Chapter 41

The plants in the room were all at the intermediate or advanced level, including the comatose cherry tree.

Top-tier exotic plants are hard to find, even harder to capture, and low-tier ones are too weak unless their abilities are quite special.

Those who are arrested are generally used for three purposes.

One approach is to try to find out why the alien plants don't get lost. They use various methods to constantly force the alien plants to launch attacks, and then use instruments to observe and study their physical condition.

Secondly, select some outstanding individuals, tame them, and use them for the base.

However, the vast majority of alien plants are unwilling to obey human commands, so strong measures must be taken and they must be controlled at all times.

As for the third type...

The third use, which was recently approved by the main base, involves recruiting a small group of volunteers to receive the transplantation of plant-based superpowers.

Wen Jue had speculated that humans would fall into a state of disorientation while plants would not, and that the problem might lie in their supernatural abilities.

When ordinary humans reach a certain age, they may have the opportunity to awaken superpowers. This process is completely random and irreversible, and superpowers cannot be separated.

If the superpowers of plants could be successfully transplanted into humans, perhaps there would be different results.

Even under the apocalypse, the other two major bases would not agree to this research, so the first batch of volunteers were selected from within the bases.

This matter is absolutely confidential and will not be known to outsiders.

However, so far, the experiment has progressed very slowly, and a volunteer and two plants have accidentally died.

Wen Jue's health is deteriorating day by day. If he never wakes up again, Sky Base will probably not last long and will be swallowed up and taken over by other bases.

The subordinate standing in the center of the room looked around to confirm that the number of exotic plants was correct. He then ordered all the cages to be moved away and temporarily placed in the more secluded basement, where they were to be closely guarded.

Some tools, records, and miscellaneous items were also put away, to be dealt with after this crisis is over.

Before leaving the corridor, the subordinate glanced down at the communicator in his hand.

Among the instructions sent from the main base, there was one last one.

If they fail to hold out... they must activate the base's self-destruct mechanism, turning this place into ruins.

—

In the afternoon, Qianhui had bought a lot of supplies in advance, including food, water, and various pills.

The plants rested and replenished themselves, preparing to take action tonight.

This is a bit rushed, but to avoid any unforeseen problems, we must act quickly.

Moreover, with the addition of Nan Tingjin, Carrot's confidence increased by two degrees.

The plants no longer need any feints or sneak attacks; they can just charge in.

Having gone through so much, the team has long since developed a great deal of tacit understanding and is able to handle all kinds of situations.

As for Nan Tingjin, he will be more free and will not cooperate with the plants, as long as he is careful not to accidentally hurt them.

The only thing I'm not comfortable with is fennel.

The plants need to go all out to raid the base, but Nan Tingjin is not with Qian Hui. He is hiding alone with the sunflowers in a cabbage husk, and it is unknown whether they will encounter danger.

Qianhui comforted Carrot: "With Xiaoduo here, everything will be alright."

The little succulent's skill allows it to conceal its own presence and that of nearby creatures for 50 seconds at a time, and can be used up to ten times consecutively.

Once they hear any movement around them, the little succulent helps to conceal its presence, preventing it from being discovered by zombies or other humans.

Carrot was still not at ease, so he asked Potato to make a few bombs for Qianhui to carry around, so she could use them for self-defense in case of any situation.

The bomb made a loud noise when it exploded, and it could hear it in the middle of the explosion and still make a comeback.

Potato quickly made five of the largest bombs, ready to be used as soon as they were thrown, and also buried two large landmines near the entrance of the low building.

Qian Hui was also very worried about the plants. Since the sunflower and money tree wouldn't go with them, he filled the small backpacks of the plants with pills so they could replenish their strength and energy in time.

Besides that, Qianhui browsed the game store, trying to find out what else she could buy.

We should have enough medicine. We don't need food for now. Building materials and weapons...

Qian Hui hesitated before opening the last section to check the weapons inside.

There are many types of weapons, some of which can be used by both humans and plants, such as knives and hammers, while defensive weapons include helmets and shields.

The remaining items were plant-specific, with names completely unfamiliar to Qian Hui, such as "missile head" and "spray gun"... These weapons were not explained in terms of usage before purchase, and they were also extremely expensive.

Without any guides or instructions, Qianhui didn't understand these things. The plants were more used to their usual attack methods, and they might not be comfortable using those weapons.

Including the previous purchase of resurrection beans, I never squander my remaining balance except for daily expenses.

This time, the attack on the human base is much more difficult than before, but there is more time to prepare. Qianhui thinks it's worth buying some to try.

He first bought several helmets and shields. When purchasing, he selected the plants from the encyclopedia, and the size was automatically matched.

The carnivorous plant and nut don't really need these, so Qianhui bought all the other plants that would be used in the battle.

