Who could have imagined that a mutated durian’s charged attack would be a colorless, odorless poisonous smoke? They had been completely unprepared.
One of the team members swallowed an antidote and tried to disperse the smoke with an air current.
His companion beside him was struck by a homing missile. Distracted for a moment, he was forcibly dragged into the forest by a man-eating flower, which bit off his arm.
The agonizing scream echoed through the surroundings, jolting Zhao Xing’s muddled mind back to clarity.
His supernatural ability was a rare physical enhancement type, allowing him to transform his limbs into impenetrable metal. As the team’s strongest member and leader, he had brought Ability Users specifically trained to counter Nan Tingjin, along with sonic devices. He had estimated their chances of success at least 70%.
Being in the Restricted Zone gave them a distinct advantage. With the rest of the Black Spine Mountain Base team absent, they could control the narrative of whatever happened here.
Zhao Xing had even prepared a contingency plan. One of his team members was carrying a small mutant plant, which they could later claim to have found at the Base.
In short, Zhao Xing believed he had accounted for every possibility before setting out, and Wen Jue had approved his plan.
The previous team that had tracked the mutated sunflower had returned with photos and remnants of plant attacks, leading them to speculate about the number of mutant plants working together.
However, many of the remnants were from mid-tier mutant plants. Even with the addition of a man-eating flower and a mutated carrot, the two Special-Grade Mutant Plants, it seemed impossible for them to repel the Zombie Horde.
Wen Jue suspected Nan Tingjin’s involvement. For some unknown reason, he must have intervened to aid the plants.
Zhao Xing had also taken precautions against the mutated pepper. He had warned his team to be extremely cautious and retreat immediately if they sensed danger, staying beyond the range of its charged attacks.
However… Zhao Xing had severely underestimated his opponents.
The plants coordinated seamlessly, displaying combat prowess far exceeding their individual levels. Take the mutated pepper, for example. Zhao Xing had encountered many of its kind before and considered himself well-acquainted with its capabilities.
Yet in such a short time, its strength had at least doubled, and it had even learned group attack tactics.
Then there was the giant nut…
It had roamed this area for years, frequently falling into slumber. Even Wen Jue had abandoned the idea of bringing it back to the Base for research.
But how had it suddenly awakened? And why had it so quickly joined forces with the other plants?
Despite maintaining its massive size for years, it showed no signs of exhaustion. Its impenetrable shell could withstand anything, far surpassing the protection of ordinary energy shields.
As two more team members fell, the remaining ones sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Zhao Xing’s hands trembled as he barked into the real-time communicator, “Immediate retreat!”
If they could escape to the Black Spine Mountain Base, they might still have a chance to gather reinforcements or devise a new strategy later.
Zhao Xing had no time to ponder why the personnel from Black Spine Mountain Base hadn’t arrived yet. They should have noticed the giant nut’s movement.
Leading the remaining squad members, he fought off the attacks while attempting to retreat in the direction they had come.
Noticing their escape attempt, Luobo let out a loud “Woo!”
But the plants were on the other side, and their ranged attacks couldn’t intercept in time.
In the next instant, Xiao Guo abruptly rose to its feet and effortlessly leaped forward, blocking the squad’s path.
Caught off guard, Luobo tumbled to the ground.
Lulian, who was nearby, rushed over to help it up.
Xiao Guo swayed menacingly, preparing to crush the humans beneath its massive weight.
Zhao Xing’s arms transformed into metal, forcibly propping up the colossal creature.
The other squad members reacted swiftly. With the giant nut gone from its original position, they could target other plants and force it back.
At that moment, Yumi couldn’t contain himself any longer.
An inexplicable urgency surged through him, a fiery pressure building in his chest, yearning to burst forth. He pounded his chest forcefully.
Seeing this, Tudou quickly stepped back, fearing Yumi might have accidentally inhaled Lulian’s toxic fumes and become disoriented.
But then, Yumi’s size instantly increased tenfold, and it spat out a massive yellow mass.
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered a Berserk State. Please take evasive action! (From the “Yumi” Handbook) ]
It was a colossal ear of corn, its outer layer translucent and jelly-like, which slammed into the opposing human squad.
The corn jelly shattered into pieces, splattering a thick, corrosive goo that stuck to them, severely hindering their movements.
After expelling the mass, Yumi returned to its original form and patted its belly.
Finally, that feels better…
Meanwhile, Lajiao approached the squad, glaring at Zhao Xing and the other humans.
