Swordfish Zombie

Lin Yue even briefly wondered if he had walked onto the wrong set—was this really the Deep-Sea Event, where there were so many zombies that people could barely breathe?

Could it be that there was some big shot in this area?

Fewer zombies meant fewer rice dumplings.

It was already the fourth day. According to the event rules, killing one ordinary Zombie on the fourth day yielded four rice dumplings—four times the reward on the first day.

This was clearly the golden time for farming rice dumplings, yet there were barely any zombies.

If everyone else was the same as him...the survival rate for this event was probably frighteningly high.

[Underwater World: Day Three Settlement]

[You have successfully survived for 72 hours]

[You may choose to continue exploring—or leave the event]

[Warning: Beware of the Undersea Current]

[The event shop has been updated—please check the newly listed items promptly]

Lin Yue opened the event shop and glanced through it.

There were several more pieces of equipment on the list of newly added items. One of them made him look twice: a military-green helmet, the Pea Military Merit Helmet, priced at 1,000 Undersea Zongzi.

At that number, his eyebrow twitched. He silently closed the shop interface.

But what really caught Lin Yue's attention were the other four words in the system notification.

"Undersea Current!!!"

He repeated those four words in his mind, and his voice unconsciously grew heavier.

Lin Yue had encountered the Undersea Current mechanic while playing the game. Something this disgusting was enough to leave a lasting impression—

The current would affect the flow of the entire sea region, and zombies would move rapidly along it. In other words, zombies would no longer be targets drifting over slowly. Instead, they would be swept along by the water and charge toward the submarine at several times their usual speed.

It was disgusting.

Extremely disgusting.

But the problem was—Lin Yue looked out the window. The seawater was frighteningly calm, without even a ripple.

One hour passed, then two, then three. Forget the current—even after such a long time, he had encountered only one ordinary Diving Zombie.

Even stranger, there was not the slightest sign of...the current appearing anywhere in the entire sea region.

"Could something in this area be blocking the current?"

In the original game...quite a few plants could block the current. Lin Yue even knew several of them. Could a large number of wild plants have gathered here?

Muttering to himself, Lin Yue relied on the Starfruit...and prepared to scout the surroundings.

A beam of light pierced through the darkness, carving a bright passage through the water fifty or sixty meters ahead.

Then...he saw it.

The seafloor was no longer silent and dead.

Ahead, a vast stretch of "Seaweed Guards" covered the seafloor. From a distance, they looked like a massive plant defensive net, and there were more of them than he could count.

That stretch of green extended far into the distance, with no end in sight. As the water shifted, the green leaves swayed gently, blocking large numbers of zombies and marine creatures.

It wasn't just "Seaweed Guards."

Amid that stretch of green, Lin Yue saw other outlines—square, sharply angular shapes that were clearly event submarines.

Not one or two, but several.

He saw...Seaweed Guards surrounding the submarines, seemingly working together.

"There are submarines!" Lin Yue grew alert. After all, his last encounter with other people had not been pleasant.

Lin Yue glanced back at the two Starfruits rotating steadily in the planting slots, and a light gleamed in his eyes.

"Starfruits, put a little more power into it!"

Starfruit: ☆(.??.)☆

The two five-pointed stars received the command at the same time, and their rotation speed instantly increased by two levels.

Golden halos churned two interweaving whirlpools at the front of the submarine, pushing the entire vessel forward.

As the distance shortened, the green stretch grew clearer in his vision.

Then Lin Yue saw it clearly.

"As expected, they're Seaweed Guards. But how can there be so many?"

Seeing so many of them, Lin Yue was puzzled, but plants wouldn't harm him.

Seaweed Guard: (o?o)(o?o)

The Seaweed Guards had thick stalks that stood straight upright. On either side of each stalk, two particularly broad leaves spread out like two long arms.

Those arms were moving.

They stretched, contracted, and coiled rhythmically, drawing smooth arcs through the seawater.

The arms of the Seaweed Guards blocked different positions. Working together, they formed...a defensive wall woven from green leaves.

Lin Yue finally understood why there was no current and no zombies in this sea region.

"So they're all farming points here!"

Looking at the spectacular defensive line before him, Lin Yue was momentarily stunned.

The Seaweed Guardians formed an arc that stretched from the far left all the way to the edge of his vision on the right, like the Great Wall lying across the seafloor.

Their arms—their long kelp leaves—were working nonstop.

The kelp leaves...wrapped around ordinary Zombies trying to squeeze through the gaps. The leaves tightened and flung the Zombies back;

But at the same time...the Seaweed Guards had also suffered considerable damage. Many of their leaves had even snapped.

The number of zombies—Lin Yue didn't feel like counting after just one glance.

There were too many.

They crowded together densely outside the defensive wall, like a pack of hungry wolves blocked behind a fence. New zombies constantly surged out of the darkness in the distance, joining the famished army.

The oxygen tanks on the backs of the Deep-Diving Zombies reflected a dim light underwater. The cone-shaped buckets crookedly perched on the heads of the Conehead Zombies collided with one another in the crush, producing dull "thud, thud" sounds.

And there were...Swordfish Zombies riding swordfish.

If there were only Seaweed Guards, they definitely couldn't hold back such a huge number of zombies.

But...at this moment, many submarines were completely surrounded and protected by Seaweed Guards, barely maintaining a balance with the zombies.

