Chapter 12: Mutated Willow  

Although he felt slightly proud because he had become a one star evolved right at the start of the apocalypse, but Ye Zhongming had been through numerous life and death experiences. In the instance that he faced danger, he made the correct decision.

His body fell backward at a twist of his back and that attack smashed onto the wall that Ye Zhongming had jumped across. Cement and bricks were scattered all over. A few pieces hit Ye Zhongming’s body which made him cry out slightly. He even felt a warm current, his wound was bleeding.

Counter attacking was an instinct as Ye Zhongming sliced out. Ye Zhongming felt like his blade was being stopped by something. Only at this time did he see clearly what was attacking him.

It was actually a willow in the courtyard. A willow leaf that was very thick waved as it tried to get rid of Ye Zhongming’s blade.

That blade sliced onto that leaf. He didn’t break it and instead caused the blade to be stuck within.

Ye Zhongming was shocked, a mutated willow?!

He had just faced mutated bed bugs and now he was facing a mutated plant?

His luck wasn’t too good.

After all, be it bed bugs are plants, their initial mutation was stronger than zombies so naturally they were a bigger threat than Ye Zhongming.

No matter what, Ye Zhongming’s reaction was top-notch. He instantly gave up on that blade and took out the handgun that he got from the gachapon. Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!

Five shots. Apart from the first that missed, the other four hit a part of the main stem of the mutated tree.

The girl that followed had just climbed up and when she saw the dark green liquid that was flowing down the stem of the thick tree and saw it shake, she thought that it looked more like a person than a tree.

Ye Zhongming didn’t stop after firing. He jumped in front of the willow tree. The axe was raised high up and he sliced down at that spot.

Si!

The willow actually cried out. Although its voice was low but it did make a sound. This caused the long haired girl that was riding on the wall to shake and fall off. In her heart, she thought that she was in a horror movie.

But after roaring out, that willow tree slowed down. Those tender green leaves started to wither and its branches started to hang low. Anyone knew that the tree was dead.

Ye Zhongming waved the axe down at the stem and it actually revealed a grey level one demon crystal.

Mutated plants and monsters were different. Their demon crystals were in their bodies. Apart from roots, they didn’t have an obvious weakness. As it was connected to the earth, it was the hardest to attack. This was why mutated plants were relatively stronger.

If it wasn’t for his experience that he knew that the demon crystal was not totally kept in its body and that he used his sharpness to find the bit of reflection from the covered demon crystal, then he would just have to flee. If not, he would die and become the willow’s nutrients.

The long-haired girl stood up and carefully walked in front of the tree. She noticed that there were two corpses behind. They were all dried up like mummies in the desert.

She was so shocked that she wanted to cry out but after seeing Ye Zhongming’s back, she didn’t dare to and could only bite her hand. She looked aside and allowed her body to shiver with fear.

Two straw-like roots were attached to their heads and even a dumb person would know what happened. Willow Tree eating someone, changed her worldview. On such a bloody and gory night, she was filled with fear. “Come and help!”

Ye Zhongming’s voice entered her ears and she subconsciously moved towards that guy who had slapped her.

In this terrifying world, this guy was the only person she noticed that could bring her a sense of safety.

“Do you see this, use the axe to slice it.”

Ye Zhongming passed the axe to her and pointed at the area where the stem and branches were connected.

Mutated plants and animals were stronger than same-level zombies. Once you killed them, you gained much more. Their body had several good parts that could be used as materials to make equipment or used as medicine.

For example this tree. Apart from the demon crystals, the mutated branches could be used to make weapons. It was like the basic weapons from the gachapon.

Unfortunately, this tree just mutated so there was only one mutated branch. If it totally evolved, that would be quite a fortune even at where Ye Zhongming was before he died.

Watching this woman grit her teeth and use the axe to slice out at the stem that was even taller than her, Ye Zhongming exclaimed that environments do change people. Such a beautiful woman should be wearing dresses and attending banquets and becoming the center of attention. But at this moment, she had to use her tender and well-maintained hands to wave the axe so that she could get some protection.

This was the apocalypse, this was hell.

Welcome to hell. Ye Zhongming thought to himself before using the blade that he got back to slice off the dark colored bark of this tree.

This was the other useful thing from the tree.

This bark covered the demonic crystal, it was tough but also flexible. Normal people couldn’t even break it using blades so it was good to create armor. This tree wasn’t lucky and faced the one star Ye Zhongming. Not only did he know its weakness, but he also used a gun to injure it before slicing apart this bark and breaking the connection between the crystal and its body.

What Ye Zhongming felt regret for was that it evolved for too short a time such that the bark was just the size of a face washing basin. He even broke it into two.

After keeping the bark, he helped the girl slice off the branch. Ye Zhongming brought the girl to leave this place as the gunshot had attracted a hoard. They had already got in through the back door of the canteen and revealed their vicious faces.

At the same time, in a nearby building, a bunch of people were looking at Ye Zhongming and their faces were filled with the light of hope.