Chapter 2
The sudden sound startled Qian Hui. He hurriedly turned around and looked around, but could not find the source of the sound.
More and more zombies surged in from all directions, roughly estimated at thirty. They varied in speed and appearance, but all their targets were the giant man-eating flower at the front.
The scene suddenly became chaotic, and the unpleasant smell in the air became stronger.
A short and skinny zombie moved the fastest. It was agile and flexible, using its overly long hands to climb up rocks and ruins, jumping onto the leaves of the carnivorous plant, and waving its claws to leave several scratches on the flower stems.
The carnivorous plant retaliated angrily, raising the tail of its flower stem to slap the zombie, but the zombie dodged it.
Seeing the carnivorous plant injured, Qian Hui subconsciously became worried.
His face was pale, and he tried to calm himself down and tried to move towards the Piranha Plant.
He wouldn't mistake it; that was Little Purple from the plant courtyard, a man-eating flower with sharp thorns on its head.
But Little Purple used to only reach his waist, how did she suddenly grow so big?
A large number of zombies were still attacking the giant carnivorous plant. Its originally dark green flower stems were eaten, revealing the light-colored stem flesh, and half of the leaves on one side were torn off.
But it remained ferocious, suppressing a group of zombies with its absolute size advantage, and smashed the short zombie that jumped on its chin against the wall, but a small piece of its skin was also scraped off.
The attention of the carnivorous plants and the group of zombies was focused on each other, and they did not notice the other figure slowly approaching.
Qian Hui climbed over a low wall and almost fell to the ground.
He managed to keep his balance and continued to move forward on the ruins.
Qian Hui wondered if he had slept for a long time. He didn't have much strength in his body, and his stiff arms couldn't be lifted smoothly.
Fortunately, he doesn't have a health bar now, so he shouldn't be like before, where he would be left with only a little blood after falling.
Passing two ruins and getting closer to the carnivorous plant, half of a zombie's body flew across the sky and hit the ground behind Qian Hui.
Qian Hui shrank her neck and looked forward cautiously.
Almost half of the zombie swarm was eliminated. The short zombie with the highest combat effectiveness was still very tenacious, and used roars to guide the rest of the zombies to continue attacking.
Qian Hui looked more closely and saw that two short zombies with long arms had appeared out of nowhere.
The two zombies were like twins working in perfect harmony. One attracted the fire, while the other raised the metal spike in its hand and stabbed it hard into the back of the carnivorous plant's head.
Qian Hui's heart trembled, and her fingertips clinging to the stone tightened.
Fortunately, the giant carnivorous plant had thick skin and the attack was not fatal. It shook its head nonchalantly and waved its leaves rolled into ropes.
At this moment, it seemed to sense something was wrong and raised its head to look into the distance.
The man-eating plant's eyes were small and round, located above and on either side of its fangs, its dark pupils now filled with fury.
Qianhui was still struggling to climb over the ruins when she looked up and saw the carnivorous plant moving to the side.
Its massive body allowed it to glide several meters with a single sway of its flower stem, quickly leaving some of the slower-moving zombies behind.
A few remaining birds relentlessly pursued them, their howls echoing throughout the air.
Realizing the man-eating flower was about to leave, Qian Hui looked anxious: "Xiao Zi..."
His throat felt like it was filled with razor blades, and his hoarse voice was so weak that it was impossible for the man-eating flower to hear it.
In the blink of an eye, the man-eating plant was even further away from the chasing zombies.
As Qianhui climbed onto the ruins, the carnivorous plant completely disappeared from sight.
However, looking around, all the buildings in the area have collapsed, and there is no building taller than the man-eating flower.
Several sharp roars came from the direction it disappeared in, proving that the zombies had most likely lost track of it as well.
Qian Hui wanted to go and take a look, so he jumped down from the ruins, and suddenly a bluish-black hand reached out from the ground.
He hurriedly dodged, but the zombie trapped under the rocks had half its body exposed and was making a "hmph" sound as it tried to grab Qian Hui's ankle.
