Chapter 186: What Happened
Chapter 186: What Happened
Anran clutches the crying baby, her hunger driving her to the brink of madness. Desperation takes over as she reaches for a handful of zombie crystal cores scattered among the bones in the flower field.
To her eyes, the crystal cores are no longer just objects—they are food.
The little girl beside her holds onto her, offering silent support as she nestles close. But the moment Anran’s fingers brush the crystal cores, they crumble into white powder.
Tears well in her eyes. She sobs. Then she laughs.
She grabs another handful.
Once again, energy surges into her body, and the crystal cores in her palm dissolve into fine white dust. Relief washes over her.
Doll is still crying, but now, Anran has the strength to care for her.
With the little girl’s help, she leans against the fitting room wall. Her left hand absorbs the crystal cores, while her right hand releases energy.
With each cycle of absorbing and releasing, she feels as though her entire body—every limb, every meridian—is being cleansed by a rushing current. Even her blood vessels seem to expand slightly, an aching pressure building inside them.
But compared to the pain she has just endured, this discomfort is nothing.
Even as she continues channeling her ability, Anran loosens the sling she has tied around her body and sits down to feed Doll.
The child is barely over a month old, yet already she is fussy about her feeding conditions. Just moments ago, she refused to eat properly. Now that Anran has settled down, her body relaxing at last, Doll lets out a small dissatisfied hum before latching on.
What... happened?!
Outside the fitting room, the zombies trapped behind the flower field still press forward, mindlessly eager to break through.
But the moment Doll’s cries cease, the relentless wave of undead begins to slow.
Still, the danger has not passed.
Though fewer zombies are drawn in by sound, they have already evolved the ability to summon their own kind. One calls another, then a group, then an entire horde. Even though the crying has stopped, the clothing store remains besieged.
Anran watches as some zombies begin tearing at the small lily field at the entrance. She studies the size of the flower field—it covers less than two square meters.
Could it expand?
She raises her hand and attempts to release energy into the air, hoping to strengthen the field. But as soon as she does, she laughs bitterly.
Her power is not as formidable as she imagined.
The field remains the same size.
Despite the zombies’ attacks, the lilies are persistent. Green leaves continue to stretch upward, and while branches snap and petals are crushed, the roots and flower balls remain intact. As long as the roots endure, new buds can sprout, replacing what is lost.
The lilies keep consuming the zombies that wander into their grasp.
As Anran observes the thriving flowers, she notices something—these lilies do not consume zombie crystal cores or bones. They devour flesh and blood, but the cores are left untouched, hidden beneath the dense tangle of roots.
She has to push aside the layer of white bones to retrieve them, one by one.
And yet, the more the zombies feed the lilies, the more they flourish.
Their delicate white petals now bear a faint shade of dark green at their center, making them appear even more striking—pure and deadly, blooming in full, extravagant splendor.
As she studies the scene, Anran finally begins to understand.
Her special ability...
Why has she never been able to produce fruit?
Because she lacked the energy. Because she lacked the right soil.
To bear fruit, she needs something more.
And now, at last, she knows what it is.