Chapter 6
At night, most zombies will hide and hibernate under the guidance of advanced zombies, while mutated plants may go out to forage for food.
The team decided to search until late at night before resting, determined to find new clues. Otherwise, once the man-eating flower recovered from its injuries, capturing it alive would be much more difficult for just the few of them.
Before leaving the area, the group received a signal from Nan Tingjin.
Although Nan Tingjin was not traveling with them, he was the leader and nominally carried out the same mission as them. Whether he looked at it or not, the team was constantly reporting the mission's progress and their location to him.
Upon learning that Nan Tingjin was also nearby, the team temporarily stopped and waited.
Among the four, the youngest was someone who looked to be in his early twenties. He had joined the base the latest and this was his first time going out on a mission with his companions.
He had the fewest interactions with Nan Tingjin, so few that you could count them on one hand.
Seeing that the rest of the team members usually behaved casually and occasionally argued when they disagreed, they all appeared obedient and respectful when facing Nan Tingjin, not daring to act rashly in the slightest.
Nan Tingjin told them to wait where they were, and they truly didn't move an inch.
In the years since the apocalypse, the status of those with superpowers has risen ever higher, and ordinary rules and regulations have long become obsolete.
Only overwhelming power can restrain these superhumans.
However, with so many people at the base, few could explain exactly what Nan Tingjin's special ability was or what its maximum potential power would be.
The young man had only seen him once before, yesterday when the short man said something wrong and Nan Tingjin angrily knocked him down.
He recalled it carefully and vaguely felt that it was something like object manipulation.
However, ordinary telekinesis is greatly affected by the environment and cannot control living things, so its overall strength is only slightly ahead of physical abilities.
He didn't dare to ask any more questions and silently waited with the others.
Ten minutes later, Nan Tingjin appeared.
He was still wearing his outer robe, and there was a faint smell of blood on his body. He was holding a zombie head in his right hand.
Nan Tingjin tossed the head to the squad, and one of them quickly caught it, saying, "It attacked the man-eating flower."
The head belongs to a high-level zombie; it's unclear whether it came from another area or has recently evolved.
Before the man-eating flower disappeared yesterday, it attacked and bit me. There are still remnants of the flower stem skin in my mouth and throat, and the smell is strong.
The man-eating plant is very vengeful; zombie heads can be used as bait. Once it smells its own scent, it will most likely show itself.
The tall man, holding his head in his hands, agreed. He wanted to ask something else, but seeing Nan Tingjin turn to leave, he shut his mouth.
After Nan Tingjin left, the group set off again and began to formulate new plans.
Along the way, the young man at the back couldn't help but ask, "Why isn't the leader with us?"
In his mind, since Nan Tingjin had come, he was the sole captain of the team and would lead them to complete this mission.
However, from the time they arrived at their destination until now, Nan Tingjin has spent no more than half an hour with them, and has hardly communicated with them via messages.
The tall man picked up a rag from the ground, wrapped the zombie's head with a look of disgust, and glanced at the young man.
For a moment, no one answered his question. After a while, his companion spoke up: "What do you think the leader came here for?"
Nan Tingjin's trip was not for any mission at all; he didn't care about it at all.
The zombie heads thrown to them were mostly just by chance or something that happened by chance.
The Black Ridge Mountain base only recruits people with superpowers, but does not allow the use of psychotropic drugs, and Nan Tingjin himself would not use them.
When he's in a bad state, the only thing that can calm him down is killing.
Therefore, Nan Tingjin simply happened to be traveling the same route as them.
—
Behind her, Qian Hui chased after that familiar figure as the sky grew darker and darker.
He left the street and gradually ventured deeper into the ruins.
Chili was uneasy and tugged at Qian Hui's sleeve several times, trying to stop him: "Huh?"
Qian Hui ignored him, leaned against the wall to rest for a while, ate half a biscuit, and then quickly followed.
That person was too fast; he almost lost track of him… Qian Hui didn’t dare to shout, afraid of attracting nearby zombies.
