A sudden noise startled Qian Hui, his heart pounding as he spun around, eyes scanning the desolate landscape. Dozens of zombies swarmed from all directions—thirty or more, their speeds and appearances varying wildly. All converged on the colossal carnivorous plant in front of him. The air reeked of rotting flesh and ammonia, thickening with every passing second.
A lanky, emaciated zombie darted ahead, its elongated limbs grappling onto rocks and ruins with惊人的 agility. It leaped onto the carnivorous plant's leaves, clawing at its stem. The plant retaliated savagely, swatting the zombie with a whip-like tendril. But the creature dodged, and the plant's leafy lash tore a gash in its side. Qian Hui's chest tightened. That's Xiao Zi—the small carnivorous flower with spiky buds on its head from his courtyard. But how could it have grown so tall? Once barely reaching his waist, it now towered like a skyscraper, its dark-green stem gashed and half-eaten, yet still ruthlessly crushing zombies beneath its massive bulk.
Zombies scrambled over its wounds, but the plant's fury only intensified. It seized a zombie clinging to its jawbone and hurled it against a wall, crushing it into pulp. Yet even as the plant dominated the battlefield, Qian Hui noticed movement from the shadows. Two more zombies—twins in grotesque harmony—emerged. One distracted the plant with roar-filled chants, while the other jabbed a metallic spike at its hindbrain. The plant shook off the blow, its leaves coiling into ropes to lash the attackers.
Suddenly, the plant's head snapped toward Qian Hui's hiding spot. He froze, heart hammering against his ribs. Xiao Zi... he choked, voice frayed. But the plant's gaze swept past him, and with a thunderous crash, it slid away from the ruins, vanishing into the distance.
Panic gripped Qian Hui. He scrambled over broken concrete, limbs trembling, until a skeletal hand lunged at him from a collapsed building. He dodged, only to be cornered by another zombie's glowing red eyes. Desperate, he hurled a rock, barely missing its head. The creature snarled, saliva dripping, and lunged again. Qian Hui sprinted into a half-collapsed apartment, crawling through narrow gaps between walls. His injuries throbbed—arm wounds oozing black fluid, legs burning with exhaustion.
When silence finally fell, he found himself in an abandoned street. Crouching behind a cracked wall, he checked his health bar—still dangerously low. The faint mechanical hum returned: Two or more mutated plants detected. Newbie Package unlocked! His pulse spiked. What's happening?
Footsteps echoed nearby. Three figures—humans?—discussed in hushed tones. "The chili escaped... Watch for the carnivorous flower..." Their voices faded as a zombie stumbled past, its instrument beeping erratically. Qian Hui held his breath until they vanished.
Back in the darkness, he noticed a green glow seeping through a crack. Peering closer, he found a wounded chili pepper twice his height, its leaves wrapped around mangled legs. It lay motionless, save for faint whispers of life. Another plant...
The game interface flickered: Choose Faction: Human/Humanoid/Zombie/Plant. Qian Hui's cursor hovered over Plant. The courtyard's "work" had felt like a game before—why not this?
He clicked. Faction Affiliation: Plant
A dashboard materialized: Faction Value: 1/100 Reputation 0 Host Status Critical (Requires Food/Water). His inventory held a Universal Medicine Pill and a rusted dagger. He swallowed the pill, feeling strength surge. The chili's wounds began to knit.
"Thank you," he muttered, cradling the creature.
Suddenly, the chili stirred. It blinked, green eyes flickering with hostility, and spit seeds that sizzled on his skin. Qian Hui recoiled, but the zombie's snarl drew nearer. With a trembling hand, he grabbed the dagger.