NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 117
The events in Linhai County unfolded swiftly and silently.
Simba and the remaining zombies remained oblivious to their new master's assimilation into the Blood Flesh Mother Tree. They were even more unaware of the profound transformation the once docile tree had undergone under Gris Klass's influence.
Within the heart of Linhai County, the fungus layer surrounding the Blood Flesh Mother Tree pulsed and writhed, its countless roots wriggling beneath the surface.
High above, a multitude of human heads began to whisper and murmur. Upon closer listening, one would realize that these heads were recounting everything they had seen, heard, and thought before merging with the monstrous plant.
It didn't matter whether they had been human or zombie, whether they had possessed human forms or monstrous shapes.
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree, drawing upon its vast reserves of nutrients, began to nourish the heads, causing them to grow rapidly.
When they reached the size of normal human heads, the murmuring ceased.
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree had absorbed and assimilated all their knowledge and memories.
"The Holy Tower, Black Mist Zone..."
"Humans, Awakened..."
"Zombies, Devourers..."
"Exotic Beasts, Monsters..."
If each human head were a single cell, then the Blood Flesh Mother Tree was the organism. At first glance, it seemed like any other creature, but its true horror lay in the fact that each of its "cells" possessed intelligence on par with humans. They could think, reason, and even learn.
And it had not yet reached its full potential.
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree devoured and assimilated countless memories, akin to individual computers integrating into a supercomputer. This immense processing power rapidly elevated the tree's intelligence. Within half an hour, it had shed its naive demeanor.
Reflecting on its conversation with Gris Klass, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree, speaking through one of the female heads, murmured to itself, "Power. I need power."
"In this world," it realized, "without power, I have no means to secure my existence. Without power, I'll easily become someone else's experiment."
It understood its uniqueness.
The grandiose notions of becoming the Black Mist King and fulfilling ambitious goals seemed distant and irrelevant. Intelligent beings wouldn't risk their lives for far-off dreams; they would prioritize survival in the present.
"For me," the Blood Flesh Mother Tree reasoned, "the most pressing issue is the shrinking Black Mist. Soon, I'll be swallowed and forced into the Black Mist Zone. According to Gris Klass's memories, countless terrifying monsters inhabit that zone, and my current power won't guarantee my survival there."
"I need to evolve again and become stronger," the Blood Flesh Mother Tree declared, its newfound intelligence driving its primal instincts.
The question of how to achieve this goal was answered swiftly. The answer was encoded within its very being, ingrained in its genes and instincts.
"More nutrition, and more biological samples," the tree's voice resonated through the air.
With a rustling sound, the branches of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree trembled, and one head after another dropped to the fungal carpet below, like ripe fruit falling from a vine.
The heads sank into the crimson surface as if engulfed by a swamp.
Moments later, they emerged once more. But this time, they were no longer mere heads. They had bodies.
Grotesque bodies of various shapes and colors rose from the fungal morass.
Some were humanoid figures with the eight tentacles of a Devourer protruding from their backs.
Others possessed the massive, hulking frames of Tanks.
Some resembled the Black Birds, their mutated wings enabling them to take flight.
Still others mirrored the Six-Legged Wolf Bears, their bodies lithe and powerful, their mouths open in feral snarls.
A grotesque menagerie of creatures now roamed Linhai County, transforming it into a nightmarish hellscape.
Among this monstrous horde were three humanoid figures that bore a close resemblance to humans. The only distinguishing feature was their blood-red pupils, which seemed to contain an endless sea of crimson.
In total, there were over a thousand of these humanoid monsters.
After bestowing them with physical forms, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree appeared exhausted and drained. Its massive canopy drooped wearily, but it managed to transmit a final command to the minds of its creations.
"Nutrients, more nutrients!" it urged. "I require all the sustenance that Nanxiang City has to offer!"
Obediently following their mother's directive, the humanoid monsters began to move.
An hour later, Simba spotted figures emerging from Linhai County, their posture reminiscent of Gris Klass. As it prepared to greet them, however, its expression twisted into one of shock and disbelief.
The head atop Gris Klass's body was not the familiar blond one with glowing red eyes. Instead, it was the head of a haggard, unrecognizable old man.
"This..." Simba stammered, unable to comprehend the sight before it.
Simba froze, its mind reeling from the shock.
After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, its survival instincts kicked in, prompting it to make the most sensible decision.
It grabbed Lian Jie and bolted.
However, an immense, oppressive force surged from behind, the undeniable pressure of a high-tier zombie bearing down on its lower-ranked brethren.
"Roar!"
Lian Jie, caught in the grip of this overwhelming power, let out a desperate, contradictory command to the surrounding zombies: scatter in all directions!
The clash of commands created chaos among the zombie ranks, momentarily disrupting the humanoid monsters' control over Simba and Lian Jie.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the two Devourers, barely clinging to their sanity, dared not utter a sound. They instinctively fled, their survival instincts taking over.
In their frantic escape, they missed the unfolding events behind them.
More humanoid monsters poured out of Linhai County, swarming in every direction.
They didn't see the painstakingly assembled zombie horde, now under the influence of the humanoid monsters, marching into Linhai County.
The zombies stepped onto the crimson fungus layer.
Then, one by one, they sank into the ground, merging with the Blood Flesh Mother Tree.
Day 114 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Monday.
In the afternoon, Lu Ming ascended the tower, ready for his usual zombie-hunting session to practice his marksmanship. A familiar black shadow appeared on the horizon, swiftly approaching.
Lu Ming, expecting another Blackbird, eagerly grabbed his heavy sniper rifle, anticipating a fresh supply of exotic beast meat.
However, as he peered through the scope, the sight that greeted him was far from a bird's head. Instead, it was a grotesque humanoid face, a chilling fusion of human and avian features.
The sight sent a shiver down Lu Ming's spine, his finger trembling as he instinctively pulled the trigger. The humanoid bird was instantly killed, its body plummeting to the ground below.
Lu Ming took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. A perplexed expression crossed his face.
"What in the world is that?" he muttered, then a thought occurred to him. "And is it edible?"
The image of the humanoid bird's grotesque visage flashed in his mind, sending another shiver down his spine.
Eating that... probably not a wise idea, he concluded.
After some deliberation, Lu Ming descended from the tower and informed Zhao Honglei of the unsettling encounter.
Zhao Honglei, ever eager to prove his worth, readily volunteered to retrieve the creature's remains. "I'll bring it back," he declared, his voice brimming with confidence.