Chapter 68: A Strange Encounter in the Forest

Chapter 68: A Strange Encounter in the Forest

After a tiring day and successfully reporting to Guan Yuanfeng as a precaution, he felt at ease. He turned off the camping light, pulled up the blanket, and drifted into a deep sleep beside Comet.

In the middle of the night, he heard the sound of rain pattering, and the fresh, rain-scented air wafted through the window. Zhou Yun vaguely heard the roar of the rain in his dream, and then it seemed like Comet got up and went out. He didn't think much of it, feeling as if he was wrapped in the rustling sound of the rain, and fell into an even deeper sleep.

When he woke up in the morning, he heard the raindrops hitting the roof tiles like a crisp and dense drumbeat.

Zhou Yun got up and stepped out of the tent, checking the situation inside the house and looking up at the roof. Unsurprisingly, the roof was leaking, but it wasn't serious—only a small puddle had formed.

Comet, who had returned from somewhere, was wet and licking its fur. At its feet lay another black-winged pheasant it had killed.

Had it gone hunting again early in the morning? He couldn't help but smile, took a towel to dry Comet, and found a hairdryer connected to the camping power supply to blow-dry its fur. He turned on the induction cooker to boil water and stepped outside, standing under the eaves to watch the steady rain.

The car outside was still in place, wrapped in the trumpet vine, its leaves and vines washed clean and vibrant by the rain.

But what was astonishing was that a group of giant mutated rats, with their sharp fangs, were entangled in the seemingly delicate vines. The mutated rats had all been strangled to death by the vines.

Zhou Yun: "..."

He suddenly wanted to photograph this bizarre scene of rats entangled in the vines and share it with Guan Yuanfeng. He stepped out with an umbrella to inspect the car and touched the vibrant red flowers of the trumpet vine, which seemed to flaunt their beauty. "Well done. You can absorb these rats and their crystal cores."

Even Comet wouldn't eat rat meat, so it was better to let the trumpet vine absorb them.

The vines rustled as if cheering, tightly wrapping around the large rats and enveloping them as precious psychic energy sources.

The rain was still heavy, which didn't match the minor leaks inside the house.

He lifted his umbrella to check the roof. The dark green, fleshy stems and leaves of the thorny tendrils densely covered the roof, which should have prevented leaks. However, a massive mutated zombie leopard was lying on the roof, tightly strangled by the thorny tendrils, causing some tiles to break and leak.

The zombie leopard's flesh was rotting, its bones exposed, and its patterned fur and decaying flesh had been scorched. It seemed to be Comet's handiwork.

Leopards have a keen sense of smell, and zombie leopards are particularly sensitive to the scent of fresh human flesh. It was likely that while Zhou Yun was sleeping inside, the zombie leopard had descended from the mountain and landed on the roof, intending to attack the vulnerable human. However, it was caught by the quietly lurking thorny tendrils, and the alert Comet had immediately rushed out to help kill the zombie leopard.

Against a nearly fourth-tier fire psychic Comet and the thorny tendrils, the zombie leopard likely had little chance. No wonder Zhou Yun hadn't heard much noise and, being exhausted, had slept soundly without waking up.

Comet panted and rubbed against his leg, seeking praise.

Zhou Yun patted its head. "Good job. I'll prepare some chicken for you later, but we need to head into the mountains during the day. Otherwise, it'll be harder to drive when the light fades. We'll make do with some food on the mountain highway."

After rewarding the thorny tendrils with the zombie leopard and preparing a meal of pheasant mixed with dog food rice balls for Comet, Zhou Yun quickly made himself an egg noodle breakfast. He packed up the tent and waited for the rain to lighten into a drizzle before driving into the mountains along the winding highway.

The peaks of the Jiuyi Mountains looked like a distant ink painting in the misty rain. The mountain highway was still intact, and the car moved smoothly. Zhou Yun turned on the radio, which was playing "Purple Rain," a strangely fitting choice. He enjoyed the serendipity of encountering a favorite song.

The purple rain of the apocalypse—endless and dreamlike. Zhou Yun stepped on the gas, feeling inexplicably joyful, savoring the sensation of being alone on an endless mountain road amidst the sound of rain.

Music stores memories. He recalled driving alone to the plateau before the apocalypse, under the vast sky, on a seemingly endless highway, where everywhere was filled with people, yet nowhere felt like home. He was just a passerby in the world.

As the music faded, a rich baritone voice came on:

"Now broadcasting a one-sentence news update from the Survivors' Alliance Government: As the first City Lord Conference approaches, delegations from various bases have arrived at Central Base."

