Chapter 240: The Color Is Much Brighter
Chapter 240: The Color Is Much Brighter
Anran hurries up the stairs, but her foot slips—she lands hard on the steps. The impact startles Doll in her arms, who is already miserable from the heat. The child bursts into loud, wailing cries.
Behind her, Little Mint quickly sets Hengheng down, pushes him toward the second floor of the construction site, then turns back to grab Anran.
Below, the swarm of mice has already gathered, their squeaking filling the air as they rush forward. Their red eyes gleam with malice, making them look even more sinister.
Just as the first of them are about to sink their teeth into Anran, her plant reinforcements finally arrive.
Slender green vines shoot out, wrapping around the mice. Tiny buds form along the stems, piercing straight into the rodents' bodies. The roots burrow through their patchy fur, greedily absorbing flesh and blood.
A single green tendril crawls up Anran’s foot, slithers over the wailing baby, and reaches her face—where it suddenly blooms into a small wildflower.
As if asking for praise.
Anran reaches out and lightly brushes the petals. A wave of relief washes over her. Glancing at the still-approaching mice, she speaks softly to the flower,
"I'll leave it to you."
The petals tremble, as if responding to her command. Then the flower turns its head—
And the vines explode in growth.
Green tendrils surge across the ground, twisting and stretching as they clash with the oncoming mice.
Zombies ignore plants, but mice eat anything. Even wires aren’t safe from their gnawing teeth. However, these rapidly growing vines aren’t as fragile as ordinary plants.
Even so, for them to remain aggressive in battle, Anran has to supply them with her ability. The effort quickly drains her energy, her exhaustion compounded by Doll's relentless crying.
Just as her vision begins to blur from fatigue, Little Mint presses a handful of sparkling crystal cores into her palm.
"Where did you get these?" Anran asks, her forehead drenched in sweat.
Little Mint smiles weakly. "I picked them up last time. The bucket was too full, so I stuffed some into my pockets."
"Good habit!"
Anran praises Little Mint, absorbing the energy as she forces herself up. She climbs to the second floor of the construction site, finds a corner, and takes Doll out of the sling. Lifting her shirt, she feeds the child, all while catching her breath.
She realizes she needs to carry crystal cores with her at all times, just like Little Mint. If she ever runs out of energy in the middle of a battle, being overpowered by a swarm of rats isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable.
It isn’t a matter of whether she can defeat them.
It’s a matter of whether she has the resources to survive long enough to fight.
As she mulls over the thought, she notices Little Mint standing nearby, a blank expression on her face as she crouches down. She has a knife in hand and is carefully picking up crystal cores from the ground.
Anran takes a closer look.
The cores aren’t just any ordinary ones.
They have come from the rats—the ones her plants consumed.
Little Mint scoops up a handful and hands them to her. Anran picks one up, holding it against the light. Her brows furrow.
"The quality is much brighter," she mutters.
The meaning behind her words is clear—
The rats here are stronger than the ones at Sunshine Lake Community.
Anran isn’t sure how levels are classified, but after absorbing so many crystal cores, she has learned one thing—
The brighter and larger a core, the stronger the creature it comes from. Whether it’s a zombie or a rat, the rule remains the same.
In the distance, Yun Tao’s car approaches.
From afar, he notices something strange—
The motel is eerily silent.
His brows knit together as he slows the car, finally pulling over at the roadside in front of the building.
There are more zombies on the street than when he left.
It’s as if someone has passed through, drawing them here from other areas.