Chapter 37
This branch of Sky Base was built in a relatively remote, low-risk area, surrounded by uncleaned urban ruins. Few humans ventured here, and even zombies rarely approached.
Cabbage lay still for a while, then got up and searched the area. It managed to find two or three wild berries growing in the cracks between the rocks, each smaller than its little finger and incredibly sour.
It ate them with its eyes closed and returned to its original spot to lie down again.
Special-Grade Mutant Plants were incredibly resilient and could easily survive a month or two without food. Cabbage, however, wasn’t particularly good at enduring hunger.
Gazing at the cotton candy-like white clouds in the sky, Cabbage wondered when it should leave.
Two more days… no, maybe just one and a half.
Mutant plants had only emerged after the apocalypse, and most had little inclination to help their own kind. Cabbage wasn’t particularly close to any of them either.
But since it had stumbled upon this situation, it couldn’t pretend it hadn’t seen it. Just last month, it had helped a Winter Melon drive off a zombie trying to ambush it.
The Winter Melon had been deeply grateful and even wanted to follow it, but Cabbage had coldly refused.
It preferred to travel alone and didn’t want any companions. After confirming the Winter Melon’s safety, it had quickly slipped away.
This time, it would just do its best.
Remembering the pitiful state of the two captured plants, Cabbage sighed again.
The plants I know… they wouldn’t end up like that, would they?
Meanwhile, at a distant base…
Everyone remained on high alert, thoroughly inspecting the base inside and out to confirm that the mutated cabbage was the only intruder.
Aside from several injuries and some damage to nearby buildings during the fight, there were no other losses.
It was unclear why the mutated cabbage had come. Perhaps it realized the base was too heavily defended and its chances of victory were slim, so it quickly retreated.
While conflicts between Human Ability Users and mutant plants were common in the field, direct attacks on bases were extremely rare.
The Branch Base leader immediately sent a message to the Main Base, reporting the situation and requesting instructions on whether to reinforce defenses or take other measures.
The Main Base received the message and relayed it to Wen Jue.
Wen Jue was still at the Black Spine Mountain Base, having not yet returned. He had taken numerous medications to suppress the onset of a lost-control state.
He took the communicator from his subordinate and pondered, “Another Special-Grade Mutant Plant…”
The man-eating flower had only recently escaped. Even if it knew the coordinates of the Branch Base, it couldn’t have arrived so quickly.
Therefore, this mutant plant wasn’t working with them.
Wen Jue slowly closed his eyes and sat motionless in his chair.
The subordinate recognized Wen Jue’s state when using his supernatural ability and quietly withdrew.
After a long while, Wen Jue opened his eyes.
“It hasn’t left. It’s hiding in the southeast,” he said. “Don’t alert it yet. Find a way to capture it alive.”
The subordinate immediately responded, “I’ll inform them at once.”
Since it had come to them, there was no reason to let this opportunity slip away.
However, in Wen Jue’s precognitive vision, he had seen the Special-Grade Mutant Plant being located and the Base sending people to quietly surround it. Beyond that, the vision had faded.
Wen Jue pressed his fingers to his temples, his face etched with deep fatigue.
He had been exhausted these past few days, and the strain would undoubtedly affect his supernatural ability.
The man-eating flower had vanished without a trace, and no other mutant plants had been observed coordinating their actions. Logically, there shouldn’t be any unexpected developments.
Unless…
Wen Jue glanced sideways at the portrait beside him—Qian Hui.
Several Bases had never seen Qian Hui before. In the years since the apocalypse, even old records had become inaccessible.
Yet despite his inability to precognize or uncover any useful information, Wen Jue had a strong intuition.
The sudden coordination among mutant plants was due to Qian Hui.
His supernatural ability… must also be of paramount importance.
In the end, despite the heavy losses, this personal visit had yielded some results.
Wen Jue couldn’t help but wonder just how far a team composed entirely of mutant plants could go.
Unfortunately, their infiltration of the base to kill people, regardless of their motives, meant they had to be dealt with swiftly to prevent them from becoming a greater threat.
Images of Qian Hui and several mutant plants, including Xiao Guo, had already been distributed to all bases that morning.
Anyone who spotted them was to report immediately. The primary objective was to capture Qian Hui alive; the other mutant plants could be eliminated on sight if necessary.
