Chapter 10
Nan Tingjin also disappeared into the night, leaving the team behind.
Of the four, two were the most seriously injured, suffering multiple fractures.
Having lost their superpowers, their physical condition became no different from that of ordinary people. If the man-eating flower hadn't already been seriously injured, it would have been impossible for them to survive its charged attack at such close range.
The other two treated them first, then opened their backpacks to search for supplies and medicine.
Fortunately, their powers were restored shortly after the carnivorous plant escaped, and their wounds healed quickly; all that was needed was to straighten their bones.
The shorter man winced in pain and asked in confusion, "What exactly happened just now?"
They were focused on dealing with the man-eating plant and were close to completing their mission, so they were completely unprepared.
Moreover... the ability to temporarily disable superpowers, regardless of whether they come from mutated plants, zombies, or human superpowered individuals, is something they have never heard of before.
None of them could answer, and their expressions became somewhat serious.
Nan Tingjin also left. The plan had gone incredibly smoothly, and he didn't need to lift a finger. Fortunately, he was far enough away that he wasn't injured.
In short, it won't be easy to lure the man-eating flower out again after it escaped this time. Whether the mission continues or not depends on whether Nan Tingjin can catch up with it tonight.
The injuries on their bodies will not be fully healed until at least the day after tomorrow, at which time they will await his orders.
After quickly bandaging themselves up, the team planned to leave the area to avoid waking up any dormant zombies nearby and having them come to hunt.
They were supporting each other, and had only walked a short distance when they bumped into another group.
The person who arrived was Liang Jie. He carried a mimosa plant, which he used as a hunting dog, and his gaze swept over the group opposite him: "What, it's you guys?"
Just as the shockwave that rendered the supernatural power ineffective erupted, the mimosa plant on the other side suddenly raised its head, its leaves trembling slightly.
It detected an even stronger scent in that direction.
Liang Jie had a pretty good idea of what was going on: "That chili pepper, is it in trouble?"
The surroundings were quiet. The location detected by the mimosa was quite far away, and only by using the most powerful charged attack could its aura spread significantly.
The zombie hibernates at night; could it have encountered another human?
So Liang Jie and his subordinates quickened their pace, led by Mimosa, and arrived at their destination, where they met the four people from the Black Ridge Mountain base.
The tall guy assumed they were nearby and only came over to check after hearing the commotion. He didn't bother to explain further, since the two teams' missions wouldn't interfere with each other anyway.
Just as they were about to leave, they heard Liang Jie ask if they had seen a small, green, mutated chili pepper.
“Chili pepper? Never seen that before,” his companion replied. “If I remember correctly, isn’t that the plant you’re looking for?”
"No?" Liang Jie seemed somewhat wary. "Then why are you so badly injured? Did you encounter any unusual circumstances...?"
The group exchanged glances and understood the meaning behind his words.
Although the two teams had different objectives and didn't get along very well, Liang Jie came from Sky Base, and Black Ridge Mountain Base had taken on a mission from Sky Base, so they should have communicated with each other.
Feeling that Liang Jie seemed to know something, the group thought for a moment and then told each other everything that had happened not long ago.
Just as they were about to successfully capture the man-eating flower, their superpowers suddenly failed, and they were all injured. The man-eating flower also escaped, leaving Nan Tingjin to pursue it alone.
However, they had never seen green chili peppers before.
Liang Jie frowned deeply: "So that's how it is... That mutated chili pepper must be hiding in the shadows."
He hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Its ability is very special. It can completely disable the abilities of superhumans within its range for about three minutes."
Sky Base captured that chili pepper two months ago and discovered its special characteristics. Mr. Wen valued it highly, but it managed to escape.
It was just a mid-level mutated plant, and it was severely injured. It would be extremely difficult for it to unleash its charged attack again in a short period of time. Liang Jie originally thought the mission would go smoothly.
After searching for several days and even using hunting dogs, we finally made progress tonight.
Liang Jie continued, "Mr. Wen is not yet ready to announce its existence, so please keep it a secret for now."
He then instructed his subordinates to distribute a considerable amount of supplies to the four men and promised to report the matter to the higher authorities and increase their commission.
