Chapter 74 - Another Youngster Giving Up on Working Hard

[Survived Day 1, +1,000 points]

As the first ray of sunlight graced the small town, the zombies vanished without a trace. The sudden silence and emptiness felt surreal, akin to waking from a vivid dream, but the undeniable evidence of the night’s battle and the tangible spoils scattered across Han Wu’s front garden served as undeniable proof that the night’s events had been very real.

Han Wu gathered all the rewards from the night’s battle and began to sort them meticulously. He first separated the coins, placing them on one side. He noted a significant quantity of bronze coins, a moderate number of silver coins, and only a handful of gold coins. Next, he gathered the various seeds he had acquired and placed them neatly into a small bag.

Mixed in with the coins and seeds were a few miscellaneous items, including small banners, some hair dye, a lighter, and a couple of pails. Although these items were not particularly useful to him, he considered the possibility of selling them at the local shop to earn some extra gold coins.

Han Wu was still occupied with organizing his accumulated rewards when Qin Shuang approached him from the backyard. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of the spoils, which were stacked up into a towering pile roughly two meters high.

Considering that they were living in the same house and had been given the same types of plants, she was completely baffled as to how Han Wu had managed to earn ten times the quantity of spoils that she had.

Upon checking the scoreboard, Qin Shuang discovered that she was currently in fifth place with a score of 23,000 points. To her surprise, Han Wu was ranked second with a substantial 128,000 points, while Xu Tie maintained a comfortable lead in first place with 201,000 points.

Having toiled relentlessly throughout the night, including two hours of personal engagement with the zombie threat, Qin Shuang was dismayed to find herself only in fifth place. Her placement left her feeling deeply frustrated.

Seriously? Are we even fighting on the same property? Why is the score difference so ridiculously huge?

“Han Wu, how did you do that?” Qin Shuang asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Han Wu didn’t mind telling her, and he readily explained his Controlled Mutation ability, detailing its functions and effects.

Qin Shuang gasped, recognizing the ability’s apparent suitability for their survival class. Still, she warned him seriously, “That’s an amazing ability, but you can’t just rely on it! You still need to work hard. Xu Tie’s way ahead of you on the scoreboard!”

“Don’t worry,” Han Wu replied confidently. “This is only the beginning.”

His current progress was like a snowball rolling down a hill, steadily increasing in size. He was confident that with continued effort, his future rewards would be even greater.

After they had finished clearing and organizing their rewards, Han Wu and Qin Shuang went to the town shop. Their first priority was to have the shopkeeper evaluate the seeds they had collected. After careful examination, the shopkeeper informed them that they possessed a single Rank 3 Sunflower seed and two Rank 2 Broccali seeds[1].

Han Wu sold his remaining Rank 1 seeds at the shop, receiving a total of 147 gold coins, 6 silver coins, and 5 bronze coins in return. Meanwhile, Qin Shuang’s earnings from selling her equivalent Rank 1 seeds were considerably less, totaling only 21 gold coins, 4 silver coins, and 5 bronze coins.

Once their business at the shop was concluded, the two acquired some more seeds and food items before the overwhelming sensation of fatigue began to set in. Having been reduced to the physical capabilities of regular humans, it was only natural that they would feel extremely exhausted after working tirelessly throughout all night.

After returning to their shared home, they ate a simple meal and then went to sleep in their respective rooms. Their intention was to get more rest, but Han Wu was soon roused from his slumber by someone yelling just outside his house. He stretched his tired muscles and peered out the window to see what was happening.

He observed his classmate Sun Qingnian standing at the front gate of their neighbor's house, shouting loudly, “Madam Haul, are you in there?”

Moments later, Han Wu’s neighbor, Madam Haul, appeared from her doorway. She was an elderly woman, well past her seventies, with deeply wrinkled skin and a noticeably saggy body.

Observing their interaction, Han Wu was surprised to see Madam Haul place her hands first on Sun Qingnian’s shoulder and then move them to his chest as they walked together into her residence. His shock intensified even further when he witnessed Madam Haul lean in and kiss Sun Qingnian as they stepped inside.

Han Wu glanced at the scoreboard and noticed that Sun Qingnian had suddenly acquired 1,000 points.

Are you kidding me? Can you even do that? I never thought anyone would just give up and start getting cozy with the rich townsfolk instead!

Later that evening, Han Wu set about the task of mutating all the Pea Pelter plants he had recently bought and strategically placed the Rank 3 Sunflower in the very center of his garden.

[Name: Sunflower]

[Rank: Rank 3]

[Ability: Sun Halo. Effect 1: Enchants the attacks of all plants within its effective radius and imbues them with both light and fire attributes. Effect 2: Increases the overall vitality of all plants located within the same radius.]

[Lifespan: 1 year]

Han Wu activated his Controlled Mutation, focusing on the Sun Halo ability of his Sunflower, and increased its radius twelvefold. This made the aura reach every corner of his front garden, but as a consequence, the Sunflower’s remaining lifespan was reduced to a single month.

Han Wu also made sure to plant the two Rank 2 Broccalis directly in front of his gate.

[Name: Broccali]

[Rank: Rank 2]

[Ability: Heavy Punch, Rapid Punch]

[Lifespan: 1 year]

Han Wu proceeded to apply his Controlled Mutation skill to the two Broccali plants. He mutated one to gain an extreme increase in attack speed, its Rapid Punch evolving into an Ultra Rapid Punch, while the other Broccali was mutated to grow considerably larger and stronger, upgrading its Heavy Punch to an Ultra Heavy Punch. However, both plants experienced a drastic reduction in lifespan to a mere twelve hours.