This directive, issued by Sky Base to all its branches, offered substantial rewards even for providing mere leads.
As for Nan Tingjin, Black Spine Mountain Base insisted he had been abducted by the mutant plants. Without concrete evidence, his name hadn’t been added to the wanted list—yet. But that was only temporary.
On the table, beside Qian Hui’s image, sat a small red device.
This was the one Zhao Xing had used, presumably to target Nan Tingjin. Given the circumstances at the time, it seemed to have worked.
The bloodstains had been cleaned off the device, which was now ready to be taken back to the Main Base for mass production.
***
Having woken up too early, Qian Hui sat inside Xiaozhi’s mouth, yawning one after another.
He was desperately tired and wanted to sleep a little longer.
Xiao Guo, the giant nut, enlarged its body slightly, hoping to serve as a pillow for Qian Hui. But while it was warm, it was too hard. In the end, Qian Hui used it as a hug pillow and leaned against his backpack to sleep.
Normally, when he wanted to rest, he would go to Nan Tingjin, who would hold him.
Today, however, the two were far apart—or rather, Qian Hui had deliberately kept his distance from Nan Tingjin.
Luobo glanced at the two of them, recalling the scene before they set out.
Are they really fighting?
Luobo looked around, calculating the probability of the Plant Squad uniting to give Nan Tingjin a beating.
Back in the Plant Courtyard, this was how things were done: no problem couldn’t be solved with a fight.
And if that didn’t work, they’d just fight again.
But now they had serious business to attend to and couldn’t afford any delays.
In a corner, Qian Hui was cradling Xiao Guo, seemingly already asleep.
In the dim light, Nan Tingjin quietly watched over him.
After a while, he stood up and approached Qian Hui.
The surrounding plants, accustomed to their closeness, instinctively made way.
Nan Tingjin gently lifted Qian Hui and settled him against his chest.
Startled, Qian Hui groggily opened his eyes.
Recognizing Nan Tingjin, he instinctively snuggled closer, wrapping his arms around him and drifting back to sleep.
Luobo watched discreetly, feeling somewhat reassured.
Xiaozhi continued its steady pace. One of Mimosa’s leaves grew to its largest size, guiding the way while diligently sensing the surrounding environment to select the optimal route for Xiaozhi.
Suddenly, Mimosa’s leaf trembled violently, signaling movement ahead.
Xiaozhi sensed something amiss and halted, its head swiveling to survey the surroundings.
To reach their destination quickly and rescue Mimosa’s friend, the plants had originally decided to press on, avoiding any obstacles in their path.
But here, there seemed to be only one road ahead. Detouring would waste precious time.
Upon learning the situation, Luobo glanced at the sleeping Qian Hui and decided not to wake him.
It spat out Lulian and climbed out of Xiaozhi’s mouth, intending to investigate.
Xiaozhi lowered its head, hiding behind a partially collapsed high wall to wait.
Luobo pulled out a carrot spike and glided into the air, Lulian clinging to its feet below.
After flying a short distance, the two plants landed on a high pile of rubble and secretly observed.
Luobo peered carefully and discovered a Human Squad under attack by several zombies.
The squad appeared to be transporting supplies. Three modified vehicles were parked by the roadside, one with a punctured tire leaning askew.
The six or seven humans fought fiercely, but they also had to protect their cargo. Among the zombies was a High-Level Zombie, while the remaining five or six were all Mid-Level.
The High-Level Zombie possessed a Fire-type Ability, making it a formidable opponent. Its entire body was engulfed in flames, spewing fire jets that reached two meters in length.
Luobo quickly assessed the situation and led Lulian back the way they had come.
Returning to Xiaozhi, Luobo shared everything it had witnessed with the other plants.
The Human Squad was clearly at a disadvantage and would likely be overwhelmed and killed by the zombies soon.
Luobo didn’t recognize the insignia on the humans’ clothing; it certainly wasn’t from Sky Base.
The plants had little fondness for humans in general and debated whether to wait for the zombies to leave before continuing their journey.
If they confronted both groups directly, the best-case scenario would be eliminating both the Human Squad and the zombies.
As the plants huddled together discussing their options, Xiao Guo opened its eyes, eager to hear the conversation.
