24 Zombie Experience Card

Zombie Experience Card 24

Xiao Wang and his four companions found the river.

By playing it safe, building good relations with the bunnies, planting plenty of cockleburs, and adding a dash of luck, the five of them successfully located the river without a single casualty. However, finding the river did not mean they could safely approach it. For the sake of their lives and wanting to avoid disturbing the significant number of mutated flora and fauna living near the banks, the group ran back as fast as they could to report the news to Tian Yi.

This was good news.

Tian Yi conducted a field survey and confirmed one thing: for the creatures of this world, water is truly vital. Just as he had heard, many powerful mutated plants and animals congregated near water sources. Not to mention the mutated creatures guarding the banks and the birds circling in the sky, even the fish that managed to thrive within such a "luxurious lineup" of predators clearly had some tricks up their sleeves.

Observing this, Tian Yi did not venture closer. Instead, he continued to plant cockleburs in the areas relatively near the river. A single cocklebur would struggle to survive on the dangerous Southern Mountain, but once their numbers reached a certain point, the mutated creatures that would actively attack them decreased significantly. Moreover, unlike those growing in the ruined city, these cockleburs on the Southern Mountain were more lush and possessed greater offensive capabilities. The fact that Xiao Wang and his team had survived their exploration of the mountain thus far was largely due to this.

The primary labor for planting the cockleburs was, naturally, Xiao Wang’s group. Of course, Nana and the bunnies helped as well. Even the little orange cat suspended its weight-loss regimen to follow along, using its tiny paws to try and dig a few extra holes for the seeds. The consequence of its overzealous efforts was being covered in mud, only to be scrubbed down by Tian Yi upon returning home. The bunnies, naturally, could not escape the same fate.

As the planting range of the cockleburs expanded, the stretch of river that Tian Yi could monitor grew longer. Based on his observations, he estimated that if he wanted to secure a section of the river while minimizing damage, he would need the help of the Virginia creeper to be safe. With only himself, Nana, the little orange cat, and the bunnies, he could not guarantee taking control of a section of the river and might even suffer heavy losses. The number of mutated creatures near every section of the river was substantial.

However, the Virginia creeper was deep within the ruined city. Even though it was already very strong, it seemed quite a stretch to make it extend its vines all the way out of the city, through the Southern Mountain, and to the riverbank. Even if it managed to stretch part of its vines there, its combat effectiveness could not be guaranteed. Therefore, Tian Yi needed to observe, collect information, think, and... test the waters more carefully.

After repeated observations, Tian Yi discovered one peculiar section of the river. Unlike other parts crowded with mutated creatures, this stretch was "clean" to an abnormal degree. After many days of observation and probing the area, Tian Yi could conclude that there were no mutated plants or animals in the forest, on the water surface, or in the sky above this stretch.

So... the mutated creature occupying this section was likely deep in the water. Or, there was a slim chance that the water itself was problematic. It couldn't possibly be that this stretch of the river had simply gone unnoticed by other creatures sensitive to water, could it?

With this hypothesis, Tian Yi decided to get closer to the riverbank to take a look. He knew that rushing to the riverbank was dangerous, so he first tossed a freshly cooked pork knuckle toward the water. The moment he threw it, the little orange cat, which had been lying in his arms, nearly leaped out. In fact, it did jump, but Tian Yi, having anticipated this, caught the cat mid-air. The little orange cat, wanting to retrieve the delicious knuckle, could only watch helplessly as it landed on the grass by the river.

The little cat, who was always craving food but rarely got to eat it—relying instead on Tian Yi’s "loving" feedings—looked at him with an expression that conveyed its inability to accept reality. *If I had known, I wouldn't have come just because I was worried about you!*

Tian Yi stroked the cat’s teary head and stared at the knuckle. Cooking the meat of a mutated animal did not strip it of its appeal to other creatures. Yet, after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. Tian Yi then pulled out a captured, bound mutated rat. Mutated rats were common and destructive, but they also served as food for many other creatures. He tossed the live rat toward the water, and it landed straight in. The rat scrambled in the water, bit through its loose bindings, and quickly swam back to shore. It didn't dare approach Tian Yi, instead sprinting along the safety zone of the cockleburs and disappearing into the brush. Even with such a disturbance, the river remained unchanged.

Tian Yi frowned slightly. Could he have been wrong? Was there really nothing powerful hiding under the water?

To be certain, Tian Yi went back to fetch two other mutated animals. He rotated the types of animals he threw in, just in case the creature in the water was a picky eater. He threw three in a row. Each one broke free of its restraints upon hitting the water and collectively chose to flee immediately.

Tian Yi: "..."

Water was precious. Were these animals running so fast without taking a drink because they were afraid of him, or because they were afraid of what was in the river? Or was there nothing in the water, and was the water itself the problem? Though he knew it was a bit much to expect terrified animals to remember to drink water, this stretch of river was truly too strange.

After many attempts, even throwing explosive materials into the water and seeing nothing happen, Tian Yi finally felt a bit more at ease. He decided to walk to the riverbank himself. Even so, he took many precautions. The Virginia creeper vine clinging to him patted his shoulder, as if to encourage him. Though it hadn't had a chance to fight yet, it always provided a reliable feeling.

Holding an iron rod, Tian Yi walked to the water's edge. The river was incredibly clear, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the grass on the banks. The flowing water felt refreshing. Tian Yi’s own reflection appeared on the surface, and the stones at the bottom were clearly visible. It was a very pleasant spot; Tian Yi almost wanted to squat down and splash some water on his face. It would surely feel wonderful.

