Chapter 27—Plant vs. Human vs. Human

by Bocchan13

“Shit! Get away!” Song Yu jumped up, looking for Yu Ci. Yu Ci had also heard the voice and took out a steel blade from his thighs. When the vein-like vine tried to wiggle away, Yu Ci cut it off. A small whispered ‘tsk’ was heard as the severed mouth dropped to the floor, its words still spewing from its lips.

“Come here. Your family is here.”

“Come here….”

“Come here….”

The mouth cackled as Song Yu picked it up with his gloves and threw it in the fire. Just to make sure, he threw his gloves in his space for purification in the cover of darkness.

“Now I know why Lan Zhou and the gang didn’t stay here. The vine probably eats people and takes their voices to lure others.”

Song Yu nodded and snuffed the flames after it disintegrated the mouth.

“We should go. Any ideas where your friends are?”

“They shouldn’t be far from the meeting point, but far enough to be safe. Let’s just leave and come back later. I already found Lan Zhou’s marker.”

Song Yu briefly nodded. No sooner had they said it, when they heard the sounds of people coming. Yu Ci and Song Yu both froze. The people coming…were too many to be Lan Zhou’s group.

“Shit. What do we do?”

They both hurried away from their campsite, hiding in the trees. The sound of several footsteps echoed in the night.

Song Yu was about to tell Yu Ci to come back later when his eyes alighted in blue.

Everything was blue.

Eyes widening, a blue flame burst through the forest, its vibrant color shining a light over the entire darkened sky. It didn’t touch the trees, but covered the sky like blanket.  Song Yu didn’t see Yu Ci smile wide, his gaze staring in awe at such beauty.

The steps sped up, and now they could hear the sounds of pursuit. One group following another.

“It’s them!” Song Yu got out of his reverie and now focused on the scene at hand. Lan Zhou was tailing the back while three others were running in the direction of the jeep. Almost 20 other people followed them…all looked to be ability users.

“The Sun Base is still chasing us?” Song Yu whirled around and stared daggers at Yu Ci. He did tell them the location of the Sun Base, but what did they do to make the Sun Base hate them so much? Yu Ci shrugged.

“All we did was exchange information and food. They’re the ones that ambushed us later looking for a fight. After we accidentally killed one of theirs, they went on a hunting spree. We’re just 5 people, so we can’t beat them.”

Song Yu rolled his eyes and gestured for Yu Ci to meet up with his gang. His work was overall done, so he need not do anything else. Yu Ci understood this and could only nod in thanks before running to the group.

…

Lan Zhou was fucking tired of this shit. His eyes glimmered with hate as more of the Sun Base ability users followed behind them. Although they weren’t very strong, the strongest being a level 6, they packed in numbers. When they arrived at the Sun Base, they were welcomed gladly. Who knew that once you got in, they would indoctrinate you?

Especially pretty people like Xiao Zi, who despite 2 years in the apocalypse, looked clean and bright. It wasn’t Xiao Zi’s fault for getting the attention of the Sun Base higher ups. It wasn’t their fault when they were barred at the gate when they tried to leave, and it definitely wasn’t their fault that in the skirmish, the son of one of the leaders died.

They all scrambled in different directions, Lan Zhou leading Wang Cheng, Xiao Zi going with Lu Jingxiu, and Yu Ci diving off into the forests. Lan Zhou and Wang Cheng were caught off guard by the vine zombie and decided to send a signal to the spot, waiting for the others to regroup.

Xiao Zi and Lu Jingxiu met up with them three days later, no worse for wear. In these five days, they were found several times, more ability users coming after them than the last. Tonight, they had set up camp in a cave, and who knows if they have an ability user with detection ability, but they were found when they just set up for the night.

Now, in order to completely exterminate the group, Lan Zhou led them to the vine in hopes it was still hungry.

“Boss!”

Lan Zhou turned to the side and saw Yu Ci jogging happily next to them.

“Welcome back, how’d you get here?”

“Hehehhe, I followed a forest fairy!”