His movement startled Qian Hui awake.
Finding himself in Nan Tingjin’s arms, Qian Hui froze momentarily before noticing that Xiaozhi had stopped moving.
He pushed Nan Tingjin away and looked up in confusion. “Where are we?”
Seeing him awake, Luobo approached and used Xiaokui’s sunflower light to convey the situation, seeking Qian Hui’s opinion.
“A zombie horde and a human squad,” Qian Hui murmured, his delicate eyebrows furrowing. “If we can’t bypass them, then…”
Killing zombies yielded balance rewards, so those few had to be dealt with.
As for the human squad, Luobo had mentioned they weren’t from Sky Base. Qian Hui had little experience with other humans; aside from Yuan Ji, Nan Tingjin’s subordinate, he’d only exchanged a few words with a guard during his initial stealthy infiltration of Safety Zone 5.
The same went for the plants. Without any prior conflict, these humans were neither allies nor particularly despised.
However, Luobo had also noted that the squad appeared to be transporting supplies, as flour and cloth had spilled from their overturned vehicle.
After a moment’s thought, Qian Hui made his decision, “We’ll eliminate the zombies first. The human squad can wait.”
This approach effectively offered indirect assistance to the human squad.
Qian Hui saw no immediate need to wipe out the human Ability Users. If they attempted to attack, he’d reassess the situation. Moreover, the supplies they were transporting might be related to the zombies’ hidden mission.
Luobo nodded and nuzzled Qian Hui’s hand.
Luobo knew Qian Hui was kind-hearted and soft-hearted. It was precisely this quality that made the plants adore him and follow him everywhere.
With a wave of his hand, Luobo signaled the Plant Squad to move out.
Xiaozhi and the non-combatant plants stayed behind to guard Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin.
Xiao Guo, the nut, wasn’t originally meant to join. Luobo hadn’t even planned to bring Facaishu, the money tree, or Xiaokui, the sunflower. It wanted to finish the mission quickly.
But Xiao Guo hopped forward, its silent gaze clearly pleading to come along.
Luobo scratched his head. “Ugh!”
Fine!
Once everything was ready, Luobo led the Plant Squad toward their destination at top speed.
When they arrived, the Human Squad was indeed on the verge of collapse.
Only one member of the squad possessed a defensive supernatural ability. He quickly swallowed several pills and activated a protective barrier, but the zombies shattered it in moments.
Flames spewed from a High-Level Zombie, engulfing two or three humans who couldn’t dodge in time.
Hearing their screams, the Captain glanced over briefly but had no time to react. Sweat streamed down his forehead as blood continued to flow from his injured arm.
Without a miracle, they would all die here today…
Initially, only a few Mid-Level Zombies appeared, attempting to seize the supplies being transported in their vehicle.
If they had abandoned the car and fled immediately, they might have stood a chance. However, they made a fatal misjudgment, believing they could handle the few zombies.
They never anticipated that behind the Mid-Level Zombies lurked a High-Level Zombie with a Fire-type Ability.
Now, the entire squad was trapped, with no time to escape.
Just then, a sudden gust of scorching wind swept through the narrow street.
The ground trembled slightly, as if a massive Beast Tide was about to surge forth.
The zombies’ attention was diverted, and they turned their heads in unison.
They sensed danger in the air, but before they could react, a giant nut, two stories tall, came rolling toward them.
The High-Level Zombie roared and retreated from the center of the road along with the other zombies.
The Human Squad, positioned at the edge of the street, watched as the giant nut rumbled past without crushing anyone. The wind generated by its rolling shell extinguished the flames engulfing several of the humans.
The nut came to a stop and abruptly stood upright.
Simultaneously, a cluster of plants rained down from the sky.
A mutated potato, corn, chili pepper… even a durian and a bamboo shoot clung to each other, forming a chain with a carrot perched atop.
The formidable aura of the Special-Grade Mutant Plant swept over the battlefield, and the zombies sensed danger, turning to flee.
But the plants were faster. After landing securely on Xiao Guo’s head, they unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks.
The High-Level Zombie roared in fury, but the flames it spewed proved utterly ineffective against the massive Xiao Guo.
To prevent their escape, Zhusun and the durian split into two groups, flanking the zombies from behind.
