CHAPTER 83 - SPECIAL PLANT MOURNING DEATHCAP

The lunar eclipse had reached its full intensity, casting an eerie darkness over the landscape. Fortunately, each member of the Defender Squad had taken the precaution of eating a Night Vision Fruit beforehand, allowing them to see everything unimpaired.

They could see an immense horde of zombies relentlessly advancing towards the town. However, what truly shook them to their core was the sight of hundreds of formidable Rank 5 zombies leading the charge.

“Block them all!” Captain Dirt commanded, initiating the attack by firing a volley of azure fire bullets towards the approaching zombies. Though the flames seemed mild in appearance, the bullets were burning at an incredibly high temperature, and even the powerful Rank 5 zombies sustained noticeable, fist-sized burn injuries when struck.

Jessica expertly cocked her gun and unleashed a torrent of bullets imbued with both fire and frost upon the advancing Rank 5 zombies. Meanwhile, Knight Hank and Johnson took on the role of tanks, effectively blocking the path of the remaining zombies and preventing them from reaching the backline[1].

Han Wu spread his wings and soared high above the battlefield. His newly enhanced physical abilities, coupled with the devastating combination of Enchant Darkness and Dragon Slash, proved to be immensely powerful, allowing him to defeat Rank 5 zombies with a single blow.

Han Wu had also diligently maintained his close combat training. Even when multiple zombies managed to surround him, he could easily deliver forceful kicks to knock them away, allowing him to break free from their grasp and escape unharmed.

The five members of the Defender Squad coordinated their efforts effectively, successfully preventing numerous Rank 5 zombies from reaching the town. However, as the night wore on and the eclipse reached its peak, the zombies grew in strength, their death aura intensifying. Consequently, the Defender Squad, despite their initial success, gradually found themselves being forced into a retreat.

“Jessica, get to Mayor Weissenegger as fast as you can and request backup!” Captain Dirt shouted, his voice strained with urgency.

Jessica nodded quickly and swiftly retreated towards the town to inform the mayor of their dire situation. Unfortunately, with one less member on the front lines, the remaining members of the Defender Squad found it even more challenging to hold back the zombie horde.

In the chaos of battle, Hank momentarily faltered, and a powerful zombie managed to break through his defenses and damage his Divine armor, which made it considerably harder for him to effectively block incoming attacks.

Meanwhile, Johnson was covered in numerous scratch marks from the relentless zombie claws. Although he was still fighting valiantly, he was certain he would eventually be overwhelmed if the situation continued to deteriorate.

Captain Dirt’s Divine hunting rifle had been firing continuously for so long that its muzzle was glowing a fiery red. He had no choice but to stop firing periodically to allow the weapon to cool down, which as a result hindered his ability to provide constant support. Observing the worsening situation, he was deeply concerned that backup wouldn’t arrive before they were all overwhelmed by the overwhelming intensity of the battle.

Seeing an opportune moment to turn the tide of battle, Han Wu decided to unleash his trump card, the Gene Lock, now that the ten-day cooldown had finally ended.

He shouted, “Captain Dirt, I’ll hold them off for a bit!”

Not waiting for Captain Dirt to reply, Han Wu swiftly used his recently earned points to buy a Rank 5 Illumivine. This unique plant possessed the light attribute, which was particularly effective in neutralizing the death aura emanating from the zombies.

Right after consuming the seed, he activated Gene Lock. His cells began to rapidly absorb the genetic material of the seed, triggering a temporary mutation that caused his entire body to emit a brilliant light.

Almost immediately, hundreds of glowing vines erupted from his body, and he lashed them out at the advancing zombie horde. The glowing tendrils danced wildly through the air, slicing through the undead as effortlessly as a lawnmower trimming grass.

However, the Rank 5 zombies had grown in strength to the point where they could now withstand at least one of Han Wu’s initial strikes, so he had to quickly deliver a second blow to ensure they were destroyed. Despite their increased resistance, hundreds of Rank 5 zombies were swiftly cut down, their bodies pulverized into clouds of dust.

With only a single Rank 6 zombie remaining, Han Wu furiously lashed out with several glowing vines, making its defeat inevitable. Taking a brief pause, he glanced at his point total in the Defender Squad’s Points Shop and was surprised to find that he had already earned 350,000 points, which he could exchange for even more incredible items.