The Seaweed Guardians were responsible for blocking the zombies' assault, while the submarines parked behind the Kelp Defense Line used their plant firepower to clear out the zombies stopped by the Seaweed Guards.

Lin Yue saw many plants on the submarines attacking the zombies. Here...there was no need to consider protecting the submarines; every slot above each submarine was filled with offensive plants.

When...a Seaweed Guard's leaves were damaged from enduring too many zombie attacks, a new Seaweed Guard would immediately rush out from behind to take its place, relieving it so it could recover.

This was practically a hidden point-farming spot in the event, and there was no need to worry about the submarines being damaged.

"Does this count as a point-farming spot in the event?"

Swordfish Zombie

This was practically...a hidden cooperative point-farming spot in the event.

While Lin Yue was still processing this discovery, movement suddenly stirred around the submarine.

Four Seaweed Guards that had originally been standing idle behind the defensive line turned around simultaneously at some point and swam toward Lin Yue's submarine.

(Just like in the game settings...one Guard has two plants.)

They moved quickly. Their ribbon-like leaves spread out behind them like four green streamers, dragging beautiful trails through the water.

The four Seaweed Guards stopped at the submarine's four corners—one on each side of the bow and one on each side of the stern.

(Seaweed Guards are twins; one plant has two.)

They spread their thick, lengthy leaves, forming a green railing along both sides of the submarine.

Then, the Seaweed Guard closest to the observation window bent its stalk slightly. It pointed with the tip of its leaf toward the zombies outside the defensive line, then at itself, and finally at Lin Yue's submarine. Its movements were solemn yet somewhat simple and honest.

Seaweed Guard: (o?o)(o?o)

Fearing that Lin Yue hadn't understood...

Its leaves gestured through a series of movements—it first pointed at the Peashooter and Starfruit on Lin Yue's submarine, then raised its leaves and made a "fire" gesture. Next, it patted its stalk, spread its leaves, and made a protective embracing motion.

Seaweed Guard: - → Charge forward

Finally, it pointed at the zombie horde outside the defensive line, thrust its entire body forward, and struck a charging pose.

It had no language, but its meaning was clearer than any words.

Seaweed Guard: You kill zombies. I'll protect you.

Looking at the Seaweed Guard's two leaves and stalk making such serious gestures, along with the earnest and somewhat adorable expression on its face, the corners of Lin Yue's mouth slowly lifted.

"Couldn't ask for more~"

There was a joy in Lin Yue's voice like that of someone who had found a treasure.

Today was already the fourth day. Killing one zombie yielded four rice dumplings, four times as many as on the first day.

He had been worried about not finding zombies to farm, but now there were densely packed zombies outside the Kelp Defense Line, all waiting for him to harvest.

Moreover, with the Seaweed Guards protecting him, the submarine's durability was equivalent to having gained an extra free shield. He no longer had to be on tenterhooks like he had been the past two days.

And furthermore...what if the Seaweed Guards wanted to leave with him later...what would he do?

Lin Yue: Another Cattail wants to come home with me~

Under the protection of the Seaweed Guardians, the submarine slowly sailed toward the front of the defensive line.

Lin Yue clearly sensed the atmosphere around him change—the Seaweed Guards that had originally stood at the front of the defensive line to block the current.

When they saw...the new submarine approaching, they actually took the initiative to retract their leaves, making way for a gap just wide enough for one submarine to pass through.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized. They seemed to have lived in this sea region for a long time; when they retracted their leaves, they even made a uniform "swish."

Even the four Seaweed Guards already guarding the sides of the vessel straightened their stalks further.

Before, they had been somewhat casual, their leaves slightly bent. But now, they held every leaf perfectly straight, their entire bodies radiating a solemn and proud air.

(Seaweed Guard: Proud to hold back zombies.)

"Swish—swish—"

The instant the submarine left the Kelp Defense Line, Lin Yue felt it.

The water flow had changed!!!

The water inside the defensive line had previously been calm and gentle.

But the moment he crossed the line, the entire sea region changed its nature—a tough, continuous force pushed from behind. The current was no longer a gentle ripple, but a force with a clear direction that allowed no resistance.

The current.

This was the Undersea Current mentioned in the notification.

It surged from behind the defensive line, pushing everything along. If he failed to control the direction, the submarine would be swept along by the current and plunge headfirst into the zombie horde.

The Seaweed Guards immediately reacted.

The two Seaweed Guards on the left and right spread their leaves simultaneously. Their leaves stretched taut like two green sails, while they tilted their stalks slightly inward, forming an angle that resisted the current.

The current struck their broad leaves with a low "gurgle." The water was split, diverted, and slowed by the leaves, protecting the submarine.

The submarine advanced steadily toward the zombies. At this moment, the Seaweed Guards were just like the Pumpkin Head on a Wall-nut.

At the same time, the zombie horde outside the defensive line noticed the newly arrived submarine.

They moved.

Several Deep-Diving Zombies at the very front turned their heads simultaneously, their hollow eye sockets inside their helmets fixing on Lin Yue's direction.

The Conehead Zombie horde behind them let out a dull roar. The ordinary Zombies opened their mouths, their rotten teeth flashing with a murky white in the darkness.

The entire zombie horde began surging toward Lin Yue like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.