Having fortified his garden with the newly mutated plants, Han Wu felt secure about surviving the night and eagerly anticipated earning even more points. As he waited for the sun to set, a sound from Madam Haul’s house caught his attention.

Han Wu glanced over the fence and saw Sun Qingnian walking out of Madam Haul’s house. Sun Qingnian’s footsteps seemed somewhat staggered, but his face was alight with happiness.

He had evidently achieved his goal of sleeping with Madam Haul after six hours of persistent effort, and as a result, had obtained the right to control her plants for the duration of the night. As a long-standing member of the town, Madam Haul had acquired a significant collection of high-quality plants, many of which were unique and could not be found in the town store.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

As Han Wu surveyed her garden, his attention was drawn to a prominent three-meter-high wooden pole. He recognized it as the Divine Oakshot, a Rank 4 plant celebrated for its remarkable destructive capabilities, making his Bean Pelters seem as insignificant as toy guns in comparison.

Besides the impressive Divine Oakshot, Madam Haul also possessed ten other Rank 3 plants, a collection of several Rank 2 plants, and only a handful of Rank 1 plants which she strategically placed to fill in the gaps in her garden.

Sun Qingnian was visibly excited as he inspected the impressive strength of his new sugar mama’s plants. He was absolutely certain that he would be able to amass a considerable number of points during the zombies’ nightly onslaught!

With the arrival of nightfall, the relentless hordes of zombies began to emerge. It was once again time for the survivors to defend themselves. The unique plants, attuned to the presence of death aura, detected the approaching threat and began their assault.

With coordinated precision, all 140 of Han Wu’s Bean Pelters opened fire. The light and fire attributes bestowed by the Sun Halo significantly enhanced their offensive capabilities, allowing them to inflict twice the normal damage dealt to the advancing zombie horde.

The weaker Rank 1 zombies could barely withstand two direct hits from Han Wu’s enchanted Bean Pelters. The more resilient Rank 2 zombies attempted to breach Han Wu’s defenses by charging directly into his garden, but the two mutated Broccali plants effortlessly intercepted them. Their Ultra Heavy Punch and Ultra Rapid Punch attacks made quick work of the Rank 2 zombies, reducing them to mincemeat.

Han Wu’s point total surged rapidly, accompanied by a constant stream of system notifications in his mind, but his gaze remained fixed on the intense battle occurring in his neighbor’s garden. The exceptional strength of her plants made her defense against the zombies a much more compelling spectacle. The weaker Rank 1 zombies didn’t even attempt to enter the garden, while the Rank 2 zombies served merely as cannon fodder for the more powerful Rank 3 zombies.

Perched on the fence, Han Wu, observed as a Rank 3 Pole Jumper Zombie attempted to leap over the towering Rank 4 Divine Oakshot, only to be instantly riddled with holes. It took a considerable number of Rank 3 Knight Zombies to endure the onslaught of projectiles from the Divine Oakshot, and despite their efforts, just a few of the lower-tier plants were destroyed.

All of a sudden, a menacing Rank 4 Boogie Zombie entered the fray. It promptly began summoning wave after wave of Rank 2 Dancer Zombies to act as a protective shield as it attempted to move out of the effective range of the Divine Oakshot.

It was on the verge of success until it unfortunately stepped onto one of Madam Haul’s carefully prepared traps, a Rank 2 Jumping Beanpad. The Rank 4 Boogie Zombie was violently propelled from Madam Haul’s garden and landed with a thud in Han Wu’s garden.

Han Wu was utterly stunned by the unexpected turn of events. The appearance of a Rank 4 Boogie Zombie in Madam Haul’s garden was concerning enough, but its sudden arrival in his own garden felt like an imminent death threat! He realized with a jolt that the Rank 4 Boogie Zombie would be the ultimate challenge he would face tonight.

Reacting swiftly, Han Wu commanded all his Bean Pelter plants to concentrate their attacks on the Rank 4 Boogie Zombie. The zombie was instantly engulfed in a relentless torrent of beans. However, although the projectiles, imbued with the light and fire attributes, had exploded upon impact, it did not prevent the Boogie Zombie from activating its special skill.

It summoned several Rank 2 Dancer Zombies, which promptly set about destroying Han Wu’s plants. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Han Wu knew that he must personally combat the Boogie Zombie or risk losing his entire garden.

He activated his Dark Dragonification ability and launched an attack on the Rank 4 Boogie Zombie, but his fist, now covered in hard scales, inflicted barely any noticeable damage. Undeterred, Han Wu persisted, delivering thousands upon thousands of blows until he finally succeeded in grinding it into dust.

[Killed a Rank 4 Boogie Zombie. Obtained a Rank 4 seed, a pair of crocodile skin shoes, a tap dance notation, and 500 points.]

Han Wu was so drained by the battle that he nearly succumbed to exhaustion. The relentless punching had left his arms completely weary, and he had only earned a disappointing 500 points. Thankfully, however, the items dropped by the defeated Boogie Zombie proved to be quite useful.

Han Wu decided to postpone the evaluation of the Rank 4 seed until the following day. The crocodile skin shoes, however, were identified to be Faith level equipment, making them immediately useful; he put them on without hesitation.

The tap dance notation appeared to be unremarkable, so Han Wu made the decision to sell it the next day. He placed it to one side for the time being, as the arrival of dawn was still a considerable time off.

1. Broccoli+Muhammad Ali ☜