Upon discovering something new, Corn was the first to run over, picking up his helmet and examining it closely.

The helmets are very small and can fit different plant shapes. Some can cover the front and back of the plant, like a small piece of armor.

The only exceptions are corn and durian. They change their size when using skills, and their helmets use very little material, just a small piece, covering the most vulnerable part of their heads. They are also the cheapest.

Qian Hui used the cloth strips she received to secure the metal plates to them, and then scooped up the potato, which was almost completely covered: "Is it heavy?"

Potato shook his head, jumped down, picked up a shield, and swung it hard: "Whoa!"

Durian was still in Qian Hui's arms. It shook its head, seemed to be doing well, and then, with its sharp thorns still attached, tilted its head and rubbed against Qian Hui's palm.

It currently has the best relationship with carrots, and the second best is fennel, with a loyalty of 70%, although it's not as clingy as potatoes and peppers.

Qianhui patted the durian's head and bought it a bottle of evolution water.

Durian curiously leaned closer to smell it, then drank it in one gulp.

A few seconds later, it wobbled and rolled to the ground, growing larger as it rolled, its spikes becoming sharper and sharper, until it stopped growing as tall as a door frame.

Durian was excited to experience its new skill, while Carrot, while putting on the helmet, urged it to get used to it as soon as possible, as it would be used that night.

The remaining plants also put on their helmets one by one, some took shields, and some did not.

Qian Hui browsed through the mall and bought two more plant-specific weapons: a "three-shot machine gun" and an "electromagnetic induction gun".

He spent a long time choosing and felt that these two names should be easy to use, spending a total of 8,000 yuan of his balance.

After the balance was successfully deducted, a soft "click" sounded, and the item was temporarily stored in Qian Hui's game backpack.

He immediately opened it to check, and found that the three machine guns showed no compatible plants, while the electromagnetic induction gun had several compatible plants, such as carrots, peppers, corn, and durians.

Looking at the three machine guns in her backpack, Qian Hui felt a little sorry for her 4,000 yuan balance.

He didn't dare buy the remaining weapons randomly; he'd wait until he bought resurrection beans before making a purchase.

Moreover, with such an expensive weapon, we don't even know if it's any good.

Qianhui took out the electromagnetic induction gun, thought for a moment, and decided to give it to Carrot, as it was clever and had the widest attack range.

"Carrot!" he beckoned the carrot over. "Take a look at this."

The electromagnetic induction gun is very small. Although it is called a gun, it looks like a round mini pendant. It is very easy to use; you can just wear it on your body.

Carrot took it and examined it carefully, then removed the helmet and strapped the mini gun to his neck.

It put its helmet back on, touched its forehead, and found a radish thorn in its hand.

At first glance, the radish thorns looked no different from usual, except that the color seemed a bit darker, and there was a soft "buzzing" sound between the two green leaves at the top, emitting a sound similar to an electric current.

Carrot's eyes lit up, and he took the radish thorns to a corner to study them alone.

All the plants were preparing nervously. The little bamboo shoot adapted to the helmet, drew its sword and slashed at the air for a while to confirm that it was still agile.

Cabbage sat to one side, smearing a sticky mixture of chili seed fragments and corn kernels onto her boxing gloves.

The little cabbage used a small brush made from the corner of a towel to help, carefully applying a thick layer.

Qian Hui turned off the game and went to Nan Tingjin's side.

"You must be careful too," he said nervously, "last time in the back mountain..."

Qian Hui actually sensed something unusual at that time, but it was very subtle and not enough to affect her.

He didn't know what was making Nan Tingjin uncomfortable, but he subconsciously felt something was wrong and worried that if the Sky Base discovered Nan Tingjin's presence, they would use the same method.

“I know,” Nan Tingjin replied. “I will keep an eye on it, don’t worry.”

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Qianhui into his arms.

Qian Hui was very well-behaved at this moment, taking the initiative to move closer, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of commission do you want? So I can prepare in advance."

Commissions can take many forms: common currency, food, medicine, or other supplies.

Qian Hui thought that he had no currency, but he could provide plenty of food and medicine.

Not knowing how much "not much" Nan Tingjin meant, he prepared a balance of approximately 10,000.

Nan Tingjin held Qian Hui in his arms and whispered, "Give me a kiss first."

Qian Hui was taken aback, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.

But after dark, Nan Tingjin and the plants had to set off. Qian Hui had hugged each of the plants a while ago to comfort and encourage them, leaving only Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui stared at Nan Tingjin for a while, then slowly moved closer and kissed him on the cheek.

He put his arm around Nan Tingjin's waist and whispered, "Come back soon."

—

As darkness fell, Qianhui led the plants around her into the cabbage shell.

The cabbage shell completely closed, entering a state of invisibility and disappearing from the spot.