There was another zombie to the side, which turned its head and stared at Qian Hui with its murky red eyes, its nose, which was missing a large piece, twitching violently.
With the carnivorous plant gone and the higher-level zombies no longer nearby, these lower-level zombies, having lost their target, noticed Qian Hui's unusual presence.
He had silver hair and red eyes, characteristics of a zombie, but he didn't have the smell of a zombie; he smelled more like...a human.
The zombie then opened its mouth and hissed, lunging at Qian Hui.
Low-level zombies have little intelligence, only the instinct to devour. Qian Hui smells of living things, which means she can be eaten.
Qian Hui quickly hid behind the broken wall and grabbed a stone to throw at it.
He had never encountered such a situation before, and his body was trembling slightly with fear and panic.
But Qian Hui remained calm, knowing that if she didn't escape, she would surely die at the hands of these zombies.
Another zombie approached after hearing the noise, and Qianhui threw several stones before turning and running away.
He crawled into the half-collapsed building, through the narrow space inside the walls.
Fortunately, in order to get closer to the man-eating flower, Qianhui's body had become much more flexible while walking and climbing, so she was not as stiff as she was when she first woke up and couldn't lift her hands.
The voices of two or three zombies were right behind him. He panicked and ran through the ruins of all sizes.
After an unknown amount of time, the zombies behind them were finally shaken off.
As the surroundings quieted down, Qian Hui looked around and realized that she had left the building and arrived at a more spacious street.
He dared not let his guard down, and found a hidden space beneath the two broken walls, where he crawled in and hid.
Qian Hui was still trembling, her legs ached and she felt weak, and her arms were cut by the rubble during her escape.
He curled up and hugged his knees, his heartbeat and breathing, which were much weaker than normal, gradually slowed down.
It seems safe now.
A sliver of light pierced through the crack in the wall. Qian Hui touched the reddened wound on her arm; it hurt a little, but there wasn't much blood.
He felt lost and helpless, unsure of what to do.
In her panic, Qianhui hadn't paid attention to direction or location.
It would be very difficult to find the man-eating flower now...
However, the man-eating plant was attacked by a horde of zombies and was injured, so it would be good if it could hide.
Qianhui comforted herself and leaned against the rock to relax a little.
Suddenly, the slightly familiar mechanical voice sounded again.
[Discover two or more mutated plants to receive a newbie gift pack!]
Qian Hui tensed up again, holding her breath and daring not to make a sound.
Just then, there was some noise on the street outside.
Several footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by the sound of people talking.
“A base fell last month, and there are a lot of low-level zombies here… Keep an eye out, they might evolve into higher-level ones.”
"That chili pepper escaped here; isn't it just courting death...?"
"Didn't you receive the message? The carnivorous plant is nearby too."
"The man-eating plant is not our responsibility... Anyway, be careful."
Qian Hui immediately pricked up his ears to listen carefully. There were three people talking. When they passed the ruins of the broken wall where he was, the iron instrument in one of their hands moved slightly.
The group immediately stopped and looked around warily.
The instrument can detect traces of all abnormal creatures, such as zombies, mutated plants, or superhumans in an abnormal state.
The last place the escaped mutated chili pepper was found was nearby, so it's very likely that it hid there.
Just as the group was preparing to search carefully, a low-level zombie emerged from a corner and staggered over.
One of them raised his hand, and a wind blade bursting from his palm instantly pierced through the zombie's forehead.
The zombie covered its face and fell down, blocking the entrance to the cave where Qian Hui was hiding.
The instrument readings haven't recovered yet, but it's also possible that the zombie just died and is still affected by its aura.
Qianhui, curled up, remained motionless, waiting quietly.
The next moment, someone outside called out, "New signal over there!"
So the group abandoned their investigation, packed up their equipment, and quickly left the spot.
Qian Hui finally breathed a sigh of relief several minutes after the footsteps disappeared.
Those are...humans?
Of all the humans Qian Hui had ever met and interacted with, only Nan Tingjin was the one she had ever met.
