As Clark and Lynn continued searching the shop, paying no attention to the flower shop owner, she became increasingly frantic. She shouted, "Stop it! You're robbing me! I... I've called the police!"
At this moment, calling the police still held some intimidation for ordinary people. Lynn hesitated for a moment upon hearing the threat, but after seeing Clark continuing to search tirelessly, she decided to act as if she hadn't heard it.
"Shut up," Clark said without looking back, tossing a handful of banknotes from his pocket. The banknotes fluttered and fell to the ground. He didn't carry much loose change with him, only about two or three thousand dollars.
Although money had lost much of its meaning in the current situation, for most ordinary people who hadn't yet grasped the full extent of the situation, money still held great appeal.
Clark didn't want to get tangled up with the flower shop owner. Although his primary goal was the psychic plant in the shop, he had, in a way, saved the owner's life. This woman didn't seem to understand gratitude and was displaying an overly opportunistic attitude.
If she dared to make any more fuss, Clark wouldn't mind ending her with a swing of his blade. The zombies in the distance had likely already heard the commotion.
The shop's entrance was narrow, and if they didn't find the psychic plant quickly, any further delay might attract a horde of zombies, which would pose a significant problem even for Clark. When the banknotes hit the floor, the plump flower shop owner hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly picked them up.
She cast a sly glance at Lynn, who was holding an axe, before stuffing the money into her pocket. Then, her eyes shifted.
"Not enough! You've also damaged my door! This rolling shutter is electric and costs at least twenty thousand dollars.!" The flower shop owner spewed saliva as she pointed at Clark, shouting loudly. She had completely forgotten her cries for help when she was hiding upstairs.
Clark's act of giving her money seemed to boost her confidence. If it had truly been a robbery, she wouldn't have dared to make a peep. she were given food and now money too? People like this were the easiest to deal with. Having a full stomach also gave her some courage. The flower shop owner raised her phone, pretending to make a call.
"If you don't give me money, I'll call the police right now and have you arrested!" she exclaimed, her eyebrows raised and her tone triumphant. She had initially been worried about the damage to her shop door and how she would cover the losses if the zombies outside destroyed her flowers.
Now, seeing Clark's generosity, she couldn't help but feel greedy. Lynn, upon hearing this, became angry, her face showing annoyance.
"Why are you like this? We did save you, didn't we? You're asking for money because of the damaged door, but you didn't mention anything when you were screaming for help earlier!" Lynn scolded.
The flower shop owner's face revealed her disdain. Even though Lynn was holding a fire axe, she had already concluded that this group was easy to deal with, so she didn't find them intimidating at all.
"You could have waited for me to open the door! I asked for your help, not for you to kick the door down!" she retorted.
"Swish!" Clark placed the sharp blade against the owner's throat with a single hand, his gaze ice-cold:"Keep making noise, and I'll kill you."
With Clark's excellent hearing, he had already heard the approaching chaotic footsteps from a distance. Allowing this woman to continue making a scene would undoubtedly attract the zombies.
The flower shop owner, like a duck with its neck gripped tightly, abruptly stopped her sharp words and became filled with fear. People are often taken advantage of when they're kind-hearted. As Clark displayed his ruthlessness, she instantly quieted down.
"Please... please don't kill me. I'll give you everything," The flower shop owner trembled, her voice quivering as she sensed the murderous intent in Clark's eyes.
Clark paid her no mind and fixed his gaze on a corner of the flower shop. The deep red-edged rose, barely noticeable in the dim light, emitted a faint psychic energy fluctuation. There was indeed a psychic plant here!
"Psychic Plant: Edged Rose (Psychic Contamination Level 1)"
"Effect: Increases attributes when consumed."
Clark was thrilled and walked over, then promptly swallowed a petal without hesitation. It tasted sweet and lacked the expected bitterness.
"Ding! Gain 1 point of Willpower, gain 1 point of Constitution, gain Resistance (Zombie Virus) 20%."
A warm flow surged from his abdomen to his limbs, and Clark could clearly feel his physical fitness improving significantly. His once flawless skin became even more translucent. Truly, it was a psychic plant.
Clark was ecstatic. In the previous world, psychic plants were heavily sought after once they appeared, as there were very few items in the mid-game of the apocalypse that could enhance attributes. A complete psychic plant could be worth the value of a small base, capable of exchanging for six trucks' worth of supplies. When it came to women? Prisoners of war? If calculated based on their pre-apocalyptic values, a single psychic plant could be worth over a hundred million Dollar. What delighted Clark even more was the additional attribute.
Resistance +20%? It was truly an unexpected joy. Clark had never expected psychic plants to have such special effects. Resistance (Zombie Virus) meant that it provided immunity to small doses of toxins. Even if Clark suffered minor scratches or grazes from zombies, he could now safely ignore them without fearing infection.
In the apocalypse game, even awakened individuals couldn't claim to be immune to the zombie virus; at most, they could withstand infection for a longer period. With this newfound resistance, facing a large horde of zombies would be much easier. Perhaps it was worth considering going to that place with a large number of zombies, as per the plan?
In Clark's memory, there was a very powerful piece of equipment in the LJ city area. However, that area was densely populated, and Clark had originally planned to wait until he had formed a team to retrieve the equipment. After all, when facing a large number of zombies, the risk of being scratched or grazed was high, which could easily lead to infection. But now, with this resistance, it might be worth a try.
Lynn, seeing the rare delight on Clark's otherwise cold face, couldn't help but become curious. Could these flowers actually make Clark happy? She handed him a large bunch of colorful flowers and asked, "Clark, do you see anything you need here? Also, are there any special properties to these flowers?"
Clark, upon hearing Lynn's question, turned his gaze to the flowers in her hand and activated his Judgment Eye once again.
"A faint blue mist rises, and the pupils seem to contain stars. Some plants or foods may mutate and, when consumed, can strengthen attributes. But not everything can be eaten; some might be lethal," Clark explained casually.
Strengthen attributes? Lynn was somewhat surprised, but her actions in handing the flowers to Clark were not hesitant. Even after learning that psychic plants could enhance attributes, she did feel tempted. However, she had a sense of self-awareness. She didn't have the right to ask Clark for things, so she wouldn't bring it up unless he offered.
Clark took the remaining flowers they had found and carefully observed them. However, he didn't notice that Lynn had become somewhat entranced after locking eyes with him.
This was the first time Lynn had seen Clark's eyes up close after he activated his Judgment Eye. She slightly opened her mouth in surprise, thinking, "Such deep and mysterious eyes..."
Deep within Clark's pupils, a faint golden shimmer occasionally flashed, and when they locked gazes, it felt as if they could draw one's consciousness inside.
"Peony: Common Plant"
"Effect: Ornamental."
"Iris: Highly Toxic Psychic Plant (Psychic Contamination, Poisonous)"
"Effect: Ornamental, physical decay upon consumption."
"Carnation: Common Plant"
"Effect: Ornamental."
Highly toxic psychic plant? Clark picked out the Iris flower from the bouquet and carefully examined it. After a moment of thought, he chose to place it in his spatial ring for safekeeping.
Although this highly toxic psychic plant couldn't enhance attributes, its various bizarre and deadly poison effects had their own uses. If used wisely, it could be a formidable ace up his sleeve. As Clark looked at the last plant, he suddenly breathed heavily, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
"Purple Saint Laurent (Psychic Contamination Level 2)"
"Effect: Attribute enhancement upon consumption."
A Level 2 psychic plant!