Chapter 84: Praise Xiao Yuan a Hundred Times

“However, Lin Mu, perhaps staying by my side, you’ll encounter many unnecessary dangers.”

He smiled faintly, his deep eyes hiding a serious expression.

Lin Mu stood up, bent down to look at him, the wide collar revealing his attractive collarbone, completely unaware.

The distance between their noses was no more than half a finger, and they could both see their own reflection in the other’s eyes.

“Major Fu, do you worry about your comrades being in danger? Or would you stop them from participating in a mission because of that worry?”

After Lin Mu finished speaking, he stepped back a little, lifted his chin, and threw out a disdainful comment, “You’re so long-winded.”

He bent his knees and leapt off the concrete wall, heading towards the area outside the safe zone.

“Heh, long-winded? I’m damn well just worried about you.”

The voice, still carrying a smile, shouted after him.

Lin Mu waved a hand behind him, signaling that he understood.

Many of the zombies in the open area had already been cleared, but too many were killed last night, and in places where they were piled high, the zombie heaps reached three to five meters tall. From a distance, it looked like a fortress of zombies.

At the spot where the giant zombie had fallen, there were many collapsed buildings due to the explosions, which had been left to be dealt with last.

Countless zombies were trapped under the concrete and rubble, and the crater created by the C9 explosion was immensely large.

The gate of the safe zone had already been opened, and gradually, organized personnel pushed carts out to clear the open area.

Lin Mu released Xiao Yuan, standing in a higher spot, absorbing energy while casually tossing zombies into the pit.

Fu Jingmo jumped down next to him, glanced at the restless person, and frowned, “Isn’t your injury still not healed?”

“It’s fine. It hurts whether I move or not.”

“Let me see.” He leaned his head closer and hooked a finger to pull open the collar at Lin Mu’s back, peering inside.

The pale skin was covered with a pinkish scab, a very thin layer, but it still looked shocking.

“Take care of the wound first before doing anything.”

Ignoring the strange feeling, Lin Mu stopped being stubborn and sat down directly on a flat concrete slab.

Surrounded by countless zombie corpses, Xiao Yuan continuously absorbed energy. The green vines darted everywhere, weaving through the piles of zombies, with two leaves at the tip swaying happily, like a long snake twisted from a tree branch.

Thick-soled military boots crunched over the rubble as Fu Jingmo tossed zombie bodies into the huge pit in front of Lin Mu, making it easier for him to absorb energy.

The two worked in silence, occasionally drawing curious glances from passing soldiers or mutants, some of whom would snap their feet together and salute Fu Jingmo.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Xiao Yuan’s leaves shook wildly. Lin Mu opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening, and looked in the direction pointed by the vine’s tip.

It was a small pile of zombies. Xiao Yuan pushed aside two disfigured corpses on top and dragged out the one underneath.

With just one glance, Lin Mu’s expression turned strange.

Compared to the other zombies, this one was surprisingly clean. Its body was small, like that of a child.

It was dressed in a tiny black suit, wearing a small bow tie, with chubby cheeks on its face.

Xiao Yuan circled around it twice, and before Lin Mu could take a closer look, the tip of its vine suddenly pierced into the little zombie’s head.

…

It didn’t need to absorb energy like that. Lin Mu watched its actions, curious about what it was doing.

Noticing something strange, Fu Jingmo stepped over the rubble in a few strides and jumped over, following Lin Mu’s gaze.

Xiao Yuan was stirring around inside the zombie’s head. The scene was indescribably grotesque, with the white brain matter making a squelching sound as it was churned, causing an unsettling feeling in one’s stomach.

After a moment, the vine tip lifted out a transparent, shiny object, shaking off the dirt stuck to it, and waved it toward Lin Mu.

Just as Lin Mu was about to retrieve it for a closer look, in a flash, the shiny object disappeared into the vine tip.

It was like a drop of water, seeping into Xiao Yuan’s body.

Before he could react, Lin Mu’s entire body shuddered, a sharp pain in his chest causing him to stumble. If not for Fu Jingmo’s quick reflexes, he would have tumbled into the pit.

“Ugh.”

A suppressed groan of pain escaped. This pain was all too familiar to Lin Mu, a feeling he would never forget—just like when Xiao Yuan had originally drilled into his chest.

It was a tearing pain, but there was something different this time: the blood flowing inside his body suddenly became sluggish, as if it had thickened to the point where it could barely move.

The suffocating feeling quickly spread through his entire body. Lin Mu bent his knees and knelt down, and Fu Jingmo supported him, leaning his body against his shoulder.

“Lin Mu! Lin Mu!”

Cold sweat spread across Lin Mu’s face, his complexion rapidly turning pale. Fortunately, after all the trials he had endured over time, his sensitivity to pain had gradually decreased.

Through gritted teeth, he forced out two words, “I’m fine.”

He focused his mind, controlling his consciousness as it entered the inner space. Once inside, the physical pain became a blur.

The lawn was piled with various snacks, clothes, and blankets, all things that had been brought in during the last trip to the supermarket.

Lin Mu glanced at them guiltily, then nonchalantly moved closer to Xiao Yuan, unsure if it was just his imagination.

It seemed…

Xiao Yuan’s color looked a bit greener.

Noticing Lin Mu’s presence, a few small leaves trembled, as if struggling to contain their joy and excitement.

“What’s up? Why so happy?” Lin Mu asked.

The little leaves eagerly climbed onto his fingers, and a stronger-than-usual consciousness entered Lin Mu’s mind. Xiao Yuan’s excited voice rang out.

“Mumu Mumu Mumu, I’ve grown up, I’ve grown up!”

[Speak properly.]

“Wuwu, so fierce! Quick, look at the energy storage sphere.”

Following its words, Lin Mu glanced at the storage sphere, and an expression of surprise appearing on his face.

… What is this?

If the original energy storage sphere was like a bubble—hollow in the middle and usually a translucent golden color when filled with energy—

Now, the bottom fifth of the energy storage sphere had turned into solid gold.

[What is this?]

Xiao Yuan proudly lifted its little leaves. “Praise, praise, you have to praise Xiao Yuan a hundred times.”

[Alright, alright, I’ll praise you a hundred times…]

Patiently humoring the little sapling, Lin Mu’s eyes never left the energy storage sphere.

“This was found from that little zombie just now. Mutant zombies have energy cores, Mumu, let’s go catch more mutant zombies!”

[Is that so…]

Lin Mu fell into thought. Mutant zombies had these energy cores, and this energy wasn’t the weak kind found in regular zombies. It was so concentrated that it had solidified into an energy core.

So, if there were enough mutant zombies and their energy cores were collected, would it be possible to completely fill the energy storage sphere? And when that happens…

What would happen?

[Xiao Yuan, why do you keep needing energy? Why do you want to fill this space?]

The little sapling shook its leaves, somewhat confused. “I don’t know, but with more energy, Xiao Yuan will become even stronger.”

That much was true. In any case, it was best to keep collecting energy for now. Xiao Yuan was still in a state of confusion, and only over time would it remember more things. Eventually, they would find out.

“Mumu, let me heal your wound. My energy is already full.”

The green energy from the leaf veins flowed into Lin Mu’s bloodstream, concentrating on his back to repair the injury.

Lin Mu gritted his teeth, enduring the painful, itchy sensation that felt like ants gnawing at him.

“But Mumu, you said you’d plant little flowers and grass for me.”

[Next time… I forgot to look for seeds.]

“Wuwu, if I didn’t love you so much, hmph, I’d be mad.”

[Hmm…]