"Temperatures have been rising steadily in recent days. The Ministry of Agriculture is actively organizing spring farming efforts, and the Survivors' Government officially calls on psychics to participate."

"The military has released the latest battle report: The Survivors' Joint Forces have successfully reclaimed Zhenbei Base, eliminating the zombie threat, restoring regional communications and supplies, and restarting solar and wind power projects to ensure stable electricity supply within the safe zones."

"Large-scale clearance operations in the Yanling area have achieved significant results, with the threat zones of mutated animals and zombies greatly reduced."

"The military is teaming up with civilian psychic groups to boost patrols and defenses, ensuring residents' safety at night. The zombie monkey group that had been harassing the residential area for some time has been eradicated by the military, and the Survivors' Government is offering support to the affected families."

The Ministry of Construction has launched the 'Safe Bunker Project', building safe bunkers near Central Base for refuge for pedestrians.

The Ministry of Education plans to initiate various forms of broadcast and online teaching, fully upgrading the online education platform, focusing on professional disciplines such as medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry, and offering courses on the use of various psychic abilities for psychics.

Central Base schools have opened special classes for psychic children.

The Psychic Research Institute has successfully developed a highly effective zombie virus inhibitor, with the first batch of clinical trials showing promising results.

The Psychic Research Institute announced a breakthrough, with a new vaccine entering the clinical trial stage, potentially awakening psychic abilities in ordinary people.

Zhou Yun sneered. The so-called zombie virus inhibitor only delayed the spread of the virus, buying some time for wood psychics to dispel the virus. In reality, many people could survive until they returned to the city for treatment without the inhibitor. People were just too panicked early on, abandoning their companions immediately after they were bitten or scratched by zombies.

The Psychic Research Institute made a fortune from this zombie virus inhibitor.

As for the new vaccine that supposedly awakens psychic abilities, a scandal would soon emerge. A researcher, in a rush for results, faked the data, and the Psychic Research Institute rushed to announce it without rigorous review and replication. It was later discovered that the so-called "successful cases" were actually people who had already awakened their psychics but were weak, and were bribed by the researcher.

After the vaccine failed completely, to cover up the scandal, the Psychic Research Institute hastily scapegoated someone and dealt with them severely, even leading to several alliance officials resigning.

After the news broadcast, the editor played "November Rain", and Zhou Yun couldn't help chuckling. Would the next song be "Endless Rain"? Was it also raining in Central Base?

After half an hour on the mountain road, the radio signal faded, and Zhou Yun finally arrived at his destination, the Cuiwei Mountain Resort Hotel halfway up the mountain.

The hotel, with its ancient wooden architecture, was surrounded by countless banana trees, exuding a high-end hotel vibe with exceptional taste.

The hotel facilities were all five-star standard, with international brand bath products and small appliances. Of course, the pre-apocalypse prices were something Zhou Yun could never afford. He only knew about these from short videos of influencers experiencing them.

He parked the car in front of the hotel, letting Comet clear the area first, while he stood at the hotel entrance with an umbrella, admiring the banana grove. Sure enough, he found a mutated banana tree.

Under the jade-green, broad leaves hung a bunch of golden bananas, with a purple-red banana flower at the bottom, its petals tightly wrapped into a full, pointed bud, resembling a giant luxurious chandelier.

A feast awaited. Zhou Yun could almost taste the sweet and sour banana flesh. He first picked the bananas, then stored the entire beautiful, fresh mutated banana tree into his crystal core.

The banana skin was thin and the flesh sweet, with just a hint of wild sourness. After eating one, Comet came out with a group of zombies. Zhou Yun waved his hand, casting a frost thorn entanglement spell. Ice thorns sprouted from the ground, tightly wrapping around the zombies.

Comet expertly spat a fire dragon, burning them before running back inside.

After a few rounds, the zombies were cleared. Zhou Yun and Comet entered the hotel, choosing the best star-rated suite.

The suite had a living room and a bedroom. The bedroom had panoramic glass, offering a view of the mountains and even a waterfall while sleeping. The living room had a spacious outdoor balcony, perfect for admiring the beautiful scenery, outdoor barbecues, or setting up a tent for camping.

These were once the luxuries of the rich.

Zhou Yun stood on the balcony, enjoying the mountain view, then rolled up the bedding and pillows, stuffing them into the closet, and rolled up the carpet, throwing it into the next room.

He found a vacuum cleaner in the hotel's cleaning room, connected it to the camping power source, and cleaned the dust off the tables and curtains. Then, using his water abilities, he washed the tiled floor until it sparkled. The room was soon spotless. He laid out his sheets, placed the comforter, and arranged his luggage. This would be his relatively fixed residence in the mountains for the next few days. Cleaning it all at once made it more comfortable to live in.

