5 Zombie Experience Cards 05

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The saying "many friends, many paths" applies no matter the time or place.

With the thought of becoming "friends" with the ivy, Tian Yi, after a night of contemplation, began to act the next day.

He was once again at the familiar edge of the ivy’s territory, once again lying in wait.

Having gained experience from cutting down zombies the previous day, and after a night of rest and reflection—subsisting on transparent crystals as sustenance—Tian Yi wielded his fire axe with greater ease and confidence.

The zombies wandering over, who still disregarded Tian Yi, met a predictable end.

Extracting the transparent crystals from their brains, Tian Yi placed the zombie corpses roughly in the same spot.

No further action was needed; the ivy would reach out its tendrils to drag away the bodies.

The first step toward friendship, naturally, is to cater to their preferences.

Tian Yi wasn’t sure if this approach would have a tangible effect, but he reasoned that trying more wouldn’t hurt.

Beyond the desire to befriend the ivy, Tian Yi also hoped to see its territory expand.

As the ivy’s domain grew, so too would his range of activity.

And that advanced zombie who had been eyeing him hungrily would be less likely to make a move.

The ivy proved to be unselective in its appetite, readily accepting all the zombie offerings Tian Yi brought.

The cooperation between them was near perfect.

Tian Yi had considered feeding the ivy with zombies whose transparent crystals had not been extracted.

But thinking of his own limited supply, he dismissed the idea for now, deciding to observe a while longer.

Perhaps intimidated by the ivy’s harsh treatment, the advanced zombie that coveted Tian Yi did not appear for several days in a row.

This made Tian Yi’s feeding efforts go smoothly.

Besides hunting zombies to feed the ivy, Tian Yi ventured slightly beyond the ivy’s territory edge to confirm that the advanced zombie was indeed gone.

There, among the ruins, he found a well with water that had not yet dried up.

He knew little of the rest of the city, but from all his days wandering the ivy’s domain, he had not seen any clear water sources.

Even the dangerous sewers were dry.

Water was not essential for Tian Yi at this moment.

The little orange cat had never shown signs of thirst.

However...

“Watering plants is important, right?” Tian Yi, who had only ever kept a cactus—and killed it—was uncertain.

Staring at the well for a while, he gradually became confident.

“Yes, it’s very important!”

What kind of plant doesn’t need water?

After so many days in this place without rain, water must be scarce!

Moreover, since the ivy was mutated, its vitality must be strong; even if he watered it incorrectly, it would likely be fine.

Trying more couldn’t hurt!

With this in mind, Tian Yi rummaged through the ruins nearby and soon found a water bucket.

He pounded the dented bucket back into a roughly cylindrical shape with two sharp taps, then began the arduous task of lowering a rope to draw water.

The water level in the well was low, so Tian Yi was extremely cautious against unknown dangers.

While drawing water, he spoke quietly to the little orange cat crouched beside him.

Since Tian Yi had started frequently feeding the ivy and attempting to communicate with it, the orange cat had spent the past few days sitting with its back to him.

It no longer meowed—just sat there.

When Tian Yi needed to go elsewhere, the cat followed, but once they arrived, it reverted to this aloof posture.

If Tian Yi tried to pick it up, it wouldn’t resist; instead, it looked as if to say, “You finally remember me, huh?”

This little expression made Tian Yi laugh, and he couldn’t help but pull it into his arms for affectionate strokes.

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…

Because the water level was so low, the water Tian Yi drew was somewhat murky.

But it was no matter; he scooped up the little orange cat and carried the bucket as he left.

Running directly to the ivy’s feet to pour water was unrealistic.

Tian Yi was certain that if he dared run beneath the ivy, he would meet the same fate as the zombies.

After considering, he thought it best to climb to the rooftop of the ivy-covered apartment building and pour water down from there.

As long as he didn’t provoke the ivy.

Having observed the ivy for days, Tian Yi had come to understand it well enough.

He approached the apartment covered with ivy.

The building was not tall by his standards—only five stories.

Among the ivy’s territory, there were few buildings taller than this.

From the rooftop, the view was good.

The ivy crawled all over the apartment’s outer walls, most lush on the sun-facing side.

Many tendrils stretched toward neighboring buildings.

Surprisingly, there were fewer tendrils on the rooftop than he had imagined.

Tian Yi carefully made his way up, deliberately avoiding the room where a deceased girl was locked away.

He moved cautiously, choosing his path, and finally reached a spot near the edge.