It seemed dangerous everywhere, and he dared not make any rash moves until he was sure he was safe.
Moreover... they also mentioned "chili peppers" and "carnivorous plants," which was not a friendly remark.
The zombies lying dead at the cave entrance emitted a foul odor. Qian Hui covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, not forgetting the strange mechanical voice she had heard earlier.
The sound came twice, as if it came from his mind.
Qianhui began to examine herself carefully, touching her hair and cheeks.
Then he noticed a small, semi-transparent white cube in the lower right corner of his field of vision, which he could see even with his eyes closed.
Qian Hui stared at the small square, when suddenly a small frame appeared in front of her.
[Please select your faction]
[Human Faction] [Zombie Faction] [Plant Faction]
Below is a line of smaller text that reads, "Choose a faction, claim your newbie gift pack, and begin your gaming journey."
What is this...?
Qian Hui hesitated and did not make a move for a while.
Furthermore, previous reports indicated that more than two plants had been discovered, besides Little Purple...
Qianhui hid in the narrow rock cave for a long time, and her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.
He rubbed his stiff knees, and in a casual glance, he caught a glimpse of green out of the corner of his eye.
Qian Hui turned her head and looked for a while, then slowly moved over and carefully touched it.
—It's a leaf.
He carefully felt around and pulled out a green object from a crevice in the rock.
Once she could see the object clearly, Qianhui opened her eyes wide.
This is a chili pepper, about two palm-sized tall, all green, covered with many wounds, the two legs made of intertwined leaves are the most badly injured, almost half broken off.
Its eyes were closed, its fate unknown, and its body temperature was very high.
Qian Hui leaned closer to examine him and smelled the faint aroma of chili peppers; he must have been unconscious.
He didn't recognize this chili pepper.
There was also a chili pepper in the plant courtyard, but it was red, while this one was green and looked quite different; he had never seen it before.
But he felt an instinctive closeness to the plants as he spent every day with them.
Chili appears to be seriously injured; it's unclear whether she was attacked by a zombie or...
The humans who had passed by earlier had also mentioned "chili peppers" in their conversations.
Qian Hui touched the wounds on Chili's body with heartache, and looked again at the small chat box that was always in front of her.
What is a game, and what is a gift pack...?
Qian Hui knew he wasn't human; he was a zombie. But all the zombies outside were attacking him.
His gaze fell on the final "Plant Faction" option, then he looked down at the unconscious Green Chili Pepper.
Nan Tingjin once mentioned that his "work" in the plant courtyard could be treated as a game, but he also needed to take good care of himself.
In Qianhui's mind, the word "game" is not a bad thing.
Finally, Qianhui mustered her courage and tried to choose the plant camp.
The moment he had a thought, the chat window responded immediately.
[Selection successful]
The small box disappears, replaced by a larger interface.
Qian Hui glanced at it briefly, noting things like main stats, inventory, encyclopedia, and shop...
He glanced through the items haphazardly, but the store wouldn't open, displaying "Not Open for the Time Being." He had a few items in his backpack.
The item was a gift from the newbie gift pack, and one of the compartments was labeled "panacea".
Qian Hui tilted her head and looked at it, trying to make a choice.
The next second, a small pill appeared out of thin air in his palm.
Qian Hui opened her eyes wide, picked it up to examine it carefully, and then brought it close to her nose to smell it.
He mustered his courage and licked it again, tasting the aroma of herbs, while also feeling the wound on his arm begin to heal.
It's true!
Qianhui was surprised and curious. After thinking for a moment, she put the pill into Chili's mouth.
The pill melted in the chili pepper's mouth, its body temperature dropped rapidly, and scabs began to form on its severely injured leg.
Qian Hui was relieved and began to explore the other content on the interface.
He opened the catalog, and two plaques were lit up inside.
One piece is a green chili pepper, and the other is a man-eating flower.
Below the green chili pepper are written [Bound by fate], [Intermediate mutated plant], [Loyalty 0.1%], [Status: Severely injured and not yet healed].