Despite the game's repeated warnings about his stamina failing, he didn't give up. His mind was entirely focused on that familiar figure, and he inadvertently crossed a sign that read "Danger Zone (Zone 3)".
As her vision grew increasingly dim, making it almost impossible to discern the distant scenery, Qianhui stopped.
A zombie's roar came from somewhere, echoing among the ruins, and he unconsciously took a half step back.
Little Cabbage climbed onto Qian Hui's shoulder, fearfully clutching a few strands of his hair.
Qian Hui finally calmed down, turned around and looked around, quickly found a ruined shelter where she could hide, and crawled inside with the three plants.
Silence returned to the surroundings. Qianhui hugged her legs tightly and sat there for a while before taking out water and food to share with the plants, while she ate some herself.
We must have lost track of them... But it's getting dark, isn't that person resting?
As long as he stays nearby at night, he can still have a chance if he goes back to the previous direction during the day.
Qian Hui silently comforted herself and rubbed her dry eyes.
Finding the man-eating flower and confirming whether Nan Tingjin was here have become his most pressing goals.
Besides that, there's also the matter of survival.
Otherwise, in this unfamiliar place, he wouldn't know where to go.
The remaining half-pack of cookies was quickly gone, and the soft vine returned to Qian Hui's wrist, lying dormant quietly.
The leaves at one end seem to have grown a little larger, and the branches have thickened slightly, but the changes are not significant.
In the darkness, Qian Hui held chili peppers and small cabbages in her arms, and closed her eyes to rest.
Chili wasn't asleep yet. After a while, she secretly got up and started moving around.
To its surprise, it discovered that after taking the two pills Qian Hui had given it that afternoon, its injuries had almost healed, and it could barely stand up.
Chili walked half a circle in the narrow space, then turned to look at Qian Hui.
Qianhui heard what those people said, right? What was her purpose in healing its wounds?
His behavior is also unpredictable; one moment he's feeding other plants, the next he's stalking strangers, and not long ago he was chasing after another person...
It can actually leave now, find a place to hide, and its legs are expected to fully recover in another day or two.
However… after thinking about it, Chili still snuggled into Qian Hui’s arms.
Let's wait a little longer. If those people find it, it can still abandon Qianhui to divert attention.
As Chili thought this, she skillfully tightened her grip on Qian Hui's sleeve.
The night grew darker, and the wind, carrying the stench of blood, howled through the air.
A few hundred meters ahead of where Qian Hui was hiding, three mid-level zombies gathered together.
They growled menacingly from their throats as they retreated in fear.
Nan Tingjin slowly approached, and the moment he raised his hand, a zombie was lifted off the ground and repeatedly slammed into the wall behind it until it was a bloody mess.
The other two zombies sensed something was wrong and turned to flee. One of them let out a scream and then died instantly.
The last one swiftly climbed the rock face, trying to squeeze through the gaps in the ruins, but before it could hide inside, its body suddenly became immobile.
The zombie struggled desperately, but could only barely move its arm. It was pulled backward little by little and finally crashed down at Nan Tingjin's feet.
Nan Tingjin looked down at him with indifferent eyes.
The zombie's arms were forcibly torn off, followed by its legs and waist.
These dead creatures, without heartbeats or pulses, still have blood flowing between their bones and flesh, and can feel pain.
The zombie screamed incessantly, its crimson eyes gradually losing their luster.
A few drops of blood splattered on Nan Tingjin's clothes. After the zombie was completely dead, he looked up and gazed ahead.
Where most intermediate-level zombies gather, advanced-level zombies that are about to evolve may be hiding.
However, it is extremely difficult to find before it has fully evolved.
Nan Tingjin withdrew his gaze and turned back.
On the other side, Liang Jie gripped the communicator in his hand tightly.
His back was tense as he cautiously answered the other end of the communicator, "Yes, there are no leads yet."
The mutated chili pepper that escaped has disappeared and they've searched almost every inch of the ruins these past few days.
With its legs injured and unable to move easily, it was impossible for it to escape the area.
