Chapter 319: Chapter 307: A Corner of Land
At this moment, everyone in the safe base had come out of their houses to stare up at the sky. A net woven from green vines now shrouded the base, creating a visually shocking and oppressive sight.
The sun, already half-obscured, now offered no warmth whatsoever. The only light in all of Morhaven came from the sea of green vines and the faint, green Spiritual Energy suffusing the air. With the sun’s light source all but vanished, the world finally seemed to possess the true atmosphere of an apocalypse.
Flora Bloom stared in disbelief at the changes that had swept over the Morhaven safe base. This scene...
"What the hell is this thing?"
It’s unclear who spoke first, shattering the silence in the base. Immediately after, curiosity began to bloom on some people’s faces, and they wanted to go outside to see the strange phenomenon for themselves.
"Hey, the outside of the base is completely wrapped in vines! Where are the Fire Ability Users? Get over here and clear away these plants blocking the path!"
Several ability users and regular people formed small groups of two and three, preparing to exit through the main gate. They soon discovered, however, that the gate itself was also blocked by the unknown plants.
However, that was no longer their primary concern. What truly caught their attention was the view from the main gate: the road was gone, replaced by a field of green grass that grew taller than a person.
To get outside, they would have to plunge into the tall grass and find their way through.
But when faced with the unknown, most people preferred to retreat rather than take risks. This was especially true for ability users in the apocalypse, who valued their lives even more than ordinary people.
More and more people gathered at the main gate, each filled with unprecedented curiosity about what lay beyond.
After returning with four others on the Behemoth, Flora Bloom went straight back to Villa No. 3. Everyone had followed her instructions and stayed inside. Seeing her return, they all crowded around.
"Flora, are you hurt?" Jade was the first to rush over. Seeing her daughter return safely, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Flora Bloom recounted everything she had seen at the Bio-Park. The people closest to her needed to know about the laboratory’s existence and be on their guard.
"For now, no one is to leave the base for any reason. There are definitely still people from the laboratory hiding among us here. To be safe, we can’t make any rash moves. The outside world has changed drastically, and the entire layout of Morhaven is going to be transformed. All hunting squads are to cease zombie-hunting expeditions immediately. Given the current situation, I think we need to focus on our own infrastructure and food production here at home. I’m afraid the days ahead won’t be easy."
Through her control over spiritual plants, their vast underground root network continuously fed Flora Bloom information about the outside world.
As they had raced back on the Behemoth, the surrounding scenery had already undergone many changes. From the earth, split open by the tremors, Flora Bloom could sense an ancient, primeval power reawakening.
The safe base now felt like an abandoned corner of Morhaven, using its own strength to fight against the invasive plants from the outside.
’In her past life, Morhaven was the only city that hadn’t been overrun by a zombie horde. Could this be why?’ The countless plants that had sprung up from nowhere were now in a constant struggle against her own spiritual plants.
"What in the world happened outside? And what was that earthquake? Also, Sis, did you find Chester Bell?" Joel Bloom asked suddenly, his gaze fixed on Flora Bloom with concern.
Ever since the incident with Lucia, Joel Bloom had undergone a transformation. The ordeal had stripped him of his youthful vitality, leaving him indifferent to everything around him.
But ever since he learned he’d been manipulated by Lucia, his old spark seemed to have returned. And Flora Bloom could see that his feelings for Shelly, the nurse, were something special.
’She wouldn’t meddle in her brother’s love life. As long as he didn’t fall for a zombie, she was happy for him to like whoever he wanted.’ Besides, Flora Bloom herself had a very good impression of Shelly, the lively and kindhearted nurse.
"Chester Bell is dead. Shelly should be fine and will wake up soon."
Flora Bloom had barely finished speaking when Joel Bloom, trying to suppress a look of pure elation, dashed toward the villa next door. "Mom, Dad, Sis, I’m going to check on her!"
Jade’s face also lit up with joy. "It’s wonderful that Shelly will be alright. And look at your brother... he’s finally stepping out of Lucia’s shadow, isn’t he?!"
Flora Bloom nodded. "Mom, don’t worry about him; he’s not a child anymore. By the way, Dad, Old Lynch, everyone—how many plant-type ability users do we have on our team?"
Everyone looked at Flora Bloom, confused by the question.
"Is something wrong? Why do you ask?" Sherman Lynch inquired curiously.
"Old Lynch, I’ll explain in detail later. I’m going to need your help with this."
"I had originally planned to go to Argent and find Lex Cross once the base was more stable. He’s been gone so long without a word; I’m worried he’s in danger. But now the outside world has changed so much, it’s unlikely that low-level zombies can even survive in this environment. With no external threats, our internal affairs aren’t that pressing. Before I leave for Argent, I want everyone to focus all their energy on leveling up to the Middle Level." As she spoke, Flora Bloom took out all the Zombie Crystal Cores from her dimensional space, along with a few small Energy Gemstones.
"These Crystal Cores, combined with the ones you already have, should be enough for every member to advance. If it’s not enough, I have more Energy Gemstones."
With the exception of Joel Bloom, Selina, Maeve Preston, Mark Sterling, Fakyou, Lisa, and Irvin Holden, everyone present was an ability user. After hearing Flora Bloom’s instructions, they each took a share of the Crystal Cores and returned to their rooms to absorb them.
Selina, Maeve Preston, and Mark Sterling didn’t give it much thought, continuing with their daily routines. They were happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Flora Bloom pulled Sherman Lynch aside. "Old Lynch, I need you to gather all the plant-type ability users on our team and form them into a separate squad. If we don’t have enough, have David Warren and Irvin Holden recruit more. But you know how I am, Old Lynch. I value quality over quantity, and I won’t accept anyone who isn’t completely loyal."
Sherman Lynch gave a slight nod. "Why the sudden interest in plant-type ability users?"
Flora Bloom explained the other advancement path for plant-type users to Sherman Lynch. She added that she had originally intended to capture a plant-based battle pet for Cynthia Grant before coming back, but a strange disturbance in the Bio-Park’s mountains had given her a bad feeling, prompting her to race home.
"Once a plant-type user reaches the Middle Level, in addition to using their own magically grown vines, they can also establish a bond with a plant battle pet, which can then fight on their behalf."
"I see."
"Given how the outside world looks now, there are bound to be all kinds of emergencies down the line. Old Lynch, after you find these plant-type users, can you help me train them? I’ll provide all the food, water, and any other resources they need."
Sherman Lynch beamed. "In that case, you can leave the task of selecting the plant-type ability users to me. But Flora, you’re nearly five months pregnant. Your parents don’t have the heart to tell you you’re overworking yourself, because they know you wouldn’t listen anyway. But as the eldest elder of this team, I have to say something. You need to slow down. It’s not just your parents—every single one of us is worried about you.
"Flora, this team is our responsibility too. We don’t need a young woman like you to personally handle every single detail for us. Sometimes, learning to trust your teammates is a form of growth in itself."
Flora Bloom nodded and smiled. "I understand, Old Lynch! See? Isn’t that why I’m entrusting this job to you?"
