Chapter 1 Everything Returns to the Starting Point

Everything seemed to have returned to the starting point. They had thought the heavy snows of winter would allow everyone in the base to catch their breath and enjoy a moment of peace in this apocalyptic world.

But since the first fierce attack by mutated animals in the new year, the atmosphere in the base had become tense once again.

The mutated animals outside were struggling to survive and fiercely competing in places unknown to them, and the people in the base were also busy.

Even Mingmei was frantically making boxed meals every day, raising her output from 30 to 80 meals a day.

However, these meals weren't being made and eaten on the same day; instead, spatial ability users in the base were conscripted to store them as reserves for the spring.

According to their estimates, after spring, their base might face attacks from zombies and mutated animals, forcing them to prepare as early as possible.

However, Mingmei's acceptance of a cooking job in the outer city every day was a headache for everyone.

"Julian came to me again, asking me to persuade you not to risk coming to the outer city."

Mingmei came to the ability user cafeteria in the outer city every day to cook lunch or dinner; today was dinner.

Muchen happened to be back from his shift. After eating, he escorted Mingmei into the inner city, and said these words on the way.

"The cafeteria is near our old residence. That place is far from the outer city gate. Even if something happens, I can retreat immediately. Aren't I helping you guys too?"

Mingmei was a little unhappy. She wasn't particularly willing to cook in the first place, and now she was helping out every day, making boxed lunches in the morning and cooking dinner in the afternoon or evening. Why did they sound like she was causing them a lot of trouble?

"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. We know you mean well, but due to the death of the only healing ability user, your existence is extremely precious."

As he spoke, Muchen squeezed Mingmei's hand tightly, glanced at the ability users secretly protecting Mingmei in the corner, winked at Mingmei, and said, "The snow is almost melted. There was a pack of mutated hyenas attacking the other day. They're afraid that if the hyenas rush in, they might accidentally injure you, so maybe the cafeteria should take a break."

Mingmei naturally noticed the people in the corner out of the corner of her eye and sighed helplessly in her heart.

Of course, she knew about the hyena attack a few days ago, but the mutated hyenas and mutated gray wolves seemed to be at two extremes.

The mutated wolves were tall and strong, but the hyenas were getting smaller, but their speed was extremely fast. The hyena pack mainly had numbers and speed; their attack power was very different from the giant wolves.

Although no one died that time, many were still injured.

"Yesterday, there were several nests of mutated rabbits that crashed into the city wall and died… The quarantine station confirmed they were safe and brought them back for a meal."

Muchen thought for a while and chose a lighter topic, but even a lighter topic couldn't deny that life for mutated animals was truly unbearable.

In fact, life was indeed unbearable.

On the first day of spring and the melting of ice and snow, an unprecedented animal tide was seen outside the base.

The sound of hundreds of animals fleeing made everyone in the base, including Mingmei, think it was an earthquake.

However, this time, the mutated animals did not attack the base but chose to detour, as if they were desperately fleeing from something.

Occasionally, some mutated animals stubbornly tried to break in but were taught a lesson by the newly rebuilt outer city walls.

That's right, the outer city walls.

If someone were to go to the outer city now and look at the city walls, they would be amazed by the walls that were even taller than before, as well as the endless mutated morning glories covering them.

Morning glories.

The mutated flowers lived up to their name.

These mutated morning glories were like natural alarm systems. As soon as a mutated animal approached quickly, they would immediately "chatter" non-stop.

More than that, the mutated morning glories would directly use their vines to whip people—no, animals! Eighteen vines would whip you if you didn't listen.

This mutated morning glory was the best news they had received in recent days.

It was all thanks to Lou Jia's good connections.

He obtained a few seeds while buying New Year's goods and didn't expect to grow something like this.

"But, with this, it won't be easy for everyone to get close to the city gate, right?"

Mingmei suddenly thought about the future when she thought about the mutated morning glory's indiscriminate attacks.

"Later, after the animal tide is gone, and the zombies… if there's a zombie tide, and everyone gets through it safely, then this city wall…"

Thinking that everyone might face being whipped when they left the city, Mingmei couldn't help but laugh.

She should be worried, but she still wanted to laugh.

"Then let's worry about it after everyone has safely overcome these difficulties~" Muchen joked, "If it really helps us make it to the end, I'll accept being whipped by it a few times."

…

The time that followed seemed to be on fast forward. Every day, the base had to deal with stray, unconventional mutated animals. Even with the help of the mutated morning glories, occasionally, some "exceptionally talented" animals would fly or jump into the base, causing chaos.

This situation lasted for nearly a month.

As the weather continued to warm, the zombies that had been frozen into ice in the winter also began to become active.

Because the base frequently fought with mutated animals, there was no shortage of blood, and zombies also had a tendency to surround the city.

But zombies didn't feel pain. Even if they were whipped by the morning glories, as long as their heads weren't chopped off, they would persistently try to rush in, which infuriated the morning glories that had been proudly settling in on the city wall.

So much so that—

"Oh my god, this morning glory is yelling every day. Doesn't its throat get tired?"

Mingmei's ability could support her in producing eighty boxed meals a day. Usually, she would rest immediately after finishing.

But recently, for the past half month, she had been continuously disturbed by the noise of the mutated morning glories in the outer city, even in the inner city. She hadn't had a normal night's sleep in a long time.

"It has 'mouths' all over its body, so it can take turns resting."

Mingmei, who came out to pour herself a glass of warm water, heard Bai Xiao, who had also been woken up, come out of her room, so she poured her a glass as well.

"I only worked in the outer city for ten days, and I wanted to sleep well for these ten days back, but who would have thought…"

Who would have thought that these past two days since she returned, Bai Xiao's body would consciously sit up every time she heard the mutated morning glories. She had woken up inexplicably several times.

This was really, too, too torturous!

"This also means that it's not peaceful outside," Mingmei caressed her teacup, looked at Bai Xiao, and asked, "What's the situation now?"

"Ah, how should I put it?" Bai Xiao drank the water in her cup in one gulp and said seriously, "The big battle should be coming soon. Whether we can pass this level depends on this time."