He thought about it, but he didn't do it. Instead, he poked the iron rod into the water, stirring up ripples. It still felt... very strange. How could this section of the river be so clear that not only was the surrounding area empty, but the water itself was devoid of life? It was baffling. If the water were contaminated, the downstream sections should have been affected too, but they showed no such anomalies. So, what was going on?

Tian Yi stood by the river for a long time. Just as he was deep in thought, a crocodile’s face suddenly emerged from the crystal-clear water. The face was massive, appearing abruptly and silently. Not only did the little orange cat’s fur stand on end, but Tian Yi was also startled. Reacting faster than the cat or the vine, he swung his iron rod and struck.

*CLANG!*

The thunderous sound of iron hitting something hard echoed through the area. Tian Yi felt a significant vibration travel up the rod. In that split second, he realized that despite his immense strength, he hadn't even managed to break the crocodile's defenses.

*Need to get away.*

Tian Yi’s reaction was quick, and he put distance between himself and the crocodile. However, the creature’s reaction was strange. It stared at him blankly. It didn't pursue, nor did it retreat; it just watched him. Tian Yi actually saw a look of "nostalgia" and "sudden realization" in the crocodile's eyes.

Tian Yi: "..." This felt absurd.

What was even more absurd was the crocodile’s subsequent action. It submerged, reappeared a moment later, and placed a brush—the kind clearly available at a convenience store—on the grass, revealing its teeth to Tian Yi.

Tian Yi was stunned. He was currently pinning down the little orange cat, which was wriggling in his arms, looking like it wanted to fight the crocodile. The vine on his body was also joining the excitement, eager to take a swipe at the beast. The crocodile waited for a moment, and seeing no reaction from Tian Yi, it closed its mouth. It looked at him curiously, as if it didn't understand why he was still standing so far away.

Tian Yi: "..." He was also curious why he could interpret so many thoughts from a pair of small crocodile eyes. Perhaps this was a special talent.

The talented Tian Yi did not approach the crocodile. Once he confirmed one of the creature's abilities, he chose to leave with the still-struggling cat. To be fair, the feeling of the soft, pettable cat wriggling in his hands was quite amusing, so even though the cat began to meow in displeasure, urging him to put it down, Tian Yi kept holding it.

***

Tian Yi returned to the ruined city. Once he was back on the Virginia creeper’s turf and confirmed they were safe, the little orange cat’s meowing grew even louder. The creeper on his body calmed down.

Xiao Wang and his four companions, who were waiting to leave now that the task was finished, were drawn by the cat’s unhappy cries. During this time, the five of them had worked hard planting cockleburs on the Southern Mountain, terrified of being kicked out by Tian Yi. Today, however, Tian Yi hadn't let them work, going to the mountain alone.

The five of them naturally coveted the water source on the Southern Mountain—after all, who wouldn't covet water after the apocalypse? It was an entire river! Such beautiful, clear water! But they knew they were no match for the mutated creatures guarding it. They stayed behind, curious about how Tian Yi, who clearly had designs on the river, intended to get water. In their eyes, Tian Yi, whose background and capabilities were a mystery, was very powerful. But those creatures were strong too! A place like the riverbank was a hotbed for powerful mutated flora and fauna. Even a "very strong" person like Tian Yi would surely find it troublesome to face such a crowd, right? Surely he couldn't be so strong that he could ignore them entirely?

With so many guesses and so much curiosity, they peeked and whispered.

"Is that little orange cat angry?"
"It looks like things didn't go very smoothly, huh?"
"But Mr. Tian doesn't seem to be injured."
"Yeah... I don't know what happened."

They could only guess.

Tian Yi, meanwhile, had not given up on the idea of gaining control over a section of the river. He was re-evaluating whether that "unique" section was worth more of his time. The crocodile’s concealment ability was too strong. Not only was it visually undetectable while in the water, but its presence was also perfectly masked. Until the moment it appeared, Tian Yi hadn't sensed anything amiss, nor had the cat or the vine.

Clearly, this was a very powerful crocodile. Not even counting its demonstrated abilities, its size alone and the fact that it could occupy a section of the river by itself were proof enough. ...Perhaps the crocodile also had some brain issues? When it pulled out that brush, Tian Yi admitted his train of thought had stalled. Especially since the brush looked not only very common but also like it had been preserved for a long time. However, that didn't affect the crocodile’s combat prowess.

Before nightfall, Tian Yi finally managed to soothe the irritable little cat. Once the bunnies returned one by one and the cat curled up to sleep, Tian Yi pulled out his notebook. He began to record his thoughts, including whether or not to continue focusing on the crocodile-occupied riverbank, as well as comparisons and notes on other parts of the river.

It was on this very night that a massive dark shadow crawled out of the Southern Mountain river. It was the crocodile—the one Tian Yi thought was a bit dim-witted but incredibly good at hiding and very powerful. It looked up at the moon. It had waited for a long time; the sky had already turned dark. But the human who appeared during the day had not returned.

Humans were always so busy. Busy with things it couldn't understand. But it knew one thing: it could take the initiative to find the busy human. Night was a perfect time for that. And as it left to find the human, it couldn't forget its cherished little brush. This brush was its favorite. It not only had a cute pink appearance—as it had heard from the human who used to scrub it every day—but it was also very satisfied with the hardness of the bristles.

It had treasured this brush for a long time. It had waited for a very, very long time. And it didn't want to wait anymore.