Chapter 30 – 30 Mutated Plant

Sylas could see the plant closing in on them, its branches stretching out toward them. The drivers in other cars also noticed the abnormality of the plant behind them, including Major Kyle. They sped up, but no matter how fast they drove, the monstrous plant kept gaining on them.

Under the terrified gazes of the supply hunters’ team, the plant’s massive, vine-like tendrils shot forward with terrifying speed, lashing through the air and aiming straight for the cars.

Suddenly—

CRACK!

A thick vine smashed down in front of the vehicles, sending chunks of asphalt flying.

“Damn it!” Shaun cursed as he swerved, barely avoiding a collision.

But before they could accelerate away, more vines shot forward like striking serpents, wrapping around the cars with crushing force. The metal groaned and buckled under the pressure, windows shattering as the plant tightened its grip.

“Not good, we have to get out!” Dylan shouted, trying to force the door open, but the car’s frame was already being squeezed.

“Get out! NOW!” Major Kyle, who was in the military car ahead, commanded in a loud voice.

Everyone moved fast, scrambling to kick the doors open and escape before they were completely crushed. Sylas slashed with his military knife, cutting through the vines coiling around the handles. The moment they tumbled out, the tendrils that had been constricting the vehicle ripped it apart.

The car’s remains were hurled aside like a child’s discarded toy.

Sylas turned sharply. Now that they were out in the open, he could clearly see the massive plant. It looked like a monster straight out of a horror movie.

This was no ordinary plant—it was a mutated, monstrous thing that seemed to have gained intelligence. Its main stalk was nearly three stories tall, its pulsating mass covered in a thick, bark-like texture. The branches moved with the precision of an octopus’s tentacles, targeting the team members.

And worst of all—

It was fixated on Serena.

Multiple tentacle-like branches writhed and shot toward her, clearly aiming for her.

Serena stood frozen, her breath ragged. She felt an immense pressure weighing down on her, her body refusing to move. Wide-eyed, she stared at the monstrous plant.

The plant was oppressing her.

“Serena, move!” Sylas shouted, pulling her back just as the vine-like branches lashed toward her. The moment he yanked her away, the ground where she had been standing cracked under the force of the impact.

“What’s happening to me?” Serena gasped, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her voice was unsteady. She felt an overwhelming fear toward the plant, a fear that wasn’t just in her mind—it was in her blood.

The plant screeched, its branches writhing and dancing in the air before once again lunging toward them.

More vines shot forward, each one targeting Serena with unnatural aggression.

“Not good! It’s after Serena!” Sylas shouted, reacting instantly as he raised his hand and sent spatial blades slicing through the air. The invisible blades of compressed space severed several tendrils, causing them to writhe like dying snakes.

Dylan, gripping his knife attacked the tendrils. He ripped through another vine with sheer strength, tearing it apart with his bare hands. He even caught a thrashing branch, which wriggled in his grip like a live serpent and yanked it from the main body.

Leo and the other team members tried using their guns, but—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The bullets embedded themselves in the plant’s flesh but did little damage. The mutated plant barely reacted.

“Bullets are useless!” Leo shouted, quickly discarding his gun and dodging a branch coming straight at him.

“Use the military knives!” Major Kyle commanded as he wielded his own and slashed at an approaching tendril. The blade cut deep, black-green sap spilling from the wound, but the plant was relentless.

Serena staggered backward, struggling to focus. Her breathing was uneven, her usual icy composure shattered.

“What’s wrong with me…?” she whispered, gripping her head.

She felt it—an unnatural pull, as if the plant itself was calling to her, trying to consume her.

Sylas noticed her distress. He grabbed her wrist, shaking her. “Serena, snap out of it! Focus!”

His voice jolted her back to her senses. Her trembling fingers curled into a fist. She swallowed hard and forced herself to move.

The fight raged on, the team desperately dodging and countering the endless onslaught of vines. Some soldiers weren’t fast enough—one was snatched mid-air, screaming as the plant crushed him like an insect before swallowing him into its writhing mass.

“No!” Major Kyle’s eyes reddened at the sight.

Another soldier was ensnared, his body jerking before going limp.

This mutated plant was unlike anything they had ever fought. It had gained sentience.

Serena managed to summon her own vines, but the moment they lashed out, they withered upon contact with the monstrous plant.

“It’s absorbing my energy!” she shouted, quickly severing the connection with horror in her eyes.

The ability users were draining their energy fast, their attacks barely making a dent.

Even Sylas, who had been slicing through the tendrils with precision, felt exhaustion creeping in.

They couldn’t keep this up.

Everyone had the same thought.

“We have to find a way to escape or kill this thing, or we’re all dying here,” Major Kyle said.

“Fire!” Serena suddenly shouted.

“Yes, fire! We can burn it down!” Sylas also said.

“Aghhh…!”

Shaun screamed as a plant tendril wrapped around his leg, squeezing like a tentacle.

Just as it was about to drag him away, Sylas sent out a spatial blade, cutting through the tendril and freeing Shaun.

Major Kyle could see many team members getting injured—and some were nowhere to be seen.

No, I can’t let my team die here.

He racked his brain for a way out.

Escaping was impossible.

Fire!

Fire!

How could they burn it down?

They needed a large amount of fuel, but where would they find it? And how would they ignite it in time?

Thinking about it was easy, but doing it was the hard part.

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