Chapter 39 Bloodthirsty Vine

The Bloodthirsty Vines spread rapidly, turning the white office building's exterior red in the blink of an eye. The writhing vines intertwined, spreading like snakes from high to low.

Sunlight shone on the Bloodthirsty Vine, giving the dark red vines a translucent quality. It was as beautiful as a ruby, but Jiang Rong had no interest in admiring it; he only wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

In Pan Pan's description, the vines that attacked him were only as thick as a thumb. But the thinnest vine in front of them was as thick as Jiang Rong's wrist. In just half a month, the Bloodthirsty Vine of Jingyi Optoelectronics had grown a lot, and it was no longer something they could handle.

Seeing this, the two turned and rushed towards the gate. Even Guan Shao, who had seen his share of storms, was now somewhat uncertain: "Is this thing an animal or a plant?"

When Pan Pan described it before, Guan Shao thought he was exaggerating. However, after seeing the red vines with his own eyes, he felt that Pan Pan's description was a bit understated.

Jiang Rong quickly said, "Don't get entangled in its vines, it will suck your blood!"

Guan Shao responded, "Okay!"

Before they even reached the gate, a large expanse of red suddenly appeared before them. Vines, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, were spreading rapidly. With lightning speed, they completely blocked the gate, and the walls within a fifty-meter radius were also entwined with vines.

Jiang Rong abruptly stopped and cursed. This thing actually ambushed! He was now beginning to suspect that the area around the gate was so clean because this guy had deliberately set a trap to lure people who wanted the solar panels inside.

With the main gate blocked, Jiang Rong and his companion had no choice but to find another way out. They could either climb over the wall or take a detour through another gate. Of course, the prerequisite was that they wouldn't be caught by the Bloodthirsty Vine.

The Bloodthirsty Vine clearly wasn't going to give up its prey, and its red tendrils surged towards the two of them from all directions like a tidal wave. Jiang Rong looked around; the southeast, west, and north directions were all blocked by the Bloodthirsty Vine, leaving them with no choice but to retreat into the office building.

The office building is surrounded by bloodthirsty vines, and once inside, they will be met with various ambushes. The vines will enter through ventilation ducts or doors and windows, making them easy prey.

Neither of them were stupid; they quickly saw through the Bloodthirsty Vine's intentions. Jiang Rong gritted her teeth and said, "It's forcing us into the building."

Guan Shao sneered: "That bastard actually knows how to use tactics."

However, he wasn't one to be trifled with. At the crucial moment, Guan Shao pulled out a bomb from his pocket. After pulling the pin, he threw it towards the vines to the east. The instant the bomb left his hand, Guan Shao lunged at Jiang Rong beside him: "Get down!"

Caught off guard, Jiang Rong was tackled to the ground by Guan Shao. His face was pressed against the scorching cement floor, and Guan Shao tightly covered his ears. Guan Shao's voice came quickly: "Open your mouth wide."

Jiang Rong decisively opened her mouth.

"boom--"

A tremendous sound and a burst of light erupted in front of the office building, the shockwave shattering nearby windows. The bloodthirsty vines that had almost completely surrounded the two were startled by the noise and retreated several meters in unison.

The Bloodthirsty Vines on the east side were unable to retract their tendrils in time and were blasted apart, sending them flying everywhere. The red vines were not resistant to fire, and the falling tendrils quickly caught fire, bursting into bright yellow flames. The affected vines twisted and turned, deliberately breaking off the burning parts.

After the explosion, Jiang Rong could only hear a "whimpering" sound; he couldn't hear anything else. He sat up groggily, staring blankly at the burning vines and shards of glass falling in front of him.

The scene before him flickered between light and darkness, and everything seemed to be spinning. He felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

Jiang Rong, suppressing her discomfort, tilted her head blankly. Who was he? Where was he? What happened?

Seeing Jiang Rong's dazed look, Guan Shao suddenly grabbed his arm: "Get up!"

Jiang Rong felt sluggish and didn't want to move. After being dragged around a few times by Guan Shao, he looked over in a daze: Who is this? He looks somewhat familiar.

Seeing the situation was not good, Guan Shao bent down and half-lifted Jiang Rong to her feet. Then he bent down and braced his shoulder against Jiang Rong's stomach. With a sudden burst of strength from his legs and waist, Jiang Rong's body was suspended in the air and steadily carried on Guan Shao's shoulder.

As an adult man, Jiang Rong was quite heavy, but Guan Shao seemed not to feel any weight at all, and in the blink of an eye, he had run several meters to the east.

