Li Chengyi's eyes gleamed with a mixture of anticipation and fervor.
He quickly released the flowers in his hand and reached for another cluster.
As he continued grasping the flowers, a refreshing sensation continuously flowed into his hand.
The collection percentage for the wisteria Flower Armor quickly increased.
Starting from 5%, it soon reached 28%.
But once it hit 28%, all the wisteria flowers in the area had been absorbed.
Is that all?! He scanned the surroundings but couldn't find any more wisteria flowers.
There had been at least a hundred wisteria flowers here, yet he still hadn't filled the Flower Armor collection.
Li Chengyi felt a pang of regret—he should've chosen the wild chrysanthemums earlier.
After all, wild chrysanthemums were everywhere, and he could have filled the collection faster.
But now, it was too late to change.
Once he confirmed there were no more wisteria flowers nearby, Li Chengyi quickly ran back home.
He needed to grab the supplies he had purchased earlier.
In just three minutes, he was back at home, grabbing the bags he had packed.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the bags and rushed out of the door. There was still time to go to the neighboring community—perhaps there were more wisteria flowers there!
Instead of taking the elevator, Li Chengyi ran down the stairs with the bags, speeding out through the building's exit and along the neighborhood's path.
As he reached the entrance of the neighborhood, he suddenly stopped. Something had come to mind, and he quickly looked around.
The small park should have a lot of flowers!
The small park where the previous owner often exercised was full of plants and trees. Surely, there would be more wisteria there.
The streets outside the neighborhood were quiet, with vehicles coming and going. The cars seemed like cold, lifeless metal boxes, their interiors obscured by thick, dark windows.
These cars gave off a cold, impersonal feeling.
Alongside the street, the pavement was lined with tall evergreen trees. Their green crowns were trimmed into neat ovals, and they swayed gently with the wind, making soft whistling sounds.
Li Chengyi continued running, passing the rows of trees and the streetlights, which cast long, thin shadows of him on the ground.
Thud, thud, thud...
The rhythmic sound of his sneakers hitting the ground echoed.
Soon, he reached the corner at the entrance to the small park.
The sidewalk turned right, past a rusty white metal sign, and then the small park entrance appeared.
Li Chengyi felt his body heating up, and sweat began to drip down his temples as he panted heavily.
With a sudden turn, he sped into the park, running along the dark red rubber track.
He hadn't run more than 200 meters when a faint purple hue caught his eye at the side of a solar-powered streetlamp.
Found it!! His heart surged with excitement as he quickened his pace.
He stretched his right hand and grabbed a hanging wisteria flower.
Whoosh.
The soft, cool touch of the flower sent a surge of energy into his hand.
Collection rate increased to 31%.
Collection rate increased to 32%.
Collection rate increased to 34%.
A series of notifications echoed in his mind as the collection percentage increased to 43%.
Seeing that the flowers in this cluster had been exhausted, Li Chengyi quickly moved on to another group, continuing to hear the notifications.
The wisteria flowers by the streetlamp numbered over a dozen clusters, densely packed together like a bunch of grapes.
In terms of quantity, they were much more concentrated than the wild chrysanthemums, which made Li Chengyi more confident in his decision.
If he had chosen wild chrysanthemums, he wouldn't have been able to raise the collection rate so quickly.
After all, wild chrysanthemums were scattered everywhere.
But the wisteria—he had already absorbed several hundred of them.
Under the dim light of the streetlamp, Li Chengyi kept reaching for the flowers.
From a distance, anyone who might see him would probably think he had lost his mind.
But only he knew the reason for his focused and tense expression.
It was all for one purpose: to survive!
The collection rate rapidly increased.
When it reached 70%, Li Chengyi suddenly stopped. He had gone through all the wisteria flowers around him.
Not enough?
He scanned his surroundings and noticed more flowers by the stone structure at the park's edge.
Without wasting time, he quickly sprinted over.
Within moments, he reached the flowers, grabbed a new cluster, and watched the collection percentage climb again.
Faster... Faster!
The percentage jumped to:
78%.82%.86%.91%.94%.
The last few points were within his reach.
Li Chengyi's eyes widened as his pulse raced.
He gripped the plastic bag tightly with one hand and continued picking the wisteria flowers with the other.
His body began to feel a tinge of fatigue, the drowsiness creeping back in.
Is it happening now!?
His anxiety intensified.
Faster!
Hurry!
96%.97%.98%!
The final two points!