With the rain still falling outside, and having nothing better to do, Zhou Yun and Comet explored the hotel. They found some well-preserved wine, liquor, rice, and noodles in the hotel restaurant. The gas cylinders were still usable, and there were plenty of them. This unexpected find made him decide to cook dinner in the hotel kitchen.

Comet took the opportunity to go out and catch a few pheasants, rabbits, and some unrecognizable birds. Zhou Yun helplessly patted its head, "Don't go hunting on your own anymore. What if you encounter a venomous snake?"

Comet whimpered a few times, clearly not too scared, but obediently nodded.

Zhou Yun used a pressure cooker to make a delicious stew. Thanks to Comet, he also enjoyed a pot of tender wild game hotpot.

After a night at the hotel, the weather finally cleared the next day.

Zhou Yun changed into protective clothing, boots, and a helmet, carrying a knife and leading Comet into the mountains.

This venture lasted a full week.

He collected six king-level wood elemental crystal cores. He harvested over seventy types of mutated herbs, including bletilla, magnolia bark, honeysuckle, and others, carefully placing them in categorized collection boxes. For those with seeds, he collected the seeds, and for those suitable for transplantation, he dug them up with roots intact and placed them in nutrient soil bags.

The most valuable discoveries included a mutated lion's mane mushroom, a giant ganoderma, and a wild notoginseng. These, once brought back, could be cultivated in the herb garden to produce a continuous supply of valuable medicinal materials, the profits of which were incalculable.

Additionally, he fused with an ancient mutated peach tree, whose age was unknown. Its roots were thick and robust, and when he found it, the tree was laden with ripe wild peaches, with many already fallen to the ground.

After fusing with the peach tree, he planted its seeds throughout the valley and accelerated the growth of the entire valley's mutated peach trees. Although this consumed eighty percent of his psychic abilities, the sight of a valley full of mutated peach trees would be breathtaking come spring.

He also harvested various medicinal materials such as mutated deer antlers, toads, and musk, and killed several five-step snakes and cobras. Comet caught pheasants, water hens, muntjacs, and weasels.

The harvest was so plentiful that he felt like he was swimming in a sea of herbs, utterly absorbed in the joy.

He faced danger head-on, like a wind-elemental mutated leopard lurking deep in the forest. The moment he saw the leopard's golden pupils, he immediately erected an ice wall. However, the leopard, enhanced by wind attributes, was incredibly fast, shattering the ice wall like lightning. Fortunately, Comet pounced on it and engaged in a fierce battle.

The leopard, known for its speed and being at the top of the forest's food chain, was nearly at the fourth level of power. Despite Comet's strength, it struggled to match the leopard's speed and sustained several claw wounds.

However, Comet's combat experience was not lacking, and the leopard also suffered. The intense battle between the dog and the leopard caused leaves to scatter and trees to fall. He quickly released thorny tendrils, enhanced with frost thorns. Comet, well-coordinated with him, led the leopard over the tendrils, which quickly entangled it.

Once the leopard's speed slowed, his frost thorns were effective, and combined with Comet's fire breath, they managed to kill the wind-elemental leopard, obtaining a highly valuable wind crystal core. This core, of king-level quality and purity, could be given to Guan Yuanfeng during their break.

After obtaining the wind crystal core, he began packing, planning to return to the city after a few more days of harvesting.

That evening, by the river near the waterfall, he used a flashlight to rhythmically attract a swarm of mutated fireflies.

These fireflies, as large as eagles, had broad chests and enlarged compound eyes that were somewhat terrifying. Their wings, thin as cicada wings, shimmered with iridescent light, and their large, ring-shaped abdomens glowed like lanterns. Comet's fire breath set their delicate wings ablaze, sending them crashing to the ground.

Zhou Yun, feeling a pang of regret, froze the remaining fireflies, saving their delicate, translucent wings, which were highly prized by women for making jewelry.

He extracted the light elemental crystal cores from the fireflies, though they were not very large. Light crystal cores were extremely valuable, sought after even by those without light psychic abilities, as they could be used to request healing from light psychics.

He collected all the light crystal cores and placed them in a storage bag. These cores, once removed from their hosts, would slowly lose energy without continuous replenishment. The storage bag, made from shadow hemp, prevented energy leakage. He had previously instructed Qin Mu to secure a batch of shadow hemp raw materials from the northern desert during the city lord conference, which he believed would be handled properly.

