Ora... Ora... Ora

Lin Yue's first thought was Sunflower—the two he had produced in his own garden could be said to generate a considerable amount of sunlight.

But this was the bottom of the sea!!!

Where would the sun come from? Letting it perform photosynthesis would be equivalent to wasting a passive. Fortunately, there was an even better choice.

Also—Toadstool.

Summoning Toadstool cost exactly two hundred sun, and in an environment of sustained combat like the seafloor, its "eat zombies to produce sun" mechanic could form a slow self-sustaining cycle.

As long as he let it eat one Zombie, it would recoup fifty sun;

Eating several more would earn back the summoning cost, even leaving it enough to summon other plants.

"Right, you're the one."

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

The ball of light split open from within. Golden fragments scattered in every direction, and Toadstool's damp cap slowly poked out from the shattered glow. The fine golden particles scattered across its surface glittered like crushed diamonds under the submarine's dark blue lights.

After landing, it first shook its cap, flinging off the droplets of water clinging to it, but then it saw the environment around it.

"Ribbit!!!"

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

"Ribbit—" It called out to Lin Yue inside the submarine, its voice low and probing, as if testing out an unfamiliar environment.

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

Oxygen Algae also shook out its leaves, allowing oxygen to drift evenly toward Toadstool.

Only after realizing that it would not drown did Toadstool relax and fix its gaze on the submarine's left side.

"Ribbit—"

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

Toadstool tilted its cap again and slowly shifted its mycelia, adjusting its orientation within the planting tile. Once it had settled firmly, it stopped moving.

It seemed to be adapting to its new environment on the seafloor.

Its round little eyes, embedded in its mushroom cap, shone faintly toward the darkness on the submarine's left, like two golden anchor points sunk in the dark 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, like some heavy object cutting through the still water.

Lin Yue pressed his face to the window. The searchlight's beam cut through the pitch-black area on the left, and at the edge of the light, a bulky figure in a dark gray diving suit slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was nearly twice as broad as a normal Zombie. A silver-gray oxygen tank was strapped to its back, its surface reflecting flecks of metallic light through the seawater. One hand gripped a rust-covered harpoon, its prongs aimed toward the submarine.

A semitransparent diving mask covered its face. Behind the lenses, its gray-white eyeballs reflected the dim seafloor light with a murky blue-gray hue.

...Deep-Diving Zombie.

An impression from the game's compendium flashed through Lin Yue's mind—diving suit, oxygen tank, harpoon... There seemed to be some kind of special mechanic, too.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Before he could recall the specific mechanic, Cattail's tail spikes had already traced an arc through the water and shot out.

Three thin red needles carved three nearly invisible paths through the dark water, striking Deep-Diving Zombie's position with precision.

Under normal circumstances, an attack of this level would at least make a Zombie's footsteps falter—

"Hiss... crackle—"

The sound of leaking air rang out...

Behind the bulky figure, the needles had pierced the oxygen tank, and a high-pressure jet of air burst from the puncture. The tank shook violently in the water, and then the entire body shot toward the submarine like a rocket suddenly set ablaze.

The speed was so great that Lin Yue's pupils abruptly contracted. The Deep-Diving Zombie, which had been slowly approaching just a moment ago, had already accelerated along the seafloor to more than three times the speed of a normal Zombie. The tip of its harpoon pointed straight at the submarine's left side.

(After being hit by a non-linear attack, Deep-Diving Zombie will rapidly charge forward.)

(Delta Force: Same thing.)

"Wait—how could it be this nasty? I actually forgot!"

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

Lin Yue had barely shouted when a thought struck him like lightning. In the original Plants vs. Zombies 2, Toadstool seemed unable to swallow Deep-Diving Zombie or Swordfish Rider Zombie.

"Cattail..."

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

Those golden tongues left blurred afterimages in the water, wrapping precisely around the waist of the rapidly charging Deep-Diving Zombie.

They snapped taut, forcibly cutting off the momentum of its charge. The instant the tongue caught it, Deep-Diving Zombie's body let out a dull impact. The air jet from its oxygen tank still pushed it forward madly, but Toadstool's mycelia pulled with even greater force, dragging the entire body from outside the submarine to directly beneath Toadstool's cap.

The cap opened wide. Its golden umbrella-like surface resembled a dusk cloud suddenly expanding in the dark water, completely covering the bulky body before closing again.

"Chomp—chomp—"

(The reason was that Toadstool had grown larger.)

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

A ring bulged up around its surface, then flattened again. It really did look like a golden toad.

Lin Yue had not expected Toadstool to forcibly swallow the rapidly charging Deep-Diving Zombie. It seemed that the growth it had undergone in the backyard was quite useful after all.

"Uh!!! Nicely done..."

"Chomp~ chomp~"

Toadstool continued chewing. The instant it swallowed the Zombie... bursts of 50 sun erupted from its body.