Jiang Rong's stomach churned violently when the shoulder bumped against it. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a word. After a few feeble struggles, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

The Bloodthirsty Vines on the east side were severely damaged; the bombs and blasts had blasted a passage through the vines.

Guan Shao rushed forward and quickly broke through the Bloodthirsty Vines' encirclement. If he wasn't mistaken, this thing should possess intelligence, just like the little fairy from Jiang Rong's family. It knew how to ambush and feared pain. It had transcended the realm of plants; if left unchecked, it would become everyone's nightmare.

Seeing its prey fleeing at high speed, the Bloodthirsty Vines coiled themselves around it and gave chase. The hard vines rustled as they moved across the concrete, sending chills down one's spine.

As Guan Shao carried Jiang Rong on his back, he glanced at the large characters on the side of the factory building. Soon, a line of gold-embossed characters appeared before him: Battery Laboratory. Seeing these words, he quickened his pace.

Jiang Rong felt like he had a long dream, in which he was constantly running. He didn't know how far he ran, or how long he ran. He only knew that when he woke up again, his head felt like it had been punched a dozen times, and his stomach felt like it had been run over by a car wheel.

Just then, a trash can appeared in front of him, and Guan Shao's voice came: "Still want to throw up?"

Jiang Rong glanced at the trash can, then turned his head away in disgust. After a moment, he waved his hand: "No need. What's wrong with me?"

Guan Shao apologized, "You were affected by the shockwave from the explosion and you have a concussion. If you feel nauseous, don't hold it in."

He was used to a life filled with gunfire and had forgotten that Jiang Rong was just an ordinary person before. In the instant of the explosion, Jiang Rong was jolted by the shockwave. Fortunately, Jiang Rong was physically strong and regained consciousness quickly; otherwise, he doesn't know how much he would have blamed himself.

Jiang Rong closed his eyes and waited a moment. The feeling of a concussion was unpleasant; even with his eyes closed, he felt the world spinning and jumping. No wonder his dreams today were so shaky; this was what a concussion felt like.

The wood-based power circulated through his body a few times, and the dizziness was quickly dissipating. When Jiang Rong opened his eyes again, his gaze had returned to clarity. "Guan Shao, thank you." If it weren't for Guan Shao, he would probably be a skin and bones corpse by now.

Guan Shao nodded: "Of course." Not to mention that Jiang Rong is now his teammate, just because Jiang Rong saved him without hesitation before, he would do his best to save him as well.

The two were in a closed room with no windows, but the lights were on. The white light illuminated the room, and although it was enclosed, they didn't feel stuffy.

Jiang Rong looked up at the lights overhead, then at the unfamiliar instruments and equipment, and asked in confusion, "Where are we?"

Guan Shao pulled out a water bottle from behind him, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Jiang Rong: "Battery Lab."

In addition to producing solar panels, Jingyi Optoelectronics also manufactures supporting batteries. The company has invested heavily in building a battery R&D laboratory that is rare among its peers, aiming to catch up with its competitors in terms of technology.

Instability during battery development can easily lead to explosions, so the strength and rigidity of the laboratory facilities far exceed those of other factories. The laboratory has its own power supply and air conditioning system, which explains why the rooms, despite lacking windows, are not stuffy.

Because the building is sturdy, even if the laboratory is completely destroyed, the surrounding buildings will remain unaffected. Similarly, even if the outside is in complete chaos, as long as the laboratory doors are closed, the people inside will be safe.

This battery lab has now become a temporary refuge for the two.

After taking a couple of sips of water from the kettle, Jiang Rong asked his first question: "How did you find this place?" Guan Shao was really amazing; even though it was his first time at Jingyi Optoelectronics, he was able to find the laboratory accurately.

Guan Shao blinked: "It's probably a conditioned reflex." When he went on missions before, whenever he arrived in a new environment, the first thing he did was to find suitable offensive and defensive routes. Of course, adequate cover was also very important.

Jiang Rong gave a thumbs up: "Impressive." If he had Guan Shao's instincts, he wouldn't have suffered a concussion from the explosion.

After a brief respite during the experiment, Jiang Rong and his team began to consider how to break through. Guan Shao drew a circle on a piece of draft paper over a factory building, indicating, "We're here now."

The factory's location is a bit awkward; it's some distance from the surrounding factories and the main gate. Without cover, they'd be easily spotted if they wanted to move around. Guan Shao considered, "I wonder if this thing has any rest periods. If it does, we can leave when it's relaxed."

Most plants go dormant at night, so if the Bloodvine doesn't move at night, it can take the opportunity to escape.

