A flash of blue light illuminated the surroundings as Ryan appeared on the streets of a small town, a schoolbag slung over his back. The road was eerily empty—no people, no zombies lurking in the shadows, just a quiet town marked by signs of past struggles.
Curiously, Ryan surveyed his surroundings. The streets were littered with debris, forming makeshift barricades, likely meant to slow down the undead. In the distance, at the end of the road, a house with a yard stood out. There were faint signs of movement inside.
Checking his system, Ryan quickly confirmed that this house was his destination. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his bag, pulled out a sapper shovel, and gripped it tightly as he walked toward the house.
The journey wasn't difficult. The barricades seemed designed to stop zombies rather than humans, leaving enough space for an 11-year-old like him to slip through. Scattered near the roadblocks were fallen zombies, many with their heads missing—a clear sign that battles had taken place here. Fortunately, there were no active threats, and Ryan easily bypassed the corpses, continuing forward.
When he was just ten meters away from his destination, he encountered a final obstacle—a collapsed zombie blocking the narrow gap between two barricades. The other routes would take far too long to detour.
Ryan instinctively stepped forward to clear the way but suddenly froze. The zombie's body was damaged, its lower half missing, but its head remained intact.
In the game, a zombie wasn't truly eliminated until its head was destroyed. The realization sent a chill down Ryan's spine. He had almost made a fatal mistake. These half-bodied zombies might appear immobile, but they could still attack if provoked. If he had carelessly moved it, he might have ended up as its next meal.
Cautious now, Ryan prepared a plan. He rummaged through his schoolbag, pulling out his windproof lighter. He carefully extracted the lighter's oil, soaking a bandage with it before wrapping the cloth around a long wooden stick with a forked end. Striking the lighter, he set the bandage ablaze, creating a makeshift torch.
Without hesitation, Ryan thrust the flaming end at the zombie's head.
The reaction was immediate. The zombie, seemingly dormant moments ago, suddenly flailed its arms wildly, reaching out in a desperate attempt to attack.
But Ryan was ready. He firmly planted the other end of the stick into the ground, forming a stable triangle that prevented the zombie from escaping the fire. Without legs, it had no way to shake off the flames.
The fire burned steadily, gradually consuming the creature. As time passed, the zombie's thrashing grew weaker. Eventually, the flames died down, and the zombie fell silent.
Ryan prodded its head with the stick, and the entire body crumbled into black ashes. He was momentarily startled, but then he recalled that in the game, zombies that burned to death would disintegrate into ashes.
"Well… I guess this counts as my first monster kill," he muttered to himself. Unfortunately, his system wasn't based on experience points or monster loot, meaning all he gained was an easier path forward.
Now unimpeded, Ryan reached the house's front door. He raised his hand and rang the doorbell.
Inside, there was a loud crash—followed by the sound of someone stumbling and knocking over various objects.
Moments later, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a wok on his head and gripping a baseball bat.
"Did a zombie just ring the doorbell? Where is it?! Show yourself!" the man shouted, eyes darting around.
Ryan sighed. "Sir, I'm human. You just need to look down."
The man glanced down, finally noticing Ryan. His eyes, mismatched in size, had an almost crazed look—this was undoubtedly the eccentric plant scientist known as Crazy Dave.
"Come in, kid," Dave said, grabbing Ryan's arm and pulling him inside before hastily shutting the door. "Zombies are lurking everywhere, waiting for a chance to feast on our brains!"
Ryan took in his surroundings. The house was cluttered, with plant pots and gardening tools scattered across the floor. Dave led him to the living room, where he began tending to a sunflower in a flowerpot.
"So, kid," Dave said abruptly. "The outside world isn't exactly safe for a lone child. What brings you here?"
Ryan hesitated for a moment before deciding to be straightforward. "I'm a shop owner. I heard you have magical plants, and I'd like to trade with you."
Dave raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty wild story," he said, loosening the soil in the flowerpot. "But… my plants tell me you're telling the truth."
Ryan wasn't sure whether to be amused or concerned by that statement.
"But listen," Dave continued. "My plants aren't cheap. What do you have to trade?"
Ryan reached into his bag and pulled out a taco and a bottle of hot sauce.
"I figure food must be scarce in a place like this," he explained. "Especially industrially processed food. I also plan to travel to many different places and meet a lot of people. I might be able to find things you wouldn't otherwise get here. We could have an ongoing trade."
Dave's eyes widened as he snatched the taco and hot sauce.
"Oh my tacos, I haven't seen one of these in ages! Not since those damn zombies surrounded the town!" He took a deep breath, then let out a sigh. "Too bad this isn't exactly what I need, but it's still way better than mashed peas every day."
Dave studied Ryan for a moment before nodding. "Alright, kid. Your offer isn't too bad. I'll give you three basic plants in exchange. Normally, I'd only give one, but since you're the first outsider I've seen in ages—and you're offering future cooperation—I'll be generous."
"Thanks, Uncle Dave!" Ryan said, smiling. He glanced at the plant list Dave handed him and quickly made his choices. "I'll take sunflowers, pea shooters, and sunshine mushrooms."
Dave grinned. "Smart kid. A good garden always starts with the basics." He handed Ryan three seed bags and a key. "This key belongs to my neighbor. The guy didn't listen to my warnings and got eaten by zombies. Next time, you can use his place as a shortcut instead of running around town."
As Ryan accepted the items, the system's notification chimed in his mind:
Ding-dong—
Shopkeeper, you have completed the first transaction task.
Gained a micro planting base (neighbor's yard) that produces up to ten of each selected plant per week.
Established a free connection to the world of Plants vs. Zombies. Shuttle point fixed: Dave's neighbor's house.
Now it was time to leave.
Ryan gave Dave a final nod and exited through the back door, entering the neighboring yard. With a thought, he activated the return function.
A blue light flashed, and he vanished.
Dave, watching from inside, muttered to himself, "Huh. A different kind of customer, huh? Maybe… just maybe… this kid will be the key to ending this zombie mess." He then clapped his hands together. "Alright! Time for lunch. Fresh tacos today. Fantastic!"
This version maintains the original intent while improving clarity, flow, and readability. Let me know if you need any tweaks!
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