Aside from the carnivorous plant that was also hiding, there were no other high-level or super-level mutated plants nearby, and even if there were, they might not necessarily help the mutated chili pepper.
Mr. Wen hadn't given them much advice about their mission, only instructing them to be careful during the search and that the chili pepper was very fierce and needed to be kept alive.
Mr. Wen knew everything, but he said nothing. Therefore, Liang Jie believed that the operation would go very smoothly and that the escape of the mutated chili pepper was just a minor incident.
However, by the third day, they still hadn't found anything.
Things seem to have taken a turn for the worse, but the root cause is unknown.
Liang Jie grew increasingly uneasy and chose to seek help from the base, hoping to get guidance.
After a long silence on the other end of the communicator, a voice came through: "I understand."
He didn't seem angry; on the contrary, his tone was somewhat gentle. He added, "Look more carefully and put in more effort."
Liang Jie remained unperturbed and replied, "Yes, sir."
The real-time message ended, and Liang Jie frowned deeply.
Mr. Wen neither provided guidance nor intended to use his supernatural abilities for them.
However, the base highly valued that mutated chili pepper, and the mission had to be completed, so he had to find a way on his own.
After a moment's thought, Liang Jie said to his subordinates, "Notify the north to send a hunting dog over."
The subordinate received the order and turned on his communicator.
The signal traveled all the way north and was received at a small base.
Upon seeing the message, the personnel stationed at the base got up, went to the rear of the base, opened a door, and entered the underground fortress.
The fortress was very sturdy, with heavy doors covered in cement and steel bars, and faint moonlight filtering in through the narrow windows above.
Press the switch, and a row of light bulbs will light up one by one.
Within the small space, there were more than twenty iron cages of various sizes, each containing a mutated plant.
Hearing the noise, the plants all huddled in the corner, looking terrified.
The person walked inside, stopped in front of an iron cage, and opened it with a key.
A mimosa plant was pulled out; it drooped listlessly, and three of its branches were fastened with special metal rings.
The metal ring is connected to the chain, and at the end is a control with a button.
The leaves of the mimosa plant were touched, and it heard the person next to it say, "Behave yourself, behave when you go out, and you'll be rewarded if you behave well."
It trembled, not daring to resist, as the tightening chain lifted it up and carried it away.
—
Qianhui woke up just as dawn was breaking.
He stared at the pale wall in front of him for a while, and his consciousness gradually cleared.
The little cabbage stirred in my arms, muttering as if talking in its sleep.
Qianhui was still thinking about the person from last night and wanted to go look for him in the neighborhood.
He bought a new pack of biscuits, drank a couple of sips of water, stuffed the small cabbage into his pocket, and crawled out of the ruins with the chili peppers in his hand.
Chili also woke up, looked up at Qian Hui, and wondered where he was going.
Qianhui fed Chili a biscuit and also gave one to Ruanteng, who had just woken up.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the soft vine seemed to have become lighter, and with a "whoosh," it snatched the biscuit and wrapped it with leaves.
Once she regained her composure, Qianhui headed in the direction where she had last seen the figure from the previous night.
Before hiding last night, Qianhui heard the sounds of zombies in the distance. She was very cautious and kept a close eye on her surroundings.
He arrived at the other end of the abandoned street and then passed through the bottom of a building.
As she rounded a wall, Qianhui suddenly smelled a strong stench of blood.
He covered his mouth and nose, and looked around.
Several zombies lay nearby, already lifeless, seemingly having survived a battle, with many of their bodies bearing lacerations or breaks.
Qianhui suppressed her fear and scanned the zombies. The way the zombies died didn't look like it was caused by the man-eating flower.
Is this the direction... the human he was tracking yesterday?
Chili didn't make a sound, so the surroundings should be safe. Qianhui continued walking forward.
Beyond two piles of rubble, there were several more zombie corpses, making the scene even more gruesome. Large patches of blood clung to the walls, and there were even scattered severed limbs on the ground.
Chili pepper looked around warily, then suddenly moved.
Qian Hui was nervous and instinctively tried to run away, but Chili grabbed her sleeve.