Li Chengyi's whole body trembled, tension building to its peak.
It felt like he was racing against time, like a tug-of-war with his own survival.
Soon...
99%!!!
Just one more point!!
He stared intently at the wisteria flowers, the purple-black ring on his hand faintly glowing as one of the segments began to light up.
Inside the purple glow, intricate patterns of wisteria flowers intertwined, forming an elegant design within the segment.
The segment was filled with wisteria, the flowers spinning in a swirling pattern, the center surrounded by darkness.
Li Chengyi didn't dare blink. He stared at the wisteria flowers, waiting for the final moment—the final completion!
Finally.
100%!
Collection complete.
Ding.
In an instant, a clear, melodic chime echoed in his ears.
Li Chengyi's vision went black.
In the darkness, a purple-black armor, with shoulder plates extending like sharp spikes, slowly emerged from the mist.
The armor perfectly covered his entire body, leaving only his eyes exposed.
At first glance, it appeared to be an ornamental ceremonial armor, composed of petal-sized armor plates, each intricately carved with wisteria flower patterns.
The edges of the plates were sharp, giving the armor a menacing appearance.
The helmet had three sharp purple spikes protruding from the top, covering his entire face except for his eyes.
*This... is the Flower Armor?!
Li Chengyi stared at the armor in awe, feeling an overwhelming urge to wear it.
But he resisted. This wasn't the time to don the armor, especially in the park where there were hidden cameras.
As he declined to wear the armor, the surrounding darkness dissipated. The familiar scenery of the park slowly returned.
I made it...
Standing still, he exhaled in relief.
The fatigue he had felt earlier was gone now.
It must have been from overexertion. It wasn't the warning from the dead corner.
Li Chengyi felt much lighter now.
He reached up to gently touch the back of his right hand. Even without his phone, he could clearly see the purple-black ring.
It seemed that filling the first segment with a flower had triggered this mysterious transformation of the Malicious Flower.
Looking at the remaining wisteria flowers, Li Chengyi reached out to touch one more.
But this time, there was no reaction.
No cool energy flowed into his hand.
A strange feeling arose in his heart.
Do I need to replace the wisteria with a different type of flower? Has this particular wisteria reached its limit?
He reluctantly put his hand down, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Since it was no longer useful, he decided to head back and rest, figuring out what he might have missed in his preparations.
Turning around, he quickly walked toward the exit of the park.
Huh!?
Suddenly, Li Chengyi froze, his right foot lifting and then returning to the ground.
He stared at the scene before him, a chilling sensation creeping into his heart.
It wasn't the familiar park path he had expected.
Instead, he found himself standing in the middle of an empty, dimly lit underground parking garage!
Underground parking!?
No!
It's not the parking garage!
It was the Dead Corner!!
At that moment, something clicked in Li Chengyi's mind. His body tensed, and his eyes quickly turned to the right wall, where a small maintenance door stood open.
That door...
It was open!!
Just like the last time in the warning, the maintenance door had opened, and then...
Realizing this, Li Chengyi felt a wave of cold sweat rush over him.
He turned around abruptly!
A black-and-white image appeared before him!
That massive, two-meter-tall face was right behind him!
So close!
The face, expressionless, silently opened its mouth.
Boom!!!
A deafening scream erupted from the mouth, the soundwaves blasting forward, enveloping the area.
Black smoke poured out from the giant face, instantly consuming Li Chengyi and the parking garage for several meters.
The smoke roiled, and strong winds surged, causing the lights to flicker and dust to fall from the ceiling.
After several seconds, the smoke began to dissipate, spreading in all directions as it faded into the depths of the parking garage.
Amidst the smoke, a purple silhouette slowly emerged, kneeling on one knee.
The intoxicating scent of wisteria bloomed through the mist and wind.
Click.
The purple figure stood up, revealing the purple-black metal armor it wore, intricately etched with wisteria flower patterns.
Countless translucent wisteria petals surrounded it, swirling like a dream.
"I won't die…"
"Not ever!!"
Li Chengyi suddenly lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with intensity.
He stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Rip you apart!!!"
Whoosh!
His hands pierced through the giant face as if it were a balloon, with no resistance.
With a dull ripping sound, the massive face split in two, the fragments floating in the air, shattering into smaller black-and-white particles, disappearing into the air.
What do you think of the powerful Flower Armor and Li Chengyi's newfound strength?What's next for him in the Dead Corner?Share your thoughts below!