The situation with the little tree was quite unique, and Xu Song agreed with Yue Zheng’s analysis. People nowadays were highly cautious about mutated plants, considering the numerous encounters they had with trouble-causing mutated plants along their journey.
Besides, who had ever seen a cute little tree like this before? If someone discovered the little tree secretly following the group, they would surely launch an attack.
Both of them climbed down the tree and began categorizing their belongings. Each of their bags contained some clothes, food, a few bottles of water, a blanket, and a large jacket. They put everything else back into the hollow of the little tree.
Looking at the small tree, which had now transformed into a slender sapling, Xu Song felt worried. He patted the trunk of the tree and sighed, “If there’s someone with enhanced hearing abilities, you won’t even be able to secretly follow us in the forest. How can we hide you effectively?”
The little tree twisted its trunk, and its bright green leaves all tilted to one side.
Yue Zheng stood up and handed Xu Song his packed backpack. “I saw someone in the group with a pet, a mutated one.”
“What?! A pet? Isn’t it crazy?!” They had encountered numerous mutated animals along the way, all of which seemed aggressive and attacked humans. Could there be pets that retained their original memories?
Looking at the still adorably tilted little tree, Xu Song thought that it made sense. If there were plants like the little tree that posed no threat to humans, it wouldn’t be surprising for there to be pets that retained their original thoughts and memories.
Just like humans, they were divided into the undead, the ones who became superhumans, and the ordinary people who didn’t undergo any changes.
“I observed those pets in the crowd, and they seemed calm and non-aggressive. I don’t think they would cause any harm,” Yue Zheng nodded.
“But… it’s not a pet…” Xu Song sighed, his hand caressing the trunk of the little tree. “If only you could become smaller and fit into a backpack or pocket.”
As soon as he said that, both of them stared in amazement as the little tree twisted and shrank further, turning into a tiny sapling, and continued to shrink in size until…
Squatting on the ground, Xu Song poked the tiny sapling that was barely an inch tall. It had a tender trunk, but unlike normal saplings with a green hue, it had a brownish bark with very shallow and fine patterns. It had only three or five leaves, and prominently on top was a lone small yellow flower, which looked quite amusing.
“Can it get any smaller?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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The weather was peculiar now, it was broad daylight, but the temperature felt similar to autumn. It would get even colder in the evening. Therefore, Xu Song and Yue Zheng wore mountaineering suits with good insulation. Additionally, they both wore a vest over their upper body on the outermost layer. They had pockets all over, containing various convenient tools for unexpected situations.
After organizing their equipment separately, they set off toward the direction of the national road. From their observation on the tree, it didn’t seem far, but the actual progress was slower than expected.
The earlier earthquake that occurred when they left Y City seemed to have had a considerable impact on this side of the river as well. The previously flat road was now rough and uneven, making it challenging for Xu Song to walk. It took them a good half hour to reach the intersection of the national road.
The nearly thousand-strong group started moving again. They formed a long queue, struggling to move forward. Almost everyone had a haggard look on their faces. How could all this happen in just a few days? The mutation of plants and animals, the destruction of the city, it was a massive blow to these people who had long adapted to the convenience of urban life.
Modern society was different from earlier dynasties. The majority of people, even those engaged in work, were only involved in a specific part of the process. Many jobs were theoretical, and quite a few people couldn’t even tell the difference between wheat and upland rice, let alone understand when to plant certain crops during different seasons.
Even survival enthusiasts in the wilderness would find it challenging to identify edible plants they were familiar with in the face of worldwide plant mutations.
As some people noticed Xu Song and Yue Zheng emerging from the small path, their guard immediately went up. Some people greedily eyed the backpacks the two were carrying.
Yue Zheng assessed the surroundings and realized that the group of people he had seen from the vantage point had already moved ahead. At this point, they were near the back of the queue, and the people at the rear seemed to be in worse condition than those in the middle. Most of them had no luggage, and many were injured. There were even elderly and children who could barely walk.
A few men in their thirties and forties had a glimmer of greed in their eyes as they stared at the backpacks of the two newcomers, eager to make a move.
However, a few individuals who still had their senses intact noticed that Xu Song and Yue Zheng appeared relatively clean and, apart from the pale face of the younger one, the taller man seemed like someone not to be messed with. Instead of adopting a threatening expression like the hungry and disoriented individuals, they decided to wait and observe the situation.
After all, only relying on two people to survive until now, it’s possible that they are capable individuals, just like those people ahead who obtained inexplicable abilities and were envied by others…
When Xu Song saw the crowd, he initially felt relieved, thinking that he would find someone familiar to inquire about the situation. However, he noticed that some people nearby had strange expressions, causing his heart to tense up. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Yue Zheng.
