In fact, the situation was more serious than Luo Yuan had expected.
The next morning, when Luo Yuan walked out of the grotto, his eyes were filled with endless greenery. The flood from yesterday had subsided, and there were a few streams flowing in the forest. The grass in front of him, which was usually trimmed, was like a bamboo shoot after the rain. It had grown a lot taller overnight, and now it was as tall as half a person. Thousands of strange insects fluttered in the grass, shuttling back and forth. It was a scene full of vitality.
The forest that was in a mess yesterday had long since disappeared without a trace. Not only was the forest not destroyed, it was even more verdant. After the storm, the empty space was now occupied by other branches.
The new branches looked delicate and weak. Some of the leaves had not even fully grown, but they could not wait to occupy the new territory.
The forest was full of vitality. If it was not for the collapse at the entrance, Luo Yuan would have thought that the super storm from the previous day was an illusion.
The growth of the plants was crazy. If it was only one night, what would happen if it continued for another 10 days? Plants were the bottom of the ecological chain. If there were any changes to the plants, the whole ecological chain would have a chain reaction.
Luo Yuan was worried. He looked at it for a while before returning to the grotto.
Everyone was cleaning the moss inside. After the water in the grotto receded, when they woke up, the ground and the rock walls were covered with colorful moss. Not only was it slippery and disgusting, but it also attracted insects. So, early in the morning, everyone started cleaning the uninvited plants.
However, they realized how troublesome it was.
Not only was there no suitable tools, but the cleaning speed was also very slow. The moss also had a biological characteristic. Once it was hurt, it would stick to the ground, which made it more difficult to clean. A few of them worked for more than an hour, but they only managed to clean a small area.
What was more troublesome was that its roots were embedded in the rocks, so it was difficult to get rid of them. As long as there was some water, it would grow back the next day.
Luo Yuan looked at it for a while and said, "This is too inefficient. We don't have to be so troublesome. Plants are afraid of fire. Let's wait for the firewood outside to dry and burn it with a big fire."
His mind was much faster now, so he had an idea in a blink of an eye.
Everyone stood up and dropped the stones in their hands. They looked at each other. Luo Yuan's idea was simple and efficient, but strangely, no one had thought of it.
In fact, this was because they had been blinded by their previous common sense and had fallen into habitual thinking. In a normal person's mind, if there was moss growing in their house, their first reaction would definitely be to remove the moss and not burn it with fire. That would definitely be insane. Not only would it easily set the house on fire, but the smell of smoke and ashes left behind after the fire was enough to drive people crazy. However, in the post-apocalyptic world, danger lurked everywhere, and life and death were unpredictable. One could lose one's life at any time. Even living seemed to be a luxury, so paying attention to such things was simply suicide. Ensuring his own survival was the most important thing. As for the others, they had to be pushed to the back.
"Ah!"
Right at this moment, Chen Jiayi let out a scream.
Huang Jiahui, who was standing close to her, trembled and said, "Luo Yuan, come and have a look!"
Luo Yuan frowned and walked over quickly. "What's wrong?"
"Look at her little finger!" Huang Jiahui said with a trembling voice.
He looked at her hand and his heart sank. There was a patch of green moss growing on her little finger. It was about the size of a dime, and from afar, it looked like it was stuck to her finger.
He grabbed her hand and touched it gently. The moss was stimulated and shrunk deep into her skin, leaving only a light green mark. The surface was smooth, without any holes. Other than the color, it was almost the same as normal skin. In fact, it was even smoother and moister, as if it had been coated with a layer of cream.
At this moment, everyone had gathered around Chen Jiayi. When they saw the changes on her hands, they couldn't help but turn pale. They hurriedly checked their exposed breasts, and when they discovered that there were no abnormalities, they couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
No one would have thought that the normal moss could be so dangerous.
"When did this happen?" Luo Yuan asked Chen Jiayi.
"I … I don't know. I just felt a little itchy on my little finger …" Chen Jiayi's face was pale and her body was trembling. However, anyone who had experienced such a thing would not be much better off.
Suddenly, Luo Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He realized that the green spot had grown bigger and covered his entire little finger in just a few seconds.
There was a limit to the lethality of Will against plants, and there was also a layer of the human body's self-defense, so the effect might not be very good. However, now that things had come to this, he did not dare to hesitate any longer. He could only hope that there would not be any problems.
He focused his Will and a layer of light appeared in his hand. Then, he held Chen Jiayi's hand.
Chen Jiayi's body trembled and she almost fell to the ground. Her face became even paler.
"Jiayi, what's wrong?" Huang Jiahui quickly asked.
The two boys, who were the closest to Chen Jiayi, were standing next to her nervously. However, they did not dare speak in front of the adults.