Jiang Rong agreed with this idea. In her previous life, the superhumans attacked the Bloodthirsty Vine at night, so it must rest at night. After all, not all plants are as active at night as cacti.

Guan Shao checked the time: "It's exactly eleven o'clock now. Let's rest well and conserve our energy. We'll move on when it gets dark."

There was a long table in the lab. Guan Shao moved the unfinished battery from the table to the ground and then put the table back together: "Lie down and take a nap."

Jiang Rong couldn't actually sleep, but he politely said, "You go to sleep, I'm not sleepy."

Guan Shao didn't delay. He climbed onto the table, and just as he was about to lie down, Jiang Rong noticed a few spots of blood that were almost dried on the back of his neck.

These wounds should have been on Jiang Rong's body. When the explosion occurred, Guan Shao had most of his body on top of Jiang Rong, using his own body to shield her from the attacks.

Jiang Rong quickly spoke up: "Guan Shao, wait a moment. You have a wound on your neck, treat it before you go to sleep."

Guan Shao responded and sat down in the chair. Jiang Rong took out a small first-aid kit from her backpack. After cleaning Guan Shao's wound, Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily, the glass didn't get stuck."

Guan Shao said easily, "I have thick skin and flesh; ordinary injuries can't hurt me."

The two had left early, and by this time, Jiang Rong was hungry. After applying the medicine to Guan Shao, he took out a lunchbox from his backpack: "Eat something, it's better to eat before you sleep."

The lunchbox contained four seaweed rolls, and from the side, you could see the white rice inside and the hot dog sausage and pickled radish sandwiched in between. Guan Shao was surprised, "You've prepared so well."

This was the first time Guan Shao had seen seaweed rolls while on a mission. When Jiang Rong mentioned eating, he assumed lunch would be compressed biscuits. The seaweed rolls had a refreshing aroma, and he couldn't resist taking a big bite: "Mmm, delicious!"

Jiang Rong sighed softly, "I thought I would be able to go back soon. If I had known I would be stuck here, I would have prepared more food."

This food is only enough for the two of them for one meal. Hopefully, they can break through tonight.

While eating seaweed rolls, the two discussed their escape route. The explosion had made Guan Shao realize something: "That thing is afraid of fire. We have a lot of batteries here. I can make the batteries explode to increase our chances of escape."

Jiang Rong had some concerns: "The Bloodthirsty Vine is not like ordinary plants; it can spread. If it gets on fire, I'm afraid the entire park will be destroyed." The weather is dry right now, and the nearby factories store a large amount of chemical raw materials and semi-finished batteries. If a fire breaks out, it will burn down to the ground and may even spread to other areas.

Guan Shao nodded upon hearing this: "Bloodthirsty Vine... that name is quite fitting. Indeed, if the factory burns down, the solar panels will be gone too." They came for the solar panels, and if they lose them, their subsequent plans will be affected.

Jiang Rong concluded, "Let's observe it tonight. If possible, we'll evacuate the park first and then figure out how to deal with it when we get back."

In their past lives, when superhumans tried to eradicate the Bloodthirsty Vine, they would prepare dozens of days in advance. Having witnessed the size and scale of the Bloodthirsty Vine today, they can prepare their resources next time they come and lure it to an open area to annihilate it in one fell swoop.

After finishing his lunchbox, Jiang Rong closed it and prepared to put it back in his backpack. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand, as if something had bitten him.

Jiang Rong was startled and quickly pulled her hand back, causing the backpack on the table to fall to the ground with a thud.

Guan Shao suddenly stood up. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Rong looked at the back of her hand and saw a wound the size of a soybean. The skin was gone, and bright red blood slid down her hand and fell to the ground. "Something bit me."

Guan Shao drew his dagger and lifted the opening of the backpack. A rustling sound came from inside, and a foot-long red vine crawled out.

Guan Shao's eyes narrowed, and he was about to sever it with his dagger. However, Jiang Rong stopped him: "Wait a minute, we can study its weaknesses." Although the Bloodthirsty Vine is small, its weaknesses are universal.

Guan Shao sheathed his dagger and coldly stared at the Bloodthirsty Vine. This section of vine was only as long as a chopstick. Under their gaze, it curled up into a ball and rolled towards the blood droplet.

As it rolled near the drop of blood, tiny, milky-yellow thorns emerged from the vines below. A soft sucking sound could be heard, and the drop of blood on the ground quickly dried.

Jiang Rong frowned: "Such powerful blood-sucking ability. Where did it come from?"