The effects of Gene Lock had finally worn off, but not before the zombie horde had sustained considerable damage. Exhausted from the intense burst of energy, Han Wu retreated to the rear to recuperate. He had done his utmost to provide Captain Dirt and the others with as much precious time as possible.

Just then, Jessica finally located the mayor and quickly relayed the dire situation unfolding at the town’s entrance. Upon hearing the news, the mayor immediately gathered dozens of guards and rushed to the frontlines. Their combined efforts allowed them to temporarily halt the zombie horde’s progress toward the town. Unfortunately, the lunar eclipse was still in full effect, and the remaining zombies kept getting stronger.

Feeling his stamina returning, Han Wu promptly requested to return to the frontlines to aid his comrades. Just as he was going to meet up with Captain Dirt, his eyes caught sight of the horizon from where the zombie horde was emerging, and he noticed a large, ominous cloud of mist gradually making its way towards the town.

Captain Dirt, also noticing the strange mist, quickly turned to the mayor. “Mayor Weissenegger. There’s a large cloud of mist heading directly towards us. We can see perfectly well in the dark thanks to the Night Vision Fruit, but this mist is impenetrable. Do you have a suitable plant to deal with it?”

The mayor’s eyes were fixed on the eerie mist, a deep frown creasing his forehead. “That mist... it’s definitely not normal.”

Acting quickly to counter the approaching mist, the mayor took out a Rank 4 Cloves Wind seed and a porcelain pot. He planted the seed, and within a mere minute, it blossomed into a fully mature Clovewind plant. The plant then began to generate a strong wind that managed to push the mysterious mist back slightly.

Han Wu was utterly astonished, as he had never witnessed a plant grow with such incredible speed. He knew that even the quickest-maturing plants needed around an hour to fully develop, but this Rank 4 Clovewind had sprouted and reached full maturity in a single minute after being placed in the pot!

Curious about the rapid growth, Han Wu closely inspected the porcelain pot and read the data it displayed:

[Porcelain Pot: Used to plant seeds. Increases seed growth rate by 100 times.]

His voice filled with amazement, he exclaimed, “This pot is absolutely amazing for growing special plants!”

The mayor, hearing Han Wu’s exclamation of amazement, turned to him with a kind smile.

“If you like the pot so much, I’d be happy to give you one once we get back to town,” he promised. “Captain Dirt has been praising your excellent work, especially your efforts tonight. After the eclipse is over, I will personally thank you on behalf of the entire town.”

As the mayor spoke, the familiar chime of the system message echoed in Han Wu’s mind.

[Befriended Mayor Arnold Weissenegger. Unlocking Weissenegger’s shop. +100,000 points]

Han Wu was pleasantly surprised by the sudden influx of points, feeling as though a treasure chest had unexpectedly fallen into his lap. He quickly checked out Mayor Weissenegger’s shop, but since he only had 60 Friendship Points, he could only see the first fifteen items. However, he was optimistic that as he continued to earn more Friendship Points, the shop’s inventory would likely expand, offering him even more options.

Han Wu scanned the list of available items in Mayor Weissenegger’s shop and spotted a special plant called the Mourning Deathcap. Its description indicated that it attacked by releasing spores, and it was capable of releasing millions of them in a single burst.

These spores would absorb the death aura from the zombies, allowing them to quickly mature and grow into new Mourning Deathcap plants. These new plants would then release their own millions of spores, infecting the surrounding zombies and repeating the cycle. Its infection speed was much faster than any virus.

Although the Mourning Deathcap possessed unusual abilities, the actual damage it dealt was insignificant, so the mayor had only ever considered it as little more than a regular collectible item. However, it was lucky to have caught Han Wu’s attention tonight.

Han Wu saw an opportunity to develop a new attack strategy centered around the Mourning Deathcap’s unique abilities. He realized that if he could pull it off, it could even level up his core race, the locusts.

Without hesitation, Han Wu spent 5 Friendship Points to exchange for the Mourning Deathcap. He then carefully positioned the plant in front of the Clovewind, intending for the wind generated by the Clovewind to carry the Mourning Deathcap’s spores towards the approaching zombie horde.

1. The backline refers to the group of units positioned behind the frontline. Their main role is to support, attack from a distance, or provide specialized functions rather than directly engaging in close combat, which in this case refers to Jessica and Captain Dirt. ☜