Chapter 57 - 56: Ferocious Moss

After all, if a seedling could frequently bask in the Wood Ability, not only would it advance rapidly, but it could also undergo a secondary mutation. Its potential would be limitless.

The moment Curly arrived at this house, it sensed the pure Wood Ability. It immediately locked onto Rose, reserving her as its future master. It originally intended to wait until they had spent more time together before acknowledging her, making it easier for her to accept. But now that its chosen future little master had shown disdain for it, it forced the bond in a fit of pique. The Mutated Quillwort was, after all, a massive lethal weapon among plants. Naturally domineering, it refused to swallow any grievances quietly!

Sensing her new telepathic connection with Curly, Rose ignored the pain in her wrist. She hastily used her mind to channel the green light within her body, pouring it into Curly’s roots holding nothing back.

Soon, Curly—who had already grown from a foot tall upon arrival to two feet just by mooching off her Wood Ability—saw its branches begin to explode in size. Three feet, four feet, five feet... It didn’t stop growing until it reached over twenty feet tall. If an ordinary tree had reached this height, it likely would have pierced right through the roof. Fortunately, Curly’s branches were extremely flexible. They coiled inside the wooden box like snakes, squeezing Coco Holden until it was practically lopsided.

Meanwhile, the first hole was finally gnawed through the back wall of the second bedroom, and the stench of blood drifted in through the gap. Doctor Jenkins couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose—the neighbors behind them had in all likelihood already been torn to pieces.

He didn’t care much, though. In the safe zone, Scavengers died outside all the time. Some were eaten by Mutant Beasts, some faced strangulation by Mutated plants, and others died of radiation sickness. He had no excess sympathy to spare for people who had nothing to do with him. Right now, his only concern was Rose. Of course, it would be even better if Sev Steele survived too.

Following Doctor Jenkins’s earlier warning, Sev Steele and Seth Jennings—who were guarding the master bedroom and the second bedroom, respectively—focused all their attention on the back walls. The moment a hole was dug through the second bedroom’s back wall, Seth charged straight over. She viciously thrust her Triangular Spike into the opening, eliciting a shrill shriek from the other side. Seth no longer dared to use her toxic spray carelessly. Its quantity was limited, and she needed to save as much of it as possible for the children to use.

Everyone was fraught with anxiety. They were barely defending the current openings, but more were bound to appear. They were clearly spread too thin.

Rose communicated with Curly telepathically, "Can you help guard one of the holes?"

"Hmph! You’re underestimating me way too much. I can guard an entire wall! If I grow a little more, I can even help you guard the whole courtyard!" Curly boasted proudly.

Rose immediately shouted, "Mom! Curly can help guard the side wall of the master bedroom. Go help Ms. Jennings!"

Sev whipped her head around, just in time to see a vine shooting toward a hole right beside her. It looked very much like the vine she had seen actively attacking a Mutant Tree Frog in the woods earlier, though its branches were slightly thinner. The most striking feature was the tip of the vine—a patch of hair-thin, fine bristles that gleamed with a cold, dark glint sprouted from the curled branches. In the center of the fine bristles was a two-inch-long spike, about as thick as a toothpick.

Before Sev could even process her shock, the tip of the vine darted past her. The spike plunged with unparalleled precision straight between the eyes of a Mutant Rat that was busy widening the hole! Immediately after, the tip of the vine began to vibrate. Like an electric drain snake, it frantically drove itself forward in a high-frequency spiral.

The Mutant Rat’s scream was exceptionally shrill, possessing a tragic and bloodcurdling quality that gave Sev goosebumps all over! What she didn’t know was that at this very moment, a hollow void had already been churned out inside the Mutant Rat’s hard skull.

Accompanied by a teeth-grating CRUNCH of shattering bone, the vine seemed to greedily absorb something. Its originally emerald-green body was rapidly stained a bizarre, dark red. Sev gasped! She knew the Mutated Quillwort was powerful, but she never imagined a mere seedling could be so ruthless!

Perhaps the fear transmitted by the Mutant Rat before its death was too intense. The other Mutant Rats gathered around the master bedroom’s side wall let out terrified SQUEAKS and scattered in an instant.

"Little master, the bad mice attacking this wall have all run away! Aren’t I amazing?" Curly’s smug boasting echoed in Rose’s mind.

"Mhm, you’re the most amazing, Curly!" Rose didn’t hold back her praise. As long as it could help her mother defend their home, it was the best!

Firestone, who had stayed behind to guard the master bedroom, also widened his eyes. He was dying of envy. How could he not even compare to a plant?

Sev didn’t have time to dwell on her shock, because two more holes were suddenly punched through the back wall of the second bedroom. She hurriedly rushed over to hold the line, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Seth Jennings.

The S Level Dagger Doctor Jenkins had lent her intrinsically possessed the Ice Attribute—a fact she only discovered after killing several Mutant Rats. She noticed that once the dagger pierced them, the wounds surprisingly didn’t spray blood! If she pulled the dagger out just a fraction too slowly, the wound would even start to freeze over. The attribute of this dagger was absolutely perfect for her, as killing Mutant Rats this way wasn’t bloody at all. Even though Sev was busy fighting, she found a spare moment to resolve that, no matter the price, she would figure out a way to swindle this dagger into her own hands in the future!

Seeing Sev kill the Mutant Rats with such clean and decisive movements, striking vital points with near-perfect precision every time, Seth completely changed her opinion of her. She swung her Triangular Spike, piercing through a Mutant Rat’s head, and casually remarked to the person beside her, "You’re strong! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have underestimated you!"

"It’s fine. You only underestimated an ordinary person, not the me who can fight side-by-side with you." Sev offered a magnanimous smile and, with a swift stroke of her dagger, brought down another Mutant Rat.

Seth struck at almost the exact same time, bringing down yet another Mutant Rat before bursting into laughter. "Haha! If you had an Ability, I would absolutely kidnap you back to The Azure Owl Mercenary Corps and be your teammate for the rest of our lives!"