Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”It’s hard to say,” Lu Wei said, his tone heavy. ”I don’t know if it can be tamed. If it can, we could put it to use.”

But if not, it would be best to destroy it on the spot.

Xie Ning nodded and casually formed a square metal box. She used a Metal Spike to spear the clump of roots and tossed it inside.

She then turned to Song Kexin, held out the box, and pointed at it with a deadpan expression. ”Burn it.”

Everyone: ...

’Why do I suddenly feel so bad for this mutated plant?’

Song Kexin’s spirits lifted. ”Sis, put it on the ground! On the ground! I’m starting.”

With that, she tossed two small Fireballs into the metal box in quick succession, burning the roots until they let out a frantic SIZZLE.

The two of them squatted in front of the box and exchanged a look. One said, ”This damn thing can scream.”

The other prodded it with a Metal Spike. ”I wonder how it can be tamed.”

”Xiao Lu, as a Wood Element Superpower User, can you sense whether it can be tamed?”

Lu Wei looked at the young woman squatting on the ground, her head tilted up to look at them, and couldn’t help but want to laugh.

’This ”Xiao Lu” and ”Xiao Gu” business... She’s calling us that just like Aunt Song would. It’s so serious for someone so young, it’s almost comically cute.’

”Let me try to sense it.” Lu Wei closed his eyes, and a wisp of Wood Energy crept toward the roots in the metal box.

He felt the roots stir restlessly, as if wanting to devour this wisp of energy.

Xie Ning stabbed it hard without hesitation.

The roots immediately calmed down. Lu Wei felt them establish some sort of mental connection with him and his eyes snapped open. ”I think it worked.”

Xie Ning nodded, got up, and handed him the small box. ”Don’t be too nice to it. If it misbehaves, just give it a few more jabs. If you can, use it to ask if there are many other mutated aquatic plants in this area.”

”Okay.” Lu Wei nodded.

It was true. If there were other mutated aquatic plants around, even if they couldn’t be eliminated immediately, they at least needed to gather some information to avoid being caught off guard.

”What’s wrong?” Gu Chen asked, staring at her.

Xie Ning looked at the calm surface of the water. ”I have a bad feeling about this.”

Song Kexin shuddered. ”Sis, don’t scare me. Are you saying this base isn’t safe anymore?”

Xie Ning met her question with silence.

Near the ship’s cabin, several Power-type Superpower Users dragged out a dozen or so people one after another, throwing them onto the deck.

”COUGH, COUGH COUGH, COUGH.” Zhang Biyun lay sprawled on the deck, pulling clumps of aquatic weeds from her mouth. She was scared out of her wits, trembling uncontrollably.

She was a complete mess. Her white dress was torn to shreds by the weeds, making it look as if she’d been brutally assaulted. There was no trace left of the graceful, ethereal aura she’d had when they first met.

The dozen or so City Defense Team members beside her were also frantically pulling strands of weeds off their bodies, coughing violently and splattering tears and snot all over the deck.

Her face a mask of disgust, Xie Ning silently took several steps back.

Seeing this, Gu Chen quickly pulled out a brand-new face mask and handed it to her.

”What happened?” Lu Wei asked.

Wang Bingwu rubbed his large, bald head. ”When we went in for search and rescue, we found them all bound by the aquatic weeds, hanging in mid-air. They were almost done for.”

”Luckily, Miss Xie acted decisively and severed all the leaves from the roots.”

Wang Bingwu grinned. ”Without the roots to support them, the energy in the leaves naturally dissipated.”

”It seems this mutated plant was only Initial Stage,” Xie Ning said, breathing a small sigh of relief.

’Otherwise, there’s no way it could have had the City Defense Team strung up for nearly an hour without killing them.’

’If most of what’s in the water are these Initial-Stage types, dealing with them won’t be too much trouble.’

Song Kexin’s mouth fell open in surprise. ”You mean to say this one little clump of weed had actually surrounded the entire ship?”

”That’s right,” Wang Bingwu nodded. ”When we entered the cabin, we saw that the leaves had all shot up from under the partitions. They’d already grown quite tall.”

”Gu... Gu Chen.” Zhang Biyun shivered, her entire body trembling despite the forty-degree weather. ”I... I don’t feel well. Can you... can you send me back first?”

”Bro!” Ji Taixian rushed out gleefully, holding two cartons of eggs. ”There are tons of baking ingredients inside!”

The people around his ’bro’ all showed a distinct lack of interest at the mention of pastries and sweets.

Gu Chen gave Xie Ning a meaningful look, signaling for her to go in first and take her pick.

Seeing Gu Chen ignore her for so long, an angry flush appeared on Zhang Biyun’s soaking wet face.

She looked up and saw his gaze fall to the side. Following his eyes, Zhang Biyun saw the slender back of the young woman as she turned to leave.

She gritted her teeth in silent hatred, her fists clenching tightly. Her tone grew heavier. ”Captain Gu.”

”Where’s the medical team? Have them come over and see how Captain Wang and his people are doing.” Gu Chen strode toward the ship’s cabin, instructing the others to look after the City Defense Team.

The rims of Zhang Biyun’s eyes turned red with anger. She clenched her fists, resentment boiling inside her.

’The first thing I’ll do when I get back to the base is find out just who that little vixen by Gu Chen’s side is!’

Xie Ning was completely unaware that she had just provoked the base commander’s precious daughter.

She was currently gazing happily at boxes of neatly arranged ingredients: eggs, butter, cream, granulated sugar, cake flour, milk, powdered milk, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and more.

”Hurry, take more. You didn’t grab much earlier,” Gu Chen said, coming up behind her and ruffling the small bun on top of her head.

”Everyone else is outside. I’ll call them in to carry the rest after you’re done.”

’These guys probably don’t even like sweets,’ Xie Ning thought. ’Except for Ji Erhuo, of course.’

So, completely guilt-free, she took twenty boxes of each ingredient, collecting a full half of the supplies.

The two of them then climbed an iron ladder to the second level of the cargo hold.

On the second level, several zombies in tattered clothing were lying on the floor.

Gu Chen grabbed her arm to stop her from going forward, then tossed a small Thunder Ball ahead to scout.

When the zombies didn’t react, the two of them ran over to take a look.

”Look, it seems like they don’t have Crystal Cores in their heads. Is it because they’re too low-level?”

Gu Chen frowned in thought and glanced at Xie Ning. ”I think that uneasy feeling you had before was right. Do you think it’s possible that mutated plants, like those weeds, are devouring Zombie Crystal Cores to make themselves stronger?”

Of course, Xie Ning knew that mutated plants devoured Crystal Cores, but she couldn’t just come out and say it.

She hadn’t expected Xiao Gu to understand so quickly, and the tension in her heart eased slightly.

’It’s good to have someone who gets it.’

’Talking to smart people is so much easier.’

Xie Ning nodded. ”Your suspicion is very likely correct.”

”You finish collecting things up here. I’m going down to tell them to move everything back to the base as quickly as possible.”

He felt it was necessary to hold an emergency meeting with Zhang Defan and the other base leaders before heading back to the Capital.

This location, surrounded by mountains and water, no longer seemed so safe.

’What if all the aquatic plants are starting to mutate?’

’Then Lanshan Tower Lake might be facing a major disaster!’

Xie Ning watched him turn and hurry away, then obediently began to collect the items on the upper level.