Chapter 490: Pushed to the Limit
Chapter 490: Pushed to the Limit
A massive flower bulb fills the parking lot in front of the supermarket—so large it nearly occupies half the underground garage. The garage itself is relatively empty, with few roots. Thanks to the hollowed-out terrain, the flower’s roots grow entirely beneath it.
By the time An Ran and her group arrive in Xiangcheng, the bulb has already birthed countless offshoots, its roots sprawling across the entire Star District.
But as An Ran advances, planting wood-type crystal cores along the main road from Xiangcheng to the Star District, bulbs sprout along the route. By the time she reaches the edge of the region, her flowers cover it completely. The once-dominant carnivorous flower has already lost half its territory.
With Zhan Lian and the others approaching, the carnivorous flower goes berserk, trying to devour the smaller flowers. An Ran can feel its fury and frustration.
More critically, though it has lost ground, its roots begin extending southward—toward the zombies and mutant beasts. As long as food flows underground, it keeps growing. No matter how many roots Zhan Lian and the others destroy, it regenerates. The underground food chain is abundant.
So An Ran needs to get to the front and tell them: surface attacks are useless. They need to enter the garage and extract the wood-type crystal core from the heart of the flower.
After giving Fatty instructions, she gets into the car. The vines covering the vehicle slide off one by one. She sits in the driver’s seat, turns to Doll, and tears the book in half.
“Baby, sit tight. We’re going a little farther.”
Swish!
Doll giggles, tearing the pages without complaint.
Suddenly, the passenger door opens. Little Mint gets in, buckles up, and silently makes clear she’s coming along.
An Ran glances at her but says nothing. She steps on the gas, rolling over the mutant vines, speeding toward home and the supermarket.
The closer they get, the more intense the battle becomes. Screams, shouts, and explosions fill the air. Her vines are nearing their limit, and more and more soldiers rest on the roadside.
Before arriving, the soldiers loot several fire stations. Each of them now wears chemical protective gear.
Spotting Liang Ziyu, An Ran pulls over, rolls down the window, and asks, “What’s going on up ahead?”
Liang Ziyu, a medkit slung across his body and his chemical suit half-worn, is bandaging a wounded soldier. His face is blackened and haggard. Hearing An Ran, he stands up, turns, and shouts over the noise, “The battle’s too fierce! Your husband, Zhang Boxun and Luo Feifan are going crazy, racing each other to reach the front. They’ve probably already touched the petals!”
From her vantage point, An Ran sees that the area ahead is scorched black—evidence of Luo Feifan’s fire. At the top of the flower, its stamens reach skyward, swaying in the night wind, clearly visible.
She knows she can’t go any further—it’s far too dangerous for Doll.