Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy! - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Parasitic Vine Tadpole
Lan Fuyou assigned half of his team to watch over the five unconscious scouts.

These people were still shaken by Nanzhi’s earlier words, yet they dared not disobey Lan Fuyou in case he decided to abandon them here. After all, they had no abilities to protect themselves.

Sometime past midnight, while almost everyone was fast asleep, one of the people on standby noticed movement from one of the unconscious figures on the makeshift beds.

“Huh?” He stood up abruptly, rubbing his eyes as he peered through the dim light.

The room was illuminated by a single flickering candle. He grabbed it from the stand and approached the nearest unconscious figure—a man in a blue shirt beneath a black jacket.

But nothing seemed amiss. The man was still lying there, eyes closed, unmoving. Perhaps it was just his imagination.

Just as he exhaled in relief, he heard it again—a rustling sound, this time from the next person over. The candle’s weak glow barely reached, so he instinctively took a step closer.

Then, just as he was about to move—

“Ribbit…”

A chilling croak shattered the silence.

A scream followed, sharp and guttural, slicing through the drowsy stillness like a blade.

Lan Fuyou and Lu Jian jolted awake.

“What the heck—”

The Thorn Team members, who had been dozing off in the next room, snapped to attention.

Luo Gang and his team, resting in the farthest corner, also heard the commotion. Sleep vanished in an instant as everyone bolted upright.

Atop a pile of machinery, a blue-eyed man lazily cracked one eye open. The other screams didn’t concern him in the slightest—as long as the fat pig was safe.

But still, he moved to check the situation.

A second scream rang out, then a third. Someone thrashed violently, knocking over a flashlight. Shadows leapt and danced wildly across the walls.

A sickening squelch followed—the snap of bones reforming in grotesque, unnatural ways. A deep, eerie croaking reverberated through the water pump station.

Five figures stepped out of the room.

They were the five ‘rescued’ men—but no longer human. Their bodies convulsed, muscles bulging and twisting in unnatural ways. Their skin darkened with a slimy sheen, their limbs lengthening grotesquely.

Their eyes, once human, had transformed into bulging, glassy orbs.

Their mouths stretched unnaturally wide, revealing rows of jagged, needle-like teeth. A long, serpentine tongue slithered out.

And most horrifying of all—their throats swelled like balloons.

“Ribbit. Ribbit.”

If Nanzhi were here, she would have seen a system prompt hovering above their heads:

[Tier 2 Middle Stage – Parasitic Water Vine Tadpole]

[Attributes: Water, Healing, Speed]

“How did they turn into this? Why do they look like frogs?!” a member of the Thorn Team stammered in disbelief.

“No shit, Sherlock!” His team leader smacked him over the head.

A collective shudder ran through the people in the water pump station.

Could alien beasts mimic humans now?!

Luo Gang recalled Nanzhi’s words and felt a sinking dread. She was right. He never should have stayed here. Regret gnawed at him.

The five creatures opened their grotesque mouths—

And their tongues shot out like darts.

Those too slow to dodge were pierced instantly.

“AHHHH!”

The Thorn Team leader’s eyes widened in horror as one of his men was struck in the throat. Blood gushed from the wound as the man collapsed, face draining of color.

The attack was so fast, no one had time to react. These things—they were stronger than them!

Stunned, the survivors scrambled to retaliate.

Elemental attacks rained down on the creatures.

Fire. Metal. Ice. Wind blades. Earthen spikes.

Some attacks landed, leaving holes in the monsters’ grotesque bodies. But before the humans could breathe a sigh of relief—

Slimy green liquid oozed from the wounds, rapidly sealing them shut.

The creatures were regenerating.

“What?! It can even heal itself?!” someone cried out in disbelief.

Never before had they encountered an alien beast with such a terrifying ability.

The blue-eyed man narrowed his gaze, finally taking action.

But as soon as his attack landed, a thick layer of water surged around the creatures, forming a protective shield.

Sizzle—

Even though his corrosive fireballs burned them, the damage was drastically reduced. And like before—the wounds healed.

Not as effective as when he fought the horde of buffaloes…

Seeing this, a sharp cry rang out: “RUN!”

Chaos erupted.

The survivors scrambled toward the exit.

The five creatures leaped after them, attacking with razor-sharp water blades and high-speed water arrows.

Those too slow perished on the spot.

The blue-eyed man attacked again, but the creatures were incredibly fast, dodging unpredictably. They clung to walls, scuttled across the ceiling, and hurled objects with their long, grotesque tongues.

The battlefield descended into madness.

One of the monsters lunged toward Lan Fuyou.

“DOG! DO SOMETHING!” Lan Fuyou shrieked, his voice cracking in terror.

Lu Jian clung to his back, trembling. What the hell are these things?!

Another creature fixated on the Thorn Team’s side.

“AHH! LEADER, HELP!”

The Thorn Team leader didn’t hesitate—he turned tail and ran.

Luo Gang clenched his jaw, knowing his strength was limited. “Retreat! MOVE!” he barked at his team.

“Ribbit… Ribbit…”

The creatures were relentless.

A long tongue lashed out at Luo Gang, aiming straight for his throat. He conjured a gust of wind, propelling himself backward just in time.

“Ribbit… Ribbit!”

Another attack came.

Just as he was about to dodge—a force shoved him aside.

The water blade slashed across his arm. A deep gash.

Pain flared through his body.

Through gritted teeth, he turned his head—

The culprit was the Thorn Team’s leader.

Luo Gang’s eyes turned bloodshot. That bastard!

“Ribbit… Ribbit!”

The remaining survivors barely managed to escape, dragging the injured with them.

The battle raged on.

At last, after an intense struggle, the blue-eyed man ended it—by melting the creatures’ heads into a puddle.

Lan Fuyou was still shaking from both fear and fury. He turned to look at the corpses of his fallen men and the other team’s casualties.

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached.

Zhao Lin’s team and the Iron Gale Squad finally arrived.

When they stepped outside the water pump station, they were met with a gruesome sight—the headless corpses of the five ‘men’… and the many dead.

A chill ran down their spines.

Lan Fuyou’s face twisted in rage. “Why the hell did you only arrive NOW?! Are you deaf?!”

The faces of Zhao Lin’s team and the Iron Gale Squad darkened.

Before coming, they had asked Nanzhi if she wanted to join them.

She had only said, “Lan Fuyou won’t be grateful. You’ll only be blamed.”

She was right.

They shouldn’t have come!

This fat pig were the one who insisted in bringing those men yet they were the ones being blamed?!

They had the urge to struck his face with their fists.