Chapter 35: Zombie Tide, Starfruit Awakening
Su Ning knew very well that now was not the time for rash action. Attacking zombies recklessly could easily put her in danger, turning her into their prey.
So, she decided to first observe her surroundings.
After all, the building she was currently in was far from safe. Su Ning felt an unexplainable sense of unease, and the number of wandering zombies outside was increasing.
Perhaps it was because this instance was called [Corpse Hell]—the name alone sent chills down her spine, as if foreshadowing the endless danger and horror that awaited inside.
Su Ning quickly readied her gear and gripped her Blackrock Bow tightly.
Then, she released several Emerald Bees from her scavenger backpack, letting them fly freely around her.
Ever since she had used the Insect Refining Pot to successfully control the Emerald Bees, she had discovered they could also be used to monitor movements nearby.
Whenever she rested, the Emerald Bees would automatically take up sentry duties to ensure her safety.
At this moment, Su Ning looked up out the window. The sky was growing darker, and the rain was falling in torrential sheets.
In such terrible weather, going outside was clearly unwise.
So, she chose to remain inside the house and wait out the storm.
Outside, the rain grew heavier and heavier. Accompanied by the wails of zombies, the scene created a bone-chilling, horror movie–like atmosphere.
This eerie scene made Su Ning feel incredibly alone—as if she were the only living person left in the world.
However, just as she was about to comfort herself with some canned meat and fried chicken made from Meaty Chickens, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted outside.
Su Ning immediately became alert. She hid behind the curtain and began observing the situation.
Ever since she had leveled up as a [Scavenger], her talents and abilities had improved greatly.
For example, Scavenger’s Eye could now not only appraise items but also had hawk-like vision, allowing her to see great distances.
In her vision now, she saw five people running frantically in the rain—with a horde of zombies chasing closely behind them.
Su Ning was shocked at what she saw. “Is this… a small-scale zombie tide?”
A dense pack of zombies was attacking a group of fleeing players.
Su Ning quickly realized that the number of zombies had already surpassed several hundred. But what truly shocked her was spotting one zombie that stood out from the rest.
This particular zombie was two to three times larger than the others, and its speed was significantly faster—almost comparable to a regular human.
Scavenger’s Eye activated:
[Savage Zombie]: A large mutated zombie with high HP, high damage output, skilled in running, and capable of devastating charge attacks.
Su Ning looked at this zombie, then glanced at the five fleeing individuals.
She couldn’t help but feel concerned—they looked like they were in serious trouble.
But to her surprise, one of the players suddenly stirred up a violent gust of wind around them, enveloping the other four. The group then rapidly distanced themselves from the zombie horde, almost as if propelled by a jet stream.
It was as if the wind itself had formed an engine behind them, pushing them away at high speed.
Su Ning quickly used her Scavenger’s Eye to scan the lead man’s information:
Player: Gu Cheng’an
Talent: Son of the Wind – Able to wield wind elemental power.
Skill: Saber Technique
Seeing Gu Cheng’an’s talent, Su Ning was reminded of Fu Qingge, a player she had met earlier at the breeding farm.
She realized that, like Fu Qingge, this man also possessed an elemental talent—a rare and powerful ability that granted great combat and survival advantages.
In Su Ning’s eyes, elemental talents were incredibly powerful in terms of offense and destruction.
And now, Gu Cheng’an’s Son of the Wind talent had shown her yet another possibility:
“He can actually use wind elements like this—to boost himself and his team’s speed to escape danger.”
Watching as Gu Cheng’an and his team left the area—bringing most of the zombie horde with them—Su Ning was left with only a few slow-moving stragglers outside.
Looking at the zombies that remained behind, Su Ning couldn’t help blaming Gu Cheng’an and his team.
“Seriously? Lure the zombies here and don’t even take them all with you. Leaving me a mess to deal with.”
Su Ning didn’t immediately deal with the leftover zombies. Instead, she decided to eat something to fill her stomach—she needed to quickly adapt to this blood-soaked, zombie-infested world.
She couldn’t afford to keep vomiting every time she saw a zombie. How else would she complete her kill missions?
While eating fried chicken, Su Ning suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
“Wait a minute—since the Corrosive Man-Eating Flower can digest corpses, could zombies be considered food for it too? Might it mutate again?”
Su Ning began letting her imagination run wild.
She also remembered the Starfruit she had stolen from the breeding farm. If plants and animals consumed a Starfruit, could they too awaken?
“There’s only one way to find out—try it.”
With that thought, Su Ning sprang into action and took out the Corrosive Man-Eating Flower from her backpack.
Previously, she had felt uneasy about planting the flower in her personal area of the shelter—what if someone broke in and took it to study?
In this post-apocalyptic world, she had to assume the worst of others. A little selfishness wasn’t a sin—it was survival.
So Su Ning kept the Corrosive Man-Eating Flower in her backpack for safety.
She had once fed it insects to see if she could trigger another accidental mutation like before, but there had been no results.
Now, Su Ning thought, “With all these zombies around, why not test if corpses are the reason for its mutation?”
Once released, the Corrosive Man-Eating Flower remained quietly before her. Perhaps due to the mutation, it could sense that Su Ning was its master.
Thus, it posed no threat to her. But if someone else were standing in her place, they’d likely be devoured.
Without hesitation, Su Ning tossed a Starfruit into the flower’s mouth. It instantly swallowed the fruit, and its body began to contract and emit a glowing light.
To her amazement, the Corrosive Man-Eating Flower had entered a mutational awakening state!
Scavenger’s Eye update:
[Corrosive Man-Eating Flower] is currently undergoing mutation and awakening!
“It really worked!”
Su Ning’s heart raced with excitement, though she quickly realized that the glowing light might attract trouble. She immediately returned the flower to her backpack for safety.
She still had three Starfruits left. She began to consider how best to allocate them.
Outside, the rain and zombie roars blended into a bizarre ambient noise.
Su Ning felt drowsiness creeping in—the white noise was hard to resist.
With the Emerald Bees keeping watch, she pulled out a mattress, closed her eyes, and prepared to rest. Only with full energy could she continue exploring the instance.
But just before she fell asleep, she suddenly had another thought:
What if she gave one of the Starfruits to the Emerald Bees? Could they awaken too?
(End of Chapter)
i was wondering why she didn’t eat the other starfruits but it seems it can only be eaten once? idk if they listed that limit but it makes sense