I Can Add Passives to Plants

Lin Yue first thought of the Sunflowers—the two he had produced at home and placed in the garden generated quite a lot of sunlight.

But this was the seabed!!!

Where was the sun supposed to come from for photosynthesis? That would be the equivalent of wasting a passive. Fortunately, there was a better option.

And that was—Toadstool.

Toadstool cost exactly two hundred sunlight to summon. Moreover, in a sustained-combat environment like the seabed, its "eat Zombies to produce sunlight" mechanic could slowly form a self-sustaining cycle.

As long as it ate one Zombie, it could recover fifty sunlight;

If it ate a few more, it could earn back its summoning cost and even have enough left over to bring in other plants.

"Alright, you it is."

A ring of pale golden patterns lit up on the surface of the planting tile in the first row and first column of the submarine. The patterns spread from the four corners toward the center, then converged in the middle to form Toadstool's shape.

The ball of light split open from within, scattering golden fragments in every direction. Toadstool's damp cap slowly poked out from the shattered glow, the tiny golden specks on its surface glittering like crushed diamonds beneath the submarine's dark blue lights.

After landing, it first shook its cap, flinging away the droplets clinging to it. Then it took in its surroundings.

"Ribbit!!!"

(Toadstool: Help, I'm going to drown!)

"Ribbit—" It called softly toward Lin Yue inside the submarine, its voice carrying the tentative uncertainty of someone arriving in an unfamiliar place.

"Meet your new friend, Oxygen Algae." Lin Yue pointed toward the third column of the fifth row.

Oxygen Algae gave its leaves a shake as well, sending oxygen drifting evenly toward Toadstool.

Only after seeing that it would not drown did Toadstool relax, fixing its gaze on the submarine's left side.

"Ribbit—"

(Toadstool: That scared the spores out of me.)

Toadstool tilted its cap again and slowly shifted its mycelium, adjusting its position in the planting tile. Once it had settled firmly into place, it stopped moving.

It seemed to be adapting to its new underwater environment.

Its round little eyes, embedded in the surface of its cap, glimmered faintly toward the darkness on the submarine's left, like two golden anchor points sunk into the murky water.

The first sound of water outside the submarine came just as Lin Yue crouched back beside the observation window.

"Splash—"

The sound came from the submarine's left. Filtered through the metal hull and thick glass, it was muffled, as though something heavy had sliced through the still water.

Lin Yue pressed his face to the window. The searchlight beam cut through the inky darkness to the left, and at the edge of the light, a bloated figure in a dark gray diving suit slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was nearly twice as broad as an ordinary Zombie. A silver-gray oxygen tank was strapped to its back, its surface reflecting faint metallic glimmers in the seawater. One hand gripped a rust-covered harpoon, its tip aimed at the submarine.

A translucent diving mask covered its face. Behind the lenses, its gray-white eyes reflected the dim seafloor light in a muddy blue-gray hue.

...Deep-Diving Zombie.

An image from the game's almanac flashed through Lin Yue's mind—diving suit, oxygen tank, harpoon... It seemed to have some special mechanic, too.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Before he could recall the details, Cattail's tail spikes had already arced toward it.

Three red needles drew three nearly invisible paths through the dark water, striking the Deep-Diving Zombie precisely.

Normally, an attack of that level should have at least made the Zombie hesitate—

"Hiss... ssssss—"

The sound of leaking air rang out...

Behind the bloated figure, high-pressure air burst from the spot where the oxygen tank had been pierced. The tank shook violently underwater, and then the entire body shot toward the submarine like a rocket being ignited.

The sheer speed made Lin Yue's pupils contract. One second, the Deep-Diving Zombie had been slowly approaching; the next, it was charging along the seafloor at more than three times an ordinary Zombie's speed, its harpoon pointed straight at the submarine's left side.

(After taking a non-straight-line attack, Deep-Diving Zombie rapidly charges forward.)

(Delta Force: Same thing.)

"What the hell? How could I forget that!"

"Toadstool, eat it! Don't let it get close to... the submarine..."

The moment Lin Yue shouted, it was as though lightning struck his mind. He remembered something—in the original Plants vs. Zombies 2, Toadstool seemed unable to swallow Deep-Diving Zombies or Swordfish Rider Zombies.

"Cattail..."

Before his voice had even faded, Toadstool's tongue had already shot out.

The golden tongue left a blurred afterimage in the water, wrapping precisely around the waist of the rapidly charging Deep-Diving Zombie.

It instantly tightened, forcibly cutting off that rushing momentum at the waist—the instant the Zombie was caught, its body let out a dull impact. The air stream from its oxygen tank was still madly pushing it forward, but the mycelium pulled with even greater force, dragging its entire body from outside the submarine to directly beneath Toadstool's cap.

The cap opened. Its golden umbrella-like surface bloomed in the dark water like a twilight cloud suddenly spreading wide, completely covering the bloated body before closing shut.

"Chomp—chomp—"

(Because Toadstool had grown larger.)

A dull, rhythmic grinding sound came from inside Toadstool's cap.

The surface of its cap bulged in a circle, then flattened again. It really did look like a golden toad.

Lin Yue had not expected Toadstool to forcibly swallow a rapidly charging Deep-Diving Zombie. It seemed the increase in size from the backyard had been quite useful after all.

"Uh!!! Nicely done..."

"Chomp~ chomp~"

Toadstool kept chewing and swallowing. The instant it gulped down the Zombie... fifty sunlight burst forth from its body.