"Ugh!" Chili pointed to the zombie corpse on the ground, gesturing for Qianhui to come over.
Qian Hui stepped forward, and Chili, fearing he wouldn't understand, simply directed Little Cabbage: "Woo!"
Little Cabbage was reluctant, but she still jumped off Qian Hui's shoulder.
It found a small, sharp stone nearby, painstakingly sliced open the zombie's forehead, pried out the crystal core, and then handed the crystal core to Qian Hui.
Chili was satisfied and pointed in another direction.
It's unclear who killed these mid-level zombies, but they didn't even bother to take the crystal cores.
Soon, the crystal cores of the three intermediate-level zombies were extracted.
There are exactly three plants, and each one eats one.
Qian Hui patted Chili's head and praised, "Amazing!"
Chili awkwardly turned her head, grabbed his sleeve, and gestured for him to go and take another look.
Just then, the roars of zombies came from afar, seemingly coming from the direction ahead.
The little cabbage immediately darted into the pocket, and the soft vines climbed up Qian Hui's wrist, reaching his shoulder and "raising its head," closely watching the surroundings and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Chili's expression changed slightly, and she quietly moved her feet.
Qian Hui looked around. With so many zombies killed, was there another human team nearby, or...?
He gripped the dagger tightly and decided to go and see.
A few minutes later, Qianhui approached the location from which the commotion had originated.
At the edge of the horizon, two mid-level zombies crawled and leaped among the ruins, quickly climbing up a tall building and squeezing through a broken window.
Qianhui looked around more carefully, but did not see any human team.
There were no more zombies nearby that had died and left behind crystal cores, so Chili tugged at Qian Hui's finger, indicating that they should go back.
Just as Qian Hui was hesitating and preparing to turn back, she caught a glimpse of a figure.
The high-rise building is dilapidated, with many sections of the wall collapsed. In the central stairwell, someone had just passed by inside.
Qian Hui's pupils contracted slightly. She stuffed the chili pepper into her pocket and hurriedly chased after him.
Chili tried to stop him but failed, so she hid herself and listened to Qian Hui's hurried footsteps.
Qian Hui also entered the building and climbed the stairs, which were covered with clutter.
This place has clearly been abandoned for a long time, but it has managed to stay standing without collapsing, and there are no large buildings blocking the way.
The roars of zombies rang out again, not far away.
Qian Hui paused slightly and followed the sound.
He passed the spot where the man had appeared earlier, and walked a little further before arriving at a more spacious abandoned room.
Nan Tingjin stood inside, his back to the light from the window behind him, his whole body in shadow.
Even so, Qianhui could recognize him at a glance.
At the same time, Nan Tingjin casually discarded the dead zombie, heard footsteps, and raised his dark eyes.
Qian Hui was extremely excited and ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms.
“It really is you,” Qian Hui hugged Nan Tingjin tightly, “I…”
He caught a whiff of the other person's warm and familiar scent, but when he looked up, he froze.
Nan Tingjin's eyes were cold and distant, his expression still showing the manic and unstable state after the killing.
He had a very high body temperature and exuded a menacing aura.
The next moment, Nan Tingjin raised his hand, placed his palm on Qian Hui's neck, and easily grasped her.
His strength was not great, but enough to feel the throbbing pulse under the skin and the fragile throat bone.
Silver hair and red eyes are hallmarks of zombification, yet they are—
Alive?
When Qian Hui appeared, Nan Tingjin didn't pay much attention.
The approaching aura was too weak, not even reaching the level of a mid-level zombie.
And now, this boy, who doesn't look like a zombie at all, took the initiative to hug him.
Qian Hui felt a vague unease and hesitantly asked, "Xiao Jin—"
The words stopped abruptly, the fingertips pressing down on the throat bone pressed down slightly, then loosened a little.
Nan Tingjin lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Qian Hui's light-colored, thick eyelashes, her pale, smooth skin, and her soft lips.
He snapped out of his brief daze, his eyes narrowing slightly: "What did you call me?"
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