The mutated cucumber had only been the size of a thumb two days ago. Now, it had already grown as wide as a palm.
As long as there were green energy beads for the cucumber vine to absorb, it would continue growing little by little.
The problem was that this was a mutated cucumber.
For the time being, no one dared to eat it.
No one knew what kind of effect it might have, but Zhang Ye had already set his sights on the cucumber growing in Wen Lan’s arms.
“Wen Lan, what does your mutated cucumber do?”
Just a small slice of the mutated fleeceflower root had been enough to restore his body in only a few days.
He had originally thought that the severity of his injuries meant he was as good as dead.
After all, there were no advanced medical facilities left in this world.
That was why he had begun to believe that every mutated plant Wen Lan cultivated possessed a unique ability.
“I honestly don’t know. Why don’t you try it?”
Wen Lan’s eyes lit up as she blinked. The cucumber vine could keep absorbing energy beads and continue producing fruit anyway.
“Sure. I’ll eat it.”
Zhang Ye had been hoping for exactly that.
Seeing a willing test subject volunteer himself, Wen Lan couldn’t have been happier. She had been worrying about finding someone to test it on.
She picked the cucumber hanging from her waist.
“Here, Zhang Ye. Give it a taste.”
He accepted it and examined the cucumber. It was a deep, glossy green, perfectly smooth without a single stripe.
There was only one strange thing about it.
It gave off an indescribable scent.
“All right!”
After enduring the bitter taste of the mutated fleeceflower root for three straight days, he wasn’t about to be scared of a cucumber.
The bitterness had disappeared, and his body had almost completely recovered.
Zhou Wen also came over, eager to find out what kind of ability Wen Lan’s mutated cucumber possessed.
“In that laboratory, most mutated plants had evolved offensive instincts. Quite a few of them were poisonous.”
“But this mutated fleeceflower root actually has healing properties. No wonder they were so desperate to capture us.”
Looking at the mutated cucumber, Zhou Wen continued.
“The research showed that mutated plants generally can’t bear fruit.”
“But this cucumber actually produced one.”
“If you don’t pick it, it’ll even keep growing.”
“Seriously?”
After hearing Zhou Wen’s explanation, Zhang Ye suddenly hesitated, staring at the cucumber in his hand.
“Don’t worry. It’s definitely not poisonous.”
Wen Lan spoke with complete confidence.
The baby had been able to absorb the energy inside the cucumber vine, which meant there was no way it could be toxic.
“Fine! I trust my little sworn sister!”
Zhang Ye still vividly remembered the day Wen Lan had charged in with a knife to save him.
The sight had completely stunned him.
He would never underestimate her again.
You really couldn’t judge a person by appearances.
Closing his eyes, Zhang Ye took a big bite.
Crunch.
“Not bad!”
“It’s actually delicious. Nice and crispy.”
“I haven’t had fresh vegetables in ages.”
“It’s so juicy. If it were made into a cold cucumber salad, it’d taste even better.”
In just a few bites, he finished the entire cucumber, almost wishing there were more.
Vegetables used to be cheap and ordinary.
Only now did he truly understand how precious fresh produce had become.
“That’s way too little.”
He looked at the tiny cucumber vine growing in Wen Lan’s little cup.
Who knew how long it would take before it produced another fruit?
“Well? Do you feel anything different?”
Wen Lan asked anxiously.
Zhou Wen and Wen Che also leaned in curiously.
Su Han wanted to watch as well, but unfortunately, his eyes still couldn’t see very well.
“I feel… kind of cool and refreshed.”
“But the effects can’t kick in this fast, can they?”
“I think it’s only just reached my stomach.”
Zhang Ye rubbed his nose.
To be honest, he felt a little nervous himself.
No one knew what effect the mutated cucumber vine would produce.
That night, however, Zhang Ye slept surprisingly well.
Ever since they began traveling through the wilderness, they had been forced to change sleeping locations almost every day.
Getting a good night’s sleep was practically impossible.
Not to mention that danger could appear at any moment.
