20 Zombie Experience Cards 20

Zombie Experience Card 20

Ever since the day Tian Yi was attacked, the little orange cat had become a bit... chatty.

After observing it for a while, Tian Yi tentatively settled on the word "chatty" to describe the behavior. Previously, the little orange cat’s life had been one of cozy indolence. Once Tian Yi’s safety was guaranteed and other creatures began to populate the territory of the Boston ivy, the frequency with which the cat stuck to Tian Yi like glue had naturally decreased.

Beyond its intense, recurring scuffles with the muscular rabbit over the "education" of the baby bunnies, the little cat hadn’t paid much mind to anything else. It would either find a spot to sunbathe, trot along behind Tian Yi during his walks, or curl up beside him to rest. Occasionally, when the mood struck, Tian Yi would toss one of the trinkets he’d scavenged from the city—a ball of yarn or a small ragdoll—to the cat. The increasingly laid-back feline would even deign to pounce on them, giving Tian Yi a sense of satisfaction. Watching the cat chase a ball of yarn or kick its legs while hugging a doll, Tian Yi couldn't help but smile, realizing he much preferred the cat in this carefree state. After all, before it had felt secure about his safety, it had shown no interest in such toys.

But after the attack, the bristling little cat had set aside its favorite yarn and dolls for the past two days. It spent its time meowing at the rabbits, then meowing at the Boston ivy. Once done with them, it would follow Tian Yi around, meowing incessantly. Even when Tian Yi walked through the city and passed the burdocks growing along the path, the cat would let out a few meows. Tian Yi couldn't understand its feline language, but he knew the cat was "explaining" something.

Tian Yi: "..."

Worried about the cat’s throat, Tian Yi began carrying fresh water with him, offering a drink every time the cat meowed. If the cat refused, Tian Yi wouldn't say a word, simply fixing it with a gaze full of concern.

The cat, unable to handle the intense staring, would eventually give in: "..."

It had reason to suspect that Tian Yi was just trying to plug its mouth with water. Unwilling to make Tian Yi worry, it would gulp the water down with a huff. With its small belly now rounded and heavy, it would walk away from the "hopeless" Tian Yi with a heavy, disgruntled gait.

After that, the cat shifted its main target for meowing to the Boston ivy. For several days straight, Tian Yi would find the cat huddled under the plant. One night, the cat, which usually loved to snuggle with Tian Yi and never stayed out late, didn't return at all.

By the next day, the cat finally stopped its endless meowing, falling into an exhausted slumber. The Boston ivy, having seemingly "communicated" something with the cat, finally stopped its "harassment" of Tian Yi.

Yes, ever since the attack, the behavior of the Boston ivy had changed. Originally, it only liked to drape a vine or two over Tian Yi when he was nearby. After the incident, it insisted on having its vines follow him wherever he went. Given its size, maintaining this required the plant to constantly grow its vines. For the past few days, wherever Tian Yi wandered in the territory, there were traces of the ivy’s vines stretching out. While covering its entire domain was easy for the plant, it wasn't very friendly to the burdocks growing there, and the buildings and streets that had remained intact also suffered some damage.

If Tian Yi hadn't firmly refused, the plant would likely have fixed a vine around his waist, ready to "deliver" him wherever he wished to go. To the ivy, this was simply a more convenient way to "protect" him. While the image was absurd, it was arguably an energy-saving method if Tian Yi wanted to be lazy. However, keeping the ivy in a constant state of active growth wasn't a great idea for the plant's health. Besides, Tian Yi didn't want to be "saved" that much; he liked walking on his own two feet.

Despite his firm refusal, the plant hadn't given up—until the "long talk" it had with the little cat.

On the morning after the cat fell into its exhausted sleep, the Boston ivy finally stopped keeping its vines constantly extended to follow Tian Yi. Instead, it tried a different approach. A detached, wriggling section of vine fell before Tian Yi. The Boston ivy was a formidable mutant plant, its power beyond doubt. Yet, when it was injured or a vine snapped, it lost control over the severed part just like an ordinary plant. Seeing this piece of vine fall and continue to wriggle like a living creature left Tian Yi stunned for a long moment. Had it not belonged to the ivy, he would have backed away immediately.