Nan Tingjin waited outside the low building, while the plant team prepared to set off.

Before leaving, Potato reminded everyone not to step on its landmines, and carefully tidied up the soil around them.

The mimosa plant, placed on the eyelids of the carnivorous plant, will be responsible for locating the trapped plants.

Qianhui stayed inside the cabbage shell, listening to the sounds fading into the distance.

The sunflower in his arms glowed quietly. He took a few deep breaths and waited anxiously.

Little Cabbage waited nearby for a while, then quietly ran over to the backpack.

It burrowed into the backpack and pulled out two leaves from the corner.

The leaves were given by the money tree and torn into thin strips. The little cabbage picked two, rolled them into a ball, and tied them to its hand, making them look a bit like cabbage boxing gloves.

It swung its fist forcefully, pounded the backpack zipper a few times, and then went into stealth mode.

However, its body was invisible, but the two "boxing gloves" on its hands were still there.

The little cabbage stood there dumbfounded, scratched its head with its boxing gloves, and thought that this would work too.

It punched the zipper again, then emerged from the backpack after its stealth ended, wearing "boxing gloves" and once again guarding Qian Hui's side.

Meanwhile, inside the base.

As darkness fell, the guards along the wall were rotated out, but they continued to keep a close watch on the outside.

After the assignment was sent out during the day, two or three teams in the surrounding area responded, but it was uncertain when they would arrive.

Everyone was on edge, ready to welcome the arrival of the exotic plant.

As darkness fell completely, a hot wind blew from afar.

At the same time, several people heard strange noises, like waves of beasts, which gradually approached and grew louder.

One of the guards raised his night-vision binoculars to check the direction from which the noise was coming from.

A moment later, his lips trembled: "They're here..."

In the distance, a giant nut rolled rapidly from the ruins.

The base immediately activated the mechanical protection of the perimeter wall, and several superhumans stood guard on the inner side, covering the entire base with a thick defensive shield.

The ground was trembling slightly as the giant nut drew closer and closer until it crashed into the base's perimeter wall with a loud bang.

Three layers of the defensive shield were broken, but they were quickly repaired, and the wall remained intact for the time being.

A moment of silence fell outside as everyone looked towards the wall. Was it... blocking the way?

Then they heard the giant nut retreating.

It retreated a little distance, then suddenly crashed into it again, repeating this action at an ever-increasing speed.

"Bang--"

"Bang--"

By the sixth strike, cracks began to appear in the wall, and the base leader looked on in disbelief when he saw this.

This giant nut had been dormant at the Blackridge Mountain base for years, and no one knew its true strength... nor did they underestimate it.

"Bang--"

On the ninth strike, one side of the wall collapsed with a roar, creating a breach.

The giant nut rolled right in, found a good spot, and stayed still.

Immediately afterwards, a rain of radishes began to fall from the sky.

Each radish thorn, like a sharpened iron cone, faintly gleamed as it struck the ground or the bodies of human superhumans, then exploded with considerable power.

The group hurriedly retreated again and raised their defensive shield once more.

Numerous attacks were raining down on the giant nut, but they seemed to have no effect on its hard shell.

Under the moonlight, someone saw a string of objects glide down from high above and land on the giant nut.

Those were... a group of mutated plants wearing miniature helmets.

Carrot adjusted his helmet, summoned a second wave of spikes, waved his hand, and shouted, "Whoa!"

The battle was about to begin when a corn cob beside him shouted in response, throwing out a large clump of corn balls, followed closely by potato bombs and chili seeds of various sizes.

Another figure landed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, its size increased to the height of a seven or eight-story building.

The giant man-eating plant lowered its head and roared, unleashing a powerful burst of air that instantly knocked down several human superhumans on the side.

On the other side, Cabbage led Durian and Bamboo Shoots, rushing quickly into the crowd.

Cabbage knocked one down with two or three punches, and Durian couldn't wait to use its newly evolved skill, its huge body rolling back and forth in the open space.

The small bamboo shoot, though small in size, was agile and unpredictable, slashing several people's calves with a knife.

The plants came on fiercely and aggressively. Some of them, seeing the danger, tried to escape through the gap they had smashed in the wall.

While fending off ranged attacks, they quietly circled around to the rear.

At that moment, a figure walked in through the gap in the collapsed wall.

The group thought the reinforcements had arrived and were overjoyed. However, when they saw who it was, the human superhuman in the lead changed his expression.

"Chief of the South?" He clutched his injured arm, subtly backing away. "What happened to you...?"

Nan Tingjin looked up and raised his right hand slightly.

Before they could react, their bodies were instantly thrown into the air by an invisible force.

He stepped forward and killed anyone he saw, without any intention of hiding anything.

Upon seeing that Nan Tingjin was also there, and indeed assisting the alien plants, the base leader's expression turned ugly.