The next morning—
“Z—Zhang Ye?”
“Oh my God!”
“No way…”
Zhang Ye looked at Zhou Wen, Wen Lan, and Wen Che, all staring at him with identical expressions of shock.
“I never thought I’d see the day Zhang Ye actually became handsome.”
“His skin is so smooth.”
“And that scar on his face has faded quite a bit.”
“He’s still a little tanned, though.”
“…”
Zhang Ye was completely dumbfounded.
He had no idea what was going on.
He hadn’t felt any change in the energy inside his body.
Wen Lan took a small mirror out of her space.
“Take a look.”
Zhang Ye looked into the mirror.
Men were usually rough to begin with.
He had never paid much attention to skincare, and after the apocalypse, his skin had become even rougher.
Yet now…
His face had become noticeably smoother.
He could hardly believe it.
Wen Lan finally understood what the mutated cucumber did.
Cucumbers were known for hydrating the skin and enhancing one’s complexion.
The fruit produced by the mutated vine had inherited that exact effect.
Then another realization struck her.
When the baby absorbed the mutated fleeceflower root’s energy, it fed that energy back to her, granting her regenerative abilities.
Its effects matched the fleeceflower root’s healing properties.
So if the baby absorbed the cucumber vine’s energy and returned it to her…
Wouldn’t that make her skin smoother, fairer, and more delicate?
That meant the cucumber vine had the same beauty—enhancing ability.
A beauty cucumber!
Absolutely worth having!
If the apocalypse had never happened, this beauty cucumber would have sold like crazy!
She could have become the richest woman in the world just by selling cucumbers.
It wouldn’t have been a dream!
After all…
What woman didn’t love being beautiful?
Although…
In the apocalypse, beauty didn’t seem nearly as useful.
Still, at least the cucumbers weren’t poisonous.
They could satisfy a craving for fresh food.
After all, fresh fruits and vegetables were almost impossible to find nowadays.
“Miss Wen, what’s your secret to cultivating mutated plants?”
“Why are all the ones you grow so different from everyone else’s?”
Zhou Wen looked both envious and curious.
After all, he possessed a plant—type ability.
Wen Lan smiled faintly.
She certainly couldn’t tell him that she nourished them with her own blood.
Besides, other people’s blood wouldn’t have the same effect anyway.
“Maybe… because I water them with my brother’s ability—generated water?”
That probably helped a little.
The moment Zhou Wen heard that, his eyes lit up.
Although the mutated little flower had fused with his body, its main body still remained outside.
Specifically…
On top of his head.
Which meant there was literally a flower growing from his head.
It looked rather bizarre.
“But… how are you supposed to water the flower on your head?”
“Do you just water… your head?”
Wen Lan clicked her tongue in amazement.
Then again, zombies existed now.
A flower growing from someone’s head wasn’t all that shocking anymore.
“That’s fine.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Brother Che, please.”
Zhou Wen said with complete seriousness, hoping to receive some of Wen Che’s special water.
Without another word, Wen Che condensed a sphere of water above Zhou Wen’s head.
A localized rainstorm immediately began.
Watching the scene, Wen Lan couldn’t help laughing quietly behind them.
Inside the safe zone—
“That woman’s mutated plant was only about the size of a palm.”
“But suddenly it extended two vines several meters long and tied up our men.”
The two men who had been restrained still had deep red marks on their arms.
Even stranger…
Their wounds refused to heal.
No matter what medicine was applied, the injuries remained exactly the same.
“The wounds caused by that mutated plant still haven’t healed.”
“You may all leave.”
Zhou Cong frowned, unwilling to listen to any more useless reports.
“Uncle, it looks like Xia Mo wasn’t lying.”
“Could that mutated fleeceflower root really be some kind of SSS—rank mutated plant?”
Although Zhou Feng and Zhou Cong were only distant relatives, Zhou Feng had become an Evolver with considerable strength.
That alone made the relationship far more valuable.
Xia Mo frowned slightly.
Originally, she had intended to use Zhou Feng to steal Wen Lan’s mutated plants.