The four accepted the money without hesitation. The shorter man, supporting his broken arm, said, "You'd better explain it to the leader yourself again."
Liang Jie nodded: "Of course."
He inquired about the direction the carnivorous plant and Nan Tingjin had left, and then arranged for two subordinates to escort the team to a safe place.
After his subordinates and the four-man team left, Liang Jie's face darkened.
He had never anticipated such a development.
From the four people's descriptions, it seems that the chili pepper was helping the man-eating plant; without it, the team's superpowers would have been rendered ineffective, and the man-eating plant would have had no chance of escaping.
The mutant plants are relatively independent and rarely cooperate with each other. Do they know each other, or have they temporarily formed a cooperative relationship because they are all being captured?
Even if both plants escape, the man-eating flower was severely injured, and the chili pepper was only a mid-level mutated plant. Both had just used their charged attacks and were at their weakest.
Once you find them, you'll definitely be able to catch them successfully.
With Nan Tingjin also present, and the leader of the Black Ridge Mountain base there, it seems unlikely that they will fail.
Liang Jie ordered, "Continue the pursuit."
—
Under the cover of night, Qianhui followed the silhouette of the man-eating flower, passing through vast urban ruins.
Ruan Teng strained with all her might, trying her best to keep going, but still couldn't catch up.
Finally, Qianhui watched from afar as the carnivorous plant shrank and disappeared into a dense forest.
When he arrived, he hesitated, staring at the dark woods.
With poor visibility at night, he wasn't sure whether the carnivorous plant had gone into the woods or was hiding in the surrounding ruins.
At the edge of the woods, there was a sign that read "Danger Zone (Zone 10)".
At this point, a prompt appears in the game.
"If a geological disaster is predicted, please seek shelter immediately."
A violent earthquake followed, and many ruins and walls collapsed again. Qianhui immediately moved away.
Chili pepper regained some of its energy, popped out of its pocket, pointed in the direction of the woods, indicating that the scent of the carnivorous plant was there.
Without further hesitation, Qianhui quickly entered the woods.
However, the woods were too dark, and the moonlight overhead was completely blocked by the shade of the trees. If it weren't for the soft vines, Qian Hui would have almost fallen twice after taking only a few steps.
His cheeks and hands were scratched by branches, but he kept walking, heading in the direction the chili peppers pointed.
Midway through, Qianhui took the time to buy some medicine, including things that restore health and mana, and two of the most expensive all-purpose medicines.
He brought the chili pepper closer to smell it, then picked out the ones that helped him regain his blue color and ate the others.
It remained undetected and unharmed while it was lurking, only exhausted.
Qian Hui also fed one to Ruan Teng, and put the rest away.
Fortunately, I had saved up a lot of money that I hadn't used. Once I find the man-eating plant, I can buy a lot more.
Chili habitually nestled in Qian Hui's arms, sniffing lightly with her nose to discern the scent left behind by the super-grade mutated plants, occasionally guiding Qian Hui.
In fact, it was very dangerous for Qian Hui to enter the forest like this. This is a dangerous area with dense vegetation, where many mutated plants may be hiding and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
If you encounter someone with a bad temper, they won't allow any of their kind to approach their territory, especially since Qian Hui has zombified characteristics.
Chili knew that Qian Hui really knew the man-eating flower and knew that he would definitely not give up easily.
The arrival of a super-mutant plant will intimidate all the surrounding plants; if you stay close, you'll likely be safe.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Qian Hui stopped and looked around.
The chili peppers are no longer the guide; the carnivorous plant is right here.
However, the aura had spread over a considerable area, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location.
Qian Hui walked around the area and called out softly, "Xiao Zi?"
The quiet woods offered no response; only the sound of his own footsteps could be heard.
As Qianhui walked further ahead, she heard a rustling sound from the grass on the side.
He quickly went over, parted the grass that was knee-high, and a palm-sized oval shadow jumped out and crashed straight at Qian Hui.
Ruan Teng pulled Qian Hui to the side to dodge. The shadow missed and fell into the grass with a "thud," even smoking.
Before Qian Hui could react, the shadow rolled away quickly, disappearing into the grass on the other side.