Guan Shao casually picked up a glass measuring cup from the side and covered the Bloodthirsty Vine with it. "It probably fell onto the backpack when it exploded. Luckily you found it, otherwise we would have been ambushed by it."

If Guan Shao had known the Bloodthirsty Vine was so resilient, he should have found another way to break through. Now look what happened; that explosion must have created countless smaller Bloodthirsty Vine vines.

Inside the transparent measuring cup, a tiny bloodthirsty vine was reaching out and groping around, clearly wanting to get out. However, a solar panel was pressing down on the measuring cup, and the vine couldn't budge it no matter what it did.

The vines stood upright and tapped against the inside of the measuring cup, making a soft tinkling sound.

Jiang Rong stared at the small Bloodthirsty Vine, lost in thought. In fact, he didn't know much about Bloodthirsty Vine in his previous life either. He and Guan Shao had just tested it, and it seemed that the Bloodthirsty Vine had no other weaknesses except for its fear of fire.

Are they left with no choice but to use fire?

As the atmosphere grew tense, Guan Shao suggested, "Why don't we try using our special abilities?" Since it's a mutated plant, we should deal with it in an unconventional way.

Jiang Rong's eyes lit up. Ah, how could he have forgotten? Come to think of it, he was a wood-type ability user, and the Bloodthirsty Vine was practically a plant. He could communicate with the fairy, so he should be able to communicate with a conscious Bloodthirsty Vine as well.

Guan Shao acted quickly; before Jiang Rong could unleash his supernatural power, several fine streaks of electricity appeared on his fingertips.

As Guan Shao's finger approached the measuring cup, the Bloodthirsty Vine inside coiled up like a snake. One end of its inner side stood upright, its red vines bristling with fine thorns, resembling a cat's tail with its fur standing on end.

The measuring cup was lifted up by the vines, but Guan Shao quickly pressed it down. A threatening sound came from inside the measuring cup, much like the hiss of a startled cat.

Guan Shao didn't take the threat of the Bloodthirsty Vine seriously at all. With a flash of tiny electric light, the thorns of the Bloodthirsty Vine turned blackish-gray, and the once upright vine drooped down. It looked like it had been seriously shocked.

Guan Shao looked at Jiang Rong with surprise and delight: "It worked."

Jiang Rong smiled: "As expected of a lightning-based superpower that's one in a million, that's really good." Otherwise, why do cultivators in cultivation novels have to undergo lightning tribulations to become immortals? There shouldn't be anything in the world that isn't afraid of lightning, right?

However, the Bloodthirsty Vine didn't droop for more than a few minutes before it sprang back up, this time pounding against the outer wall of the measuring cup even more frantically. The lightning scorched the Bloodthirsty Vine's thorns, giving the once beautiful vine a dusty and grimy look.

Jiang Rong tapped the measuring cup expressionlessly: "Ugly thing."

If lightning-based abilities are effective, then are his wood-based abilities effective?

Without hesitation, Jiang Rong released a pale blue aura of supernatural power from her fingertips. The moment the power appeared, the Bloodthirsty Vine in the measuring cup abruptly stood upright. It fiercely rammed against the measuring cup, seemingly determined to fight Jiang Rong to the death.

Jiang Rong wasn't afraid of such a small Bloodthirsty Vine. His superpower quickly penetrated the glass and wrapped around the Bloodthirsty Vine.

His vision blurred, and Jiang Rong realized he had entered his own sea of ​​consciousness. This time, his sea of ​​consciousness was filled with a lot of red mist, and where the mist gathered, something was vaguely gathering power.

This is my own sea of ​​consciousness; how can I allow anything else to run rampant?

Jiang Rong immediately activated all his supernatural abilities. He was someone who had even absorbed the crystal core of a mutated ant, so he didn't take this red mist seriously at all.

The cyan supernatural power surged forward, gradually devouring the red mist. With the red mist gone, Jiang Rong saw a bloodthirsty vine with two branches. Previously, bloodthirsty vines he'd seen either lay on the ground or clung to objects. But now, this bloodthirsty vine displayed its crimson body like coral.

Because it only has two branches, it looks flat, like a fan. The Bloodthirsty Vine has even smaller branches growing from its main branch, which it uses to violently fan out the surrounding blue supernatural energy. The whooshing sound Jiang Rong heard earlier was coming from these branches.

The superpower had no physical form or shape. No matter how much the Bloodthirsty Vine waved its branches, leaving afterimages, it still couldn't harm Jiang Rong's superpower in the slightest.