Other skills and other information are blank, showing either "Self-exploration" or "Loyalty 50% enabled".
There was even less information about the man-eating flower next to it, only one thing: "[Not yet bound to a partner]".
Further on were several extinguished signs with faint silhouettes, all indicating "[Superior Mutant Plants with No Found]".
Qian Hui examined them carefully and felt they were very familiar, like those plants in the small garden.
But he lost even Little Purple, and had no idea where to find other plants.
Qian Hui felt uneasy and closed the encyclopedia.
He then opened the faction panel, which contained two icons: "Faction Value" and "Prestige Value".
[Faction Value]: 1
[Prestige Value]: 0 (Gameplay features to be unlocked)
[Faction]: Plants
[Faction Ranking]: Third
(Currently ranked first: Zombie faction; ranked second: Human faction.)
[The plant faction consists of top-tier mutated plants, whose overall strength is formidable. A single top-tier mutated plant has an extremely high potential, inspiring fear and making them a formidable foe to approach rashly. Unfortunately, their numbers are limited, and they tend to fight amongst themselves, lacking unity and rarely engaging in team battles. Furthermore, their combat power decreases drastically below top-tier, and mid-to-low-tier mutated plants struggle to survive.]
There was a ranking analysis on the side. Qian Hui read it carefully. The gist was that all three factions had advantages, but the plants preferred to fight alone and lacked leaders from the zombie hordes, communication and mutual protection among humans. They had been hunted down for the past two years and were in poor overall condition.
Further down, there is some other information.
[Faction Strength]: Weak
[Host Strength]: Weak
[Base Affiliation]: None
Therefore, by choosing the plant faction, there are no bases to join and it is difficult to seek help from companions.
Qian Hui seemed to understand but not quite. She rubbed her eyes and leaned back against the rock wall.
It seems... not good.
Seemingly sensing his emotions, a message popped up on the game interface.
[Congratulations on choosing the Plant faction! This will unlock unique gameplay; complete tasks to earn generous rewards and exclusive guides! (Click here for task details)]
Qian Hui clicked on it and jumped to the main status bar.
[Host Status]: Extremely dangerous (urgently needs food and hydration)
[Own Plants]: 0 (You can own any plant once its loyalty reaches 70%)
[Task Progress]: Formed a bond with two plants (1/2)
[Task Reward]: Unlock the Shop
Qian Hui remembered that there was a stamina replenishment pill in his backpack. He opened it, took it out, and swallowed it.
However, the energy-boosting pills had limited effect, and his condition remained dangerous, requiring normal food and water.
If he stays here any longer, he'll probably die.
There was one last item in the backpack: a basic weapon, a dagger.
After a moment's consideration, Qian Hui chose to go out rather than wait to die.
He took out a dagger, held the still unconscious Chili in his arms, kicked away the zombie blocking the entrance, and crawled out.
As darkness fell outside, Qian Hui gripped the dagger in her hand and looked around.
The game popped up another message, indicating that there was a strong smell of vegetation in a certain direction, and the probability of finding basic supplies was relatively high.
Qianhui followed the arrow on the sign and walked away, keeping an eye on her surroundings.
I had only walked a short distance when the green chili pepper in my arms stirred.
It opened its eyes, saw an unfamiliar face, and was stunned for a moment.
Qian Hui whispered, "You're awake..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Chili Pepper, her eyes wary, opened her mouth and spat out two chili seeds.
Chili seeds hit Qian Hui's arm, and she could feel the burning sensation even through her clothes.
Caught off guard, he suddenly let go.
The chili pepper broke free and rolled twice on the ground.
When it sat up, it saw Qian Hui huddled in the corner, looking at it with a panicked expression.
Qian Hui stammered, "You...you just fainted..."
He tried to explain, but he wasn't sure if Chili Pepper could understand.
Just then, a low-level zombie also arrived nearby and discovered Qianhui and Lajiao.
Chili looked at the approaching zombie, then at Qianhui and the dagger in his hand, and made a threatening "woo-woo" sound.