Chen Jiayi's face quickly turned pale. Her body was getting weaker and weaker. She could barely stand. She opened her mouth weakly but could not say anything.
As if sensing something amiss, he abruptly looked at Chen Jiayi's palm, and his expression changed drastically. He saw that a smear of green had broken through her little finger and was spreading rapidly. Soon, it had covered her entire palm and extended to her arm. In less than a second, it had almost covered her entire forearm. The speed at which it was spreading was so fast that it made his scalp go numb.
"Damn it!
He quickly dispersed his Will and grabbed Chen Jiayi's hand. He rolled up her sleeve and found that half of her arm had turned green.
Looking at the strange color of her arm, everyone felt a chill down their spine.
Luo Yuan's heart sank. He did not expect the moss to be so difficult to deal with. Not only was it not killed by his Will, but it was also growing rapidly under the stimulation of danger.
There was only one way left.
"Other than the women, everyone get out!" Luo Yuan said coldly.
Everyone seemed to have sensed something and felt sorry for Chen Jiayi. However, it was the best way to save her life. Soon, all the men walked out of the cave.
After the men left, Luo Yuan quickly took off all her clothes and threw them on the ground.
During this period of time, the originally skinny little girl's face had not only become a little chubby, but her body had also begun to develop ahead of schedule, and her chest was slightly bulging.
Being naked in front of everyone, especially a man like Luo Yuan, made Chen Jiayi blush. She was so nervous that her body trembled slightly, looking like a frightened deer.
Luo Yuan glanced at her and avoided eye contact.
Zhao Yali wanted to say something but was pulled back by Wang Xiaguang, who shook her head.
"Close your eyes and it'll be over soon." Luo Yuan took out his Zhanmadao and said gently to Chen Jiayi. After some time, the green color had already spread to her upper arm.
Chen Jiayi's blushing face immediately turned pale again. Her lips trembled slightly, and large drops of tears fell down. It was a pitiful sight. She was only 12 years old. In a normal society, she would still be in primary school, but now she had to suffer the pain of losing an arm.
Luo Yuan sighed and held her hand. He held the handle of his Zhanmadao and was about to swing it.
Looking at the silver Zhanmadao that was about to fall, Chen Jiayi felt a strong sense of fear. Her heart beat violently.
"No … No!" She suddenly said with a trembling voice and her body started to struggle.
"Don't be afraid, Jiayi. It'll be fine after a while. You can still live without an arm!" Huang Jiahui quickly comforted her.
"Please, don't cut my arm off! I don't want to be a one-armed person! "Chen Jiayi suddenly broke down and cried loudly. After all, she was only a 12-year-old girl. Even if she was strong, her mind was not comparable to an adult's.
"If you don't cut off this arm, you'll die. Don't be afraid, the wound will heal soon." Huang Jiahui continued to persuade her.
However, Chen Jiayi was so emotional that she did not respond. She just kept crying.
As time passed, the best time to cut off the Zhanmadao was gone. Perhaps the moss spores had started to grow through the blood flow. Previously, the green color was only limited to the arm, but slowly, it spread to her chest, stomach, and even her face.
Noticing this, he sighed and helplessly stopped. This time, there was really no other way.
The moss had spread all over her body. There was no hope.
Luo Yuan slowly sheathed the Zhanmadao. Actually, he quite liked this little girl. Not only was she cute, but she was also very sensible. She helped cook and clean more than anyone else.
The women also noticed this. Their faces changed and their eyes became slightly wet.
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little quiet.
Huang Jiahui could not help but ask, "Is there no other way?"
"She doesn't have much time left." Luo Yuan shook his head and said softly.
Then, he picked up her clothes and carefully put them on her. Chen Jiayi stopped crying. Her face was stupefied, like a marionette, and she was at his mercy.
"Uncle Luo, am I going to die?" Chen Jiayi suddenly asked after she put on her clothes.
Luo Yuan hesitated for a moment and finally nodded. He comforted her softly, "Everyone will die sooner or later. What's your wish?"
Death was the most difficult thing to do, let alone a little girl. Chen Jiayi's body trembled and she covered her mouth tightly. Big drops of tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed.
The women, who were very emotional, also started to cry.
"Before you leave, say goodbye to your friends outside." Luo Yuan said softly. He did not feel good either.
Chen Jiayi nodded with tears in her eyes and walked towards the door with heavy steps. At this time, the sun had already risen. The rising sunlight shone through the stone corridor and shone on her body. The moss that had been hiding in her body came out again.
She looked at her body and stood there for a long time. After a while, she seemed to feel a sense of joy. There was a slight smile on her desperate and pale face.
The moss spread faster under the sunlight. Not long after, it covered her whole body.
Everyone gathered around and subconsciously held their breaths.
PS: There is one more chapter at night.
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