Chapter 263

Chapter 263

Tang Yi and Zhou Rongbin had merged their new abilities, and the 017 Squad went back on field ops as needed.

Aside from routine rescue operations, this was also an opportunity to test the duo’s newly acquired abilities.

With the onset of a new stabilization period, all remaining bases had begun utilizing soil modification agents for cultivation.

For bases and shelters that had restored basic production, the authorities would provide assistance when they faced zombie swarm threats or large-scale zombie attacks.

Some bases had disbanded during the zombie waves, but their hardware facilities were preserved and were now maintained by teams dispatched by the authorities.

This time, Cheng Jing and his team were rescuing a small base called "Dawn," which consisted of only 20 acres of farmland and a residential area of less than 1,000 square meters, home to about a hundred survivors. After being overwhelmed by a zombie horde, the survivors disbanded and joined the Southern City Base.

The remaining farmland and facilities of the Dawn Base were subsequently put under the supervision of a team dispatched by the Southern City Base.

The Dawn Base wasn’t particularly close to the Southern City Base, but it had one advantage. Before the apocalypse, it had been a private farm with over a dozen underground cellars filled with fertile growing medium.

Parts of the ground were covered with thick plastic film and greenhouse frames, and due to its remote location, the area was mostly untouched, leaving some of the soil uncontaminated.

After entering the stabilization period, the base personnel moved the nutrient-rich soil out of the cellars, turning the full 20 acres of farmland into fertile, productive soil.

When the zombie horde struck, the Southern City Base evacuated all non-combat personnel before the military set up a kill zone and laid down fire, successfully preserving the 20 acres of farmland.

After cleanup, a team of 30 was assigned to manage the land alongside the original farming personnel from the Dawn Base.

Now, the fields were densely planted with crops, thriving and nearing harvest—enough to feed plenty of mouths.

Thus, when the base detected a massing swarm of around 5,000 zombies approaching, they immediately sent out a distress signal. To ensure absolute success, Department Head Wang sent in Cheng Jing and his team.

If nothing else, with Jiang Nian present, both human infections and crop contamination could be avoided.

"Rooooar—"

The growls of the undead grew closer.

Since Zhou Rongbin’s superpower was to be used against the zombies, Jiang Nian’s Purify ability naturally couldn’t be employed.

So, to keep himself busy, he fired a few rounds from a rocket launcher before handing Huang Qian some previously acquired seeds of carnivorous plants—Venus flytraps and pitcher plants.

Since these weren’t edible crops, pushing their growth wouldn't taint them. Besides, the authorities now crop-dusted wide areas with land-purifying agents over human-occupied areas, and the Dawn Base’s vicinity had been treated several times.

Even if direct planting remained impossible, the intensity of land pollution had significantly decreased.

"Crunch crunch…"

"Whoosh—"

Under the catalysis of superpowers and with Lu Ningzhou manipulating the soil for protection, just a handful of seeds rapidly mutated and exploded in size, like something out of a horror movie.

In the blink of an eye, the former windowsill decorations transformed into nightmarish predators:

Their stems and vines, as thick as Roman columns, extended over ten meters, their ends lined with razor-sharp hooks like monstrous jaws—large enough to swallow a person whole with ease.

The hooks secreted corrosive sap and emitted a strange odor—a weird mix of flowers and the coppery blood stink.

Humans who got too close got lightheaded, spaced out, seeing things, while zombies were fatally attracted to the scent.

"Jesus Christ! This is fucking terrifying—pure nightmare fuel."

Jiang Nian couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the mutated plants—movie special effects have nothing on this.

Most plants are poisonous, and after mutation, they become even more terrifying.

"Damn, Sister Qian..."

"We'll have to be careful if we ever encounter plant-controlling supers in the future..."

"..."

The teammates felt their blood run cold. Twisting plants into monsters was one of the most horrifyingly tangible offensive Superpowers, wasn't it?

Of course, not all plant-controlling supers could reach this level.

Their team was formidable, with ample firepower, so Sister Qian rarely had many chances to shine. But now, through the mutated man-eating flowers and flytraps, everyone finally had a clearer understanding of her abilities.

"Don't call me 'sister'—call me 'Queen B' instead!"