Yue Zheng gently pressed Xu Song’s shoulder and took a step forward, wearing a cold expression as he stared at the people with the strange expressions.
Both sides stood frozen for a moment.
What made Xu Song feel a bit uneasy was that the people at the rear of the queue also stopped in their tracks, seemingly eager to watch the situation unfold. There were still quite a few people who turned back, just like onlookers at an accident on the road.
But now, their eyes emitted a faint green light, clearly not just watching the scene but waiting for some benefits!
Feeling speechless, Xu Song regretted not just carrying one backpack!
Yue Zheng remained silent, but he drew his dagger from his waist. Both of them carried military-grade daggers, not something easily found in ordinary stores. The length, quality, and shine of these daggers were different from regular ones or military knives.
Seeing the weapons, the few individuals who were slowly approaching them hesitated and stopped in their tracks.
The remaining individuals still had a covetous look in their eyes, contemplating whether or not to take their chances. Suddenly, someone from behind shouted loudly, “Are you going or not?! Are you waiting here to give birth?!”
Upon hearing this voice, the majority of people in the queue stiffened and hurriedly followed the main group ahead. The remaining individuals felt somewhat unwilling, hesitating as they shuffled their feet.
“Hey, who do we have here! Yue, Yue, Yue…” Yue stuttered for a while, unable to say anything useful.
Xu Song looked toward the rear of the queue and noticed two people pointing at them, deep in thought.
The person beside him grew impatient and said, “Yue Zheng!”
“Yes! Yes, that’s right! What are you doing here? We thought you were dead!” The two individuals spoke as they walked toward Yue Zheng and Xu Song.
Seeing that the two parties knew each other, the disappointed expressions on the faces of the remaining people vanished, and they no longer dared to bother them. They hastily caught up with the main group ahead.
Yue Zheng put away his dagger, and Xu Song looked astonished. “How did you end up here? What about our convoy?”
“Ah, don’t even mention it.” Luo Wen’an’s appearance was peculiar now. He didn’t carry a backpack and wore a down jacket with his chest exposed. He had a hemp rope tied around his neck, with pieces of meat from some unknown animal hanging from each end, one of which still had blood dripping from it, while the other was already dried.
Su Daji, on the other hand, had lost the original luster of his red hair. His attire and appearance were similar to Luo Wen’an’s, but the down jacket he wore was actually a women’s style! He had two large dried fish tied around his neck, and he carried a backpack on his back.
The two of them had such bizarre appearances that it took a good while for Xu Song and Yue Zheng to realize that there was another girl following them, Luo Wen’an’s girlfriend, Liu Shishi.
She, too, was wearing a women’s down jacket, but her face was devoid of heavy makeup. She rubbed her arms in annoyance and muttered angrily, “I really hate it! What kind of people are they? They can’t wait to skin you alive when they see a living person!”
Upon hearing her sharp voice, those people quickened their pace, not daring to look at the five of them anymore.
“Enough, they’re all like this. They not only dare to rob people but also run faster than rabbits when they encounter mutated animals and plants!” Luo Wen’an snorted and patted his girlfriend’s head.
“What? Did they rob you?” Xu Song couldn’t help but ask.
“You bet!” Luo Wen’an said while pointing in the direction the queue was moving, signaling for everyone to continue walking.
“That day, after we crossed the bridge, we were lucky not to fall into the river. It took a lot of effort to climb ashore, and those fish actually crossed species to chase us on land! They chased us for three kilometers until we reached that gas station, where we encountered a group of mutated animals, mutated monkeys, zebras, and parrots in a large group! I have no idea where they escaped from, maybe a zoo…”
Xu Song and Yue Zheng exchanged a glance, and Yue Zheng said, “According to the map, there’s a large zoo to the south of S City. We came here to avoid that zoo and took a detour through the path we just came from.”
Luo Wen’an, Su Daji, and Liu Shishi were all shocked. Su Daji patted his chest with lingering fear, saying, “No wonder… I was wondering where those zebras and antelopes came from. Who would keep them as pets?”
“Our vehicle was destroyed by those animals. There were already fewer people left in the convoy, and everyone scattered. Who had time to care for others? A mutated rhinoceros even flipped over an armored vehicle.” Luo Wen’an shook his head, feeling desolate.
“And then? You encountered this group of people?” Xu Song pointed in the direction of the people in front and behind them, who intentionally kept their distance from the five of them.
Pickett? So tiny and cute, and then into the pocket! Hahaha. So much for the convoy… Thanks for the update 🤣❤️🤣❤️🌱