But now…
She had decided that relying on Su Han was inferior to becoming stronger herself.
Because the fragment of memories belonging to the original Xia Mo had awakened.
Worse still, a tiny remnant of Xia Mo’s consciousness stubbornly refused to disappear, no matter how hard she tried to devour it.
“This Xia Mo is surprisingly strong—willed.”
“Once my strength returns, I’ll separate what’s left of your consciousness and transfer it elsewhere.”
Transfer it…
Into those mutated plants?
Ever since learning who the father of Wen Lan’s baby really was, Xia Mo had gone completely insane.
She clearly remembered that Su Han had never had a lover.
Since she couldn’t have him…
She would destroy everything and claim it for herself.
To control everything…
She first needed greater strength.
As for Su Han…
He wouldn’t die so easily.
Right now, her highest priority was winning Zhou Feng over.
Wen Lan’s group continued traveling along the provincial highway.
Food had become increasingly scarce.
Although Wen Lan still had plenty of supplies stored inside her space, those provisions had originally been intended for only herself and her brother.
Now there were three additional mouths to feed.
Naturally, the food disappeared much faster.
With one woman and three men in the group, Wen Lan rarely needed to kill zombies herself anymore.
Zhang Ye handled the killing.
Su Han dug out the crystal beads.
Whenever Wen Lan was nearby, however, her mutated fleeceflower root would automatically retrieve the zombie crystals and hang them on itself.
On the third day, they discovered a food processing factory.
They also found an old, battered van.
After Su Han and Zhang Ye spent some time repairing it, they managed to get it running again.
Su Han’s psychic perception ability had also improved considerably after absorbing energy beads.
Its detection range had now expanded to one thousand meters.
For the moment…
He detected no psychic energy whatsoever.
So the group entered the food processing plant.
Several large transport trucks were parked outside the massive factory.
Their cargo doors had already been forced open.
Oddly enough…
The supplies inside hadn’t been taken.
A long trail of blood stretched across the ground.
Su Han swept the surrounding area with his psychic ability.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Not even a single zombie.
No living creatures.
Not even wandering corpses.
It was as though the entire world had been emptied, leaving only the few of them behind.
“Stop the vehicle.”
Zhang Ye immediately slammed on the brakes.
The tires screeched across the asphalt, sending pebbles flying.
“I can sense something underground.”
Wen Lan’s perception ability allowed her to detect even the slightest movement around her.
She couldn’t tell what it was.
Only that something was there.
“So what now?”
“We’re already at a food processing factory.”
“Are we really going to turn back?”
“We’re going.”
Wen Lan gritted her teeth.
Su Han got out of the van.
Wen Lan and Wen Che followed.
“You two stay outside and watch the vehicle.”
“Got it.”
The three of them entered the factory.
Wen Lan headed straight for the warehouse.
The heavy shutter door was still locked.
Without hesitation, she kicked it open.
Inside were boxes upon boxes of vacuum—packed food, all prepared for shipment.
The moment she saw the stockpile, her eyes sparkled.
She immediately stored everything inside her space.
Fortunately, after the baby had absorbed so many energy beads—and thanks to the baby’s tenfold feedback from Su Han’s prenatal education—her storage space had already expanded to one thousand square meters.
The warehouse itself was only about two hundred square meters.
There was more than enough room to store everything.
Rumble…
In the distance, several people had been secretly watching the food factory through surveillance equipment.
“They went in!”
“I bet they’ll be eaten within five minutes!”
“No.”
“Three minutes, tops!”
The group held up their phones, using the zoom cameras like binoculars.
“What’s going on?”
“Why hasn’t that thing appeared yet?”
“They’re not actually going to carry away all the food from the warehouse, are they?”
“Those are vacuum—sealed supplies!”
“They’ll last for ages!”
“Impossible!”
“So many of us have tried!”
“Even ability users who went inside all ended up dead!”
“Those people clearly don’t know what they’re walking into.”
“We’ve been guarding this place for days.”
“Wasn’t it all for the food inside?”