Out of trust, Tian Yi stayed put, watching the vine wriggle like a "headless fly" on the ground until it finally found the right direction. Then, it "crawled" toward him. At first, its movements were clumsy, but it soon became adept, looking like a strange, green-leafed snake. It moved without hesitation, and upon touching Tian Yi’s shoe, it gave the toe a little tap.

Though it had no words or human-like facial expressions, Tian Yi could feel its "joy." It "looked up" at him as if asking for permission. When Tian Yi nodded, it climbed up his leg in a familiar way, just as the ivy’s vines usually did. Once it reached his arm, it settled down quietly.

As soon as the vine stopped moving, Tian Yi had a strange sensation, as if he and the vine had become one. Looking closely, he saw that the severed end of the vine seemed to have grafted itself onto his arm. Touching it caused no pain, nor were there any signs of broken skin. It was... quite miraculous. After consuming two crystals as a meal, Tian Yi confirmed it wasn't an illusion—the energy in his body could provide for the vine's needs. The vine also had enough energy of its own, so it didn't strictly require his input.

Tian Yi: "..."

The relieved plant tapped him on the shoulder with its vine. From that day on, the constant trailing of the Boston ivy ceased. The exhausted little cat remained lethargic for days, ignoring even the provocations of the muscular rabbit.

The muscular rabbit, for its part, no longer had time to "play" with the cat. It led the younger rabbits to follow Nai Nai, beginning to actively expand their range of activity. Previously, the rabbits had stayed within the fringes of the ivy’s territory, only venturing slightly into the areas where burdocks grew. They never pushed their luck beyond that zone, preferring to "fish" in the ambiguous territory and wait for willing targets.

After the attack, however, the rabbits began to actively venture out with Nai Nai. This was partly due to the subsequent waves of "tools" attempting to cause trouble. Having learned from the case of Cai Gang and his men, Nai Nai—who usually spent her time staring into space in the shadows—had mastered a technique called "striking first." She would actively leave the ivy’s territory to patrol the surroundings, intent on eliminating new "tools" before they could do anything.

The rabbits followed her with great enthusiasm. They were well-coordinated and swift, never creating a target too large to attract unwanted attention. Though the rabbits couldn't speak, they had a silent understanding with Nai Nai. Whenever she glanced at the huddled, ear-twitching group, she would receive looks that clearly meant, "Is it time to act?"

Nai Nai: "..."

She was initially bewildered by her ability to interpret the rabbits' expressions, but that confusion vanished once new "tools" appeared. Many of the new "tools" Tian Yi acquired for his exploration of South Mountain came from these encounters.

Three waves of newcomers had arrived, each improving in both number and quality, which significantly aided Tian Yi’s plan to find a river in South Mountain. Sadly, after the third wave, no more appeared. Tian Yi, feeling a bit disappointed, sought out the survivors of the last group to ask why.

He asked in what he considered a very gentle tone, but the survivor turned pale as soon as Tian Yi appeared. In the past, people might have argued that Tian Yi "might not be human." They might have forgotten the danger he posed during casual conversation. But now, with a green, wriggling vine from the Boston ivy perched on his arm—a vine that would occasionally shift position on its own—who wouldn't be terrified?

Under Tian Yi’s gaze, the man finally managed to stammer out an explanation: "I don't know why, but before we arrived, there were already many rumors in the Safe Zone that weren't good for our boss. People started suspecting he’d found something good out here and was trying to hoard it while lacking the ability to keep it. Plus, there were rivals who already held grudges against him... I don't know the specifics."

This answer didn't satisfy Tian Yi, though he could glean some information from it. He wasn't interested in the fate of the boss who kept sending him "tools," nor did he care about the rumors. He was only disappointed that the specific situation of South Mountain remained unclear.

His disappointment didn't last long, however. A few days later, more people arrived at the edge of the Boston ivy’s territory. But this time, they were slightly different from the "tools" that had come before.