An idea struck Zhou You, and he excitedly asked, "Could this mutant water grass be another big BOSS?"

"I wouldn't rule it out." In Shao Qi's opinion, aside from terrestrial mutants, there must be aquatic ones as well. The mutated crocodile was amphibious, and there certainly is a fish-type. A mutant water grass isn't out of the question.

Shao Qi ignited a torch, chasing away the water grass on the boat. He then hastened to escape the waters. The mutant water grass grew rapidly; their territory must be vast, making escape quite challenging.

Zhou You looked underwater; previously, where there was little water grass, many fish thrived. Now, in this area, not a single fish could be seen. A vast green expanse lay below, striking fear into the heart.

"It seems... we've ventured into the lair of the mutant water grass," Zhou You said just as countless water grasses surged upwards. Before the torch could be used, the moist grass enveloped it. Their boat was completely cocooned in grass, and both occupants were ensnared in cocoon-like structures.

For the first time since playing the game, Zhou You met his demise. Asphyxiation claimed him. The tightening grasp of the water grass bit into his flesh, causing his head to throb until he gradually couldn't breathe anymore.

When he opened his eyes again, he was at the city's resurrection point. Surrounded by myriad noises, he wondered about Shao Qi's fate, suspecting he might not have lasted long either.

Sure enough, not long after, a flash of white light signaled Shao Qi's revival next to him.

Shaking his head, Shao Qi remarked with difficulty to Zhou You, "To think we'd meet our end at the hands of mutated plants. But it was a worthy death. We genuinely lacked effective countermeasures against them."

Zhou You checked the time. One and a half hours remained. "Shall we venture into the river again?"

"Let's devise a strategy first. Going in unprepared would be a mere death wish." Shao Qi led him into the city, settling in a tranquil park.

"Let's check our loot." Shao Qi connected with Zhou You's account. In this mode, they could share their inventories. It's said only the closest of allies dare to do so.

Their warehouse was filled with lively fish of various sizes and forms, including several beautiful colored fish.

"Though the market doesn't sell edible meat, ornamental fish might fetch a price," Shao Qi remarked, selecting the most stunning fish to place in a decorative tank. He labeled it with a price and listed it for sale.

Then came the shrimps and crabs. The shrimps were palm-sized, looking plump and delicious, but they were merely for display.

"Any use for the shrimps and crabs?" Zhou You pondered as he looked at these shell-covered creatures.

"Shrimp shells can be used in medicines, and crab shells are materials for refining tools. However, with just the two of us and limited time, we won't be able to handle them all." Shao Qi deemed this deal unworthy and with a wave of his hand, dismissed the shrimps and crabs.

Among the remaining fish, few were of substantial quality to fetch a good price. Shao Qi reluctantly sold a massive bulk of them by weight to a pharmacist and earned a paltry sum.

"There's even a pharmacist profession? The framework of this game seems rather detailed. But how does becoming a pharmacist benefit players? They earn points without leaving their base; doesn't that go against the game's original intent?"

Casting a longer glance at the pharmacist, Shao Qi replied with a smile, "That's an NPC. Did you see an option to choose a profession when we were setting up our characters?"

It seemed there wasn't any. He had found it odd at the time; no professions meant that all players assumed a singular identity, likely similar to his own.

"Alright, we need to figure out how to deal with that vast swath of aquatic plants. Using fire in the river clearly won't work. What else can we do?" Zhou You pondered for a while but couldn't come up with a solution. This seemed tougher than dealing with the mutated willow tree.

Shao Qi had never encountered such a situation either. They generally avoided anything within the water. Once a person was on the water or submerged, they became entirely vulnerable, with no avenue for escape.

Chapter 136: Mutual Annihilation

"Have you thought of a solution?" This time, Zhou You was on the motorcycle, with Shao Qi sitting behind, his arms wrapped tightly around Zhou You's waist.

Shao Qi rested his chin on Zhou You's shoulder, gazing at the expansive river. On the surface, everything appeared normal, but who knew the depths were filled with aggressive aquatic plants?

"I have an idea, not sure if it'll work, but we can give it a shot."

Parking the bike, Zhou You released a new speedboat, replacing Shao Qi's previous one that was beyond repair. In the game, damaged tools couldn't be salvaged.

"Wait, let's use a larger battleship this time." Shao Qi rummaged through his toolbox but couldn't find an armed battleship. Checking the in-game store, there were some available, but they were prohibitively expensive.

Zhou You saw the price and winced, "Do we need it? Would the battleship's cannons even work on the aquatic plants? If it fails, we'll incur a significant loss."

Shao Qi eventually made the purchase, not just a battleship, but also a fighter jet. He instructed Zhou You, "Later, I'll dive in to lure the mutated fish swarm. You monitor the aquatic plants from above. Mutated plants have root systems, usually centralized. I'll try to locate it. If we can pull it to the surface, it'll be done for."

Puzzled, Zhou You asked, "So this vast area of aquatic plants has only one root?"

"Likely. Mutated plants reproduce rapidly and have extensive root systems. If we find it, great; if not, we'll need another plan."

"Okay, let's try." Zhou You hopped onto the fighter jet, relieved he had learned to fly it under Shao Qi's guidance. As the jet took off, Shao Qi launched the battleship, circling the riverbank before moving deeper to attract the mutated fish.

Watching from above, Zhou You had a sudden idea. He bought a large bag of fish feed from the in-game store and scattered it from the sky. Fish are naturally drawn to food, and the swarms immediately approached.