Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy!-Chapter 209: Mutated Parasol Tree

A figure stood nearby, shaking off her fist like she had just swatted an annoying insect. Her expression was cold as ice, her eyes looking down on Helen Wu's crumpled form with absolute indifference.

Nanzhi.

Helen Wu groaned, limbs twitching as she tried to register what had just happened. Then—her rage exploded.

"You—!" She screeched, face twisting in fury. "How dare you hit me—!"

Power gathered at her fingertips, water condensing into a deadly lance. She aimed directly at Nanzhi's heart—

CRACK!

A thick, gnarled root suddenly burst through the wall, shooting forward with the speed of a whip. In an instant, it coiled around Helen Wu's waist, yanking her off her feet.

The entire building shook.

A commotion erupted as people inside rushed out, flashlights illuminating the monstrous plant that had forced its way through the structure. Someone gasped in horror.

"It's a mutated parasol tree!" It was the first time Yu Baoyin saw a moving tree! Wow!

Nanzhi's brows furrowed.

That wasn't right.

Plants were only supposed to mutate after the blood rain.

Yet this tree was already a Tier 3 monster.

Ding—

[Tier 3 Mutated Parasol Tree]

[Attributes: Wood, Regeneration]

A mutated parasol tree at this stage meant something was wrong.

But Nanzhi had no time to dwell on it. She needed to kill it.

"Helen!"

Cho Jin's voice rang out as he launched wind blades at the roots, but his Tier 1 ability barely cut halfway before the tree's regenerative abilities kicked in. The bark sealed itself shut within seconds.

"Damn it!"

Helen, still entangled, shrieked, struggling against the vice-like grip around her waist.

"Brother Cho—please help me!" she sobbed, her voice shrill with desperation.

Zhao Lin, who had just regained her footing, sneered at her pathetic display.

"Help you?" she spat. "You just tried to kill me, remember?"

Helen's pleas grew more frantic as the vine tightened, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Cho Jin leapt forward, dodging the flailing roots while unleashing more wind blades. Beside him, Wu Hao conjured rock spikes, but even earth attacks barely left a dent.

More roots erupted from the ground, sweeping through the battlefield with terrifying force.

Cho Jin dodged one—but not the second.

"Ah!" he groaned, pain searing through his left arm as a thick root pierced straight through it.

"Cho Jin!"

Zhao Lin, despite her resentment, reacted instantly. With a flick of her fingers, vines shot forward, wrapping around him and yanking him away just as another root missed impaling his chest by mere inches.

She could hate him all she wanted, but—he had saved her before. Now, she paid the debt!

"Save…Helen," Cho Jin gasped, gripping his bleeding arm.

Zhao Lin's expression darkened.

"Are you serious?" she snapped. "That woman tried to drown me minutes ago. Why should I save her?"

Cho Jin could only repeat his plea.

"The spars of alien tree-type plants are either located on the trunk or the roots," Nanzhi stated coolly. "Feng Ran, Weihao—focus your attacks there."

Feng Ran conjured a massive fireball. Lin Weihao gathered crackling lightning in his palm.

Both attacks hit the trunk simultaneously.

The mutated parasol tree screamed.

Roots convulsed, withdrawing from Helen as the monster flailed in pain.

Everyone immediately attacked, bombarding it with fire, lightning, and wind. But its healing ability was terrifyingly tenacious.

Nanzhi's eyes sharpened.

Her eyes remained fixed on the parasol tree's core. She observed its movements carefully. Every time an attack landed, it ignored most areas—but whenever a strike hit three feet above its roots, the tree would reinforce the spot with a thick rattan shield.

It was protecting something.

Lin Weihao caught on at the same time.

Lin Weihao unleashed another lightning strike, shattering the rattan shield that guarded the tree's weakness.

The parasol tree retaliated, its giant leaves hardening into razor-sharp blades before shooting toward them.

But before they could land—

They froze in mid-air.

Cho Jin, Helen, and Wu Hao watched in horror as the tree's own leaves and roots suddenly turned against it.

The monster twitched violently, unable to control its own body.

Taking advantage of its confusion, Nanzhi flicked her wrist.

The roots and the sharp leaves pierced straight through the weak spot, leaving a large gaping hole, revealing a green spar!

It healing ability couldn't heal the hole fast.

With a wave of her hand, the green spar detached with a loud crunch.

The parasol tree let out a final, eerie shriek as its entire structure collapsed.

A fist-sized green spar fell into Nanzhi's waiting palm.

The once-monstrous tree reverted to its original, lifeless form.

Silence.

Zhao Lin stared at Nanzhi in awe. She had known Nanzhi was strong—but this? This was terrifying.

Cho Jin, still clutching his wounded arm, thought back to his earlier arrogance. How foolish he had been.

Helen Wu was deathly pale. When Nanzhi's cold gaze flickered toward her, she flinched and instinctively hid behind Cho Jin.

But Nanzhi merely looked away.

She turned toward the group.

"This place isn't safe anymore," she said flatly.

They gathered their things and left immediately.

As they packed up, a rift grew within Cho Jin's team.

Helen Wu helped the injured Cho Jin into the backseat of the car, but the reluctance in her eyes was obvious. She saw him as a burden now.

Zhao Lin didn't even hesitate.

She turned to Nanzhi, determined.

"Can I hitch a ride? I'll sit on the floor if I have to," she said, slightly embarrassed.

Helen watched Zhao Lin climb into Nanzhi's Hummer.

Her swollen face twisted with jealousy.

By dawn, they finally arrived at Longmen Base.