[A mutated plant that has not yet been paired with has been discovered and is now available in the encyclopedia]
The shadow appeared before Qian Hui, though he couldn't see it clearly because the contact was too brief to form a bond.
Qianhui opened the encyclopedia, and the newly lit sign showed a potato.
[Potato]: Possibly intermediate level, not yet available.
[Attacked, hidden strategy unlocked: Timid and cautious yet possessing boundless potential, it likes to feign weakness first to probe the enemy's strength. It excels at escape and disguise; don't easily provoke it. If it determines your strength is inferior to its own, then congratulations, you've been targeted! Be prepared to lose some supplies. It enjoys sweets, swimming, and sunbathing.]
Such a small potato could actually be classified as intermediate grade.
It was probably startled by the scent of the man-eating flower and encountered Qian Hui, so it was likely on guard.
Qianhui moved away from the direction the potato had fled and continued her search for the man-eating flower.
His strength gradually gave out, and half an hour later, he was forced to stop and rest.
I've already circled the area twice, but I haven't found anything.
Qianhui leaned against the tree trunk and ate some food to replenish her strength.
It was too dark to see anything, so he munched on a biscuit and decided to wait until dawn to continue his search.
Qianhui couldn't sleep, so she looked up at the dark shadows of the trees.
After finding the man-eating plant, he wanted to know what had happened and where the other plants were.
If possible, he would also like to bring Nan Tingjin along to go home with the plants.
Qianhui silently swallowed the last bite of the cookie and prepared to put away the rest.
He tidied up the packaging bags, reached into his pocket, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his fingertip.
"Smack—"
Smoke rose from the grass beside her, and Qian Hui was caught off guard and startled, hurriedly dodging to the side.
A familiar oval shadow leaped up, and the sprouts emerging from the four small pits turned into hands and feet. It snatched the biscuit from Qian Hui's hand and quickly slipped away.
Qian Hui sat there blankly, rubbing her reddened fingers.
The potato got close without the chili pepper and the soft vine noticing. The soft vine wanted to chase after it, but Qian Hui stopped it.
“Never mind,” Qianhui sighed, “this might be where it lives.”
Besides, there were only two cookies left, which weren't expensive, so we could give them to Potato.
He got up and moved to a spot where the weeds weren't so tall, hugging his knees as he waited for dawn.
After daybreak, Qianhui's strength was restored.
Chili sniffed carefully; the scent of the carnivorous plant was still there, it hadn't left.
But where could it be hiding? Qianhui gazed at the dense jungle, searching aimlessly.
With a wider field of vision during the day, he carefully navigated through the woods and even found a small lake.
The lake water was clear, and a few pink lotus flowers floated on the surface. Qian Hui had only taken a few steps closer when she saw the game's prompt.
[A mutated plant that has not yet been paired with has been discovered and is now available in the encyclopedia]
Before Qianhui could even open the encyclopedia, the pink lotus flowers on the lake swayed gently and then suddenly disappeared into the water.
He stopped in his tracks, did not approach any closer, and slowly walked along the lake in another direction.
Everywhere you look, there are grasses, shrubs, and even lush tree canopies, all of which could be hiding places for the man-eating plant.
Qian Hui kept looking around, and before leaving the lake, she inadvertently noticed a small mark on the trunk of a tree.
The mark must have been there for a while; it looks like a mushroom-shaped pattern and seems very familiar.
Qian Hui was taken aback, then walked towards the tree.
He had seen this pattern many times in the plant garden; it was the mark of a small mushroom.
It loves to leave its mark everywhere, including on the gate, the eaves, and the trunk of the sleeping giant tree.
The little mushroom is pink and glows at night; Qianhui likes to call it Little Pink.
It also gets along best with the carnivorous plant, and they often play together.
If the little mushroom is here, then the carnivorous plant must be here too.
Qian Hui tensed up and cautiously approached the tree trunk.
He crouched down and called out "Little Pink" and "Little Purple" first, but received no response. He then reached out and parted the thick grass to reveal a small tree hole underneath.
The tree hole was only about the height of a palm, and it was pitch black inside; you couldn't see anything.