The storage bag could turn a profit, but cultivating shadow silkworms himself would be ideal.

Perhaps starting with the cultivation of shadow cacti?

As he pondered, Comet suddenly barked at the sky, alerting him.

He looked up and saw a military-green helicopter crossing the orange-red horizon, strikingly conspicuous. The helicopter, similar to the one used by the special forces to pick up Guan Yuanfeng, was flying unsteadily, swaying before losing balance and plummeting into the lush forest below.

His heart tightened, and without further ado, he quickly packed his backpack and ran towards the crash site.

In the forest, what seemed close was actually far. By the time he reached a nearby hilltop, he saw the helicopter climb a few meters, seemingly under control, before its door opened and a figure jumped out, deploying a parachute that landed on a large banyan tree in the valley below.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but then the helicopter began to sway again, clearly out of control, heading towards a nearby mountain peak.

There were still people on board!

He continued running, fearing he wouldn't make it in time, when suddenly the banyan tree where the parachute had landed began to grow rapidly.

The tree, pulsating with life, quivered and emitted a soft green glow. Its branches extended swiftly and powerfully towards the sky, with new leaves sprouting like a surging tide. The tree's crown expanded like a massive dark green balloon, creating a magical scene against the orange-red sunset.

The lush banyan branches stretched out like countless willful tendrils, forming a vast, dense green cloud-like canopy that resembled a giant green hand, steadily catching and holding the falling helicopter.

Zhou Yun navigated through the dense forest, around broken branches and fallen trees, arriving at the banyan tree where the helicopter had crashed. The tree had grown into a towering giant in a short time, its trunk thick and robust, its crown dense and soft, yet still bowed under the weight of the helicopter. Many branches and leaves were broken, but they effectively cushioned the impact, holding the helicopter in place.

Looking up, Zhou Yun saw a girl, no more than seven or eight years old, sitting on a branch. Her face was pale, almost translucent, and she was still strapped to her parachute, which was spread over the banyan tree's crown.

She looked on the verge of fainting, her wide eyes staring down at him, chest heaving. Zhou Yun gave Comet a pat and said, "Go up and get her down."

Comet skillfully leaped up the tree trunk to the girl's side. With a swipe of his claws, he severed the parachute's rope, then crouched down in front of her.

Zhou Yun spoke to the girl: "Hold onto the dog and come down. Don’t be afraid. His name is Comet. He’s a rescue dog, very gentle."

The girl looked at him warily, silent. Zhou Yun removed his motorcycle helmet, revealing a gentle face, and said, "You’ve overexerted your psychic abilities. It’s very dangerous. Come down quickly. I have a wood crystal core here. Otherwise, you might lose your powers."

The girl glanced down at Comet, who was patiently crouching, even kindly licking her palm. She climbed onto his back, hugging his neck, and Comet leaped down to the ground with ease.

As soon as she reached the ground, she collapsed. Zhou Yun laid a moisture-proof mat on the ground, helped her lie down, and took out a king-level crystal core from his bag. "Hold it in your hand, grip it tightly, and focus only on absorbing its energy. You’ve almost completely drained your powers. You need to absorb all of it."

The girl took it as instructed but glanced at the helicopter and finally spoke: "My dad. Save my dad."

Zhou Yun noticed she was wearing sturdy protective clothing, indicating she came from a well-off family. She had no major injuries, only minor scratches on her face. He said, "I’ll save him. You close your eyes and focus on absorbing the crystal core." He patted Comet: "Guard the child."

The little girl watched as he walked to the base of the banyan tree and looked up. The helicopter was heavily weighing down on the branches. He reached out and touched the banyan tree’s branches, which then wrapped around him and lifted him into the open cabin of the helicopter.

Her eyes widened, then she looked down at Comet, who was dutifully guarding her. The feeling of being completely drained of her psychic abilities, almost to the point of death, grew stronger. She quickly gripped the king-level crystal core and absorbed its energy, her complexion gradually improving.

Zhou Yun entered the helicopter.

Inside the cabin were military personnel in uniforms, but they were all dead, their heads rolled to the side.

In the pilot’s seat was a man, wearing a neat uniform but clearly not the original pilot. He had a handsome, mature face, his eyes closed under tightly furrowed brows.

His chest was pierced by a long knife, blood gushing out, staining his clothes. He lay there quietly, seemingly lifeless.

Clearly, this man was the "dad" who had stabilized the controls at the last moment, allowing the girl to parachute to safety.

Zhou Yun reached out to check his pulse, relieved, and placed one hand on the man’s chest while quickly pulling out the knife with the other.