Lajiao recognized Zhao Xing, and several others in the group had been involved in its capture.
The time after its capture had been the most agonizing period of its life. It had been confined for research, its abilities forcibly triggered with drugs. Then, those humans had tried to tame it, subjecting it to countless tortures.
When it finally escaped, Lajiao had sworn vengeance against these humans.
Its eyes burned with fury, and a large shadow fell from the grass beneath its feet.
Xiaozhi, the man-eating flower, appeared behind it, emitting low growls from its throat.
Seeing them appear together, Zhao Xing realized what was happening, his expression turning to despair.
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered a Berserk State. Please take evasive action! (From the Handbook: “Pepper”) ]
[ A mutant plant nearby has entered a Berserk State. Please take evasive action! (From the Handbook: “Man-Eating Flower”) ]
Two powerful shockwaves swept through the area. Xiao Guo leaped forward, positioning himself between Qian Hui and the other plants.
A violent wind tore through the forest, snapping branches with loud cracks as fallen leaves swirled upward.
Nan Tingjin held Qian Hui close, shielding him in his arms. Qian Hui closed his eyes and gripped Nan Tingjin’s sleeve tightly.
When the chaos finally subsided, an eerie silence descended.
Is it over?
Qian Hui lifted his head, only to see Luobo, the carrot, charging past the human corpses on the ground and sprinting in another direction.
Lulian, the durian, followed close behind. The two plants vanished into the forest in an instant.
“Luobo!”
Qian Hui hurried after them, spotting Luobo and Lulian attacking another group of humans on the mountain path below.
There were five of them, dressed in Sky Base uniforms. Unlike the previous team, they seemed odd, with one member being conspicuously protected by the others.
The man’s hair was streaked with gray, but his face looked younger, perhaps around fifty. He wore a light-colored jacket.
Qian Hui glanced over and met Wen Jue’s gaze.
Though he was a stranger, Qian Hui felt an inexplicable surge of fear under the man’s intense stare. His breathing grew shallow, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
These five individuals had likely witnessed the earlier battle. Being far enough away, they hadn’t been caught in the energy blasts from Lajiao and Xiaozhi’s charged attacks.
Luobo spotted them first, mistaking them for reinforcements or survivors from Zhao Xing’s squad. It prepared to eliminate them swiftly.
But it quickly realized these five—no, four—were formidable.
Having recently unleashed its charged attack, Luobo lacked sufficient carrot spikes. However, Lulian could still strike from a distance.
It leaped into the air, spinning as layers of its spiky husk peeled away, launching all its quills outward.
The remaining mutant plants rushed forward. With Xiaokui’s support, they still had the energy to fight.
Yet the newcomers reacted with astonishing speed. One of them raised a hand, and two massive boulders erupted from the ground, forming an impenetrable barrier that intercepted every projectile.
His supernatural ability was similar to Nan Tingjin’s, but he could only manipulate inanimate objects like stones.
Immediately, two of them hoisted Wen Jue and another companion onto their backs, while the remaining member of their trio—all three were physical enhancement-type Ability Users.
Showing no hesitation, they flexed their leg muscles and leaped down the mountainside.
After landing steadily, they jumped again, reaching the modified vehicle parked at the foot of the mountain in an instant.
The group was well-trained and moved with lightning speed, making their escape incredibly swift.
Xiao Guo stirred restlessly, eager to intercept them, when suddenly Xiao Baocai cried out in alarm.
Qian Hui’s face had turned deathly pale, and he nearly fainted.
Nan Tingjin frowned deeply and helped him sit against a tree.
The mutant plants quickly gathered around. Xiao Baocai peeked out from Qian Hui’s pocket and clung tightly to the hem of his shirt.
Xiaokui’s light continued to shine, while Tudou frantically rummaged through his backpack for the unfinished Panacea.
Xiao Guo shook itself, shrank with a whoosh, and rolled over with a glug-glug sound.
Qian Hui swallowed the medicine Tudou offered, but his body still trembled uncontrollably. “I don’t know…”
It seemed his discomfort had begun the moment he saw Wen Jue.
Disgust, fear, and a jumble of other negative emotions churned within Qian Hui. Fragmented, blurry afterimages flashed before his eyes, making it even harder to breathe.
After a moment, he forced himself to speak, “Maybe I’m just tired… It’s okay, I’m not hurt.”
Luobo nudged closer and touched Qian Hui’s icy hand. Its eyes, filled with concern, glanced in the direction Wen Jue had fled before making a swift decision.