His hands trembled as he turned on the communicator, trying to ask when reinforcements would arrive, otherwise they would surely die here tonight.

Just as a message was sent, the base leader suddenly felt unable to move.

The next second, he screamed in agony as his arms and legs were broken one after the other.

Nan Tingjin approached and picked up the communicator that had fallen to the ground.

A reply came from the other end: "Coming soon."

Nan Tingjin crushed the communicator and looked around.

The plants dealt with a human squad during the day, and the base's walls were also easily breached, much easier than expected.

Having confirmed that the plant team had an absolute advantage, Nan Tingjin returned to the gap in the wall.

He looked at the carrot standing on the nut: "I'll go out and take a look."

Carrot nodded: "Okay!"

Trusting Nan Tingjin, it didn't ask any questions and busied itself summoning a new wave of radish thorns.

I must say, the new weapon Qianhui gave me is actually quite useful...

At the same time, several modified vehicles drove up from not far from the base.

They were the support team that came from two different bases. They happened to meet in the same area and came together.

Urged on by the person in charge of the Sky Base, the captain stepped on the gas and rushed over at an even faster speed.

When the modified vehicle approached and saw the breach in the base's wall, everyone's expressions turned grave.

"Have those plants gone mad? What are they trying to do?"

"Be careful... there are several top-grade exotic plants."

"But don't you find it strange, why..."

Before he could finish speaking, the modified car suddenly stopped, its front end squeezed as if it had hit an invisible wall.

The surrounding area was full of ruins, and the cars behind were also forced to stop, almost colliding with each other.

"What's going on...?"

Who's there?

The captain looked up and saw a man standing in the middle of the road through the glass window.

He frowned deeply: "It's Nan Tingjin..."

It is said that the leader of Blackridge Mountain has disappeared again, and is likely with the alien plants, but his name is not on the assignment list.

Now... what's going on?

Seeing this, everyone hesitated.

Suddenly, the surrounding ruins and debris began to shake violently, while simultaneously hovering in the air and crashing down on several modified vehicles.

The car window shattered instantly, and a large amount of dust and sand rushed in. The captain immediately shouted into the live communication, "Get out of here!"

This is a low-risk area that has not been cleared, and there are a great many movable objects in the ruins.

The modified car behind it was less damaged and retreated first.

They reacted quickly, immediately moving away from Nan Tingjin.

The modified car at the front withstood the attack, with half of its body being lifted up.

The passenger in the front seat got out of the car, grabbed the damaged window, and used his supernatural abilities to pull it backward, breaking free from Nan Tingjin's control.

Then, the team members jumped onto the roof of the vehicle, and all the modified vehicles quickly retreated to a safer distance and turned back.

Only after Nan Tingjin's figure was completely out of sight did the captain glance at the rearview mirror and breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he also had mixed feelings.

Nan Tingjin was clearly trying to stop them and had murderous intentions.

He knew the terrifying strength of Nan Tingjin. With two small teams trapped here, and not knowing if there were any other alien plants nearby, their chances of winning were very slim.

Even if they manage to force their way through, everything will be uncertain once they reach the base.

Neither team belonged to Sky Base; they were assigned to this mission, and it was understandable that they chose to retreat when they encountered obstacles.

But... by doing this, Nan Tingjin was essentially telling everyone that he, a human with superpowers, was truly assisting the alien plants.

But why is that...?

After thinking it over, the captain stepped on the brakes.

He looked back at the pitch-black night and said, "Let's go back and take another look. We're far enough away, so let's not assist yet."

The other team members and the other team had no objections; they took a different route and quietly circled around to the side.

Meanwhile, the situation inside the base is becoming increasingly chaotic.

Nan Tingjin's whereabouts are unknown, and no reinforcements have arrived either. The remaining people in the base are no match for the fierce attack of the alien plants and are retreating step by step.

Several people tried to hide inside the base and find a secluded place to hide, but Cabbage, with her sharp eyes, chased after them and punched them.

Outside, the carnivorous plant looked around.

That's about it. This place can be left to other plants. It and the mimosa should go find the plants that have been locked up.

The mimosa on its eyelids raised its leaves to guide the carnivorous plant, which shrunk in size and quickly arrived at a low building in the corner of the base.

The main gate of the low building was locked, but the carnivorous plant smashed it open and, with the help of the mimosa, found a relatively hidden basement.

It sniffed the doorknob and then rammed the basement door open with brute force again.

The commotion was so great that it startled all the plants inside, causing them to reflexively huddle and tremble in their cages.

However, the aura emanating from the entrance... was not that of a familiar human with superpowers.

In the dim light, the plants dared to peer out and saw a creature with a gigantic head, a mouthful of sharp teeth, and almost as tall as the door frame…

—Man-eating flower.