Its injuries seemed to have eased, but it still couldn't stand up, greatly reducing its fighting ability.
Qian Hui in front of me looks a bit strange, like both a zombie and a human.
But whether it's zombies or humans, they are all threats to plants.
Chili spat out another chili seed, trying to scare Qianhui away, and tried to escape by scrambling against the rocks.
It tried to look fierce, but its eyes revealed fear and despair.
Qian Hui keenly sensed this emotion and hesitated in her heart.
The chili pepper had just attacked him, and his wounds hadn't healed yet.
Qianhui has always been timid, but she couldn't bring herself to throw away this chili pepper.
As the low-level zombies drew closer, Qian Hui made a decision. He got up, approached Chili, and quickly picked it up.
Chili struggled fiercely, but Qian Hui held her tightly in her arms, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
He swung his dagger, wounding a low-level zombie, then turned and fled.
Chili peppers were already weak, and now they couldn't even spit out the seeds. In despair, they closed their eyes.
—
On the other side, in a dense forest some distance from the abandoned street.
The seven or eight superhumans split into two teams, their gazes toward each other filled with hostility.
"Mr. Wen paid the commission, and this is how you handle things?"
Liang Jie glanced across the other side and said coldly, "They lost track of the man-eating flower and interfered with our mission."
The two sides have different objectives: they are responsible for hunting down the escaped chili pepper, while Blackridge Mountain Base has taken on the bounty and is responsible for capturing the man-eating flower.
Coincidentally, the carnivorous plant also appeared nearby, but the Blackridge Mountain base arrived too late and it escaped again, sending out incorrect coordinates.
As long as they were within range, the signal could be received by everyone, so Liang Jie and his group were misled, which delayed the search process.
"Who knew you were here too?"
The man leading the group was a tall, thin, dark-skinned man. He picked at his ear and said nonchalantly, "If it's lost, it's lost. Maybe it's already dead."
“Mr. Wen wants him alive,” Liang Jie said, suppressing his anger. “You’re the captain? Since we’ve run into each other, follow my instructions in a moment…”
The tall man smirked: "Who do you think you are, daring to order me around?"
The two sides were on the verge of war, but the tall man's expression suddenly changed slightly.
He looked behind Liang Jie, and his arrogance immediately subsided.
Liang Jie turned his head and saw a man standing in the woods not far away.
He frowned slightly, quickly composed himself, and said politely, "So you're here too."
As the man walked towards them, Liang Jie took a half-step back without making a sound.
Even if they only met once, he could recognize the other person at a glance.
The tall man who had been standing earlier lowered his head and respectfully greeted, "Chief."
—Nam Tinghin, leader of the Black Ridge Mountain base.
Nan Tingjin walked slowly closer, his gaze sweeping over Liang Jie.
The gaze was almost tangible; being stared at by a superhuman with far greater strength caused Liang Jie's spine to tighten with intense pressure.
Immediately afterwards, he saw that Nan Tingjin's clothes were stained with blood and that he had two crystal cores in his hand.
The bloodstains were fresh; Nan Tingjin had just killed two high-level zombies before arriving.
Realizing this, Liang Jie breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Blackridge Mountain Base only accepts people with superpowers; most of the people there are bandits and thugs.
You can imagine what kind of person would become the leader of the base.
Cold-blooded, brutal, capricious, and taking pleasure in killing—these are all descriptions of Nan Tingjin.
In his eyes, there was little difference between humans and zombies, and many ordinary humans and superhumans had died at his hands.
He had just killed two high-level zombies, so he was probably in a good mood.
Nan Tingjin took off his blood-stained gloves and casually tossed them out along with the crystal core; the tall man quickly stepped forward to catch them.
He slightly raised his eyes and said calmly, "Let's go."
The tall man responded and, along with the others, followed Nan Tingjin away.
Liang Jie watched them walk away, then stood still.
The subordinate asked, "Captain?"
Liang Jie looked away: "Stay away from them."
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