Huang Qian's eyes gleamed, showing no trace of fear. She had always been satisfied with her plant-manipulation Superpower, knowing she was badass—and now, that belief had reached unprecedented heights.

Offense, defense, support—just as all-around deadly as her.

Once the mutated plant wall had fully grown, the zombies enraged by the rocket launcher howled and lurched through the billowing dust toward them.

Zhou Rongbin's Superpower, mirage, enveloped the mutated plants, trapping the zombies within the killing zone of the man-eating flowers and flytraps.

By activating his fused psychic boost, he induced chaos, making them tear into each other. The frenzied Superpower Zombies would attack their own kind indiscriminately.

Those that couldn't be killed were instead bitten and crushed, one by one, by the man-eating flowers and flytraps.

The roars of zombies and the sounds of bones being shattered filled the air, the stench overwhelming.

"..."

The wider Zhou Rongbin's Superpower coverage, the more stamina he consumed, so naturally, the duration of the illusion wouldn't last long.

But for Cheng Jing and the others, the time bought by this crazy assist was more than enough—after all, they were strong.

Once the mirage illusion faded, most of the zombies were dead, though many of the mutated plants had also been destroyed. The team began mopping up—after all, they couldn't waste so many crystal cores.

Tang Yi was truly formidable in close combat; ordinary zombies couldn't lay a finger on him.

BLAM—

BLAM—

BLAM—

After effortlessly taking down several zombies, Jian Cheng turned to Jiang Nian with puppy-dog eyes:

"Brother Nian, I'm feeling like I don’t deserve our squad now... I'm getting impostor syndrome."

Compared to his teammates, he was a bit weak.

While channeling his power to support the team, Jiang Nian patted him on the shoulder:

"People are never satisfied. Hell, look at me—I dream of swapping Superpowers with Brother Jing and then wrecking the world."

Even if he was the world's last hope, but let's face it, the thrill of being a powerful support was different from the thrill of raw, brutal offense.

Jian Cheng gave a thumbs up:

"Brother Nian, you're a beast! Why don't you discuss it with Cheng?"

Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow:

"Don’t drag me into trouble, kid."

He felt both envy and temptation—had it not been for his past life’s experiences, he might have impulsively jumped at the chance. But in this lifetime, it was impossible.

Jian Cheng burst out laughing and picked up his sniper rifle again.

"..."

After wiping out the zombies and using drones to scout the surroundings, confirming the crisis was resolved, Cheng Jing reported back to the base.

Department Head Wang’s idea was that since the crops were nearly ripe, Huang Qian could use her superpower to give them a little boost before harvesting, then Purify them before hauling them back to the base.

Cheng Jing had no objections and quickly worked it out with Huang Qian, arranging trucks for preparation.

Potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes—all staple foods—would be processed back at the base, easing the food shortage.

Apart from this location, the area where Jiang Nian’s superpower had overloaded before had been cordoned off for farming and was also nearing harvest.

The Southern City Base not only had its own planned farms but also two external food supply sites, putting it way ahead of other bases.

"..."

"Young Master Liao? Brother Yu!"

Inside the cultivation field, Jiang Nian was using his Mass Purification Superpower, while Liao Yu and others watched from outside the wire fence. Hearing the familiar voice call him, Liao Yu stood there stunned for a long moment, unable to react.

A young man in camo gear quickly approached him—good-looking, with sharp cheekbones and a grin.

He looked somewhat familiar, but Liao Yu couldn’t recall who he was, forcing an awkward smile instead:

"Uh… who are you?"

Back before the world went to hell, he’d had many friends, but after two years of turmoil, he no longer remembered those who weren’t particularly close.

Qian Lang scrubbed a hand down his face and leaned in:

"Brother Yu, boss, it’s me, Qian Lang—from Starlight Studio."

"Starlight... Ah! I remember now!"

Liao Yu’s eyes lit up, waving off Qian Lang’s attempt at a long-overdue bear hug and instead shaking his hand:

"Holy shit, Qian Lang? No way."

Qian Lang didn’t mind and grinned again:

"I was planning to look for you after dropping off this harvest at the Southern City Base, but I never expected to bump into you here."

He pointed into the distance:

"Come on, let’s talk somewhere private."

"Sure."

Liao Yu nodded. Years into the apocalypse, running into an old acquaintance felt like seeing a ghost.