As the blade was removed, his other hand emitted a green light, the energy seeping into the wound, filling it with healing and regenerative power. The blood vessels that were about to hemorrhage were quickly repaired and regrown, the sharp blade’s cut healed, the severed blood vessels reconnected, and the freshly cut muscles and blood vessels rapidly reattached and smoothed out.

The heart, which had almost lost its vitality, began to beat rhythmically again, and the man’s breathing slowly returned to normal, his complexion gradually losing its deathly gray hue.

He had a very strong life force; he was also a psychic.

While performing the rejuvenation ability, Zhou Yun could clearly sense the psychic energy within the man’s body. With timely treatment, he wouldn’t die.

The man was physically strong and heavy. Zhou Yun released the trumpet vine, letting it wrap around the man and slowly carry him out of the helicopter’s cabin, then gently lower him to the ground.

The girl below watched the vine with wide eyes, then rushed over anxiously. Seeing the knife had been removed from his chest, she urgently placed her palm over the man’s heart, a soft green light emanating from her hand.

Zhou Yun was taken aback. This child had just drained all her wood psychic abilities to drive the banyan tree to catch the helicopter. In his past life, he had never seen such a strong wood psychic ability user at such a young age. Just after being completely drained, she could immediately release a healing ability.

But soon, she was drained again. Zhou Yun gently patted her shoulder: "It’s okay. The bleeding has stopped. It’s dangerous in the forest at night. Let’s go back to the hotel."

He had the girl sit on Comet, handed her a box of milk, then carried the man on his back and headed towards the Green Mountain Hotel.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too far, but even so, it took an hour. The sky was pitch black, and they encountered a snake on the way, which Comet scared off with a burst of fire.

Once safely back at the hotel, Zhou Yun laid the man on the bed, grabbed a first aid kit, and stripped him to check for other injuries. The only wounds were some knife injuries on his lower back; there were no other injuries.

He found it odd. In the helicopter cabin, four burly men lay dead. In such a confined space, even the strongest would find it hard to avoid injuries in close combat, especially since they were clearly armed.

He asked the girl: "What psychic abilities does your father have?"

The girl stood by the bed, her small face pale and weak, and said, "Metal."

Zhou Yun nodded: "No wonder there are no visible external injuries." Like Qin Sheng, a powerful metal-type psychic can metalize any part of their body, making them skilled in combat while also having formidable physical defense. Bullets likely wouldn't harm him.

The knife that went through him from back to front was likely from someone familiar, striking when he was exhausted. Even so, he managed to kill the attacker in retaliation and control the helicopter, allowing his daughter to parachute to safety.

Afraid that the girl might remember the gruesome details, he avoided asking about it and instead inquired, "My surname is Zhou, and I'm a doctor. You can call me Dr. Zhou. What's your nickname?"

The girl whispered, "Duoduo."

Zhou Yun nodded: "Duoduo, your father is out of danger now, so don't worry. This bed is quite spacious; you can sleep with him tonight. I'll sleep in the living room outside with Comet. There's an open balcony there, and I'm afraid mutated creatures or zombies might come in at night. You sleep in the inner room, and if anything happens, call me or Comet anytime."

Duoduo nodded. Zhou Yun's calm demeanor, his role as a doctor, the powerful mutated dog, and the safe, clean hotel all helped her relax. Zhou Yun's decision not to ask about her and her father's names, origins, or what happened on the plane also made her trust him more.

Zhou Yun said, "Your father is unconscious now; just let him sleep and recover. As a metal-type psychic, his body will heal on its own. I'll go make some food—noodles with monkey head mushroom and chicken soup. Can you eat that? Any dietary restrictions or allergies?"

Duoduo whispered, "No, thank you, Dr. Zhou."

Zhou Yun nodded, poured her a cup of hot water from the thermos, and said, "Wait here."

He went to the hotel's housekeeping department and found a brand-new, unopened bedding set and a blanket. He covered Duoduo and let her sleep, then headed to the hotel kitchen.

The monkey head mushroom and chicken soup had been prepared earlier in the day, so cooking the noodles was quick. He mixed some dog food into the soup for Comet and brought the entire pot of noodles to the room.

As expected, Duoduo, despite her young age, had a big appetite. She finished a large bowl of noodles and even ate an egg pancake.

Seeing her eat so heartily, clearly not wanting to be a burden, Zhou Yun thought the girl was very sensible and well-behaved. After cleaning up, he checked her temperature and, seeing no fever, let her sleep. He then went to the living room, organized the day's supplies, set up a tent and sleeping bag, and slept in the outer room with Comet.