Upon contact with the cyan superpower, the tiny branches of the Bloodthirsty Vine slowly turned black, melting like candy.

Jiang Rong, who had absorbed the power of the Bloodthirsty Vine, did not feel any pain. On the contrary, he felt that the power of the Bloodthirsty Vine was very suitable for him.

Seeing that only two small branches remained of the Bloodthirsty Vine, Jiang Rong prepared to absorb it in one go. Just then, he heard a faint whimpering sound. Looking closely, he saw the Bloodthirsty Vine curled up in a ball, trembling slightly. Red power transformed into water, sliding down the vine, resembling its tears.

Jiang Rong scratched her cheek, feeling like she was bullying the weak.

The fairy's voice echoed from within the sea of ​​consciousness: "Engineer Jiang? Is there a problem?"

The little fairy's green body was round and smooth. It peered towards the Bloodthirsty Vine, and after hesitating for a while, it actually uttered a new word: "Partner?"

Jiang Rong understood what the fairy meant. The fairy was asking him if the Bloodthirsty Vine was a new friend.

Upon hearing this word, Jiang Rong replied decisively: "No."

This is the Bloodthirsty Vine, a nightmare for superhumans after the great crisis. Who would dare to be its partner? What if it gets in a bad mood and its vines coil around someone, sucking them dry?

The little fairy had just learned a new word, and it persistently kept saying, "Partner? Partner~"

Seeing the fairy's anxious expression, Jiang Rong couldn't help but recall the first time he saw the mutated fairy. Back then, who could have imagined that the fairy, who looked so domineering, was actually so adorable? With the fairy around, he never worried about the safety of his home.

If a cactus can become a plant he controls, then... why can't a bloodthirsty vine do the same?

Upon realizing this, Jiang Rong broke out in a cold sweat from his own audacious idea. He was truly insane; he actually wanted to subdue a Bloodthirsty Vine!

The idea was crazy, but not without its feasibility. He had already achieved an overwhelming victory in the battle against the Bloodthirsty Vine; if he could successfully subdue it, wouldn't that mean he had another trump card?

Without further ado, Jiang Rong used her supernatural ability to poke the Bloodthirsty Vine that had curled into a ball: "Can you understand me? If you can, shake your branches up and down."

The Bloodthirsty Vine was still trembling. After waiting a moment, Jiang Rong sighed with regret, "It seems that I have no choice but to get rid of you." There was no need to keep any plants that didn't cooperate with him.

As soon as he finished speaking, a thin branch trembled and emerged from the Bloodthirsty Vine Ball. Under Jiang Rong's gaze, it swayed up and down a few times.

Jiang Rong was in a great mood. It was wonderful that the Bloodthirsty Vine could understand him. "Your choice is to obey or die." Based on his experience communicating with the little fairy, he knew that communicating with plants didn't need to be fancy; the simpler the better.

Fearing that the Bloodthirsty Vine might not be able to speak, Jiang Rong thoughtfully provided options: "If you want to obey, shake your branches up and down; if you want to die, shake them left and right."

The Bloodthirsty Vine shrank into a ball again, its branches swaying up and down just before Jiang Rong's patience wore thin. At the same time, a soft voice rang out: "Be good...don't kill me..."

The theme song of Team Meow Meow filled the space of her consciousness, and the little fairy hummed it skillfully, welcoming her friends: "Animation~"

With a new friend, the little fairy was overjoyed. It circled the Bloodthirsty Vine, saying, "Jiang Gong has a problem, my friend has a problem~"

Jiang Rong's expression was complicated; what kind of nonsense was this?

However, these nonsensical words caused the Bloodthirsty Vine to react, and a ball of red light overflowed from its vines.

The ball of light flew towards Jiang Rong and landed lightly in his palm. This was the second time a plant had landed on his palm. Jiang Rong used his special ability to gently stroke the ball of light. He could sense that the ball of light was somewhat afraid. It didn't matter; there was plenty of time. Once he and the Bloodthirsty Vine understood each other's temperaments, their relationship should become harmonious.

A slight stinging sensation came, and the red light took root in my palm.

The little fairy cheered: "Friends—cartoons—" Finally, she had a friend to watch cartoons with.

Author's Note:

Little Fairy: Jiang Gong is so good to me. He catches bugs for me, talks to me, and lets me watch cartoons.

Bloodthirsty Vine: We're both underlings, so why is there such a stark difference?

After everyone brainstormed, the name of the Bloodthirsty Vine was finally decided: Little Darling.

That's right, Old Cat's naming style is just that corny.