“Woo-woo!” Luobo waved, summoning Xiaozhi, the giant man-eating flower, to prepare for their escape.
The five men lurking nearby seemed treacherous. Despite their companion’s predicament, they hadn’t intervened, instead observing from the shadows for an unknown length of time.
Even if they had given chase immediately, it would likely have been too late. The modified vehicle was parked close to the iron gate.
And let’s not forget, they were still inside a base teeming with Human Ability Users.
Successfully eliminating Zhao Xing’s squad had already far exceeded Luobo’s expectations. It had assumed reinforcements from Black Spine Mountain Base would arrive halfway through the fight. Luobo had even planned to take Nan Tingjin hostage if necessary… but that contingency never came into play.
Urged by Luobo, the plants hurried to gather their belongings.
Zhusun passed by the corpses of the human squad, its footsteps suddenly halting.
He turned to see a small pink object peeking halfway out of one of the human’s pockets, timidly peering out.
Beneath the tree, Qian Hui, leaning against Nan Tingjin’s chest, looked up and noticed Xiao Guo standing alone nearby.
Now shrunken to about the size of a palm, Xiao Guo lacked the curled-leaf limbs of other plants. His pitch-black eyes were small and round, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line.
Perhaps because he had only recently awakened and been thrust into a chaotic battle against unfamiliar plants, he seemed bewildered and hesitant to approach.
Qian Hui’s nose tingled with emotion. He reached out his hand. “Xiao Guo…”
Xiao Guo’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hopped into Qian Hui’s arms in a few quick bounds.
Qian Hui hugged him tightly. “Don’t be scared… Did Xiao Guo hear us coming?”
Xiao Guo rolled happily in Qian Hui’s palm before finally murmuring a soft “Mhm.”
He had heard Qian Hui’s voice, and he thought he might have heard Xiaokui’s too…
But Xiao Guo had been trapped inside his shell for so long, feeling like he was about to burst. He couldn’t be sure if it wasn’t just a hallucination brought on by his confinement.
Later, the sounds of fighting nearby reminded Xiao Guo of his days in the Plant Courtyard.
At first, he was still sluggish, but when a fireball came hurtling toward him, he instinctively dodged it, fully awakening.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Qian Hui said tenderly, stroking Xiao Guo. “We’ll get you out of here.”
Xiao Guo hummed in response, the corner of his mouth slowly curving upward.
Qian Hui held him close and turned to Nan Tingjin.
“Xiao Jin,” he said, leaning closer to Nan Tingjin, his voice tinged with anxiety, “will you come with me too?”
Qian Hui had initially planned to hide to avoid detection by the Sky Base personnel, and following the Plot Point’s description, he wanted to avoid the “conflict” mentioned as much as possible.
But things hadn’t gone as planned. The deaths of those humans here would bring trouble for Nan Tingjin.
And then there was Nan Tingjin’s original, tragic ending…
Qian Hui was deeply worried. Only by having Nan Tingjin by his side could he feel even a little at ease.
His eyes filled with hope as he repeated his question, “Please… I can protect you too!”
Nan Tingjin looked up, and after a moment, quietly agreed, “Okay.”
Just as Xiao Guo was awakening, someone outside the iron gate spotted it from afar.
“Am I seeing things… Did that mutant plant just move?”
“I think so too…”
“Look! It’s really waking up!”
“What’s going on?” the Main Captain frowned. “Could they be after that mutant plant? But that doesn’t make sense.”
The giant nut had been there from the beginning, known to all the other Bases. It definitely wasn’t something from Sky Base.
Unless… Zhao Xing and his team had done something to deliberately awaken it?
The Main Captain had been surprised when Wen Jue personally came, but since Nan Tingjin didn’t want to show his face, he and another captain hadn’t bothered to interfere, eager to send these people away quickly.
Now, this situation was beyond their expectations…
Soon, someone pulled out binoculars and saw the “carrot rain” falling continuously.
His voice grave, he quickly said, “Something’s wrong. There are other plants too.”
“Let me see.” The Main Captain immediately took the binoculars and scanned the mountainside.
The giant nut had indeed moved, collapsing into the mountain forest and crushing countless trees.
A torrential rain of carrots cascaded down, and a flash of purple flickered across the camera’s view.
A man-eating flower?
The Main Captain’s heart jolted with alarm.
What’s going on now…? How could a man-eating flower appear in the Base’s Restricted Zone?
Beside him, Shan Jun spoke gravely, “They might be in danger. We should go check.”
