"This place stinks." Liu Zhenfeng's voice was rough from exhaustion, his words bouncing off the damp, rocky walls of the cavern. He adjusted the heavy blade strapped across his back, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead. "How the hell is anyone supposed to survive down here?"
Xu Jianyu didn't answer. His fingers brushed the rough edges of a crack in the tunnel wall, his mind focused on the tiny sprout he had hidden in his satchel. The faint pulse of warmth from the seed inside was the only thing keeping his nerves steady.
"Hey, plant guy," Zhenfeng called out again, his tone sharp. "You're the genius who convinced everyone to follow you into this hole. What's your grand plan now? Or are we all just waiting to die?"
Xu Jianyu stopped, turning to face him. The faint glow of bioluminescent moss lit the sharp lines of Liu Zhenfeng's face—scarred, hardened, and undeniably judgmental. "We're not waiting to die," Jianyu replied quietly. "I just need to find the right spot."
"For what? A garden tea party?" Zhenfeng's sarcasm bit through the thick air.
Jianyu ignored him and stepped further into the cavern. The group of survivors behind him whispered anxiously, their voices sounded like a low hum of fear and doubt. They had left the surface behind, escaping the Black Bloom's spreading corruption, and now clung to the fragile promise that Xu Jianyu could somehow save them.
The cavern opened into a wider chamber, the ground slick with moisture. Jianyu knelt, brushing aside a layer of fungal growth. The soil was damp and dark—a good sign. "Here," he murmured, pulling the seed from his satchel.
Liu Zhenfeng sighed as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "This better be worth it."
Jianyu ignored the comment. His hands trembled slightly as he dug into the earth with his fingers. The seed glimmered faintly in the dim light, its warmth seeping into his palm. He placed it gently into the hole and covered it with soil.
Nothing happened.
The silence stretched, broken only by the distant drip of water.
"That's it?" Zhenfeng's voice was low, dangerously close to mocking. "You dragged us down here for—"
A low rumble cut him off. The ground beneath them shuddered as a thin green vine shot upward from the soil, unfurling delicate leaves that glowed with an ethereal light. The survivors gasped, stepping closer to the miraculous plant. The air around it felt cleaner, lighter, as though a weight had lifted.
Jianyu exhaled, relief washing over him. The seed had worked.
But the moment of peace shattered when the rumbling grew louder but this time the source seems to come from the entrance of the cavern.
"What now?" Zhenfeng snapped, unsheathing his sword in a smooth, practiced motion.
The glow of the plant flickered as the ground trembled violently. From the shadows of the tunnel, something slithered—thick, twisted vines tipped with jagged thorns, moving with unnatural speed.
"Black Bloom!" someone screamed.
The survivors scattered, their panicked cries echoing through the cavern. The monster surged forward, its thorny tendrils lashing out.
Jianyu stumbled back, heart pounding. He wasn't a fighter. His mind raced, but his body froze as one of the tendrils shot toward him.
A flash of steel cut through the air. Zhenfeng's sword cleaved the vine cleanly in two, sending a spray of dark sap onto the cavern floor.
"Stay behind me!" Zhenfeng barked, positioning himself between Jianyu and the creature. His blade gleamed in the faint light as he moved with deadly precision, slashing and dodging the monster's attacks.
Jianyu's breath came in ragged gasps as he watched Zhenfeng fight. The man's movements were brutal yet efficient, each strike calculated to inflict maximum damage.
But the monster wasn't giving up. Its severed vines regrew almost instantly, lashing out with renewed fury. One tendril wrapped around Zhenfeng's ankle, pulling him off balance.
"Zhenfeng!" Jianyu shouted, his voice breaking. Without thinking, he lunged forward, grabbing a sharp rock from the ground and slamming it into the vine. The tendril loosened, and Zhenfeng rolled to his feet, sword flashing as he sliced through the creature's core.
The Black Bloom let out a screeching wail before collapsing into a heap of withered vines.
Zhenfeng wiped his blade clean and turned to Jianyu, his expression unreadable. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Jianyu didn't respond. His gaze shifted to the glowing plant, now standing taller and more vibrant than before. The cavern felt different, almost alive, as though the air itself was holding its breath.
Then, the voice returned, cold and mechanical.
Quest Complete: First Planting.
You have gained +50 new points.
Congratulations on completing your first quest! You've earned a bonus of +50 points.
Current total points: 200 points.
New quest unlocked: Water the tree and nurture it until it bears fruit. The fruit harvested from this tree can be used as food.
Jianyu's stomach twisted at the words, but he pushed the fear aside. The survivors were looking at him now, their eyes filled with fragile hope.
Liu Zhenfeng sheathed his sword and sighed. "Whatever you're doing, plant guy, make it work. Because this?" He gestured to the glowing plant. "This is the first thing I've seen in years that didn't make me want to set the world on fire."
Xu Jianyu nodded, determination hardening his gaze. "I will."
For the first time since the apocalypse began, he believed it too.
Jianyu, after so long, finally tried speaking to the system in his head. "You said points could be exchanged for valuable items. I've got 200 points now. Show me what valuable things you've got that I can afford."
"Understood, Player. Here are the valuable items you can purchase with 200 points or less."
In his mind, a list of options appeared, like a game screen displaying buffs to make gameplay easier.
The options were:
Clean Water - 200 points
Chicken Curry with Rice - 200 points
Guardian Plant Seeds - 200 points
Glowing Plant Seeds - 200 points
Virus Antidote Pill - 200 points
Hoe - 100 points
Jianyu furrowed his brows, needing clarification. "What are Guardian Plant Seeds?"
"These seeds can be planted at the entrance of a cavern. They will sprout immediately upon touching the ground—no need to bury them. Their roots are strong, and their stems are sturdy. They will protect the planter. If you plant these, incidents like the black bloom entering earlier won't happen again."
Jianyu nodded in understanding. That sounded important, but clean water is also essential. Without it, how would he complete the next quest of watering the plants? Then there were the glowing plants, which seemed crucial since the cavern was pitch dark, lit only by faintly glowing moss that barely provided any illumination.
And then, the virus antidote pill… Jianyu asked again, "A virus antidote? Does that mean there's a virus—"
"PROFESSOR! HELP!" A desperate scream from one of the surviving women cut Jianyu off mid-sentence, snapping both him and Zhenfeng to instinctively turn their heads toward the source of the cry.