[Life +30]

[ Rice Dumpling +2]

(Kills: Zombie * days)

Chapter 51: Ora... Ora... Ora

After collecting the sun, Lin Yue watched the darkness surrounding the submarine even more warily.

Speak of the devil.

A shadow slowly emerged from the darkness on the right side of the submarine, in the fourth row.

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

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

A huge oxygen tank was strapped to its back. The tank was covered in seaweed and barnacles, and its movement produced a dull metallic scraping sound.

Before Lin Yue could react, another figure simultaneously rose from the darkness in the fifth row on the left.

This Zombie had a crooked roadblock cone clamped on its head. The orange plastic surface was covered in cracks, and there were even bits of coral stuck to its body.

Roadblock Diver Zombie moved even more clumsily than Deep-Diving Zombie. The roadblock cone on its head swayed with every step, but it was indeed advancing toward the submarine little by little, steadily and determinedly.

The two Zombies slowly closed in from the left and right.

Cattail Cat crouched inside the submarine, its tail smacking the floor irritably twice with soft "slap, slap" sounds.

It tilted its head, a stubborn light flashing in its catlike eyes as its mind raced. Something had gone wrong when it attacked that oxygen tank earlier, but maybe this time would be different?

Maybe there had already been something wrong with that Zombie's tank?

Kitty... didn't believe in bad luck.

Kitty... decided to try again.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Three spikes shot out, dragging three straight white lines through the water as they pierced toward the oxygen tank on the Deep-Diving Zombie's back on the right.

Cattail Cat's whiskers lifted slightly, clearly satisfied with its aim.

"Crackle—"

The oxygen tank ruptured on impact. High-pressure gas blasted furiously from the breach, exploding into a huge mass of white bubbles in the seawater.

The Deep-Diving Zombie's body was shoved forward by the force. Its originally slow steps instantly became a sprint, and its entire body hurtled toward the submarine like a torpedo.

The bubbles roiled and hissed sharply. Deep-Diving Zombie's rotten face appeared and vanished among them as it rapidly closed in on Bok Choy's position.

The fur all over Cattail Cat's body suddenly stood on end.

"Meow... I messed up."

Kitty's ears drooped, its tail rigidly upright. The sound was squeezed from its throat, carrying genuine remorse.

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

(Bok Choy: I'm feeling really hot right now.)

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

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

When it saw that Deep-Diving Zombie not only failed to flee but instead approached it,

The already fierce expression on its face abruptly changed. Its brows knitted into a knot, the corners of its mouth turned downward, and its eyes seemed ready to spew flames.

(╬oдo╬)

It was angry.

Not because it was afraid, but because it was furious.

Furious that these Zombies never seemed to end. Furious that these ugly creatures dared to charge so brazenly toward 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 made crisp cracking sounds.

Bok Choy brought both fists up before its chest and assumed a standard sanda opening stance. Its center of gravity lowered, its entire body like a bow drawn to the limit.

"Ora~ ora~ ora, ora—"

The first punch struck Deep-Diving Zombie squarely in the chest. The dull impact sounded like a broken drum being beaten.

The Zombie's body staggered from the blow but did not stop. Bok Choy's second punch was already following, then the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. Its punches grew faster and faster, stirring a whirlpool in the water until its fists themselves became a blur of afterimages.

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"

Bok Choy's punches exploded alongside the Zombie. Every blow carried the force of a cabbage, smashing into the Zombie's body, its head, and its rotten face.

Deep-Diving Zombie's diving helmet caved inward under the barrage. Its mask shattered, sending shards of glass flying across its face.

The green Zombie head continually warped beneath the dense rain of punches. Its jaw was knocked crooked, its cheekbone collapsed inward, and a clear dent appeared at its temple.

"ORA!"

Bok Choy swung its final punch in a full arc and brought it crashing down. With a crisp crack, Deep-Diving Zombie's neck broke.

The battered, unrecognizable head tore free from the body, tumbling and spinning through the seawater before slowly sinking to the seafloor.

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

Its green skin was wrinkled tight, the corners of its mouth still frozen in the vicious curve it had worn before death. From the side, the entire head was completely caved in, like a rotten fruit crushed underfoot.

[Rice Dumpling +2]

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

It lowered its head and glanced at its fists. Some unidentifiable crumbs clung to its knuckles. Expressionless, it shook its hand, scattering the crumbs into the water.

Cattail Cat crouched in the corner, having witnessed the entire crime scene from start to finish.

(Kitty is scared!)

Kitty watched Bok Choy's fists descend like a violent storm, watched the Zombie's head get pounded flat one punch at a time, and saw the "I haven't had enough yet" expression on Bok Choy's face after it withdrew its fists. Its entire body shuddered, stretching taut from the tip of its tail to the base of its ears.

Σ(°△°|||)︴

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

(Kitty's thoughts: It finished beating the Zombie, so it mustn't beat me... Don't beat me, don't beat me, don't beat me...)