The ivy seemed unaware of his presence.

Yet the leaves and tendrils stirred in the breeze, slowly approaching him with a strange, deliberate slowness.

Having planned an escape route before climbing, Tian Yi hesitated not a moment.

With a whoosh, he poured the entire bucket of water down.

Without considering the wind or other factors, the water should have reached the ivy’s roots.

He had no time to watch the result and immediately fled.

He dashed to the shaded side of the building, where no ivy grew, and slid down the drainage pipe.

After consuming the transparent crystals, his physical condition had improved significantly.

From start to finish, he didn’t pause once and was soon far away.

Once at a safe distance, he looked back.

The ivy did not retaliate as he had imagined.

However, it was not in its usual quiet, obedient state, clinging silently to the walls.

Rather...

It looked... strange?

Soaked by the water, many tendrils had left the walls and stretched upward.

It resembled a person spreading their arms wide, waiting for rain.

But after waiting long and receiving no more water beyond the initial bucket, the ivy seemed a bit aggrieved and reluctant.

One by one, it retracted its tendrils, then began gathering the soil around its roots that had been moistened.

Tian Yi: “...???” It looked extremely parched.

For such a flourishing ivy, one bucket of water was clearly insufficient.

Tian Yi didn’t understand how he could perceive such a plant as possessing feelings of appreciation and hesitation.

One thing was certain: water was indeed important to the ivy.

Since the well lay outside the ivy’s territory and the sun was setting, Tian Yi decided not to draw more water.

He returned with the little orange cat to the small bookstore where they were currently staying.

After tidying up and moving needed items from other abandoned places, the bookstore looked much better than before.

At least they no longer had to sleep on the floor.

Broken doors and windows were repaired, and the interior reinforced.

As long as Tian Yi avoided reckless actions or unforeseen accidents, he and the little orange cat would not become collateral damage when zombies and mutant plants fought outside at night.

…

That night was relatively “quiet.”

Besides the zombies’ occasional belching and the sporadic sound of hurried footsteps, there were few battles.

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The next day, following the pattern of recent days, Tian Yi returned to the edge of the ivy’s territory to hunt zombies.

Unlike before, this time, when feeding the ivy, it behaved differently.

In front of Tian Yi, the ivy tapped the moist soil it had gathered around its roots.

At first, Tian Yi didn’t understand.

But whenever he appeared with zombie corpses, the ivy would tap the damp soil around its roots.

When Tian Yi turned away, the ivy stopped this behavior.

He roughly understood the ivy’s message, but...

Really?

“...Is the ivy really hinting that I should water it again?”

Ignoring the little orange cat’s continued sulking, Tian Yi held it in his arms and stroked it from head to tail.

“Surely it’s not trying to lure me over to be its fertilizer, haha...”

After laughing to himself for a while, Tian Yi composed his expression under the cat’s watchful eyes.

True, if the ivy wanted to eat him, it wouldn’t need to “tempt” him—it would act immediately.

If Tian Yi did not have some understanding of the ivy’s nature, it could have devoured him in an instant by now.

So...

The ivy was genuinely asking him for water.

Tian Yi was somewhat surprised at this conclusion.

But trying more wouldn’t hurt.

After feeding the ivy several times, Tian Yi returned to the bookstore, grabbed the water bucket, and stepped out again.

—He hadn’t discarded the bucket, but brought it back with him all along.

Fetching water was not something to do while letting one’s guard down.

Only after confirming that the advanced zombie that wanted to eat him was truly absent and that no new mutants had appeared near the well did Tian Yi draw water and head back.

Unlike yesterday, today he brought two buckets, carrying both back.

He felt strong—a good day for exertion!

“When the ivy’s territory expands, and this well is safe, I’ll give you a bath, Mimi~”

Growing accustomed to talking to himself, Tian Yi spoke to the little orange cat who followed him everywhere.

The cat stiffened: “...”

“You haven’t had a bath in a long time, right?”

The little orange cat opened its eyes wide in indignation.

Cats are very clean creatures!

Though it didn’t meow, Tian Yi could read the cat’s defiance.

He laughed heartily.

The little orange cat: “...Silly human.”

The silly human, carrying the still-ignoring little orange cat, once more approached the ivy—not too close.

Tian Yi climbed the rooftop again.

This time, the ivy’s tendrils did not actively approach him, but trembled slightly, as if filled with anticipation and joy.

Tian Yi moved swiftly and, upon reaching the edge, poured both buckets of water down in one go.