In the blink of an eye, three Mid-Level Zombies fell one after another.
Seizing the opportunity, the Human Squad retreated behind their modified vehicle.
Realizing the plants were only targeting the zombies, they quickly bandaged their wounds and swallowed the healing potions they carried.
One member was severely injured, his legs burned by flames, making it difficult for him to walk.
He urged his companions, “Go on ahead. Forget about the supplies in the vehicle.”
But everyone else was also wounded, and without the modified vehicle, they wouldn’t be able to escape far.
To drive the vehicle away, they would need to circle around Xiao Guo’s side.
Just as the Captain hesitated, the mutant plants displayed astonishing combat prowess, swiftly eliminating all the zombies.
Xiao Guo, the nut, rolled back down and trundled away with a “glug-glug-glug.”
A team member cautiously peeked out and saw the mutant plants gathering. Luobo hurled a carrot spike into the air and leaped up to grab it.
The other plants followed suit: the durian seized the carrot; the corn grabbed the durian…
The large green pepper hastily dug out all the zombies’ crystal cores. Falling behind, it grabbed the bamboo shot by the foot.
Just as they had arrived, the plants formed a chain and flew away.
Everyone witnessed this spectacle. They had expected the mutant plants to attack them next, but instead…
“These plants…” The Captain frowned. “Do they look familiar?”
Hiding behind the Modified Vehicle, they remained cautious. Before long, a massive figure appeared at the end of the street.
The figure moved swiftly, brushing past the Modified Vehicle without so much as a glance.
A team member whispered in alarm, “It’s the man-eating flower!”
The man-eating flower’s distinctive appearance was unforgettable; they all remembered it now.
Not long ago, everyone had received a message containing descriptions of several mutant plants, though detailed images would only be available upon returning to base.
The captain opened the message and compared the descriptions to the plants they had just encountered.
“Carrot, corn, durian…”
The descriptions matched perfectly.
They had encountered the Plant Squad mentioned in their mission briefing.
All of them were injured, and with their current strength, they couldn’t even track the squad. However, they could report the Plant Squad’s coordinates and still receive a commission.
The squad members exchanged glances. One of them asked the captain, “Should we report this?”
Although… from the outcome, it seemed the Plant Squad had saved them.
Those mutant plants were so powerful, easily killing several zombies. They could have just as easily killed the squad.
The captain pondered for a moment, then looked in the direction where the Xiaozhi had disappeared.
He put away his communicator and whispered, “Don’t say a word. Let’s pretend we saw nothing.”
They all knew Sky Base loved capturing mutant plants.
The commission for providing information wasn’t worth risking their lives, especially since the mission also involved Black Spine Mountain Base.
It was best not to get involved. They decided to treat it as if they’d encountered… “Helpful Ordinary Plants.”
The rest of the squad unanimously agreed. They righted the overturned vehicle, cleared the surrounding area, and quickly left the vicinity.
Meanwhile, Luobo perched atop Xiaozhi’s head.
Confirming the humans weren’t pursuing them, it twisted its body and burrowed into the gaps between Xiaozhi’s teeth.
Qian Hui woke up feeling much more refreshed.
He opened the game and saw that the hidden mission to approach the zombie faction had indeed progressed slightly.
A human squad transporting supplies… and zombies?
Could the zombies be trying to steal the supplies? But they couldn’t even use those things.
Remembering that Black Spine Mountain Base had also accepted similar commissions, Qian Hui instinctively glanced at Nan Tingjin, wanting to ask him about it.
Their eyes met, and Qian Hui suddenly recalled the awkwardness between them before they set out.
He abruptly turned away, closed the game, and hugged Xiao Guo, turning his back to Nan Tingjin.
The mission can wait… I’ll ask him later if the opportunity arises.
Translator’s Note:
It’s been a month! Oops, I’m really sorry for the absence. The good news is that my play performance was successful! But it’s a pity I couldn’t update on time because it’s now my final exam period. I’ve got so many final exam projects! Huhuhu please help me!! Does anyone know how to write a sociolinguistics essay after writing field notes on people speaking?! I’m dying here! The deadline is getting closer!
Anyway, I managed to update one chapter to show you that I’m still working on it, even in the middle of all this chaos.
Thank you~