"Is that Little Pink?" Qian Hui called out again, and a gust of wind suddenly drifted out of the tree hole.
The grass blades swayed slightly, and Chili peppers had hidden themselves in their pockets, burying their heads tightly. Soft vines were on high alert, ready to take Qianhui away at any moment.
"Waaah..."
A low growl came from inside the tree hollow, attempting to intimidate and drive away the intruder.
Qian Hui recognized the voice as that of the man-eating flower and exclaimed with delight, "Little Purple! It's me..."
The growl stopped abruptly, as if the person had been stunned.
A moment later, a small leaf slowly peeked out, and from the dark tree hole, an eye looked out.
"Little Purple?"
Qian Hui was outside, with silver hair and red eyes, just as I remembered.
A few strange noises came from the tree hole, like leaves accidentally hitting the trunk, then it was quiet for a moment.
"Waaah..."
This time, the voice was no longer threatening, but rather filled with disbelief, mixed with shock and joy.
A round, purple head popped out of the tree hole, and the man-eating flower eagerly crawled out, whimpering as it rushed into Qian Hui's arms.
Qian Hui hugged it tightly and breathed a sigh of relief: "So you were here..."
Fortunately, Xiao Zi remembered him.
The carnivorous plant was much smaller than it had been in the plant garden. Its branches and leaves tightly wrapped around Qian Hui's wrist, and it kept rubbing his palm with the horn on its head.
It was still whimpering softly, looking both excited and aggrieved, its moist black bean eyes glancing at Qian Hui from time to time, as if trying to confirm whether he was really there.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Qian Hui reassured her, "it's me."
The carnivorous plant was covered in wounds, the most serious one oozing green blood, which could only be barely stopped by sticking leaves on it.
Qian Hui was heartbroken and quickly took out a few pills to feed the man-eating flower.
The game has several messages, all about the man-eating plant, indicating that Qianhui has successfully formed a bond with a top-tier mutated plant and rapidly increased its loyalty to 100%, rewarding her with a large amount of in-game currency.
Qianhui didn't care about that for the time being and bought a lot of the highest-grade pills.
The man-eating plant accepted everything without hesitation, swallowing it whole, and its wounds began to heal visibly.
It had taken several pills to restore its mana, so its spirit should have recovered somewhat, but it still looked listless and tired.
Qianhui sat on the grass and fed it some more food and water.
“I…I came a few days ago, and I saw you then,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you, and Xiao Jin…”
The man-eating flower, with its eyes half-closed and its head tilted against his arm, barely managed to wave its leaves when it heard Nan Tingjin's name.
Qian Hui looked up at the tree trunk with the mushroom mark and asked, "Is Xiao Fen here too?"
Upon hearing the name "Little Mushroom," the carnivorous plant stiffened slightly.
It didn't make a sound, closed its eyes, and slowly curled itself up.
Qianhui was puzzled and guessed that the man-eating flower had gotten separated from the little mushroom.
Chili was squatting to the side, silently watching Qian Hui, and then glancing at the man-eating flower.
The man-eating flower was in Qian Hui's arms, and it came out of her pocket, no longer hiding.
It turns out that Qianhui and this super-grade mutated plant are really friends, and they seem to have a very good relationship.
That's a top-tier mutated plant... Although it was severely injured, Qian Hui has medicine that can heal it quickly.
At that time, they definitely won't need me anymore.
But since it's about to leave anyway, and Qianhui has the man-eating flower by her side, there's nothing to worry about.
Chili scratched her head, looked around at the surrounding woods, and thought that staying here wouldn't be a bad idea.
Suddenly, it sensed something unusual and quickly jumped onto Qian Hui's arm, making a warning sound: "Woof!"
Qian Hui turned her head and saw a familiar figure appear in the woods at the end of her line of sight.
It was Nan Tingjin.
Qian Hui quickly stuffed the chili pepper into her pocket, picked up the man-eating flower, and ran away.
He thought Nan Tingjin had come to capture the man-eating flower, completely forgetting what he had done the night before.
At the same time, Nan Tingjin looked up and saw Qian Hui's hurriedly fleeing figure.
The natural path through the woods was winding and twisting, so he changed direction and took a shortcut to catch up.
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