[Life +30]

[Zongzi +2]

(Zombies killed * days)

Oraa... Oraa... Oraa

After collecting the sunlight, Lin Yue watched the darkness around the submarine with even greater vigilance.

Speak of the devil.

At the fourth row on the submarine's right side, a shadow slowly emerged from the darkness.

At first, it was only a vague outline. As it drew closer, the submarine's exterior searchlight finally revealed its full appearance. It was another Deep-Diving Zombie.

It wore an old diving suit, and its copper helmet was covered in rust. Half of a rotting face showed behind the visor, while its empty eye sockets were pitch-black, revealing nothing.

A huge oxygen tank was strapped to its back, its surface covered in algae and barnacles. Even as it moved, it made a dull metallic scraping sound.

Before Lin Yue could react, another figure also pushed out from the darkness in the fifth row on the left.

This Zombie had a crooked Conehead perched on its head. The orange plastic surface was covered in cracks, and bits of coral even clung to its body.

The Roadblock Diver Zombie moved more clumsily than the Deep-Diving Zombie. Its roadblock cone swayed with every step, yet it was indeed drawing closer to the submarine bit by bit, with unwavering determination.

The two Zombies slowly closed in, one from each side.

Cattail crouched inside the submarine, its tail slapping the floor twice in irritation with two soft smacks.

It cocked its head, a stubborn gleam flashing through its feline eyes as its mind raced—hitting that oxygen tank had caused trouble just now, but maybe this time would be different?

Maybe that Zombie's tank had just been defective?

Kitty... refused to believe it.

Kitty... decided to try again.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Three sharp spikes shot out, dragging three straight white streaks through the water as they accurately struck the oxygen tank on the Deep-Diving Zombie's back to the right.

Cattail's whiskers perked up, quite pleased with its aim.

"Hisssss—"

The oxygen tank ruptured as expected. High-pressure gas sprayed wildly from the opening, exploding into a huge patch of white bubbles underwater.

The thrust shoved the Deep-Diving Zombie violently forward. Its previously slow pace instantly turned into a sprint, and its whole body rammed toward the submarine like a torpedo.

The bubbles churned with a piercing hiss. The Deep-Diving Zombie's rotten face flickered in and out of view within them as it rapidly approached Bok Choy's position.

All of Cattail's fur instantly stood on end.

"Meow... I messed up."

Kitty's ears drooped, its tail stiffly raised straight up. Its voice squeezed out from its throat, filled with genuine regret.

Bok Choy in the fifth row had been ready for a while.

(Bok Choy: My hands are feeling hot right now.)

Bok Choy stood in the fourth row, fourth column, staring at the approaching Deep-Diving Zombie.

Its roots were firmly planted in the submarine floor, like a cabbage that had taken root.

When it saw that the Deep-Diving Zombie had not fled but instead approached it—

The expression on its already fierce face abruptly changed—its brows twisted into a knot, its mouth pulled downward, and its eyes nearly spat fire.

(╬oдo╬)

It was angry.

Not out of fear, but rage.

Rage that these Zombies never stopped. Rage that these ugly things dared charge so openly at the submarine it was protecting.

Bok Choy slowly raised both arms.

Its arms were thick, its plant ridges sharply defined. When its fists clenched, they cracked sharply.

Bok Choy raised its fists before its chest and assumed a standard sanda stance. Its center of gravity lowered, and its entire body became like a fully drawn bow.

"Oraa~ oraa~ oraa, oraa—"

The first punch struck the Deep-Diving Zombie square in the chest, the dull impact sounding like a battered drum being struck.

The Zombie's body paused from the blow, but it did not stop. Bok Choy's second punch was already following, then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth—its punches grew faster and faster, fast enough to churn a whirlpool through the water, fast enough that the fists themselves became a blurred afterimage.

"Oraa oraa oraa oraa oraa!!!"

Bok Choy's punches exploded alongside the Zombie. Every blow carried the power of a vegetable, smashing into its body, its head, and its rotting face.

The Deep-Diving Zombie's diving helmet was dented inward by the blows, its visor shattered, and glass shards sprayed across its face.

That green Zombie head kept deforming beneath the dense rain of fists. Its jaw was knocked crooked to one side, its cheekbones collapsed inward, and a clear dent appeared at its temple.

"Oraa!"

Bok Choy swung its final punch in a full arc. With a crisp crack, the Deep-Diving Zombie's neck broke.

The battered, unrecognizable head separated from the body. It tumbled and spun through the seawater before slowly sinking toward the seafloor.

Lin Yue could even clearly see every inch of muscle twisting across that head—

Its green skin had shriveled, its mouth still frozen in the vicious curve it wore before death. Seen from the side, the entire head had caved in, like a rotten fruit crushed beneath someone's foot.

[Zongzi +2]

Bok Choy withdrew its fists, its leaves rising and falling slightly.

It lowered its head and glanced at its fists. Some unidentifiable bits of debris clung to its knuckles. Expressionlessly, it shook its hands, scattering the fragments into the water.

Cattail crouched in the corner, having witnessed the entire crime scene.

(Kitty is scared!)

Seeing Bok Choy's storm of punches, seeing how the Zombie's head had been smashed flatter with each blow, seeing Bok Choy's expression after withdrawing its fists as though it had not had enough, Kitty's whole body shuddered. From the tip of its tail to the roots of its ears, everything went rigid.

Σ(°△°|||)︴

It quietly shifted half a step, then another half step.

(Kitty's thoughts: He's done beating up the Zombie. He can't hit me... can't hit me can't hit me can't hit me...)