Wang Cheng ran next to Yu Ci and slung an arm around him.

“I thought you were a goner! Seriously! Who told you to go into the forest? Your sense of direction sucks shit!”

Yu Chi scratched his nose in embarrassment.

“I really did follow a forest fairy. He’s shy so he doesn’t want to see you guys.”

They group of 5 had reunited at last as they ran around the prairie followed by an angry mob of ability users. Lan Zhou’s sky fire would let down pellets of small fires, aiming them at the mob. It did deter many, but those with physical abilities didn’t care even when the flames charred through their ice/metal armour.

“Did you see the vine zombie?”

“Yeah, that thing is creepy as hell. I heard it speak to me!”

Lan Zhou nodded, “It’s stagnant there, so we can lead the mob to it. Stay close. I’m gonna make it balloon.”

Lan Zhou compressed the sky fire, turning it into a big blue sphere. Like the sun at dawn, it descended down on the group from the Sun Base, its voluminous shape almost blinding them.

They heard shouts from the Sun Base as they tried to run around the ball of flames. Lan Zhou could only pray as the Sun Base was in the direct line to the jeep.

One of the Sun Base members looked at the jeep and wanted to stop, but the mob was scurrying around the fire ball and didn’t mind the intrusion. That member gritted his teeth and stopped, his metal feet vibrating.

The others didn’t see him stop and were about to reach the jeep when the jarring trembling of the earth resounded.

“Watch out!” One of them felt the earth tremble. An earth ability user tried to stabilize the crumbling dirt, but to no avail.

“AHHHHHHH!!!” Several of the Sun Base were face to face with the vine zombie. Its large tentacles were swift and precise as it hit the ability users. One severed in half instantly, its body parts then dragged into the jeep where the vine zombie’s mouth was probably in.

No sooner that the body entered the jeep did everyone hear the vine breaking the skin, bones and meat.

“Come here. AHHHHHHH!!!!”

The exact same sound as the ability user.

The Sun Base ability users were horrified as more and more people were caught in the vines, their bodies dragged into the mire of a monsters reach. Lan Zhou watched on indifferently as the Sun Base members scattered. The ball of fire was still following them, a slow globe that travelled, surrounding them in cold flames.

Song Yu watched as the blue ball cornered the people with the vine zombie and couldn’t help but admire Lan Zhou. Although they were dooming people to death, it was done beautifully. Lan Zhou’s group was now in the safe zone, watching as the Sun base scattered.

Some of them were able to run away, whilst the majority were in the mouth of the vine zombie. Song Yu could see that the vine zombie did indeed have a body. It looked like a Venus flytrap, except its mouth had actual human teeth lining the area where the barbs should have been. Some teeth different colors of white, yellow and black, so it was safe to say that the vine zombie was able to eat its fill these 2 years. The body was as large as a dining room table, whilst the vines were a combination of thick and thin. The vines had mouths at the end.

Such a demonic monster was living so close to his home and he didn’t know. Song Yu decided that if Lan Zhou’s group didn’t kill the vine zombie, he would have to.

The remaining Sun Base regrouped and doubled their efforts to kill Lan Zhou’s team. The one that stopped sliced off the vine zombie’s tentacles and built a metal shield for the blue flames, although it melted it as soon as he rebuilt it, it was better than flame on skin.

Lan Zhou on the other hand was tired. The balls of flames were getting smaller and smaller, allowing the Sun Base to escape. It then became a one-on-one fight.

Abilities sprung around, avoiding the vine attacks, while dealing blows to each team. Lan Zhou flicked his fingers as a loud explosion flew from his fingertips, his body alight in blue, and his cold penetrating eyes scanning the remaining survivors like ants below his feet.

His body suit hugged his tight muscular figure, whilst the flames embers danced around his hair like lights, highlighting the sheen. When he attacked, his stance was powerful and firm. No concern or doubt in his movements.

He was truly a beautiful specimen.

Ahhhhh! Why is he so hot!