Chapter 58: Purple Fragrant Wisteria, Siege
Of course, as time passed, the store [Doomsday Survival Department Store] gradually came into the view of all players on Earth.
Among them, players from the Daxia (a.k.a China) nation paid the most attention.
Many speculated that the mysterious shop owner must be a powerful figure from Daxia. After all, judging from the settings of various items in the shop, it seemed that Daxia players were given more favorable treatment, while players from other countries were relegated to the background.
The journey had been quiet so far.
The Ninth Shelter and the Sixth Shelter were far apart, with the Seventh and Eighth bases situated in between.
Before the apocalypse, one could have driven there in a single day. But in the current situation, even with vehicles made of special materials, it was difficult to reach the destination within a day.
After driving for some time, the team had to stop midway to rest. They halted at a quiet location.
They arrived under an abandoned office building by the roadside.
Su Ning stepped out of the car, looked around, and observed how this once-bustling city had become so desolate.
“Su Ning, Officer Zhang Xing is looking for you.”
Hearing the call, Su Ning approached Zhang Xing.
This rescue mission happened to be under Zhang Xing’s command. As Liu Jianjun’s direct subordinate, it made sense that he was assigned to lead the operation.
When Zhang Xing saw Su Ning approach, a relieved expression appeared on his face.
He waved her over and explained in detail why he had called her.
“Su Ning, take a look—do you think this thing is poisonous?” Zhang Xing said as he pulled out a box of vine-like plants.
Su Ning looked over. The box contained vibrant purple vines. They looked highly toxic, yet gave off a highly enticing fragrance.
The scent was so alluring that even Su Ning was momentarily captivated by it, overcome by a strong feeling of hunger.
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Xing quickly explained, “This is a strange plant collected by a player in the shelter during their second time entering a dungeon. He saw animals eating it, so he gathered some to bring back. These plants have been under research at the institute for some time, but no conclusion has been drawn. We brought them along this time to ask you to identify whether they’re edible and if they’re poisonous. If they’re safe, we can use them as rescue supplies.”
Upon hearing this, Su Ning immediately activated her “Scavenger’s Eye” to observe and analyze the vines.
Moments later, she received detailed information about the plant:
[Purple Fragrant Wisteria]: A special vine that emits an enticing aroma and contains a certain level of toxicity. It is the favorite food of the [Moo Moo Cow]. Players may experience mild hallucinations after consumption, but with proper processing (peeling), the toxins can be removed, making it a delicious delicacy.
Su Ning relayed this information to Zhang Xing. He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, “If that’s the case, we can try some methods to remove the toxins. Maybe we can consult some skilled cooks and see if they can solve this. After all, if it’s safe to eat, this could become a decent food source for us.”
Su Ning wasn’t surprised by this arrangement, but she became interested in the dungeon where the [Purple Fragrant Wisteria] was found.
From Zhang Xing’s description, the dungeon wasn’t particularly dangerous. Players just had to wait patiently for the time to pass and could return safely.
A dungeon that provides food and keeps players safe—who wouldn’t envy that?
If there was a way to enter it repeatedly, it could become a stable and secure food source.
However, based on Zhang Xing’s calm demeanor, Su Ning deduced that the Sixth Shelter likely had a way to re-enter that dungeon.
With the matter settled, Su Ning decided to leave.
As she was about to head upstairs, her eyes happened to fall on Zhang Li, who was moving items.
At that moment, Zhang Li wore a blank expression, seemingly fully absorbed in her work. Su Ning said nothing, picked up her own belongings, and walked upstairs.
She found a quiet corner and sat down to rest.
Even though food had been supplied along the way, it wasn’t as ideal as Su Ning had hoped.
She knew that under the circumstances, having food at all was already a stroke of luck.
Naturally, she didn’t dare to openly take out her private food stash for fear of drawing attention or jealousy. So she followed everyone else’s pace and kept a low profile.
If she ever became too hungry, she would secretly sneak herself an extra meal.
Jiang Nana struggled to eat the dry biscuit provided by the team. Although it wasn’t an insect cake, it was still very coarse and hard to swallow.
She turned to Kou Dingshan and said, “Don’t you feel it? The temperature is dropping fast lately. I can actually bear the cold now.”
Hard to believe that just a year ago, Jiang Nana couldn’t survive without air conditioning.
“Looks like the extreme cold is gradually arriving,” Kou Dingshan said beside her.
“Sigh… When will these days ever end? After the extreme heat, it’s extreme cold.”
Just as everyone was preparing to rest, something unexpected happened.
Su Ning suddenly heard the roar of motorcycles, growing louder and closer.
The noise came from multiple directions. Clearly, it wasn’t just one person—an entire group was approaching.
Zhang Xing’s nerves immediately tightened. He knew exactly what this meant—danger was coming.
Although the nation had established 12 major shelters, there were still many who refused to leave their home turf.
Some people formed their own shelters or bases, and others claimed territories, ruling as local tyrants.
The expressions of Jiang Nana and the others also turned grim. She couldn’t help but ask, “Are these people friend or foe?”
Su Ning didn’t respond. She observed carefully from above.
She saw a group of people riding motorcycles speeding toward their location, all wielding weapons and looking fierce.
Su Ning focused on the bald man leading the group.
[Player: Bi Qingjing]
Talent: High-Pitched Voice (Can emit headache-inducing high notes)
Skills: None
In the next moment, Su Ning personally experienced just how painful this “High-Pitched Voice” talent could be.
The bald man and his crew arrived beneath the office building where Su Ning and the others were.
After parking their motorcycles, the gang members all pulled out something like earmuffs and put them on.
Then, the bald man took a deep breath, gathered strength in his core, and shouted at the top of his lungs in a piercing voice, “Listen up in there! Hand over all your supplies and this lord might spare your lives. Otherwise, we’ll take you all down!”
After his announcement, his gang started howling one by one.
Waving their weapons around as a show of force—it was clear they came with ill intentions.
Su Ning and the others stepped out of the office building. Su Ning pulled out her bow and arrows from her backpack, and the others also armed themselves.
Zhang Xing’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He had already anticipated that this journey would be far from peaceful and had made preparations in advance.
(End of Chapter)