A small group agreed, moving to reopen the iron gate.
“Wait,” the Main Captain blocked the gate. “What’s the rush? They came here of their own accord. Let them handle it. Why should we clean up their mess?”
The Main Captain was already simmering with resentment. Wen Jue’s status meant nothing—he was abusing his authority, treating the Base like his personal garden.
Besides, everything had been fine before they arrived. The mutant plants that had invaded the Restricted Zone might even be their fault.
The Restricted Zone had been untouched for years. They insisted on entering.
If anything went wrong, at worst, the Black Spine Mountain Base would be blamed for negligence—for letting mutant plants sneak in.
“You…” Shan Jun couldn’t find an immediate retort, but some still stood by his side.
Some of the team members shared the Main Captain’s opinion, while others felt it was best to consult the Leader first.
Shan Jun, being merely a squad leader under the Main Captain, lacked the authority to open the iron gate.
Just as the stalemate persisted, a modified vehicle sped up and parked by the roadside.
Yuan Ji rolled down the window. “Why is everyone standing around?”
The Main Captain was surprised. “Weren’t you on a mission? How did you get back so quickly?”
Yuan Ji gave a vague answer. “Something came up. I had to withdraw.”
He glanced at the distant mountains and forests, his sharp eyes detecting an anomaly. “What’s going on over there?”
The Main Captain approached and whispered a few words.
Yuan Ji’s urgent return meant he must have heard about the intrusion at Sky Base. With Nan Tingjin absent, he was now the one in charge, and everyone awaited his decision.
Yuan Ji pondered, glancing at the communicator in his hand.
After a moment, he suddenly chuckled. “The Restricted Zone is vast. If they want to search it, let them search thoroughly. Just leave one person here to guard the gate. The rest of you, carry on with your duties.”
“Captain Yuan,” Shan Jun protested anxiously, “but…”
“But what?” Yuan Ji’s gaze swept over them, piercingly cold. “Think carefully before you speak.”
Shan Jun took several deep breaths and lowered his head. “Nothing.”
Seeing this, the others voiced no further objections.
They chose to ignore the situation on Back Mountain, pretending they hadn’t seen or heard anything.
Yuan Ji assigned a subordinate to guard the iron gate, instructing him to immediately send a message if anyone from Sky Base emerged.
The group then dispersed.
Some time later, only one modified vehicle returned.
The subordinate hastily opened the iron gate. The Ability User responsible for protecting Wen Jue scanned the surroundings, his expression grim. “Where are the others?”
Shortly after the giant nut awakened, they had planned to return to the Black Spine Mountain Base to request reinforcements.
But by then, only one person remained outside the iron gate, and Wen Jue refused to leave.
Four Ability Users were protecting him, each playing a crucial role. Diverting any one of them could endanger him.
So they had no choice but to wait, stubbornly holding out until now.
“Oh, Captain Yuan said Back Mountain is too vast and you’d be delayed,” the subordinate replied blankly. “He told the others to return first.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the communicator in his subordinate’s hand beeped.
He glanced down and exclaimed in shock, “A Special-Grade Mutant Plant… has escaped from the Restricted Zone?!”
Meanwhile, a giant man-eating flower shook off its pursuers and effortlessly vaulted over the perimeter wall.
Agile and sure-footed, it landed smoothly and vanished swiftly into the abandoned streets.
As usual, the other plants retreated into Xiaozhi’s mouth, carried away from Black Spine Mountain Base.
Qian Hui, cradling several plants, leaned against Nan Tingjin’s chest.
His mind still groggy, he received a game notification:
[ The Fifth Faction Conflict has concluded. Congratulations to our faction for securing victory! Reward: 500 Prestige Points. ]
This message confirmed their safety.
Qian Hui finally relaxed. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep amidst the gentle jostling.
In his hazy slumber, he had a dream.
Nan Tingjin was there, but the surroundings were unfamiliar.
Qian Hui looked around in confusion, unable to recall where he was.
Nan Tingjin stood before him, whispering, “Why won’t you see me? Do you hate me that much?”
Qian Hui was stunned, wanting to ask what had happened.
But he had no control over his dream. Feeling intensely nervous, he blurted out, “No, that’s not it…”
Nan Tingjin pressed, “Have you made up your mind? Be with me.”
Qian Hui lowered his head, his heart racing. “It’s only been a day… I haven’t decided yet.”
Translator’s Note:
Yeay, Xiao Guo finally woke up!
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